cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF ACRIFLAVIN ON THE KINETOPLAST OF LEISHMANIA TARENTOLAE : Mode of Action and Physiological Correlates of the Loss of Kinetoplast DNA

The loss of kinetoplast DNA in Leishmania tarentolae, which occurs in the presence of low concentrations of acriflavin, was found to be a result of selective inhibition of replication of this DNA. Nuclear DNA synthesis was relatively unaffected and cell and kinetoplast division proceeded normally for several generations. An approximately equal distribution of parental kinetoplast DNA between daughter kinetoplasts resulted in a decrease in the average amount of DNA per kinetoplast. The final disappearance of the stainable kinetoplast DNA occurred at a cell division in which all the remaining visible kinetoplast DNA was retained by one of the daughter cells. The selective inhibition of kinetoplast DNA synthesis was caused by a selective localization of acriflavin in the kinetoplast. The apparent intracellular localization of dye and the extent of uptake at a low dye concentration could be manipulated, respectively, by varying the hemin (or protoporphyrin IX) concentration in the medium and by adding red blood cell extract (or hemoglobin). Hemin and protoporphyrin IX were found to form a complex with acriflavin. During growth in acriflavin, cells exhibited an increasing impairment of colony-forming ability and rate of respiration. No change in the electrophoretic pattern of total cell soluble proteins was apparent. The data fit the working hypothesis that the loss of kinetoplast DNA leads to a respiratory defect which then leads to a decrease in biosynthetic reactions and eventual cell death. A possible use of the selective localization of acriflavin in the kinetoplast to photooxidize selectively the kinetoplast DNA is suggested.
Child Marriage: A Discussion Paper

Child marriage is still a massive problem in many developing countries. The issue is more concentrated in countries of Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia. This paper, through literature review attempts to assess the situation, the consequences, various programmes and recommendations on the reduction of child marriage. In this article it is reinforced that, consequences of child marriage put the girls at risk of early pregnancies with life-threatening conditions. This paper suggests that each country should set up its own mid-term and long-term goals to bring about significant reduction in child marriages.
The Development and Evaluation of Pictographic Symbols

The premise adopted in this study is that representatives of the audience for whom a symbol is intended should be participants in its evolution as well as subjects in its evaluation. Several situations in need of product misuse warnings were supplied by a manufacturer of ovenware products. Symbol design possibilities were first generated for each message category and then design input was obtained from a sample of potential product users. New design candidates were developed on the basis of subject recommendations. Study generated symbols proved to be significantly more effective than designs used by the manufacturer for the same message categories as assessed by differences in reaction time and error rate. The relative effectiveness of different negation sign designs was also evaluated. Differences in both reaction time and subjective ranks of communicativeness suggest that a thin black cross is more effective in conveying negation than a thin black slash, a partial slash or cross, and a contour slash or cross. Significant differences were not found in the extent that the designs interfere with symbol recognition. Language: en
The Roots and Shoots of Plant Evolutionary Ecology

Plant evolutionary ecology is a discipline with deep roots. Pioneers early in the 20th century used reciprocal transplants and common gardens to examine the genetic basis of plant phenotypes and patterns of adaptation [1–3]. Today the discipline has grown to incorporate 21st century molecular and statistical methods, resulting in a wide-ranging and complex array of studies that address the evolutionary ecology of natural plant populations. In a slim book, Approaches to Plant Evolutionary Ecology, G.P.
Death of the Salesmen's Monopoly

The latter decades of the nineteenth century saw great industrial expansion in America, achieved in no small measure by men of business acumen, men with a vision of the future. If money was being made by two or three or four relatively small businesses competing with one another, how much more could be amassed if these businesses were combined into one, thus eliminating competition! So these years became a period of mergers—mergers of men, money, and materials. Huge industries created huge fortunes, and a few men acquired wealth and power. That the theatre could escape the trend of such mergers was as unlikely as a flood in Death Valley. Oil had its Rockefeller, steel its Carnegie, railroading its Harriman, Vanderbilt, Gould and Hill, finance its Morgan and Cooke, the meat industry its Armour-and the theatre its Klaw and Erlanger.
The role of the hospital laboratory in the diagnosis of viral diseases. I. Basic concepts.

The majority of human infections in the United States are now caused by viruses. Viral infections range in severity from invariably fatal (rabies) to subclinical (echovirus). Inasmuch as one virus can cause a variety of syndromes, determination of the causative agent is essential for definitive diagnosis. During the last two decades, viral diagnostic procedures, especially the cell culture technic, have been greatly improved and simplified. Moreover, a microtiter system requiring much smaller amounts of reagents has been introduced. Thus, it is now financially and technically possible for a hospital with well-equipped microbiological laboratories to engage in diagnostic virology. Viruses have been classified into 13 groups on the basis of physical and chemical properties. Certain general features of the pathogenesis and pathology of viral diseases are presented; a good understanding of these aspects is necessary for the effective operation of a diagnostic virology laboratory. Four major viral diseases of the fetus and neonate, namely, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex and enterovirus infections, which are of current interest, are briefly discussed.
Control of house flies in outdoor privies with larvicides.

The ever-diminishing number of outdoor privies in the United States has relegated the problem of house fly, Muusca domestica L., control in this environment to a relatively minor role. Unfortunately, this trend is not universal, and the problem is still urgent in many countries. Proper construction and maintenance of privies give the best control, but use of larvicides often becomes necessary. The widespread resistance of house flies to most chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides and to some organophosphorus compounds has made satisfactory control with larvicides extremely difficult to attain.
Fruit Fly Impact Outcomes and Residue Components on an Aerodynamic Surface

Leading edge contamination on aircraft wings can occur through the accumulation of insect residues which can then increase drag by causing an earlier transition of the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent conditions. To investigate the mechanisms of residue adherence and composition, this study focuses on the impact dynamics of insects striking an airfoil with a circular leading edge placed in a wind tunnel at a wind speed of about 100 mph. To mimic in-flight conditions, live flightless fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) were injected into the wind tunnel sufficiently upstream such that they reached the test section air flow speed prior to impact on the airfoil. The aerodynamic surface had a leading edge radius of 3.8 cm and was tested with coatings of various surface wettability, ranging from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Based on previous studies and present high-speed imaging and surface imaging, five types of insect outcomes were defined: 1) insect bounce without rupture and no residue, 2) insect burst with release of internal fluid followed by adherence of full exoskeleton, 3) insect burst with release of internal fluid with little or no exoskeleton adherence, 4) disintegration of insect yielding residue of many pieces of exoskeleton, and 5) insect burst but no residue form either fluid or exoskeleton. The fifth outcome generally occurred for a superhydrophobic surface developed in this study. When residue did occur on any of the surface, it included up to three distinct components (in order of typical residue heights): exoskeleton pieces, yellow hemolymph from the insect abdomen and thorax, and red fluid from the insect head. Surfaces with lower surface wettability yielded reduced insect hemolymph residue area per insect release. In particular, a superhydrophobic coating yielded the lowest residue area and no exoskeleton residue, while the aluminum surface resulted in the highest residue area and several exoskeletons.
Study on Antimicrobial Activity of Garlic Products

Objective To investigate the killing effect of garlic and its products against the common pathogens.Methods Solutions of garlic products with 8 different concentrations were added into 0.1ml liquid containing germs and cultured in 37℃ for 24 hours.The germs were inoculated in the agar and then the mean bacterial colonies were counted and analyzed. Results The experiment showed that the garlic and its products could kill the tested germs or to inhibit their activity. Conclusions Garlic and its products showed efficiently activity in killing Salmonella species,Shigella dysenteriae and Staphylococcus aureus,but the effect against Escherichia coli was less effective.Proliferation of B.subtilis and B.cereus was inhibited by garlic products,and the solution containing 3% garlic juice could efficiently kill B.cereus.
Initial breakdown and fast leaders in lightning discharges producing long-lasting disturbances of the lower ionosphere

The recent discovery of long recovery, early VLF scattering events (LOREs) indicates that the electric field changes from lightning discharges are capable of producing long-lasting disturbances (up to tens of minutes) in the upper mesosphere and lower ionosphere. Comparison of lightning mapping array, broadband (up to 10 MHz) electric field, and VLF (∼300 Hz to 42 kHz) magnetic field measurements shows that the field changes produced by initial breakdown (IB) processes and the following leaders in natural, cloud-to-ground lightning discharges are detectable in VLF magnetic field measurements at long distances. IB radiation has been detected in VLF for lightning discharges occurring up to 2630 km away from the VLF observing station. Radio atmospherics associated with 52 LOREs, 51 regular recovery events, and 3098 flashes detected by National Lightning Detection Network and/or GLD360 were examined for IB radiation occurring up to 15 ms before the return stroke. Our analysis reveals that in contrast to regular recovery early VLF events, LOREs are strongly associated with lightning discharges which exhibit an intense IB process and a fast first leader (typical duration <4 ms). These experimental results demonstrate that initial breakdown and leader processes are indicators of discharge properties highly relevant to the total energy transfer between lightning discharges and the middle/upper atmosphere.
17 beta-Estradiol attenuates voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents in A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cell line

Previous studies have shown that 17 beta-estradiol (beta-E2) has a direct acute inhibitory effect on vascular smooth muscle (VSM) contraction. To investigate the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, we utilized whole cell patch-clamping techniques to study effects of beta-E2 on voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in cultured VSM cells (VSMC). T- and L-type Ca2+ currents were characterized with ramp and pulse protocols in A7r5 cultured VSMC. T-type current, inactivated in < 100 ms, was reduced by Ba2+ and was comparatively little affected by isradipine. L-type current required higher voltages to activate, inactivated slowly, was greatly increased by Ba2+, and could be completely inhibited by 5 microM isradipine. beta-E2 (10 microM) significantly reduced peak L-type Ba2+ current and T-type Ca2+ current within 1-2 min, whereas alpha E2 (a hormonally inactive isomer of estradiol) caused significantly less reduction in both types of current. Vehicle (0.1% ethanol) had no significant effect on either current. The...
Single-dose intramuscular methotrexate treatment of cervical ectopic pregnancy. A case report.

BACKGROUND Cervical ectopic pregnancies (CEPs) are increasingly being managed conservatively. However, the efficacy of specific conservative approaches such as the single-dose intramuscular (IM) methotrexate (MTX) therapy has not been evaluated. We reportthe successful management of 2 consecutive CEPs in the same patient with single-dose IM MTX therapy, and review published cases of CEPs treated with a similar regimen, to determine the efficacy of this approach. CASE In our case, both CEPs resolved with single-dose IM MTX, and the patient subsequently had a successful term delivery. A Medline/OVID English language search, covering the period 1982-2012, identified 38 additional cases of CEPs treated with single-dose IM MTX. Of the total 40 cases analyzed, including our 2 cases, 30 (75%) were successfully treated, with complete remission. Of the 27 cases with no embryonic cardiac activity, 25 (93%) were successfully treated with single-dose IM MTX. CONCLUSION Appropriately selected cases of CEPs can be successfully managed with single-dose IM MTX with very low complication rates and preservation of future fertility potential.
Perioperative Care of a Child With Williams Syndrome

The classical clinical and physical findings of Williams syndrome include characteristic dysmorphic features, congenital heart disease, and distinctive behavioral and emotional traits. In addition to acquired and congenital heart disease, manifestations in the renal, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and central nervous system may have implications during the perioperative period. Of primary concern during perioperative care is congenital and acquired heart disease as perioperative sudden death related to abnormalities of the coronary arteries has been reported. We present a 15-month-old child with Williams syndrome, who required anesthetic care for an emergent laparotomy due to an acute abdomen. The potential perioperative implications of Williams syndrome are discussed and previous published reports are reviewed. J Med Cases. 2016;7(10):420-425 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2595w
Zika as a Catalyst for Social Change

Zika burst into awareness in the Western Hemisphere in November 2015 when Brazil’s Ministry of Health1 posted their suspicions that the recently observed rise in the number of infants born with microcephaly was caused by the Zika virus outbreak. Even before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the link between microcephaly and Zika,2 concerned governments had begun advising women to avoid getting pregnant.3,4 Critics immediately pointed out that most pregnancies are not planned and that many women do not have easy access to safe contraceptives or abortions.3 Historians will recognize similarities between Zika and the US rubella epidemic of 1963 to 1965, which resulted in thousands of babies born with birth defects ranging across all organ systems. Rubella (“German measles”) was a powerful catalyst for social change because its effects on fetal development spurred changes to abortion policy in the United States.5 In the … Address correspondence to Jeffrey P. Brosco, MD, PhD, Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136. E-mail: jbrosco{at}miami.edu
Foreword for the Special Issue on ESD Design Challenges for High-Speed Applications

As technology scaling drives faster and faster applications, the impact on functional performance of any ESD(ElectroStatic Discharge) protection needs to be minimized. Since ESD protection level is essentially a function of its area (and, hence, capacitance), there is an obvious trade-off between IP’s functional requirements and ESD performance.
Fabrication of Silicon Nitride Ceramics by Microwave Heating

Microwave processing of silicon nitride-based ceramics is currently being examined to identify aspects that may accelerate densification or produce unique microstructures. Because the microwaves preferentially couple with the sintering additives and the intergranular phases, relatively high additive contents are required to produce samples that will densify and are crack-free. Improved densification of green powder compacts and enhanced weight losses are observed during microwave heating.
Seasonal Collection of Mosquitos in the College Station Area

Mosquitos are a major concern as a vector of disease. Several potential mosquito breeding grounds in the College Station area were harvested for mosquito larvae present. The larvae collected were reared to adults in order to assist with identification. Several major vector species were found in the sample including Culex restuans, Aedes aegypti, Psorophora confinnis, and Psorophora columbiae. Disease spread by the feeding of these arthropods was shown to be a possibility.
Counter-terrorism in the EU’s external relations

AbstractThe renewed emphasis on national political boundaries across Europe would seem to go hand-in-hand with a weaker external personality for the EU. However, there are several prominent examples of EU leadership that challenge this notion, from the December 2015 UN climate change agreement to common sanctions again Russia to a new Global Strategy. This paper examines a policy area that lies at the intersection of populist outrage and external engagement: counter-terrorism. In the wake of the 2015 and 2016 Paris and Brussels terrorist attacks, the EU has made significant strides in enhancing the external dimension of its counter-terrorism policies, particularly in terms of intelligence sharing, formal and informal diplomacy, and the internal–external nexus of security. The article argues that major terrorist attacks in 2015–2016 have served as critical junctures of crisis, driving counter-terrorism policies forward and emphasising the notion of European boundaries beyond any functionalist or securitiza...
The relationship between community nutritionists' use of policy, systems and environmental strategies to prevent obesity and its determinants depends on networking.

OBJECTIVE To apply the Theory of Planned Behaviour to examine the relationship between the constructs of background factors and beliefs towards using policy, systems and environmental (PSE) strategies and reported use of PSE strategies to prevent obesity by a group of professional nutrition educators. DESIGN Cross-sectional study using self-reported survey. SETTING Cooperative Extension in New York, USA. SUBJECTS Nutrition educators (n 58); survey response rate 100 %. RESULTS Nutrition educators' reported use of PSE strategies to prevent obesity were positively associated with background factors of their community networking and number of staff they managed, their belief of other people's expectations of them to make PSE changes and the belief that their communities were ready to use PSE strategies; and negatively associated with their belief that individual-level factors contributed to obesity. The relationships among these variables were complicated and their use of PSE strategies occurred only when they utilized their professional networks at a moderately high level (above mean of 5·3 on a scale of 1-7), given that their community was also ready to use PSE strategies. CONCLUSIONS Nutrition educators' use of PSE strategies depends on several internal and external factors. Community networking needs to be emphasized as one of the most significant factors contributing to nutrition educators' work in this area. Organizational and community support should be in place in order to facilitate nutrition educators' effective use of PSE strategies.
Jörg Langowski 1955-2017.

On May 6, 2017 Jorg Langowski, an experienced pilot, died tragically in a crash of his glider in Mannheim, Germany. Jorg was a leader in the application of fluorescence-based methods to the study o...
Effects of a Brief Educational Program on Optimization of Fluoroscopy to Minimize Radiation Exposure During Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography.

Background & Aims Fluoroscopy during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is increasingly performed by therapeutic endoscopists, many of whom have not received formal training in modulating fluoroscopy use to minimize radiation exposure. Exposure to ionizing radiation has significant health consequences for patients and endoscopists. We aimed to evaluate whether a 20-minute educational intervention for endoscopists would improve use of fluoroscopy and decrease ERCP-associated exposure to radiation for patients. Methods We collected data from 583 ERCPs, performed in California from June 2010 through November 2012; 331 were performed at baseline and 252 following endoscopist education. The educational intervention comprised a 20-minute video explaining best practices for fluoroscopy, coupled with implementation of a formal fluoroscopy time-out protocol before the ERCP was performed. Our primary outcome was the effect of the educational intervention on direct and surrogate markers of patient radiation exposure associated with ERCPs performed by high-volume endoscopists (HVEs) (200 or more ERCPs/year) vs low-volume endoscopists (LVEs) (fewer than 200 ERCPs/year). Results At baseline, total radiation dose and dose area product were significantly higher for LVEs, but there was no significant difference between HVEs and LVEs following education. Education was associated with significant reductions in median fluoroscopy time (48% reduction for HVEs vs 30% reduction for LVEs), total radiation dose (28% reduction for HVEs vs 52% for LVEs) and dose area product (35% reduction for HVEs vs 48% reduction for LVEs). All endoscopists significantly increased their use of low magnification and collimation following education. Conclusions A 20-minute educational program with emphasis on ideal use of modifiable fluoroscopy machine settings results in an immediate and significant reduction in ERCP-associated patient radiation exposure for low-volume and high-volume endoscopists. Training programs should consider radiation education for advanced endoscopy fellows.
Mapping violence, naming life: a history of anti-Black oppression in the higher education system

AbstractThe article will provide a historical overview of anti-Black violence in the higher education system across three time periods: Colonial Era, Post-Civil War, and the mid-to-late twentieth century. Mapping violence demands a focus on how higher education historically has practiced anti-Black oppression coupled with how Black people have practiced resistance and life-making. Both the terms education violence (how systems of schooling limit and kill Black lives) and life-making (how Black people engage in alternative self-definition and self-care) are introduced to name pivotal moments in this history. Defining violence at structural, cultural, and direct levels, the paper accounts for how higher education has been an engine and reflection of racial hierarchy. The article ends with the implications history has for issues of anti-Blackness and movements for Black life-making in the higher education system today.
Nasal Trigeminal Perception of Two Representative Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs): 1-Octen-3-ol and 3-Octanol—a Pilot Study

Nasal symptoms can be associated with indoor mold overgrowth, even absent allergic sensitization. An alternative pathogenic mechanism—mucous membrane irritation by microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs)—has been proposed. We conducted a pilot human study of nasal irritation by two MVOCs, 1-octen-3-ol and 3-octanol, hypothesizing that the former would show greater irritant potency based upon the compounds’ relative irritant potencies in rodents. Serial dilutions of the test compounds were prepared in odorless mineral oil vehicle, with headspace vapor concentrations documented by gas chromatography. Eight-step dilution series (with ascending concentration ratios ~ 1.34) were prepared. A nasal lateralization protocol was utilized. Ten subjects (seven females), aged 23–69, were each tested on four separate days, with each test compound being presented twice in alternating/counterbalanced order over the four testing days. Individual lateralization thresholds for a given compound, taken as dilution step, were averaged across subjects. Eight subjects were reliably able to lateralize stimuli for one or both test compounds. Among the 32 testing sessions completed by these eight subjects, 1-octen-3-ol was successfully lateralized in 15/16 and 3-octanol in 11/16. The mean dilution step at threshold was 3.125 for 1-octen-3-ol and 2.58 for 3-octanol. When presented as brief (~ 4 s.) stimuli, high concentrations of identified MVOCs can act as nasal mucosal irritants. Both detectability and repeatability, but not absolute (ppm) thresholds, exhibited compound-specific trends consistent with animal experimental data. Studies involving more protracted exposures with larger sample sizes may yield more realistic irritant threshold estimates. At sufficiently high concentrations, MVOCs can produce nasal irritation in humans.
Fabrication of Gold Nanosphere Oligomers for Surface-Enhanced Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy

Surface-enhanced femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SE-FSRS) is a technique that has the potential to study the ultrafast dynamics of surface adsorbates with simultaneously high temporal and spectral resolutions. One of the greatest impediments to the further development of SE-FSRS is the lack of high-quality plasmonic substrates that permit excitation and prove wavelength agility as well as flexible selection of the adsorbate molecule. Herein, we present a simple aggregation/stabilization procedure for the formation of gold nanosphere oligomers with tunable plasmonic properties and flexible choice of adsorbate that are ideal for SE-FSRS and other coherent Raman spectroscopies.
College Student Perceptions of The (In)Appropriateness and Functions of Teacher Disclosure

This study investigated college student perceptions of the (in)appropriateness of instructor disclosures and perceived functions of instructor disclosures. An interpretive analysis of 35 college st...
Etanercept-Induced Lupus Panniculitis with Continued Improvement after Treatment with Adalimumab for Psoriatic Arthritis:

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus caused by anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapy is considered a rare event. Although different forms of lupus erythematosus have been associated with anti-TNF-...
Stimulus response compatibility affects duration judgments, not the rate of subjective time

The current experiments examined whether non-temporal associations can affect duration judgments without affecting the rate of subjective time. In both experiments, participants performed a temporal bisection task, judging on each trial whether stimulus’ duration was closer to pre-learned short or long standards. In each experiment, the spatial compatibility between stimuli and responses was manipulated. In both experiments, stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) affected duration judgments: stimuli that were spatially compatible with the key used for long judgments elicited long responses at shorter objective durations than stimuli that were compatible with the key used for short judgments. The size of SRC’s effect did not depend on the magnitude of the standard durations and SRC’s effect was magnified even when SRC was introduced after the relevant temporal interval had ended. Thus, these findings are consistent with the idea that duration judgments can be affected without influencing the rate at which subjective time passes.
Algae and pesticides

The widespread use of pesticides1 has greatly aided man in improving many aspects of daily life; however, their use has also created many problems. The effect of these chemicals on nontarget organisms, either directly or indirectly, is a significant problem which must be dealt with when using pesticides. A very important group of nontarget organisms is the algae.
Physiological reactions to climatic conditions

In conventional mining operations, the need to control air temperatures and humidities arises primarily because of the relatively narrow range of climatic conditions within which the unprotected human body can operate efficiently. In some areas of underground repositories or where remotely controlled equipment is in use, a different spectrum of atmospheric criteria may be allowed or even required. However, in this chapter, we shall concentrate on the effects of climatic variations on the human body, and alternative means of quantifying the ability of a given environment to maintain an acceptable balance between metabolic heat generation and body cooling.
Transgression into ‘Hidden’ Feminism: Immigrant Muslim Woman from India

This chapter proposes a theoretical argument that women’s transition into “immigranthood” is also women’s transgression into ‘hidden’ feminism. It explores migration and identity as a crossing over of multiple boundaries by women and the resultant negotiation of changes required and changes resisted as an individual and as a group.
Talking with Families about Severely Disabled Children.

Physicians should go beyond basic medical diagnosis and treatment to offer support to families about the gamut of social and emotional issues that are involved with caring for a severely disabled child. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Hydronephrosis After Pyeloplasty: "Will It Go Away?"

Abstract Objective To identify attributes of pediatric patients with hydronephrosis due to ureteropelvic junction obstruction and of their surgical encounters which are predictive of resolution of dilatation in order to provide more effective counseling about expected outcomes. This study was inspired by the suggestion in recent literature that greater than 20% improvement in anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the renal pelvis after pyeloplasty is indicative of resolution of obstruction. The remaining dilatation, however, is often distressing to caregivers, and there are no data to guide clinicians in counseling about its likelihood to resolve. Methods We retrospectively reviewed children who underwent surgery at our institution for ureteropelvic junction obstruction between 1/01/2010 and 6/30/2017. APD of the pre- (preAPD) and postoperative (postAPD) renal pelves were documented. In children with more than 1 postoperative ultrasound, lastAPD was the measurement on their most recent study. Appropriate statistical tests examined the effects of clinical and surgical variables on hydronephrosis resolution. Results PostAPD and lastAPD were obtained at medians of 3 months and 1.9 years after surgery, and were 0 cm in 12 of 105 (11.5%) and 9 of 65 (13.8%) patients, respectively. None of the variables analyzed significantly impacted complete resolution at either time point. Of those that did not resolve, 80.6% (75/93) showed greater than 20% improvement in APD; however, 3 of these children required reoperation due to secondary obstruction. In our study, no one with APD reduction greater than 43% required reintervention. Conclusion Complete resolution of hydronephrosis is uncommon and unpredictable. All caregivers should be counseled to expect dilatation to persist after obstruction is corrected.
Epileptic Seizure Detection using Deep Convolutional Autoencoder

Monitoring and recording brain activities using Electroencephalograms (EEGs) has become the foremost wide applied tool by physicians for epilepsy diagnosis due to viable reasons like its availability, simplicity, and low cost. In this paper, we propose an automatic epileptic seizure detection framework based on deep learning techniques that are applied to raw EEG signals recordings without the overhead of features extraction. The proposed framework uses one-dimensional deep convolutional autoencoder for features extraction and dimensionality reduction. Three different neural networks systems classifiers are evaluated. Classification between normal and ictal cases has achieved 100% accuracy on all systems. The best classification results between the normal, interictal and ictal cases accomplished a 99.33% average overall accuracy using Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory.
Magnetic Field and Ferromagnetic Proximity Effects

The chapter examines various magnetic gaps in the Dirac spectrum and proximity-induced surface Hall conductivity. Topological phase transitions in a parallel magnetic field, the current-induced torque, and possible device applications are discussed.
Coordinated Stability Assessment of Power Converter in Electric Vehicle Charging Station Using Predictive Control Reconfiguration

Power conversions deploying in fast charging stations of electric vehicles (EVs) are vulnerable to instabilities during certain operating conditions. Additional connected loads for charging large number of EV batteries can compromise the whole system reliability and impose thermal stress on the storage device/ generation sources interfaced on the common DC-bus system. Stability assessment by small-signal impedance measurements are not necessarily efficient to predict large-signal stability characteristics. This study addresses a robust and optimal control scheme to overcome instabilities in different operating conditions when Vehicle-to-Grid technology is incorporated. An integrated perturbation strategy with sequential quadratic optimization (IPSQO) algorithm is applied to optimize the charging load of EVs and achieve the peak shaving load. Outcomes of case study analysis are provided to verify the proposed control strategy effectiveness.
A Review of Complication Rates for Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion (ACDF).

Background There are multiple complications reported for anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF), one of the most common cervical spine operations performed in the US (e.g. estimated at 137,000 ACDF/year). Methods Multiple studies analyzed the risks and complications rates attributed to ACDF. Results In multiple studies, overall morbidity rates for ACDF varied from 13.2% to 19.3%. These included in descending order; dysphagia (1.7%-9.5%), postoperative hematoma (0.4%-5.6% (surgery required in 2.4% of 5.6%), with epidural hematoma 0.9%), exacerbation of myelopathy (0.2%-3.3%), symptomatic recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (0.9%-3.1%), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak (0.5%-1.7%), wound infection (0.1-0.9%-1.6%), increased radiculopathy (1.3%), Horner's syndrome (0.06%-1.1%), respiratory insufficiency (1.1%), esophageal perforation (0.3%-0.9%, with a mortality rate of 0.1%), and instrument failure (0.1%-0.9%). There were just single case reports of an internal jugular veing occlusion and a phrenic nerve injury. Pseudarthrosis occurred in ACDF and was dependant on the number of levels fused; 0-4.3% (1-level), 24% (2-level), 42% (3 level) to 56% (4 levels). The reoperation rate for symptomatic pseudarthrosis was 11.1%. Readmission rates for ACDF ranged from 5.1% (30 days) to 7.7% (90 days postoperatively). Conclusions Complications attributed to ACDF included; dysphagia, hematoma, worsening myelopathy, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, CSF leaks, wound infection, radiculopathy, Horner's Syndrome, respiratory insufficiency, esophageal perforation, and instrument failure. There were just single case reports of an internal jugular vein thrombosis, and a phrenic nerve injury. As anticipated, pseudarthrosis rates increased with the number of ACDF levels, ranging from 0-4.3% for 1 level up to 56% for 4 level fusions.
The Most Common Reasons for Health Care Provider Visits in Reproductive Aged Men Differ by Race and Age Stratification

AbstractIntroduction:We assessed common reasons for health care provider visits among reproductive aged men.Methods:We used the Optum® Clinformatics® Data Mart, a de-identified insurance claims dat...
Viewing Imaging Studies: How Patient Location and Imaging Site Affect Referring Physicians.

The purpose of this study was to assess if clinical indications, patient location, and imaging sites predict the viewing pattern of referring physicians for CT and MR of the head, chest, and abdomen. Our study included 166,953 CT/MR images of head/chest/abdomen in 2016–2017 in the outpatient (OP, n = 83,981 CT/MR), inpatient (IP, n = 51,052), and emergency (ED, n = 31,920) settings. There were 125,329 CT/MR performed in the hospital setting and 41,624 in one of the nine off-campus locations. We extracted information regarding body region (head/chest/abdomen), patient location, and imaging site from the electronic medical records (EPIC). We recorded clinical indications and the number of times referring physicians viewed CT/MR (defined as the number of separate views of imaging in the EPIC). Data were analyzed with the Microsoft SQL and SPSS statistical software. About 33% of IP CT and MR studies are viewed > 6 times compared to 7% for OP and 19% of ED studies (p 6 times) in IP (55%) and ED (46%) than in OP settings (22%). Patient location and imaging site regardless of clinical indications have a profound effect on viewing patterns of referring physicians. Understanding viewing patterns of the referring physicians can help guide interpretation priorities and finding communication for imaging exams based on patient location, imaging site, and clinical indications. The information can help in the efficient delivery of patient care.
Non-convulsive seizures in the encephalopathic critically ill cancer patient does not necessarily portend a poor prognosis.

Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is present in 10–30% of ICU patients with altered mental status (AMS) and is associated to poor outcomes. To our knowledge, there is no data describing the prevalence and outcomes of critically ill cancer patients with AMS associated to non-convulsive seizures (NCS) or NCSE. We aim to describe the outcomes and risk factors of critically ill cancer patients with encephalopathy associated with non-convulsive seizures (NCS). This is a 3-year prospective observational study in a mixed oncological ICU at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Data of ICU patients with moderate to severe encephalopathy (Glasgow Coma Score < 13) that underwent EEG monitoring to rule out NCS were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors and outcomes. Of the 317 patients with encephalopathy who underwent EEG monitoring, 14.5% had NCS. Known risk factors such as sepsis, CNS infection, antibiotics, and cardiac arrest were not associated with increased risk of NCS. Patients with NCS were more likely to have received recent chemotherapy (41.3% vs 21.4%; p = 0.0036), have a CNS disease (39% vs 24.4%; p = 0.035), and abnormal brain imaging (60.9% vs 44.6%; p = 0.041). Patients with lower SOFA scores, normal renal function, and absence of shock were likely to have NCS as the cause of their encephalopathy (p < 0.03). After multivariate analysis, only abnormal brain imaging and absence of renal failure were associated with NCS. Mortality was significantly lower in patients with non-convulsive seizures when compared to those without seizures (45.7% vs 64%; p = 0.022); however, there was no significant association of seizures and mortality on a multivariable logistic regression analysis. NCS in critically ill cancer patients is associated with abnormalities on brain imaging and lower prevalence of organ failure. Diagnosis and treatment of NCS should be a priority in encephalopathic cancer patients, as they can have lower mortality than non-seizing patients. Opposite to other populations, NCS should not be considered a poor prognostic factor in critically ill encephalopathic cancer patients as they reflect a reversible cause for altered mentation.
Assessing the Validity of an Election’s Result: History, Theory, and Present Threats

In the wake of President Trump’s acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, the United States will need to hold a presidential election in unprecedented circumstances. Never before has an incumbent president run for reelection after the opposing party in Congress has declared that the fairness of the election cannot be “assured” as long as the incumbent is permitted on the ballot. This uniquely acute challenge to holding an election that the public will accept as valid follows other stresses to electoral legitimacy unseen before 2016. The Russian attack on the election that year caused Americans to question their capacity to hold free and fair elections in a way that Americans had not questioned previously. Given these challenges, this essay tackles the basic concept of what it means for the outcome of an election to be valid. It turns out that, because of the way American history has unfolded, this basic concept is contested now although it had been settled previously. Current circumstances require renewing a shared conception of electoral validity. Otherwise, participants in electoral competition — winners and losers alike — cannot know whether or not the result qualifies as authentically democratic. Accordingly, after reviewing the history that has led to the present difficulties, this essay offers a renewed conception of electoral validity and both explains the theoretical basis for this renewed conception and then applies it to some of the most salient threats to electoral validity that are foreseeable in this year’s and future elections. In brief, the proposed standard of electoral validity distinguishes sharply between (1) direct attacks on the electoral process that negate voter choice and (2) indirect attacks that improperly manipulate voter choice. Direct attacks undermine electoral validity, whereas indirect attacks do not. It is essential, however, that the category of direct attacks encompasses the disenfranchisement of eligible voters, which prevents them from casting a ballot, as well as the falsification of votes reported in the tallies of counted ballots.
Ultrasonic Gauging and Wavelet Image Processing for Wear and Erosion Mapping

A Computerized Ultrasonic Gauging System (CUGS) has been developed to generate very precise topographical maps of the outer and inner surfaces of tubes during various stages of manufacture and life-cycle of the parts. Measurements of the tube dimensions are obtained with a resolution of 2.5 μm (10−4 inches) and accuracies of the order of 10 μm (4×10−4 inches) or better. A typical output of CUGS is an ultrasonic image, in which the horizontal and vertical axes represent the axial and angular position of the part, respectively[1]. The system is currently utilized to gauge tubes as long as 7.5 m (25 feet) resulting in the acquisition of more than 15,000,000 data points, which require up to 60 Mbytes of disk memory on a computer. A Wavelet Transform Image decomposition technique was developed for compression and processing of the ultrasonic images, resulting in a great decrease in time and resources needed to perform such operations. Waveletbased image analysis has two distinct characteristics: multiresolution and high spatial localization[2]. Multiresolution refers to the possibility of obtaining representations of the same image with different resolutions. The high spatial localization properties of the filters used for the wavelet decomposition can also be utilized for the enhancement of features such as erosion pattern without the loss of localization, a problem commonly encountered in Fourier analysis. In the application here discussed, CUGS is utilized to map the wear of the internal surface of steel tubes, before and after exposure to extreme environments involving temperature, pressure, corrosive gases and mechanical forces.
Tagging the vanA gene in wastewater microbial communities for cell sorting and taxonomy of vanA carrying cells

Failure to understand the microbial ecology driving the proliferation of antibiotic resistance in the environment prevents us from developing strategies to limit the spread of antibiotic resistant infectious disease. In this study, we developed for the first time a tyramide signal amplification-fluorescence in situ hybridization-fluorescence-activated cell sorting protocol (TSA-FISH-FACS) for the characterization of all vanA carrying bacteria in wastewater samples. Firstly, we validated the TSA-FISH protocol through microscopy in pure cultures and wastewater influent. Then, samples were sorted and quantified by FACS and qPCR. Significantly higher percentage tagging of cells was detected in vanA carrying pure cultures and wastewater samples spiked with vanA carrying cells as compared to vanA negative Gram positive strains and non-spiked wastewater samples respectively. qPCR analysis targeting vanZ, a regulating gene in the vanA cluster, showed its relative abundance was significantly greater in Enterococcus faecium ATCC 700221-spiked and positively sorted samples compared to the E. faecium spiked and negatively sorted samples. Phylogenetic analysis was then performed. Although further efforts are needed to overcome technical problems, we have, for the first time, demonstrated sorting bacterial-cells carrying antibiotic resistance genes from wastewater samples through a TSA-FISH-FACS protocol and provided insight into the microbial ecology of vancomycin resistant bacteria. Future potential applications using this approach will include the separation of members of an environmental microbial community (cultured and hard-to-culture) to allow for metagenomics on single cells or, in the case of clumping, targeting a smaller portion of the community with a priori knowledge that the target gene is present.
Synthesis of Anhydroryanodol.

A stereoselective entry to ryanoids is described that culminates in the synthesis of anhydroryanodol and thus the formal total synthesis of ryanodol. The pathway described features an annulation re...
Psychometric properties of the self‐efficacy for managing mild cognitive impairment scale

Objectives We adapted a self-efficacy measure for managing chronic illness to be specific to persons with mild cognitive impairment (pwMCI). The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the scale, the self-efficacy for managing MCI scale, for use in research. Methods Analyses involved data from pwMCI enrolled in a behavioral intervention study that completed the measure five times from intervention enrollment to 18-month post-intervention. Factor structure, construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were analyzed. Results Factor analysis identified two factors, related to self-efficacy for daily activities and managing MCI, which corresponded with domains from the original chronic illness self-efficacy scale. Consistent with prior research, construct validity analysis suggested an association between memory-loss self-efficacy and psychosocial distress, but not cognitive or functional ability. Further analyses supported the scale's internal and test-retest reliability. Conclusions Currently, no "gold standard" scale of memory-loss self-efficacy for pwMCI exists, despite the positive impact self-efficacy may have on modifiable health behaviors. Overall, results supported the notion that the scale is a valid and reliable measure of memory-loss self-efficacy for pwMCI.
Influence of surface roughness on subdominant pairing in d‐wave superconductors

We study a d-wave superconductor with dominant d-wave order parameter and subdominant pairing in either the s- or the dxy-wave channel near a surface. In particular we analyze the influence of surface roughness on the mixed order parameter which may break the time-reversal symmetry. We find that the subdominant component is suppressed by the roughness independent of its pairing symmetry; for very rough surfaces the subdominant component may even vanish completely. Additionally we discuss a possible real-valued admixture which counteracts the suppression of the d-wave order parameter at the surface.