cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prolonged low-dose thrombolytic therapy: a novel adjunctive strategy in the management of an infected right atrial thrombus.

An 81-year-old man presented with a large, infected right atrial thrombus that was refractory to anticoagulants and several courses of antibiotics. The risk of surgical removal of the thrombus, which was associated with a pacemaker electrode, was considered prohibitive. The patient was treated for 7 days with low-dose (40 mg/day) tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA). Hemostatic monitoring during infusion revealed (1) a plasma t-PA antigen that was approximately 5% of that achieved during short-course t-PA for acute myocardial infarction, (2) biochemical evidence of prolonged clot lysis, and (3) no significant depletion of fibrinogen or plasminogen. Nearly complete dissolution of the thrombus was observed. His bacteremia was eradicated by intravenous penicillin despite the presence of the pacemaker lead. This case highlights the benefits of combined antibiotic and thrombolytic therapy and documents for the first time the response of the human hemostatic system to prolonged t-PA infusion and the plasma t-PA levels attained when thrombolytic therapy is administered in this manner. Prolonged courses of fibrinolytic agents may be a good alternative to surgical intervention in selected patients with infected, right-sided intracardiac thrombi.
The use of dynamic programming methodology for the solution of a class of nonlinear programming problems

This paper presents an application of a method for finding the global solution to a problem in integers with a separable objective function of a very general form. This report shows that there is a relationship between an integer problem with a separable nonlinear objective function and many constraints and a series of nonlinear problems with only a single constraint, each of which can be solved sequentially using dynamic programming. The first solution to any of the individual smaller problems that satisfies the original constraints in addition, will be the optimal solution to the multiply-constrained problem.
Social norms campaigns: examining the relationship between changes in perceived norms and changes in drinking levels.

Objective: This study examined changes in drinking as a function of changes in perceived drinking norms following a social norms marketing campaign to correct normative misperceptions of college student drinking among residence hall students. The researchers expected students to reduce their estimates of typical student drinking following the social marketing campaign and that reductions in perceived norms would be associated with reduced drinking. Method: Perceived norms and self-reported frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption were assessed before and after a social norms marketing campaign among 474 residence hall students. Results: Paired samples t tests revealed reduced perceptions of typical student drinking frequency and quantity. In addition, among nonabstainers, drinking quantity went down from pre- to postintervention. Further examination revealed that reductions in drinking were evident only among students whose perceived norms were reduced. Conclusions: Results suggest that social norms ...
Effect of High Excess Pore Pressure on Strength Parameters of Organic Soil

ABSTRACT The current method of determining the shear strength parameter ϕ', based on the inclination of the Kf-line (p-q plot), even though widely used, can lead to invalid results if the limitation of the testing and computing procedures are not acknowledged. From the mechanics stand point, the method appears to be valid only for soils exhibiting a specific failure mechanism, however, according to the available published literature the method has been adopted to a wide variety of soils. The indiscreminate use of the Kf-line procedure can indeed lead to unrealistic results i. e., ϕ' approaching 90° in the case of some organic soils. An attempt is made on experimental basis to show the limitation of the Kf-line procedure. A failure criterion is suggested in order to avoid unworthy results.
The impact of mild head injury on neuropsychological capacity in chronic alcoholics.

A series of neuropsychological tests known to be sensitive to the effects of chronic alcoholism was administered to 25 detoxified alcoholic patients with histories of mild head injury and 25 detoxified alcoholics matched for age, race, socloeconomic status, education and drinking history parameters, but without histories of head injury. None of the tests was performed at significantly different levels by the two groups. It was concluded that mild head injury did not compound the effects of chronic alcoholism among these patients, although it was noted that both groups demonstrated the anticipated impairments on the tests. It was also suggested that researchers need not exclude alcoholic subjects with mild head injury histories from studies involving the use of standard neuropsychological tests.
Improving protein array performance: focus on washing and storage conditions.

For protein microarrays, maintaining protein stability during the slide processing steps of washing, drying, and storage is of major concern. Although several studies have focused on the stability of immobilized antibodies in antibody microarrays, studies on protein−protein interaction arrays and enzyme arrays are lacking. In this paper we used five bait−prey protein interaction pairs and three enzymes to optimize the washing, drying, and storage conditions for protein arrays. The protein arrays for the study were fabricated by combining HaloTag technology and cell-free protein expression. The HaloTag technology, in combination with cell-free expression, allowed rapid expression and immobilization of fusion proteins on hydrogel-coated glass slides directly from cell extracts without any prior purification. Experimental results indicate enzyme captured on glass slides undergoes significant loss of activity when washed and spin-dried using only phosphate buffer, as is typically done with antibody arrays. Th...
Molecular cloning of alpha-amylase genes from Drosophila melanogaster. III. An inversion at the Amy locus in an amylase-null strain.

Overlapping clones of the structural gene region for alpha-amylase,Amy, were isolated from a lambda EMBL4 library containing genomic DNA fragments from an amylase-null strain ofDrosophila melanogaster. Southern blot analysis and restriction endonuclease mapping of the cloned region indicate that it contains anAmy gene duplication within an inverted repeat sequence as is characteristic of the genomic arrangement for this species. Spacing between the cloned gene copies is similar to that commonly found in other strains. Evidence is presented for the presence of an inversion 4 to 9 kb in length within the clonedAmy region of the null strain. We postulate a causal relationship between the presence of the inversion and the failure of individuals from the null strain to express amylase. A model is proposed that suggests the inversion may have arisen through intramolecular (or sister-strand) recombination mediated by homologous pairing of the inverted repeat sequences at theAmy locus.
Orienting Matroids Representable Over BothGF(3) andGF(5)

For matroids representable over both GF(3) and GF(5) , we provide a method for constructing an orientation.
Sleep and daytime behavior in children with obstructive sleep apnea and behavioral sleep disorders

Objective. The purpose of this study was: 1) to examine both bedtime sleep behaviors and daytime behaviors associated with daytime sleepiness in a group of children with a primary medical sleep disorder (obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [OSAS]) compared with a group of children with a primary behavioral sleep disorder (BSD) (limit setting sleep disorder or sleep onset association disorder); and 2) to investigate the impact of a comorbid BSD on sleep and daytime behavioral consequences of OSAS. Methods. Children referred to a pediatric sleep disorders clinic during a 3-year period with a primary diagnosis of either polysomnographically-confirmed OSAS (n = 100) or a BSD (n = 52) were compared on several parent report measures assessing the following domains: symptoms of sleep disordered breathing, other sleep behaviors (primarily parasomnias), bedtime behaviors, and externalizing daytime behavior problems. The OSAS sample was then divided into a pure OSAS group (n = 78) and an OSAS plus a behavioral sleep diagnosis group (n = 22) based on the presence or absence of delayed sleep onset and/or prolonged nightwakings and compared on the parent-report symptom domains. Results. Almost one-quarter of the OSAS group had clinically significant behavioral sleep problems, primarily bedtime resistance, in addition to OSAS. Bedtime resistance was associated with a significantly shortened sleep duration in both the BSD and OSAS-BSD groups. Although the OSAS-BSD group had less severe disease, as defined by polysomnographic variables, than the pure OSAS group, they were rated by their parents as having more daytime externalizing behavior problems associated with daytime sleepiness. Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that evaluation for comorbid BSD should be done in all children presenting with symptoms of OSAS. The coexistence of such BSDs may contribute significantly to sleep deprivation, and thus to behavioral manifestations of daytime sleepiness in these children.
Interface crack loaded by a time-harmonic plane wave

Abstract In this paper, the two-dimensional problem of a finite crack along the interface between two dissimilar solids loaded by a plane wave is considered. Through use of the Fourier transform method, the boundary value problem of wave scattering is reduced to a vectorial Cauchy singular integral equation for the dislocation density on the crack face. A Jacobi polynomial technique is then used to solve the integral equation numerically. Crack opening displacements and stress intensity factors are obtained for various incident frequencies and incident angles. It is found that the crack faces interpenetrate each other near the crack-tips, and the crack-tip singular fields are oscillatory. The oscillatory index is the same as that for an interface crack under static loading, which can be expressed by the second Dundurs bimaterial constant. For practical purposes, an engineering approximation is proposed to remedy these pathological behaviors near the crack tips.
Transient cerebral ischemia decreases calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II immunoreactivity, but not mRNA levels in the gerbil hippocampus.

Abstract During transient cerebral ischemia, intracellular calcium increases initiating a cascade of events which leads to the delayed death of neurons located in the hippocampus. Coupled to this calcium disturbance is the rapid decrease of calcium/ calmodulin kinase II (CaM kinase) activity, a protein kinase critical to neuronal functioning. The present study correlated the increased locomotor activity following ischemic insult with alterations in CaM kinase mRNA levels and immunocytochemical labeling of α and β CaM kinase subunits in the hippocampus. The protective effect of hypothermia was also compared with CaM kinase mRNA levels and immunoreactivity. Levels of CaM kinase message for either α or β subunits was not altered in ischemic gerbils compared to sham or hypothermic ischemic conditions. Immunoreactivity for both the α and β subunits was markedly reduced in the vulnerable CA1 region of ischemic animals compared to sham controls. Gerbils that underwent the ischemic insult while hypothermic showed no decrement in staining. CaM kinase-like immunoreactivity in the ischemia-resistant CA3 sector was not altered following ischemia. These data suggest that the loss of hippocampal CaM kinase immunoreactivity observed at 24 h following ischemia is not associated with a reduction in CaM kinase mRNA levels and support the notion that the rapid decline in CaM kinase activity following ischemic insult is a result of a posttranslational modification and/or translocation of the enzyme.
Revolt at the source: the black radical tradition in the social documentary photography of Omar Badsha and Nadine Hutton

The social documentary photography of Omar Badsha (b. 1945) and Nadine Hutton (b. 1977) upends ideas about who has been writing the history of South Africa and in what genres. Their cross-generational dialogue and commitment to sharing photography as a means of social commentary not only constitutes a historical tradition, but it also emerges out of and is an expression of the black radical tradition. By drawing on interviews with Badsha and Hutton as well as an analysis of their work, this essay demonstrates how the black radical tradition works as a radical philosophy of history in practice: defying post-raciality, depoliticization of art, and amplifying culture as a site of work and political mobilization. Theoretical insights from Cedric Robinson's scholarship on marronage, the origins of the black radical tradition and its cosmology, the renegade black intelligentsia, and the making of racial regimes place Badsha and Hutton in the black radical tradition.
A pointwise limit theorem for filtered backprojection in computed tomography.

Computed tomography(CT) is one of the most important areas in the modern science and technology. The most popular approach for image reconstruction is filtered backprojection. It is essential to understand the limit behavior of the filtered backprojection algorithms. The classic results on the limit of image reconstruction are typically done in the norm sense. In this paper, we use the method of limited bandwidth to handle filtered backprojection-based image reconstruction when the spectrum of an underlying image is not absolutely integrable. Our main contribution is, assuming the method of limited bandwidth, to prove a pointwise limit theorem for a class of functions practically relevant and quite general. Further work is underway to extend the theory and explore its practical applications.
Verification of supraselective drug delivery for retinoblastoma using intra-arterial gadolinium

We present a description of retinoblastoma treated with supraselective intra-arterial chemotherapy, demonstrating selective delivery of the infused chemotherapeutic agent into the tumor bed by MRI. A 7-month-old presented with group E (international classification) unilateral retinoblastoma. We treated the patient with several rounds of intra-ophthalmic artery melphalan. Gadolinium was infused along with melphalan to visualize the distribution of this chemotherapeutic drug. Intraoperative MRI was obtained within 15 min after treatment and showed increased enhancement of the tumor and subretinal space. We demonstrate here that supraselective administration of chemotherapy into the ophthalmic artery appears to result in drug delivery to the tumor and subretinal space.
Membrane extraction for the determination of halogenated ether priority pollutants in water

Abstract A method is described for the solvent‐free extraction, concentration, and determination of the halogenated ether base/neutral priority pollutants in water. Samples are collected by permeation through a silicone polycarbonate membrane followed by trapping onto a Tenax‐TA sampling tube. These samples were thermally desorbed and allowed to directly pass into a gas Chromatograph (GC) equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) for subsequent separation and quantitation. Concentrations in the parts per billion (μg/L) were found for all the compounds studied. A linear relationship was obtained for concentrations ranging between approximately 8 and 300 parts per billion (ppb). The method can be used as an alternative to current preconcentration methods or for continuous monitoring of wastewater streams. It also offers the advantages of eliminating the need for costly solvents which in turn may contribute to sample contamination, and also lowering the number of analysis steps while still providing ac...
Regulation of migrating motor complexes by motilin and pancreatic polypeptide in human infants

In adults, migrating motor complexes (MMCs) appear to be partially under hormonal modulation by motilin and pancreatic polypeptide. Preterm infants do not exhibit MMCs until 32 wk of gestation. Although plasma concentrations of motilin are similar in infants and adults, it is not known if actual hormonal modulation of MMCs is present in infants. In the first study we assessed whether plasma concentrations of motilin and pancreatic polypeptide surge with the occurrence of MMCs in term infants. In the second study we assessed whether erythromycin, a motilin receptor agonist, could induce migrating motor activity in preterm and term infants. In the first study we recorded motor activity in nine term infants who had never been fed. We determined plasma concentrations of motilin and pancreatic polypeptide in the presence and absence of MMCs. In the second study we gave the motilin agonist erythromycin intragastrically to 21 infants at a range of 24-42 wk of gestation to assess whether migrating activity could be induced via the motilin receptor. In the first study, plasma concentrations of motilin were similar during the presence and absence of MMCs, as were plasma concentrations of pancreatic polypeptide. In the second study, the administration of erythromycin induced the appearance of migrating activity in 7 of 14 infants who were older than 32 wk but in none of the infants who was younger than 32 wk. Although the motilin receptor appears to be functionally present beyond 32 wk of gestation, as assessed by in indirect pharmacologic challenge, hormonal modulation of migrating activity in the neonate by plasma motilin and pancreatic polypeptide is absent.
Ethnicity, substance use, and development: Exemplars for exploring group differences and similarities

Epidemiological research shows some ethnic-group differences in the prevalence of substance use. This approach does not address the question of whether there are ethnic-group differences in the models that are needed to understand the development of substance use. For this question we need to understand the relations between psychological constructs and their trajectories over time. In this paper we describe some approaches to studying ethnic-group differences in the predictors of substance use that illustrate probing for mediators, multisample analyses of structural models, and an experimental trial of a preventive intervention. Our studies found some ethnic-group differences in the structure of constructs and the relations between variables, but many similarities. The challenge for researchers is using appropriate research methods for studying ethnicity, uncovering the basis for ethnic-group differences when they occur, knowing when statistical differences are meaningful, and acknowledging when developmental models are comparable. Language: en
Examining Mechanisms of Variability within the Pacific Storm Track: Upstream Seeding and Jet-Core Strength

AbstractThis paper examines how variations in two mechanisms, upstream seeding and jet-core strength, relate to storminess within the cold season (October–April) Pacific storm track. It is found that about 17% of observed storminess covaries with the strength of the upstream wave source, and the relationship is robust throughout the cold season and for both the Pacific and Atlantic basins. Further analyses of the intraseasonal variability in the strength and structure of the wintertime [December–February (DJF)] Pacific jet stream draw upon both Eulerian-variance and feature-tracking statistics to diagnose why winter months with a strong-core jet stream have weaker storminess than those with a weak-core jet stream. Contrary to expectations, it is shown that the basic spatial patterns actually conform to a simple linear picture: regions with a weaker jet have weaker storminess. The overall decrease in storminess is most strongly linked to the weaker amplitude of individual storms in strong-core months. Prev...
Single-phase cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter with nonactive power compensation for grid-connected photovoltaic generators

This paper presents a single-phase cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter for a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system with nonactive power compensation. A generalized nonactive power theory is applied to generate the nonactive current reference. Within the inverter's capability, nonactive power required by the local load is provided to improve the grid power quality. To minimize harmonics and achieve zero error tracking, a hybrid controller composed of a proportional controller and a repetitive controller is applied to current control. A single-phase 11-level cascaded multilevel inverter is considered in both simulation and experimental tests. Each H-bridge is connected to a 195 W solar panel. Simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the proposed ideas.
Sigma-mean monitoring for the local area augmentation of GPS

The local area augmentation system (LAAS) is a ground-based differential GPS system being developed to support aircraft precision approach and landing navigation with guaranteed integrity. To quantitatively appraise navigation integrity, an aircraft computes vertical and lateral protection levels using the standard deviation of pseudo-range correction errors, /spl sigma//sub pr/spl I.bar/gnd/, broadcast by the LAAS ground facility (LGF). Thus, one significant integrity risk is that the true standard deviation (sigma) of the pseudo-range correction error distribution may grow to exceed the broadcast correction error sigma or that the true mean of the correction error distribution becomes excessive during LAAS operation. This event may occur due to unexpected anomalies of GPS measurements. To insure that the true error distribution is bounded by a zero-mean Gaussian distribution with the broadcast sigma value, real-time sigma and mean monitoring is necessary. Both direct estimation and cumulative sum (CUSUM) methods are useful to detect violations with acceptable residual integrity risk. For sigma monitoring, the estimation method more rapidly detects small violations of /spl sigma//sub pr/spl I.bar/gnd/ but the fast initial response (FIR) CUSUM variant more promptly detects significant violations that would pose a larger threat to user integrity. For the purposes of mean monitoring, the FIR CUSUM variant is superior to the estimation method in detecting any mean violations. The results demonstrate that real-time protection is achievable against all sizes of sigma/mean failures that can threaten navigation integrity.
Effective pressure for line formation in the atmosphere of Venus

Abstract The effective pressure of line formation is derived from spectra of Venus taken at McDonald Observatory. Two models are used to determine the change of effective pressure for line formation with Venus phase angle. The effective pressure is seen to decrease as the phase angle is increased from 26° to 164°. For a fixed phase angle the effective pressure generally decreases with increasing line strength. For example, the very strong bands at 1.2 microns are formed at an effective pressure 2 to 3 times less than the pressure for the bands at 1.0 micron.
Biomechanical comparison of locked plating and spiral blade retrograde nailing of supracondylar femur fractures.

Abstract Objective Biomechanical comparison between locked plating and retrograde nailing of supracondylar femur fractures with simulated postoperative weight-bearing. Methods The Locking Condylar Plate (LCP) and Retrograde/Antegrade EX Femoral Nail (RAFN) were tested using 10 paired elderly cadaveric femurs, divided into Normal and Low Bone Mineral Density (BMD) groups, with a simulated AO/OTA type 33-A3 supracondylar femur fracture. Each specimen was subjected to 200,000 loading cycles in an attempt to simulate six weeks of postoperative recovery with full weight-bearing for an average individual. The construct's subsidence due to cyclic loading, and axial stiffness before and after the cyclic loading were measured and their correlation with BMD was studied. The two implants were compared in a paired study within each BMD group. Results LCP constructs showed higher axial stiffness compared to RAFN for both Normal and Low BMD groups (80% and 57%, respectively). After cyclic loading, axial stiffness of both constructs decreased by 20% and RAFN constructs resulted in twice as much subsidence (1.9 ± 0.6 mm). Two RAFN constructs with Low BMD failed after a few cycles whereas the matched pairs fixed with LCP failed after 70,000 cycles. Conclusions The RAFN constructs experienced greater subsidence and reduced axial stiffness compared to the LCP constructs. In Low BMD specimens, the RAFN constructs had a higher risk of failure.
Financial self‐sufficiency or return to welfare? A longitudinal study of mothers among the working poor

Cheng T. Financial self-sufficiency or return to welfare? A longitudinal study of mothers among the working poor Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 162–172 © 2010 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare. This study investigated how working-poor mothers who withdrew from a US government assistance program were affected by the economy, welfare reform policies, and their own human capital, in terms of their likelihood of returning to welfare and their likelihood of becoming nonpoor through work. The study employed longitudinal data (covering 42 months) extracted from a national data set. The sample for the current study, which relied on event history analysis, consisted of 228 working-poor former welfare mothers. Results showed that the women's return to welfare was correlated to high unemployment, restrictive welfare policies, enrollment in Medicaid and food-stamp programs, possession of service-job skills, and being Hispanic. The women were most likely to attain relative financial independence in the presence of generous government assistance program policies, housing assistance, full-time employment, operative-job skills, college education, and marriage. African American ethnicity also made achievement of financial independence more likely.
HYBRID DYSGENESIS IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: THE BIOLOGY OF FEMALE AND MALE STERILITY

High levels of female and male sterility were observed among the hybrids from one of the two reciprocal crosses between a wild strain of D. melanogaster known as pi2 and laboratory strains. The sterility, which is part of a common syndrome called hybrid dysgenesis, was found to be associated with the rudimentary condition of one or both of the ovaries or testes. All other tissues, including those of the reproductive system were normal, as were longevity and mating behavior. The morphological details of the sterility closely mimic the agametic condition occurring when germ cells are destroyed by irradiation or by the maternal-effect mutation, grandchildless. We suggest that sterility in hybrid dysgenesis is also caused by failure in the early development of germ cells. There is a thermo-sensitive period beginning at approximately the time of initiation of mitosis among primordial germ cells a few hours before the egg hatches and ending during the early larval stages. Our results suggest that hybrid dysgenesis, which also includes male recombination, mutation and other traits, may be limited to the germ line, and that each of the primordial germ cells develops, or fails to develop, independently of the others. This hypothesis is consistent with the observed frequencies of unilateral and bilateral sterility, with the shape of the thermosensitivity curves and with the fact that males are less often sterile than females. The features of this intraspecific hybrid sterility are found to resemble those seen in some interspecific Drosophila hybrids, especially those from the cross D. melanogaster X D. simulans.
R7 Theatre time trials: an efficiency study of paediatric dentistry lists

Objective: To determine usage of theatre time during Paediatric Dentistry operating lists. Design: Prospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Operating theatres, Sheffield Children's Hospital. Sample and methods: A standard data collection sheet was employed to record the following information: session (am/pm); type and time of anaesthetic induction; medical status of patient; dental procedures undertaken and total operating time; start and finish time of list and reason for any delays. Each session allocation was 210 minutes. Results: Data were collected for 36 consecutive Paediatric Dentistry lists over a 4-month period, involving 95 patients. A further eight patients were cancelled on admission. Only one list started on time, the remaining lists had a mean delay of 16 minutes (SD = 12.9; range = 1–51). Delays were mainly attributed to porter shortages, ward delays and late arrival of the anaesthetist. The mean time taken to anaesthetise a patient was 18 minutes (SD = 7.7; range = 5–42) with no significant differences according to type of intubation or patient's medical status (P > 0.05, ANOVA). Mean operating time was 32 minutes (SD = 19.6; range = 5–128) with significant time differences according to procedures undertaken and the patient's medical condition (P < 0.05, ANOVA). Six lists ran overtime by a mean 28.7 minutes (SD = 30.2; range = 3–85) and 25 lists finished early by a mean 56.4 minutes (SD = 41.2; range = 1–170). Overall, a mean 60 minutes (SD = 42.0; range = 1–184) are ‘wasted’ during every theatre list, with total anaesthetic and operating time accounting for only 71% of the actual session allocation. Conclusions: This study has revealed significant inefficiencies within hospital systems, which may adversely affect productivity.
Scenariographer: a tool for reverse engineering class usage scenarios from method invocation sequences

Typical documentation for object-oriented programs includes descriptions of the parameters and return types of each method in a class, but little or no information on valid method invocation sequences. Knowing the sequence with which methods of a class can be invoked is useful information especially for software engineers (e.g., developers, testers) who are actively involved in the maintenance of large software systems. This paper describes a new approach and a tool for generating class usage scenarios (i.e., how a class is used by other classes) from method invocations, which are collected during the execution of the software. Our approach is algorithmic and employs the notion of canonical sets to categorize method sequences into groups of similar sequences, where each group represents a usage scenario for a given class.
On Constrained Bottleneck Extrema

This note treats optimization problems that involve two criteria on set systems. One is a bottleneck criterion, and the other is general. In particular, recent algorithms for such problems on the edge-sets of networks are related to the fundamental work of J. Edmonds and D. R. Fulkerson involving more general set systems.
Prevention and treatment of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

S. aureus colonizes both artificial and tissue surfaces in humans causing chronic persistent infections that are difficult to cure. It is a notorious pathogen due to its antibiotic recalcitrance and phenotypic adaptability, both of which are facilitated by its ability to develop biofilms. S. aureus biofilms challenge conventional anti-infective approaches, most notably antibiotic therapy. Therefore there is an unmet need to develop and include parallel approaches that target S. aureus biofilm infections. This review discusses two broad anti-infective strategies: (1) preventative approaches (anti-biofilm surface coatings, the inclusion of biofilm-specific vaccine antigens); and (2) approaches aimed at eradicating established S. aureus biofilms, particularly those associated with implant infections. Advances in understanding the distinct nature of S. aureus biofilm development and pathogenesis have led to growing optimism in S. aureus biofilm targeted anti-infective strategies. Further research is needed however, to see the successful administration and validation of these approaches to the diverse types of infections caused by S. aureus biofilms from multiple clinical strains.
Posttraumatic cutaneous meningioma of the face.

We present the CT and MR features of a posttraumatic cutaneous meningioma of the face. We postulate that the patient9s trauma and associated skull fracture resulted in a trapping of extracranial meningeal tissue, which many years later gave rise to a secondary facial meningioma.
Spontaneous rupture of the tonsil from the prodromal changes of measles.

Characteristic microscopic findings in tonsils removed in the prodromal stage of measles were first described by Warthin and, independently, by Finkeldey in 1931.' Probably most significant was the description of multinucleate giant cells, cells which today are referred to by the authors' names. The case presented in this paper is singularly unique in that the prodromal changes of measles in the patient's tonsils apparently resulted in spontaneous rupture of and hemorrhage from the right tonsil.
What keeps Kv channels small? The molecular physiology of modesty.

All known K+ channels use the same molecular architecture to achieve K+ selectivity. Selectivity filters, even from distantly related K+ channels, appear nearly identical in atomic resolution crystal structures; remarkably, the deviation in the coordinates of K+-coordinating backbone carbonyls is
Dehydrogenative Oxidation of Primary Amines to Nitriles

Homogeneous catalysts can promote the oxidation of primary amines to nitriles without added chemical oxidants. An amide-derived N,N,N-ruthenium(II)–hydride complex was discovered that promotes the dehydrogenation of primary and secondary amines to the corresponding nitriles and imines with concomitant liberation of H2, notably without added hydrogen acceptor or base. The dehydrogenative protocol is tolerant of substrates that contain oxidizable functionality and is selective for the dehydrogenation of primary amines (-CH2NH2) in the presence of amines without α-CH hydrogens.
Microfluidics 3D gel-island chip for single cell isolation and lineage-dependent drug responses study

3D cell culture in the extracellular matrix (ECM), which not only provides structural support to cellular constituents, but also initiates regulatory biochemical cues for a variety of important cell functions in tissue, has become more and more important in understanding cancer pathology and drug testing. Although the ECM-gel has been used in cell culture both in bulk and on-chip, previous studies focused on collective cell behavior rather than single-cell heterogeneity. To track the behavior of each individual cell, we have developed a gel-island chip, which can form thousands of islands containing single cells encapsulated by the desired ECM. Optimized by Poisson's distribution, the device can attain 34% single cell capture efficiency of the exact number of single cells per island. A good culture media exchange rate and high cell viability can be achieved in the gel-islands. The cells in the islands can be automatically counted for high-throughput analysis. As a proof of concept, we monitored the proliferation and differentiation of single Notch+ (stem-like) T47D breast cancer cells. The 3D collagen gel environment was found to be favorable for the stem-like phenotype through better self-renewal and de-differentiation (Notch− to Notch+ transition). More interestingly, we found that the Notch− de-differentiated cells were more resistant to doxorubicin and cisplatin than the Notch+ cells. Combining the 3D ECM culture and single cell resolution, the presented platform can automatically analyze the individual cell behaviors of hundreds of cells using a small amount of drug and reagents.
Immune effect of hepatitis B vaccine among children aged 1-6 years in Hezhou City

[Objective]To evaluate the immunological effects of hepatitis B vaccine( HepB) of children aged 1-6 years.[Methods]The hepatitis B virus surface antigen( HBsAg) and the hepatitis B virus surface antibody( HBsAb) were tested in 5 counties of Hezhou City,and each survey included 150 children. [Results] The positive rates of HBsAg and anti-HBs were 0. 51% and77. 76%. Among males,the rates of HBsAg positive and anti-HBs positive were 0. 50% and 79. 55% respectively. Among females,they were 0. 53% and 75. 86% respectively. There was no statistical significance for the rates of HBsAg positive and anti-HBs positive between the genders( P 0. 05). But the positive rate of HBsAb was significantly different between genders(χ2= 45. 977,v = 6,P 0. 01). The rate of HbsAb positive in 1 year old group was 95. 62%,the rate of HbsAb positive in 6 year old was 67. 42%,with signficant difference( P 0. 05). The HbsAb positive rate of the children who have completed the basic immunity was 76. 77%,the positive rate of HbsAb in children was 95. 24% after booster immunization,with significant difference( P 0. 05).[Conclusion]The immunological effects of HepB for children are excellent in Hezhou City,the rate of anti-HBs positive is in decline along with the growth of age. The protective effect of hepatitis B vaccine is better with the basic immune plus booster immunization.
Introduction: The Forgotten Hero

Just under two years after the end of the First World War former Colour Sergeant Harry Hampton wrote to the private secretary of King George V, requesting an increase in the pension attached to the Victoria Cross, which at the time stood at £10 sterling per annum. Hampton, who had won his VC during the Boer War, alleged that the winners of gallantry awards from Canada and Australia enjoyed a variety of benefits that the British government failed to provide for its heroes. He closed with the observation that ‘honour is all very well, but a little help is worth a lot of sympathy.’1
Social, structural, behavioral and clinical factors influencing retention in Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) care in Mississippi

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical intervention that can reduce rates of HIV transmission when taken once daily by HIV-negative individuals. Little is understood about PrEP uptake and retention in care among the populations most heavily impacted by the HIV epidemic, particularly among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in the Deep South. Therefore, this study explored the structural, social, behavioral, and clinical factors that affect PrEP use and retention in care among YMSM in Jackson, Mississippi. Thirty MSM who were prescribed PrEP at an outpatient primary care clinic were interviewed and included 23 men who had been retained in PrEP care and seven who had not been retained. The mean age of participants was 26.6 years. Most (23) participants were African American. Major factors affecting PrEP use and retention in PrEP care included 1) structural factors such as cost and access to financial assistance for medications and clinical services; 2) social factors such as stigma and relationship status; 3) behavioral factors including sexual risk behaviors; and 4) clinical factors such as perceived and actual side effects. Many participants also discussed the positive spillover effects of PrEP use and reported that PrEP had a positive impact on their health. Four of the seven individuals who had not been retained re-enrolled in PrEP care after completing their interviews, suggesting that case management and ongoing outreach can enhance retention in PrEP care. Interventions to enhance retention in PrEP care among MSM in the Deep South will be most effective if they address the complex structural, social, clinical, and behavioral factors that influence PrEP uptake and retention in PrEP care.
A new approach to the mechanics of fatigue crack growth in metals: Correlation of mean stress (stress ratio) effects using the change in net-section strain energy

Abstract An unsolved problem in the mechanics of fatigue crack growth is why mean stress or stress ratio in a fatigue cycle has a profound effect on growth rate when compared in terms of stress intensity factor range (ΔK). Specifically, there has not been any fracture-mechanically-consistent theory to explain the effects of mean stress on fatigue crack growth. In this work, a new and generalized driving force parameter for fatigue crack growth, which effectively incorporates the mean stress or stress ratio effect, is developed from energy principles of solid mechanics. A successful explanation of the effect of mean stress on the growth rate is provided. The driving force is the accumulated change in net-section strain energy , which develops as a function of increasing crack length and decreasing net-section size in fatigue. A generalized mechanics analysis, showing how to account for the stress amplitude and the maximum stress of a fatigue cycle in the change in net-section strain energy, is presented. Equivalently, the new crack growth parameter can also be interpreted as the cumulative work done by cyclic loading at the crack length at which the crack growth data is determined. Several experimental data, including some historically significant fatigue crack growth data, generated on aluminum, steel and titanium alloys, are used to demonstrate the success of the correlation. As a further validation of the proposed concept, it is shown that the empirical Walker parameter (ΔK 0.5 Kmax 0.5 ), which had some success in correlating stress ratio effect, is in fact related to the change in net-section strain energy.
Mediated Atmospheres: A Multimodal Mediated Work Environment

Atmosphere - the sensorial qualities of a space, shaped by the composition of light, sound, objects, people, etc. - has remarkable influence on our experiences and behavior. Manipulating it has been shown to be powerful, affecting cognitive performance, mood and even physiology, our work envisions and implements a smart office prototype, capable of digitally transforming its atmosphere - creating what we call Mediated Atmospheres (MA) - using computationally controlled lighting, video projection and sound. Additionally, we equipped this space with a modular real-time data collection infrastructure, integrating a set of biosignal sensors. Through a user study (N=29) we demonstrate MA's effects on occupants’ ability to focus and to recover from a stressful situation. Our evaluation is based on subjective measurements of perception, as well as objective measurements, extracted from recordings of heart rate variability and facial features. We compare multiple signal processing approaches for quantifying changes in occupant physiological state. Our findings show that MA significantly (p
Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia in suicide attempters

Although suicide attempts (SA) occur across a broad range of diagnoses as well as in the absence of a diagnosable disorder, most studies to date have focused on them within a single, specific disorder. Consistent with the NIMH RDoC initiative to identify biobehavioral vulnerabilities that cut across diagnoses, the goal of the present study was to examine potential differences in resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) levels in a large, diagnostically heterogeneous sample of women with and without a history of SA who were matched on a broad range of demographic and clinical variables. Participants were 112 women with (n = 56) and without (n = 56) a history of SA recruited from the community. The two groups were equated on approximate age, race, household income, and lifetime histories of psychiatric diagnoses. Resting electrocardiogram was recorded during a 2-min rest period. RSA was calculated via spectral power analyses with a fast Fourier transform. We found that women with a history of SA exhibited significantly lower resting RSA levels than women with no history of SA, and this difference was maintained even after statistically controlling for the potential influence of women's history of psychiatric diagnoses and their current symptoms of depression and anxiety. These findings suggest the presence of a link between resting RSA and SA history.
Perceptions of Teachers and Parents on the Educational Experiences of Students with Autism in a Remote Rural Community

While there is a steady increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), relatively little is known about the unique experiences of students with ASD in rural communities. This study investigates how the rural context influences the educational experiences of students with ASD. The researchers used an online questionnaire and in-person interviews of special education teachers, general education teachers, and parents to collect their perceptions of the unique experiences for students with ASD living in a remote rural community of Appalachia. Data generation and analysis led to the discussion of three salient themes: limited parental knowledge, lack of resources and need for professional development, and low socioeconomic status and family or community structures. The authors discuss how these findings manifest in rural communities and make suggestions for further research and professional development.
What works in promoting and maintaining diversity in nursing programs.

Background The presence of a registered nurse (RN) workforce that is culturally and linguistically familiar with underrepresented minorities promotes effective health care for patients. A lack of diversity in the nursing education pipeline has led to a lack of diversity among registered nurses. Methods This qualitative descriptive study explored faculty perceptions of factors that attracted and maintained a diverse nursing student body at three different universities with large percentages of minority students. Websites were evaluated for diversity and audio-taped telephone interviews were conducted with nursing faculty using a semistructured set of open-ended questions. Results College location, online courses, community outreach programs, the presence of a diverse faculty and students, faculty accessibility, and financial aid with low college costs were identified as common factors in attracting and retaining minority students. Barriers included the cost for low socioeconomic status students, inadequate primary and secondary educational preparation, inherent bias in the institution, competition from other schools, admission policies, and limited diversity in leadership and faculty. Conclusions Commitment to improving and maintaining diversity in nursing programs requires a sustained faculty effort to make the programs fit for the minority student.
Linear Algebra through Geometry. By Thomas Banchoff and John Wermer

(1985). Linear Algebra through Geometry. By Thomas Banchoff and John Wermer. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 92, No. 8, pp. 603-605.