cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of antiemetics on pupillary reflex dilation during epidural/general anesthesia.

UNLABELLED The effect of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists, such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol, on pupil size in awake subjects suggests that these drugs might also alter pupillary reflex dilation and pupil size during general anesthesia. Forty-seven patients undergoing lower abdominal surgery under combined epidural/general anesthesia were randomized to receive one of the 5 following open labeled drugs: 10 mL saline, 0.13 mg/kg ondansetron, 0.25 mg/kg metoclopramide, 0.5 mg/kg metoclopramide, or 0.02 mg/kg droperidol. Three measurements of reflex dilation were taken at 5-min intervals and after the last measurement (time 0) the drug was administered. Measurements were then taken 5, 10, 20, and 40 min after I.V. drug administration. Reflex dilation was induced by intermittent noxious stimulation of the C5 dermatome with a tetanic electric current (60-70 mamp, 100 Hz, 3-s duration) after a stable level of epidural analgesia had been established with 3/8% bupivacaine and maintained with a continuous infusion. Metoclopramide produced a small decrease in pupil diameter and transiently depressed reflex dilation, whereas droperidol decreased pupil size at 10 min and depressed reflex dilation throughout the 40-min study period. Maximal change in reflex dilation was -6.6 +/- 3.3 mm-sec after droperidol. Ondansetron had no effect on pupil diameter or reflex dilation. When pupillary diameter measurements are used to gauge opioid levels during experimental conditions or during surgical anesthesia, antiemetic medication acting on the dopamine D2 receptor should be avoided. IMPLICATIONS Miosis is often considered an effect of opioid administration during general anesthesia, but other drugs, such as antiemetics, might produce a similar effect on the pupil. This study demonstrates that 2 antiemetics, droperidol and metoclopramide, constrict the pupil and block the pupillary dilation brought about by nociceptive stimuli.
A tunable microwave notch absorber filter

A magnetized plasma column is found to be a notch absorber of microwave radiation propagating in the extraordinary mode. Based on this fact, a compact tunable microwave filter is designed and tested successfully. The center frequency of the absorbed band can be varied by adjusting the background magnetic field stength. The 3dB bandwidth and amount of attenuation are functions of the plasma current. These characteristics offer a great tunability, often sought after in microwave devices. This filter can find applications in microwave measurement systems where filtering of unwanted harmonics and spurious signals can directly affect the accuracy and resolution of the measurements.
Rheological properties of deep fried tortillas prepared with hydrocolloids

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine two important rheological properties, fracturability and toughness, of deep fried tortilla chips which are prepared with the addition of hydrocolloids using texture analyzer with Kramer‐shear cell. Low, medium and high viscosity carboxymethyl cellulose, and Xanthan gum were used as hydro‐colloids. For each material, different concentrations were added into the formula for tortilla during dough formation to determine the effect of different concentrations on the rheological properties. Tortilla chips were deep fried in pure vegetable oil for several frying times to investigate the effect of frying time. It was found that with increasing concentration of hydrocolloids, force required to break the tortilla chips increased, thus toughness, and fracturability values increased. However, longer frying times resulted in more fragile tortilla chips with reduced fracturability.
Short- and long-latency tibial somatosensory evoked potentials in cerebral lesions affecting Rolandic leg areas.

Short- and long-latency tibial somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were studied in nine patients with clinical presentation primarily involving one lower extremity. In group 1, with extensive infarcts in the territory of anterior cerebral artery, tibial cortical SEPs were uniformly absent. In group 2, with small infarcts involving Rolandic leg areas, tibial SEPs showed a decrease in overall response amplitude and attenuation of P40. In group 3, with discrete mass lesions compressing Rolandic leg areas, P40 was preserved but might be delayed. Late SEP components (N75, P100 and N135) tended to be preserved in the patients of group 2 and 3. The data suggest that Rolandic leg areas and the neighboring cortex are crucial for short- and long-latency tibial cortical SEPs and that small lesions affecting Rolandic leg areas tend to affect short-and mid-latency SEP components.
Runtime Adaptation of Applications Using Design Of Experiments: A Smartphone-Based Case Study

We consider the problem of adapting embedded software to heterogeneous devices where it is impractical to obtain a system-level power model for each target platform and operating environment. Our solution leverages the emerging capability of measuring power consumption at run-time using a built-in battery monitoring unit (BMU). We use a statistically rigorous design of experiments (DoE) methodology to efficiently characterize the power consumption configuration space of software online instead of constructing a system-level power model offline. This approach is simple, low-cost, and permits software to dynamically select suitable parameters at run-time to satisfy energy or performance constraints. We illustrate this approach using a camera trap application as a case study deployed on a Nokia N80 smartphone.
HRTEM Study of Irradiation-Induced Cavities in Oxide-Dispersed Ferritic Steel

Structures of oxide nanoparticles and the effects of matrix/nanoparticle interfaces on irradiation-induced cavity nucleation and distribution in Fe-16Cr-4.5Al-0.3Ti-2W-0.37Y2O3 oxide-dispersed ferritic steel have been studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques. The frequent observations of partially crystallized complex-oxide nanoparticles in as-fabricated steel provide an implication into the formation mechanism of nanoparticles. The mechanism involves the solid-state mixing of pre-alloyed metallic powder and Y2O3 powder to form an amorphous solid solution and from which the nucleation of high density complex-oxide nanoparticles (on the order of ~1 × 1022 m−3). Simultaneous dual ion beams consisting of iron and helium were employed to irradiate the oxide-dispersed steel at 698 K (425 °C). The result shows that the defective oxide nanoparticles have a positive effect on the mitigation of dimensional swelling as a result of the preferred nucleation of helium-filled cavities at the matrix/nanoparticle interfaces.
Software Approach to Merging Molecular with Anatomic Information

Software image registration is a powerful and versatile tool that allows the fusion of molecular and anatomic information. Image registration can be applied to compare anatomic information with function, localize organs and lesions, and plan radiation therapy, biopsy, or surgery. Automatic volume-based image registration techniques have been devised for both linear and nonlinear image alignment. Challenges remain in the validation of the accuracy of software registration. Image registration has been applied clinically in neurology and oncology and may be particularly practical in radiotherapy applications. Potential new applications in cardiology could allow the combination of CT angiography with perfusion and viability images obtained by PET, SPECT, or MRI. Software methods allow versatility in the choice of modalities and facilitate retrospective and selective application. Fully automatic registration algorithms are needed for routine clinical applications. Connectivity, compatibility, and cooperation between various clinical departments are essential for the successful application of software-based image fusion in a hospital setting.
Association of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes With Glyburide vs Insulin in Women With Gestational Diabetes

Importance Glyburide is thought to be safe for use during pregnancy for treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, there are limited data on the effectiveness of glyburide when compared with insulin as used in a real-world setting. Objective To estimate the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with GDM treated with glyburide compared with insulin. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study of a population-based cohort from a nationwide US employer-based insurance claims database from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2011. We identified women with GDM and their newborns. We excluded those with type 1 or 2 diabetes and those younger than 15 years or older than 45 years. Exposures Treatment with glyburide or insulin during pregnancy within 150 days before delivery. Main Outcomes and Measures We used binomial regression to estimate risk ratios (RRs) and risk differences with 95% confidence intervals for the association of glyburide with diagnosis codes for obstetric trauma, cesarean delivery, birth injury, preterm birth, hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, jaundice, large for gestational age, and hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit. Inverse probability of treatment weights were used to adjust for maternal characteristics that differed between the treatment groups. Results Among 110 879 women with GDM, 9173 women (8.3%) were treated with glyburide (n = 4982) or insulin (n = 4191). After adjusting for differences at baseline, newborns of women treated with glyburide were at increased risk for neonatal intensive care unit admission (RR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.23-1.62), respiratory distress (RR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.23-2.15), hypoglycemia (RR = 1.40; 95% CI, 1.00-1.95), birth injury (RR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.00-1.82), and large for gestational age (RR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.16-1.76) compared with those treated with insulin; they were not at increased risk for obstetric trauma (RR = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.71-1.20), preterm birth (RR = 1.06; 95% CI, 0.93-1.21), or jaundice (RR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.48-1.91). The risk of cesarean delivery was 3% lower in the glyburide group (adjusted RR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.93-1.00). The risk difference associated with glyburide was 2.97% (95% CI, 1.82-4.12) for neonatal intensive care unit admission, 1.41% (95% CI, 0.61-2.20) for large for gestational age, and 1.11% (95% CI, 0.50-1.72) for respiratory distress. Conclusions and Relevance Newborns from privately insured mothers treated with glyburide were more likely to experience adverse outcomes than those from mothers treated with insulin. Given the widespread use of glyburide, further investigation of these differences in pregnancy outcomes is a public health priority.
Magnetic Helicity Change Rate Associated with X-Class and M-Class Flares

We investigate the total helicity change rate of active regions during the time period of three X-class and five M-class flares using MDI full-disk magnetograms which are sufficient to calculate the advection and the shuffling terms. Two out of three regions with X-class flares show a significant change in the helicity change rate, while none of the five active regions with an associated M-class flare shows this behavior. A closer investigation of the active regions associated with a helicity change reveals certain peculiarities that point to an artificial signal due to the magnetic reversal effect. This is supported by the fact that a simulation of the reversal effect reproduces the same shape of the helicity signal, although with an amplitude one magnitude lower. We investigate active regions with no flaring activity and determine the fluctuations of the helicity change rate due to instrumental effects to be 12 × 1040 Mx2 h-1.
Propagation of polarized light in turbid media: simulated animation sequences

A time-resolved Monte Carlo technique was used to simulate the propagation of polarized light in turbid media. Calculated quantities include the reflection Mueller matrices, the transmission Mueller matrices, and the degree of polarization (DOP). The effects of the polarization state of the incident light and of the size of scatterers on the propagation of DOP were studied. Results are shown in animation sequences.
Promoting Health in Low-Income Communities The Asthma Safe Kids Program Delivered by an Academic Nurse Managed Center

As one of the most common chronic illnesses in children in the United States, asthma also is a leading cause for emergency room visits and hospitalizations among youth. Multicomponent interventions are effective in improving asthma symptoms when home visits and education also are part of professional assistance to reduce environmental triggers. This article will report the results of one such educational program, Asthma Safe Kids (ASK), delivered through an academic urban nurse managed center. It will compare barriers to ASK program delivery to strengths of a more successful program. In addition, 3 gaps in existing literature about home-based asthma intervention will be presented: (a) current reports do not describe details about planning and implementing programs or identify components that weakened outreach or implementation; (b) lists of partnerships do not include urban academic nurse managed centers, a resource for in-home asthma program startup and sustainability in more than 100 neighborhoods and c...
Field Evaluation of Integrated Pest Management-Compatible Pesticides for the Citrus Leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) and its Parasitoid Ageniaspis citricola (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae)

Potentially selective and integrated pest management (IPM)-compatible pesticides for the citrus leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton and its parasitoid Ageniaspis citricola Logvinovskaya were compared under nursery field conditions at Gainesville, FL. In 1996, replicated blocks of young grapefruit trees were treated with 2% petroleum oil and 1 x the lowest recommended field rate (LRFR) of diflubenzuron + oil (0.4%). Untreated and treated controls (avermectin at 1 x the LRFR + oil) were included. In 1997, blocks were treated with oil (3%), 1 x the LRFR of azadirachtin + oil, 1 x the LRFR of diflubenzuron + oil and 0.1 x the LRFR of avermectin + oil. Untreated and treated controls were again included. Oil at 3%, azadirachtin at 1 x the LRFR + 0.4% of oil, and diflubenzuron at 1 x the LRFR + 0.4% of oil were shown to be IPM-compatible pesticides. In 1997, these blocks had fewer mines per leaf and P. citrella pupae parasitized by A. citricola per total leaves sampled compared with the untreated control but more than the treated control (alpha = 0.05). Avermectin at 0.1 x the LRFR + 0.4% of oil was not considered an IPM-compatible pesticide because, while it reduced the number of P. citrella mines per leaf, it reduced the number of A. citricola to levels as low as the treated control. Actual P. citrella infestation levels had no detectable effect on tree growth and vigor. Pesticide applications were not justified when P. citrella infestations were < 1 mine per leaf and the biological control agent A. citricola was present.
THE EFFECT OF MICROBIAL FE(III) REDUCTION ON SMECTITE FLOCCULATION

This study was undertaken to investigate the changes in flocculation properties of Fe-rich smectite (nontronite, NAu-1) suspensions, including settling velocity, aggregate size and floc architecture associated with microbial Fe(III)-reduction in the smectite structure. The dissimilatory Fe-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was incubated with lactate as the electron donor and structural Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor for 3, 12, 24 and 48 h in an anaerobic chamber. Two controls were prepared; the first was identical to the experimental treatments except that heat-killed cells were used (non-reduced control), and the second control was the same as the first except that the incubation was carried out in an aerobic environment. The extent of Fe(III) reduction for the 48 h incubation was observed to reach up to 18%. Neither the non-reduced control nor the aerobically inoculated sample showed Fe(III) reduction. Compared with the non-reduced control, there was a 2.7 μm increase in mean aggregate size and a 30-fold increase in average settling velocity in the bioreduced smectite suspensions as measured using a Micromeritics Sedigraph®. The aerobically inoculated smectite showed a similar aggregate-size distribution to that of the non-reduced control. Significant changes in physical properties of smectite suspensions induced by microbial Fe(III) reduction were measured directly using transmission electron microscopy. The floc architecture of bioreduced smectite revealed less open structures compared to those of a non-reduced control. The aspect ratio (thickness/length) of individual smectite particle increased from 0.11 for the non-reduced control to 0.18 on average for the bioreduced smectite suspensions. The effects of pH on the clay flocculation were minimal in this study because the value of pH remained nearly constant at pH = 7.0–7.3 before and after the experiments. We therefore suggest that the increase in net negative charge caused by microbial Fe(III) reduction significantly promoted clay flocculation by increasing the electrochemical attraction in the smectite suspensions.
SEASONAL AND REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF U.S. STREAMFLOW TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 1940 TO 1999

J. R. Mather (1981) observed that runoff (streamflow) constitutes a significant phase of the hydrologic cycle. He also noted that it takes at least 15-25 years of systematic observations to characterize statistically the spatial and temporal patterns in streamflow. With this in mind, a recent assessment of temporal trends in streamflow (Lins and Slack, 1999) is updated to encompass the 60-year period 1940-1999, using data from 435 climate-sensitive stream-gauging stations and expanded to include regional and seasonal characteristics. The previously documented pattern of increasing discharge in the low to moderate range of flows is corroborated, with this pattern being most pronounced in the central two-thirds of the U.S. and to a lesser extent in the eastern coastal regions and in the Great Basin. Relatively few trends are observed in the annual maximum flow. No system- atic shift in the timing of the annual minimum, median, or maximum flow is detected in any region on a monthly time scale. The observed increases in low to moderate stream- flows, typical of the warm and transitional seasons, are consistent with documented trends in warm and transition season precipitation, and indicate that natural U.S. surface water supply has increased without a concomitant increase in flooding. (Key words: streamflow, trends, seasonal changes, regional patterns.)
The Utility of p16Ink4a in Discriminating Between Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 1 and Nonneoplastic Equivocal Lesions of the Cervix

Abstract Context.—The protein p16Ink4a is overexpressed in cervical lesions associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes 16 and 18, but not in low-risk HPV subtypes 6 and 11 or non–HPV-associated cervical lesions. Objective.—To determine whether p16Ink4a expression in equivocal cervical lesions helps distinguish atypical non-HPV changes from HPV-related changes. Design.—One hundred ninety-one cervical lesions, including 81 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1, 52 squamous metaplasia, 33 cellular features suggestive of HPV-related change, 9 reserve cell hyperplasia, 4 microglandular hyperplasia, and 12 inflammatory cervicitis, were randomly selected from archival cervical biopsy specimens. All 191 samples were studied with p16Ink4a (JC8 monoclonal antibody). Reactivity for p16Ink4a was scored on a 3-tier system as follows: negative, 0% to 5% cells reactive; focal/scattered positive, greater than 5% and less than or equal to 80% cells reactive; diffuse positive, greater than 80% cells react...
An electronic health record driven algorithm to identify incident antidepressant medication users.

Objective We validated an algorithm designed to identify new or prevalent users of antidepressant medications via population-based drug prescription records. Patients and methods We obtained population-based drug prescription records for the entire Olmsted County, Minnesota, population from 2011 to 2012 (N=149 629) using the existing electronic medical records linkage infrastructure of the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP). We selected electronically a random sample of 200 new antidepressant users stratified by age and sex. The algorithm required the exclusion of antidepressant use in the 6 months preceding the date of the first qualifying antidepressant prescription (index date). Medical records were manually reviewed and adjudicated to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV). We also manually reviewed the records of a random sample of 200 antihistamine users who did not meet the case definition of new antidepressant user to estimate the negative predictive value (NPV). Results 161 of the 198 subjects electronically identified as new antidepressant users were confirmed by manual record review (PPV 81.3%). Restricting the definition of new users to subjects who were prescribed typical starting doses of each agent for treating major depression in non-geriatric adults resulted in an increase in the PPV (90.9%). Extending the time windows with no antidepressant use preceding the index date resulted in only modest increases in PPV. The manual abstraction of medical records of 200 antihistamine users yielded an NPV of 98.5%. Conclusions Our study confirms that REP prescription records can be used to identify prevalent and incident users of antidepressants in the Olmsted County, Minnesota, population.
Microvascular Coronary Dysfunction and Ischemic Heart Disease – Where Are We in 2014?

Many patients with angina and signs of myocardial ischemia on stress testing have no significant obstructive epicardial coronary disease. There are many potential coronary and non-coronary mechanisms for ischemia without obstructive epicardial coronary disease, and prominent among these is coronary microvascular and/or endothelial dysfunction. Patients with coronary microvascular and/or endothelial dysfunction are often at increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, including ischemic events and heart failure despite preserved ventricular systolic function. In this article, we will review the diagnosis and treatment of coronary microvascular and endothelial dysfunction, discuss their potential contribution to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and highlight recent advances in the evaluation of atherosclerotic morphology in these patients, many of whom have non-obstructive epicardial disease.
On the errors that learning machines will make

Associated with each learning system there is a class of learnable behaviors. If the target behavior to be acquired is in the learnable class, it will be learned perfectly. If it is outside that class, the machine will only be able to acquire a behavior that approximates the target and it will always make errors. It is desirable for a learning machine to have a large learnable class to maximize the chances of acquiring the unknown behavior and to minimize the expected error when only an approximation is possible. However, it is also desirable to have a small learnable class so that learning can be achieved rapidly. Thus the design of learning machines involves selecting a position on the spectrum: minimum error and slow learning time versus larger error and faster learning time. A computational method is given for finding where a given learning machine is on this spectrum. Machines that have fast learning times, relatively small learnable classes, and thus relatively large expected errors are called realization sparse in this article. These machines do little better than a random coin flipping algorithm in many situations. It is shown that many common learning systems are of this type including signature tables, linear system models, and conjunctive normal form expression based systems. These studies lead to the concept of an “optimum” machine which spreads its learnable behaviors across the behavior space in a manner to minimize the expected error. an approximation to such optimum machines is presented and its behavior is compared to the more traditional learning machines. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recurrent intravenous leiomyosarcoma of the uterus in the retrohepatic vena cava

Although intravenous extension of uterine leiomyosarcomas has been described, extension into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium, so-called ‘intravenous leiomyosarcomatosis (IVLS)’, is rare. To our knowledge only a few cases have been described in the literature. We describe a case of recurrent uterine leiomyosarcoma to the retrohepatic IVC. The patient was initially treated with total abdominal hysterectomy. Follow-up computed tomography a year later showed an extensive intravascular and intracardiac soft tissue mass treated with tumor extraction using cardiac bypass. Five years later she presented to our institution with a new retrohepatic caval mass treated with surgical resection and caval grafting. IVLS is a rare disease that is best treated with surgical resection even in the recurrent setting. The role of adjuvant therapy remains unclear.
A Comparison of Christians’ Concepts of Jesus Christ and God

ABSTRACTIn the god concept literature, little research has been conducted on how people think about and relate specifically to Jesus Christ. This study addresses the extent to which Christians distinguish between Jesus and God in terms of their concepts of Jesus and God, the pathways they use to connect with Jesus and God, and the benefits they seek and receive from Jesus and God. The study also tests whether participants’ concepts of Jesus have unique predictive power for psychological, social, and spiritual criterion variables after controlling for their concepts of God. The sample includes 165 college students and 107 church attendees who self-identified as Christians. Results indicate that although most participants view Jesus and God as being similar to each other, they perceive Jesus to be warmer but less transcendent and stern than God. Including participants’ concepts of Jesus in hierarchical multiple regressions accounted for significant additional variance after controlling for their concepts of...
Lymphocyte Protein Kinase Activity in Cells from Young and Elderly Men and Women

Protein kinase activity of lymphocytes isolated from human subjects was assayed using histone as substrate. The activity was stimulated about twofold by cyclic AMP and total enzyme activity, determined in the presence of cyclic AMP, was inhibited by 65% by the specific heat-stable inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Histone phosphorylation was not stimulated by cyclic GMP in the presence of the inhibitor. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase could be activated in vitro by incubating intact cells with isoproterenol or with forskolin and was reflected by a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in the protein kinase activity ratio. In contrast to these well-characterized adenylate cyclase activators, incubating cells for up to 2 hr in vitro in the presence of the specific beta-blocker propranolol had no significant effect on the amount of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase that was in the activated state. When compared in subjects between the ages of 21 and 74 years, lymphocyte protein kinase activity was unaltered by age or gender. These results indicate that cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase is of the cyclic AMP-dependent variety in the human lymphocyte. A low amount of the cyclic AMP-dependent activity (about 15%) is in the already activated state in freshly isolated cells, and this is not further reduced by incubation in vitro or by beta-blockade. In contrast to previously reported changes in the capacity to synthesize cyclic AMP, lymphocyte protein kinase is unaltered by gender or age in human subjects.
THE STATUS OF THE SNAKE GENERA DIPSAS AND SIBON, A PROBLEM FOR “QUANTUM EVOLUTION”

Some of the facts presented in this paper have been known so long that they can almost be said to have been forgotten. They are enshrined (or perhaps mummified) in generic names such as Cochliophagus 1853 (snail-eater), Leptognathus 1853 (delicate jaw), Stremmatognathus 1853 (twisted jaw), Asthenognathus 1854 (jaw without strength). These facts, and the problem posed by them to students of evolution, are our present knowledge of the structure, behavior, and relative abundance of the arboreal, nocturnal, and malacophagous snakes of the American Tropics, and their evolutionary relationship to other snakes in the American Tropics. While many generic names have been proposed for these snakes, Dipsas 1763 is the oldest, and it will be used (without prejudice) for the lot in this discussion. There are some 45 species. Some, but not all, of the structural facts were known to Boulenger, the most re-, cent reviser of snakes on a global basis. In 1896 he used the family name Amblycephalidae for Dipsas and some similar east Asiatic snakes.
Binding Energy Distribution Analysis Method: Hamiltonian Replica Exchange with Torsional Flattening for Binding Mode Prediction and Binding Free Energy Estimation

Molecular dynamics modeling of complex biological systems is limited by finite simulation time. The simulations are often trapped close to local energy minima separated by high energy barriers. Here, we introduce Hamiltonian replica exchange (H-REMD) with torsional flattening in the Binding Energy Distribution Analysis Method (BEDAM), to reduce energy barriers along torsional degrees of freedom and accelerate sampling of intramolecular degrees of freedom relevant to protein–ligand binding. The method is tested on a standard benchmark (T4 Lysozyme/L99A/p-xylene complex) and on a library of HIV-1 integrase complexes derived from the SAMPL4 blind challenge. We applied the torsional flattening strategy to 26 of the 53 known binders to the HIV Integrase LEDGF site found to have a binding energy landscape funneled toward the crystal structure. We show that our approach samples the conformational space more efficiently than the original method without flattening when starting from a poorly docked pose with incor...
Nitro-Triarylmethyl Radical as Dual Oxygen and Superoxide Probe

Superoxide radical is involved in numerous physiological and pathophysiological processes. Tetrathiatriarylmethyl (TAM) radicals are known to react with superoxide allowing measurement of superoxide production in biological media. We report the synthesis of a Nitro conjugated TAM radical showing a rate constant of 7 × 105 M-1 s-1 which is two order of magnitude higher than other TAMs, allowing high sensitivity measurement of superoxide.
Domains of quality for clinical ethics case consultation: a mixed-method systematic review

Background “Clinical ethics consultation” (CEC) is the provision of consultative services by an individual or team with the aim of helping health professionals, patients, and their families grapple with difficult ethical issues arising during health care. There are almost 25,000 articles in the worldwide literature on CEC, but very few explicitly address measuring the quality of CEC. Many more address quality implicitly, however. This article describes a rigorous protocol for compiling the diverse literature on CEC, analyzing it with a quality measurement lens, and seeking a set of potential quality domains for CEC based on areas of existing, but hitherto unrecognized, consensus in the literature.
Approaching an employee about her weight.

This case scenario addresses important and commonly encountered medical problems: weight gain and obesity.
Demo: API Virtualization for Platform Openness in Android

We propose a novel technique called API virtualization to enable open innovation in Android. API virtualization inserts a shim layer between the Android platform layer and the app layer as shown in Figure 1, which can intercept any and every platform API call made by an app. In addition, API virtualization allows third-party developers to inject custom code, so that they can modify, reimplement, or customize existing Android APIs. This is achieved by (i) injecting a wrapper class for each platform API class that a third-party developer wants to replace, and (ii) rewriting the binary of an app so that the app code uses wrapper classes instead of platform API classes.Our API virtualization is motivated by the lack of openness in mobile systems at the platform level. For example, Android is known to be an open platform since the source code is open; thirdparty developers easily access and modify the source. However, when it comes to deploying their platform-level modifications, there is a stiff barrier. Only Google and other mobile vendors such as Samsung, LG, etc. have the privilege to distribute platform modifications at a large scale. In other words, there are only a select few players who can control the innovation on Android.
The Public Policy Environment of the Privacy-Security Conundrum/Complement

Public policy constraints are likely to impact the deployment and continuing operation of nearly any technology, method or process designed to support counter-terrorism. Policy drives the traditional institutional efforts to maintain security. These have been focused on criminal enforcement and regulatory risks based on commonly-held understandings of burglary, theft, conversion and other protections of physical property. However, such a focus largely on physical security protections for tangible property is inconsistent with the proliferation of networked computers and their impact on the economy and key infrastructures (Exec. Order No. 13,231, 2001). The latter has vastly ABSTRACT
Application of AUC Regression for the Jonckheere Trend Test

ABSTRACTA semiparametric regression model for the area under the ROC curve (AUC) is adapted to test of hypotheses for which the Jonckheere trend test (JTS) is appropriate. Since a nonparametric estimate of the AUC and the JTS depend upon the Mann-Whitney statistic, one can exploit this fact to develop a JTS that accounts for discrete covariates. The new method is illustrated with a simulation study and using real and simulated data motivated by three clinical studies.
Intraarterial transplantation of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells in hyperacute stroke improves vascular function.

Human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) cell therapy is a promising treatment for ischemic stroke. The effects of hyperacute stem cell transplantation on cerebrovascular function in ischemic stroke are, however, not well understood. This study evaluated the effects of hyperacute intraarterial transplantation of hUCB mononuclear cells (MNCs) on cerebrovascular function in stroke rats using serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). HUCB MNCs or vehicle were administered to stroke rats via the internal carotid artery immediately after reperfusion at 60 min following ischemia onset. Lesion volumes were longitudinally evaluated by MRI on days 0, 2, 14, and 28 after stroke, accompanied by behavioral tests. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reactivity were measured by perfusion MRI and CO2 functional MRI (fMRI) at 28 days post-stroke; corresponding vascular morphological changes were also detected by immunohistology in the same animals. We found that CBF to the stroke-affected region at 28 days was improved (normalized CBF value: 1.41 ± 0.30 versus 0.49 ± 0.07) by intraarterial transplantation of hUCB MNCs in the hyperacute stroke phase, compared to vehicle control. Cerebrovascular reactivity within the stroke-affected area, measured by CBF fMRI, was also increased (35.2 ± 3.5% versus 12.8 ± 4.3%), as well as the corresponding cerebrovascular density. Some engrafted cells appeared with microvascular-like morphology and stained positive for von Willebrand Factor (an endothelial cell marker), suggesting they differentiated into endothelial cells. Some engrafted cells also connected to host endothelial cells, suggesting they interacted with the host vasculature. Compared to the vehicle group, infarct volume at 28 days in the stem cell treated group was significantly smaller (160.9 ± 15.7 versus 231.2 ± 16.0 mm3); behavioral deficits were also markedly reduced by stem cell treatment at day 28 (19.5 ± 1.0% versus 30.7 ± 4.7% on the foot fault test; 68.2 ± 4.6% versus 86.6 ± 5.8% on the cylinder test). More tissue within initial perfusion-diffusion mismatch was rescued in the treatment group. Intraarterial hUCB MNC transplantation during the hyperacute phase of ischemic stroke improved cerebrovascular function and reduced behavioral deficits and infarct volume.
The influence of capillary effects on the drainage of a viscous gravity current into a deep porous medium

The drainage of a viscous gravity current into a deep porous medium driven by both the gravitational and capillary forces is considered in two steps. We first study the one-dimensional case where a layer of fluid drains vertically into an infinitely deep porous medium. We determine a transition from the capillary-driven regime to the gravity-driven regime as time proceeds. Second, we solve the coupled spreading and drainage problem. There are no self-similar solutions of the problem for the entire time period, so asymptotic analyses are developed for the height, depth and front location in both the early-time and the late-time periods. In addition, we present numerical results of the governing partial differential equations, which agree well with the self-similar solutions in the appropriate asymptotic limits.
Dynamic impact force in an axial member with coupled effects of structural vibration and various support conditions

Abstract Longitudinal impact of a mass (or hammer) on a drill rod has been used over the years on a number of terrestrial applications such as pile driving, rock drilling, and soil testing as well as in drilling devices designed to explore the subsurface of Lunar, Martian, and other planetary bodies. Previous studies have investigated the effects of the boundary conditions on the wave propagation on the rod. However, the coupled effect of the dynamic response, damping and the boundary conditions of the rod on the contact/impact force has not been considered. This paper presents the dynamic contact analysis of the longitudinal impact of a mass on a rod with rigid, free, deformable, and slip support conditions including the effect of damping of the rod. Focus is given to capture how and under what conditions the impact force is affected by the support conditions. The contact force was obtained using Hertz force-indentation relation coupled with the structural vibration of the rod. Both the contact force and the rod dynamic response are determined using mode superposition method as well as an in-house finite element code. A very good agreement is found between the results from the two methods. The results are verified with experimental data previously available in literature and using Abaqus FEA. It is found that for the undamped case the force is affected by the support condition only if the duration of contact between the striker and the rod is larger than the time that the displacement wave takes to travel through the rod to the other end and return back to the contact end. On the other hand, when damping of the rod is considered the contact force is observed to be affected by the support condition before the arrival of the reflected wave to the contact end. However, the effect of the support conditions in the damped case is significantly higher when the duration of contact is larger than the time of arrival of the reflected wave from the far end. When the rod penetrates into the supporting medium while the contact is present the contact force decreases at a higher rate compared with the case where penetration is not present during contact.
Ice-Melting Dynamics: The Role of Protons and Interfacial Geometry.

The surface of ice plays a significant role in melting. To better understand the role of the surface, we studied the melting of ice using infrared imaging and pH-sensitive dyes. Ice was allowed to melt in baths of water of varying depths. When the ice melted in a high level of room-temperature water, equal to the height of the ice, the conventional melting pattern appeared. When the ice melted in a chamber with a lower water level, the melting pattern was unexpected. Seconds after the ice was placed in the water, localized regions of low-temperature water appeared around the perimeter of the ice. These regions grew radially outward and seemed to originate as streams coming from inside the ice. Those streams contained high concentrations of protons, as indicated by the color change of a pH-sensitive dye initially placed in the water surrounding the ice. This observation, together with the temperature distribution and ice-shape changes during melting implied that the streams may be propelled by protons from...
Complexation of Linear DNA and Poly(styrenesulfonate) with Cationic Copolymer Micelles: Effect of Polyanion Flexibility

The complexation of linear double stranded DNA and poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) with cationic poly(dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) micelles was compared in aqueous solutions at various pH values and ionic strengths. The complexation process was monitored by turbidimetric titration, as a function of the ratio (N/P) of amine groups in the micelle corona to the number of phosphates (or sulfonates) in the polyanion. The size, structure and stability of the resulting micelleplexes were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). In the short chain regime, where the contour lengths of the polyanions are shorter than or comparable to the micelle corona thickness, micelleplexes with DNA oligomers show very similar behavior to complexes with short PSS chains, in terms of titration curves and structural evolution of the complexes as a function of charge ratio. However, in the long chain regime, where the contour length of th...
Experimental and Mathematical Analyses Relating Circadian Period and Phase of Entrainment in Neurospora crassa.

Circadian rhythms are observed in most organisms on earth and are known to play a major role in successful adaptation to the 24-h cycling environment. Circadian phenotypes are characterized by a free-running period that is observed in constant conditions and an entrained phase that is observed in cyclic conditions. Thus, the relationship between the free-running period and phase of entrainment is of interest. A popular simple rule has been that the entrained phase is the expression of the period in a cycling environment (i.e., that a short period causes an advanced phase and a long period causes a delayed phase). However, there are experimental data that are not explained by this simple relationship, and no systematic study has been done to explore all possible period-phase relationships. Here, we show the existence of stable period-phase relationships that are exceptions to this rule. First, we analyzed period-phase relationships using populations with different degrees of genome complexity. Second, we g...
Use of a trigger tool to detect adverse drug reactions in an emergency department.

Although there are systems for reporting adverse drug reactions (ADR), these safety events remain under reported. The low-cost, low-tech trigger tool method is based on the detection of events through clues, and it seems to increase the detection of adverse events compared to traditional methodologies. This study seeks to estimate the prevalence of adverse reactions to drugs in patients seeking care in the emergency department. Retrospective study from January to December, 2014, applying the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) trigger tool methodology for patients treated at the emergency room of a tertiary care hospital. The estimated prevalence of adverse reactions in patients presenting to the emergency department was 2.3% [CI95 1.3% to 3.3%]; 28.6% of cases required hospitalization at an average cost of US$ 5698.44. The most common triggers were hydrocortisone (57% of the cases), diphenhydramine (14%) and fexofenadine (14%). Anti-infectives (19%), cardiovascular agents (14%), and musculoskeletal drugs (14%) were the most common causes of adverse reactions. According to the Naranjo Scale, 71% were classified as possible and 29% as probable. There was no association between adverse reactions and age and sex in the present study. The use of the trigger tool to identify adverse reactions in the emergency department was possible to identify a prevalence of 2.3%. It showed to be a viable method that can provide a better understanding of adverse drug reactions in this patient population.
A New Species of Niditinea (Tineidae: Tineinae) with a Preference for Bird Nests, and the Known Larval Habitats of the Species in the United States

We describe and illustrate Niditinea sabroskyi, new species, the larvae of which are associated with bird nests. We provide diagnostic information to distinguish the new species from the other two species occurring in the United States, Niditinea fuscella (Linnaeus, 1758) and Niditinea orleansella (Chambers, 1873). Although there is a considerable amount of published literature on the biology of the most common species, N. fuscella, owing to the difficulty of identifying species of Niditinea, host records are unreliable. We show that N. sabroskyi is predominantly a bird nest associate, and that specimens identified as N. fuscella and previously associated with bird nests are actually misidentified. We also summarize the larval habitat information from specimens with confirmed identifications.
Creating reasons to stay? Unaccompanied youth migration, community-based programs, and the power of “push” factors in El Salvador

Abstract An emerging literature explores the experiences of Central American unaccompanied youth en route to the US border and a growing number of studies examine what happens once they arrive. However, we know less about their pre-migration context or the effectiveness of in-country youth development programs thought to deter them from migrating. We address this gap by drawing on survey data gathered from young people in El Salvador who participate in Youth Outreach Centers (n = 445). These Centers are local community-based entities that provide youth services in precarious neighborhoods across El Salvador. The majority of respondents reported feeling unsafe where they live, and 61% reported that at least one murder occurred in their neighborhood in the previous year. Amidst these neighborhood conditions, many respondents report that participating in the Centers had a positive impact on key developmental outcomes, academic performance, and employment. However, 42% reported that they still intend to migrate within the next three years, and younger respondents are significantly more likely to have these intentions. Their intentions to migrate are positively associated with risky behavior, and are unaffected by the quality of their experience in the Centers. These findings confirm the importance of investing in youth development programs in Central America, but they also attest to the potency of ‘push’ factors prompting youth migration, particularly from violent neighborhoods.
L-section matching with notches and its application for composite lowpass filter with spurious signal suppression

L-section matching circuits are used for various applications. Such circuits can be advanced to provide notch responses to suppress undesired spurious signals. The design guide that allows integration of notch responses in the L-section matching circuits is presented. With given impedance at the targeted matching frequency and notch frequencies, a matching circuit with the spurious signal suppressing notches can be simply designed based on the closed-form equations provided. A composite lowpass filter (LPF) based on the image parameter method is composed of two matching sections and two filter sections. Replacing conventional matching sections with the proposed L-section matching circuits, an LPF with spurious signal notches can be realised. The proposed matching circuit and filter with spurious suppression notches will bring an added dimension of design freedom for modern communication systems that demand stringent out-of-band requirements.