cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Lymph Node Failure after Dose-escalated Radiotherapy: Implications for Extended Pelvic Lymph Node Coverage

Abstract Background Clinical trials evaluating the benefit of pelvic radiotherapy (PRT) in the radiotherapeutic management of patients with higher-risk prostate cancer have limited the superior field border to the S1/S2 or L5/S1 interspace. However, imaging and surgical series have demonstrated a high frequency of prostatic lymph node (LN) drainage beyond these landmarks. Objective To determine the patterns of radiographically defined abdominopelvic LN failures and their potential implications for PRT field design. Design, setting, and participants During 1992–2008, 2694 patients with localized prostate cancer were treated with prostate/seminal vesicle–only radiotherapy without PRT. Some 156 patients had their first failure within the abdominopelvic LNs, of whom 60 had isolated failures within the pelvic LNs. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis A radiologist reviewed all imaging and mapped each LN failure to a template consisting of 34 abdominopelvic LN stations. Results and limitations The median follow-up was 8.9 yr. Of patients who experienced first recurrence in the pelvic LNs ( n =60), the common iliac station was involved in 55% ( n =33) of patients, including 10% ( n =6) who had isolated common iliac failures. Use of a PRT field superior border of L5/S1 would fully cover only 42% of the first recurrences among these patients. Extending the field to cover the common iliac stations would increase coverage to 93% of recurrences. The presence of T3/T4 disease and omission of androgen-deprivation therapy both independently conferred an approximate fivefold increase in the likelihood of having a common iliac LN failure. Use of imaging as a surrogate for LN involvement is the primary study limitation. Conclusions Pelvic LN failures frequently occur superior to the commonly used L5/S1 landmark for PRT coverage, and use of ADT may be protective of more superior LN failures. The current RTOG 0924 trial is evaluating the benefit of PRT with extended superior coverage to L4/5 when possible, which, according to our data, should significantly improve the coverage of potential sites of failure. Patient summary We looked at lymph node recurrence patterns after external beam radiotherapy of the prostate in men who did not have their lymph nodes treated. We found that there was a high incidence of pelvic lymph node recurrences above the internal and external iliac lymph node regions. Therefore, the current field recommendation for pelvic lymph nodes that stops at the superior border of the internal and external iliac vessels provides inadequate coverage of common sites of cancer recurrence, namely the common iliac lymph nodes.
The Intel386 CPU family-architecture and performance analysis

The authors present a synopsis of the various performance metrics related to the i386 CPU architecture. The complex i386 CPU architecture has a number of factors which determine the overall performance of a job. A rich set of tools has been developed to analyze the i386 architecture and its performance. Using these tools and methodologies, it is shown how an average number like CPI (cycles per instruction) can vary over the run time of the job. All the results presented are for the Intel486 DX microprocessor, executing the four integer benchmarks in the SPEC 1.0 benchmark suite. >
Stochastic ordering of interference in large-scale networks

Stochastic orders are binary relations defined on probability distributions which capture intuitive notions like being larger or being more variable. This paper introduces stochastic ordering of interference distributions in large-scale networks modeled as point processes. Interference is a major performance-limiting factor in most wireless networks, thus it is important to characterize its statistics. Since closed-form results for the distribution of interference for such networks are only available in limited cases, it is of interest to compare network interference using stochastic orders, for two different point processes with different fading or path-loss scenarios between the interferers and the receiver. In this paper, conditions on the fading distribution and path-loss model are given to establish stochastic ordering between interferences. Moreover, Laplace functional ordering is defined between point processes and applied for comparing interference. Monte-Carlo simulations are used to supplement our analytical results.
Recent advances on MgCl2 based electrolytes for rechargeable Mg batteries

Abstract Recently, rechargeable Mg batteries have gained increasing attention. Research efforts have been mainly focused on the development of advanced Mg electrolytes with good reversibility and small overpotential for Mg deposition and stripping, and high anodic stability. This review summarizes electrochemical performance and coordination chemistry of a new class of Mg electrolytes based on inexpensive and convenient MgCl2 precursor (Lewis base) and a variety of Lewis acids.
Making Plants Break a Sweat: the Structure, Function, and Evolution of Plant Salt Glands

Salt stress is a complex trait that poses a grand challenge in developing new crops better adapted to saline environments. Some plants, called recretohalophytes, that have naturally evolved to secrete excess salts through salt glands, offer an underexplored genetic resource for examining how plant development, anatomy, and physiology integrate to prevent excess salt from building up to toxic levels in plant tissue. In this review we examine the structure and evolution of salt glands, salt gland-specific gene expression, and the possibility that all salt glands have originated via evolutionary modifications of trichomes. Salt secretion via salt glands is found in more than 50 species in fourteen angiosperm families distributed in caryophyllales, asterids, rosids, and grasses. The salt glands of these distantly related clades can be grouped into four structural classes. Although salt glands appear to have originated independently at least twelve times, they share convergently evolved features that facilitate salt compartmentalization and excretion. We review the structural diversity and evolution of salt glands, major transporters and proteins associated with salt transport and secretion in halophytes, salt gland relevant gene expression regulation, and the prospect for using new genomic and transcriptomic tools in combination with information from model organisms to better understand how salt glands contribute to salt tolerance. Finally, we consider the prospects for using this knowledge to engineer salt glands to increase salt tolerance in model species, and ultimately in crops.
Calorimetric system for measurement of net power in laser and arc welding and cladding

The Power Measurement Calorimetric System (PMCS) was developed as a part of a program funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in cooperation with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard - Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS-IMF). The primary objective of the PMCS is to measure the High Power Direct Diode (HPDD) laser beam net power transferred to a substrate (up to 4,000 W). With this information we can ensure reliable and repeatable control of the heat input in a cladding process. The PMCS is designed for users who perform welding/cladding on components that require accurate and repeatable control of heat input, such as critical components made of heat-sensitive steels. In comparison with the popular Seebeck Envelope Calorimeter (SEC), the PMCS is a complete turnkey device that generates data on net power, in watts rather than as a voltage output signal. It takes measurements with production-oriented speed of 3 minutes per measurement (instead of 6 hours). The PMCS can be used for research to determine thermal efficiency of different laser beams (including HPDD, YAG and CO2), using different substrates and filler metals. It can also be used for gas tungsten arc welding. The PMCS measures the net power at conditions very close to those encountered in real welding/cladding using the same base and filler materials, and programming parameters. The PMCS is built as a stand-alone unit and has a built in calibrating system that ensures and maintains high accuracy of power measurements. This paper is a report of interim results of testing the PMCS.The Power Measurement Calorimetric System (PMCS) was developed as a part of a program funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in cooperation with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard - Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS-IMF). The primary objective of the PMCS is to measure the High Power Direct Diode (HPDD) laser beam net power transferred to a substrate (up to 4,000 W). With this information we can ensure reliable and repeatable control of the heat input in a cladding process. The PMCS is designed for users who perform welding/cladding on components that require accurate and repeatable control of heat input, such as critical components made of heat-sensitive steels. In comparison with the popular Seebeck Envelope Calorimeter (SEC), the PMCS is a complete turnkey device that generates data on net power, in watts rather than as a voltage output signal. It takes measurements with production-oriented speed of 3 minutes per measurement (instead of 6 hours). The PMCS can be used for research to determine therm...
Toward high value sensing: monolayer-protected metal nanoparticles in multivariable gas and vapor sensors.

For detection of gases and vapors in complex backgrounds, “classic” analytical instruments are an unavoidable alternative to existing sensors. Recently a new generation of sensors, known as multivariable sensors, emerged with a fundamentally different perspective for sensing to eliminate limitations of existing sensors. In multivariable sensors, a sensing material is designed to have diverse responses to different gases and vapors and is coupled to a multivariable transducer that provides independent outputs to recognize these diverse responses. Data analytics tools provide rejection of interferences and multi-analyte quantitation. This review critically analyses advances of multivariable sensors based on ligand-functionalized metal nanoparticles also known as monolayer-protected nanoparticles (MPNs). These MPN sensing materials distinctively stand out from other sensing materials for multivariable sensors due to their diversity of gas- and vapor-response mechanisms as provided by organic and biological ligands, applicability of these sensing materials for broad classes of gas-phase compounds such as condensable vapors and non-condensable gases, and for several principles of signal transduction in multivariable sensors that result in non-resonant and resonant electrical sensors as well as material- and structure-based photonic sensors. Such features should allow MPN multivariable sensors to be an attractive high value addition to existing analytical instrumentation.
Septal Ultrastructure and Ascomycete Systematics

Some of the most revolutionary changes in the systematics of various divisions of algae and certain classes of fungi were the results of unique differences found in the ultrastructure of septa. Among the fungi, septal ultrastructure has played a significant role in helping to delineate classes and subclasses of basidiomycetes. The application of septal ultrastructure to ascomycete systematics has been limited. Yet, there are strikingly different types of septal pore organelles in various groups of ascomycetes. This presentation demonstrates that septal structures may be useful in delimiting various groups of ascomycetes. The major focus is on septal structures associated with asci, ascogenous hyphae, and excipular cells of families of Pezizales. The use of these characters to show phylogenetic linkages between the epigeous and hypogeous tuberalean Pezizales is demonstrated. Septa as taxonomic criteria in other groups of ascomycetes are also discussed.
BEX1 is an RNA-dependent mediator of cardiomyopathy

Regulation of mRNA splicing, processing and stability is increasingly recognized as a critical control point in dynamically altering gene expression during stress or disease. Very little is understood of this process in heart failure. Here, we show that BEX1 is a heart failure-induced gene functioning as an mRNA-associated protein that enhances expression of a subset of cardiac disease-promoting genes. Modeling the increase in BEX1 that occurs in disease, cardiac-specific BEX1 transgenic mice show worse cardiac disease with stress stimulation, whereas Bex1 gene-deleted mice are protected from heart failure-promoting insults. Proteomic and interactive screening assays show that BEX1 is part of a large ribonucleoprotein processing complex involved in regulating proinflammatory mRNA expression in the heart. Specifically, induction of BEX1 augments the stability and expression of AU-rich element containing mRNAs typically found within proinflammatory genes. Thus, BEX1 functions as an mRNA-dependent effector that augments pathology-promoting gene expression during heart failure.
Examining the influence of grain size on radiation tolerance in the nanocrystalline regime

Nanocrystalline materials have been proposed as superior radiation tolerant materials in comparison to coarse grain counterparts. However, there is still a limited understanding whether a particular nanocrystalline grain size is required to obtain significant improvements in key deleterious effects resulting from energetic irradiation. This work employs the use of in-situ heavy ion irradiation transmission electron microscopy experiments coupled with quantitative defect characterization and precession electron diffraction to explore the sensitivity of defect size and density within the nanocrystalline regime in platinum. Under the explored experimental conditions, no significant change in either the defect size or density between grain sizes of 20 and 100 nm was observed. Furthermore, the in-situ transmission electron microscopy irradiations illustrate stable sessile defect clusters of 1–3 nm adjacent to most grain boundaries, which are traditionally treated as strong defect sinks. The stability of these sessile defects observed in-situ in small, 20–40 nm, grains is the proposed primary mechanism for a lack of defect density trends. This scaling breakdown in radiation improvement with decreasing grain size has practical importance on nanoscale grain boundary engineering approaches for proposed radiation tolerant alloys.
From Physical Properties of Transportation Flows to Demand Estimation: An Optimization Approach

Efficient management of transportation systems requires accurate trip demand data. It is sometimes possible to track anonymized users through their commutes, accomplished through previous studies o...
Cybercrime in the Securities Market: Is U.C.C. Article 8 Prepared?

The bulk of equities trading occurs electronically; the paper certificate is a thing of the past. However, despite attempts to modernize the commercial law governing investment securities through revisions to Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code, it is questionable whether Article 8 remains relevant and effective today. Specifically, the recent rise in cybercrime, and hacking in particular, poses risks to the securities trading system that were likely unanticipated by the drafters (and revisers) of Article 8. In this Article, I explore the cybercrime risk, the property ownership questions that might arise from a hack, and the consequences of judicial misapplication or misunderstanding of Article 8. I propose revisions to Article 8 that would make ownership clearer in the event of a cyber-theft of electronically traded equity securities.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibition in the treatment of vasculitis

Insight into the central roles of cytokines in many inflammatory disorders represents one of the major medical advances of the 1990s. During the last decade, molecular biology provided not only the techniques to investigate individual cytokines in inflammation, but also successful strategies for the inhibition of these cytokines. As described below, the identification of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as a critical cytokine in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn’s disease has revolutionized the treatment of these diseases [1-10]. The extrapolation and rigorous testing of cytokine modulation strategies in the vasculitides have enormous potential to improve therapies for this group of disorders.
ANALYSIS OF A PULSE-ECHO ULTRASOUND TAPERED PHASED ARRAY TRANSDUCER

The tapered phased array (TPA) transducer consists of a linear array of piezoelectric ceramic elements that are inherently broad-band because of their tapered thickness. In this paper, the TPA transducer operating in the pulsed mode will be examined to determine its potential for use in imaging applications. A TPA transducer was constructed in order to verify a theoretical model of its radiation pattern. The results of comparisons of the theoretical and experimental radiation patterns suggest that when the elements are pulsed with the appropriate signals, a linearly aligned group of focused beams at different frequencies will be produced. This group of focused beams can be used to provide a high-resolution two-dimensional phased array capability for a pulse-echo imaging system.
Parallel computation of unsteady supersonic-inlet flows

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the conversion of an existing serial code, NPARC-3D into a coarse grain parallel code based on block functionality. It discusses the use of this parallel NPARC code to investigate the unsteady inviscid flow field characteristics of a Mach 2.5, variable diameter centerbody (VDC) inlet. The parallel code was tested on both a network of workstations and on the Cray torus, three-dimensional (T3D). The serial NPARC code was successfully parallelized to run in single program multiple data (SPMD) mode using the application parallel portable library (APPL). APPL was designed to use a portable message-passing paradigm, which allows an application to be developed once and then ported to a variety of parallel platforms. The parallel NPARC code was run under the APPL software environment on the LACE cluster. The chapter concludes that the parallel NPARC code performed well in a network environment, is compatible with the serial code, and can provide faster turnaround time under a distributed computing environment. Full details of the code's performance and a discussion of the unsteady flowfield results are presented in the chapter.
Photoredox-Catalyzed Cα–H Cyanation of Unactivated Secondary and Tertiary Aliphatic Amines: Late-Stage Functionalization and Mechanistic Studies

This paper describes the development and mechanistic studies of a general, high-yielding amine Cα–H cyanation protocol via photoredox catalysis. Inexpensive NaCN is employed as the cyanide source and air is the external oxidant, resulting in mild and highly functional group tolerant conditions. Notably, efficient Cα–H cyanations of secondary and tertiary aliphatic amines and of complex, biologically active compounds (drugs) can be performed using the established methodology. Mechanistic studies suggest that the carboxylic acid additive has three effects: formation of a stabilizing hemiaminal intermediate, prevention of catalyst decomposition by protonating the substrate, and modulation of fluorescence quenching of the photoexcited catalyst species.
Integrative effects of dystrophin loss on metabolic function of the mdx mouse

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a disease marked by the development of skeletal muscle weakness and wasting. DMD results from mutations in the gene for the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin. The loss of dystrophin expression is not limited to muscle weakness but has multiple systemic consequences. Managing the nutritional requirements is an important aspect of the clinical care of DMD patients and is complicated by the poor understanding of the role of dystrophin, and dystrophic processes, in regulating metabolism. Here, we show that mdx mice, a genetic model of DMD, have significantly reduced fat mass relative to wild type C57BL/10. The alteration in body composition is independent of the presence of skeletal muscle disease, as it is still present in mice with transgenic expression of a fully-functional dystrophin in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, mdx mice do not increase their fat mass or body weight when housed under thermoneutral conditions, in marked contrast to C57BL/10 mice. We also demonstrated that mdx mice have significantly reduced fat metabolism and altered glucose uptake. These significant metabolic changes in dystrophic mice implicate dystrophin as an important regulator of metabolism. Understanding the metabolic functions of dystrophin is important for managing the nutritional needs of DMD patients.
Sexual, Social, and Genetic Network Overlap: A Socio-Molecular Approach Toward Public Health Intervention of HIV

Objectives. To determine how network-level factors influence individual risk of HIV acquisition, which is key in preventing disease transmission.Methods. We recruited a cohort of young Black men wh...
Selective Quench-Labeling of the Hafnium-Pyridyl Amido-Catalyzed Polymerization of 1-Octene in the Presence of Trialkyl-Aluminum Chain-Transfer Reagents

The pyrenyl-isonitrile quench-labeling reagent selectively labels Hf-polymeryls over Al-alkyl species allowing for quantification of active site counts in polymerization. This selectivity also enables differentiation between catalyst-bound and Al-bound polymer molecular weight distributions (MWDs) via dual detection gel permeation chromatography (GPC) methods (UV-GPC and RI-GPC) in the Hf-pyridyl amido-catalyzed polymerization of 1-octene. Inhibition of polymerization is observed when using trialkyl aluminum chain-transfer agents with this catalyst system; for AlEt3, such inhibition can be eliminated by addition of the chain-transfer reagent after initiation of polymerization. Inhibition of polymerization cannot be eliminated when AlMe3 is used in these polymerizations. With AliBu3, a larger s-branched Al-alkyl, polymerization is not inhibited. For AlEt3, the propagation to exchange coefficient (kex/kp) was determined; compared with ZnEt2, chain transfer is approximately an order of magnitude slower. Thro...
Pyogenic Arthritis Pyoderma Gangrenosum and Acne (PAPA) Syndrome

PAPA is a rare autosomal dominant disorder classically characterized by early onset destructive Pyogenic Arthritis, Pyoderma gangrenosum, and severe nodulocystic Acne (PAPA). It is caused by missense mutations in the PSTPIP1 gene. Proline-Serine-Threonine Phosphatase-Interacting Protein 1 (PSTPIP1) is a multifunctional adaptor protein that is expressed predominantly in hematopoietic cells. Its adaptor function with pyrin originally linked it to the inflammasome and related it to familial Mediterranean fever and other autoinflammatory diseases.
Inhibition of carboxylesterase-1 alters clopidogrel metabolism and disposition

Clopidogrel is widely prescribed in patients with cardiovascular disease. Most research has focused on the role of hepatic CYP450 metabolism as the primary source of response variability despite 85...
Allosteric Motions of the CRISPR-Cas9 HNH Nuclease Probed by NMR and Molecular Dynamics

CRISPR-Cas9 is a widely employed genome-editing tool with functionality reliant on the ability of the Cas9 endonuclease to introduce site-specific breaks in double-stranded DNA. In this system, an intriguing allosteric communication has been suggested to control its DNA cleavage activity through flexibility of the catalytic HNH domain. Here, solution NMR experiments and a novel Gaussian accelerated Molecular Dynamics (GaMD) simulations method - flanked by mixed machine learning and structure-based prediction of NMR chemical shifts - are used to capture the structural and dynamic determinants of allosteric signaling within the HNH domain. We reveal the existence of a millisecond timescale dynamic pathway that spans HNH from the region interfacing the adjacent RuvC nuclease and propagates up to the DNA recognition lobe in the full-length CRISPR-Cas9. These findings reveal a potential route of signal transduction within the CRISPR-Cas9 HNH nuclease, advancing our understanding of the allosteric pathway of activation. Further, considering the role of allosteric signaling in the specificity of CRISPR-Cas9, this work poses the mechanistic basis for novel engineering efforts aimed at improving its genome editing capability.nnnnO_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=117 SRC="FIGDIR/small/660613v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">nView larger version (64K):norg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1359ddaorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@10e8304org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1bbb285org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c53cb3_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
Abstract 3376: The secondary genomic architecture of melanoma

Introduction: While targeted- and immuno-therapies have revolutionized the treatment of melanoma, a significant proportion of patients develop resistance to therapy and lack targetable tumor drivers. Thus, there remains a critical need for the discovery of novel tumor drivers to identify additional therapeutic targets. Melanoma has been divided into 4 genomic subtypes based on the presence of mutations in the three most frequently mutated, mutually exclusive, driver genes: BRAF, NRAS, NF1, and triple wild-type (TWT), and, in particular, no significantly mutated genes (SMGs) have been identified in TWT tumors. We hypothesized that uniform genomic analysis of expanded cohorts would provide power to identify driver genes altered at low frequencies, identify novel biological targets and therapeutic vulnerabilities unique to genomic subclasses, and specifically enable discovery of additional molecular properties unique to TWT melanoma. Methods: We aggregated 1,013 melanoma tumor and matched germline samples that passed joint quality control metrics and performed harmonized genomic analysis. Mutational significance analysis was performed using MutSigCV2 and OncodriveFML, and candidate genes filtered using TCGA expression data. Mutational signature analysis was performed using deconstructSigs, and validated in a separate cohort of melanomas. DESeq2 and edgeR were used to perform differential expression analysis. Results: We identified a set of 38 high-confidence drivers in melanoma (MutSigCV2, q Conclusion: Through uniform analysis of the largest melanoma whole-exome-sequenced cohort to date, we identified a set of high confidence driver genes, many of which were not previously associated with melanoma, as well as secondary driver genes unique to each genomic subtype. Mutational signature analysis identified the enrichment of HR deficiency in TWT melanomas, which appears to be facilitated through downregulation of ATM and may have immediate translational implications for patient-stratification of therapies that target HR deficient melanomas. Citation Format: Jake Conway, Amaro Taylor-Weiner, Saud AlDubayan, Brendan Reardon, Felix Dietlein, David Liu, Eliezer M. Van Allen. The secondary genomic architecture of melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3376.
Agent-based evacuation simulation from subway train and platform

With many people using subways at the same time, subway stations must be appropriately designed to allow people to move smoothly and safely during daily operation and emergency evacuation. The pres...
Using Composite Scores to Summarize Adolescent Sexual Risk Behavior: Current State of the Science and Recommendations

Composite scores offer the advantage of summarizing across multiple sexual risk behaviors to both simplify results and better capture the influence of core contextual, interpersonal, and intrapersonal dynamics that affect multiple sexual risk behaviors. There is inconsistency in how researchers utilize composite scores with minimal guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of frequently used approaches. Strengths and weaknesses of each approach are discussed in the context of assessing adolescent sexual risk behavior. A latent variable model and three commonly used composites were applied to data combined across four clinical trials (n = 1322; 50% female). Findings suggested that the latent variable approach was limited due to minimal correlations among sexual risk behaviors, that choice of composite had minimal impact on cross-sectional results so long as there is sufficient variability in risk behavior in the sample, but composite choice could impact results from clinical trials particularly for subgroup analyses. There are unique challenges to creating composites of adolescent risk behavior, including the fluidity and infrequency of adolescent sexual relationships that result in many participants reporting no sexual behavior at any given assessment and a low correlation between the number of partners and condomless sex acts. These challenges impede application of data-driven approaches to defining sexual risk composites. Recommendations to improve consistency in reporting include: (1) reporting each type of risk behavior separately prior to forming a composite, (2) aggregating across assessments to increase the chance of observing sexual risk behaviors, and (3) continued work toward a unified definition of adolescent sexual risk behavior that can guide the development of appropriate measurement models.
Precision and consistency of the passive leg raising maneuver for determining fluid responsiveness with bioreactance non-invasive cardiac output monitoring in critically ill patients and healthy volunteers

Objective The passive leg raising (PLR) maneuver has become standard practice in fluid resuscitation. We aim to investigate the precision and consistency of the PLR for determining fluid responsiveness in critically ill patients and healthy volunteers using bioreactance non-invasive cardiac output monitoring (NiCOM™, Cheetah Medical, Inc., Newton Center, Massachusetts, USA). Methods This study is prospective, single-center, observational cohort with repeated measures in critically ill patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit and healthy volunteers at a tertiary academic medical center. Three cycles of PLR were performed, each at 20-30 minutes apart. Fluid responsiveness was defined as a change in stroke volume index (ΔSVI) > 10% with each PLR as determined by NiCOM™. Precision was the variability in ΔSVI after the 3 PLR's, and determined by range, average deviation and standard deviation. Consistency was the same fluid responsiveness determination of "Yes" (ΔSVI > 10%) or "No" (ΔSVI ≤ 10%) for all 3 PLR's. Results Seventy-five patients and 25 volunteers were enrolled. In patients, the precision was range of 17.2±13.3%, average deviation 6.5±4.0% and standard deviation 9.0±5.2%; and for volunteers, 17.4±10.3%, 6.6±3.8% and 9.0±6.7%, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the precision measurements between patients and volunteers. Forty-nine (65.3%) patients vs. twenty-four (96.0%) volunteers had consistent results, p Conclusions The precision and consistency of determining ΔSVI with NiCOM™ after PLR may have clinical implication if ΔSVI > 10% is the absolute cutoff to determine fluid responsiveness.
Dialkylation of Indoles with Trichloroacetimidates to Access 3,3-Disubstituted Indolenines

2-Substituted indoles may be directly transformed to 3,3-dialkyl indolenines with trichloroacetimidate electrophiles and the Lewis acid TMSOTf. These reactions provide rapid access to complex indolenines which are present in a variety of complex natural products and medicinally relevant small molecule structures. This method provides an alternative to the use of transition metal catalysis. The indolenines are readily transformed into spiroindoline systems which are privileged scaffolds in medicinal chemistry.
Unusual Causes of Abdominal Pain after Colonoscopy: A Case Series

Colonoscopy is a relatively safe procedure with an overall complication rate between 0.2 and 0.35%. Complications do occur, however, including preparation related complications, colonic perforation, postpolypectomy hemorrhage, postpolypectomy coagulation syndrome, and other less-common miscellaneous complications. Abdominal pain is one of the more common complaints that symptomatic patients will present with after a colonoscopy, occurring up to 5% of the time. Although the cause is usually minor and does not require further workup, gastroenterologists are most concerned about perforation and postpolypectomy coagulation syndrome in the setting of severe abdominal pain. However, as gastroenterologists, we must also be cognizant that there may be other less-common causes of the abdominal pain. The four cases presented here illustrate rare presentations of abdominal pain after colonoscopy, consisting of acute diverticulitis, incarcerated umbilical hernia, acute gangrenous cholecystitis, and rupture of the ovarian cyst.
Chapter 7 – Network Connect

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses various aspects of Network Connect. The Network Connect software first tries to build a tunnel with Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) and automatically switches to Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) if IPSec does not succeed. This ensures that the connecting user has the best chance to successfully create the tunnel. It is found that with Network Connect, users can be limited at both Layer 3 and Layer 4. The tight integration with Juniper's Host Checker software allows access to be limited based on the posture of the connecting computer. Network Connect support for Mac OS X, Linux, and 64-bit Windows means that a single access method is available to nearly everyone throughout the organization. Administrators no longer need to build and maintain a separate access method for Mac users in the marketing department and application developers running Linux. Extensive Instant Virtual Extranet (IVE) and client logs provide abundant information for troubleshooting access issues with the Network Connect client. It is found that IVE administrators can use policy tracing to create a verbose log of all policies applied to a user and the policy results, as the user logs in and accesses resources.
Intrinsic Optical and Electronic Properties from Quantitative Analysis of Plasmonic Semiconductor Nanocrystal Ensemble Optical Extinction

The optical extinction spectra arising from localized surface plasmon resonance in doped semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) have intensities and lineshapes determined by free charge carrier concentra...
Physical Evidence of Stress-Induced Conformational Changes in Polymers

Polymer mechanics and characterization is an active area of research where a keen effort is directed towards gaining a predictive and correlative relationship between the applied loads and the specific conformational motions of the macromolecule chains. Therefore, the objective of this research is to introduce the preliminary results based on a novel technique to in situ probe the mechanical properties of polymers using non-invasive, non-destructive, and non-contact terahertz spectroscopy. A dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) structure is used as the loading mechanism to avoid obscuring the beam path of transmission terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. In DEAs, the applied voltage results in mechanical stresses under the active electrode area with far-reaching stretching in the passive area. Finite element analysis is used to model and simulate the DEA to quantify the induced stresses at the observation site over a voltage range spanning from 0 V to 3000 V. Additionally, a novel analysis technique is introduced based on the Hilbert-Huang transform to exploit the time-domain signals of the ultrathin elastomeric film and to defy the limits set forth by the current state-of-the-art analysis techniques. The computational result shows a nonlinear relationship between the effective stresses and the applied voltage. Analysis of the terahertz time-domain signals shows a shift in the delay times and a decrease in signal peak amplitudes, whereas these characteristics are implicitly related to the change in the index of refraction. In all, the results evidentially signify the interrelationship between the conformational changes and applied mechanical stress.
The effects of four instructional strategies on English learners’ English reading comprehension: A meta-analysis:

This meta-analysis includes experimental and quasi-experimental studies of reading interventions for English learners (ELs) coupled with four specific instructional strategies. The purposes of this...
Interventions and Operations after Bariatric Surgery in a Health Plan Research Network Cohort from the PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network

Obesity is a highly prevalent condition with severe clinical burden. Bariatric procedures are an important and expanding treatment option. This study compared short-(30-day composite adverse events) and long-term (intervention/operation, endoscopy, hospitalization, and mortality up to 5 years) safety outcomes associated with three bariatric surgical procedures. This observational cohort study replicated an electronic health record study comparing short- and long-term problems associated with three bariatric surgical procedures between January 1, 2006, and September 30, 2015, within a Health Plan Research Network. Of 95,251 adults, 34,240 (36%) underwent adjustable gastric banding (AGB), 36,206 (38%) Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and 24,805 (26%) sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Median (interquartile range) years of follow-up was 3.3 (1.4–5.0) (AGB), 2.5 (1.0–4.6) (RYGB), and 1.1 (0.5–2.1) (SG). Overall mean (SD) age was 44.2 (11.4) years. The cohort was predominantly female (76%). Thirty-day composite adverse events occurred more frequently following RYGB (3.8%) than AGB (3.1%) and SG (2.8%). Operation/intervention was less likely in SG than in RYGB (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR), 0.87; 95%CI, 0.80–0.96; P=0.003), and more likely in AGB than in RYGB (AHR, 2.10; 95%CI, 2.00–2.21; P<0.001). Hospitalization was less likely after ABG and SG than after RYGB: AGB vs. RYGB, AHR=0.73; 95%CI, 0.71–0.76; P<0.001; SG vs. RYGB, AHR=0.79; 95%CI, 0.76–0.83; P<0.001. Mortality was most likely for RYGB (SG vs. RYGB: AHR, 0.76; 95%CI, 0.64–0.92; P=0.004; AGB vs. RYGB: AHR, 0.49; 95%CI, 0.43–0.56; P=0.001). Interventions, operations, and hospitalizations were more often associated with AGB and RYGB than SG while RYGB had the lowest risk for revision.
Predicting Estuarine Salinity from River Inflows

An analysis system is described that enables the second-order and higher nonlinear interactive effects to be estimated in the relationship between the input and output of nonlinear systems. No data are, in principle, required other than an input and output time history over a sufficient period. The method is compared with the functional approach of Weiner and shown to have advantages in practical application. An application to the prediction of salinity in estuaries from river inflows is described. An error analysis for the prediction of salinity at Benicia, Calif., shows that systematic errors in the data and the influence of unaccounted-for variables contribute the bulk of the error in making the predictions and that the error attributable to the analysis leading to the construction of the predictor contributes a smaller error, which is estimated to be on the order of 8% in this application.
An Improved Prescription for Calculating the Negative Parity Spectrum of Doubly-Closed Shell Nuclei

It is noted that T.D.A. and R.P.A. calculations for the negative parity states in doubly-closed shell nuclei with N=Z generally underestimate the splitting between the T=0 and T=1 members of a given multiplet. It is pointed out that if the monopole components of the particle-hole matrix elements are fixed from the nuclear symmetry potential the results of these calculations can be significantly improved. Results are shown for the levels in 40Ca which belong essentially to the 1f7/2-1d 3/2 -1 multiplet.
Research Preregistration in Political Science: The Case, Counterarguments, and a Response to Critiques

This article describes the current debate on the practice of preregistration in political science—that is, publicly releasing a research design before observing outcome data. The case in favor of preregistration maintains that it can restrain four potential causes of publication bias, clearly distinguish deductive and inductive studies, add transparency regarding a researcher’s motivation, and liberate researchers who may be pressured to find specific results. Concerns about preregistration maintain that it is less suitable for the study of historical data, could reduce data exploration, may not allow for contextual problems that emerge in field research, and may increase the difficulty of finding true positive results. This article makes the case that these concerns can be addressed in preregistered studies, and it offers advice to those who would like to pursue study registration in their own work.
Lack of Predictive Indices in Kernicterus—Or Lack of Power?

Kim et al1 recently reported a case-control study of kernicterus in which they concluded that "analysis of previously suggested risk factors has failed to identify any single factor or combination of factors that could be predictive of the development of kernicterus." Emphasis in their paper was on the lack of statistical significance for most of the factors studied. The value of this study can be increased by providing a measure of the extent to which the lack of statistical significance stems from the (understandably) small sampie size and concomitant lack of statistical power rather than from a true lack of association of the factors with kernicterus.
Ca2+ entry via AMPA/KA receptors and excitotoxicity in cultured cerebellar Purkinje cells

Initial studies of glutamate receptors activated by kainate (KA) found them to be Ca2+ impermeable. Activation of these receptors was thought to produce Ca2+ influx into neurons only indirectly by Na(+)-dependent depolarization. However, Ca2+ entry via AMPA/KA receptors has now been demonstrated in several neuronal types, including cerebellar Purkinje cells. We have investigated whether such Ca2+ influx is sufficient to induce excitotoxicity in cultures of cerebellar neurons enriched for Purkinje cells. Agonists at non-NMDA receptors induced Ca2+ influx in the majority of these cells, as measured by whole-cell voltage clamp and by fura-2 [Ca2+]i microfluorimetry. To assess excitotoxicity, neurons were exposed to agonists for 20 min and cell survival was evaluated by a fluorescence assay 24 hr later. KA (100 microM) reduced neuronal survival relative to controls to 43 +/- 3% when applied in Na(+)-containing solution and to 45 +/- 3% in Na(+)-free solution. This toxicity was blocked completely by CNQX but only slightly by 100 microM Cd2+ and 50 microM D-(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid. Both Purkinje neurons and non-Purkinje cell types present in the cultures were similarly vulnerable to toxic KA exposure, but the population marked by KA-induced Co2+ uptake was selectively diminished by the excitotoxicity. Na(+)-independent excitotoxicity could also be induced by domoate, AMPA, or glutamate. Compared to KA, NMDA was relatively ineffective in inducing cell death. Most of the KA-induced excitotoxicity could be blocked by removal of extracellular Ca2+ during the KA exposure and for a 5 min period thereafter. Furthermore, antagonists of the Ca(2+)-activated enzymes nitric oxide synthase and calpain significantly reduced the KA-induced cell death. These results show that non-NMDA receptor activation can cause excitotoxicity in cerebellar Purkinje neurons by mechanisms not involving Na+ influx, but rather depending on direct Ca2+ permeation and activation of Ca(2+)-dependent enzymatic processes.
Implementation of a Demoisturization and Devolatilization Model in Multi-Phase Simulation of a Hybrid Entrained-Flow and Fluidized Bed Mild Gasifier

A mild gasification process has been implemented to provide an alternative form of clean coal technology called the Integrated Mild Gasification Combined Cycle (IMGCC), which can be utilized to build a new, highly efficient, and compact power plant or to retrofit an existing coal-fired power plant in order to achieve lower emissions and significantly improved thermal efficiency. The core technology of the mild gasification power plant lies on the design of a compact and effective mild gasifier that can produce synthesis gases with high energy volatiles through a hybrid system: utilizing the features of both entrained-flow and fluidized bed gasifiers. To aid in the design of the mild gasifier, a computational model has been implemented to investigate the thermal-flow and gasification process inside this mild gasifier using the commercial CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) solver ANSYS/FLUENT. The Eulerian-Eulerian method is employed to model both the primary phase (air) and the secondary phase (coal particles). However, the Eulerian-Eulerian model used in the software does not facilitate any built-in devolatilization model. The objective of this study is therefore to implement a devolatilization model (along with demoisturization) and incorporate it into the existing code. The Navier-Stokes equations and seven species transport equations are solved with three heterogeneous (gas-solid) and two homogeneous (gas-gas) global gasification reactions. Implementation of the complete model starts from adding demoisturization first, then devolatilization, and then adding one chemical equation at a time until finally all reactions are included in the multiphase flow. The result shows that the demoisturization and devolatilization models are successfully incorporated and a large amount of volatiles are preserved as high-energy fuels in the syngas stream without being further cracked or reacted into lighter gases. The overall results are encouraging but require future experimental data for verification.
Lysergic acid diethylamide affects blood flow to specific areas of the conscious rat brain

Die i.v. Verabreichung von LSD an Ratten steigert den Blutkreislauf im Hirnstamm sowie im frontalen und parietalen Cortex selektiv. Es wurden durch 6-Nor-LSD, 2-Methyl-LSD undΔ8, 9-LSD weder wahrnehmbare Verhaltensanderungen noch Anderungen des regionalen Blutkreislaufs verursacht.
Sexual assault nurse examiners' experiences providing expert witness court testimony.

Nurses from a national random sample of SANE programs were interviewed about their most recent experience providing expert witness court testimony (N = 110). Forty-three percent of the SANEs characterized this experience “fine” with no difficulties, but 58% mentioned that they had encountered problems. Challenges they faced while testifying are explored in depth and implications for forensic nursing practice are discussed.