cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perilesional blood flow and edema formation in acute intracerebral hemorrhage: A SPECT study

Background and Purpose —Secondary brain injury and edema formation contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The pathogenesis of this process is poorly understood. We sought to characterize alterations in perilesional blood flow that occur during the acute phase of ICH and to determine whether progressive enlargement of edema surrounding ICH is related to increased or decreased perfusion. Methods —We performed paired consecutive CT and 99mTc-hexamethylpropylenamine oxime single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans during the acute (mean, 18 hours) and subacute (mean, 72 hours) phase of ICH in 23 patients. Hematoma and edema volumes were traced and calculated from CT images. SPECT-derived hypothetical flow deficit volumes (FDV) around each hematoma were calculated by measuring a “zero-flow” volume within a large perilesional region of interest (based on percent tracer count loss compared with the contralateral side) and subtracting the corresponding ICH volume. Patients with significant midline shift (>5 mm) or global blood flow reduction were excluded from the analysis. Results —ICH volume (18 mL) did not change, mean edema volume increased by 36% (from 19 to 25 mL, P <0.0001), and mean FDV decreased by 55% (from 14 to 6 mL, P =0.0004) between the acute and subacute phases. Edema volume on the second CT scan correlated positively with FDV on the first SPECT scan (Spearman’s ρ=0.48, P =0.02), and with the volume of reperfused perilesional tissue (FDVacute−FDVsubacute) (Spearman’s ρ=0.41, P =0.05). Perilesional edema on CT always corresponded topographically with perfusion deficits on SPECT. In 4 patients, delayed focal hyperemia was identified in more peripheral cortical regions, but these areas appeared normal on CT. Conclusions —Perilesional blood flow normalizes from initially depressed levels as edema forms during the first 72 hours after ICH, and the eventual extent of edema correlates with the volume of reperfused tissue. These results suggest that the potential for perilesional ischemia is highest in the earliest hours after ICH onset and implicate reperfusion injury in the pathogenesis of perihematoma edema formation.
Optimal switching thresholds for space-time block coded rate-adaptive M-QAM

Channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter can be used to adapt transmission rate or antenna gains to time-varying fading channels in multi-antenna systems. However, the CSI that is fed back will get outdated if the channel is changing rapidly. We have developed a rate-adaptive M-QAM technique equipped with space-time block coding for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems and imperfect signal to noise ratio (SNR) feedback as opposed to the more complex full channel feedback in Ko et al. (2003). Based on the closed-form expressions for the average BER and average throughput derived in Ko et al, we derive herein optimal switching thresholds which maximize the average throughput under average BER constraint for MIMO fading channels. Our numerical results illustrate the immunity of our optimal thresholds to error due to time-delayed feedback.
Acute otitis media: antibiotics are moderately effective and mildly increase the risk of adverse effects; prevalence of different causative bacteria changed after introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Commentary on: TR Coker, LS Chan, SJ Newberry, et al.. Diagnosis, microbial epidemiology, and antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media in children: a systematic review. JAMA2010;304:2161–9.
Large margin pursuit for a Conic Section classifier

Learning a discriminant becomes substantially more difficult when the datasets are high-dimensional and the available samples are few. This is often the case in computer vision and medical diagnosis applications. A novel conic section classifier (CSC) was recently introduced in the literature to handle such datasets, wherein each class was represented by a conic section parameterized by its focus, directrix and eccentricity. The discriminant boundary was the locus of all points that are equi-eccentric relative to each class-representative conic section. Simpler boundaries were preferred for the sake of generalizability. In this paper, we improve the performance of the two-class classifier via a large margin pursuit. When formulated as a non-linear optimization problem, the margin computation is demonstrated to be hard, especially due to the high dimensionality of the data. Instead, we present a geometric algorithm to compute the distance of a point to the non-linear discriminant boundary generated by the CSC in the input space. We then introduce a large margin pursuit in the learning phase so as to enhance the generalization capacity of the classifier. We validate the algorithm on real datasets and show favorable classification rates in comparison to many existing state-of-the-art binary classifiers as well as the CSC without margin pursuit.
Evidence of Transition-Metal Accumulation on Aged Graphite Anodes by SIMS

In cells containing Li{sub 1.05}(Ni{sub 1/3}Co{sub 1/3}Mn{sub 1/3}){sub 0.95}O{sub 2}-based positive and graphite-based negative electrodes, a significant portion of cell impedance rise on aging is known to be from the negative electrode. One possible reason for this impedance rise is the dissolution of transition-metal elements from the oxide electrode that accumulate and create a high-impedance layer at the negative electrode-electrolyte interface. This article details dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements, which provide a relative comparison of Mn, Co, and Ni contents on fresh, formed, and aged graphite electrodes. The data clearly indicate that these transition-metal elements accumulate at the electrode surface and diffuse into the electrode during cell aging.
The Geometric and Dynamic Essence of Phyllotaxis

We present a dynamic geometric model of phyllotaxis based on two postulates, primor- dia formation and meristem expansion. We find that Fibonacci, Lucas, bijugate and multijugate are all variations of the same unifying phenomenon and that the difference lies on small changes in the position of initial primordia. We explore the set of all initial positions and color-code its points depending on the phyllotactic type of the pattern that arises.
Olfactory cortical neurons read out a relative time code in the olfactory bulb

Odor stimulation evokes complex spatiotemporal activity in the olfactory bulb, suggesting that both the identity of activated neurons and the timing of their activity convey information about odors. However, whether and how downstream neurons decipher these temporal patterns remains unknown. We addressed this question by measuring the spiking activity of downstream neurons while optogenetically stimulating two foci in the olfactory bulb with varying relative timing in mice. We found that the overall spike rates of piriform cortex neurons (PCNs) were sensitive to the relative timing of activation. Posterior PCNs showed higher sensitivity to relative input times than neurons in the anterior piriform cortex. In contrast, olfactory bulb neurons rarely showed such sensitivity. Thus, the brain can transform a relative time code in the periphery into a firing rate-based representation in central brain areas, providing evidence for the relevance of a relative time-based code in the olfactory bulb.
Parallel search algorithms for discrete optimization problems

Discrete optimization problems (DOPs) arise in various applications such as planning, scheduling, computer aided design, robotics, game playing, and constraint directed reasoning. Often, a DOP is formulated in terms of finding a minimum cost solution path in a graph from an initial node to a goal node. It is solved using graph/tree search methods such as backtracking, branch-and-bound, heuristic search, and dynamic programming. Availability of parallel computers has created substantial interest in exploring the use of parallel processing for solving discrete optimization problems. This article provides an overview of our work on parallel search algorithms.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, the National Football League, and the Manufacture of Doubt: An Ethical, Legal, and Historical Analysis

Every people, the proverb has it, loves their own form of violence. 1 Clifford Geertz, Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight, in The Interpretation of Cultures 412, 449 (1973). HALF a league, ...
On the Incorporation of Waste Material in the Solid Part of the Earth

The disposal of waste substances by industrial society is leading to contamination of the world ocean. The production of man-made solid waste is in excess of 0.5 x 10 9 tonnes per year. A growing fraction is not susceptible to organic breakdown or recycling, and production is increasing exponentially as more regions become industrialized. Present disposal practices consist of incineration, of dumping at sea, and of discarding material on land. As a result, foreign substances are being added in cumulative fashion to the atmosphere and to the waters of the world ocean. Once released in the terrestrial fluid envelope, noxious matter is subject to uncontrollable dispersal. Lodgement of waste in sedimentary sinks would cause its fixation under cover becoming thicker. A disposal system is outlined, aimed at standardization, and having the stages: (1) collection; (2) compaction of waste into blocks; and (3) its sea transportation to tectonic sinks. Deposition in subduction sinks would result eventually in the ingestion of waste material by the upper mantle. Deposition in sinks of the extensional class would result in its burial for periods without limit so far as civilizations are concerned. In both cases, it would be necessary to guard against reworking, and to examine the effect of exudations before burial.
Perspectives on Adolescent Giftedness and Delinquency

There has been a good deal of conjecture about the relationship between giftedness and juvenile delinquency among adolescents. Many unfounded claims have been sensationalized and much of the resear...
Benzoate Fermentation by the Anaerobic Bacterium Syntrophus aciditrophicus in the Absence of Hydrogen-Using Microorganisms

The anaerobic bacterium Syntrophus aciditrophicus metabolized benzoate in pure culture in the absence of hydrogen-utilizing partners or terminal electron acceptors. The pure culture of S. aciditrophicus produced approximately 0.5 mol of cyclohexane carboxylate and 1.5 mol of acetate per mol of benzoate, while a coculture of S. aciditrophicus with the hydrogen-using methanogen Methanospirillum hungatei produced 3 mol of acetate and 0.75 mol of methane per mol of benzoate. The growth yield of the S. aciditrophicus pure culture was 6.9 g (dry weight) per mol of benzoate metabolized, whereas the growth yield of the S. aciditrophicus-M. hungatei coculture was 11.8 g (dry weight) per mol of benzoate. Cyclohexane carboxylate was metabolized by S. aciditrophicus only in a coculture with a hydrogen user and was not metabolized by S. aciditrophicus pure cultures. Cyclohex-1-ene carboxylate was incompletely degraded by S. aciditrophicus pure cultures until a free energy change (DeltaG') of -9.2 kJ/mol was reached (-4.7 kJ/mol for the hydrogen-producing reaction). Cyclohex-1-ene carboxylate, pimelate, and glutarate transiently accumulated at micromolar levels during growth of an S. aciditrophicus pure culture with benzoate. High hydrogen (10.1 kPa) and acetate (60 mM) levels inhibited benzoate metabolism by S. aciditrophicus pure cultures. These results suggest that benzoate fermentation by S. aciditrophicus in the absence of hydrogen users proceeds via a dismutation reaction in which the reducing equivalents produced during oxidation of one benzoate molecule to acetate and carbon dioxide are used to reduce another benzoate molecule to cyclohexane carboxylate, which is not metabolized further. Benzoate fermentation to acetate, CO(2), and cyclohexane carboxylate is thermodynamically favorable and can proceed at free energy values more positive than -20 kJ/mol, the postulated minimum free energy value for substrate metabolism.
Excimer Laser in Situ Keratomileusis

Excimer laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is the most recent evolution of the family of lamellar refractive surgery, which includes keratophakia, freeze myopic keratomileusis, epikeratoplasty, keratomileusis in situ, and Buratto-style excimer laser keratomileusis. LASIK is the marriage of the microkeratome, with its ability to resect a piano lamellar disc of corneal tissue, and the precision of the argon-fluoride excimer laser, operating at 193 nm to remove submicron layers of corneal stroma to achieve a highly predictable refractive result. Myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, presbyopia, and complex ablations for abnormal topography have been attempted. Although LASIK as a technique is relatively young, the early results are very encouraging. Investigators worldwide are vigorously investigating its efficacy, predictability, stability, and safety.
Rocket measurement of OH in the mesosphere

A volume density profile of the OH radical throughout the 45- to 70-km region of the earth's upper atmosphere is presented. A high-resolution polarized Ebert-Fastie spectrometer flown aboard a sounding rocket was used to obtain the data. The molecule was found to have a scale height significantly greater than that of the atmosphere, with local densities of 4.4 million/cu cm at 50 km, 5.5 million/cu cm at 60 km, and 3.5 million/cu cm at 70 km.
A discussion on performance value versus performance order

Ordinal optimization techniques help us locating "good" designs efficiently. Previous studies of ordinal optimization define the "good" designs as those coming at the top of the "order" of performance. In this study, we argue that with the help of practical prior knowledge and observations, we can establish quantitative relationship between the good design found and the performance "values" of it. Therefore, the analysis of ordinal optimization can be carried out to identify designs that are good by some criterion of their performance "values.".
Isospin dependent multifragmentation in 112 Sn+ 112 Sn and 124 Sn+ 124 Sn collisions

Significant differences in the relationships between fragment, neutron, and charged particle multiplicities were found between {sup 112}Sn+{sup 112}Sn and {sup 124}Sn+{sup 124}Sn collisions at 40 MeV/A. In this paper we explore the possibility to explain this phenomenon in the framework of percolation models, and find that the results are only reproducible in part. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Will NATO settle for Kohl cuts

The controversy on short-range missiles is a symbol for a much more fundamental debate — on whether the Western alliance should continue its policy of deterrence as if the Soviet threat had not changed.
Arch reconstruction after a previous ascending-to-descending aortic bypass for coarctation of the aorta.

From the Divisions of Cardiovascular Surgery and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Disclosures: Authors have nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Jan 8, 2016; accepted for publication Jan 15, 2016. Address for reprints: Alduz S. Cabasa, MD, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (E-mail: cabasa.alduz@mayo.edu). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2016;-:1-4 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2016 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2016.01.027
Assessing the Effect of Dissolved Organic Ligands on Mineral Dissolution Rates: an Example from Calcite Dissolution

Experiments suggest that dissolved organic ligands may primarily modify mineral dissolution rates by three mechanisms: (1) metal-ligand (M-L) complex formation in solution, which increases the degree of undersaturation, (2) formation of surface M-L complexes that attack the surface, and (3) formation of surface complexes which passivate or “protect” the surface. Mechanisms (1) and (2) increase the dissolution rate and the third decreases it compared with organic-free solutions. The types and importance of these mechanisms may be assessed from plots of dissolution rate versus degree of undersaturation. To illustrate this technique, calcite, a common repository cementing and vein-filling mineral, was dissolved at pH 7.8 and 22°C in Na-Ca-HCO 3 -Cl solutions with low concentrations of three organic ligands. Low citrate concentrations (50 μm) increased the dissolution rate consistent with mechanism (1). Oxalate decreased the rate, consistent with mechanism (3). Low phthalate concentration (< 50 μM) decreased calcite dissolution rates; however, higher concentrations increased the dissolution rates, which became faster than in inorganic solutions. Thus, phthalate exhibits both mechanisms (2) and (3) at different concentrations. In such cases linear extrapolations of dissolution rates from high organic ligand concentrations may not be valid.
Impedance probe testing prior to pediatric airway reconstruction.

Objective:This study aimed to determine if preoperative impedance testing changed management and if testing was associated with surgical outcome in patients undergoing airway reconstruction.Methods:Retrospective review of patients who had impedance testing prior to airway reconstruction at a tertiary pediatric hospital from January 2010 to September 2011. Charts were reviewed for demographics, medical/surgical history, impedance testing, and surgical outcomes.Results:Fifty-seven patients were included. Forty-seven (82%) were premature. Forty-seven (82%) had a primary diagnosis of subglottic stenosis. Twenty-six (45%) had prior airway surgery. Thirty-six (63%) had gastroesophageal reflux and 21 (36%) had undergone fundoplication. Patients without fundoplication had a median 46 total reflux, 7 proximal, and 14.5 acidic events compared to a median 5 total reflux, 0 proximal, and 0 acidic events in patients with fundoplication. Impedance testing changed management in 22% (8/36) of nonfundoplication patients a...
Screen Media Use in Hospitalized Children

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Screen media overuse is associated with negative physical and mental health effects in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen media use at home; however, there are no similar guidelines for children’s hospitals. This study was conducted to explore caregiver (parent or other guardian) perceptions about screen media use, compare at-home with in-hospital screen media use, and measure screen use among hospitalized children. METHODS: We obtained data from a convenience cohort of hospitalized children at a single, comprehensive tertiary care children’s hospital over 3 periods of 2 weeks each from 2013 to 2014. Home and hospital screen media use was measured through survey and study personnel directly observed hospital screen use. Descriptive statistics are reported and generalized estimating equation was used to identify characteristics associated with screen media use. RESULTS: Observation (n = 1490 observations) revealed screen media on 80.3% of the time the hospitalized child was in the room and awake, and 47.8% of observations with direct attention to a screen. Surveyed caregivers reported their child engaging in significantly more screen media use in the hospital setting as compared with home, and 42% of caregivers reported the amount of screen time used by their child in the hospital was more than they would have liked. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized children have access to a variety of screen media, and this media is used at rates far higher than recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children’s hospitals should consider developing guidelines for screen media use.
Study on subtile structure of Leptoconops kerteszi complex of Ningxia

Objective To study subtile structure of Leptoconops kerteszi complex and provide scientific evidence for diagnosis among species. Methods Identifying the subtile structure of Leptoconops kerteszi complex. Results Different species' style and it's processes of Leptoconops kerteszi complex had different character in shape and size,whether there was setae under the processes.The 9-tergum's submedian processes,shape,steae on it,number,location and 9-sterna's gravure width,depth,whether there was setae on the film were different.Different species' apical dilation of parameres and aedeagus of Leptoconops kerteszi complex had different character in shape,size,whether there was process in interior and exterior margin,process' number,location,whether there was keratose or not,its location,extent.Character changing of aedeagus was similar to apical dilation of parameres mentioned above,added if there was speckle at the top,speckle's shape and size.Their spermathecae's number,shape,size,whether there was short net basally and maculation in the end,its sclerous degree,the ration to length and breath were different,expanded level,shape and senory pit's location,size of palpue's segment Ⅲ and the ration to segment Ⅲ and Ⅳ were different among species. Conclusion Apical dilation of subtile structure of Leptoconops kerteszi complex have peculiar character for diagnosis among species.
Effects of ammonia on L-glutamate uptake in cultured astrocytes

The effect of ammonia onl-glutamate (L-GLU) uptake was examined in cultured astrocytes. Acute ammonia treatment (5–10 mM) enhanced L-[3H]GLU uptake by 20–42% by increasing the Vmax; this persisted for 2 days and then started to decline. Ammonia, however, did not affect the uptake ofd-[3H]aspartate (D-ASP), a non-metabolizable analog of L-GLU, that uses the same transport carrier as L-GLU. Also, L-GLU uptake was not affected during the first 2 min of the assay. Thus, ammonia did not have an acute effect on L-GLU transport (translocation); rather, ammonia enhanced the accumulation or “trapping” of L-GLU or its by-products. Chronic ammonia treatment, on the other hand, inhibited L-GLU transport in astrocytes by ∼30–45% and this was due to a decrease in Vmax, suggesting that the number of L-GLU transporters was decreased. This inhibitory effect was observed after 1 day of treatment and persisted for at least 7 days. The inhibition of L-GLU transport was partially reversible following removal of ammonia. The effects of ammonia on L-GLU transport and uptake may explain the abnormal L-GLU neurotransmission observed in hyperammonemia/hepatic encephalopathy, and the brain swelling associated with fulminant hepatic failure.
Correlation of the distribution of Rickettsia conorii, microscopic lesions, and clinical features in South African tick bite fever.

Abstract Three South African patients with severe Rickettsia conorii infection had complicated courses of illness with 2 fatal cases and 1 with gangrene of multiple digits. Immunofluorescent organisms of R. conorii were demonstrated in vascular endothelium of brain, leptomeninges, renal glomerular arterioles and capillaries, renal arteries and veins, myocardial capillaries and arteries, pulmonary alveolar capillaries, pancreatic septa, splenic arterioles, and dermis. Rickettsiae were also observed in hepatic sinusoidal lining cells, splenic and lymph node macrophages, and the blood vessels of the partially viable zone of the amputated digits. Pathologic lesions included cerebral and cerebellar perivascular mononuclear leukocytes, mild mononuclear leptomeningitis, glomerular arteriolitis, vascular and perivascular mononuclear cell-rich inflammatory foci in the kidney, pancreas, skin, and myocardium, hepatocellular necrosis, and pulmonary edema. The sites of lesions and rickettsiae showed strong topographical correlation. Thrombi and hemorrhage occurred in a minority of the sites of vascular injury. Rickettsiae were the apparent direct cause of meningoencephalitis, peripheral gangrene, and other foci of vascular injury. Fatal R. conorii infection with disseminated organ involvement emphasizes the pathogenic potential of this disease.
Polygenic risk of Alzheimer disease is associated with early- and late-life processes

Objective: To examine associations between aggregate genetic risk and Alzheimer disease (AD) markers in stages preceding the clinical symptoms of dementia using data from 2 large observational cohort studies. Methods: We computed polygenic risk scores (PGRS) using summary statistics from the International Genomics of Alzheimer9s Project genome-wide association study of AD. Associations between PGRS and AD markers (cognitive decline, clinical progression, hippocampus volume, and β-amyloid) were assessed within older participants with dementia. Associations between PGRS and hippocampus volume were additionally examined within healthy younger participants (age 18–35 years). Results: Within participants without dementia, elevated PGRS was associated with worse memory ( p = 0.002) and smaller hippocampus ( p = 0.002) at baseline, as well as greater longitudinal cognitive decline (memory: p = 0.0005, executive function: p = 0.01) and clinical progression ( p p = 0.03) but did not reach statistical significance for CSF β-amyloid ( p = 0.11). Within the younger group, higher PGRS was associated with smaller hippocampus volume ( p = 0.05). This pattern was evident when examining a PGRS that included many loci below the genome-wide association study (GWAS)–level significance threshold (16,123 single nucleotide polymorphisms), but not when PGRS was restricted to GWAS-level significant loci (18 single nucleotide polymorphisms). Conclusions: Effects related to common genetic risk loci distributed throughout the genome are detectable among individuals without dementia. The influence of this genetic risk may begin in early life and make an individual more susceptible to cognitive impairment in late life. Future refinement of polygenic risk scores may help identify individuals at risk for AD dementia.
Cataracts and Other Ocular Effects

Cataract is the best known of all eye diseases, but despite wide public awareness and research that has been devoted to elucidation of its etiology, knowledge of the biochemistry of the normal and pathological lens is still somewhat fragmentary. During the past 25 years, numerous investigations in animals and several surveys among human populations have been devoted to assessing the relationship between exposure to microwaves and subsequent development of cataracts. It is significant that of the many experiments on rabbits by several investigators using various techniques, power density >100 mW/cm2 for 1 hr or longer appears to be the lowest time—power threshold in the frequency range of 2450 to 10,000 Hz. In other species of animals such as dogs and nonhuman primates, the threshold for experimental microwave-induced cataract appears to be even higher. Data that are presented to indicate nonthermal, cumulative, or direct cellular effects are equivocal. If one carefully reviews the human data that are presently available, little is added to our knowledge of microwave cataractogenesis.
Sleep and Sleep Disruption in Predator Odor Trauma Model of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (P5.297)

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our research is to understand the role of sleep and sleep disruption in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). BACKGROUND: PTSD is a severe debilitating disorder with profound socio-economic costs. Hyperarousal, nightmares and sleep disruptions are considered to be the hallmark of PTSD. However, their role in the development of PTSD is unclear. To better understand this, we used the most widely-used and ecologically valid “predator odor trauma” model to mimic human PTSD. DESIGN/METHODS: C57BL/6J mice, implanted with electrodes in the hippocampus and muscles to examine sleep-wakefulness and hippocampal field potentials, were used in a set of experiments as described: Experiment 1 : The experiment was initiated by replacing the animal’s recording cages with contextual cages (aluminum foil wrapped on the bottom and outside half of recording cages) followed by exposure to predator odor (soiled cat litter) 30 minutes later. After 90 minutes of exposure to predator odor, mice were transferred back to their respective recording cages and left undisturbed for 5 days. On Day 5, animals were exposed to objective reminders (contextual cages) for three hours. Sleep-wakefulness and hippocampal field potentials were continuously recorded for all 5 days. Control animals underwent the same protocol except that they were exposed to clean litter. Experiment 2: Same as experiment 1 except that sleep was disrupted (by gentle auditory tactile and stimuli) for three hours immediately after the trauma. RESULTS: Mice exposed to predator odor trauma displayed hyperarousal and sleep disruptions. Exposure to objective reminders resulted in “flashbacks” or replication of behaviors observed during original trauma. Three hours of sleep disruption reduced PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results suggest 1) mice exposed to predator odor trauma mimic sleep disruptions observed in human PTSD. 2) If sleep is disturbed immediately after trauma, PTSD symptoms are attenuated. Disclosure: Dr. Taranissi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sharma has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sahota has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thakkar has nothing to disclose.
Imaging targeted microbubble interactions with microvessels

High-speed imaging was used to directly observe the dynamics of targeted microbubbles in microvessels of ex vivo rat mesentery. Targeted microbubbles were prepared by attaching biotinylated CD31 antibody to microbubbles that were coated by straptavidin. Specific microbubbles were identified to be adherent to the vessel wall. An ultrasound pulse of about 2 µs long with peak negative pressure 0.8 MPa or 1.5 MPa interrogated the tissue sample as high-speed photomicrographic images were acquired with 50-ns shutter speeds. Asymmetrical oscillation of adherent microbubbles was observed. At 0.8 MPa, the microbubble remained attached to the vessel wall after exposure of a single ultrasound pulse. However, at 1.5 MPa, microbubble oscillation induced obvious vessel wall distention and invagination, which was accompanied by microbubble detachment and translation away from the vessel wall. The formation of liquid jets was also observed at 1.5 MPa. The adherence of targeted microbubbles to the vessel wall resulted in relatively strong interactions with the vessel walls at the higher ultrasound pressure level. Lower pressure levels are needed to prolong the attachment of the microbubbles.
Quantitative Ki-67 score as predictive of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

1085 Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is administered prior to surgery for locally advanced tumors but does not confer any additional survival benefit. Measurement of Ki-67, a marker of cell pr...
Digging Trajectory Analysis Using Camera Vision

Abstract Camera-vision methods for tracking and analyzing machine motion trajectories are discussed. Single- and multi-camera machine motion analysis methods are applied for the evaluation of excavating machine motion as well as position sensor calibration. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed and compared.
Eliminating acetate formation improves citramalate production by metabolically engineered Escherichia coli

Citramalate, a chemical precursor to the industrially important methacrylic acid (MAA), can be synthesized using Escherichia coli overexpressing citramalate synthase (cimA gene). Deletion of gltA encoding citrate synthase and leuC encoding 3-isopropylmalate dehydratase were critical to achieving high citramalate yields. Acetate is an undesirable by-product potentially formed from pyruvate and acetyl-CoA, the precursors of citramalate during aerobic growth of E. coli. This study investigated strategies to minimize acetate and maximize citramalate production in E. coli mutants expressing the cimA gene. Key knockouts that minimized acetate formation included acetate kinase (ackA), phosphotransacetylase (pta), and in particular pyruvate oxidase (poxB). Deletion of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (zwf) and ATP synthase (atpFH) aimed at improving glycolytic flux negatively impacted cell growth and citramalate accumulation in shake flasks. In a repetitive fed-batch process, E. coli gltA leuC ackA-pta poxB overexpressing cimA generated 54.1 g/L citramalate with a yield of 0.64 g/g glucose (78% of theoretical maximum yield), and only 1.4 g/L acetate in 87 h. This study identified the gene deletions critical to reducing acetate accumulation during aerobic growth and citramalate production in metabolically engineered E. coli strains. The citramalate yield and final titer relative to acetate at the end of the fed-batch process are the highest reported to date (a mass ratio of citramalate to acetate of nearly 40) without being detrimental to citramalate productivity, significantly improving a potential process for the production of this five-carbon chemical.
Kinetochores: Importance of Being Fashionably Late

A model explains how a critical delay before microtubules detach from kinetochores during cell division might be achieved.
Actualités vaccinologiques suisses: nouveaux vaccins glycoconjugués contre pneumocoques et méningocoques

Two new glycoconjugate vaccines protecting against invasive diseases caused by 13 pneumococcal serotypes or 4 meningococcal serogroups will soon be available in Switzerland. They offer real new perspectives for young children, and for high-risk group adults. As their development is recent, the data one may wish to have is not yet fully available for each age and disease categories. This article attempts to delineate the interest of these new glycoconjugate vaccines and their limits. The additional information (and the answers to numerous expected questions) will be distributed to the 4300 subscribers of InfoVac (www.infovac. ch), which just celebrated its 10th birthday.
Role of Stress Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Women with Suspected Ischemia but No Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease.

Abstract Objective Signs and symptoms of ischemia but no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is often a diagnostic dilemma in women. The use of stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) for advanced diagnostic assessment in these patients is a nonionizing radiation option, but the diagnostic utility in this population is unknown. We examined the diagnostic role of stress CMRI in our patient population of these women. Methods We analyzed 113 consecutive female patients from February 2006 to November 2007 who had prior cardiac evaluations for signs and symptoms of ischemia but no obstructive CAD who underwent stress CMRI, which included anatomic, functional, adenosine stress perfusion, and delayed enhancement imaging. Results The population demographics of 113 women included a mean age of 55 ± 12.2 years with an average body mass index of 25 ± 4.5. Overall, 43% had hypertension, 4% had diabetes, and 3% were smokers. Overall, 80 of 113 (70%) demonstrated abnormal stress CMRI results. Most patients demonstrated findings consistent with subendocardial perfusion abnormalities suggestive of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). Of note, three patients (4%) were diagnosed with congenital coronary anomalies or cardiomyopathy not detected in prior cardiac evaluations. Conclusion Among women with signs and symptoms of ischemia but no obstructive CAD, stress CMRI is frequently abnormal and valuable in diagnosis of CMD. Stress CMRI appears useful for advanced diagnostic assessment in these diagnostically challenged patients.
Indistinguishability Obfuscation from SXDH on 5-Linear Maps and Locality-5 PRGs

Two recent works [Lin, EUROCRYPT 2016, Lin and Vaikuntanathan, FOCS 2016] showed how to construct Indistinguishability Obfuscation (IO) from constant degree multilinear maps. However, the concrete degrees of multilinear maps used in their constructions exceed 30. In this work, we reduce the degree of multilinear maps needed to 5, by giving a new construction of IO from asymmetric L-linear maps and a pseudo-random generator (PRG) with output locality L and polynomial stretch. When plugging in a candidate PRG with locality-5 (e.g., [Goldreich, ECCC 2010, Mossel, Shpilka, and Trevisan, FOCS 2013, O’Donnald and Wither, CCC 2014]), we obtain a construction of IO from 5-linear maps.
Utility of the Shock Index for Risk Stratification in Patients with Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Objectives Patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) frequently require hospitalization, and a small but significant percentage of these patients have adverse outcomes. Risk-scoring tools can help clinicians organize care and make predictions about outcomes. The shock index (heart rate divided by systolic blood pressure) has been used in multiple acute disorders and has the potential to identify patients with UGIB who are at risk for adverse outcomes. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of patients admitted with UGIB between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2015. We collected information about patient demographics, presenting symptoms, underlying clinical disorders, endoscopic results, and outcomes. We calculated risk scores using the Glasgow-Blatchford score, the pre-endoscopy Rockall score, the full Rockall score, the AIMS65 (albumin, international normalized ratio, mental status, systolic blood pressure, age older than 65 years) score, and the shock index. Results This study included 214 admissions for acute UGIB. The mean age was 59.0 ± 15.9 years, 64.5% were men, the mean hemoglobin was 9.2 ± 3.1 g/dL, and the mean shock index was 0.78 ± 0.21 bpm/mm Hg. The mean shock index was significantly increased in patients requiring endoscopic therapy, admission to the intensive care unit, blood component transfusion, and red blood cell transfusion. Classification of patients by a shock index >0.7 preferentially selected patients with these adverse short-term outcomes. Among the scoring tools evaluated in this study, the shock index was the best predictor of the need for endoscopic therapy. Conclusions The shock index is a good tool to identify patients with the potential for short-term adverse outcomes when they present with UGIB. It performs as well as other risk-scoring tools for GI bleeding and has the potential for serial use during hospitalization to identify changes in the clinical course.
Is There Hospitality for Disabled Travelers

There is a plethora of options about what constitutes “accessibility.” Countries like England and Canada are making significant progress in improving accommodations. The Americans with Disability Act is being revised, but critics say hotels are not complying with either the letter or the spirit of the law. The author, a retired FIU professors who writes about disabled travel from his wheelchair, explores these issues from a very personal point of view.
Question 1: UK-WHO versus customised growth charts for the identification of at-risk small for gestational age infants: which one should we use?

You admit a 2-day-old term child from the postnatal ward, who over the last 24 hours was found hypothermic and hypoglycaemic. He has required a heated cot and is following a feeding plan which has stabilised the blood sugar, but not increased it above 2.7 mmol. You admit him as you want to control environmental temperature factors as well as providing glucose, increased monitoring and management. Looking at the maternal notes, you see no risk factors for sepsis (although you are already covering for this) or gestational diabetes. Inflammatory markers and clinical examination are unremarkable. You notice that the mum weights 85 kg, but her body mass index is 24.6 and she is otherwise healthy. Plotting the infant’s birth weight (3560 g), it plots above the 25th centile on the UK-WHO growth chart. On speaking with the mum, she mentions that the obstetric team were concerned throughout the pregnancy, because the baby was ‘too small for her’, and was below the 10th centile on the customised growth chart. They even warned her that the baby might need some ‘extra support’ once it was born. You wonder whether this child should have been monitored from birth as a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant would have been, as it was identified as such by the customised growth chart. Could this have avoided an admission by recognising and treating the problem sooner? In newborn infants (P), should paediatricians use customised growth charts (I) instead of population-based ones (C) to identify infants (at birth), who are at risk of developing complications (both morbidity and mortality) associated with being SGA (O)? Secondary sources (Cochrane and DARE databases): One relevant Systematic Review article1 was found, …
The asymmetric syntheses of cryptocaryols A and B

The recent total syntheses of cryptocaryols A and B are reviewed. These efforts include the correction of the initially assigned absolute and relative stereochemistry of this class of natural products. In addition to enabling the initial structure activity relationships for this class of natural products, these syntheses demonstrated the practical utility of several novel synthetic approaches.
Wartime speculation: property markets and institutional change in eastern Congo's urban centers

ABSTRACTConflict alters economic conditions and drives institutional change in cities. This article explores these phenomena through the lens of real estate markets and property rights institutions in eastern Congo's urban areas. These cities have experienced dramatic demographic growth and spatial expansion over the past two decades of instability and warfare. Conflict-induced urbanization has rendered the cities’ property markets increasingly lucrative and, consequently, produced speculation and competition among private-sector actors vying for ownership of urban land. New institutions, or “rules of the game,” are layered over prior ones as state and non-state authorities attempt to manage an increasingly valuable and capitalized asset. This article draws from empirical data gathered in Beni and Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, to explore cases of institutional change. In the first case, the state's property rights institutions are layered over customary institutions, while in the latter case, a neo-...
waveCSD: A method for estimating transmembrane currents originated from propagating neuronal activity in the neocortex: Application to study cortical spreading depression.

Abstract Background Recent years have witnessed an upsurge in the development of methods for estimating current source densities (CSDs) in the neocortical tissue from their recorded local field potential (LFP) reflections using microelectrode arrays. Among these, methods utilizing linear arrays work under the assumption that CSDs vary as a function of cortical depth; whereas they are constant in the tangential direction, infinitely or in a confined cylinder. This assumption is violated in the analysis of neuronal activity propagating along the neocortical sheet, e.g. propagation of alpha waves or cortical spreading depression. New method Here, we developed a novel mathematical method (waveCSD) for CSD analysis of LFPs associated with a planar wave of neocortical neuronal activity propagating at a constant velocity towards a linear probe. Results Results show that the algorithm is robust to the presence of noise in LFP data and uncertainties in knowledge of propagation velocity. Also, results show high level of accuracy of the method in a wide range of electrode resolutions. Using in vivo experimental recordings from the rat neocortex, we employed waveCSD to characterize transmembrane currents associated with cortical spreading depressions. Comparison with existing method(s) Simulation results indicate that waveCSD has a significantly higher reconstruction accuracy compared to the widely-used inverse CSD method (iCSD), and the regularized kernel CSD method (kCSD), in the analysis of CSDs originating from propagating neuronal activity. Conclusions The waveCSD method provides a theoretical platform for estimation of transmembrane currents from their LFPs in experimental paradigms involving wave propagation.
Inherited Cardiomyopathies Molecular Genetics and Clinical Genetic Testing in the Postgenomic Era

Inherited cardiomyopathies include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, left ventricular noncompaction, and restrictive cardiomyopathy. These diseases have a substantial genetic component and predispose to sudden cardiac death, which provides a high incentive to identify and sequence disease genes in affected individuals to identify pathogenic variants. Clinical genetic testing, which is now widely available, can be a powerful tool for identifying presymptomatic individuals. However, locus and allelic heterogeneity are the rule, as are clinical variability and reduced penetrance of disease in carriers of pathogenic variants. These factors, combined with genetic and phenotypic overlap between different cardiomyopathies, have made clinical genetic testing a lengthy and costly process. Next-generation sequencing technologies have removed many limitations such that comprehensive testing is now feasible, shortening diagnostic odysseys for clinically complex cases. Remaining challenges include the incomplete understanding of the spectrum of benign and pathogenic variants in the cardiomyopathy genes, which is a source of inconclusive results. This review provides an overview of inherited cardiomyopathies with a focus on their genetic etiology and diagnostic testing in the postgenomic era.
Social Security Survivor Benefits: Why Congress Must Create a Uniform Standard of Eligibility for Posthumously Conceived Children

Legal issues surrounding posthumously conceived children often arise in the context of the Social Security Act, which looks to state law to determine who qualifies for benefits through a deceased parent. Because states have failed to respond promptly to the possibility of posthumous conception, reliance on state law does not adequately protect the rights of this special class of children. This Note argues that Congress must create a uniform standard of Social Security eligibility for posthumously conceived children, and proposes that such children should receive benefits only if (1) before death, the deceased father agreed in writing to be responsible for and support a child conceived with his frozen sperm, and (2) the child is conceived within four years of the father’s death.
Developing Priority Index for Managing Utility Disruptions in Urban Areas with Focus on Cascading and Interdependent Effects

Unanticipated events such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks, and so forth, could cause prolonged disruptions in major utility service networks including, for example, water and...
Decoupling Beam Steering and User Selection for MU-MIMO 60-GHz WLANs

Multi-user transmission at 60 GHz promises to increase the throughput of next-generation WLANs via both analog and digital beamforming. To maximize the capacity, analog beams need to be jointly configured with user selection and digital weights; however, joint maximization requires prohibitively large training and feedback overhead. In this paper, we scale multi-user 60-GHz WLAN throughput via design of a low-complexity structure for decoupling beam steering and user selection such that analog beam training precedes user selection. We introduce a two-class framework comprising: 1) single-shot selection of users by minimizing overlap of their idealized beam patterns obtained from analog training and 2) interference-aware incremental addition of users via sequential training to better predict inter-user interference. We implement a programmable testbed using software-defined radios and commercial 60-GHz transceivers and conduct over-the-air measurements to collect channel traces for different indoor WLAN deployments. Measurements are conducted using a 12-element phased antenna array as well as horn antennas with different directivity gains to evaluate the performance of practical 60-GHz systems. Using trace-based emulations and high resolution 60-GHz channel models, we show that our decoupling structure experiences less than 5% performance loss compared with maximum achievable rates via joint user-beam selection.