cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient experience with electronic health record-integrated postoperative telemedicine visits in an academic endocrine surgery program.

Abstract Background In response to the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, telemedicine use has increased throughout the United States. We aimed to measure patient experience with electronic health record-integrated postoperative telemedicine encounters following thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Methods In this preliminary study, adult patients receiving postoperative electronic health record–integrated telemedicine video encounters or standard in-person visits after thyroid or parathyroid surgery at a single institution were prospectively enrolled from November 2019 through May 2020. Patients with home zip codes 10 to 75 miles from the medical center were included. Patient experience was assessed using the Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems Clinician & Group Visit Survey 2.0 and the Communication Assessment Tool. Top box analysis was performed, defined as the percentage of respondents who chose the most positive response score. Results The cohort consisted of 45 telemedicine and 32 in-person encounters. Both groups reported similar and excellent patient experience and satisfaction (9.7 of 10 for telemedicine vs 9.8 of 10 for in-person encounters, mean difference 0.02, 95% confidence interval, [–0.25 to 0.29]). Similar surgeon communication performance was observed (mean Communication Assessment Tool top box score 83% telemedicine vs 86% in-person, mean difference 3%, 95% confidence interval [–10% to 17%]). Nonlinear increases in monthly telemedicine encounter volume were observed within the section of endocrine surgery (3-fold increase) and the health system (125-fold increase) from November 2019 to May 2020. Conclusion Patients who underwent cervical endocrine surgery reported similarly high rates of satisfaction and excellent surgeon communication following either telemedicine or in-person postoperative encounters. Electronic health record–integrated telemedicine for a subset of low-risk procedures can act as a suitable replacement for in-person encounters. A surge in telemedicine use, stimulated by the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, was experienced at our institution.
Mechanisms of Typhoid Toxin Neutralization by Antibodies Targeting Receptor-Binding and Nuclease Subunits

Nearly all clinical isolates of Salmonella Typhi, the cause of typhoid fever, are antibiotic-resistant. All S. Typhi isolates secrete an A2B5 exotoxin called typhoid toxin to benefit the pathogen during infection. Here, we demonstrate that antibiotic-resistant S. Typhi secretes typhoid toxin continuously during infection regardless of antibiotic treatment. Typhoid toxin neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) generated in this study target receptor-binding PltB or nuclease CdtB. All nAbs neutralize typhoid toxin in vitro and in vivo, as demonstrated by using typhoid toxin secreted by antibiotic-resistant S. Typhi during human cell infection and lethal-dose typhoid toxin challenge to mice. Cryo-EM analyses explain the mechanisms of how two nAbs, TyTx4 and TyTx11, are more productive; TyTx4 binds to all PltB subunits available per holotoxin, while TyTx11 makes CdtB inactive through CdtB catalytic-site conformational change. The identified toxin neutralizing epitopes are conserved across all S. Typhi clinical isolates, offering critical insights into typhoid toxin neutralizing strategies.
How Experience Variety Shapes Postpurchase Product Evaluation

AbstractProduct usage experiences have a significant impact on postpurchase evaluation and subsequent behavior. Consumers look to their own experiences, as well as those of others, when deciding what to buy and what to recommend. Contrary to the intuition that varied experiences should enhance evaluation, five studies demonstrate that in some situations, perceiving usage experiences as less—not more—varied improves postpurchase product evaluation. Less varied usage experiences make consumers think that products are used more frequently. As a result, perceiving usage experiences as less varied makes consumers more satisfied with their purchase, more likely to buy it again, and more likely to recommend it. In addition to their practical implications, the findings make important theoretical contributions to the variety literature and toward understanding frequency and numerosity judgments.
Trace conditioning as a test for animal consciousness: a new approach

Trace conditioning involves the pairing of a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS), followed by a short interval with a motivationally significant unconditioned stimulus (UCS). Recently, trace conditioning has been proposed as a test for animal consciousness due to its correlation in humans with subjective report of the CS–UCS connection. We argue that the distractor task in the Clark and Squire (1998) study on trace conditioning has been overlooked. Attentional inhibition played a crucial role in disrupting trace conditioning and awareness of the CS–UCS contingency in the human participants of that study. These results may be understood within the framework of the Temporal Representation Theory that asserts consciousness serves the function of selecting information into a representation of the present moment. While neither sufficient nor necessary, attentional processes are the primary means to select stimuli for consciousness. Consciousness and attention are both needed by an animal capable of flexible behavioral response. Consciousness keeps track of the current situation; attention amplifies task-relevant stimuli and inhibits irrelevant stimuli. In light of these joint functions, we hypothesize that the failure to trace condition under distraction in an organism known to successfully trace condition otherwise can be one of several tests that indicates animal consciousness. Successful trace conditioning is widespread and by itself does not indicate consciousness.
Inter-partner Agreement of Condom Use and Sexual Positioning in Male Couples.

Accurate, reliable self-reports of sexual behavior are a crucial component of valid HIV risk-estimation and behavioral intervention evaluation, yet this data’s reliability remains understudied. The...
Phase I trial of in situ vaccination with autologous CCL21-modified dendritic cells (CCL21-DC) combined with pembrolizumab for advanced NSCLC.

TPS9135Background: Effective immunotherapy options are lacking for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progress on a programmed cell death-(ligand)1 [PD-(L)1] inhibitor an...
Marching Boots to Business Suits: Military Veteran Human Capital in Nonmilitary Organizations

Firms increasingly leverage unique sources of human capital to remain competitive in dynamic, complex, and global markets. One source of often sought but underutilized human capital is that of mili...
Laser Induced Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography

Although pulsed lasers have been commercially available for only one decade, they have been utilized in chemical analysis as highly monochromatic light sources, as intense, short duration sources for photolysis, and during the last few years, as thermal sources for degradation processes. Pulsed laser energy offers unique properties for the initiation of thermal degradation. Especially sensible is the combination of laser induced thermal degradation with gas chromatography. This paper reviews some applications and experimental possibilities of this new pyrolysis method. It should be noted that only a few papers have appeared on this topic and certainly much still needs to be done to fully characterize the potentialities of this technique.
Relationship maintenance strategies on the Facebook pages of current US Senators

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how current US senators utilize their Facebook pages to promote positive relationships with their public in terms of relationship maintenance strategies: positivity, openness, access, assurance, sharing of tasks, and networking. Interactivity of their Facebook pages is also examined. Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis was conducted for 89 Facebook pages of the US senators of the 112th Congress. Levels of six relationship maintenance strategies and interactivity of the Facebook pages were examined. Findings – Among six relationship maintenance strategies, positivity and openness are the most frequently used strategies while access and assurance are the least observed. In total, 70 percent of the senators’ Facebook pages show a low level of interactivity. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to the samples of the current US senators. Practical implications – This study provides a useful insight for political public relatio...
A genetic method for selective and quickly reversible silencing of mammalian neurons

Genetic methods for neuronal silencing have great promise for allowing selective inactivation of specific cell types within complex neural systems. Present methods, however, are limited in their reversibility by the slow time scale (days) of transcriptional regulation. We report the rapid and reversible inactivation of mammalian cortical neurons expressing the insect G-protein-coupled receptor AlstR (none Drosophilanone allatostatin receptor) after application of its peptide ligand allatostatin (AL). The onset and reversal of inactivation could be achieved rapidly, within minutes. Moreover, the effects of AL were selective for AlstR-transfected neurons. The AlstR/AL system is therefore a promising genetic method for selective and quickly reversible silencing of neuronal activity.
Copper Transport: Structural Biology

Copper ions are essential for life because of their ability to support a number of cellular processes, ranging from respiration to the synthesis of connective tissue. At the same time, the redox and coordination chemistry of copper can be toxic to cells if the metal ion is not contained. Responding to this double natured property of copper, cells tightly regulate the movement and storage of copper ions. Recent years have seen tremendous progress in the structural determination of the proteins that carry copper ions across cellular membranes. Despite sharing a common function, copper transport systems are structurally very diverse and employ fundamentally different mechanisms to translocate copper ions across the bilayer. The simplest carriers are the copper transporters known as copper uptake transporter (CTR) proteins. These small membrane proteins contain three transmembrane segments and assemble into homotrimers that form the functional units. CTR proteins are exclusively found in eukaryotes, where they mediate the cellular acquisition of copper through mechanisms that are only partially understood. Expulsion of copper from the cytoplasm and redistribution of intracellular copper into storage compartments or toward the secretory pathway is mediated by P1B-type Cu(I)-transporting ATPases, including Menkes and Wilson ATPases, whose malfunction results in debilitating diseases in humans. Compared to the more thoroughly studied P2-type family of ATPases, Cu(I)-ATPases are smaller, containing only 8–10 transmembrane helices. The presence of cytoplasmic metal-binding domains and a helical pair preceding the structurally conserved six-helix membrane core of P2-type ATPases are distinguishing hallmarks of this subfamily of transport ATPases. Complementing the function of Cu(I)-transporting ATPases in prokaryotes is the tripartite CusCFBA Cu+/Ag+-H+ antiporter that consists of the inner-membrane transporter (CusA), a periplasmic adaptor protein (CusB), the outer-membrane transporter (CusC), and a small copper chaperone (CusF), that is believed to load periplasmic copper into the efflux pump. Of the existing copper transport machineries, the Cus-system is by far the most complex and structurally the best characterized. Nevertheless, many open questions remain about the mechanistic details that allow copper pumping. Taken together, the emergence of rich structural information on all the copper transport systems opens the article for rigorous future testing of structure–function relationships in these essential membrane proteins. Moreover, there is an emerging body of data demonstrating that platinum-based anticancer drugs hijack copper transporters for cellular entry and exit, providing an important and unexpected additional dimension to the biology of copper transport systems. Keywords: copper transport; CTR proteins; Cu(I)-ATPases; P1B-ATPases; CusCFBA; copper chaperone; metal-binding domains; X-ray crystallography; electron crystallography
Influence of Environmental Factors on Interstrain Competition in Rhizobium japonicum.

The effect of several biotic and abiotic factors on the pattern of competition between two strains of Rhizobium japonicum was examined. In two Minnesota soils, Waseca and Waukegan, strain USDA 123 occupied 69% (Waseca) and 24% (Waukegan) of the root nodules on Glycine max L. Merrill cv. Chippewa. USDA 110 occupied 2% of the root nodules in the Waseca soil and 12% of the nodules in the Waukegan soil. Under a variety of other growth conditions—vermiculite, vermiculite amended with Waseca soil, and two Hawaiian soils devoid of naturalized Rhizobium japonicum strains—USDA 110 was more competitive than USDA 123. The addition of nitrate to or the presence of antibiotic-producing actinomycetes in the rhizosphere of soybeans did not affect the pattern of competition between the two strains. However, preexposure of young seedings to USDA 110 or USDA 123 before transplantation into soil altered the pattern of competition between the two strains significantly. In the Waseca soil, preexposure of cv. Chippewa to USDA 110 for 72 h increased the percentage of nodules occupied by USDA 110 from 2 to 55%. Similarly, in the Hawaiian soil Waimea, nodule occupancy by USDA 123 increased from 7 to 33% after a 72-h preexposure.
Should the Power to Redistribute Income be (De-)Centralized? An Example

This paper deals with two questions which have recentlyreceived considerable attention in both the political debateand the academic literature: First, are fiscal programs largeror smaller when they are (de-)centralized? Second, should suchprograms be (de-)centralized? We answer these questions withina politico-economic model in which voters choose the parametersof a linear income tax taking into account how taxes affect laborsupply and migration decisions. It is shown that a decentralizedpolitical system may lead to a smaller government budget. Theconcept of a veil of ignorance is used to analyze the desirabilityof a decentralized system. It is argued that a decentralizedsystem is preferred under the veil of ignorance only if individualsare not too risk-averse and the income distribution is not toopolarized.
Effects of nagilactones on the growth of lettuce seedlings

Abstract Nagilactones can be divided into two groups, I and II, based on their bioactivity. When lettuce seedlings were treated with the compounds for five days, group I lactones stimulated the growth of the roots at less than 10 μg ml−1 while group II lactones produced an inhibitory effect.
Mezlocillin kinetics in hepatic insufficiency.

To establish elimination kinetics of mezlocillin in patients with hepatic insufficiency, we gave eight normal subjects and four patients with hepatic insufficiency and normal renal function a single 3-gm dose of mezlocillin by intravenous infusion. Subjects with hepatic insufficiency all had serum bilirubins levels of above 3 mg/dl, Prothrombin times more than 2 sec longer than control, and Creatinine clearances above 60 ml/min. Mezlocillin concentrations were determined by microbiologie assay. Kinetic analysis was by model-independent methods. Elimination half-life was 0.96 hr for subjects with normal liver function and 2.62 hr for patients with hepatic insufficiency. Mean total body clearance for normal subjects was 247 ml/min, while in patients with hepatic insufficiency it was 125.4 ml/min. We conclude that hepatic insufficiency prolongs mezlocillin elimination and suggest that therapeutic guidelines be set up. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1983) 33, 73–76; doi:10.1038/clpt.1983.10
Automated capture and on-column detection of biotinylated DNA on a disposable solid support

This work comprises the development of a technique for the capture of single-stranded DNA on a solid support combined with in situ quantification. The capture is based on the strong and selective interaction between biotinylated DNA and streptavidin-coated agarose beads. Sequential Injection in the lab-on-valve format allows for automated manipulation of all components including the building and disposal of bead columns. Detection was accomplished using the OliGreen fluorescent dye and optimization of the assay achieved a limit of detection of 111 pg ssDNA, with a total assay time of roughly 2.5 min per sample.
Federalism in a Global Context

awareness, and participation. But it is also a culture of skepticism, of contingent consent, and of conditional, weak trust in government" (185). To put it simply, in solid democracies, people do not trust politicians, but they do trust the institutions that serve as mechanisms to hold them accountable. The unanswered question, however, is how institutions become trustworthy, and it is here that public administration scholarship comes into play. Trust in institutions is a product not only of institutional design but also of institutional performance, and therefore it is essential to understand how administrative structures, leadership, interagency coordination, and organizational incentives may have a positive impact on government performance and, consequently, on the quality of democracy. A research agenda along these lines would enrich the interdisciplinary dialogue between political science and public administration while improving our understanding of both the effects of democratization on the public sector and the impact of public administration on the quality of democracy (in both developed and developing countries). In any case, Democracy and the Culture of Skepticism is a valuable contribution to this dialogue, leaving readers with a more skeptical view of politicians but confidence in the capacity of institutions to improve government performance.
Ocular Findings in Patients with Gyrate Atrophy On Pyridoxine and Low-Protein, Low-Arginine Diets

Abstract Five patients, ages 12 to 30, with gyrate atrophy have shown substantial (60% or greater) decreases in plasma ornithine concentrations within four to eight weeks when placed on a therapeutic trial of low-protein (10–15 g/day), low-arginine diets supplemented with essential amino acids (EAA) and pyridoxine hydrochloride. Four of five patients have continued on modified protein restriction (20–35 g/day) and one on pyridoxine (300 mg/day) alone with maintenance of plasma ornithine in the range of 30 to 60% below pretherapeutic trial levels. After one year, four of five patients have shown no significant improvement in visual acuity, fields, final dark-adapted thresholds, electroretinograms, or fundus appearance. One patient with the poorest control of plasma ornithine has developed a decrease in ERG amplitudes and a new area of chorioretinal atrophy. These patients continue in this trial to determine whether or not any reductions in hyperornithinemia will modify the course of the ocular disease.
Clustering the solar resource for grid management in island mode

Abstract We propose a novel methodology to select candidate locations for solar power plants that take into account solar variability and geographical smoothing effects. This methodology includes the development of maps created by a clustering technique that determines regions of coherent solar quality attributes as defined by a feature which considers both solar clearness and solar variability. An efficient combination of two well-known clustering algorithms, the affinity propagation and the k -means, is introduced in order to produce stable partitions of the data to a variety of number of clusters in a computationally fast and reliable manner. We use 15 years worth of the 30-min GHI gridded data for the island of Lanai in Hawaii to produce, validate and reproduce clustering maps. A family of appropriate number of clusters is obtained by evaluating the performance of three internal validity indices. We apply a correlation analysis to the family of solutions to determine the map segmentation that maximizes a definite interpretation of the distinction between and within the emerged clusters. Having selected a single clustering we validated the clustering by using a new dataset to demonstrate that the degree of similarity between the two partitions remains high at 90.91%. In the end we show how the clustering map can be used in solar energy problems. Firstly, we explore the effects of geographical smoothing in terms of the clustering maps, by determining the average ramp ratio for two location within and without the same cluster and identify the pair of clusters that shows the highest smoothing potential. Secondly, we demonstrate how the map can be used to select locations for GHI measurements to improve solar forecasting for a PV plant, by showing that additional measurements from within the cluster where the PV plant is located can lead to improvements of 10% in the forecast.
Linear prediction and single-channel recording

The measurement of individual single-channel events arising from the gating of ion channels provides a detailed data set from which the kinetic mechanism of a channel can be deduced. In many cases, the pattern of dwells in the open and closed states is very complex, and the kinetic mechanism and parameters are not easily determined. Assuming a Markov model for channel kinetics, the probability density function for open and closed time dwells should consist of a sum of decaying exponentials. One method of approaching the kinetic analysis of such a system is to determine the number of exponentials and the corresponding parameters which comprise the open and closed dwell time distributions. These can then be compared to the relaxations predicted from the kinetic model to determine, where possible, the kinetic constants. We report here the use of a linear technique, linear prediction/singular value decomposition, to determine the number of exponentials and the exponential parameters. Using simulated distributions and comparing with standard maximum-likelihood analysis, the singular value decomposition techniques provide advantages in some situations and are a useful adjunct to other single-channel analysis techniques.
Osteosarcoma incidence and survival rates from 1973 to 2004: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program

Background Osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone tumor, occurs most frequently in adolescents, but a second incidence peak among individuals over age 60 exists. Most osteosarcoma epidemiology studies have been embedded in large analyses of all bone tumors, or focused on cases occurring in adolescence. Detailed descriptions of osteosarcoma incidence and survival specifically, with direct comparisons among subjects of all ages and ethnicities, are not available.
Chiral and achiral layered divalent metal aromatic ortho -dicarboxylate coordination polymers with bis(4-pyridylmethyl)piperazine ligands: Luminescent behavior and magnetic properties

Abstract Four divalent metal coordination polymers containing bis(4-pyridylmethyl)piperazine (4-bpmp) and the ortho -dicarboxylate ligands phthalate (pht) or 4-methylphthalate (mpht) have been prepared by solvent diffusion or hydrothermal methods. {[Cu 2 (pht) 2 (H4-bpmp) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ](NO 3 ) 2 ·H 2 O} n ( 1 ) and {[Cu 2 (pht) 2 (H4-bpmp) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ](SO 4 )·2H 2 O} n ( 2 ) possess chiral cationic layer motifs formed by the junction of [Cu(H 2 O)(pht)] n chains by tethering curled-conformation H4-bpmp + ligands. {[Co(pht)(H 2 O)(4-bpmp)]·5.5H 2 O} n ( 3 ) displays a (4,4) grid constructed from anti-syn carboxylate-bridged {Co 2 (H 2 O) 2 (pht) 2 } dimeric clusters linked by open-conformation 4-bpmp ligands. {[Cd 2 (mpht) 2 (H 2 O) 2 (4-bpmp)(H4-bpmp)]ClO 4 ·4H 2 O} n ( 4 ) manifests cationic layered motifs based on neutral [Cd 2 (H 2 O) 2 (mpht) 2 ] dinuclear units with {CdOC 4 O} 2 12-membered circuits, linked by open-conformation 4-bpmp and H4-bpmp + ligands. Variable-temperature magnetic data indicate likely concomitant zero-field splitting and ferromagnetic coupling in 3 . Violet light emission is observed when 4 is subjected to ultraviolet irradiation.
LIVER INJURY IN ALPHA1-ANTITRYPSIN DEFICIENCY

Alpha 1 -antitrypsin (α 1 AT) deficiency is a relatively common autosomal recessive disorder, affecting 1 in 1600 to 1 in 2000 live births. 92 Although only a subset of α 1 AT–deficient children develop liver disease, it is the most common genetic cause of liver disease in children and the most frequent genetic diagnosis for which children undergo liver transplantation. 66 This deficiency has also been associated with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in adults. 25 It has been suspected for some time that liver injury is caused by the toxic effect of the mutant molecule α 1 ATZ retained within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) rather than secreted into the blood and body fluids. It now appears that most α 1 AT-deficient patients are protected from liver disease because the mutant α 1 ATZ molecule is recognized as abnormal by the quality control apparatus of the ER and degraded. Susceptible hosts are α 1 AT-deficient individuals in which unlinked genetic traits or environmental factors result in an alteration in the functional activity of the ER quality control system and, in turn, in greater or more prolonged retention of the presumably hepatoxic mutant protein. 107 Recent basic cell biologic studies have shown that the ER quality control system is extremely sophisticated. 45 It includes a series of molecular chaperones that reside in the ER and facilitate folding and assembly of wild-type proteins and degradation of misfolded proteins. It also includes pathways by which misfolded proteins are transported out of the ER into the cytoplasm and multiple pathways by which the misfolded proteins are then degraded in the cytoplasm. The quality control system is also characterized by an ancient, evolutionarily conserved response, the unfolded protein response , by which the cell can make new ER chaperones and new ER membrane so that it can expand and accommodate an increased load of misfolded proteins. 63,87 It is not surprising, then, that there are several different genetic and biochemical mechanisms by which the quality control system can be altered and an α 1 AT-deficient host be rendered susceptible to liver injury. This article, reviews the current knowledge about the quality control system in α 1 AT deficiency, how this information is being used to prevent liver disease, and how it is helping researchers understand more about the fundamental cellular machinery of stress responses.
A new method for assessing the prevalence of dental fluorosis—the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis

A new index of fluorosis was used in seven Illinois communities to determine its effectiveness and sensitivity to different water-fluoride concentrations. The most widely adopted system for classifying dental fluorosis has been in use since 1942. There may be a better method.
Ergodic flows of positive entropy can be time changed to becomeK-flows

It is shown that every Kakutani equivalence class of ergodic measure preserving transformations of positive entropy containsK-automorphisms. Also, every ergodic flow of positive entropy can be time changed to become aK-flow and every ergodic automorphism of positive entropy is a cross-section of someK-flow.
Attribution of depression to internal-external and stable-unstable causes: preliminary investigation.

The present study investigated the effects of severity, consistency, and typicalness of information about a hypothetical case of depression on causal explanations for depression. 119 undergraduates responded to brief descriptions of a depressed individual by rating (1 to 6) the extent to which the depression was due to each of four types of causes: internal stable, internal unstable, external stable, and external unstable. Severity was associated with greater attribution to internal stable causes. The consistency of the depression tended to produce attribution to stable causes, and typicalness tended to produce attribution to external causes.
An Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Equivalent Flaw Sizing Method

One of the challenging tasks in the field of ultrasonic NDE is to obtain quantitative flaw size, shape, and orientation information. In an equivalent flaw sizing approach, flaws in a material are reconstructed in terms of a best-fit simple shape such as an ellipsoid or ellipse. In this work, a new time-of-flight equivalent (TOFE) flaw sizing method is developed for obtaining best-fit equivalent flaws from a relatively small number of timing measurements at different transducer orientations. The performance of the method is demonstrated on synthetic numerical data and with experiments, including examples of sizing in anisotropic composite materials and in welds.
Three helpful techniques for facilitating abdominal procedures, in particular for surgery in the obese

Three helpful techniques for facilitating abdominal procedures, in particular in the obese, are presented. Midline abdominal exposure is aided by the manual separation of the subcutaneous fat and Scarpa's fascia by a lateral tearing motion simultaneously performed from opposite sides of the table. Exposure of the upper abdomen is best achieved by utilization of a fixed-support retractor system placed with the patient in the Trendelenburg position, followed by positioning the patient in the reverse Trendelenburg position for the conduct of the operation. Ventral hernia repair is promoted when the three mobile layers of anterior rectus sheath, rectus muscle, and posterior rectus sheath are approximated with a continuous suture to create a neo-linea alba.
Ignition Delay Times of Ram Accelerator CH/O/Diluent Mixtures

An experimental study was performed to determine ignition delay times for CH4/O2/diluent mixtures and conditions relevant to forebody combustion on ram accelerator projectiles. All measurements were performed in the reflected-shock region of a high-pressure shock tube. Temperatures from 1040 to 1600 K and pressures between 35 and 260 atm were studied, and the CH4/O2/diluent mixtures had an equivalence ratio of 0.4, 3.0, or 6.0 with either N2, Ar, or He as the bath gas. Reaction progress was monitored primarily via piezoelectric pressure transducer and visible emission. For each mixture and condition, the ignition developed as a strong ignition front beginning at the endwall with little or no preignition deflagration. Ignition delay time (rigll) correlations were generated for each mixture and the entire data set; the latter correlation indicates that ignition delay is dependent only on the fuel and oxidizer concentrations and, therefore, not on the diluent species or concentration. At temperatures below approximately 1300 K for the fuel-rich mixtures, the Arrhenius temperature dependence of rign changes from an average activation energy of 32.7 kcal/mol, at higher temperatures, to approximately 19.0 kcal/mol, at lower temperatures. The transition occurs at higher temperatures as the pressure is increased, and is indicative of a shift in chain-branching kinetics between the highand intermediate-temperature regimes.
Short sirolimus half-life in pediatric renal transplant recipients on a calcineurin inhibitor-free protocol

SRL is an mTOR inhibitor that provides several advantages over CNI immunosuppressive protocols. mTOR inhibitors such as SRL have been shown to result in less renal and gastrointestinal toxicity, and beneficial effects on countering vascular proliferation in comparison with 4 CNI such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus. Complications of SRL include hyperlipidemia that often requires co-therapy with lipid-lowering agents, and transient thrombocytopenia. Current SRL use in children is based mostly on extrapolation of PK data in adult transplant recipients and single dose PK data in children on hemodialysis. One study of adult transplant recipients showed that the SRL T1/2 is 62 ± 16 h (1). Another study of single dose SRL in 16 stable, adult renal transplant recipients showed that the elimination T1/2 ranged from 43.8 to 86.5 h, with a mean of 56.9 h (2). A single dose PK study in uremic children on hemodialysis showed similar T1/2 values (70.5 ± 40 h in children and 55.3 ± 18 h in adolescents) (3). However, these data do not reflect steady state SRL PK in stable, pediatric renal transplant recipients. Previously, young children were reported to have poor short and long-term graft survival. Proposed reasons for this poor survival included an hypothesized heightened immune response, especially in infants (4, 5). However, other causes were likely more important. Children are known to have higher rates of drug metabolism, particularly with respect to key cytochrome enzymes compared with adults (6–12). Faster drug metabolism is very likely the reason why cyclosporine T1/2 is notoriously shorter in children compared with adults. One study determined that cyclosporine T1/2 was 9.3 h in children, compared with 16–27 h in adults (13). Therefore, it is possible that lack of pediatric-specific PK information previously led to insufficient provision of these drugs to children. Thus, suboptimal immunosuppression, rather than an inherent immune hyper-responsiveness, may have been the cause of higher rejection rates previously seen in young children. Improved age-specific dosing, therefore, may have been instrumental in the recently observed improved outcomes in children (14, 15). We have initiated an experimental protocol of IL-2r antibody induction, prednisone, MMF and SRL in pediatric renal transplant recipients, including SRL PK studies at 1 and 3 months after transplantation. The goal of this study is to assess SRL PK in children on a CNI-free protocol, and to determine whether these pediatric renal transplant recipients require different doses or dosing schedules of SRL.
Misfolding of glycoproteins is a prerequisite for peptide: N-glycanase mediated deglycosylation.

Abstract Peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase) is a deglycosylating enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the β-aspartylglycosylamine bond of aspargine-linked glycopeptides and glycoproteins. Earlier studies from our laboratory indicated that PNGase catalyzed de-N-glycosylation was limited to glycopeptide substrates, but recent reports have demonstrated that it also acts upon full-length misfolded glycoproteins. In this study, we utilized two glycoprotein substrates, yeast carboxypeptidase and chicken egg albumin (ovalbumin), to study the deglycosylation activity of yeast PNGase and its mutants. Our results provide further evidence that PNGase acts upon full-length glycoprotein substrates and clearly establish that PNGase acts only on misfolded or denatured glycoproteins.
N-acyldihydropyridones as synthetic intermediates. A short synthesis of (±)-indolizidine 209B.

Abstract The indolizidine alkaloid (±)-209B was prepared in seven steps from 4-methoxypyridine.
Evidence for a link between Fe Kα emission-line strength and quasi-periodic oscillation phase in a black hole

In X-ray binaries, the frequencies revealed in X-ray quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are often interpreted as characteristic frequencies in the inner accretion disk, although the exact oscillation mechanism is unknown at present. Broadened Fe Kα lines are also excellent diagnostics of the inner accretion flow, if their broadening is indeed due to inner disk reflection. Here we present two cases where the flux and equivalent width of the Fe Kα emission lines in spectra of the Galactic black hole GRS 1915+105 vary with the phase of strong 1 and 2 Hz QPOs in the X-ray flux. These results provide strong evidence that both QPOs and the Fe Kα lines originate in the inner disk. If the 1 Hz QPO is only a Keplerian orbital frequency, the QPO comes from a distance of RSchw from the black hole; the 2 Hz QPO implies a radius of RSchw. At these radii, relativistic shaping of a disk line is inevitable. Moreover, the link holds in radio-bright and radio-faint phases, signaling that in systems like GRS 1915+105, the Fe Kα line is a disk line and not a jet line as per SS 433. A particularly interesting possibility is that a stable warp in the inner disk, e.g., due to Lense-Thirring precession, may produce the observed QPOs and line modulations. More broadly, the Fe K-QPO link provides an unprecedented mechanism for revealing the inner accretion flow and relativistic regime in accreting systems, in that it gives two measures of radius: for a given disk QPO model, the frequency translates into a specific radius, and relativistic line models yield radii directly.
MICROSCALE BOILING HEAT TRANSFER NEAR THE MENISCUS

Results are presented experimentally measuring the localized temperature profile due to microscale boiling of a silicon-Pyrex bonded wafer with a 100 μm deep, 500 μm wide and six mm long microchannel. Experiments were performed using an infrared camera equipped with a magnifying lens. By using a camera, the dynamic temperature profile is shown from the inside channel all the way out to where the temperature of the wafer reaches the bulk temperature of the heating source. Temperature profiles are shown for both water and methanol as the working fluid applying between five and twenty degrees Celsius of superheat to the bulk wafer. Using these results, a discussion of the relevant heat transfer modes and nondimensional numbers is given to gain insight into the range of influence that phase change in a microchannel has on the temperature of the wafer. Additionally, discussion is given about modeling of microscale phase change using a commercial fluid dynamics software package. The importance of these results with respect to implementation into the fuel intake manifold for a micro engine based portable power system is also discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Assessment of resident knowledge: Subjective assessment versus performance on the ACR in-training examination

Rationale and Objectives. The authors assessed the ability of faculty and residents to predict the ranked performance of residents on the American College of Radiology (ACR) In-Training Examination. Materials and Methods. Radiology faculty at Penn State Geisinger Health System (PSGHS), the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), and the University of Virginia (UVA) and residents at PSGHS and MCV ranked the expected performances of residents taking the 1997 ACR In-Training Examination. Surveyed faculty and residents were blinded to the actual performances on the examination. Forty-nine residents took the examination (21 at PSGHS, 22 at MCV, six at UVA), and 37 faculty members (11 at PSGHS, 11 at MCV, 15 at UVA) participated in the study. Correlation analysis was performed to assess the agreement between the subjective and actual ranking of residents in each residency class. Results. Faculty were moderately accurate in the overall ranking of resident performances ( r = 0.34). High levels of concordance for ranking individual residents correlated with accuracy in only certain cases. Differences in agreement and accuracy of the respondents existed between PSGHS and MCV ( P = .0001 and .0014, respectively). The concordance of respondents increased significantly from the 1st- to the 2nd-year class at MCV ( P = .0002), whereas accuracy increased significantly between these classes for the PSGHS ( P = .042). Conclusion. Faculty are only moderately successful in ranking resident performances on the ACR In-Training Examination, and a high level of agreement is not necessarily indicative of increased accuracy. The concordance and accuracy of subjective rankings differ among residency programs and classes.
Characterization of bovine pulmonary and serum antibody responses after parenteral or intrapulmonary vaccination with live Pasteurella haemolytica

Pulmonary and serum antibody responses were evaluated in eight calves vaccinated [four intrapulmonary-right diaphragmatic lobe (IP) and four subcutaneous (SC)] with Pasteurella haemolytica A1 (Ph-1) impregnated agar beads and eight respective sham-vaccinated calves. Experimental and sham groups were challenged in both diaphragmatic lobes with Ph-1 34-37 d after vaccination (DAV) and necropsied 6 d after challenge (DAC; 40-43 DAV). IgG antibodies contained in fluids from the diaphragmatic lobes of vaccinated calves had different patterns of antigen specificity compared with IgG antibodies in analogous sera. Using ELISA, anti-Ph-1 IgA and IgG antibody concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in lung lavage fluids from the IP group before and after challenge compared to the SC and sham groups. The IP and SC groups developed IgA, IgG and IgM antibody titers in nonvaccinated lung lobes after vaccination and challenge. The IP and SC groups exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) smaller pulmonary lesions than the sham groups and pulmonary IgG and IgA antibodies were associated with increased protection.
Characterization of and Correction for Memory Effects Produced by Pneumatic Nebulizers in Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy

Memory effects or sample carry over characteristics of five pneumatic nebulizers routinely used for sample introduction into plasma emission spectrometers are studied. It is observed that the primary source of the memory noted for the nebulizers studied is the dissipation rate of the fog produced by the nebulizer during introduction of the previous sample or samples. Contributions to memory from the aspiration tube, salt deposition at the nebulizer tip, and a chromatographic effect at the torch tip are minimal. In terms of operational stability, detection capability, tolerance for particulates, and low memory, a concentric nebulizer with a Pt:Ir needle, Teflon nose cone, and an extended spray director is superior to the others tested. Even under the most optimum conditions, the washout time required to reduce sample emission to 0.1% of its maximum intensity varies from 2 to 4 min, thereby greatly increasing per sample analysis time. The memory effect phenomena can be accurately modeled by a hyperbolic curve and can, therefore, be easily corrected for in routine analysis. The memory correction value, which is subtracted from a sample's net emission intensity, is calculated from the product of an empirically defined correction constant and the emission intensity of previously run samples divided by the washout time. Examples of the utilization of the correction are shown.
TH-D-303A-08: A Method to Evaluate Dose Uncertainties Introduced by Dose Mapping Processes

Purpose: To present a method to evaluate dose uncertainties introduced by using deformable image registration to map dose between patient poses. Methods and Materials: By definition, dose is the ratio between energy deposited E and mass M, i.e. D = E / M . The dose uncertainty is defined as D D = (¶ D / ¶ E ) D E + (¶ D / ¶ M ) D M . When dose is mapped from patient pose 1 to pose 2, this expression can be evaluated as 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 D D = ( E ‐ E ) / M + E ( M ‐ M ) / M where the E's and M's are evaluated over finite volumes. Practical evaluation of the dose uncertainty can be accomplished by defining multiple arbitrary finite volumes via contouring on pose 1, then deformably mapping each volume to pose 2. In each volume, the integral dose E and mass M is evaluated to allow determination of D D . The method is applied to a test patient case to demonstrate its implementation. Conclusion: A practical method has been developed to evaluate dose uncertainty in volumes deformably mapped between differing patient poses. For the test case, the average dose uncertainty in the mapped volumes is 2.3%, with a maximum dose uncertainty of 10%. Results will be dependent on the quality of the image registration, the dose mapping method, and the dose gradients. (Work supported by NIH P01CA116602).
Integrating local data into hospital-based healthcare technology assessment: two case studies.

Objectives: Health technology assessment (HTA) programs influence practice on a broad scale through reimbursement decisions or national guidelines. Hospital-based HTA programs inform clinical decisions at the local level. Typically, they do this by adapting general HTA to their local setting, or by creating new HTA. However, unlike payer-based HTA organizations, hospital-based HTA organizations can also integrate local data into their reports.Methods: We describe two examples of local data integrated into hospital-based HTA. In the first, qualitative data were used to select a new cardiac catheterization lab. In the second, quantitative data was used to inform a decision on whether to continue telemedicine services to critical care units. Local evidence sources included equipment service records, and interviews with physicians, technicians, and administrative staff in the first example, and the hospital's administrative and claims databases in the second example.Results: In each case, there was little evidence from the peer-reviewed literature that could be applied to the decision. In the first example, staffing patterns and local preferences had considerable bearing on technology choices. In the second example, local outcomes data from administrative records were decisive.Conclusions: Hospital-based HTA using local data can fill gaps in the published evidence, and also improve the generalizability of evidence to the local setting. To take advantage of local evidence, health systems should encourage the development of hospital-based HTA centers, seek out local preference data, and maintain databases of patient outcomes and utilization of services.
Simple Method of Determining Pulmonary Blood Flow in the Anesthetized Rat

We have developed a simple, accurate, and relatively inexpensive method of measuring pulmonary blood flow in the anesthetized rat using a modification of the dye dilution technique. The method is attractive because it allows for the measurement of pulmonary blood flow and also the determination of pulmonary substrate flux. Using rats with a catheter in the carotid artery and a doubly cannulated right ventricle (RV), a constant infusion of [14C]P-aminohippurate ([14C]PAH) is begun via the distal RV catheter. After steady state is obtained the infusion of [14C]PAH is then stopped and blood is immediately withdrawn from the proximal RV cannula. This maneuver insures that [14C]PAH from the infusate is not sampled through the proximal RV catheter. Obtaining the blood from the proximal RV catheter within 5 s after clearing the infusion catheter insures that no dilution of [14C]PAH in the right ventricle (from recirculating blood) occurs. Catheter position is verified at autopsy. Calculations are performed to determine pulmonary blood flow. In 20 normal rats studied, the pulmonary blood flow was 24 +/- 1 mL/100 g body wt min-1 and in 12 endotoxin-treated rats (10 mg/kg body wt) the pulmonary blood flow was 32 +/- 2 mL/100 g body wt. These values are similar to values obtained with other methods used to measure total pulmonary blood flow.