cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Guidelines for urinary tract infections. Rationale for a separate strata for patients with "low-count" bacteriuria.

It must be emphasized that the recommendations to retain the more stringent criteria for the determination of bacteriuria and to consider “low-count” bacteriuria separately isfor the purposes of clinical trials only. The compelling reason is that consistent diagnostic criteria and clear end points are needed for large multicentre studies in which the collection and processing of specimens must be carefully standardized. There are good reasons to believe that bacteriuria due to “low counts” of uropathogens is valid for men and meaningful for some women who have the urethral syndrome. There women should be studied as a separate group until the natural history of this condition can be better defined.
Southern Literature: A Blending of Oral, Visual & Musical Voices

The blending of oral traditions, visual arts, and music has influenced how Southern writers shape their region's narrative voice. In the South, writing and storytelling intersect. Mark Twain introduced readers to these storytellers in “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Twain blends both black and white voices within Huck's consciousness and awareness – in Huck's speech and thoughts – and in his dialogues with Jim. A narrative link exists between the South's visual artists and writers; Southern writers, after all, live in the most closely seen region in America. The spiritual, gospel, and rock and roll are musical genres that Southern writers love – although jazz, blues, and ballads might have the most influence on their work. Southern poets and scholars have produced anthologies, textbooks, and literary journals that focus on the region's narrative voice and its black and white literary traditions. Southern writers have created stories that touch the heart and populate American literature with voices of th...
7,8-Dihydroxyflavone, a Small Molecule TrkB Agonist, Improves Spatial Memory and Increases Thin Spine Density in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease-Like Neuronal Loss

Augmenting BDNF/TrkB signaling has been demonstrated to be a promising strategy for reversing cognitive deficits in preclinical models of Alzheimer disease (AD). Although these studies highlight the potential of targeting BDNF/TrkB signaling, this strategy has not yet been tested in a model that develops the disease features that are most closely associated with cognitive decline in AD: severe synaptic and neuronal loss. In the present study, we investigated the impact of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF), a TrkB agonist, in CaM/Tet-DTA mice, an inducible model of severe neuronal loss in the hippocampus and cortex. Systemic 7,8-DHF treatment significantly improved spatial memory in lesioned mice, as measured by water maze. Analysis of GFP-labeled neurons in CaM/Tet-DTA mice revealed that 7,8-DHF induced a significant and selective increase in the density of thin spines in CA1 of lesioned mice, without affecting mushroom or stubby spines. These findings suggest chronic upregulation of TrkB signaling with 7,8-DHF may be an effective and practical strategy for improving function in AD, even after substantial neuronal loss has occurred.
Separation and analysis of trace degradants in a pharmaceutical formulation using on-line capillary isotachophoresis-NMR.

NMR spectroscopy is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for the structure elucidation of pharmaceutical impurities, especially when coupled to a separation method, such as HPLC. However, NMR has relatively poor sensitivity compared with other techniques such as mass spectrometry, limiting its applicability in impurity analyses. This limitation is addressed here through the on-line coupling of microcoil NMR with capillary isotachophoresis (cITP), a separation method that can concentrate dilute components by 2−3 orders of magnitude. With this approach, 1H NMR spectra can be acquired for microgram (nanomole) quantities of trace impurities in a complex sample matrix. cITP-NMR was used in this work to isolate and detect 4-aminophenol (PAP) in an acetaminophen sample spiked at the 0.1% level, with no interference from the parent compound. Analysis of an acetaminophen thermal degradation sample revealed resonances of several degradation products in addition to PAP, confirming the effectiveness of on-line ...
Second Malignant Neoplasms in Patients With Cowden Syndrome With Underlying Germline PTEN Mutations

Purpose Patients with Cowden syndrome (CS) with underlying germline PTEN mutations are at increased risk of breast, thyroid, endometrial, and renal cancers. To our knowledge, risk of subsequent cancers in these patients has not been previously explored or quantified. Patients and Methods We conducted a 7-year multicenter prospective study (2005 to 2012) of patients with CS or CS-like disease, all of whom underwent comprehensive PTEN mutational analysis. Second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) were ascertained by medical records and confirmed by pathology reports. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for all SMNs combined and for breast, thyroid, endometrial, and renal cancers were calculated. Results Of the 2,912 adult patients included in our analysis, 2,024 had an invasive cancer history. Germline pathogenic PTEN mutations (PTEN mutation positive) were identified in 114 patients (5.6%). Of these 114 patients, 46 (40%) had an SMN. Median age of SMN diagnosis was 50 years (range, 21 to 71 years). Median interva...
The Emerging Down Syndrome Behavioral Phenotype in Early Childhood Implications for Practice

Previous studies have reported a specific behavioral phenotype, or a distinct profile of behavioral outcomes, associated with Down syndrome. Until recently, however, there has been little attention given to how this behavioral profile emerges and develops over time. It is argued here that some aspects of the Down syndrome behavioral phenotype are already emerging in infants and toddlers, including emerging relative strengths in some aspects of visual processing, receptive language and nonverbal social functioning, and relative weaknesses in gross motor skills and expressive language skills. Research on the early developmental trajectory associated with Down syndrome (and other genetic disorders) is important because it can help researchers and practitioners formulate interventions that are time-sensitive, and that prevent or offset potential future negative outcomes. This article reviews evidence for the emerging Down syndrome behavioral phenotype in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. This is followed by a discussion of intervention approaches that specifically target this developing profile, with a focus on language, preliteracy skills, and personality motivation.
Prewetting boundary tensions from Monte Carlo simulation.

We examine the boundary tension of a model system along the prewetting saturation line. Boundary tensions are evaluated through a combination of finite-size scaling and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation. The model system consists of Lennard-Jones particles interacting with a single structureless surface. After scaling our dimensionless results with a characteristic force, we obtain a value of $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{N}$ for the boundary tension at the system's wetting temperature. This estimate is consistent with theoretical and recent experimental values.
Clinical outcome in ischemic stroke predicted by early diffusion-weighted and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging: a preliminary analysis

Perfusion and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can demonstrate, respectively, cerebral ischemia and ischemic brain injury in the first several hours after onset of symptoms, when proton density and T2-weighted MRI may appear normal. It is hypothesized that these techniques could distinguish regions destined for infarction from those that will not progress to infarction. We provide preliminary evidence from an analysis of 19 patients with severely disabling clinical deficits attributable to ischemia in at least an entire division of the middle cerebral artery, that initial perfusion and diffusion MRI were more accurate than conventional MRI in predicting no, partial or complete improvement--17 of 19 cases (p < 0.0001) versus 10 of 19 cases, respectively. In the subset of patients studied within 6 h of onset, diffusion/perfusion MRI was an even better predictor than conventional MRI--11 of 12 versus four of 12, respectively. In this small sample of patients with severe clinical deficits, perfusion and diffusion MRI were highly accurate in distinguishing those who would improve from those who would not. These results need to be confirmed in a larger prospective study, which may support a future role in the initial screening, selection, and evaluation of patients with stroke for acute pharmacologic interventions.
Proteomic Signatures of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Survival Signal Pathways Correspond to Gefitinib Sensitivity in Head and Neck Cancer

Purpose: Gefitinib targeting of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has shown limited activity in clinical trials of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To investigate the underlying molecular mechanism, the proteomic signatures and responses of EGFR and downstream signals have been studied in a panel of HNSCC cell lines and tumor specimens pre- and post-gefitinib treatment. Experimental Design: The IC50 of gefitinib for HNSCC cell lines were determined using 3-(4,5-dmethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide proliferation assay. The effects of gefitinib on activation of EGFR and downstream signaling molecules were determined by Western blot, ELISA, and reverse-phase protein microarray (RPMA). The biomarkers involved in the signaling pathways were examined in HNSCC tumor specimens from patients in a phase I gefitinib trial. Results: In vitro, gefitinib inhibited cell proliferation with differing IC50, and suppressed activation of EGFR and downstream signaling molecules protein kinase B (AKT), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and nuclear factor κB. The drug sensitivity was statistically correlated with activation of phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) and phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) detected by ELISA, and consistent with results measured by RPMA. In patient samples, a broad suppression of activation of EGFR and downstream signaling molecules was observed in a molecular responder patient, in contrast to a lack of inhibition or increased activation of biomarkers in different pathways in nonresponder patients. Conclusions: Gefitinib sensitivity is correlated with p-AKT and p-STAT3 activation in HNSCC cell lines and tumor specimens. p-AKT and p-STAT3 could serve as potentially useful biomarkers and drug targets for further development of novel therapeutic agents for HNSCC.
Regioselective reactions of 3,4-pyridynes enabled by the aryne distortion model

The pyridine heterocycle continues to play a vital role in the development of human medicines. More than 100 currently-marketed drugs contain this privileged unit, which remains highly sought after synthetically. We report an efficient means to access di- and tri-substituted pyridines in an efficient and highly controlled manner using transient 3,4-pyridyne intermediates. Previous efforts to employ 3,4-pyridynes for the construction of substituted pyridines have been hampered by a lack of regiocontrol or the inability to later manipulate an adjacent directing group. The newly developed strategy relies on the use of proximal halide or sulfamate substituents to perturb pyridyne distortion, which in turn governs regioselectivities in nucleophilic addition and cycloaddition reactions. Following trapping of in situ-generated pyridynes, the neighboring directing groups may be removed or exploited using versatile metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. This methodology now renders 3,4-pyridynes useful synthetic building blocks for the creation of highly decorated derivatives of the medicinally privileged pyridine heterocycle.
2I-5 Analysis of 40 MHz Annular Array Imaging Performance In Mouse Embryos

Current high frequency ultrasound imaging, or ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) systems have the capability of imaging mouse embryos with a frame rate of up to 200 frames per second. 3D datasets can also be acquired with the appropriate hardware. Because of the limited depth of field (DOF), effective volumetric analysis is limited to approximately 2 mm about the passive focus for a fixed-focus transducer operating at 40 MHz. This shortcoming imposes a size limit which the current technology can effectively be used to segment out accurate volumetric anatomy of the embryonic mouse, Previously we reported the fabrication a five-element 40-MHz annular array and an array imaging system. Wire phantom measurements with this array reveals an increase in DOF from 1-2 mm (fixed-focus) to more than 10 mm with array focusing. When imaging attenuating media such as mouse embryos, it is expected that the figures of merit for the array images, such as the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and the depth of field (DOF) will be reduce. Images from mouse embryos from at gestational ages 11 (E11.5) and 13 (E13.5) were acquired with this annular array system, and show the superior image definition and quality over the fixed-focus images. Quantitative estimates of the SNR and DOF were calculated, and segmentation of the brain ventricles was accomplished for both gestational ages
Modeling the Nonlinear Properties of the in vitro Hippocampal Perforant Path-Dentate System Using Multielectrode Array Technology

A modeling approach to characterize the nonlinear dynamic transformations of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus is presented and experimentally validated. The dentate gyrus is the first region of the hippocampus which receives and integrates sensory information via the perforant path. The perforant path is composed of two distinct pathways: (1) the lateral path and (2) the medial perforant path. The proposed approach examines and captures the short-term dynamic characteristics of these two pathways using a nonparametric, third-order Poisson-Volterra model. The nonlinear characteristics of the two pathways are represented by Poisson-Volterra kernels, which are quantitative descriptors of the nonlinear dynamic transformations. The kernels were computed with experimental data from in vitro hippocampal slices. The electrophysiological activity was measured with custom-made multielectrode arrays, which allowed selective stimulation with random impulse trains and simultaneous recordings of extracellular field potential activity. The results demonstrate that this mathematically rigorous approach is suitable for the multipathway complexity of the hippocampus and yields interpretable models that have excellent predictive capabilities. The resulting models not only accurately predict previously reported electrophysiological descriptors, such as paired pulses, but more important, can be used to predict the electrophysiological activity of dentate granule cells to arbitrary stimulation patterns at the perforant path.
Positive Regulation of Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha by Protein Kinase C and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Sertoli Cells

Retinoic acid receptor a (RARa) is required for normal testis function. Similar to other steroid hormone receptors, RARa appears to undergo an activation process by which it translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus where it acts as a transcription factor. In this report, we demonstrate that RARa nuclear trafficking in Sertoli cells is positively regulated by phorbol-12myristate-13-acetate-activated protein kinase C without the requirement of ligand, retinoic acid. Protein kinase C then stimulates the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase, and the nuclear localization of RARa is dependent on activation of both kinases. The increase in RARa nuclear translocation is also coupled with enhanced transcriptional activity of RARa. This mechanism of RARa positive regulation is unique, different from that of its negative regulation, that has previously been shown to be dependent on cAMP-dependent protein kinase A and more importantly, dependent on its ligand. However, the mechanism by which retinoic acid positively influences the nuclear localization of RARa is not due to retinoic acid directly increasing protein kinase C or mitogen-activated protein kinase activities. Nonetheless, the positive influence of retinoic acid is also dependent on these two kinases as determined by inhibitor studies. These results suggest two mechanisms for RARa activation in Sertoli cells: one involving only the two kinases, the other involving both the ligand and the two kinases. These regulatory mechanisms for RARa activation, both positive and negative, may be critical for the proper function of RARa in the testis. gamete biology, mechanisms of hormone action, Sertoli cells, steroid hormone receptors, testis
A Novel Role for Calpain in the Endothelial Dysfunction Induced by Activation of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Signaling

Rationale:The cytosolic protease calpain has been recently implicated in the vascular remodeling of angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT1R) signaling. The role of Ang II/AT1R/calpain signaling on endothelial function, an important and early determinant of vascular pathology, remains though totally unknown. Accordingly, we investigated the role of calpain in the endothelial dysfunction of Ang II. Objective:To demonstrate a mechanistic role for calpain in the endothelial dysfunction induced by Ang II/AT1R signaling. To establish endothelial-expressed calpains as an important target of AT1R signaling. Methods and Results:Subchronic administration of nonpressor doses of Ang II to rats and mice significantly increased vascular calpain activity via AT1R signaling. Intravital microscopy studies revealed that activation of vascular expressed calpains causes endothelial dysfunction with increased leukocyte–endothelium interactions and albumin permeability in the microcirculation. Western blot and immunohist...
Silencing Sexually Transmitted Infections: Topical siRNA-Based Interventions for the Prevention of HIV and HSV

The global impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is significant. The sexual transmission of viruses such as herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) and the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), has been especially difficult to control. To date, no effective vaccines have been developed to prevent the transmission of these STIs. Although antiretroviral drugs have been remarkably successful in treating the symptoms associated with these viral infections, the feasibility of their widespread use for prevention purposes may be more limited. Microbicides might provide an attractive alternative option to reduce their spread. In particular, topically applied small inhibitory RNAs (siRNAs) have been shown to not only block transmission of viral STIs to mucosal tissues both in vitro and in vivo, but also confer durable knockdown of target gene expression, thereby circumventing the need to apply a microbicide around the time of sexual encounter, when compliance is mostly difficult. Despite numerous clinical trials currently testing the efficacy of siRNA-based therapeutics, they have yet to be approved for use in the treatment of viral STIs. While several obstacles to their successful implementation in the clinic still exist, promising preclinical studies suggest that siRNAs are a viable modality for the future prevention and treatment of HSV and HIV.
Coherent spin manipulation in an exchange-only qubit

Initialization, two-spin coherent manipulation, and readout of a three-spin qubit are demonstrated using a few-electron triple quantum dot. The three-spin qubit is designed to allow all operations for full qubit control to be tuned via nearest-neighbor exchange interaction. Fast readout of charge states takes advantage of multiplexed reflectometry. Decoherence measured in a two-spin subspace is found to be consistent with predictions based on gate voltage noise with a uniform power spectrum. The theory of the exchange-only qubit is developed and it is shown that initialization of only two spins suffices for operation. Requirements for full multiqubit control using only exchange and electrostatic interactions are outlined.
Peptide selection by an MHC H-2Kb class I molecule devoid of the central anchor ("C") pocket.

The peptide-binding site of the murine MHC class I molecule H-2Kb contains a deep C pocket, that is critical for peptide binding, as it accepts the anchor phenylalanine or tyrosine residue located in the middle (position 5, P5F/Y) of H-2Kb binding peptides. H-2Kb predominantly binds octameric peptides. By both criteria, H-2Kb is unique among the known murine and human class I molecules, none of which have a deep C pocket or preferentially select octamers. We investigated the relative importance of the C pocket in peptide selection and binding by the MHC. An MHC class I H-2Kb variant, KbW9, predicted to contain no C pocket, was engineered by replacing valine at MHC9 with tryptophan. This mutation drastically altered the selection of peptides bound to KbW9. The KbW9 molecule predominantly, if not exclusively, bound nonamers. New peptide anchor residues substituted for the loss of the P5F/Y:C pocket interaction. P3P/Y, which plays an auxiliary role in binding to Kb, assumed the role of a primary anchor, and P5R was selected as a new primary anchor, most likely contacting the E pocket. These experiments demonstrate that the presence of a deep C pocket is responsible for the selection of octameric peptides as the preferred ligands for Kb and provide insight into the adaptation of peptides to a rearranged MHC groove.
Effect of ambient aging on inhibition of oxygen reduction by chromate conversion coatings

Abstract Cathodic polarization curves were collected from chromate-conversion-coated 2024-T3 (UNS A92024) electrodes subject to prior aging under ambient indoor conditions. Selected exposures at el...
Investment in site-specific crop management under uncertainty: implications for nitrogen pollution control and environmental policy

This paper applies an option-pricing model to analyze the impact of uncertainty about output prices and expectations of declining fixed costs on the optimal timing of investment in site-specific crop management (SSCM). It also analyzes the extent to which the level of spatial variability in soil conditions can mitigate the value of waiting to invest in SSCM and influence the optimal timing of adoption and create a preference for custom hiring rather than owner purchase of equipment. Numerical simulations show that while the net present value (NPV) rule predicts that immediate adoption is profitable under most of the soil conditions considered here, recognition of the option value of investment indicates that it is preferable to delay investment in SSCM for at least 3 years unless average soil quality is high and the variability in soil quality and fertility is high. The use of the option value approach reveals that the value of waiting to invest in SSCM raises the cost-share subsidy rates required to induce immediate adoption above the levels indicated by the NPV rule.
RARα1 control of mammary gland ductal morphogenesis and wnt1-tumorigenesis

Introduction Retinoic acid signaling pathways are disabled in human breast cancer suggesting a controlling role in normal mammary growth that might be lost in tumorigenesis. We tested a single receptor isotype, RARα1 (retinoic acid receptor isotype alpha, isoform 1), for its role in mouse mammary gland morphogenesis and mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-wingless-related MMTV integration site 1 (wnt1)-induced oncogenesis.
Differential effects of low doses of ethanol on the impulse activity in various regions of the limbic system

This study was a follow-up to our earlier data which indicated that the hippocampus was one of the brain areas in which ethanol had a preferential action. Rabbits were chronically implanted with electrodes in 9 brain areas associated with the hippocampus. The EEG and multiple-unit activity were recorded simultaneously in each area before and for 15 min after i.p. injection of ethanol at dosages of 0, 150, 300, or 600 mg/kg, given in random order. Subjective evaluation of EEG tracings from all brain areas did not disclose any regional differences. The incidence of hippocampal theta rhythm was depressed transiently at the 2 lower doses and was increased in some rabbits at later post-injection times after the largest dose. Quantitative analysis of the unit activity revealed several major effects of ethanol. Individual rabbits varied significantly in their degree of response. The effects of ethanol included phasic decreases and increases, which varied with the brain area and the dose. A predominant depression of MUA occurred in the septum, fimbria/fornix, entorhinal cortex, and CA1 zone of the hippocampus. Large transient increases in MUA were noted in the CA1, hippocampal commissure, and entorhinal cortex. Overall, regional differences in unit activity consisted of a relatively greater effect in the septum, CA1, and the entorhinal cortex. Conspicuously smaller effects were evident in the CA3 and dentate zones of the hippocampus.
Blastocyst H(2) receptor is the target for uterine histamine in implantation in the mouse.

The process of implantation is a ‘two-way’ interaction between the blastocyst and uterus. It has long been suspected that histamine is an important mediator in embryo-uterine interactions during implantation, but its source, targets and mechanism of actions remained undefined. We have recently demonstrated that uterine epithelial cells are the source of histamine, which peaks on day 4 of pregnancy (the day of implantation) in the mouse. In searching for its target and site of action, we discovered that preimplantation blastocysts, which express histamine type 2 receptor (H(2)), is the target for histamine action. Using multiple approaches, we demonstrate herein that uterine-derived histamine interacts with embryonic H(2) receptors in a paracrine fashion to initiate the process of implantation.
Identifying colonial discourses in Inupiat young people's narratives as a way to understand the no future of Inupiat youth suicide.

Alaska Native youth suffer disproportionately from suicide. Some researchers explain this by pointing to social disintegration brought on by rapid social change, but few make the connection to an ongoing colonialism explicit. This paper articulates some of the ways that colonial discourses affect Inupiat young people's self-conceptions, perceived choices, and, consequently, their behavioral health. Inupiat youth narratives will illustrate these connections and, in so doing, offer new ways to understand youth suicide in Native communities. Language: en
Folding: a method for semantic encoding of error-tolerant data

Underwater acoustic sensor networks are characterized by both low link data rates, and very low data generation rates of the sensors. In this regime, Shannon capacity results, which presume long channel codes and an infinitely long information bitstream, are not directly applicable. Further, for scientific data collection, distortion and errors are tolerable at the semantic layer. For this regime, we formulate the problem of sending k successive source symbols using n successive modulation intervals, where n > k. We introduce "folding" as a technique to map a k-dimensional source manifold into the n-dimensional modulation space, in order to minimize the average energy consumption per source symbol. We use an Archimedes' spiral, ahelix, and Fermat's spiral, as good foldings for low-dimensional mappings, and compute the energy consumption per source symbol under each.
Social appraisal in chronic psychosis: Role of medial frontal and occipital networks

Persons with schizophrenia often appraise other individuals as threatening or persecutory. To evaluate social appraisal in schizophrenia, we probed brain networks with a task in which subjects judged whether or not they liked face stimuli with emotional expressions. We predicted that appraising negative expressions would engage patients, more than controls, and negative faces would be related to higher levels of negative affect and produce increased activity in the medial frontal cortex, an area involved in social appraisal. Twenty-one stable outpatients with chronic non-affective psychosis (16 schizophrenic, 5 schizoaffective) and 21 healthy subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Compared with the control subjects, patients were slower to respond, but particularly slow when they judged negatively-valenced faces, a slowness correlated with negative affect in the psychosis patients. Appraisal activated the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) across all face valences. For negative expressions, patients exhibited greater activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). A psychophysiological interaction analysis of the dACC revealed co-modulation of the mPFC in controls, significantly less in patients, and a trend for co-modulation of occipital cortex in the patients. Activity in occipital cortex correlated with poor social adjustment and impaired social cognition, and co-modulation of the occipital gyrus by the dACC was correlated with poorer social cognition. The findings link appraisal of negative affect with aberrant activation of the medial frontal cortex, while early sensory processing of this social cognitive task was linked with poor social function, reflecting either top-down or bottom-up influences.
Efinaconazole 10% solution: a new topical antifungal therapy for onychomycosis

Onychomycosis is a common nail infection for which treatment options are limited, and no new treatment have been introduced for over 10 years. While patients might prefer a topical therapy, efficacy with ciclopirox and amorolfine lacquers has been disappointing especially in moderate to severe disease. Efinaconazole 10% solution is a new triazole antifungal, specifically developed for the topical treatment of onychomycosis. Its physicochemical properties, antifungal activity and formulation are all important aspects of the development program and are reviewed here. Efinaconazole 10% solution may provide the first viable alternative to oral therapy for onychomycosis. Mycologic cure rates are comparable to those seen with oral itraconazole, and greater than reported with ciclopirox lacquer.
The impact of digital technology on electrical engineering education

Digital technology has revolutionized electrical engineering education. Students entering engineering schools have a strong background in discrete mathematics that is often augmented by a knowledge of programming and of microcomputers. The electrical engineering curriculum has changed to include digital techniques in all major fields. Computer science and engineering, a discipline that may be taught in either computer science or electrical engineering departments, continues to grow. Software engineering is gaining increasing stature. Digital technology has affected instruction in electrical engineering and other university-level subjects less than it has affected curriculum, but significant computer-assisted or computer-managed instruction can be found. The practice of elecltrical engineering has changed with its acceptance of the computer as a design tool and the advent of the microprocessor.
Comparing offline decoding performance in physiologically defined neuronal classes.

Objective: Recently, several studies have documented the presence of a bimodal distribution of spike waveform widths in primary motor cortex. Although narrow and wide spiking neurons, corresponding to the two modes of the distribution, exhibit different response properties, it remains unknown if these differences give rise to differential decoding performance between these two classes of cells. Approach: We used a Gaussian mixture model to classify neurons into narrow and wide physiological classes. Using similar-size, random samples of neurons from these two physiological classes, we trained offline decoding models to predict a variety of movement features. We compared offline decoding performance between these two physiologically defined populations of cells. Main results: We found that narrow spiking neural ensembles decode motor parameters better than wide spiking neural ensembles including kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity. Significance: These findings suggest that the utility of neural ensembles in brain machine interfaces may be predicted from their spike waveform widths.
The Economic Downturn And Its Lingering Effects Reduced Medicare Spending Growth By $4 Billion In 2009–12

Previous work has found a strong connection between the most recent economic recession and reductions in private health spending. However, the effect of economic downturns on Medicare spending is less clear. In contrast to studies involving earlier time periods, our study found that when the macroeconomy slowed during the Great Recession of 2007–09, so did Medicare spending growth. A small (14 percent) but significant share of the decline in Medicare spending growth from 2009 to 2012 relative to growth from 2004 to 2009 can be attributed to lingering effects of the recession. Absent the economic downturn, Medicare spending would have been $4 billion higher in 2009–12. A major reason for the relatively small impact of the macroeconomy is the relative lack of labor-force participation among people ages sixty-five and older. We estimate that if they had been working at the same rate as the nonelderly before the recession, the effect of the downturn on Medicare spending growth would have been twice as large.
Demonstration of an intercellular substance in mouse cerebral cortex.

Specimens of mouse cerebral cortex were preserved by freezing and drying and treated in vacuo with osmium tetroxide vapors. In the neuropil of the molecular layer dense, osmiophilic laminae, presumably plasma membranes of immediately adjacent cell processes, were found to be separated by an intercellular space, which appeared relatively electron lucent in unstained sections. In sections stained with uranyl acetate an intercellular substance was demonstrated, the visualized density of which was reduced when staining was accomplished at low pH. These reactions suggest the presence of a non-lipid, anionic intercellular substance which may contain acid mucopolysaccharide.
Graphene arrested in laponite-water colloidal glass.

Graphene production in water from graphite sources is an important technological route toward harvesting the unique properties of this material. Graphene forms thermodynamically unstable dispersions in water, limiting the use of this solvent due to aggregation. We show that graphene–water dispersions can be controlled kinetically to produce graphene by using laponite clay. Laponite exhibits rapid gelation kinetics when dispersed in water above its gelation concentration, allowing graphene aggregation to be halted after exfoliation in water at ambient conditions. The transparency of laponite colloidal glass and films is important in examining the extent of graphene exfoliation.
Right Heart Catheter Lesions: Any Significance?

In order to determine whether endocardial lesions that developed in relation to an indwelling catheter in the right heart had any significance or characteristics, a study with clinicopathologic correlations was performed in which a total of 57 hearts were found to have right heart endocardial lesions at necropsy. Some of our findings fall within the range of results of various similar studies, e.g., clinical backgrounds and incidence in which these lesions occur. However, others do not; pulmonary embolism was preexisting and coexisting rather than attributable to the heart lesions. Right heart lesions occur significantly more often (P less than 0.01) in patients who received a right heart catheter than those who did not. The morphologic features of these endocardial lesions are sufficiently characteristic to indicate not only that an intracardiac catheter had been present but even what type of catheter it was. Infective endocarditis was found in seven catheterized patients. This process has a tendency to involve valves transmurally, indicating possible need for prosthetic valve replacement if any patients were to survive the underlying disease. Traumatic perforation of the endocardium was uncommon. With the aid of careful indications and strict adherence to guidelines, the risk of fatality from these lesions is extremely unlikely.
Cheatgrass Percent Cover Change: Comparing Recent Estimates to Climate Change — Driven Predictions in the Northern Great Basin☆,☆☆

Abstract Cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum L.) is a highly invasive species in the Northern Great Basin that helps decrease fire return intervals. Fire fragments the shrub steppe and reduces its capacity to provide forage for livestock and wildlife and habitat critical to sagebrush obligates. Of particular interest is the greater sage grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ), an obligate whose populations have declined so severely due, in part, to increases in cheatgrass and fires that it was considered for inclusion as an endangered species. Remote sensing technologies and satellite archives help scientists monitor terrestrial vegetation globally, including cheatgrass in the Northern Great Basin. Along with geospatial analysis and advanced spatial modeling, these data and technologies can identify areas susceptible to increased cheatgrass cover and compare these with greater sage grouse priority areas for conservation (PAC). Future climate models forecast a warmer and wetter climate for the Northern Great Basin, which likely will force changing cheatgrass dynamics. Therefore, we examine potential climate-caused changes to cheatgrass. Our results indicate that future cheatgrass percent cover will remain stable over more than 80% of the study area when compared with recent estimates, and higher overall cheatgrass cover will occur with slightly more spatial variability. The land area projected to increase or decrease in cheatgrass cover equals 18% and 1%, respectively, making an increase in fire disturbances in greater sage grouse habitat likely. Relative susceptibility measures, created by integrating cheatgrass percent cover and temporal standard deviation datasets, show that potential increases in future cheatgrass cover match future projections. This discovery indicates that some greater sage grouse PACs for conservation could be at heightened risk of fire disturbance. Multiple factors will affect future cheatgrass cover including changes in precipitation timing and totals and increases in freeze-thaw cycles. Understanding these effects can help direct land management, guide scientific research, and influence policy.
Determination of Calcium Concentration in Milk by Microwave Digestion and Micro-titration

The determination of calcium concentration in milk was achieved using microwave digestion and micro-titration. Satisfying results of determining Ca2+ concentration in milk were obtained when a 10.00 mL sample of milk was digested with a mixture consisting of 5 mL of 98% HNO3 and 3 mL of H2O2 fortified with 0.4 mL of triethanolamine for eliminating the interference from Al3+ and Fe3+. The average consumptions of EDTA standard solution for Yili branded pure milk and high calcium milk were 1.616 mL and 1.450 mL with RSDs of 0.16% and 0.32%,respectively. The average spike recovery rate of seven replicate determinations was in the range of 98% to 101.5%. The accuracy and precision of the micro-titration method were both comparable to those of the traditional digestion and titration methods. This method is a simple,rapid,reagent-saving and environmentally friendly.
Development Trend of LCU in Intelligent Hydropower Plant

The new concept of intelligent hydropower plant and its influence on local control unit(LCU) in the computer monitoring and control system of hydropower plants is introduced.The status and problems of LCU in existing hydropower plants are summarized from three aspects such as configuration mode,intelligent programmable logic controller(iPLC),and security and stability.And the development trends of LCU in the future intelligent hydropower plant are discussed emphatically.
The First Amendment Right to a Remedy

While most scholars and jurists agree that the First Amendment right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” includes a right of court access, this right has been defined narrowly as the right to file a lawsuit. This dominant view fails to meaningfully differentiate between the right to petition, the freedom of speech, and due process, missing the distinct significance of the Petition Clause when individuals petition courts. The most significant threats to court access today occur after the filing stage, when courts deny or limit remedies to legally injured persons – by enforcing a mandatory arbitration provision or an exhaustion requirement, granting an official qualified or absolute immunity from suit, or drastically reducing a damages award pursuant to a statutory cap. By defining court access too narrowly, the prevailing theory of the right to petition renders the First Amendment silent in the face of these threats. This Article fills this gap in First Amendment theory by presenting the first systematic account of the right to petition the courts that expands the concept of court access from procedural forum access to substantive remedial access – guaranteeing the right of a legally injured person to obtain a meaningful remedy. This remedial theory best accounts for the function, text, history, and precedent of the Petition Clause. It is the first theory to reflect the differential democratic roles played by political petitions, which seek new law and serve a participatory function, and legal petitions, which seek enforcement of existing law and serve a remedial function. From a textual perspective, the remedial theory gives the Petition Clause meaning independent of the Speech Clause, and it explains why the Framers expanded the Petition Clause’s recipient subclause from “the Legislature” to “the Government.” As a historical matter, this theory gains force from the novel insight that the First Amendment right to petition is best understood as the merger of English petitionary and remedial rights. Jurisprudentially, the theory garners a perhaps surprising degree of support from both early and modern Supreme Court precedent. This theory would translate naturally into a tiered scrutiny doctrinal framework for remedial access claims, with more deferential review for neutral time, place, and manner provisions, and heightened scrutiny when remedial burdens are based on the content of the lawsuit, the identity of the plaintiff, or the defendant’s governmental status.
Upper gastrointestinal malignancies in the elderly.

Cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract, so common in the elderly, pose difficult treatment decisions. The cure rates are low and morbidity is high. Select groups in the elderly population can be cured with aggressive therapies, but improved prognostic indexes are needed to more clearly identify these patients. For the majority of older patients, an expanding array of treatment modalities, aimed at palliation, is available.
Stigma About Mental Illness Among Multidisciplinary Health Care Providers in the Dominican Republic

Few studies have examined the attitudes of multidisciplinary health care providers toward mental illness, particularly in Latin America. The present study explored the attitudes of health care prov...
Clinical Correlation of Abnormal Findings on Magnetic Resonance Elastography in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Background Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a ventriculomegaly syndrome characterized by dementia, urinary incontinence, and gait disturbance, which is potentially reversible after ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS). Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an evolving imaging technology that noninvasively measures tissue viscoelasticity. We studied iNPH patients using MRE prior to shunting, compared them with normal controls, and analyzed associations between MRE findings and clinical features, as a pilot assessment of MRE in iNPH. Methods Stiffness values were measured on preoperative MRE in 10 iNPH patients scheduled for VPS and compared with those in 20 age- and sex-matched controls. Stiffness results were correlated with clinical iNPH symptoms. Results MRE demonstrated significantly increased stiffness in iNPH in cerebrum ( P = 0.04), occipital ( P = 0.002), and parietal ( P = 0.01) regions of interest (ROIs) and significantly decreased stiffness in periventricular ROIs ( P P = 0.1) and deep gray ROIs ( P = 0.4). Univariate analysis showed associations between preoperative iNPH symptoms and abnormally increased stiffness, including urinary incontinence with cerebrum ( P = 0.005), frontal ( P = 0.04), and cerebellum ( P = 0.03) ROIs, and Parkinsonism with occipital ROI ( P = 0.04). Postoperative improvement was associated with increased deep gray stiffness ( P = 0.01); failure was associated with increased temporal ( P = 0.0002) stiffness. Conclusions Based on the preliminary results of this small, limited analysis, brain stiffness may be altered in iNPH, and these alterations in parenchymal viscoelastic properties may be correlated with clinical symptoms. Increased temporal stiffness may predict surgical failure and potentially suggest an alternative dementing pathology underlying the iNPH-like symptoms. These findings highlight the potential future utility of MRE in iNPH management.
The Solar Pond Concept

The solar pond concept in its present form was initiated and developed in Israel more than 15 years ago. It consists of shallow ponds about one-meter deep with darkened bottoms, in which a hypersaline solution is overlaid by a lighter fresh water layer. A nonconvecting situation is, thus, created and after a relatively long starting time, temperatures approaching 100°C can be achieved in the dense accumulating layer. Under such conditions, and providing that the hot water can be pumped out at a usable flow rate without disturbance of the interface between the dense and the light layers, it is possible to run a thermodynamic cycle using as the cold source any superficial water that may exist in the direct vicinity of the solar ponds. An efficiency of the solar pond as solar energy collector of over 20 percent can be achieved, approximately 4 percent of the incident energy being possibly converted into electricity through the thermal Rankine cycle. Each square meter of pond produces a peak net mechanical power of about 5 to 10 watts.
Direction finding using sparse linear arrays with missing data

We investigate the problem of direction of arrival (DOA) estimation using sparse linear arrays, such as co-prime and nested arrays, in the case of missing data resulting from sensor failures. We introduce a signal model where sensor failures occur after taking certain number of snapshots. We formulate a structured covariance estimation problem by exploiting the special geometry of sparse linear arrays, which also provides enhanced degrees of freedom. Numerical examples show that, by utilizing the information in both complete measurements and incomplete measurements, our method achieves better estimation accuracy than the traditional method using only complete measurements.