cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The contribution of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling with Monte Carlo simulation to the development of susceptibility breakpoints for Neisseria meningitidis

This study used pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) modelling and MICs of 15 antimicrobial agents, derived from testing a large international culture collection, to assist in the development of interpretative criteria, i.e., breakpoints, for Neisseria meningitidis. PK parameters, protein binding, percentage penetration into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the variability of these values, were extracted from the published literature for the 15 agents. PK-PD parameters have not been developed specifically for N. meningitidis in animal or human studies. Thus, it was necessary to invoke PK-PD targets from other organisms that cause infections at similar sites. The PK-PD targets utilised were: time above the MIC for at least 50% of the dosing interval for all beta-lactams, chloramphenicol, sulphafurazole and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole; an AUC/MIC ratio of >or=25 for the tetracyclines and macrolides; and an AUC/MIC ratio of >or=125 for the fluoroquinolones. A 10 000-subject Monte Carlo simulation was designed with the usual dosing regimens of each antimicrobial agent at MIC values of 0.03-64 mg/L in both serum and CSF. The PK-PD breakpoint was defined as the MIC at which the calculated target attainment was >or=95%. Using these assumptions, the proposed PK-PD breakpoints were: azithromycin, 0.125 mg/L; doxycycline, 0.25 mg/L; cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, 0.5 mg/L; penicillin G, meropenem, rifampicin, tetracycline and minocycline, 1 mg/L; chloramphenicol and sulphafurazole, 2 mg/L; and ampicillin, ceftriaxone and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, 4 mg/L. Proposed PK-PD breakpoints applicable to CSF were: penicillin and cefotaxime, 0.06 mg/L; rifampicin, 0.125 mg/L; ceftriaxone, meropenem and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, 0.25 mg/L; ampicillin, 0.5 mg/L; and chloramphenicol, 1 mg/L.
Further Electron Microscope Characterization of Spore Appendages of Clostridium bifermentans

Two distinct spore appendage types of Clostridium bifermentans, a pinlike appendage and a tubular appendage, were studied by electron microscopy. The pinlike appendage is characterized by a shaft, about 100 A in diameter, which has a lobed caplike structure. The tubular appendage, 500 to 600 A in diameter, is characterized by a hirsute region consisting of small filaments or fibrils. Gross morphology and ultrastructural features of both types are described.
Effects of surface active agents on fall velocities of drops

Terminal velocities of drops undergoing mass transfer were measured in nine systems containing anionic, cationic, or nonionic surfactants. Variables included drop size, formation time, number of parallel droplet-streams, and surfactant concentration. Results were interpreted in terms of visually observed internal circulation and oscillation of the drops and some success was achieved in correlating the data obtained. On a mesure les vitesses terminales de gouttes subissant un transfert de masse dans neuf systemes contenant des agents tensio-actifs anioniques, cationiques et non-ioniques. Les variables considerees comprenaient les dimensions des gouttes, le temps de formation, le nombre de courants de gouttelettes paralleles et la concentration des agents tensio-actifs. On a interprete les resultats en fonction de la circulation interne observee visuellement et de l'oscillation des gouttes; on a obtenu un certain succes en etablissant des correlations avec les resultats.
Risk Factors Associated with Death in In-Hospital Pediatric Convulsive Status Epilepticus

Objective To evaluate in-patient mortality and predictors of death associated with convulsive status epilepticus (SE) in a large, multi-center, pediatric cohort. Patients and Methods We identified our cohort from the KID Inpatient Database for the years 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006. We queried the database for convulsive SE, associated diagnoses, and for inpatient death. Univariate logistic testing was used to screen for potential risk factors. These risk factors were then entered into a stepwise backwards conditional multivariable logistic regression procedure. P-values less than 0.05 were taken as significant. Results We identified 12,365 (5,541 female) patients with convulsive SE aged 0–20 years (mean age 6.2 years, standard deviation 5.5 years, median 5 years) among 14,965,571 pediatric inpatients (0.08%). Of these, 117 died while in the hospital (0.9%). The most frequent additional admission ICD-9 code diagnoses in addition to SE were cerebral palsy, pneumonia, and respiratory failure. Independent risk factors for death in patients with SE, assessed by multivariate calculation, included near drowning (Odds ratio [OR] 43.2; Confidence Interval [CI] 4.4–426.8), hemorrhagic shock (OR 17.83; CI 6.5–49.1), sepsis (OR 10.14; CI 4.0–25.6), massive aspiration (OR 9.1; CI 1.8–47), mechanical ventilation >96 hours (OR9; 5.6–14.6), transfusion (OR 8.25; CI 4.3–15.8), structural brain lesion (OR7.0; CI 3.1–16), hypoglycemia (OR5.8; CI 1.75–19.2), sepsis with liver failure (OR 14.4; CI 5–41.9), and admission in December (OR3.4; CI 1.6–4.1). African American ethnicity (OR 0.4; CI 0.2–0.8) was associated with a decreased risk of death in SE. Conclusion Pediatric convulsive SE occurs in up to 0.08% of pediatric inpatient admissions with a mortality of up to 1%. There appear to be several risk factors that can predict mortality. These may warrant additional monitoring and aggressive management.
Au/Pd core–shell nanoparticles for enhanced electrocatalytic activity and durability

Abstract Unique Au/Pd core–shell nanoparticles were synthesized via galvanic replacement of Cu by Pd on hollow Au nano-spheres. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical measurements. The Au/Pd nanoparticles exhibit superior formic acid oxidation (FAO) performance, lower CO-stripping potential, and long-term durability and stability compared to commercial Pd black due to enhanced electronic coupling between the Au core and Pd shell, which is confirmed by XPS results.
Autoimmune hepatitis. Part B: diagnosis

Diagnostic criteria have been codified by the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group, and a scoring system can quantify the strength of the diagnosis and over-ride the impact of absent or inconsistent features. The absence of a definable etiologic agent and precise diagnostic test, implies that the diagnosis may be missed or misapplied. Centrilobular (zone 3) necrosis may be an early form of autoimmune hepatitis and this pattern can transform to the classical pattern of interface hepatitis. An acute severe or fulminant presentation is possible, and different ethnic groups may have different manifestations and outcomes. Asymptomatic patients at presentation commonly become symptomatic, and treatment decisions must be based on objective features of disease severity and not the presence or absence of symptoms. Concurrent autoimmune diseases are frequent, and they may constitute an autoimmune polyglandular syndrome associated with a single gene mutation. Emerging autoantibodies of possible prognostic value are antibodies to soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas, asialoglycoprotein receptor, actin, and liver cytosol type 1. HLA DRB1*03, *04, *03-*04, *07, *13 and DQB1*02 are associated with the occurrence, clinical phenotype and outcome of autoimmune hepatitis. Variant syndromes should be suspected if cholestatic features are prominent and conventional treatment is ineffective.
The Impact of Varying Feature Dimensions on Substrate Reliability Risks

A sensitivity study is undertaken to characterize the impact of varying feature dimensions in emerging electronic packaging technologies. Specifically, the overall structural performance of the substrate under use conditions (thermal and combined thermomechanical loading) is investigated. The study consists of both modeling and experimental efforts. Modeling approaches are employed within the framework of a finite element code to simulate performance of different design geometry combinations in the known failure mode of solder resist layer cracking. In the models, two levels of complexity are used to better identify the impact of the individual features on the overall substrate reliability. First, local geometry is captured by including each substrate layer. Individual component geometries like microvias and PTHS are also explicitly modeled to capture synergistic failures modes. Second, more realistic non-linear material properties are used to characterize time, temperature, and rate-dependant constitutive behavior of individual substrate materials such as buildup, core, metal, etc. In the experiments, substrate warpage and reliability data is collected for validating the predictive modeling capability. From this study, directions for future design guidelines varying feature dimensions while maintaining substrate reliability are proposed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Zein Protein Interactions, Rather Than the Asymmetric Distribution of Zein mRNAs on Endoplasmic Reticulum Membranes, Influence Protein Body Formation in Maize Endosperm

Prolamin-containing protein bodies in maize endosperm are composed of four different polypeptides, the α-, β-, γ-, and δ-zeins. The spatial organization of zeins within the protein body, as well as interactions between them, suggests that the localized synthesis of γ-zeins could initiate and target protein body formation at specific regions of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. To investigate this possibility, we analyzed the distribution of mRNAs encoding the 22-kD α-zein and the 27-kD γ-zein proteins on cisternal and protein body rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes. In situ hybridization revealed similar frequencies of the mRNAs in both regions of the endoplasmic reticulum, indicating that the transcripts are distributed more or less randomly. This finding implies that zein protein interactions determine protein body assembly. To address this question, we expressed cDNAs encoding α-, β-, γ-, and δ-zeins in the yeast two-hybrid system. We found strong interactions among the 50-, 27-, and 16-kD γ-zeins and the 15-kD β-zein, consistent with their colocalization in developing protein bodies. Interactions between the 19- and 22-kD α-zeins were relatively weak, although each of them interacted strongly with the 10-kD δ-zein. Strong interactions were detected between the α- and δ-zeins and the 16-kD γ-zein and the 15-kD β-zein; however, the 50- and 27-kD γ-zeins did not interact with the α- and δ-zein proteins. We identified domains within the 22-kD α-zein that bound preferentially the α- and δ-zeins and the β- and γ-zeins. Affinities between zeins generally were consistent with results from immunolocalization experiments, suggesting an important role for the 16-kD γ-zein and the 15-kD β-zein in the binding and assembly of α-zeins within the protein body.
The Pathophysiologic Bases for Alterations in Water Balance

In man and other terrestrial animals, a highly developed physiologic system maintains the tonicity of body fluids within a relatively narrow range (± 2 mOsm/kg H2O in man). The efficiency of this system is reflected in the relative constancy of the concentration of sodium in plasma (normal values are between 136 and 145 mEq/liter in man). Thus, under most circumstances alterations in plasma sodium concentration reflect changes in the tonicity of total body water (TBW). Figure 1 depicts the relationship between total body water and sodium under normal (A) and pathologic conditions. A fall in plasma sodium concentrations below the normal range, that is, hyponatremia, is either a consequence of a relative or an absolute excess in TBW. A relative excess in total body water in relation to sodium may be seen under conditions of dehydration where there is a deficit of both sodium and water (B). Hyponatremia may also be a consequence of an absolute excess of water and a sodium deficit as when vasopressin release is inappropriate (C). Finally, it may be seen in edema-forming states where both sodium and water are in excess (D). Similarly, an increase in the concentration of sodium in plasma, hypernatremia, may be seen in conditions in which TBW is either decreased (G) or increased (H).
Benthic Microalgal Biomass on Ocean Beaches: Effects of Sediment Grain Size and Beach Renourishment

Abstract Cahoon, L.B.; Carey, E.S., and Blum, J.E., 2012. Benthic microalgal biomass on ocean beaches: effects of sediment grain size and beach renourishment. Benthic microalgal biomass was measured as sediment chlorophyll a at two open ocean beaches in southeastern North Carolina between December 2003 and December 2004, spanning beach renourishment projects in spring 2004 at both beaches. Sampling design included replicate sampling (n = 6) at three elevations in the surf zone along paired transects at paired renourished and unnourished (control) sites at each beach 17 times during the study period. Grain-size analyses of beach sediments and measurements of water temperature were also conducted. Sediment grain size, expressed as mean grain size and percentage of total sediments <500 µm diameter, significantly affected sediment chlorophyll a values. Renourishment drove a small and temporary but significant increase in sediment chlorophyll a at one beach, which was interpreted as an effect of source mater...
Association Between Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disorders

This article discusses the relationship between attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disability (LD). The relevant literature is outlined, and empirical data are presented from a prospective follow-up study of 600 speech/language-impaired children. The data show an increased prevalence of both LD and ADHD among children with early speech/language impairments. Furthermore, LD was strongly associated with ADHD in both the initial and follow-up samples. Also, the children with LD had increased rates of other psychiatric disorders (e.g., behavior disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders). The implications of these data are discussed with regard to the possible etiology of the ADHD-LD association, treatment for children with LD and ADHD, and promising hypotheses for future research.
How to lose a kink and gain a helix: pH independent conformational changes of the fusion domains from influenza hemagglutinin in heterogeneous lipid bilayers.

We have simulated two conformations of the fusion domain of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) within explicit water, salt, and heterogeneous lipid bilayers composed of POPC:POPG (4:1). Each conformation has seven different starting points in which the initial peptide structure is the same for each conformation, but the location across the membrane normal and lipid arrangement around the peptide are varied, giving a combined total simulation time of 140 ns. For the HA5 conformation (primary structure from recent NMR spectroscopy at pH = 5), the peptide exhibits a stable and less kinked structure in the lipid bilayer compared to that from the NMR studies. The relative fusogenic behavior of the different conformations has been investigated by calculation of the relative free energy of insertion into the hydrophobic region of lipid bilayer as a function of the depth of immersion. For the HA7 conformations (primary structure from recent NMR spectroscopy at pH = 7.4), while the N-terminal helix preserves its initial structure, the flexible C-terminal chain produces a transient helical motif inside the lipid bilayer. This conformational change is pH-independent, and is closely related to the peptide insertion into the lipid bilayer. Proteins 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparison of Indonesian throughflow transport observations, Makassar Strait to eastern Indian Ocean

[1] The Pacific to Indian Ocean transport within the passageways of the Indonesian seas (ITF) varies on interannual and longer time scales associated with ENSO, the Asian monsoons and interannual climate variability of the Indian Ocean. Although direct current measurements of the ITF are of limited duration, none long enough to properly describe greater than annual variability of the ITF, observations indicate that the bulk of the ITF passes through Makassar Strait. The repeat expendable bathythermograph (XBT) IX1 section begun in 1983 provides the longest time series of the full ITF introduced into the Indian Ocean between northwest Australia and Java. We find that the surface to 600 dbar Makassar Strait transport, as measured by current meter moorings from December 1996 to July 1998, correlates at r = 0.77 ± 0.14 with the geostrophic transport constructed from IX1 XBT data for that time interval, with a 98 day lag.
Ejaculation frequency and subsequent risk of prostate cancer.

ContextSexual activity has been hypothesized to play a role in the development of prostate cancer, but epidemiological data are virtually limited to case-control studies, which may be prone to bias because recall among individuals with prostate cancer could be distorted as a consequence of prostate malignancy or ongoing therapy.ObjectiveTo examine the association between ejaculation frequency, which includes sexual intercourse, nocturnal emission, and masturbation and risk of prostate cancer.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsProspective study using follow-up data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (February 1, 1992, through January 31, 2000) of 29 342 US men aged 46 to 81 years, who provided information on history of ejaculation frequency on a self-administered questionnaire in 1992 and responded to follow-up questionnaires every 2 years to 2000. Ejaculation frequency was assessed by asking participants to report the average number of ejaculations they had per month during the ages of 20 to 29 years, 40 to 49 years, and during the past year (1991).Main Outcome MeasureIncidence of total prostate cancer.ResultsDuring 222 426 person-years of follow-up, there were 1449 new cases of total prostate cancer, 953 organ-confined cases, and 147 advanced cases of prostate cancer. Most categories of ejaculation frequency were unrelated to risk of prostate cancer. However, high ejaculation frequency was related to decreased risk of total prostate cancer. The multivariate relative risks for men reporting 21 or more ejaculations per month compared with men reporting 4 to 7 ejaculations per month at ages 20 to 29 years were 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-1.10); ages 40 to 49 years, 0.68 (95% CI, 0.53-0.86); previous year, 0.49 (95% CI, 0.27-0.88); and averaged across a lifetime, 0.67 (95% CI, 0.51-0.89). Similar associations were observed for organ-confined prostate cancer. Ejaculation frequency was not statistically significantly associated with risk of advanced prostate cancer.ConclusionsOur results suggest that ejaculation frequency is not related to increased risk of prostate cancer.
An evaluation of cost sharing to finance a diet and physical activity intervention to prevent diabetes.

OBJECTIVE —The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle intervention is a cost-effective strategy to prevent type 2 diabetes, but it is unclear how this intervention could be financed. We explored whether this intervention could be offered in a way that allows return on investment for private health insurers while remaining attractive for consumers, employers, and Medicare. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —We used the DPP and other published reports to build a Markov simulation model to estimate the lifetime progression of disease, costs, and quality of life for adults with impaired glucose tolerance. The model assumed a health-payer perspective and compared DPP lifestyle and placebo interventions. Primary outcomes included cumulative incidence of diabetes, direct medical costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and cost per QALY gained. RESULTS —Compared with placebo, providing the lifestyle intervention at age 50 years could prevent 37% of new cases of diabetes before age 65, at a cost of $1,288 per QALY gained. A private payer could reimburse $655 (24%) of the $2,715 in total discounted intervention costs during the first 3 intervention years and still recover all of these costs in the form of medical costs avoided. If Medicare paid up to $2,136 in intervention costs over the 15-year period before participants reached age 65, it could recover those costs in the form of future medical costs avoided beginning at age 65. CONCLUSIONS —Cost-sharing strategies to offer the DPP lifestyle intervention for eligible people between ages 50 and 64 could provide financial return on investment for private payers and long-term benefits for Medicare.
A DNA microarray survey of gene expression in normal human tissues

Background: Numerous studies have used DNA microarrays to survey gene expression in cancer and other disease states. Comparatively little is known about the genes expressed across the gamut of normal human tissues. Systematic studies of global gene-expression patterns, by linking variation in the expression of specific genes to phenotypic variation in the cells or tissues in which they are expressed, provide clues to the molecular organization of diverse cells and to the potential roles of the genes. Results: Here we describe a systematic survey of gene expression in 115 human tissue samples representing 35 different tissue types, using cDNA microarrays representing approximately 26,000 different human genes. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis of the gene-expression patterns in these tissues identified clusters of genes with related biological functions and grouped the tissue specimens in a pattern that reflected their anatomic locations, cellular compositions or physiologic functions. In unsupervised and supervised analyses, tissue-specific patterns of gene expression were readily discernable. By comparative hybridization to normal genomic DNA, we were also able to estimate transcript abundances for expressed genes. Conclusions: Our dataset provides a baseline for comparison to diseased tissues, and will aid in the identification of tissue-specific functions. In addition, our analysis identifies potential molecular markers for detection of injury to specific organs and tissues, and provides a foundation for selection of potential targets for selective anticancer therapy.
Comparison of fate profiles of PAHs in soil, sediments and mangrove leaves after oil spills by QSAR and QSPR

First order removal rates for 15 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil, sediments and mangrove leaves were compared in relation to the parameters used in fate transport analyses (i.e., octanol–water partition coefficient, organic carbon–water partition coefficient, solubility, diffusivity in water, HOMO–LUMO gap, molecular size, molecular aspect ratio). The quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) and quantitative structure property relationships (QSPR) showed that the rate of disappearance of PAHs is correlated with their diffusivities in water as well as molecular volumes in different media. Strong correlations for the rate of disappearance of PAHs in sediments could not be obtained in relation to most of the parameters evaluated. The analyses showed that the QSAR and QSPR correlations developed for removal rates of PAHs in soils would not be adequate for sediments and plant tissues.
Human Amygdala Responsivity to Masked Fearful Eye Whites

The amygdala was more responsive to fearful (larger) eye whites than to happy (smaller) eye whites presented in a masking paradigm that mitigated subjects' awareness of their presence and aberrant nature. These data demonstrate that the amygdala is responsive to elements of.
Is Worker Age a Simple Demographic Variable

Birth-date-based chronological age is often used as a measure of worker ability. In the near future, employers will be required to improve their ability to assess the impact of aging on workers. The literature suggests a number of ways one might do this. Personal perceived age and work ability assessment are two promising alternative ways to assess worker age changes. In support of these alternatives and as a preface to the other papers presented in this journal, this paper suggests that personal perceived age reports differ from chronological age, are reliable, and appear to be worthy of further consideration.
w11) The Business of Running A Core Facility.

The success and sustainability of a Core Facility has been dependent on factors which include (1) the ability to maintain state-of-the-art technology, (2) recruiting and retaining talented technical staff, (3) a strong financial management plan, and (4) strong Institutional support from both end users and the Administration. Historically, most core facilities enjoyed generous subsidies from their Institutional Administration, which have helped defray costs for end users, purchase new instrumentation, or to hire new staff. In light of the current economy, it is likely that many core facilities are now seeing these subsidies drastically cut, or even eliminated. In essence, core facilities are faced with operating as a self-supporting ‘business’, and at the same time, ensure compliance with federal guidelines. This workshop will present ideas, both conventional and creative, that might provide core directors with the tools necessary to continue to sustain a successful core facility. This will set the stage for an open discussion with the audience to encourage a free-flow of additional ideas that could benefit the future success of our cores.
Book Review: Maxwell Bloomfield, American Lawyers in a Changing Society (1976)

This article reviews the book American Lawyers in a Changing Society by Maxwell Bloomfield.
Orbital lesions with low signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging

The purpose of the present review is to discuss and display orbital lesions that demonstrate hypo-intense signal on T2-weighted images (T2WI). The physical basis for hypo-intense signal on T2WI produced by various substances is discussed. Orbital lesions that are hypo-intense on T2WI are subsequently reviewed, including a discussion on their composition as well as relevant clinical and imaging clues that may aid in their diagnosis.
The Parent Participation Engagement Measure (PPEM): Reliability and Validity in Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Services

Parent participation in community-based child mental health services is an important yet understudied process associated with treatment effectiveness. This paper describes the development and psychometrics of the Parent Participation Engagement Measure in a sample of 1374 parents and 563 youth receiving publicly-funded mental health services. Analyses indicated excellent internal consistency, and model fit indices/factor loadings supported a one-factor model. Convergent and discriminant validity were supported, although some coefficients were modest in magnitude. Psychometric results were consistent for Caucasian versus Hispanic, parent versus youth, and English versus Spanish-language respondents. The clinical and research utility of this measure are discussed.
Expression of colonic H-K-ATPase mRNA in cortical collecting duct : regulation by acid/base balance

In addition to the gastric isoform of H-K-ATPase, the colonic isoform is also expressed in the kidney, but its intrarenal localization and exact function are not known. The goal of this study was to determine whether the colonic H-K-ATPase is expressed in the rabbit cortical collecting duct (CCD) and whether it is regulated by changes in acid/base balance. With quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with RNA isolated from immunodissected rabbit CCD cells and degenerate oligonucleotide primers, a PCR product of the predicted size (approximately 430 bp) was amplified. The amplified DNA was further characterized by nested PCR and sequencing. Direct sequencing of the 434-bp PCR product revealed 83% identity at the nucleotide level and an 80.4% identity at the deduced amino acid level to the rat colonic H-K-ATPase. With the same primers and cDNA originating from rabbit distal colon, a DNA fragment with a size and nucleotide sequence identical to that originating from CCD cells was amplified. Furthermore, using PCR screening, we isolated and sequenced a 1.5-kb cDNA clone from a rabbit CCD library. The predicted amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by this cDNA is 85 and 82% identical to the corresponding regions of the guinea pig and rat colonic H-K-ATPase, respectively, and 70% identical to the H-K-ATPase recently cloned from Bufo marinus, whereas it shows only 45 and 42% homology to the rat Na-K-ATPase alpha 1-subunit and the rat gastric H-K-ATPase, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Alloxan Diabetes and Insulin Effects on Amino Acid Incorporating Activity of Rat Liver Microsomes.

Summary(1) Liver microsomes from severely diabetic rats incorporate leucine-1-C14 into protein at a lower rate than microsomes from diabetic control rats maintained on insulin. The former have also a lower phospholipid-P and a higher RNA content per unit of protein-N. (2) Microsomes from normal rats incorporate amino acids at a higher rate after injection of insulin. (3) These changes occurred specifically in microsomes; no difference was found with respect to ability of soluble fractions to activate microsomal incorporation. Insulin was without effect upon the microsomal system in vitro.Addendum: Korner(17) found amino acid incorporating capacity of liver microsomes from a different type of diabetic rat to be defective.
Centralizing Mappings of Prime Rings

Let R be a prime ring and U be a nonzero ideal or quadratic Jordan ideal of R. If L is a nontrivial automorphism or derivation of R such thatuL(u)—L(u)u is in the center of R for every u in U, then the ring R is commutative.
Discovery and Structure-Guided Optimization of Diarylmethanesulfonamide Disrupters of Glucokinase–Glucokinase Regulatory Protein (GK–GKRP) Binding: Strategic Use of a N → S (nN → σ*S–X) Interaction for Conformational Constraint

The HTS-based discovery and structure-guided optimization of a novel series of GKRP-selective GK–GKRP disrupters are revealed. Diarylmethanesulfonamide hit 6 (hGK–hGKRP IC50 = 1.2 μM) was optimized to lead compound 32 (AMG-0696; hGK–hGKRP IC50 = 0.0038 μM). A stabilizing interaction between a nitrogen atom lone pair and an aromatic sulfur system (nN → σ*S–X) in 32 was exploited to conformationally constrain a biaryl linkage and allow contact with key residues in GKRP. Lead compound 32 was shown to induce GK translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in rats (IHC score = 0; 10 mg/kg po, 6 h) and blood glucose reduction in mice (POC = −45%; 100 mg/kg po, 3 h). X-ray analyses of 32 and several precursors bound to GKRP were also obtained. This novel disrupter of GK–GKRP binding enables further exploration of GKRP as a potential therapeutic target for type II diabetes and highlights the value of exploiting unconventional nonbonded interactions in drug design.
Secure data aggregation algorithms for sensor networks in the presence of collusion attacks

Aggregation of data from multiple sensor nodes is usually done by simple methods such as averaging or, more sophisticated, iterative filtering methods. However, such aggregation methods are highly vulnerable to malicious attacks where the attacker has knowledge of all sensed values and has ability to alter some of the readings. In this work, we develop and evaluate algorithms that eliminate or minimize the influence of altered readings. The basic idea is to consider altered data as outliers and find algorithms that effectively identify altered data as outliers and remove them. Once the outliers have been removed, use some standard technique to estimate a true value. Thus, the proposed data aggregation algorithm operates in two phases: removal of outliers and computation of an estimated true value from the remaining sensor data. Extensive evaluation of the proposed algorithms shows that they significantly outperform all existing methods.
Fractionation of fecal neutral steroids by high performance liquid chromatography

Fecal neutral steroids were fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) into three major fractions: 5 beta-H, 3-keto steroids; 5 beta-H, 3 beta-hydroxy steroids; and 5 alpha-H and delta 5-3 beta-hydroxy steroids. This separation was achieved in about 10 minutes, with greater than 97% recovery of standards in each fraction. Gas-liquid chromatographic quantitation of fecal steroids fractionated by either HPLC or thin-layer chromatography gave nearly identical results. A method using both C18 reverse phase and silica HPLC to purify radiolabeled sterols is also described.
A Data Synchronization Method Based on Physical Disconnection in Mobile Applications

The development of embedded technology and modern communications technology,together with the emergence of a new generation of communications standards,makes the use of smart mobile devices for mobile computing possible. This paper presents a data synchronization method in physical isolation environment for mobile applications,introduces the background of the application,designs the overall scheme of the synchronization system,explains the sync process and steps,and describes the conflict detection and elimination in detail. With an incremental approach,the volume of data exchange is reduced,and data security is ensured.
Effect of unilateral vagotomy on gastric secretion in the ferret.

The effect of posterior unilateral, truncal (subdiaphragmatic) vagotomy on the gastric acid response to graded doses of pentagastrin, a maximal dose of histamine, and a maximal dose of insulin was evaluated in the chronic fistula ferret. Unilateral vagotomy markedly reduced the acid output to each of these agents as well as the basal acid output. Reduction in acid concentration consequent to unilateral vagotomy did not parallel the decrease in acid output. Although the maximal pentagastrin dose elicited a greater stimulation of acid output than the maximal dose of histamine in intact animals, peak acid outputs after unilateral vagotomy were similar following maximal pentagastrin, maximal histamine, or maximal insulin stimulation. These data support the hypothesis that the vagal system must be intact in the ferret in order to achieve a maximal pentagastrin response, a phenomenon present in man and the cat but not in the dog. Further, evidence is provided that the mode of pentagastrin stimulation is more dependent than histamine stimulation upon the cholinergic system or, alternatively, that the cholinergic system is more sensitive to pentagastrin. The observed reduction of the gastric acid response to insulin after unilateral vagotomy supports the notion of a segmental, vagal innervation of the parietal cell mass.
Platelet and Fibrinogen Sequestration

1. Small amounts of thromboplastin intravenously cause platelet sequestration. This is followed by fibrinogen sequestration. Large doses of intravenously administered thromboplastin lead to irreversible destruction or utilization of platelets and fibrinogen. 2. The following theories are advanced: ( a ) This platelet sequestration may be due to platelet clumping caused by coagulation occurring on the platelet surface. Surface coagulation may be initiated by the action of thromboplastin or thrombin on the plasma proteins and calcium adsorbed on the platelet surface. The platelet clumps may be filtered out in the sinusoidal spaces of the body, especially in liver and spleen. ( b ) The coagulation on the platelet surface may lead to partial polymerization of the fibrinogen molecule. ( c ) As long as this polymerization is reversible, the entire process remains reversible. When polymerization proceeds far enough so as to become irreversible, the platelets and fibrinogen can no longer return to the circulation. ( d ) This same mechanism may explain other examples of platelet sequestration.
Cyclic Structure of Adenovirus DNA

The deoxyribonucleic acids of adenovirus types 2, 7, and 12 were extracted and examined in the electron microscope. Cyclic forms of the molecules were found to exist in each viral type. The lengths of cyclic strands extracted from the most dense fraction of purified particles of adenovirus type 2 were highly variable, averaging about 2.5 microns. This corresponds to a molecular weight of about 5 million.
Time-Resolved Photo-Excited Phonon Transport in GaAs

We report low temperature measurements of photo-excited, time-resolved phonon transport in GaAs grown by the liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) technique. The observed phonon signals are studied as a function of crystallographic direction and wavelength of CW below gap radiation. The results are interpreted in terms of a defect scattering mechanism which leads to the down-conversion of optically generated phonons.
Incorporating Intra-Thecal Rituximab into Chemotherapy Regimens for CNS Lymphoma (P6.281)

OBJECTIVE: Retrospective study of intrathecal rituximab (IT-R) use. BACKGROUND: Intravenous rituximab is widely used in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma but has poor CNS penetration. Single agent IT-R has been shown to be safe; however, the efficacy, as well as feasibility and safety in combination with other chemotherapies have not been characterized. METHODS: Retrospective review of IT-R treated patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were included. The median age was 60 years and median KPS was 69 (range 20-90). N=17 patients had primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) and N=22 had secondary CNS lymphoma (SCNSL). Previously received treatments included R-MPV (N=14) and other IT treatments in N=11; 5 patients with PCNSL had never received treatment. CSF involvement was present in N=29 patients prior to IT-R. IT-R was given twice weekly at 25 mg in 1-42 doses with a median duration of 8 weeks. IT-R was given most commonly with high-dose methotrexate (N=27) and/or IV rituximab (N=29) based treatments; 10 patients received other concomitant intrathecal agents. Radiotherapy was part of the regimen in 3 patients. Seven underwent cytarabine consolidation and nine received stem-cell transplant. IT-R was well tolerated with brief, grade 1-2 possibly related toxicities, one grade 3 Ommaya infection and one grade 3 meningitis. Complete or partial response was attained in PCNSL (82[percnt]) and SCNSL (68[percnt]). Among 29 patients with CSF involvement, 22 achieved a cytologic response, at a median time of 8 weeks. The median PFS in recurrent PCNSL was 7m (range 1-23+) and in SCNSL it was 5m. The OS was 23m and 7m, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IT-R use combined with a variety of treatments was feasible with minimal associated toxicities. We observed high response rates in these patients with poor prognoses, including in the CSF. The overall contribution of IT-R requires validation in randomized studies. Disclosure: Dr. Umemura has nothing to disclose. Dr. Omuro has received personal compensation for activities with Stemline, Novartis, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Commentary: Development of a new, much‐needed, cognitive‐behavioral intervention for adolescents with ADHD – a reflection on Sprich et al. (2016)

Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be challenging to treat. often, they are resistant to taking medication. Furthermore, the behavioral and cognitive-behavioral interventions developed for children and adults with ADHD, are not appropriate or are not effective for adolescents. Thus, this study, showing the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) program specifically designed for adolescents, represents an important step forward. Methodological strengths include a wait-list control group and outcome ratings by a blind evaluator. We look forward to further development of this treatment, particularly a trial in adolescents not concomitantly medicated for ADHD and comparison to an active control group.
Entropy based method to correct intensity inhomogeneity in MR images

We are involved in a comprehensive program to characterize atherosclerotic disease using multiple MR images having different contrast mechanisms (T1W, T2W, PDW, magnetization transfer, etc.) of human carotid and animal model arteries. We use specially designed intravascular and surface array coils that give high signal-to-noise but suffer from sensitivity inhomogeneity and significant noise. We present here a new non-parametric method for correcting the images without assumption of the number of different tissues. Intensity inhomogeneity is modeled with cubic spline and is locally optimized using an entropy criterion. Validation has been performed on a specially design neck phantom as well as actual MR scans on patient neck. The steep bias is corrected sufficiently to aid human interpretation of gray scales. It should also make possible computerized tissue classification.
There Is Nothing Dexmedetomidine Does that Cannot Be Done Old School

Pediatric anesthesiology was mesmerizing. Watching the anesthesiologist use tools scaled down to facilitate management of airways the size of my pupil enticed me. More importantly, as a medical student, I was an observer and I was keen on understanding the intricacies of the magic performed behind that blue curtain. And so it was another day on my rotation as the anesthesiology team wheeled down a patient from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The child was aged three years who was unfortunately inflicted with a relatively rare disorder known as nemaline myopathy. She lay flaccid and weak with nasal bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) assisting her every breath. As I stared into the portable monitor where the pulse oximeter measured a frustrating 89 %, the attending looked at me and asked, “What are we worried about in this patient?”
Physiologic correlates of intraoperative blood transfusion among patients undergoing major gastrointestinal operations.

Background Guidelines for transfusion focus on nadir levels of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin triggers may not be helpful, however, in defining appropriate intraoperative use of packed red blood cells. We sought to define the use of intraoperative packed red blood cells relative to quantitative physiologic factors at the time of operation. Methods Prospective intraoperative data on patients undergoing a major gastrointestinal operation between 2010 and 2014 were analyzed. Risk of intraoperative transfusion was assessed with multivariable extended Cox models using baseline clinical covariates and time-varying intraoperative covariates. Results Among 2,316 patients, the mean preoperative hemoglobin was 12.6 g/dL (standard deviation = 2.0 g/dL), while the median estimated blood loss was 200 mL (interquartile range: 100–55 mL). Overall, 357 (15.4%) patients received a transfusion intraoperatively. A greater hazard of transfusion was associated with a greater American Society of Anesthesiologists class (ref: American Society of Anesthesiologists class I–II; American Society of Anesthesiologists class III-IV; hazard ratio = 1.44, 95% confidence interval, 1.18–1.77, P P P P = .017). In contrast, nadir hemoglobin was not associated with the risk of receiving a transfusion (hazard ratio = 1.10, 95% confidence interval, 0.97–1.23, P = .129). Among patients who received an intraoperative transfusion, 9.2% ( n = 33) never had a hemoglobin nadir below 10 g/dL, nor an average mean arterial pressure less than 65 mm Hg or a heart rate greater than 100 beats/min around the time of transfusion. Conclusion Among the intraoperative factors, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure were strongly associated with the likelihood of receiving a transfusion, despite the observation that 9.2% of patients never had a physiologic indicator for transfusion or a nadir hemoglobin below 10 g/dL, suggesting a subset of patients could benefit from a decrease in intraoperative rate of transfusion.
Hematology and Immunology: Overview

“Normal ranges” for hematologic values of neonates are generally not available. This is because blood is not drawn on healthy normal neonates to establish such ranges, as is done with the consent of healthy adult volunteers. Instead, neonatal hematology generally utilizes “reference ranges”. These ranges consist of 5th to 95th percentile values compiled from laboratory tests that were performed on neonates thought to have minimal pathology relevant to the laboratory test, or with pathology unlikely to significantly affect the test results. The premise on which the reference range concept is based is that these values approximate normal ranges, although they were admittedly obtained for a clinical reason and not from healthy volunteers.
Prevalence of Second Mesiobuccal Canals in Maxillary First Molars Detected Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography, Direct Occlusal Access, and Coronal Plane Grinding.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of the second mesiobuccal canal (MB2) in 100 maxillary first molars using 3 independent methods and a combination method. Methods One hundred extracted human maxillary first molars were collected. The teeth were mounted in the maxillary first molar extraction sockets of a human cadaver head. A cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) scan was taken of each tooth. Two radiology faculty independently evaluated the CBCT volume for the presence of an MB2 canal. Additionally, teeth were accessed. If a canal was not found, a preoperative CBCT scan was viewed followed by a second attempt to locate an MB2 canal. Lastly, the mesiobuccal root was dissected by grinding in a coronal plane. Results A review of CBCT volumes found the presence of an MB2 canal 69% of the time. Accessing the tooth led to an MB2 detection of 78%. When a CBCT scan was viewed, this brought the access detection rate up to 87%. Coronal plane root grinding had an MB2 canal detection rate of 92%. Differences between each method were statistically significant. Conclusions The results of this study show that an MB2 canal is present up to 92% of the time. Direct access of teeth found statistically significant more MB2 canals than viewing CBCT volumes alone ( P = .032). Therefore, exposing every patient to a preoperative CBCT scan may not be appropriate. However, taking a CBCT scan when an MB2 canal is not found clinically can significantly increase the chances of finding an MB2 canal ( P
Synthesis, conformational study and antiviral activity of l-like neplanocin derivatives

The l-like enantiomer of 9-(trans-2', trans-3'-dihydroxycyclopent-4'-enyl)-3-deazaadenine (DHCDA) (1), its 3-deaza-3-bromo derivative (3), and the conformational restricted methanocarba (MC) nucleoside analogues (2 and 4) were synthesized. X-ray crystal structures showed the L isomer MC analogue 4 adopts a similar North-like locked conformation as conventional D-MC nucleosides, while the DHCDA analogue 3 preferred south-like conformer. Compounds 1 and 4 showed potent antiviral activity against norovirus, while compound 2 and 3 were less potent or inactive. The conformational behavior of "sugar" puckering (north/south) and nucleobase orientation (syn /anti) may contribute to the antiviral activity differences. For compound 3, antiviral activity was also found against Ebola virus.
Highlights of experimental results from ALICE

Abstract Highlights of recent results from the ALICE collaboration are presented. The collision systems investigated are Pb–Pb, p–Pb, and pp, and results from studies of bulk particle production, azimuthal correlations, open and hidden heavy flavor, and hard probes are shown. The results provide key constraints on transport properties of the QCD matter, the initial conditions, the dynamics of heavy quarks in hot and dense systems, and the coupling of hard probes with the medium. A brief description of the ALICE upgrade program is also given.
Simultaneous visual detection and recognition

Luce’s (1963) two-state threshold model predicts observers’ behavior in a simultaneous detection and recognition task. The model was tested by presenting simple visual stimuli for tachistoscopic detection and recognition. Specifically, the prediction that the probability of recognition given a hit will decrease systematically as the observer’s false alarm rate increases was confirmed.