cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure as early markers of PTSD risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) typically exhibit altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. The goals of this study were to determine whether HPA and SNS alterations in the immediate aftermath of trauma predict subsequent PTSD symptom development and whether inconsistencies observed between studies can be explained by key demographic and methodological factors. This work informs secondary prevention of PTSD by identifying subgroups of trauma survivors at risk for PTSD. This meta-analysis (26 studies, N=5186 individuals) revealed that higher heart rate measured soon after trauma exposure was associated with higher PTSD symptoms subsequently (r=0.13). Neither cortisol (r=-0.07) nor blood pressure (diastolic: r=-0.01; systolic: r=0.02) were associated with PTSD symptoms which may be influenced by methodological limitations. Associations between risk markers (heart rate, cortisol, systolic blood pressure) and PTSD symptoms were in the positive direction for younger samples and negative direction for older samples. These findings extend developmental traumatology models of PTSD by revealing an age-related shift in the presentation of early risk markers. More work will be needed to identify risk markers and pathways to PTSD while addressing methodological limitations in order to shape and target preventive interventions.
Optimal Treatment for Patients after Dasatinib or Nilotinib: Comparison of Preclinical Activities of Approved and Promising Investigational Kinase Inhibitors Against BCR-ABL Kinase Domain Mutations That Confer Clinical Resistance to Dasatinib or Nilotinib.

Abstract The optimal management of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is increasingly reliant upon molecular studies. Loss of response to imatinib in CML is most commonly associated with selection for a limited number of BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations that impair the ability of imatinib to effectively bind to BCR-ABL Molecular understanding of imatinib resistance mechanisms has led to the development of effective “second generation” BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors, such as dasatinib and nilotinib, which have clinical activity against most, but not all, drug-resistant mutations. Analysis of the BCR-ABL kinase domain in patients who develop resistance to second-generation inhibitors has implicated further selection of drug-resistant BCR-ABL kinase domain mutants in nearly all cases reported to date. Encouragingly, the number of resistant mutations capable of conferring clinical resistance to the most clinically-advanced second-generation agents, dasatinib (approved by the US FDA and EMEA) and nilotinib (approved in Mexico and Switzerland), appears to be restricted to a relatively small number of amino acid substitutions. As clinical experience with dasatinib and nilotinib grows, an understanding of the relative sensitivities of dasatinib- and nilotinib-resistant BCR-ABL mutants to other kinase inhibitors, both approved and investigational, is critical to optimize clinical outcomes in patients with resistance to dasatinib or nilotinib. At the present time, kinase inhibitor therapy options for patients with resistance to one of these agents include the investigational options bosutinib and MK-0457 (VX-680), as well as dasatinib and nilotinib (for patients not yet exposed to one of these agents) and re-exposure imatinib. It is likely that the success of therapeutic intervention in these cases can be predicted based upon the preclinical sensitivity of the mutation(s) involved with the agent chosen. We have therefore conducted a thorough biochemical and biological cross-analysis of the activities of each of these clinically-useful kinase inhibitors against mutations that confer clinical resistance to dasatinib or nilotinib. These studies provide clinicians with a useful reference for choosing an appropriate kinase inhibitor based upon the identity of the resistant BCR-ABL kinase domain mutation(s) detected at the time of relapse when faced with a patient who has lost response to dasatinib or nilotinib. It is hoped that the application of such “personalized medicine” strategies to the clinical management of CML cases will further improve outcomes in patients treated with kinase inhibitor therapy.
Development of an abbreviated Career Indecision Profile-65 using item response theory: The cip-short

The current study developed an abbreviated version of the Career Indecision Profile-65 (CIP-65; Hacker, Carr, Abrams, & Brown, 2013) by using item response theory. In order to improve the efficiency of the CIP-65 in measuring career indecision, the individual item performance of the CIP-65 was examined with respect to the ordering of response occurrence and gender differential item functioning. The best 5 items of each scale of the CIP-65 (i.e., neuroticism/negative affectivity, choice/commitment anxiety, lack of readiness, and interpersonal conflicts) were retained in the CIP-Short using a sample of 588 college students. A validation sample (N = 174) supported the reliability and structural validity of the CIP-Short. The convergent and divergent validity of the CIP-Short was additionally supported in the findings of a hypothesized differential relational pattern in a separate sample (N = 360). While the current study supported the CIP-Short being a sound brief measure of career indecision, the limitations of this study and suggestions for future research were discussed as well. (PsycINFO Database Record
Dissolution Kinetics of Oxidative Etching of Cubic and Icosahedral Platinum Nanoparticles Revealed by in Situ Liquid Transmission Electron Microscopy

Dissolution due to atom-level etching is a major factor for the degradation of Pt-based electrocatalysts used in low-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Selective surface etching is also used to precisely control shapes of nanoparticles. Dissolution kinetics of faceted metal nanoparticles in solution however is poorly understood despite considerable progress in understanding etching of two-dimensional surfaces. We report here the application of in situ liquid transmission electron microscopy for quantitative analysis of oxidative etching of cubic and icosahedral Pt nanoparticles. The experiment was carried out using a liquid flow cell containing aqueous HAuCl4 solution. The data show that oxidative etching of these faceted nanocrystals depends on the location of atoms on the surface, which evolves with time. A quantitative kinetic model was developed to account for the mass lost in electrolyte solutions over time, showing the dissolutions followed the power law relationship for Pt nanocry...
Modeling cyclic inelastic in-plane flexural behavior of concrete filled sandwich steel panel walls

Abstract Finite element analysis was first used to replicate the inelastic cyclic test response of previously tested concrete filled steel sandwich panel (CFSSP) walls, to determine the material and contact models best able to capture the wall’s initial stiffness, the ultimate wall strength at each cycle, the web plate and HSS local buckling, and the pinching in the hysteresis loops. Results obtained show good agreement with all those aspects of response, while providing insights, guidance, and a validated model that will be of benefit in future studies of CFSSP-Walls. In a second part of this paper, the calibrated finite element model is used to provide insights and generate knowledge on some important aspects of wall behavior that is valuable for the design of CFSSP-Walls. Designers of CFSSP-Walls are typically provided little prescriptive guidance by design specifications and must instead rely, to a large extent, on findings from the recent research literature to ascertain that designs will perform as intended. For this new structural system, such insights into structural behavior are severely lacking. The findings here provide such insights on the distribution of wall-to-footing forces, shear force demands in critical tie bars, cumulative plastic strain value at failure due to low-cycle fatigue, the effect of hoop and shear stresses on uniaxial steel plate yielding, and the effect of interface friction on the force flow within boundary elements. These allow research to verify the adequacy of many of the assumptions used to determine the wall’s plastic moment, which is typically considered to be the flexural strength of CFSSP-Walls.
Action Research: First-Year Primary School Science Teachers’ Conceptions on and Enactment of Science Inquiry in Singapore

This action research project examines first year science teachers’ conceptions of scientific inquiry and their challenges in implementing inquiry-based lessons. Classroom observations and interviews represent two first-year primary school science teachers’ conceptions of science as inquiry. Because the current educational landscape emphasizes inquiry-based learning as a foundation of science education, teacher-training in Singapore focuses on augmenting the quality of inquiry-based science lessons. Through a mandatory reduced workload, first-year primary school science teachers can focus on transitioning from being student teachers to full-time teachers. A video of each teacher’s lesson was analysed using the EQUIP (Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol) instrument. Data analysis of the interviews involved a process of a priori coding based on the essential features of inquiry as well as grounded theory to expose the challenges the teachers faced in their enactment of inquiry-based instruction. Findings suggest that the two first-year teachers formed conceptions of inquiry through their teacher training programs. The teachers revealed three key considerations that affected their practice of inquiry: (1) assessment demands, (2) lack of resources and (3) lack of time to plan and to teach inquiry lessons. Findings in this action research project provide salient implications for other Asian countries which need to improve in-service teacher professional development programs in order to successfully enactment inquiry-based instruction.
A phase-selection scheme based on spectrum characteristic of transient component

A phase-selection scheme based on spectrum characteristic of natural frequency component is proposed in this paper. Through comparing the spectrum correlation degree of three phases and spectrum energy, the fault phase can be identified. Performance of the proposed protection scheme is analyzed by extensive simulation studies using PSCAD. The simulation results indicate that the scheme based on natural frequency can identify fault types quickly and correctly.
Controlled cycling and quiescence enables homology directed repair in engraftment-enriched adult hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the source of all blood components, and genetic defects in these cells are causative of disorders ranging from severe combined immunodeficiency to sickle cell disease. However, genome editing of long-term repopulating HSCs to correct mutated alleles has been challenging. HSCs have the ability to either be quiescent or cycle, with the former linked to stemness and the latter involved in differentiation. Here we investigate the link between cell cycle status and genome editing outcomes at the causative codon for sickle cell disease in adult human CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). We show that quiescent HSPCs that are immunophenotypically enriched for engrafting stem cells predominantly repair Cas9-induced double strand breaks (DSBs) through an error-prone non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway and exhibit almost no homology directed repair (HDR). By contrast, non-quiescent cycling stem-enriched cells repair Cas9 DSBs through both error-prone NHEJ and fidelitous HDR. Pre-treating bulk CD34+ HSPCs with a combination of mTOR and GSK-3 inhibitors to induce quiescence results in complete loss of HDR in all cell subtypes. We used these compounds, which were initially developed to maintain HSCs in culture, to create a new strategy for editing adult human HSCs. CD34+ HSPCs are edited, allowed to briefly cycle to accumulate HDR alleles, and then placed back in quiescence to maintain stemness, resulting in 6-fold increase in HDR/NHEJ ratio in quiescent, stem-enriched cells. Our results reveal the fundamental tension between quiescence and editing in human HSPCs and suggests strategies to manipulate HSCs during therapeutic genome editing.
Activation of TRPV3 by Wood Smoke Particles and Roles in Pneumotoxicity.

Wood/biomass smoke particulate materials (WBSPM) are pneumotoxic, but the mechanisms by which these materials affect lung cells are not fully understood. We previously identified transient receptor potential (TRP) ankyrin-1 as a sensor for electrophiles in WBSPM and hypothesized that other TRP channels expressed by lung cells might also be activated by WBSPM, contributing to pneumotoxicity. Screening TRP channel activation by WBSPM using calcium flux assays revealed TRPV3 activation by materials obtained from burning multiple types of wood under fixed conditions. TRPV3 activation by WBSPM was dependent on the chemical composition, and the pattern of activation and chemical components of PM agonists was different from that of TRPA1. Chemical analysis of particle constituents by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and principal component analysis indicated enrichment of cresol, ethylphenol, and xylenol analogues, plus several other chemicals among the most potent samples. 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2,6-, 3,4-, and ...
AB1377 Is the patient global health assessment reliable in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

Background JIA is a chronic autoimmune disease that poses many challenges. There is increasing recognition of the importance of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and newer PROs are being developed and more widely utilised both in clinical care and in research, However, their performance and reliability remain unclear. Objectives This study seeks to evaluate: 1 performance of the patient global health assessment (PGA) compared to standard disease activity measures in children with JIA, 2 correlations of the PGA with socioeconomic status (SES) in JIA, and 3 relationship between PGA and physician global health assessment in JIA. Methods A convenience sample of patients with JIA (n=47) aged 2–18 were recruited from a single centre. Patients aged ≥10 years completed the questionnaire, and parents of patients aged 2–9 completed a proxy questionnaire for their child. Correlations between 1 the PGA and disease activity, as measured by the Juvenile Disease Activity Score-71 (JADAS-71), 2 the PGA and physician global health assessment, and 3 the physician global health assessment and the JADAS-71 were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficients. PGAs were compared by age, sex, insurance status, race, and ethnicity; and differences between PGA and physician global health assessments were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Results 16 parents and 31 patients completed the assessments (table 1). There was a moderate correlation between PGA and JADAS-71 (r=0.503, p Conclusions Our results demonstrate that physician global health assessment had a stronger correlation with standard disease activity measures than the PGA. These scores were higher in patients who were non-White race, Hispanic, and had Medicaid insurance; however, these were not statistically significant. These data indicate that the PGA is fairly stable across groups, and can be used reliably for disease monitoring. Disclosure of Interest None declared
A Clinically Rich Model in Physical Education Teacher Education

An exploratory study was conducted to examine the perspectives of teacher candidates (TCs) and mentor teachers (MTs) of a clinically rich model (CRM) implemented within a physical education teacher education (PETE) program as compared to a traditional model (TM) of student teaching. Survey questions were focused on participant’s perceptions of the CRM compared to a TM of student teaching, including items on perceptions of the usefulness of the CRM in the preparation and implementation of the educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA). The sample of 29 TCs and 28 MTs produced similar favorable ratings for the CRM relative to the TM on the evaluated characteristics. Subscribe to TPE
Genetic Control of Spermatogenesis in Mice

In this chapter I shall review evidence for direct genetic control of spermatogenesis in mice from two perspectives. First, I shall consider genetic conditions affecting the process of spermatogenesis: both specific gene mutations and chromosome anomalies causing interruption of the spermatogenic process. Second, I shall discuss the molecular evidence for direct gene action during spermatogenesis, and for changes in the patterns of gene and chromosome activity during spermatogenesis that might be implicated in controlling events.
On the Spectrum and Decay of Random Two-Dimensional Vorticity Distributions at Large Reynolds Number

The hypothesis is made that the vorticity distribution in a field of random two-dimensional vorticity (two-dimensional turbulence) develops discontinuities. The energy spectrum is then calculated and shown to behave like k^(−4) for large values of the wave-number k. The rates of decay of mean square vorticity and velocity are estimated. An expression for the growth of length scale is obtained and it is noted that the size of turbulent trailing vortices is apparently well fitted by the formula.
Immunological reconstitution of neonatally thymectomized rats following implantation of thymic epithelial cells.

Experimental neonatal thymectomy in rodents has profoundly deleterious effects on the immune system. These include histological depletion of lymphoid tissues, decrease in circulating lymphocyte numbers, and defective immune functions (16). Of the immunological defects appearing after thymectomy, cell-mediated immune responses including transplantation immunity and delayed hypersensitivity reactions are affected to the greatest degree, although some humoral immune responses (i.e. sheep red blood cells) are also impaired. These effects are attributed to a depletion of thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes. The thymus has thus been shown to play an essential role in the development and maintenance of an intact immune system.
Structure, Function and Dynamics of a Regulatory Enzyme — Aspartate Transcarbamylase

During the past 10 years there have been revolutionary advances in our knowledge of the structure, function and dynamics of proteins composed of subunits. Problems scarcely imagined a decade ago either have been solved already or are being pursued vigorously. New experimental techniques and theoretical approaches are being exploited in attempts to understand how subunit interactions endow oligomeric proteins with the unique properties needed for their biological functions.
Motivating the Multiplicative Spectrum

In this article, we describe and motivate some of the results and notions from our ongoing project [2]. The results stated here are substantially new (unless otherwise attributed) and detailed proofs will appear in [2].
Multi-camera Smart Surveillance System

This paper presents a multi-camera surveillance system that detects and tracks a moving object in indoor and out-door environments. Since each camera has specific field of view (FOV), the problem is how to keep track of the object when it is out of the FOV of a camera. The system uses landmarks to coordinate the tracking tasks among the cameras. In this work we proposed and developed an algorithm to switch from one camera to another, according to the current location of the object of interest. The algorithm attempts to switch to the nearest camera which can observe the object of interest. Experimental test results showed that the system can coordinate the camera activities and track objects of interest as they move in the monitored area.
A Low Cost AC Direct LED Driver with Reduced Flicker Using Triac

This paper presents a low-cost, AC-direct LED driver with enhanced flicker-reduction performance. The proposed flicker-removing scheme achieves valley fill by leveraging only a small amount of capacitance with the use of triac. Compared to earlier works, this method improves the percent flicker without requiring large capacitors which reduces the manufacturing cost and enhance the form factor and reliability of the final product. The cascaded LED string is divided into a few parts, with branch paths connected to current driver cells, to effectively control the number of LEDs turned on based on the rectified and valley-filled AC voltage. The driver cells are designed to configure their current levels and turn-on thresholds to meet various design requirements, such as percent flicker, power factor, and power efficiency. The prototype achieves less 28% flicker, and 72% power factor, while consuming 3.6W from an 110V AC supply.
Particle deformation and microstructure evolution during cold spray of individual Al-Cu alloy powder particles

Abstract This paper examines the single particle impact process for a series of Al-Cu alloy powder particles with 2–5 wt% copper, performed using a low-pressure cold spray system with helium as the carrier gas. The cold spray deposition process is fundamentally controlled by the deformation processes, which occur during single particle impacts. Single particle depositions on steel substrates were produced for each composition over a range of gas temperatures (225–325 °C). Cross sections from single, impacted particles were produced using focused ion beam methods. The deformation microstructure in individual cold sprayed particles was studied using precession electron diffraction (PED) and transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) techniques. For Al-Cu alloy particles, the amount of deformation estimated using a compression ratio did not show a significant difference with varying copper alloy additions. The single particles experienced large deformation upon impact, and ultrafine grains were formed at the particle/substrate interface via dynamic recrystallization. The particles were bonded to the steel substrate via a thin amorphous layer at the interface.
Solutions to problems from volume 1

We briefly describe, or give reference, to solutions of some of the problems left open in the first volume [1].
Genetic Factors in Neuroimmune Diseases

Neuroimmune diseases consist of a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders characterized by aberrant immune responses against either the central or the peripheral nervous system. Unlike monogenic diseases, neuroimmune disorders do not follow Mendelian patterns of inheritance, and their genetic basis has been elusive for decades. It has been only recently that novel methodologies of analysis, such as the genome-wide association study (GWAS) paradigm, have provided the tools for deciphering the complex genetic architecture proper of these disorders. Indeed, immunogenetic and epidemiological data suggest a polygenic model of inheritance in which the interplay between multiple genetic and environmental factors is crucial for disease risk. Among the different genetic determinants, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus accounts for the highest component of genetic risk for the vast majority of neuroimmune disorders, suggesting that dysfunctions in the antigen presentation process likely play a pivotal role in their pathophysiology. However, further studies will be necessary to fully describe the multifactorial nature of such complex diseases and discover all the molecular pathways associated with the different risk variants.
Can Thyroid Hormone Strengthen the Diaphragm in Nonthyroidal Illness

A significant number of critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation have diaphragmatic dysfunction, defined as impaired force generation, with some patients developing it within 24 h after intubation.[1][1] Diaphragm dysfunction is associated not only with difficulty in liberation from
Single cell analysis of human lung development: knowing what mesenchymal cells are and what they may be.

Single cell sequencing has identified new mesenchymal lineage markers in early human development, allowing for the more precise identification and characterisation of mesenchymal subpopulations in lung development and diseasehttp://bit.ly/2NpX6UY
Outcomes of Clostridioides difficile Infection in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis: A Nationwide Study.

Background Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a major health problem that has been on the rise for the last couple of decades. It has significant mortality and morbidity in hospitalized patients. We looked at the outcomes of CDI in patients with liver cirrhosis compared to those without liver cirrhosis. Methods We conducted a retrospective study from a large inpatient database. The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried for CDI admissions between January 2012 and September 2015. Patients admitted with CDI were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. The outcomes included overall mortality, length of hospitalization, and healthcare expenditure related to hospitalization. Results Out of all patients, 53,765 (3.97%) had concurrent CDI and liver cirrhosis. Diabetes mellitus, alcohol abuse, and acquired immunodeficiency were observed more in patients with liver cirrhosis. Overall mortality (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.53 - 1.77, P < 0.001), cost of hospitalization and length of hospital stay (11.0 vs. 10.4 days, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis. Conclusions Patients with CDI and liver cirrhosis have significantly higher mortality, prolonged hospitalization and healthcare expenditure. Further studies are recommended to look at reversible risk factors for CDI in patients with liver cirrhosis to guide quality measures that would ultimately improve outcomes.
〈c+a〉 dislocations in {101¯2} twins in Mg: A kinematic and energetic requirement

Abstract Consideration of published TEM and molecular dynamics studies of interactions between matrix dislocations and { 10 1 ¯ 2 } twin boundaries (TB) in hexagonal close packed metals inspires a hypothesis regarding the formation of dislocations with Burgers vectors inside the twins. It was previously reported that when basal dislocations from the matrix are swept by an advancing TB, they are converted into partial dislocations bounding basal I1 stacking faults (SFs) within the twin. In the present work, we show that this dislocation configuration near TB renders it energetically favorable for a pair of partial dislocations to constrict into a dislocation within the twin. New in situ TEM observations confirm this hypothesis by revealing long dislocation dipoles terminated by the TB at one end and by I1 SFs within the twin at the other end. Finally, the resulting near-screw dislocation dipoles are observed to be glissile, enabling self-annihilation in some circumstances. Thus, rather than requiring a high energy dislocation pile-up to press two dislocations through a TB into a single dislocation, it is demonstrated that dislocations naturally form, within { 10 1 ¯ 2 } twins in Mg, as TB migrates into a matrix, which inevitably contains dislocations with Burgers vectors. These observations help to explain how the twins themselves may subsequently deform and why they may be particularly vulnerable to plastic, shear localization.
Patterns of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow as a Function of Obesity in Adults.

BACKGROUND While obesity has been shown to be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, the potential mechanisms underlying this risk may be clarified with better understanding of underlying physiology in obese persons. OBJECTIVE To identify patterns of cerebral perfusion abnormality in adults as a function of body mass index (BMI) defined weight categories, including overweight or obese status. METHODS A large psychiatric cohort of 35,442 brain scans across 17,721 adults (mean age 40.8±16.2 years, range 18-94 years) were imaged with SPECT during baseline and concentration scans, the latter done after each participant completed the Connors Continuous Performance Test II. ANOVA was done to identify patterns of perfusion abnormality in this cohort across BMI designations of underweight (BMI < 18.5), normal weight (BMI = 18.5 to 24.9), overweight (BMI 24.9 to 29.9), obesity (BMI≥30), and morbid obesity (BMI≥40). This analysis was done for 128 brain regions quantifying SPECT perfusion using the automated anatomical labeling (AAL) atlas. RESULTS Across adulthood, higher BMI correlated with decreased perfusion on both resting and concentration brain SPECT scans. These are seen in virtually all brain regions, including those influenced by AD pathology such as the hippocampus. CONCLUSION Greater BMI is associated with cerebral perfusion decreases in both resting and concentration SPECT scans across adulthood.
Bariatric Surgery In Advanced Heart Failure Patients As A Bridge To Advanced Therapies (b2b)

Introduction Obesity poses significant challenges in advanced heart failure patients who otherwise meet criteria for either left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) or heart transplant (HT). Current guidelines suggest body mass index (BMI) cutoff for HT of Methods A retrospective single center analysis of patients in the dedicated Obesity Clinic at University Hospitals were examined, identifying patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) Results Between 2010 and 2019, there were 191 patients with history of obesity (BMI > 35kg/m2) and heart failure who were referred to the Obesity Clinic for bariatric surgery as demonstrated in Figure 1. Of this group, 58 (30%) of patients had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, in which 22 (38%) went directly to bariatric surgery, 8 (14%) recovered their LVEF prior to gastric surgery, 19 (33%) were pending gastric surgery, and 9 (16%) developed advanced heart failure requiring implantation of an LVAD as B2B. Of the LVAD group, 5 patients underwent bariatric surgery and successfully met the goal of desired BMI for HT listing. All 5 patients were listed for HT, with 3 proceeding successfully to HT and 2 awaiting offers. Compared to morbidly obese patients who proceeded directly to gastric bypass surgery, those who underwent B2B had a lower BMI (51.67 ± 11.39 vs 41.9 ± 4.45 kg/m2; p = 0.00163), lower LVEF (32.16 ± 6.83 vs 18.06 ± 7.68%, p Conclusions B2B offers a successful pathway for obese patients to undergo HT.
In vitro Elution of Penicillin, Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Tulathromycin, and Florfenicol From Plaster of Paris Beads.

The objectives of this study were to report a recipe for making antibiotic impregnated Plaster of Paris (AI-PoP) beads using penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, tulathromycin, and florfenicol and to determine the in vitro elution rates of those antibiotics in the beads. The AI-PoP beads were made using Plaster of Paris powder, antibiotic, and water, cured for 24 hours, sterilized by ethylene oxide, and stored up to 5 months before testing. For each antibiotic, twenty beads were combined with bovine serum in sterile tubes and incubated at 37° C on a rocker. Serum was replaced at intervals over the 14 day study period, and antibiotic concentrations were determined by high pressure liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Separately, in a proof-of-concept study, the growth of E. coli and T. pyogenes in eluent from 10 beads for each antibiotic was quantified by flow cytometry. Antibiotic was detected in AI-PoP bead eluent for 14 days for all but the ampicillin beads, for which antibiotic was detected for 8 days. The concentration of antibiotic in eluent was greater than the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tested bacteria for the entire study period for penicillin, tetracycline, tulathromycin, and florfenicol. The concentration of ampicillin remained greater than the MIC of E. coli for 4 days and T. pyogenes for 6 days. The colony forming units (CFU)/ml of live E. coli and T. pyogenes was reduced over a 72-hour period by 1-3 log10 CFU, with the exception of tetracycline, which reduced CFU/ml of T. pyogenes by less than log10 CFU. AI-PoP beads containing penicillin, tetracycline, tulathromycin, and florfenicol elute antibiotic well above the MIC of selected isolates for the two week study period. These antibiotics show promise for delivery in joint and wound infections.
The Benefits and Liabilities of Risk-Taking Propensity and Confidence at the U.S. Military Academy:

The military environment presents an intersection between a setting featuring unavoidable risk and individual risk-taking propensity; prior work suggests risk-takers have positive and negative outc...
Reducing Second-Hand Smoke Exposure for Infants in the NICU/Nursery

BACKGROUND: Despite efforts to reduce smoking, 40.6% of children in the U.S. are exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS). The postpartum hospital stay is an ideal time to support families at risk for smoke exposure, since 50-80% of mothers who stop smoking during pregnancy relapse after childbirth. At Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFGH), there is no established process for screening infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and Nursery for SHS exposure. Standardizing infant screening protocols and improving rates of smoking cessation interventions may reduce the number of newborns impacted by second- and third-hand smoke. PURPOSE: This study aims to: 1) Determine the …
Evolutionary Biology and Evolutionary Economics

The paper identifies two major conceptual challenges facing evolutionary economics and shows how they parallel similar challenges facing evolutionary and developmental biology. One issue is the differentiation between learning-by-doing, on one hand, and habit formation, on the other. Another issue is the distinction between the cause or origin of evolutionary mutation/innovation, on one side, and the relevant unit which is the subject of evolutionary change, on the other. The failure to identify these two sets of distinction may hinder the articulation of an apropos evolutionary economic theory.
The Schema Theorem and Price's Theorem

Abstract Holland's Schema Theorem is widely taken to be the foundation for explanations of the power of genetic algorithms (GAs). Yet some dissent has been expressed as to its implications. Here, dissenting arguments are reviewed and elaborated upon, explaining why the Schema Theorem has no implications for how well a GA is performing. Interpretations of the Schema Theorem have implicitly assumed that a correlation exists between parent and offspring fitnesses, and this assumption is made explicit in results based on Price's Covariance and Selection Theorem. Schemata do not play a part in the performance theorems derived for representations and operators in general. However, schemata re-emerge when recombination operators are used. Using Geiringer's recombination distribution representation of recombination operators, a “missing” schema theorem is derived which makes explicit the intuition for when a GA should perform well. Finally, the method of “adaptive landscape” analysis is examined and counterexamples offered to the commonly used correlation statistic. Instead, an alternative statistic — the transmission function in the fitness domain — is proposed as the optimal statistic for estimating GA performance from limited samples.
Domain size of dynamic heterogeneities in antiplasticized polycarbonate by proton spin diffusion

Proton spin diffusion measurements were made using the Goldman—Shen technique of bisphenol-A polycarbonate containing 10 wt% trioctyl phosphate at temperatures below the glass transition temperature. The proton lineshapes reveal the existence of dynamic heterogeneities in the glass and spin diffusion can be observed from the more mobile to the less mobile domain. The time-scale for spin diffusion is 4–10 ms and the mobile domain size is estimated at 11 A at 339 K. This estimate is consistent with a mobile domain of approximately two diluent molecules and 11 polymer repeat units. This grouping can be compared with the results of a statistical lattice model used to estimate local environments at this composition.
The Approach to Equilibrium: Scaling, Universality and the Renormalisation Group

Evidence is accumulating that the long-time behaviour of certain non-equilibrium systems shows scaling behaviour. This assertion is demonstrated in the cases of spinodal decomposition, block copolymer phase separation, crystal growth, and a particular diffusion process which can occur in porous media. These, and hopefully other non-equilibrium problems may be studied by computationally efficient numerical methods, which are based not upon discretising partial differential equations, but upon a coarse-grained description of the dynamics.
Natural Language Processing Method Accurately Classifies and Extracts Unstructed Data from Stroke Admission and Progress Notes (P4.288)

OBJECTIVE: Develop and test natural language processing tools for the evaluation and automated processing of electronic medical records for patients presenting with acute infarcts BACKGROUND: With the advent of electronic medical records, there is a rapidly developing potential for data mining for patient care, clinical research and quality measures. At this point, the sophistication of available tools for analyzing non-discretized data from natural language text in patient records remains limited. DESIGN/METHODS: A set of processing tools was developed using the Java 6.0/Eclipse 4.2.2 development package. 30 de-identified stroke patient notes were used to validate and refine an automated analysis model. First, typical note sections were a priori defined in terms of anticipated spatial location, frequency, line length, accompanying white space, and 50 keywords and phrases, thus generating a vector description of each section definition. Each H&P note was segmented into nine sections on the basis of angular agreement between the section definition and each match within the training set. The section definitions were refined using a Bayesian approach to adjust each value to improve agreement between the definition and correct section. 1000 patients’ admission, progress and discharge notes from the MIMIC II ICU dataset (32,000 total patient electronic records from 2001-2008 from Beth Israel Hospital) were processed using the following pipeline: The notes were divided into sections on the basis of the note section definitions created and refined using the training dataset. Text within each section was tokenized, and the average degree of distance was calculated for each section between the tokens in each section and the average number of tokens in each section for the training dataset. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Notes associated with stroke-related ICD9 codes has a closer association with the the training data as compared to notes that did not have a stroke associated ICD9 code (36.5 linear degrees of agreement versus 40.5 degrees). This method allowed for greater than 80% identification of patients with stroke related conditions. Disclosure: Dr. Franc has nothing to disclose.
The media festival volunteer: Connecting online and on-ground fan labor

In this initial attempt to bring volunteering, or what we call on-ground fan labor, into the ongoing discussion of fan productivity, we examine volunteer motivations as elicited through interview and participant observation data collected at a 2012 genre film festival, Fantastic Fest, held in Austin, Texas. This case study is a first step toward integrating the volunteer and fan labor literatures and interrogating the role of social capital and civic engagement in volunteerism. We conclude that the media festival (a term intended to encompass such sites as film festivals and fan conventions) is a site of particular and emergent importance for those studying the audience's increasing delivery of free labor.
Mid-IR type-II quantum well lasers with improved temperature characteristics

Summary form only given. Here we report record characteristic temperature from an experimental characterisation of type II InAs-GaInSb-InAs-AlSb with four constituents in each period. The structure was designed to maximize the wavefunction overlap while constraining both elections and holes to have a 2D density of states.
Growth of Bacteriophage H on Male and Female Strains of Escherichia coli

Phage H propagated on Yersinia pestis was reported by Molnar and Lawton to be rapidly adsorbed to female but not to male strains of Escherichia coli. In contrast, we find phage H adsorbs to all E. coli strains tested (both male and female) and forms plaques on a wide variety of male strains. Phage H appears to be related to the T3-T7 group of coliphages.
Development of surface micromachinable capacitive accelerometer using fringe electrical field

This paper demonstrates a new type accelerometer, which consists of a dielectric seismic mass and comb-shaped planar capacitor underneath it. The simple structure of the device allows using polymer Parylene as the proof mass, so the technology is greatly simplified and only surface micromachining is required. Measuring principle is detecting capacitance change according to the dielectric mass movement in the fringe electrical field. This principle is verified by FEM simulation. Prototype accelerometers are fabricated and calibrated with the aid of off-chip capacitive readout IC.
Media for the enhancement of fluorescent pigment production by Pseudomonas species

By a simple modification, common commercial dehydrated laboratory media can be used for the evaluation of fluorescent pigment excretion by Pseudomonas species. The addition of sufficient sterile egg white or of the iron-binding egg white protein, conalbumin, to bind all the iron in these media converted them to efficient diagnostic media. The amount of egg white found to be satisfactory was 10% of the final medium volume. Its conalbumin equivalent was 1.7 mg of conalbumin per ml of final medium. Such modified media are at least the equivalent of the medium recommended for the evaluation of this important characteristic.
A Synoptic and Statistical Description of the Gulf Stream and Subtropical Gyre Using SOFAR Floats

Abstract Trajectories of 17 SOFAR floats ballasted to nominal depth of 700 and 2000 m and tracked for 15 months have been analyzed to produce synoptic and statistical descriptions of the Gulf Stream and subtropical gyre. SOFAR floats launched in and near the Gulf Stream along with positions of the surface Gulf Stream and satellite tracked buoys demonstrate strong baroclinic shear. Nevertheless, the horizontal patterns of the Gulf Stream meanders and Gulf Stream rings are the same at the surface and at 700 and 2000 m depth. Above the thermocline, particle speeds greater than the propagation speed of the meanders cause parcels of water to move with the flow pattern. At greater depths, the velocities are at most equal to the propagation speed and the deep trajectories are free to pass through the Gulf Stream or ring. Strong temporal variability is found near the tail of the Grand Banks. Instances of flow both southward into a narrow Gulf Stream recirculation and northward into the North Atlantic Current can ...
Withdrawal of Acetylcholine Elicits Ca2+-Induced Delayed Afterdepolarizations in Cat Atrial Myocytes

Background Recent experiments in atrial myocytes indicate that withdrawal of cholinergic agonist can directly increase Ca2+ influx via L-type Ca2+ current and stimulate Ca2+ uptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), thereby increasing intracellular Ca2+. Overload of cellular Ca2+ within the SR can initiate various types of atrial dysrhythmias. The present study was designed to determine whether withdrawal of acetylcholine (ACh) can elicit Ca2+-induced delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) in atrial myocytes. Methods and Results A nystatin perforated-patch whole-cell method and fluorescence microscopy (indo 1) were used to measure electrical activities and intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), respectively. Withdrawal of ACh (1 μmol/L) increased action potential duration, shifted plateau voltage toward positive, and generated DADs that initiated spontaneous action potentials. Voltage-clamp analysis revealed that withdrawal of ACh elicited a rebound stimulation of L-type Ca2+ current (ICa,L) (+45%) and Na/Ca ...
Expressed emotion. Trait or state

BACKGROUND This exploratory study addresses the question of whether expressed emotion (EE) is a response characteristic of the parent (trait) or a parental response to specific circumstances or persons (state). METHOD Seventeen parents participated in two audiotaped interviews, using modified versions of the Camberwell Family Interview. One interview concerned the child with chronic schizophrenia and the other a well sibling. Subsequent ratings of the EE variables of critical comments (CC), emotional overinvolvement (EOI) and warmth were completed and compared. RESULTS EE response patterns directed towards patients, as compared with towards siblings, were significantly different on two measures: EOI (P = 0.01) and warmth (P = 0.02). The parents showed significantly more emotional overinvolvement with the child with schizophrenia and significantly more warmth towards the well child. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the EE variables of EOI and warmth are related to the state of child, and the lack of a significant difference in CC suggests that this is a parental trait.
Should biologic agents be stopped before surgery for inflammatory bowel disease

Despite the widespread use of anti-TNF agents for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the need for surgical intervention remains high. As a result, many IBD patients undergoing surgery have recently been exposed to biologic agents. There is considerable controversy regarding the potential adverse effects of biologic agents on surgical outcomes in IBD patients undergoing major colorectal surgery with studies showing conflicting results. There appears to be discordance in the systemic bioavailability of anti-TNF-α in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) versus ulcerative colitis, with greater systemic absorption in CD. In patients with CD, preoperative serum anti-TNF-α levels may help guide timing of surgery as patients with elevated serum anti-TNF-α levels appear to be at higher risk for complications. In patients with ulcerative colitis there is likely no need for stopping biologic agents before surgery as there is poor systemic bioavailability of the drug in a majority of patients.
Tetracycline inhibition of Mycoplasma ribosomal protein synthesis.

Polyuridylic acid directed protein synthesis by ribosomes from tetracyclinesensitive and tetracycline-resistant cells of Mycoplasma laidlawii B was found to be sensitive to tetracycline. The ribosomal preparations were somewhat more sensitive to tetracycline than mixtures of ribosomes and cell membrane fragments. No requirement for an exogenous m-RNA could be demonstrated with the latter preparations.
Saturated Absorption Spectroscopy in Acetylene Filled Photonic Bandgap Fibers

Saturated absorption spectroscopy in acetylene filled photonic bandgap (PBG) fibers is investigated. Pressure and optical power are optimized to narrow the line width to allow this signal to be used as an optical reference.
Pion electroproduction from the nucleon near threshold

We investigate the dependence on production amplitude of the low energy scattering cross section for positive pion electroproduction from the nucleon. Calculations based on the threshold approximation to the full amplitudes of Dombey and Read are illustrated and compared to results for the full amplitudes. Inclusion of the momentum-dependent terms yields differential cross sections in the near-threshold region differing from those given by the threshold approximation by no more than 15% at any angle.