cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survival costs associated with wood frog breeding migrations: effects of timber harvest and drought

Migration presents a trade-off for individuals between the potential fitness benefits of reaching high-quality habitat vs. the potential costs of migration. Within an information-theoretic framework, we examined the costs of migration for adult wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) in response to timber harvest and annual weather conditions using Cox proportional-hazard estimates of survival. In 2004 prior to timber harvest, survival did not differ between the inside (0.75, SE ¼ 0.078) and outside (0.73, SE ¼ 0.235) of the circular timber harvest arrays (each 164 m radius). Following timber harvest, survival inside arrays in both 2005 and 2006 (0.22, SE ¼ 0.065; 0.42, SE ¼ 0.139) was lower than survival outside of the arrays and prior to harvest. Sources of mortality included predation in all years and desiccation in the drought year of 2005. The most-supported models for explaining both predation and desiccation risks reflected behaviors as opposed to timber harvest or weather conditions. Both predation and desiccation risks increased when frogs made frequent movements or were located near breeding ponds. Optimal behaviors for reducing predation and desiccation risks were the same before and after timber harvest; however, the survival consequences for not adopting these behaviors were more severe following harvest. Our results provide empirical evidence for (1) the ecological pressures that influence migratory behavior and (2) differential survival in relation to migratory behavior which reveals why frogs move relatively long distances away from breeding sites.
Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Parenting Stress: Assessing the Mediating Role of Depressive Symptoms

Guided by the spillover hypothesis and process model of parenting, this study examined relationships between intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and parenting characteristics among a sample of 1,153 lower-income women. Hierarchical regression was used to investigate a mediational model examining women’s self-reports of physical and psychological IPV, depressive symptoms, and parenting stress. Results suggest that depressive symptoms partially mediate the link between a mother’s psychological IPV victimization and later self-reported parenting stress. Findings from this study highlight the importance of including maternal psychopathology and other stress and support variables when assessing parenting outcomes among women with histories of IPV.
Inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging using a coherent ultrawideband random noise radar system

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has developed an ultrawideband random noise radar operating over the 1- to 2-GHz frequency range. The system uses the technique of heterodyne correlation, and is thus phase coherent. It has therefore been used in applications such as interferometry, polarimetry, and Doppler estimation. This assesses the performance of this radar as a range-Doppler imaging system, in particular, inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR). By performing turntable experiments, we examine a number of issues that arise both from the wideband nature of the radar system and from the randomness of the transmit signal. Although the ultrawideband nature of the signal does yield some ambiguity as to the cross-range resolution of the system, it is seen that one may use the usual equation for cross-range resolution in narrowband systems with reasonable confidence. In addition, the random nature of the transmit waveform gives rise to variations from look to look in the ISAR images. High correlations are obtained for voltage and power amplitudes, while the complex voltage and the phase angle show low correlations from look to look. Finally, we present polarimetric color images of a complex target that captures its polarimetric scattering characteristics, which may be useful in automatic target recognition.
Characterization of the Humoral Immune Response to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Virus Infection

The development of the humoral immune response against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus was monitored by an indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test, immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and serum virus neutralization (SVN) test over a 105-day period in 8 pigs experimentally infected with ATCC strain VR-2402. Specific antibodies against PRRS virus were first detected by the IFA test, IPMA, ELISA, and the SVN test 9-11, 5-9, 9-13, and 9-28 days postinoculation (PI), respectively, and reached their maximum values by 4-5, 5-6, 4-6, and 10-11 weeks PI, respectively, thereafter. After reaching maximum value, all assays showed a decline in antibody levels. Assuming a constant rate of antibody decay, it was estimated by regression analysis that the ELISA, IFA, IPMA, and SVN antibody titers would approach the lower limits of detection by approximately days 137, 158, 324, and 356 PI, respectively. In this study, the immunoperoxidase monolayer assay appeared to offer slightly better performance relative to the IFA test, ELISA, and SVN test in terms of earlier detection and slower rate of decline in antibody titers. Western immunoblot analysis revealed that antibody specific for the 15-kD viral protein was present in all pigs by 7 days PI and persisted throughout the 105-day observation period. Initial detection of antibodies to the 19-, 23-, and 26-kD proteins varied among pigs, ranging from 9 to 35 days PI. Thereafter, the antibody responses to these 3 viral proteins of PRRS virus continued to be detected throughout the 105-day study period. These results clearly indicate that the 15-kD protein is the most immunogenic of the 4 viral proteins identified and may provide the antigenic basis for the development of improved diagnostic tests for the detection of PRRS virus antibodies.
The Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Elderly Residents of Public Housing

Background This study estimates lifetime and one-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders among elderly public housing residents. Method Nine hundred forty-five residents of six public housing developments for the elderly were administered the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the CAGE by lay interviewers. Residents screening positive and a 10% random sample of screen negatives were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) and a DSM-III-R derived algorithm for dementia and delirium. Prevalence rates were estimated based on weighted data from 298 subjects. Results Thirty-six percent of participants screened positive on at least one instrument. Based on the case identification interview, estimated lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 57.6%, and one-month prevalence was 27.9%. Cognitive disorder (10.5%), mood disorder (8.0%), psychotic disorder (4.6%), and substance abuse/dependence (4.4%) were the most common current disorders. Mood disorders (26.6%) and substance abuse/dependence (23.0%) were the most prevalent lifetime disorders. Compared to data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area, public housing residents have higher current rates of mood disorder, schizophrenia, and substance use disorder. Conclusions Elderly residents of public housing suffer higher rates of psychiatric morbidity than older people living independently in the community. The high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this growing population of low-income elderly presents a challenge to the delivery of mental health service.
Cloning of Small RNA Molecules

Small RNAs that are derived from dsRNA precursors act as guide RNAs during sequence-specific epigenetic regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. These small regulatory RNAs are between 20 and 30 nucleotides in length, and fall into one or more of the following categories: small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and heterochromatic siRNAs (hsiRNAs). Procedures to record the profile of small RNAs expressed in cultured cells or tissues are described. The small RNAs are directionally cloned after isolation from total RNA. The methods rely on T4 RNA ligase-based joining of adapter oligonucleotides to the 3' and 5' termini of the pool of small RNAs. The ligation products are reverse transcribed and PCR-amplified. It is recommended to directionally concatamerize the relatively short PCR products before cloning in order to increase the number of RNA sequences obtained per clone.
Nicotine and Toxicant Exposure among U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Users: Results from 1999 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data.

Background: It has been suggested that smokeless tobacco users have high nicotine and toxicant exposure, but studies with nationally representative data have been limited. Methods: We analyzed biomarkers of tobacco exposure for 23,684 adult participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2012. The biomarkers analyzed were serum cotinine, urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), blood lead, blood cadmium, blood mercury, urinary arsenic, and urinary N-acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)-L-cysteine. We calculated geometric mean concentrations for each biomarker by tobacco use category and geometric mean ratios adjusting for demographic factors. Results: Exclusive smokeless tobacco users had higher geometric mean concentrations of serum cotinine [178.9 ng/mL, 95% confidence interval (CI), 145.5–220.0] and NNAL (583.0 pg/mg creatinine, 95% CI, 445.2–763.5) than exclusive cigarette smokers (130.6 ng/mL, 95% CI, 122.3–139.6 and 217.6 pg/mg creatinine, 95% CI, 193.0–245.2, respectively). Smokeless tobacco users also had higher concentrations of blood lead compared with nontobacco users (adjusted geometric mean ratio = 1.30, 95% CI, 1.21–1.38). Based on limited sample sizes, NNAL concentrations for smokeless tobacco users appear to have declined from 2007 to 2008 (geometric mean = 1013.7 pg/mg creatinine, 95% CI, 738.9–1390.8) to 2011 to 2012 (geometric mean = 325.7 pg/mg creatinine, 95% CI, 159.6–664.9). Conclusions: Exclusive smokeless tobacco users have higher observed levels of exposure to nicotine and carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines, as measured by cotinine and NNAL biomarker concentrations, than exclusive cigarette smokers. These patterns in NNAL levels for smokeless tobacco users may be changing over time. Impact: High exposure to harmful constituents among smokeless tobacco users is a continuing health issue. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(12); 1829–37. ©2015 AACR . This article is featured in Highlights of This Issue, [p. 1809][1] [1]: /lookup/volpage/24/1809?iss=12
Crystal structure of cholesteryl butanoate at 123 K.

Cholesteryl butanoate has a complex crystal struc- ture that differs from those of the three main structure types for cholesteryl esters. It contains four molecules (C3LH5202) un- related by crystal symmetry. The molecules are packed in almost planar sheets and have molecular long axes nearly parallel. However, the molecules have different orientations about their long axes and furthermore, in a given sheet, one of the indepen- dent molecules is antiparallel to the other three. Viewed down the molecular long axes, each molecule has six nearest neigh- bors, but the detailed environment is different for the four in- dependent molecules. Thus the molecular arrangement has fea- tures that are characteristic of the short-range order present in the cholesteric mesophase. The monotropic transformation from the crystalline to the cholesteric phase occurs at 98OC. The crys- tal structure has been accurately determined using 17,146 in- dependent X-ray reflections having sinO/X < 0.63 A-*. All hydrogen atoms were located from a difference Fourier and were included in a refinement thato gave R(E2) = 0.064. The C-C bond lengths have u = 0.003 A and C-C-C bond angles have u = 0.29 Conformations for the steroid ring system are similar but there are differences in the C17 side chains and the butano- ate chains of the four independent molecules. Analysis of atomic m.s. displacement tensors using a segmented-body model indi- cates that there are internal librations involving both the C17 and butanoate chains in all molecules.-Han, G. W., B. M. Craven, and D. A. Langs. Crystal structure of cholesteryl butanoate at 123 K. J Lipid Res. 1994. 35: 2069-2082.
Case 55: Bispectral Index – What Does It Mean?

Today you are anesthetizing a 70-year-old woman scheduled for repair of an internal iliac aneurysm. She has Type-2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and stable angina. The latter is treated medically. She takes metformin (500 mg bid), glibenclamide (2.5 mg/day), metoprolol (25 mg bid), aspirin (100 mg/day), and atorvastatin (20 mg/day). Her blood sugar is 250 mg/100 mL. As requested she has not taken her oral hypoglycemic on the day of surgery. You see her in the preoperative area and tell her that you will be using the Bispectral Index Scale (BIS) (Aspect Medical Systems, Natick, MA) to assess her depth of anesthesia. Since this is the first time you are using the BIS monitor, you have a BIS monitor representative present in the operating room during the procedure. You introduce her to him and she consents that he may be present. On the way to the operating room, you sedate her with 2 mg of midazolam.
Cardiac ATP-sensitive K+ channel: a target for diadenosine 5',5''-P1,P5-pentaphosphate.

In numerous studies the intracellular mononucleotide-dependent gating of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels has been demonstrated. However, it is not known whether dinucleotide polyphosphates, a family of endogenous compounds structurally-related to ATP, could also modulate this ion conductance. Therefore, in the present study we assessed the direct effect of diadenosine 5′,5″-P1,P5-pentaphosphate (Ap5A) on cardiac KATP channel activity using the inside-out configuration of the patch-clamp technique. Addition of Ap5A (50 μM) to the internal side of membrane patches, excised from guinea-pig ventricular cells, strongly inhibited KATP channel activity. The estimated NPo (where N is the number of channels in the patch and Po the open probability of each channel) was 4.16 ± 0.50 in the absence and 0.85 ± 0.30 in the presence of Ap5A (50 μM). This effect of Ap5A was partially reversible, and the NP0 was 2.26 ± 0.60 after washout of Ap5A. Exposure of KATP channels to increasing concentrations of Ap5A revealed that the Ap5A-induced inhibition is concentration-dependent with the half-maximal effective concentration of 16 μM (Hill coefficient: 1.6). On the basis of these results, we conclude that Ap5A is a potent antagonist of the KATP channel activity. This represents a previously unrecognized property of Ap5A, as well as the discovery of a potentially novel endogenous ligand of myocardial KATP channels.
Public administration and the logic of resolution

ABSTRACTThrough a critical reading of Wilson’s 1887 article, I propose a political logic of public administration, what I call the logic of resolution. A central but neglected aspect of Wilson’s article is the focus and importance of closure and creation, both of which underscore how public administration emerged not only as an area of study, but also as a political project. I discuss three central considerations of the logic of resolution: problem framing, solutionism, and optics. This logic conditions how problems can be viewed and, consequently, limits available actions. By developing the logic of resolution, I make explicit the hegemonic discourse of public administration.
Bicarbonate and mannitol treatment for traumatic rhabdomyolysis revisited.

Abstract Background A rhabdomyolysis protocol (RP) with mannitol and bicarbonate to prevent acute renal dysfunction (ARD, creatinine >2.0 mg/dL) remains controversial. Methods Patients with creatine kinase (CK) greater than 2,000 U/L over a 10-year period were identified. Shock, Injury Severity Score, massive transfusion, intravenous contrast exposure, and RP use were evaluated. RP was initiated for a CK greater than 10,000 U/L (first half of the study) or greater than 20,000 U/L (second half). Multivariable analyses were used to identify predictors of ARD and the independent effect of the RP. Results Seventy-seven patients were identified, 24 (31%) developed ARD, and 4 (5%) required hemodialysis. After controlling for other risk factors, peak CK greater than 10,000 U/L (odds ratio 8.6, P = .016) and failure to implement RP (odds ratio 5.7, P = .030) were independent predictors of ARD. Among patients with CK greater than 10,000, ARD developed in 26% of patients with the RP versus 70% without it ( P = .008). Conclusion Reduced ARD was noted with RP. A prospective controlled study is still warranted.
Accelerating the convergence of POCS algorithms by exponential prediction

The convergence of projection on convex sets (POCS) algorithms is monotonic and exponential near the point of convergence, so it is reasonable to predict the limit point using a simple exponential regression. For circumstances where the convergence of each coordinate direction is, in fact, monotonic, this results in a significant acceleration of POCS. However, as we show, the convergence in the coordinates is not monotonic at points sufficiently far from the limit point. We develop an algorithm which takes direction changes into account. An example of POCS on bandlimited reconstruction is presented.
Practical Application of the Dublin Core Standard for Enterprise Metadata Management

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Large organizations relying heavily on knowledge work require effective capture and reuse of information, enabled through consistent use of standardized enterprise content metadata. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has undertaken a standardization effort, building an internal content schema based on established metadata field standards that are content- and application-agnostic but locally customizable for application to a broad variety of repositories. The JPL adopted the Dublin Core standard, with its Simple and Qualified properties as well as further refined Custom sub-properties. The JPL Resource Schema serves as an enterprise-wide metadata standard, while specific application profiles state the available fields and field labels for each repository or content management system. The schema's terms are drawn from two distinct but semantically related vocabularies and linked by an intermediary registry tying granular listings for specific applications to enterprise-level terms. The registry mappings permit the use of both local metadata and higher level or external systems. The effort has demonstrated the importance of consistent application of both granular and general metadata for information capture and revealed important lessons about adopting the Dublin Core standard in a large enterprise setting.
Signatures of new physics

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), CERN's flagship facility, has so far produced only a small fraction of the large number of collisions expected to be delivered in the core of the ATLAS and CMS detectors this year.
Why don't they listen?

Robert P Crease thinks he might know why science has lost its authority when it comes to political decisions.
Atrial fibrillation: the ancient conundrum defies simple solution.

“… Eli sat on his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled …” Samuel I, 4:13 Atrial fibrillation (AF), affecting 2% to 4% of adults aged 60 years and older and more than 10% of patients older than 80 years ([1][1]), is heralded with the onset of dyspnea, chest discomfort,
Mathematical Modeling in Communication Research: An Overview

(1981). Mathematical Modeling in Communication Research: An Overview. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 5, Communication Yearbook 5, pp. 159-191.
Symmetric active/active metadata service for highly available cluster storage systems

In a typical distributed storage system, metadata is stored and managed by dedicated metadata servers. One way to improve the availability of distributed storage systems is to deploy multiple metadata servers. Past research focused on the active/standby model, where each active server has at least one redundant idle backup. However, interruption of service and loss of service state may occur during a fail-over depending on the used replication technique. The research in this paper targets the symmetric active/active replication model using multiple redundant service nodes running in virtual synchrony. In this model, service node failures do not cause a fail-over to a backup and there is no disruption of service or loss of service state. We use a fast delivery protocol to reduce the latency of total order broadcast. Our prototype implementation shows that high availability of metadata servers can be achieved with an acceptable performance trade-off using the active/active metadata server solution.
Insulin Prophylaxis in Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

All the experimental animal models of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and preliminary human trials suggest that insulin can be safely used not only for immediate therapeutic purposes but also in the prevention of the disease. The mechanism of protection induced by insulin prophylaxis may include both ‘β-cell rest’ and induction of immunoregulatory processes. Finally, combined therapies involving oral, subcutaneous and intravenous routes may be of potential advantage in disease prevention. Future studies will have to address these issues.
Radiopharmaceuticals for Clinical Cardiac PET Imaging

The clinical value of cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) imaging was demonstrated more than 20 years ago,1–3 but its clinical utilization has been low until recently. This was due to the limitation of PET imaging to research centers with a PET camera and a cyclotron, its great expense, and the lack of reimbursement for clinical PET studies. Another disincentive was lack of standardized software for cardiac PET image processing, display, or regional quantification on most PET imaging systems.
Student Explanations in the Context of Computational Science and Engineering Education

Creating explanations is an important process for students, not only to make connections between novel information and background knowledge, but also to be able to communicate their understanding o...
The Adductomics of Isolevuglandins: Oxidation of IsoLG Pyrrole Intermediates Generates Pyrrole⁻Pyrrole Crosslinks and Lactams

Isoprostane endoperoxides generated by free radical-induced oxidation of arachidonates, and prostaglandin endoperoxides generated through enzymatic cyclooxygenation of arachidonate, rearrange nonenzymatically to isoprostanes and a family of stereo and structurally isomeric γ-ketoaldehyde seco-isoprostanes, collectively known as isolevuglandins (isoLGs). IsoLGs are stealthy toxins, and free isoLGs are not detected in vivo. Rather, covalent adducts are found to incorporate lysyl e-amino residues of proteins or ethanolamino residues of phospholipids. In vitro studies have revealed that adduction occurs within seconds and is uniquely prone to cause protein-protein crosslinks. IsoLGs accelerate the formation of the type of amyloid beta oligomers that have been associated with neurotoxicity. Under air, isoLG-derived pyrroles generated initially are readily oxidized to lactams and undergo rapid oxidative coupling to pyrrole-pyrrole crosslinked dimers, and to more highly oxygenated derivatives of those dimers. We have now found that pure isoLG-derived pyrroles, which can be generated under anoxic conditions, do not readily undergo oxidative coupling. Rather, dimer formation only occurs after an induction period by an autocatalytic oxidative coupling. The stable free-radical TEMPO abolishes the induction period, catalyzing rapid oxidative coupling. The amine N-oxide TMAO is similarly effective in catalyzing the oxidative coupling of isoLG pyrroles. N-acetylcysteine abolishes the generation of pyrrole-pyrrole crosslinks. Instead pyrrole-cysteine adducts are produced. Two unified single-electron transfer mechanisms are proposed for crosslink and pyrrole-cysteine adduct formation from isoLG-pyrroles, as well as for their oxidation to lactams and hydroxylactams.
Abstract TP379: “Build It and They Will Come”: How Comprehensive Stroke Certification Increases the Number of Transfers

Introduction/Background: Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability affecting 800,000 people in the U.S. each year. In September 2012 The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the Americ...
VITAMIN B-12 ABSORPTION IN GNOTOBIOTIC DOGS AND CECECTOMIZED GNOTOBIOTIC RATS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the vitamin B-12 absorption in gnotobiotic dogs and cecectomized gnotobiotic rats. It presents data obtained for Vitamin B-12 absorption and intestinal transit in normal and cecectomized rats, indicating that although the conventional rats under normal circumstances absorbed approximately 10% more of the administered Vitamin B-12 than the germfree rats, after cecectomy both animal categories absorbed B-12 at essentially the same rate, with 52% and 54% of administered dose being absorbed. Maximum PEG recovery is the period in the experiment when the maximum accumulative quantity of PEG has been recovered in the feces and all subsequent fecal samples contain less than 1% of the administered dose. The range of PEG recovered in all animal categories was 85% to 115% of that fed in the test meal. The number of hours required to recover maximum PEG was significantly reduced by cecectomy in both animal categories. The most striking reduction occurred in the germfree rats, which fell from 96 h in the normal rats to 34 h in the cecectomized. The enlarged germfree cecum represents a highly variable trap for a test meal, sometimes trapping large quantities and other times very small amounts.
Chapter 5 – The Pancreatic Islets

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a brief overview of the development and morphology of the endocrine pancreas along with the metabolism, functions, and regulations of its hormones. The principal pancreatic hormones are insulin and glucagon, whose opposing effects on the liver regulate hepatic storage, production, and release of energy-rich fuels. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that promotes sequestration of carbohydrate, fat, and protein in storage depots throughout the body. The physiological role of glucagon is to stimulate hepatic production and secretion of glucose and, to a lesser extent, ketone bodies that are derived from fatty acids. Insulin deficiency leads to severe reduction in the ability to store glycogen, fat, and protein. Insulin may accelerate synthesis of fatty acids by increasing the uptake of glucose and by activating at least two enzymes that direct the flow of glucose carbons into fatty acids. The many changes that insulin produces at the molecular level are membrane transport, enzyme activation, gene transcription, and protein synthesis. Somatostatin is widely distributed in many neural tissues, where it presumably functions as a neurotransmitter. The physiological importance of pancreatic somatostatin is not understood. Increased concentrations of glucose or amino acids in blood stimulate somatostatin secretion by intestinal delta cells. Norepinephrine and acetylcholine also increase somatostatin secretion.
Strain relaxation in different shapes of single crystal graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition on copper

Abstract The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of single-crystal graphene on polycrystalline copper foils is a complex process affected by thermodynamics, kinetics, and growth conditions. These factors lead to the diversity of island shapes of single crystal graphene. Here, we present an experimental atomic force microscopy (AFM) study of the different shapes of single-crystal graphene grown on the inner surface of copper enclosures using the low pressure CVD technique. Most remarkably, this study indicates that graphene single crystal appears to form below the adjacent copper foil surface. This feature is revealed in cross sectional AFM scans of the height, which indicate that the graphene surface lies below the neighboring foil surface by ∼15–30 nm. Our results also show that an impurity assisted growth mechanism governs the growth of single crystal graphene via isotropic diffusion, producing two-fold, four-fold, and six-fold symmetries in the resulting flakes. In addition, single crystal graphene produced via anisotropic diffusion is also present here, but they do not exhibit signs of an impurity assisted growth mechanism. Finally, we find that strain relaxation in two-fold and four-fold symmetric graphene structures via isotropic diffusion are more complicated than the six-fold structures via isotropic diffusion, which results in multiple steps orientations in low symmetry structures.
Systematic Review of Mutations Associated with Isoniazid Resistance Points to Continuing Evolution and Subsequent Evasion of Molecular Detection, and Potential for Emergence of Multidrug Resistance in Clinical Strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Molecular testing is rapidly becoming an integral component of global tuberculosis (TB) control. Uncommon mechanisms of resistance escape detection by these platforms and undermine our ability to contain outbreaks. This article is a systematic review of published articles that reported isoniazid (INH) resistance-conferring mutations between September 2013 and December 2019. The genes katG, inhA, fabG1, and the intergenic region oxyR'-ahpC were considered in this review. Fifty-two articles were included describing 9,306 clinical isolates (5,804 INHR, 3,502 INHS) from 31 countries. The three most frequently mutated loci continue to be katG315 (4,271), inhA-15 (787), and inhA-8 (106). However, the diagnostic value of inhA-8 is far lower than previously thought, only appearing in 25 (0.4%) INHR isolates lacking the first two mutations. We catalogued 45 new loci (29 katG, nine inhA, seven ahpC) associated with INH resistance and identified 59 loci (common to this and previous reviews) as a reliable basis for molecular diagnostics. Including all observed mutations provides a cumulative sensitivity of 85.6%. In 14.4% of resistant isolates no mechanism of resistance was detected, making them likely to escape molecular detection, and in case of mono INH resistance likely to convert to MDR-TB. Integrating the information cataloged in this study into current diagnostic tools is essential for combating the emergence of MDR-TB, and its exclusion can lead to an unintended selection against common mechanisms and to diversifying evolution. Observation of many low-frequency resistance-conferring mutations points to an advantage of WGS for diagnostics. Finally, we provide five recommendations for future diagnostic platforms.
Crystallographic Features of a Solidified Hypoeutectic Zn-4.45%Al Alloy

A hypoeutectic Zn-4.45 mass%Al alloy was molten and then slowly solidified in an electrical furnace. The microstructure and the relevant crystallographic feature on longitudinal section of the solidified alloy ingot were characterized by means of SEM with EBSD technique. The results show that feather-like structure consisted of some elongated eutectic colonies is developed in the upper part of the specimen and a specific crystallographic orientation relationship(OR)( { }0001 β ||{ }111 α, ?12ˉ10?β ||?11ˉ0?α) exists between b and a in the eutectic colonies. Moreover, the primary b dendrites are segregated in the lower part of the specimen with a flat morphology: six primary arms grow quickly along101ˉ0but slowly along 0001. In addition, some a precipitates are present in the interior of primary b dendrites, and there exists certain OR between b and a as that mentioned above. However, no specific OR is found between the primary b dendrites and their attached pseudo-primary a phase as well as between the adjacent eutectic b and a.
Pumpless, modular, microphysiological systems enabling tunable perfusion for long-term cultivation of endothelialized lumens.

Given the increased recognition of the importance of physiologically relevant microenvironments when designing in vitro assays, microphysiological systems (MPS) that mimic the critical function and structure of tissues and organs have gained considerable attention as alternatives to traditional experimental models. Accordingly, the field is growing rapidly, and some promising MPS are being tested for use in pharmaceutical development and toxicological testing. However, most MPS are complex and require additional infrastructure, which limits their successful translation. Here, we present a pumpless, modular MPS consisting of 1) a resistance module that controls flow rate and 2) a physiologically relevant, three-dimensional blood vessel module. Flow is provided by an attached reservoir tank that feeds fluid into the resistance channel via hydrostatic pressure. The flow rate is controlled by the height of the media in the tank and the resistance channel’s dimensions. The flow from the resistance module is streamed into the blood vessel module using a liquid bridge. We utilize optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure fluid velocity at regions of interest. The endothelial cells cultured in the MPS remain viable for up to 14 days and demonstrate the functional characteristics of the human blood vessels verified by tight junction expression and diffusion assay. Our results show that a modular MPS can simulate a functional endothelium in vitro while simplifying the operation of the MPS. The simplicity of the system allows for modifications to incorporate other microenvironmental components and to build other organ-modeling systems easily.
Medical Management of Hypercalciuria

Hypercalciuria is the most commonly identified abnormality in 24-h urine studies of calcium stone formers. Typically no specific etiology is identified and the disorder is termed idiopathic, but secondary causes such as primary hyperparathyroidism, renal tubular acidosis, and states of vitamin D excess must be ruled out on initial evaluation. Timely therapy of hypercalciuria can decrease risk of kidney stone recurrence and may mitigate bone demineralization. In addition to lifestyle changes such as increased fluid intake, dietary changes, and sodium restriction, pharmacological therapy with thiazides and alkali supplementation is often necessary for successful treatment of hypercalciuria. Ongoing monitoring and therapy is necessary to maintain the decrement in risk of stone recurrence.
New entrants' practice patterns in Medicare home health care after the prospective payment system revision in 2008.

Abstract Background Medicare home health care spending increased under the prospective payment system (PPS) that was introduced specifically to control the rising spending. To explain this unexpected spending rise, we focused on new home health agencies that entered the market under the PPS. The high profit margins under the PPS attracted many new agencies to the market partially due to home health care's unique feature of low entry costs. We examined whether new entrants were more likely to adopt the practice patterns leading to higher profit margins than incumbent agencies that had been operating in the market before the PPS. Methods Using 2008 to 2010 Medicare Home Health Claims and Provider of Services File, we estimated regressions of agencies' practice patterns controlling for agency and patient characteristics. Results We found that new entrants were more likely than incumbents to adopt practice patterns leading to high profit margins. They were more likely to target the 14th and 20th therapy visit where marginal revenue is relatively greater than that of other number of visits. Under the payment system that compensates extra therapy visits but not for other types of visits, entrants were also more likely to provide therapy visits, but less likely to provide medical social service visits. Conclusions Given the high entry rates of agencies under the PPS, distinct practice patterns among entrants explain the drastic home health spending increase under the PPS. Heterogeneity in agencies' practice patterns also suggests an opportunity to improve efficiency in the Medicare home health care market.
Exploring the Query Expansion Methods for Concept Based Representation.

Abstract : The CDS track investigates methods that could help physicians nd relevant medical cases for patients they are dealing with. Concept based representation has been shown to be effective in biomedical domain. However, the basic concept based retrieval method may not perform well because of the additional restriction on each clinical cases. Therefore, in this paper we explored two external resources to perform query expansion for the basic concept based representation method, and discussed the performance of them.
Birth of the Sliding Filament Model of Muscular Contraction: Proposal

The official date of the “birth” of the sliding filament theory of muscular contraction is May 22, 1954. On this day the journal Nature published two papers consecutively under the general title: “Structural Changes in Muscle During Contraction”. The first paper by Andrew F. Huxley and Dr. Rolf Niedergerke was entitled: “Interference microscopy of living muscle fibres”. The second paper by Dr. Hugh Huxley and Dr. Jean Hanson was entitled: “Changes in the cross-striations of muscle during contraction and stretch and their structural interpretation”. But the story of sliding filaments begins before May 22, 1954. In order to understand and appreciate the experiments that were done and why they were done, it is necessary to review the scientific background of each of the investigators.
Open Ring Sign Diagnostic of Multiple Sclerosis in the Emergency Department.

A 26-year-old female presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of dizziness. Further history revealed that she was experiencing generalized weakness and intractable vomiting for three days, without complaint of abdominal pain or lower gastrointestinal symptoms. Physical examination uncovered mild dehydration with stable vital signs and non-fatigable, horizontal nystagmus consistent with internuclear opthalmoplegia. Computed tomography of her brain was ordered and revealed an “open ring sign” as displayed in the figure. Figure Computed tomography of brain with “open ring sign“ indicated by circle. The “open ring sign,” or open ring enhancement of a lesion on neuroimaging, has been found to be highly specific for demyelinating diseases and can help differentiate them from malignant and infectious neurological disorders, where ring enhancement is more often closed.1–2 The open ring is typically crescent-shaped and open to the basal ganglia or, as in our patient, the cortex, with the enhanced area resembling acutely inflamed white matter while the unenhanced area resembles more chronic inflammation.1 A retrospective case series has found that open ring enhancement has a specificity of 84.4–93.8% for demyelinating conditions, with a likelihood ratio of 5.2 and 17.2 for demyelination over malignancy and infection, respectively.1–2 In our patient, a demyelinating condition was suspected based on this image, and the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was ultimately confirmed by the presence of oligoclonal bands on cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
Bridging the Gap between Data Acquition, Probe Control and Data Reduction, using a Microcomputer System

This paper describes a microprocessor-controlled data-acquisition and data reduction system for large scale engineering tests. The microcomputer also controls automatic testing probe positioning, and furnishes the opportunity for generating an engineering report via word processing. The micro-computer has been interfaced with off-the-shelf type step motors to move the probes to the desired locations in the measurement area. The analog signals received from various transducers were digitized, stored, reduced and analyzed in real time. The system further proved its versatility by providing facility monitoring information to the operator and word processing capabilities to generate the final report. The computer system is fully operational in an aerodynamic flow test facility, and has conducted tests on a scale model gas turbine, and heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The complete system has been brought together, using relatively inexpensive, readily available hardware. The system resulted in considerable time and manpower savings in conducting the test.
Cardiogenic Shock as the Initial Presentation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Manifestations of cardiovascular disease from systemiclupus erythematous (SLE) ranges from subclinical ﬁnd-ings to life-threatening conditions and may involve allcardiac tissue. In order of prevalence, ﬁndings mayinclude pericardial disease, myocardial dysfunction,valvular heart disease, conduction system abnormalities,and atheromatous disease.
Measuring the optical and electromechanical properties of MEMS mirrors

We present a new measurement system that can determine the optical and electromechanical characteristics of MEMS mirrors. The angular measurement range is +/-5/spl deg/ in x direction and +/-4/spl deg/ in y direction with a resolution of 0.002/spl deg/. The system insertion loss and stability have been measured up to 10 hours with an averaging time of 100 ms. A maximum insertion loss of 75 dB can be measured. The measurement results of static voltage vs. angle response, long-term stability, package insertion loss and polarization dependent loss are presented. The static response data are further compared with modeling results. The average error between measured and simulated angle at a given voltage is less than 3%. Integrated with a closed-loop nonlinear controller, the system can also be used to measure the mirror tilt angle as a feedback sensing signal for precise angular positioning controls.
Prevalence of breath holding spells among children in Gaziantep, Turkey

Breath holding spell (BHS) is a paroxysmal non-epileptic disorder. Although it is easy to diagnose in its typical form, the data are insufficient in developing countries. This study was performed in Gaziantep province, Turkey. Two thousand ran- domly selected 0-6 yr old children were invited to family health centers. A specific questionnaire was administered to parents. Children who had a history of BHS were referred to the hospital for medical history and neurological examinations. Of the 2000 children who had been invited, 1843 (92.15%) participated and remained through to final analysis. Seventy (3.8%) children were diagnosed with BHS. The male to female ratio was 2:1, and the median age was 21 mo (13-29 mo). Based on parents' declara- tions, cyanotic BHS occurred in 61 (87.1%) children and the age of onset was during the first year of life for 98.5% of the children. We estimated that the prevalence of BHS among children living in Southern Turkey is 3.8%.
Adrenal Mitochondrial Cytochrome P-450 and Cholesterol Side Chain Cleavage Activity DIFFERENCES IN THE RESPONSE OF THE ZONA GLOMERULOSA AND ZONA FASCICULATA-RETICULARIS TO ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE AND ITS WITHDRAWAL

Abstract A comparison of the effects of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) on the cholesterol side chain cleavage system of zona glomerulosa and zona fasciculata-reticularis tissue of the rat adrenal is presented. Following hypophysectomy, the rate of pregnenolone formation from endogenous cholesterol in mitochondria from zona fasciculata-reticularis was lower than in mitochondria from zona glomerulosa. Also, the proportion of high spin, cholesterol-bound side chain cleavage cytochrome P-450 was smaller, as measured by spectrophotometry and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Treatment with ACTH brought about an increase in the rate of cholesterol side chain cleavage and in the proportion of high spin, cholesterol-bound side chain cleavage cytochrome P-450 in mitochondria isolated from both zones. However, the percentage increase found in the zona fasciculata reticularis was much greater than in the zona glomerulosa. It is concluded that although both zones are affected by ACTH, the cholesterol side chain cleavage system of the zona fasciculata-reticularis is much more sensitive than that of the zona glomerulosa to this hormone.
Phonon dispersions and vibrational properties of monolayer, bilayer, and trilayer graphene: Density-functional perturbation theory

The phonon dispersions of monolayer and few-layer graphene ($AB$ bilayer, and $ABA$ and $ABC$ trilayers) are investigated using the density-functional perturbation theory. Compared with the monolayer, the optical phonon ${E}_{2g}$ mode at $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ splits into two and three doubly degenerate branches for bilayer and trilayer graphene, respectively, due to the weak interlayer coupling. These modes are of various symmetries and exhibit different sensitivities to either Raman or infrared measurements (or both). The splitting is found to be $5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for bilayer and $2--5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for trilayer graphene. The interlayer coupling is estimated to be about $2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. We found that the highest optical modes at $K$ move up by about $12\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for bilayer and $18\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for trilayer relative to monolayer graphene. The atomic displacements of these optical eigenmodes are analyzed.
Risk factors for a suboptimal response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist trigger during in vitro fertilization cycles.

Objective To identify risk factors for a suboptimal response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist trigger in in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) All 424 patients undergoing fresh IVF cycles (n = 500) between August 2007 and June 2013 in whom a GnRH agonist was used as all or part of the ovulation trigger. Intervention(s) GnRH-antagonist-based IVF cycles triggered with leuprolide acetate alone or in combination with low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin. Main Outcome Measure(s) Suboptimal response to GnRH-agonist trigger, as defined by a serum luteinizing hormone (LH) level Result(s) The rate of suboptimal response to the GnRH-agonist trigger was 5.2%. Patients with a suboptimal hormone response had lower follicle-stimulating hormone ( Conclusion(s) Long-term hormonal contraception use is an independent risk factor for suboptimal response to GnRH-agonist trigger. Patients with very low endogenous serum LH levels on the day of LH trigger are at increased risk for a suboptimal GnRH-agonist trigger response. Understanding the at-risk phenotype and using trigger day LH as a marker for increased risk of suboptimal GnRH-agonist trigger response can be helpful for individualizing treatment and selecting a safe and efficacious trigger medication for patients undergoing IVF.
Distribution of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in localized juvenile periodontitis plaque: an electron immunocytochemical study

The use of an indirect electron immunocytochemical labelling procedure for labelling Actinobacillus actinomy cetemcomitans (serotype b) in ultrathin sections of pure bacterial cultures and in localized juvenile periodontitis-derived plaque is described. Optimal labelling was obtained after fixation with 2.5% glutaraldehyde, embedding in glycol methacrylate and labelling with highly diluted absorbed rabbit anti-A. actinomycetemcomtians γ-globulin followed by incubation with diluted goat anti-rabbit γ-globulin conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. and subsequent histochemical visualization of the peroxidase. These labelling conditions were used to determine that no cross reactions existed with commonly found plaque bacteria. Two of 5 labelled plaque specimens were positive for this A. actinamycetemcomitans serotype. In one specimen large numbers of labelled bacteria were located only in the most apical portion of the plaque layer. In another specimen labelled cells were scattered throughout the plaque. Control experiments using normal rabbit γ-globulin were all negative.