cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in biomechanics of brain injury research: A review

Biomechanics of cerebral trauma attempts to delineate the dynamic response of the cranial vault contents to a direct or indirect impact to the head. Consequently, brain injury mechanisms and associated tolerance to impact can be deduced by establishing a relationship between neurological deficit and mechanical dosage. The resulting information is invaluable to brain injury prevention and diagnosis. This paper presents an overview of our recent research on head injury focusing on establishing brain injury biomechanics by developing a comprehensive and validated mathematical model. To achieve our goal, we developed a comprehensive three-dimensional finite element human head model, finite element porcine head models, and sensors to monitor head kinematics and brain strains by neutral density accelerometers. The information obtained from this research thus far provided a predictive and somewhat validated mathematical model of the head, which clearly shows a correspondence between brain mechanical response and experimentally observed injuries.
Management of neovascular glaucoma

NV: NeovasculationThe eye had 2203 argon laser burns, starting 71 days after onset of ischemic central retinal vein occlusion.(A) Prepanretinal photocoagulation visual field had almost normal perip...
Identification and rejection of fake reconstructed jets from a fluctuating heavy ion background in ATLAS

Full jet reconstruction in relativistic heavy ion collisions provides new and unique insights to the physics of parton energy loss. Because of the large underlying event multiplicity in A+A collisions, random and correlated fluctuations in the background can result in the reconstruction of fake jets. These fake jets must be identified and rejected to obtain the purest jet sample possible. A large but reducible fake rate of jets reconstructed using an iterative cone algorithm on HIJING events is observed. The absolute rate of fake jets exceeds the binary-scaled p+p jet rate below 50 GeV and is not negligible until 100 GeV. The variable ΣjT, the sum of the jet constituent’s ET perpendicular to the jet axis, is introduced to identify and reject fake jets at by a factor of 100 making it negligible. This variable is shown to not strongly depend on jet energy profiles modified by energy loss. By studying azimuthal correlations of reconstructed di-jets, the fake jet rate can be evaluated in data.
Values and virtues: how should they be taught?

Courses in medical ethics, bioethics, and other humanities subjects flourish in professional schools, yet a tension exists about whether their teaching goals should include trying to make students more humane and virtuous. Some hold that these courses should help instill values and virtues professed
High-fill-factor, tip-tilt-piston micromirror array with hidden bimorph actuators and surface mounting capability

This paper presents the design, fabrication method and experimental results of electrothermal bimorph-actuated micromirror arrays with tip-tilt-piston capability, hidden actuators, and 88% area fill factor.
The evolution of cooperation through imitation

We study evolutionarily stable outcomes for a class of games that admit cooperation and conflict as possible Nash equilibria. We make use of two ideas: existing strategies are more likely to be imitated than new strategies are to be introduced; players are able to identify opponents' behavior prior to interaction. The long-run evolutionary limit is efficient for the case of perfect recognition of opponents' behavior. For the case of imperfect recognition, efficiency is not achieved and long-run outcomes are more efficient the more accurate is the information. Strategies that emerge in the long-run are those where players reward opponents who are likely to play the same way, and punish opponents who are likely to play differently.
Leni y Frida: dos aventuras con el totalitarismo

This article presents the contemporary reception of both artists, generally imposed by the mass culture, posing a question on the endurance of memory and uneven trails of the history tracking Frida Kahlo – an acclaimed Mexican paintress recognized as an international sensation in the worlds of modern art and radical politics, whose fame constantly grows reaching even top Hollywood productions. Leni Riefenstahl – a German actress and filmmaker, creator of a new film genre of documentary propaganda, a classic of her own style unrivalled to this day, practically turned away from filmmaking, forgotten and hushed up. Both artists lived in times when the most cruel and genocidal systems in mankind’s history, Soviet Communism and Nazism, emerged, developed and flourished. Both of them developed a personal position towards the systems and towards the men who embodied them: Riefenstahl refuted any close personal relations with Nazi worthies, most of all with Adolf Hitler; Kahlo developed a passionate affair with one of the top ideologists and animators of the Bolshevik coup and leaders of the Soviet state, Leo Trotsky.
Protein kinase Gin4 negatively regulates flippase function and controls plasma membrane asymmetry

Plasma membrane function requires distinct leaflet lipid compositions. Two of the P-type ATPases (flippases) in yeast, Dnf1 and Dnf2, translocate aminoglycerophospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet, stimulated via phosphorylation by cortically localized protein kinase Fpk1. By monitoring Fpk1 activity in vivo, we found that Fpk1 was hyperactive in cells lacking Gin4, a protein kinase previously implicated in septin collar assembly. Gin4 colocalized with Fpk1 at the cortical site of future bud emergence and phosphorylated Fpk1 at multiple sites, which we mapped. As judged by biochemical and phenotypic criteria, a mutant (Fpk111A), in which 11 sites were mutated to Ala, was hyperactive, causing increased inward transport of phosphatidylethanolamine. Thus, Gin4 is a negative regulator of Fpk1 and therefore an indirect negative regulator of flippase function. Moreover, we found that decreasing flippase function rescued the growth deficiency of four different cytokinesis mutants, which suggests that the primary function of Gin4 is highly localized control of membrane lipid asymmetry and is necessary for optimal cytokinesis.
Single-point collocation solution for reactions of solid particles with Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics

On montre que le concept de collocation en un seul point, qui a ete largement utilise dans les reactions catalytiques, peut etre etendu aux problemes transitoires des reactions des particules solides
A novel graduate program in Healthcare Technologies Management

Many employment opportunities for biomedical engineers involve the management of healthcare technologies, new engineering graduates and employed engineers typically lack training in business, management, and regulatory issues, and may be unfamiliar with the economic and regulatory environments of healthcare delivery. The Healthcare Technologies Management Program at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin was designed to meet the unique educational needs of biomedical engineers working in clinical, industrial, and consulting environments.
Dynamics of supercooled liquids and understanding the glass transition

The self-consistent mode coupling theory of glass transition is briefly reviewed. The existance of a temperature Tc, higher than the usual calorimetric glass transition temperature, across which the dynamics of the fluid becomes quite different are indicated through different experimental results. Above Tc the viscosity tends to diverge with a power law while for lower temperature this sharp transition is cutoff. Such changes in the transport properties can be understood from the self-consistent mode coupling theory. The relaxation functions predicted by the mode-coupling theory over different time scales are indicated. The models with proper wave-vector dependence are also discussed.
NFAT-dependent excitation-transcription coupling in heart.

See related article, pages 733–742 Two articles from the laboratory of Stanley Nattel,1,2 one article in this issue of Circulation Research and an article in an upcoming issue of the journal, address an important, long-standing question in cardiac physiology: what are the molecular mechanisms underlying rate-dependent changes in the function of voltage-gated K+ and L-type Ca2+ channels in ventricular and atrial myocytes? Through a series of elegant experiments, they provide an interesting and unexpected answer to this difficult conundrum. In many ways, these 2 studies are excellent examples of how implementation of the problem-solving approach of Prof George Polya3 remains an invaluable tool to resolve complex problems in biology. Accordingly, I use a “Polyaesque” framework below to illustrate the importance and broad implications of the work by Xiao et al1 and Qi et al.2 Multiples studies indicate that chronic increases in heart rate are associated with changes in the waveform of the action potential (AP) of atrial and ventricular myocytes. In atria, sustained, high-frequency electric activation rates are associated with shortening of the AP of atrial myocytes.4,5 This results in a decrease in the refractory period of the AP of atrial myocytes, which could increase the probability of atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Interestingly, a decrease in depolarizing L-type Ca2+ channel current ( I Ca) function has been linked to decreased atrial AP duration during tachycardia.6,7 Downregulation of the transcript and protein levels of the pore-forming α subunit of L-type Ca2+ channels (Cav1.2) underlie decreased I Ca function during atrial tachycardia and fibrillation. Like atrial myocytes, long-term tachycardia could also alter the waveform of the AP …
4.4 Different phenotype of anaemia in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (s-JIA) compared to anaemia in other subtypes of JIA

Background In previous studies of PBMC gene expression in s-JIA we noted a strong erythropoiesis signature in patients with severe anaemia, correlating with an expansion of CD34+ progenitor cells [1]. Therefore, the origin of anaemia in sJIA may be different from anaemia of chronic inflammation. We examined CD34+ progenitor cells and PBMC gene expression in patients with s-JIA and other types of JIA.
Q disease on 350-MHz spoke cavities

Q disease, i.e., an increase of RF surface resistance due to hydride precipitation, has been investigated with 350-MHz spoke cavities. This phenomenon was studied extensively in the early 1990s with cavities at frequencies >1 GHz. This is possibly due to the fact that the lower-frequency cavities were believed to show insignificant effect. However, early 500-MHz KEK elliptical cavities and JAERI 130-MHz quarter wave resonators have shown significant Q degradation, suggesting that this disease can be a serious problem with lower-frequency cavities as well. Since there were no quantitative data with 350-MHz cavities, we decided to measure our two spoke cavities. Our spoke cavities were made of RRR/spl sim/250 niobium and were chemically polished /spl sim/150 microns. A few series of systematic tests have shown that our spoke cavities do not show any Q/sub 0/ degradation after up to /spl sim/24 hours of holding the cavity at 100 K. However, it starts showing degradation if it is held for a longer time and the additional loss due to the Q disease increases linearly. It was also found that our spoke cavity recovers from Q disease if it is warmed up to 150 K or higher for 12 hours.
Identifying symptom clusters during the menopausal transition: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study

AbstractObjectives First, to explore the variability in how symptoms clustered together over the late reproductive stage, early and late menopausal transition (MT) stages, and early postmenopause; second, to determine whether the symptom factor structure of the preceding MT stage would predict the symptom factor structure of the MT stage immediately following.Methods The sample consisted of a subset of Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study participants who were in late reproductive or early or late menopausal transition stages or early postmenopause and provided self-reported data on symptoms experienced between 1990 and 2005. Principal components analysis was used to determine how symptoms clustered together across the stages. Variables predicting the symptom factor structure were analyzed by multiple regression.Results Principal components analysis with varimax rotation revealed different factor structures for each of the four stages. The three-factor solution in the late reproductive stage explained a t...
Glenohumeral kinematics and capsulo-ligamentous strain resulting from laxity exams

Abstract Objective. Identification and quantification of strain in shoulder capsular-ligamentous structures during clinical exams and validation of this testing on cadavers. Methods . Mercury strain gauges were sutured in seven locations on shoulders from cadavers. An electromagnetic tracker quantified humeral head translations during laxity exams. Strain and humeral position were acquired during performance of Sulcus, Feagin, Apprehension, Load and Shift, Drawer, and Hawkins tests. Results . Anterior humeral head translation in neutral position was primarily constrained by the coracohumeral ligament. With the arm abducted, anterior middle and inferior ligaments also became active. External rotation and abduction activated inferior and middle capsules. Posterior capsule constrained motion for posterior tests in neutral and abduction. Superior and inferior capsular ligaments were active during inferior tests in neutral position. With abduction, inferior ligaments provided primary translation constraint. Conclusion . Study of kinematics and strain evaluation on cadavers can yield useful information on mechanisms of glenohumeral instability. Relevance This study clarifies the contribution of specific structures of the shoulder to strain in the joint capsule. It also identifies which structures are challenged by provocative laxity exams commonly used by orthopaedic physicians.
Hall effect anomaly and low-temperature metamagnetism in the Kondo compound CeAgBi2

Heavy fermion (HF) materials exhibit a rich array of phenomena due to the strong Kondo coupling between their localized moments and itinerant electrons. A central question in their study is to understand the interplay between magnetic order and charge transport, and its role in stabilizing new quantum phases of matter. Particularly promising in this regard is a family of tetragonal intermetallic compounds $\mathrm{Ce}T{X}_{2}$ (where $T$ denotes transition metal and $X$ denotes pnictogen), which includes a variety of HF compounds showing $T$-linear electronic specific heat ${\mathbf{C}}_{e}\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{\gamma}T$, with $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\sim}20--500\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mJ}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{mol}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{K}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, reflecting an effective-mass enhancement ranging from small to modest. Here, we study the low-temperature field-tuned phase diagram of high-quality ${\mathrm{CeAgBi}}_{2}$ using magnetometry and transport measurements. We find an antiferromagnetic transition at ${T}_{N}=6.4\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ with weak magnetic anisotropy and the easy axis along the $c$ axis, similar to previous reports $({T}_{N}=6.1\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K})$. This scenario, along with the presence of two anisotropic Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interactions, leads to a rich field-tuned magnetic phase diagram, consisting of five metamagnetic transitions of both first and second order. In addition, we unveil an anomalous Hall contribution for fields $Hl54\phantom{\rule{4.pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{kOe}$, which is drastically altered when $H$ is tuned through a trio of transitions at 57, 78, and 84 kOe, suggesting that the Fermi surface is reconstructed in a subset of the metamagnetic transitions.
EMTALA Turns 30: Unconstitutional from Birth

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (“EMTALA”) requires every Medicare-contracting hospital with an emergency department (“ED”) to screen and stabilize anyone with an emergency condition, regardless of ability to pay. Enacted in 1986, EMTALA vastly expanded Medicare’s initial focus on elderly and disabled beneficiaries and imposed enormous financial liabilities. Neither the Supreme Court nor any Circuits have addressed EMTALA’s constitutionality.This Article proposes that EMTALA violates the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause. First, it imposes a host of individual takings as the government forces one private party — the hospital — to transfer personal property to another private party — the patient. Here, violations depend on whether the hospital is justly compensated.Second, EMTALA as a whole is an “unconstitutional condition” imposed on hospitals’ participation in Medicare. Although the government can properly attach “strings” to ensure public funds are spent as Congress intended, the government cannot with impunity require persons to waive fundamental constitutional rights as a condition for receiving a government benefit. This Article shows that, as EMTALA forces hospitals to abdicate their Fifth Amendment right against uncompensated takings, it exceeds the Supreme Court’s boundaries on federal spending.In the final analysis, EMTALA’s mandate that hospitals care for emergency patients should remain, but hospitals must be justly compensated.
DISPERSAL AND PLANT MATING SYSTEMS: THE EVOLUTION OF SELF-FERTILIZATION IN SUBDIVIDED POPULATIONS.

Intermediate rates of self-fertilization can be evolutionarily stable when the progeny of self-fertilization events are less successful migrants than those of outcrossing events, unless self-fertilization reduces an individual's contribution to the pollen pool by an amount equal to the rate at which it self-fertilizes. This result holds regardless of whether pollen or diaspores are more widely dispersed. The differential migration of selfed and outcrossed progeny may be a result of differential establishment with comparable rates of dispersal, or it may be a result of differential dispersal rates. In the first case, detailed predictions concerning the evolutionarily stable selfing rate can be made. In the second case, only qualitative predictions are possible in the absence of specific assumptions about how the migration rate is affected by the average selfing rate in each subpopulation.
Estimation of plasma half-lives of vasopressin analogs from vasopressor responses by curve-fitting.

SummaryVasopressor responses by rats to graded doses of AVP, dAVP, and AVT were analyzed in an attempt to find a method for estimating plasma half-life from responses. The resulting “curve-fit” method indicated half-lives of 2.6 ± 0.3, 4.0 ± 0.3, and 9.2 ± 1.4 min for AVP, AVT, and dAVP, respectively, after single intravenous injections. The half-lives of two peptides can be compared in one rat the “curve-fit” method. This method can also provide useful information concerning the relative contributions of the plasma half-life, the log dose-response relationship, and other factors, to the duration of the response.
Interorganizational Relationship:Interface Rules and Governance Mechanism

The author thinks that the interface rule is the underlying rule of the interorgnazational relationship and provides a framework for analyzing it.He grasps the critical elements of the rule,and points out the path-depending nature of its formation and evolution.He argues about the properties of the governance mechanism for the interorgnazational relationship,emphasizing that the interorgnazational collaboration and governance are much important than the internal ones.
Large-scale seismic waveform quality metric calculation using Hadoop

In this work we investigated the suitability of Hadoop MapReduce and Apache Spark for large-scale computation of seismic waveform quality metrics by comparing their performance with that of a traditional distributed implementation. The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Management Center (DMC) provided 43 terabytes of broadband waveform data of which 5.1TB of data were processed with the traditional architecture, and the full 43TB were processed using MapReduce and Spark. Maximum performance of ~0.56 terabytes per hour was achieved using all 5 nodes of the traditional implementation. We noted that I/O dominated processing, and that I/O performance was deteriorating with the addition of the 5th node. Data collected from this experiment provided the baseline against which the Hadoop results were compared. Next, we processed the full 43TB dataset using both MapReduce and Apache Spark on our 18-node Hadoop cluster. These experiments were conducted multiple times with various subsets of the data so that we could build models to predict performance as a function of dataset size. We found that both MapReduce and Spark significantly outperformed the traditional reference implementation. At a dataset size of 5.1 terabytes, both Spark and MapReduce were about 15 times faster than the reference implementation. Furthermore, our performance models predict that for a dataset of 350 terabytes, Spark running on a 100-node cluster would be about 265 times faster than the reference implementation. We do not expect that the reference implementation deployed on a 100-node cluster would perform significantly better than on the 5-node cluster because the I/O performance cannot be made to scale. Finally, we note that although Big Data technologies clearly provide a way to process seismic waveform datasets in a high-performance and scalable manner, the technology is still rapidly changing, requires a high degree of investment in personnel, and will likely require significant changes in other parts of our infrastructure. Nevertheless, we anticipate that as the technology matures and third-party tool vendors make it easier to manage and operate clusters, Hadoop (or a successor) will play a large role in our seismic data processing. MapReduce and Spark are evaluated for calculating signal metrics at scale using a 43-terabyte dataset from the IRIS archive.We implemented a reference architecture with which we could compare the MapReduce and Spark solutions.Spark and MapReduce were 15 times faster than our reference architecture on a 5.1-terabyte dataset.Our model forecasts Apache Spark to be 256 times faster than our reference implementation on a 100-node cluster.Big Data technologies can be leveraged for I/O-intensive workloads like the generation of signal metrics.
Studies on the biochemical mode of action of a cytotoxic methylhydrazine derivative, N-isopropyl-alpha-(2-methylhydrazino)-p-toluamide.

N -Isopropyl-α-(2-methylhydrazino)- p -toluamide inhibited the incorporation of thymidine- 3 H, deoxycytidine- 3 H, formate- 14 C, adenine-8- 14 C, and 4-amino-5-imidazolecarboxamide-2- 14 C into DNA, and the utilization of orotic acid-6- 14 C and leucine-1- 14 C for the synthesis of RNA and protein, respectively, in L5178Y lymphoma cells. The site of the drug-induced blockade of the formation of DNA did not appear to reside at the level of thymidine kinase (ATP:thymidine 59-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.21), thymidine monophosphate kinase (ATP:thymidine monophosphate phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.4.9), or DNA nucleotidyltransferase (deoxynucleosidetriphosphate:DNA deoxynucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.7). Furthermore, treatment of cells with N -isopropyl-α-(2-methylhydrazino)- p -toluamide did not influence the rate of loss of thymine- 3 H from prelabeled DNA. Possible metabolic alterations which might explain the observed results are discussed. The inhibitions of the syntheses of nucleic acids and proteins that were measured were followed by a period during which most of the cell death occurred; this period corresponded with the development of a metabolic imbalance that was characterized by an accumulation of RNA and protein and an increase in cell volume.
Indications for the Use of Diuretics in Patients with Renal Impairment

Publisher Summary When discussing the indications for use of diuretics in patients with renal impairment, it is beneficial to remember that these drugs are composed of five groups with different mechanisms and sites of action that determine their desirability and usefulness. The osmotic diuretics act to limit water absorption in the proximal tubule, the loop of Henle, and the collecting tubule, and in so doing, produce a modest sodium diuresis. The carbonic anhydrase inhibitors act in the proximal convoluted tubule to inhibit bicarbonate absorption. The loop-acting diuretics, the most potent of the diuretics with the steepest dose–response relationship, inhibit sodium ion, potassium ion, chlorine ion, calcium ion, and magnesium ion absorption in the thick ascending limb. Finally, the potassium-sparing diuretics inhibit sodium absorption and potassium secretion in the initial and cortical collecting tubules, either by inhibiting aldosterone action or by directly blocking the apical sodium channel. This chapter provides a review of actions and appropriate indications for the use of diuretics in patients with renal impairment. Four types of renal impairment are dealt with, namely acute renal failure, chronic renal failure, renal transplantation, and renal tubular acidosis.
Simulation of Breast Anatomy: Bridging the Radiology-Pathology Scale Gap

We have developed an efficient simulation of breast anatomy over a range of spatial scales, covering tissue details seen in both radiology and pathology images. The simulation is based on recursive partitioning using octrees, and is performed in two stages. First, the macro- and meso-scale anatomical features are simulated: breast outline, skin, and the matrix of tissue compartments and subcompartments, outlined by Cooper's ligaments. These compartments are labeled as adipose or fibroglandular, according to the desired overall glandularity and the realistic distribution of dense tissue. Second, pathology images are generated to match selected region within the breast, by filling the region with simulated cells adipocytes, ductal epithelium and myoepithelium, lymphocytes, and fibroblasts and collagen fibers. Matched synthetic images can support discovery and virtual trials of image-based biomarkers for specific pathology findings. Our proof-of-concept is presented and further optimizations of the simulation discussed.
Chemistry in confined spaces: reactivity of the Zn-MOF-74 channels

Using infrared spectroscopy combined with ab initio methods we study reactions of H2O and CO inside the confined spaces of Zn-MOF-74 channels. Our results show that, once the water dissociation reaction H2O → OH + H takes place at the metal centers, the addition of 40 Torr of CO at 200 °C starts the production of formic acid via OH + H + CO → HCO2H. Our detailed analysis shows that the overall reaction H2O + CO → HCO2H takes place in the confinement of MOF-74 without an external catalyst, unlike the same reaction on flat surfaces. This discovery has several important consequences: it opens the door to a new set of catalytic reactions inside the channels of the MOF-74 system, it suggests that a recovery of the MOF's adsorption capacity is possible after it has been exposed to water (which in turn stabilizes its crystal structure), and it produces the important industrial feedstock formic acid.
Unique case of oligoastrocytoma with recurrence and grade progression: Exhibiting differential expression of high mobility group-A1 and human telomerase reverse transcriptase

Unique case of oligoastrocytoma with recurrence and grade progression: Exhibiting differential expression of high mobility group-A1 and human telomerase reverse transcriptase
A meta-analysis of intercropping in Africa: impacts on crop yield, farmer income, and integrated pest management effects

ABSTRACTPoverty and hunger in Africa are prevalent and will increase in absolute terms with population growth and continued land degradation. Therefore, there is a need for sustainable agricultural strategies, such as conservation agriculture (CA) and integrated pest management (IPM). Among CA practices, intercropping holds the promise of providing benefits to smallholders through increased crop yields and income as well as improved resource use. We review intercropping’s effects on crop yield, income, and output of IPM practices in Africa. On average, intercropping increases crop yields by 23% and gross income by 172 USD/ha, but effects vary significantly depending on management practices and agro-ecological factors. There was no evidence that yields and gross income for intercropping treatments increase when leguminous intercropping combinations, minimum/reduced tillage, pesticides, or fertilizers were utilized. Dual use of herbicides and intercropping practices garnered 1442 USD/ha more in gross income...
Time-kill determination of the bactericidal activity of telavancin and vancomycin against clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from cancer patients

The bactericidal activity of vancomycin and telavancin was compared against 4 clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates recently recovered from cancer patients, using minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC):MIC ratios and time-kill studies. All 4 isolates were susceptible to both agents based on individual MIC values. The 2 methodologies for assessing bactericidal activity produced variable results. Telavancin appeared to have somewhat better bactericidal activity than vancomycin based on narrower MBC:MIC ratios. However, based on the results of the time-kill studies, neither agent demonstrated reliable bactericidal activity (defined as a ≥3 log10 reduction of the starting inoculum at the end of 24hours) against these organisms. These findings might be of some therapeutic importance in certain clinical settings and/or specific patient populations (such as febrile neutropenic patients) in whom potent bactericidal activity is either desired or preferred.
Atlas BI-RADS ACR IRM 2013 : quels changements ?

Resume La nouvelle version de l’atlas Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) de l’American College of Radiology (ACR) a ete publiee aux Etats-Unis fin 2013 et comporte des modifications concernant la description morphologique des images IRM. Certains termes trop difficiles a utiliser ont ete supprimes. Des items ont ete ajoutes dans un souci d’uniformisation des termes radiologiques mammographiques, echographiques, IRM. Une classification des types de densite a ete introduite. On note aussi une volonte de simplification et de clarte. Enfin, la description morphologique et cinetique conduisant a la classification BI-RADS ACR (ACR 0 a ACR 6) est distincte des recommandations de prise en charge diagnostique.
In pursuit of a well-balanced network of cities and towns: A case study of the Changjiang Delta Region in China:

Development of urban networks of cities and towns has received attention including discussions of tensions between population concentrations and overlaps with environmentally sensitive and disaster...
BikeGesture: User Elicitation and Performance of Micro Hand Gesture as Input for Cycling

The use of hand gestures has a potential as an promising input metaphor. Wearables like smart textile and data gloves can provide hand gesture recognition to potentially replace, augment or improve existing input methods. Although recent bikes provide advanced functions with electro mechanical components, the input metaphor still relies on mechanical switches or levers. In this paper, we investigate the acceptance and performance of using hand gesture during cycling. Through an observational study with 16 users, we devised a taxonomy of hand gestures. Users prefer subtle micro hand gestures to ensure safe cycling while maintaining a flexible controllability. We also implemented a wearable prototype that recognizes these gestures. In our evaluation, the prototype shows an average of 92% accuracy while showing similar response time to existing mechanical inputs.
Second-Generation Antipsychotic Prescribing Patterns for Pediatric Patients Enrolled in West Virginia Medicaid

Objective:The prescribing of second-generation antipsychotics for young people has increased dramatically. Studies have shown that children enrolled in Medicaid are more likely than those with private insurance to receive antipsychotics, leading many states to require prior authorization (PA) for their use. However, little is known about how PA programs affect prescribing patterns for antipsychotics or other psychotropic medications. This study examined a PA program for second-generation antipsychotic use for children under 18 in West Virginia Medicaid. Prescribing rates for antipsychotics and other psychotropic classes were assessed.Methods:Administrative claims from West Virginia Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program for September 2014 to July 2016 were examined (N=273,369 prescriptions) with an interrupted time-series design. Segmented linear regression was used to model both immediate effects and trends in prescribing rates before and after implementation of the PA program in August 201...
Cloud-enabling a Collaborative Research Platform: The GABBs Story

Modern cyberinfrastructures typically involve tightly integrated compute, storage and web application resources. They also form the basis of science gateways, which add their own science-specific processing or visualization capabilities. While some science gateways are intended as the central resource provider for a certain scientific community, others provide generic capabilities that are intended for further customization at each installation site. However, replicating their setup is a non-trivial task often involving specific operating system, software package and configuration choices while also requiring allocation of the actual physical computing resources. Cloud computing provides an attractive alternative, simplifying resource provision and enabling reliable replication. We describe our ongoing efforts to cloud-enable a geospatial science gateway hosting general-purpose software building blocks termed GABBs, that provide geospatial data management, analysis, visualization and processing capabilities. We describe the various compute and storage resources and software underlying these building blocks and our automation of the deployment, software installation and configuration of this science gateway on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform. Some of the challenges that were encountered and resolved during this cloud-enabling process are also described.
Cancellation of selected stator harmonics in BLDC by using an adaptive feedforward controller

Abstract This paper proposes an adaptive feedforward controller (AFC) for the cancellation of selected low order harmonics from the stator currents of a brushless DC motor (BLDC) with a non-sinusoidal flux distribution. Under proper tuning, the AFC can track selected harmonic orders of the motor back-EMF and counter-modulate the stator voltage to cancel the induced harmonic currents. The proposed AFC is combined with a field-oriented controller (FOC), which regulates the motor speed, in order to provide supplemental modulation action to the stator voltages at the selected harmonic frequencies. Experimental results are presented in the paper, where the AFC was designed to cancel the 5th and 7th harmonics. The results obtained verify the operation of the proposed controller and demonstrate its effectiveness in achieving significant improvement in the stator current waveform.
Transient transcriptional silencing alters the cell cycle to promote germline stem cell differentiation in Drosophila

Transcriptional silencing is a conserved process used by embryonic germ cells to repress somatic fate and maintain totipotency and immortality. In Drosophila, this transcriptional silencing is mediated by polar granule component (pgc). Here, we show that in the adult ovary, pgc is required for timely germline stem cell (GSC) differentiation. Pgc is expressed transiently in the immediate GSC daughter (pre-cystoblast), where it mediates a pulse of transcriptional silencing. This transcriptional silencing mediated by pgc indirectly promotes the accumulation of Cyclin B (CycB) and cell cycle progression into late-G2 phase, when the differentiation factor bag of marbles (bam) is expressed. Pgc mediated accumulation of CycB is also required for heterochromatin deposition, which protects the germ line genome against selfish DNA elements. Our results suggest that transient transcriptional silencing in the pre-cystoblast “re-programs” it away from self-renewal and toward the gamete differentiation program.
Kinetic Glomerular Filtration Rate in Routine Clinical Practice—Applications and Possibilities

When the [creatinine] is changing, the kidney function can still be tracked with a quantitative technique called kinetic glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The equation yields useful information on the severity of acute kidney injury, the clinical course of kidney and dialysis clearances, and the timing of kidney recovery. It has been validated in at least 3 independent studies, where it performed sufficiently well in intensive care unit and kidney transplant settings, and in head-to-head comparisons with biomarkers. Because it is based on a mathematical model, the kinetic GFR faces limitations depending on the accuracy of its assumptions. As the assumptions more accurately reflect the complexities of biology, some of these limitations can be overcome in a more sophisticated model. Kinetic GFR is an easy-to-use, low-cost tool that should be more widely incorporated into medical practice.
A robust user interface for IoT using context-aware Bayesian fusion

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand into our daily lives, consumers are finding a growing catalogue of smart devices to boost the intelligence of their homes. Currently, the user must manage a proprietary user interface (UI) for each device, and each application comes with its own UI, creating a cumbersome app environment. Clearly, a single UI that can control all of these devices would be preferable. This interface should be accessible using forms of communication that feel natural, for example, speech, body language, and facial expressions, to name a few. In this paper, we propose a framework for multimodal UI using a flexible, slotted command ontology and decision-level Bayesian fusion. Our case study explores command recognition for device control with a wearable system accessed via speech and gestures, using a wrist-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU) for hand gesture recognition. We achieve an accuracy of 94.82% on a set of 17 commands.
LRP4 Autoimmune Reactivity in a Diverse Double-Seronegative Myasthenia Gravis Patient Population (P1.125)

Objective: To assess the frequency of low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) autoimmune reactivity in a population of anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and anti-muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) double-seronegative (DSN) myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. Background: LRP4, a receptor for agrin, has a central role in the formation of the neuromuscular junction. Autoantibodies to LRP4 have been identified in DSN MG cohorts at rates ranging from 0% to 54%, depending on the assay method and patient demographics. The clinical presentation of LRP4 antibody-positive patients is thought to be associated with a mild clinical course and a better response to therapy as compared to other myasthenia gravis subgroups. Design/Methods: We analyzed serum specimens from a demographically diverse population of DSN MG patients (n, mean age±SD, age range; 150, 60±17, 10–92) in the United States who had previously tested negative for AChR and MuSK autoantibodies. These specimens and normal healthy individuals (101, 38±12, 19–69) were tested for reactivity to LRP4 using a dual-labeled immunofluorescence assay. Results: Reactivity to LRP4 was found in 3% (4/150) of the DSN MG specimens but in none of the healthy controls. Of the 4 individuals who had LRP4 autoantibodies, generalized myasthenia gravis was reported in a 58-year-old man and isolated ptosis in a 50-year-old woman. Clinical information for the other two individuals with antibodies to LRP4 was not available. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that LRP4 autoantibodies are present in a small percentage of DSN MG patients. Characterizing the clinical features of LRP4 antibody-positive individuals with MG may provide useful information regarding their prognosis and treatment response. Study Supported by: Quest Diagnostics Disclosure: Dr. Morneau has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics as an employee. Dr. Sansoucy has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Sansoucy has received research support from Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Goldberger has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics as an employee. Dr. Trela has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics as an employee. Dr. Clarke has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics as an employee. Dr. Higgins has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics.
Outcomes of an RCT of videoconference vs. in-person or in-clinic nutrition and exercise in midlife adults with obesity.

Objective New communication technologies have shown some promise in lifestyle weight loss interventions but may be most effective when leveraging face-to-face communications. The study reported here sought to test whether weight loss programme attendance and outcomes are greater when offered in-person at community sites or remotely via videoconference vs. in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). In a three-arm randomized trial among 150 FQHC adults, intervention delivery in community-sites or via videoconference was tested against a clinic-based lifestyle intervention (enhanced usual care [EUC]). Methods Twice weekly, a nutrition topic was reviewed, and exercise sessions were held in a 20-week programme delivered either in community settings or via videoconference. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants losing more than 2 kg at 6 (end of treatment) and 12 months in intent-to-treat analyses. Results Mean (SD) age was 53 years, 82% were women, 65% were African-American, 50% reported $18,000 or less household income and 49% tested low in health literacy, and mean (SD) body mass index was 39 kg m-2. The proportion losing more than 2 kg of weight in the community site, videoconference and EUC groups was 33%, 34% and 24%, respectively, at 6 months and 29%, 34% and 29% at 12 months. No differences reached significance. Attendance was poor in all groups; 45% of community site, 58% of videoconference and 16% of EUC participants attended at least one session. Conclusion Videoconference and community-based delivery were as effective as an FQHC-based weight loss programme.
Design of Complex Oscillator Network with multiple Limit Cycles

Rhythmic behaviors are widely observed in animal motions. A fundamental control mechanism for producing and regulating rhythmic movements is based on the Central Pattern Generator (CPG), which is a distributed network of neuronal oscillators. Mathematical models of CPGs can be useful as a basic component in feedback control designs to achieve oscillations. This paper develops a CPG model as a network of nonlinear oscillators described by ordinary differential equations with complex variables. The use of complex state variables simplifies the CPG design and makes it transparent how the network connectivity relates to the resulting oscillation pattern. We will provide a method for designing CPGs to achieve oscillations of prescribed frequency, amplitude, and phase as a stable limit cycle with guaranteed local convergence. Moreover, we show how the network can be designed to embed multiple limit cycles in the state space.
Structure and function of Spc42 coiled-coils in yeast centrosome assembly and duplication.

Centrosomes and spindle pole bodies (SPBs) are membraneless organelles whose duplication and assembly is necessary for bipolar mitotic spindle formation. The structural organization and functional roles of major proteins in these organelles can provide critical insights into cell division control. Spc42, a phosphoregulated protein with an N-terminal dimeric coiled-coil (DCC), assembles into a hexameric array at the budding yeast SPB core, where it functions as a scaffold for SPB assembly. Here, we present in vitro and in vivo data to elucidate the structural arrangement and biological roles of Spc42 elements. Crystal structures reveal details of two additional coiled-coils in Spc42: a central trimeric coiled-coil and a C-terminal antiparallel DCC. Contributions of the three Spc42 coiled-coils and adjacent undetermined regions to the formation of an ∼145 A hexameric lattice in an in vitro lipid monolayer assay and to SPB duplication and assembly in vivo reveal structural and functional redundancy in Spc42 assembly. We propose an updated model that incorporates the inherent symmetry of these Spc42 elements into a lattice, and thereby establishes the observed sixfold symmetry. The implications of this model for the organization of the central SPB core layer are discussed.
Y-Stent Technique for Treatment of Wide-Necked Posterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm Associated with Fetal Posterior Cerebral Artery: Technical Report.

Background Despite a variety of technologies that are available for treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms, certain anatomic configurations remain challenging to address endovascularly. Case Description A patient was found to have an incidental 12 mm × 11 mm × 10 mm, wide-necked right posterior communicating artery aneurysm with a fetal origin of the posterior cerebral artery arising directly from the aneurysm dome. After multidisciplinary discussion, a staged endovascular treatment approach was undertaken in 2 stages. First, a Y-stent construct using 2 overlapping Neuroform Atlas stents was placed into the M1 and fetal posterior cerebral artery segments. Two months later, after endothelialization of the stent construct, coil embolization of the aneurysm was performed. The patient tolerated both stages of the procedure well and was discharged the following day in each case. She remained neurologically intact, and at follow-up 5 months later had no evidence of residual or recurrent aneurysm. Conclusions This case illustrates a number of important considerations in the management approach for wide-necked intracranial aneurysms.
Use of Post-Treatment Clinical Data To Predict Response to Decitabine.

Best response of AML or MDS to decitabine (DAC) may require > 3 courses. Identification of pts whose response to initial courses suggests they are unlikely to respond further to subsequent courses would allow such pts to receive other therapies more expeditiously. 104 pts, median age 69, received DAC (20 mg/m2 IV daily × 5 days every 5 weeks) for newly- diagnosed MDS (80, 76 IPSS int-2 or high) or AML (24) from 9/00-5/07. After 3 courses, 33 of the 104 were in CR, 6 were dead, and 32 had been removed from study, with the remaining 32 receiving more DAC. The probability of CR decreased to Results were qualitatively similar for AML and MDS. We divided the 32 pts who received ≥ 4 courses according to whether after course 3 their: marrow showed a response, defined as a p platelet count increased > 30, 000 if neutrophil count increased > 500 if The corresponding figure for platelet response/no response was 5/8 vs. 2/11 (3/5 vs. 2/9 for MDS). The median number of courses after the 3rd given pts with marrow response was 2 (range 1–10) vs. 3 (range 1–12) for pts without marrow response. Our data suggest that if CR is the goal, pts should not receive more than 5 courses of DAC and no more than 3 if marrow response has not occurred after the 3rd.