cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient Care Outcomes of a Tobacco Use Registry in an Academic Family Practice

Purpose: While the potential benefit of a chronic disease registry for tobacco use is great, outcome reports have not been generated. We examined the effect of implementing a tobacco use registry, including a decision support tool, on treatment outcomes within an academic family medicine clinic. Methods: A chart review of 200 patients who smoked and attended the clinic before and after registry implementation assessed the number of patients with clinic notes documenting (1) counseling for tobacco use, (2) recommendations for cessation medication, (3) a set quit date, (4) referrals to the on-site Nicotine Dependence Program (NDP) and/or QuitlineNC, and (5) pneumococcal vaccine. Data from the NDP, QuitlineNC, and clinic billing records before and after implementation compared the number of clinic-generated QuitlineNC fax referrals, new scheduled appointments for the NDP, and visits coded for tobacco counseling reimbursement. Results: Significant increases in documentation occurred across most chart review variables. Significant increases in the number of clinic-generated fax referrals to QuitlineNC (from 27 to 96), initial scheduled appointments for the NDP (from 84 to 148), and coding for tobacco counseling (from 101 to 287) also occurred when compared with total patient visits during the same time periods. Patient attendance at the NDP (52%) and acceptance of QuitlineNC services (31%) remained constant. Conclusions: The tobacco use registry9s decision support tool increased evidenced-based tobacco use treatment (referrals, medications, and counseling) for patients at an academic family medicine clinic. This novel tool offers standardized care for all patients who use tobacco, ensuring improved access to effective tobacco use counseling and medication treatments.
In situ determination of kinetic parameters for biofilms: Isolation and characterization of oligotrophic biofilms

This article develops and utilizes an in situ technique to estimate the Monod half-maximum rate concentration, K(s) and the maximum specific utilization rate constant, k, for biofilms. The technique employs a curve-matching method with kinetic results from several short-term experiments with completely mixed biofilm reactors. Use of the in situ method eliminates the two drawbacks of using conventional suspended-growth measurements to characterize biofilm: possible alteration of cell physiology and a major investment to run the suspended-growth tests. Results with five cultures of biofilm-forming oligotrophs demonstrated the in situ technique and supported the hypothesis that K(s) values were lower for the biofilm oligotrophs than for typical copiotrophs.
Maternal-child supplementary feeding programmes in Haiti.

In a study of privately sponsored supplementary feeding programs for mothers and children in Haiti the activities of 39 of 519 centers were randomly selected for evaluation. Most of the beneficiaries were children with only 18 centers providing maternal supplements to pregnant women and only 7 lactating women. Postpartum nutritional supplementation served primarily as an incentive for participation in family planning. Selection for inclusion in supplementary feeding programs varied from center to center with the majority of centers choosing children based on nutritional status; 5 centers also considered family economic status. Many centers had no fixed selection criteria. The low priority accorded lactating mothers was judged to be unwise given the greater nutritional risk for children 3-6 months of age. In well over 1/3 of the cases selection was on a 1st-come 1st-served basis or restricted by age rather than reflecting nutritional need. In addition the incentives for mothers to enroll their children was found to be inconsistent with the objectives of the program; they were more interested in obtaining extra food and acquiring needlecraft skills than in learning about nutrition. Many needy women were not reached by these programs due to distance ignorance of program or of the signs of malnutrition or insufficient money for transportation or proper dress. Supervision of staff at the centers was generally poor. Reconsideration of educational priorities greater attention to selection criteria greater staff supervision and a broader approach to solving the underlying problem of poverty are warranted.
Biosensors using enzyme inhibition principles for in vivo, environmental, and defense applications

In this study, biosensor concepts using biomolecular recognition principles are being explored, potential applications for such devices in biomedical, environmental, and military/antiterrorism fields are being identified, and critical factors for the development of catalytic and affinity biosensors based on these concepts are being addressed. Such biosensors are capable, in principle, of detecting small analyte concentrations even when faced with substantial interferences from extraneous molecules. Two parallel studies were conducted here. In the first, nerve agent-surrogates malathion (MA) and pirimiphos-methyl (PM) were detected based on their inhibition of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). In the second study, numerous metal ions of biomedical interest were detected based on inhibition of the enzyme urease (Ur). The biosensors were constructed by immobilizing the enzymes on nylon membranes. Tests with BuChE sensors have yielded detected levels in the part-per-million (ppm) range for MA and PM. Tests with Ur sensors have yielded detected levels in the part-per-billion (ppb) to ppm range for several metallic ions including Ag/sup +/, Hg/sup 2+/, and Cu/sup 2+/. Assay optimization procedures for lowering detection limits and producing more repeatable data have been developed. Nylon-based biosensors will serve as effective benchmarks for further hydrogel-based biosensor studies that we hope to conduct. The optimization study findings for nylon-based sensors should all be transferable to hydrogel-based sensors, and could greatly improve the efficacy of this technology. The BuChE sensor may eventually have promise for antiterrorism efforts, and a Ur-based biosensor could have many potential biomedical applications.
Importance-Driven Time-Varying Data Visualization

The ability to identify and present the most essential aspects of time-varying data is critically important in many areas of science and engineering. This paper introduces an importance-driven approach to time-varying volume data visualization for enhancing that ability. By conducting a block-wise analysis of the data in the joint feature-temporal space, we derive an importance curve for each data block based on the formulation of conditional entropy from information theory. Each curve characterizes the local temporal behavior of the respective block, and clustering the importance curves of all the volume blocks effectively classifies the underlying data. Based on different temporal trends exhibited by importance curves and their clustering results, we suggest several interesting and effective visualization techniques to reveal the important aspects of time-varying data.
From Civil War to Forensic Psychiatry

> Not to help justice in her need would be an impiety.—Plato[1][1] I was at the 2012 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law meeting in Montreal last fall when Dr. Stephen Xenakis spoke on the role of psychiatry in 21st century warfare. He described torture in the military and the role of
Social Work and the House of Islam: Orienting Practitioners to the Beliefs and Values of Muslims in the United States

Despite the media attention focused on the Islamic community after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Muslims remain one of the most misunderstood populations in the United States. Few articles have appeared in the social work literature orienting practitioners to the Islamic community, and much of the mainstream media coverage misrepresents the population. This article reviews the basic beliefs, practices, and values that commonly characterize, or inform, the House of Islam in the United States. The organizations that embody and sustain the Muslim communities that constitute the House of Islam are profiled, and areas of possible value conflicts are examined. The article concludes by offering suggestions for integrating the article's themes into practice settings. Particular attention is given to enhancing cultural competence and to suggestions for spiritual assessment and interventions.
Impact of IL-1β on flow-induced outward arterial remodeling ☆

Background. Flow reduction upregulates arterial wall interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and IL-1β independently modulates intimal hyperplasia under low flow conditions. We hypothesized that IL-1β expression is also augmented under high flow, and outward remodeling occurrs by way of IL-1β-dependent mechanisms. Methods. Carotid artery (CA) flow was surgically augmented in rabbits (n = 20). CAs were harvested at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days, and assayed via quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. IL-1 receptor I null mice (KO) and wild-type controls underwent unilateral CA ligation and harvest 4 weeks later to assess the impact of increased flow on the contralateral CA (n = 82). Results. The rabbit model led to an immediate 36% increase in contralateral flow (P =.01) with an 80% increase at 14 days (P =.016) with subsequent positive remodeling. High flow induced IL-1β messenger RNA expression (114-fold at 1 day, P <.05), with levels remaining elevated through 14 days (61-fold, P <.05). In murine experiments, CA ligation resulted in a 44% increase in contralateral flow. Wild-type and KO animals responded with equivalent 83% and 78% increases in luminal area (P =.87). Conclusions. Positive and negative perturbations of arterial blood flow induce IL-1β in a time-dependent fashion. However, as opposed to intimal hyperplasia after flow reduction, positive arterial remodeling in response to increased flow occurs via IL-1β independent mechanisms.
Mastitis Due to Mycobacterium abscessus after Body Piercing

We describe a patient with granulomatous mastitis due to Mycobacterium abscessus that presented as a mass lesion and was associated with a pierced nipple. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of mastitis due to M. abscessus and the first association of this organism with body piercing.
Conflict and surrender during sentence processing: An ERP study of syntax-semantics interaction

Abstract Recent ERP studies report that implausible verb-argument combinations can elicit a centro-parietal P600 effect (e.g., “The hearty meal was devouring …”; Kim & Osterhout, 2005 ). Such eliciting conditions do not involve outright syntactic anomaly, deviating from previous reports of P600. Kim and Osterhout (2005) attributed such P600 effects to structural reprocessing that occurs when syntactic cues fail to support a semantically attractive interpretation (‘meal’ as the Agent of ‘devouring’) and the syntactic cues are overwhelmed; the sentence is therefore perceived as syntactically ill-formed. The current study replicated such findings and also found that altering the syntactic cues in such situations of syntax-semantics conflict (e.g., “The hearty meal would devour …”) affects the conflict’s outcome. P600s were eliminated when sentences contained syntactic cues that required multiple morphosyntactic steps to “repair”. These sentences elicited a broad, left-anterior negativity at 300–600 ms (LAN). We interpret the reduction in P600 amplitude in terms of “resistance” of syntactic cues to reprocessing. We speculate that the LAN may be generated by difficulty retrieving an analysis that satisfies both syntactic and semantic cues, which results when syntactic cues are strong enough to resist opposing semantic cues. This pattern of effects is consistent with partially independent but highly interactive syntactic and semantic processing streams, which often operate collaboratively but can compete for influence over interpretation.
Wild-Type ApoA-I and the Milano Variant Have Similar Abilities to Stimulate Cellular Lipid Mobilization and Efflux

Objective— The present study is a comparative investigation of cellular lipid mobilization and efflux to lipid-free human apoA-I and apoA-IMilano, reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) particles containing these proteins and serum isolated from mice expressing human apoA-I or apoA-IMilano. Methods and Results— Cholesterol and phospholipid efflux to these acceptors was measured in cell systems designed to assess the contributions of ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1), scavenger receptor type BI (SRBI), and cellular lipid content to cholesterol and phospholipid efflux. Acceptors containing the Milano variant of apoA-I showed no functional increase in lipid efflux in all assays when compared with wild-type apoA-I. In fact, in some systems, acceptors containing the Milano variant of apoA-I promoted significantly less efflux than the acceptors containing wild-type apoA-I (apoA-Iwt). Additionally, intracellular cholesteryl ester hydrolysis in macrophage foam cells was not different in the presence of eithe...
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor-transduced fibroblasts: Production of BDNF and effects of grafting to the adult rat brain

Local delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by genetically modified cells provides the unique opportunity to examine the effects of BDNF on adult dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons in vivo. Primary rat fibroblasts were genetically engineered to produce BDNF. Conditioned media from BDNF-transduced fibroblasts supported embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion neurons as well as rat fetal mesencephalic neurons. BDNF-transduced fibroblasts grafted to the rat brain survived and showed continued mRNA production for at least 2 weeks. The effects of BDNF-transduced fibroblast grafts on the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems were then assessed. BDNF-transduced fibroblasts grafted into the normal intact substantia nigra induced sprouting of tyrosine hydroxylase- and neurofilament-immunoreactive fibers into the graft. Fibroblast grafts implanted into the normal intact striatum and midbrain as well as the 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned brain did not induce sprouting of dopaminergic fibers; neither did they affect drug-induced rotational behavior. BDNF-transduced fibroblasts did, however, significantly increase the homovanillic acid/dopamine ratio when grafted into the normal midbrain. Following transection of the fimbria-fornix, BDNF-transduced fibroblasts grafted into the septum were unable to rescue the septal cholinergic population, as did nerve growth factor-producing fibroblast grafts. Genetically modified fibroblast grafts may provide an effective, localized method of BDNF delivery in vivo to test biological effects of this factor on the central nervous system.
Correlation of cone biopsy with findings at radical hysterectomy and use of adjuvant radiation therapy

Abstract Objective To determine if pathologic findings in cone biopsy specimens correlate with residual invasive disease in radical hysterectomy specimens and the need for adjuvant chemo-radiation therapy. Study design We identified 65 patients who underwent a cone biopsy and subsequent radical hysterectomy. Clinico-pathologic parameters in the cone specimens were correlated with the presence of residual invasive disease in the radical hysterectomy specimens and the need for adjuvant chemo-radiation. Results A positive endocervical margin, a positive deep margin, a positive post-cone ECC, and positive LVSI were significantly associated with the presence of residual disease in the radical hysterectomy specimen, while positive LVSI, a positive ECC, a positive deep cone margin, and greater than 1 positive margin were significantly associated with the use of adjuvant chemo-radiation therapy. Conclusion Pathologic parameters in cone biopsy specimens can estimate the risk of residual invasive disease in radical hysterectomy specimens and the use of adjuvant chemo-radiation.
IgG4-Related Lung Disease Associated with Usual Interstitial Pneumonia

We report a case of immunoglobulin(Ig)G4-related disease with the radiologic and histopathological manifestations resembling usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). The patient was a 62-year-old man who presented with progressive dyspnea of insidious onset. High resolution computed tomography of the chest showed lower-lobe predominant peripheral reticulation and traction bronchiectasis but no honeycomb change. Microscopic examination of the surgical lung biopsy showed characteristic features of UIP including architectural distortion by fibrosis with peripheral and paraseptal accentuation, scattered fibroblast foci and microscopic honeycomb change. In addition there were prominent multifocal lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates with a marked increase of IgG4-positive plasma cells (79 per high power field in hot spots) and high IgG4/IgG ratio (up to 67%). The serum IgG4 level was elevated at 760 mg/dl (reference range 9-89), with normal levels for the other IgG subclasses and negative serologic markers for autoimmune diseases. The patient’s symptoms improved significantly with oral corticosteroid treatment.
Improved Method for Evaluating the Dead Volume and Protein–Protein Interactions by Self-Interaction Chromatography

Self-interaction chromatography (SIC) is a well-established method for studying protein-protein interactions. The second virial coefficient in SIC is evaluated directly from the measured retention coefficient for the protein using a column packed with resin on which the same protein has been immobilized on the pore surface. One of the challenges in determining the retention coefficient is the evaluation of the dead volume, which is the retention volume that would be measured for a noninteracting solute with the same effective size as the protein of interest. Previous studies of SIC have used a "dead column" packed with the same resin but without the immobilized protein to evaluate the dead volume, but this creates several experimental and theoretical challenges. We have developed a new approach using a dextran standard with effective size equal to that of the protein (as determined by size exclusion chromatography). The second virial coefficient was evaluated for a monoclonal antibody over a range of buffer conditions using this new approach. The data were in good agreement with independent measurements obtained by membrane osmometry under conditions dominated by repulsive interactions. The simplicity and accuracy of this method should facilitate the use of self-interaction chromatography for quantifying protein-protein interactions.
Improving named entity recognition with prosodic features.

In natural language processing (NLP) the problem of named entity (NE) recognition in speech is well known, yet remains a challenge where performance is dependent on automatic speech recognition (ASR) system error rates. NEs are often foreign or out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words, leaving conventional ASR systems unable to recognize them. In our research, we improve a CRF-based NE recognition system by incorporating two styles of prosodic features, hypothesized ToBI labels and unsupervised clusters of acoustic features. ToBI-based features improve NE recognition by 6% absolute (F1:0.39 v.s. F1: 0.45) on automatically recognized spontaneous speech from ACE’05.
On the determination of bottom drain oxygen in boiling water reactors

The viability of an often-employed engineering method of determining bottom drain (lower plenum) oxygen levels in boiling water reactors is explored, in which bottom drain oxygen is back-calculated from the recirculation system oxygen level and the combined recirculation system/bottom drain value. For a low flow fraction f where 0.16 < f < 0.20 is often employed, the back-calculated bottom drain oxygen level can be grossly in error, reflecting the minimal amount of information that is derived from the lower plenum. This finding cautions against using back-calculated lower plenum oxygen levels to specify hydrogen water chemistry conditions for protection of the components in the lower plenum, particularly when f is small. The uncertainty in the bottom drain [0 2 ] has been characterized by using a Monte Carlo error analysis for both systematic and random errors. Modifications to the sampling system that would greatly reduce these errors are identified.
Jade, Imperial Identity, and Sumptuary Reform in Jia Yi’s Xin Shu

The founding of the Han 漢 dynasty by a man of common birth, Liu Bang 劉邦, precipitated a new awareness that class boundaries had become more fluid than in prior generations. New fashions threatened the established social order as wealthy individuals pretended to status that they had not yet achieved. To respond to these concerns, Jia Yi 賈誼 (200–168 BCE) proposed a new sumptuary code regulating a range of luxury goods from apparel to accessories to ritual wares. This sumptuary system was designed to bolster the authority of the imperial throne and to distinguish members of the Han government and the imperial family from other elites. This essay will present an overview of Jia Yi’s sumptuary code and consider its relationship to earlier theories of ritual reform. It will argue that his system combined Lord Shang’s 商 theory of circumstantial advantage (shi 勢) with a new scheme of imperial publicity. The final section of this study assesses the implementation of Jia Yi’s recommendations by using jade as a case study. Based on recent archaeological evidence, I argue that Jia Yi’s ideas about jade in the context of his sumptuary guidelines have a contemporaneity with the revitalization of jade craft in the early Western Han.
Incorporating Intelligence in Fog Computing for Big Data Analysis in Smart Cities

Data intensive analysis is the major challenge in smart cities because of the ubiquitous deployment of various kinds of sensors. The natural characteristic of geodistribution requires a new computing paradigm to offer location-awareness and latency-sensitive monitoring and intelligent control. Fog Computing that extends the computing to the edge of network, fits this need. In this paper, we introduce a hierarchical distributed Fog Computing architecture to support the integration of massive number of infrastructure components and services in future smart cities. To secure future communities, it is necessary to integrate intelligence in our Fog Computing architecture, e.g., to perform data representation and feature extraction, to identify anomalous and hazardous events, and to offer optimal responses and controls. We analyze case studies using a smart pipeline monitoring system based on fiber optic sensors and sequential learning algorithms to detect events threatening pipeline safety. A working prototype was constructed to experimentally evaluate event detection performance of the recognition of 12 distinct events. These experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the system's city-wide implementation in the future.
Comparative Study of the Ignition of 1-Decene, trans-5-Decene, and n-Decane: Constant-Volume Spray and Shock-Tube Experiments

We report ignition delay time measurements carried out in both constant-volume spray and homogeneous gas-phase shock-tube environments at high pressures (1–4 MPa) for 1-decene, trans-5-decene, and n-decane. These measurements provide quantitative kinetic targets for the development of reaction mechanisms and assessment of the relative reactivity of these compounds under low-temperature, negative-temperature-coefficient (NTC), and high-temperature conditions. Derived cetane number (DCN) measurements carried out in spray ignition experiments are shown to be well-correlated with shock-tube ignition delay measurements in the NTC region, both of which show substantially reduced oxidative reactivity for the compounds containing double bonds (n-decane versus n-decenes) and lower reactivity for centrally located double bonds (trans-5-decene) compared to a double bond at the end of the carbon chain (1-decene). Ignition delays in both the shock tube and spray show differences of factors of 2–4 for NTC and low-tempe...
Palaemonella shirakawai , a new species of shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae), associated with burrow dwelling opistognathid fish from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

A new palaemonid shrimp, Palaemonella shirakawai sp. nov., is described and illustrated on the basis of a single ovigerous female specimen captured from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. It appears closest to P. aliska Marin by sharing the median carina of the carapace armed with dorsal rostral teeth extending posterior to the level of the hepatic tooth, but is immediately differentiated by the shorter rostrum, a rounded posterior margin of the telson, an elongate antennal scaphocerite with a truncate distal margin of lamella, and the longer second pereiopod. The present new species is an associate of burrow dwelling fishes belonging to the family Opistognathidae.
Consequences of Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus: Experimental and Clinical Evidence

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), a prolonged seizure without prominent motor symptoms, occurs frequently in patients with critical neurological and medical illness. The merits of aggressive treatment of NCSE in the critically ill is a topic of serious debate given (a) the difficulty in delineating the prognosis of NCSE from the proximate cause of the illness and (b) the potential negative consequences associated with anesthetic therapies. In this chapter, we provide an update on the prognosis of NCSE as gleaned from preclinical and clinical studies. Although animal models fail to replicate all features of NCSE in the critically ill patient, available preclinical data indicates that NCSE per se can cause direct neuronal injury and neurological morbidity. Clinical data from a growing number of prospective studies in critical care settings including stroke, convulsive status epilepticus, traumatic brain injury, and sepsis are substantiating several retrospective observations that NCSE can both complicate the primary condition and independently worsen prognosis. The current state of knowledge emphasizes the urgent need for more preclinical and prospective studies to identify the long-term prognosis of NCSE. The adoption and increasing early use of Continuous EEG in neurological and medical critical care units can only aid in the development of definitive evidence-based guidelines to treat NCSE.
Review of recent heavy flavor measurements in STAR

Heavy-ion collisions at RHIC provide a unique environment to study the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditions. In particular, heavy quarks, which are produced during the early stages of a collision, provide an exceptional probe in understanding the hot and dense medium created in such collisions. The Heavy Flavor Tracker and Muon Telescope Detector at the STAR experiment at RHIC have been successfully installed since early 2014 and have significantly improved the experimental capabilities in measuring both open and hidden heavy flavor hadrons in heavy-ion collisions. We present an overview of recent heavy flavor results obtained at STAR using these two dedicated detectors.
The Effects of Coaching With Video and Email Feedback on Preservice Teachers’ Use of Recommended Practices:

In this study, we examined the effects of training and coaching via video and email feedback on preservice teachers’ use of recommended practices. Two preservice teachers in an early childhood spec...
The Impact of Lexical Characteristics and Noise on Intelligibility of Parkinsonian Speech.

Purpose This study investigated the impact of lexical characteristics on the intelligibility of speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD). Intelligibility was compared for listening in a quiet versus ...
Predictions for Nonrandom Samples and for Individuals

In previous chapters, we have considered predictions of recidivism for random samples of our release cohorts. Such random samples will differ significantly from the random samples used to estimate our models only by chance. We now turn to the much more difficult task of making predictions for groups that differ systematically from the samples used in estimation. This type of prediction has often been strongly recommended but rarely pursued in practice.1 We also consider predictions of recidivism at the individual level. Making either of these types of predictions requires a model that includes individual characteristics as explanatory variables. This is obviously the case with individual predictions, as a model that did not include individual characteristics would only predict the same distribution of time until recidivism for every individual. On the other hand, in the case of predictions for groups that are nonrandom samples of the release cohort, the purpose of having individual characteristics in the model is to correct for differences between the group in question and the rest of the cohort. For example, in making predictions of the rate of recidivism of a group of youthful offenders, the model can account for the age of the individuals (assuming that age was a variable used in the model), as well as for differences between the group and the estimation sample in the values of the other relevant explanatory variables.
Long-Term Trends to Sedentism and the Emergence of Complexity in the American Midwest

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses long-term trends to sedentism and the emergence of complexity in the American Midwest. Cultural complexity among huntergatherers is no longer regarded as an anomaly. Contemporary investigations have discovered, though uncommonly, that complex hunter–gatherers have developed where sedentism was possible and agriculture absent. Archeological findings have disclosed that when agriculture was more limited in distribution, culturall complexity among hunter–gatherers was more common. The combined weight of archeological and ethnological findings supports the position that complexity frequently has arisen following sedentary settlement and before the appearance of agriculture. Archeological information has disclosed sedentism to be one of the principal bases on which complexity in social institutions and cultural life developed. The evolution of agriculture has come to be interpreted as an indirect consequence of decreases in mobility and shifts to an increasingly sedentary life. Generally speaking, as hunter–gatherer residence becomes stationary for longer periods, the breadth and diversity of the food base increases with the consequence that the proportion of smaller and more prolific food sources increases in the diet.
pH profiles of proline transport with membrane vesicles from Mycobacteriumphlei with artifical and natural electron donors

Abstract Proline transport and rates of oxidation with artifical and natural electron donors were examined with membrane vesicles from M. phlei as a function of pH. The levels of transport and rates of oxidation were parallel with generated NADH as substrate. With ascorbate-TPD, both the rate and level of transport increased from pH 7.5 to 9.0. The rate of total oxygen consumption with ascorbate-TPD correlated with the transport studies. However, when oxygen consumption was corrected for the auto-oxidation of ascorbate-TPD, the corrected oxygen consumption did not correlate with transport. Rates of cytochrome reduction were examined with ascorbate-TPD as electron donors to determine respiratory chain oxidation. For cytochromes c and a + a3, the rates of reduction decreased as a function of pH, while active transport of proline increased.
Cross-species systems analysis identifies gene networks differentially altered by sleep loss and depression.

To understand the transcriptomic organization underlying sleep and affective function, we studied a population of (C57BL/6J × 129S1/SvImJ) F2 mice by measuring 283 affective and sleep phenotypes and profiling gene expression across four brain regions. We identified converging molecular bases for sleep and affective phenotypes at both the single-gene and gene-network levels. Using publicly available transcriptomic datasets collected from sleep-deprived mice and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), we identified three cortical gene networks altered by the sleep/wake state and depression. The network-level actions of sleep loss and depression were opposite to each other, providing a mechanistic basis for the sleep disruptions commonly observed in depression, as well as the reported acute antidepressant effects of sleep deprivation. We highlight one particular network composed of circadian rhythm regulators and neuronal activity–dependent immediate-early genes. The key upstream driver of this network, Arc, may act as a nexus linking sleep and depression. Our data provide mechanistic insights into the role of sleep in affective function and MDD.
Review of Care communication: Making a home in a Japanese eldercare facility

It is no news that Japan has a fast-growing population of older adults, and the surrounding sociopolitical issues have been discussed extensively in the media as well as in academia. As a relativel...
Optimal disturbances and large-scale energetic motions in turbulent boundary layers

We examine disturbances leading to optimal energy growth in a spatially developing, zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer. The slow development of the turbulent mean flow in the streamwise direction is modelled through a parabolized formulation to enable a spatial marching procedure. In the present framework, conventional spatial optimal disturbances arise naturally as the homogeneous solution to the linearized equations subject to a turbulent forcing at particular wavenumber combinations. A wave-like decomposition for the disturbance is considered to incorporate both conventional stationary modes as well as propagating modes formed by non-zero frequency/streamwise wavenumber and representative of convective structures naturally observed in wall turbulence. The optimal streamwise wavenumber, which varies with the spatial development of the turbulent mean flow, is computed locally via an auxiliary optimization constraint. The present approach can then be considered, in part, as an extension of the resolvent-based analyses for slowly developing flows. Optimization results reveal highly amplified disturbances for both stationary and propagating modes. Stationary modes identify peak amplification of structures residing near the centre of the logarithmic layer of the turbulent mean flow. Inner-scaled disturbances reminiscent of near wall streaks, and amplified over short streamwise distances, are identified in the computed streamwise energy spectra. In all cases, however, propagating modes surpass their stationary counterpart in both energy amplification and relative contribution to total fluctuation energy. We identify two classes of large-scale energetic modes associated with the logarithmic and wake layers of the turbulent mean flow. The outer-scaled wake modes agree well with the large-scale motions that populate the wake layer. For high Reynolds numbers, the log modes increasingly dominate the energy spectra with the predicted streamwise and wall-normal scales in agreement with superstructures observed in turbulent boundary layers.
Multifunctional Donepezil Analogues as Cholinesterase and BACE1 Inhibitors

A series of 22 donepezil analogues were synthesized through alkylation/benzylation and compared to donepezil and its 6-O-desmethyl adduct. All the compounds were found to be potent inhibitors of both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), two enzymes responsible for the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in Alzheimer’s disease patient brains. Many of them displayed lower inhibitory concentrations of EeAChE (IC50 = 0.016 ± 0.001 µM to 0.23 ± 0.03 µM) and EfBChE (IC50 = 0.11 ± 0.01 µM to 1.3 ± 0.2 µM) than donepezil. One of the better compounds was tested against HsAChE and was found to be even more active than donepezil and inhibited HsAChE better than EeAChE. The analogues with the aromatic substituents were generally more potent than the ones with aliphatic substituents. Five of the analogues also inhibited the action of β-secretase (BACE1) enzyme.
FBG-Based Multidimensional QKD

In this paper, we propose several FBG-based both weak coherent state and entanglement assisted multidimensional QKD (MQKD) protocols with mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) derived from the complex Hadamard matrices. We also propose how to implement them by using FBGs with orthogonal impulse responses. The proposed MQKD protocols significantly outperform the conventional two-base QKD protocols, and impose less stringent bandwidth requirements compared to multidimensional time-frequency (t-f) protocols. The proposed FBG-based protocols are capable of simultaneously achieving unprecedented spectral efficiency and secret-key rates (SKRs) in long-distance quantum communication.
Improvement in Attaining Tacrolimus Trough Concentrations via the Implementation of a Strict Weight-Based Dosing Guideline Following Heart Transplantation

Introduction Initial tacrolimus dosing is often chosen based on patient's weight, but the extent to which body weight affects tacrolimus requirements post-orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) is uncertain. We hypothesized that a weight-based tacrolimus dosing approach would aid more timely achievement of target tacrolimus concentrations early post-OHT. Methods In phase 1 (1/1/15-12/31/16), all adult OHT recipients at a single center were retrospectively reviewed. Exclusion criteria were death within 2 months of OHT or follow-up care outside the transplant center. Baseline demographics were collected, including age, sex, race, body weight (kg), tacrolimus starting dose, and serum creatinine (Scr). For the first 14 days post-OHT, or until the patient reached the target tacrolimus concentration, the following were recorded: daily dose of tacrolimus (mg/day), concomitantly administered medications known to interact with tacrolimus, Scr, whole blood tacrolimus concentrations, and weight. The time (in days) to desired tacrolimus concentration (generally 10-12 ng/mL, but individualized) and the dose required for target concentration were recorded. The relationship between body weight and tacrolimus daily dose at the time of achieving the target concentration was also determined using linear regression. During phase 2 (1/1/17-12/31/18), recommended initial dosing of tacrolimus 0.05 mg/kg/day (in 2 split doses) titrated to a proposed daily dose of 0.1 mg/kg/day was implemented, and the same variables collected as described for phase 1. Unpaired T-testing and Chi square test were used to compare time to and percentage with therapeutic concentration at discharge, respectively, between the 2 phases. Results Amonsgt 157 patients (68 in phase 1; 89 in phase 2), the majority were male (72%) and white (80%). The time to therapeutic tacrolimus concentration was 16±11 days in phase 1 and 13±7 days in phase 2 (p=0.03). The percentage of patients with therapeutic tacrolimus concentrations at time of discharge was 59% in phase 1 and 78% in phase 2 (p =0.02). Doses ≥2 mg/day were initiated in 31% of phase 1 and 52% of phase 2 patients; however, the initial starting dose (in mg/day and mg/kg/day) was not observed to influence the time to therapeutic concentration. There was a modest relationship between body weight and final tacrolimus dose (mg/day) of r=0.34, p Conclusions Implementing a weight-based tacrolimus dosing guideline allowed for a higher percentage of patients with therapeutic tacrolimus concentrations at discharge and a modest reduction in the time to therapeutic concentration. The mean weight-based tacrolimus requirement for OHT recipients was 0.1 mg/kg/day. Although positively correlated with initial tacrolimus dose requirement, body weight alone was not a strong determinant of tacrolimus dosing.
Impacts of Voltage-based Grid Support Functions on Energy Production of PV Customers

This paper presents the impact of inverter grid-support functions (GSFs) on photovoltaic (PV) customer energy production on a real distribution feeder in Oahu, HI. These autonomous GSFs based on local voltage measurements are good alternatives to increase PV hosting capacity. However, these functions can result in PV energy curtailment to the customer, and this study addresses the concerns about the impact of inverter GSFs through detailed quasi-static time series (QSTS) simulations. It proposes four metrics: maximum and average GSF curtailment, average increased generation and average net generation change, to assess the impact of a given control on PV systems located on customer sites. It was found that curtailment of PV production is negligible for customers where peak voltage is within ANSI C84.1 range. A reliable relationship between curtailment and peak customer voltage is demonstrated, suggesting that peak voltage could be used as an indicator of customer curtailment.
Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood

Policing the Womb brings to life the chilling ways in which women have become the targets of secretive state surveillance of their pregnancies. Michele Goodwin expands the reproductive health and rights debate beyond abortion to include how legislators increasingly turn to criminalizing women for miscarriages, stillbirths, and threatening the health of their pregnancies. The horrific results include women giving birth while shackled in leg irons, in solitary confinement, and even delivering in prison toilets. In some states, pregnancy has become a bargaining chip with prosecutors offering reduced sentences in exchange for women agreeing to be sterilized. The author shows how prosecutors may abuse laws and infringe women's rights in the process, sometimes with the complicity of medical providers who disclose private patient information to law enforcement. Often the women most affected are poor and of color. This timely book brings to light how the unrestrained efforts to punish and police women's bodies have led to the United States being the deadliest country in the developed world to be pregnant.
An Unusual Impaction Fracture of the Tibial Tubercle and Its Surgical Repair: A Case Report.

CASE A 55-year-old man sustained a Schatzker type I lateral tibial plateau fracture, an ipsilateral tibial tubercle (TT) impaction fracture, and an avulsion fracture of the inferior patellar pole. He underwent disimpaction and bone grafting of the tubercle, followed by open reduction internal fixation of the tibial plateau and tubercle, with ligamentum patellae tendon augmentation. At 1-year postoperatively, the patient returned to full activity. CONCLUSION A lateral tibial plateau fracture with an ipsilateral TT impaction fracture is a very rare injury combination. Our report provides an effective treatment strategy for these injuries, which provided positive patient outcomes.
Upper Extremity Function, Peer Relationships, and Pain Interference: Evaluating the Biopsychosocial Model in a Pediatric Hand Surgery Population Using PROMIS.

Purpose The relationship between biopsychosocial factors and patient-reported function is less clear in pediatric than in adult hand surgery patients. Our primary hypothesis was that pain interference (PI) and peer relationships (PR) would demonstrate association with upper extremity function. Secondarily, we hypothesized that the magnitude of this effect would increase with age. Methods Patients aged 5 to 17 years presenting to a tertiary academic clinic between October 2017 and January 2019 were included. The parent/guardian was administered the following instruments after indicating they, rather than the patient, were answering the questions on a tablet computer: Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Upper Extremity (UE) Parent Proxy (PP) Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) v2.0, PROMIS PI PP CAT v2.0, and the PROMIS PR PP CAT v2.0. Ceiling/floor effects and Spearman correlations were calculated. Multivariable Tobit modeling was performed to determine whether biopsychosocial factors and upper extremity function were associated. Multivariable regression coefficients were compared between age cohorts using a separate multivariable model to evaluate the interaction between age and other predictors. Results Of 139 included participants, the mean age was 11.7 ± 3.7 years and 50% were female. For patients 11 years of age or younger, UE was weakly correlated with PI (coefficient, –0.34; 95% confidence interval, –0.56 to –0.08) and was not correlated with PR. For patients older than 11 years, UE had moderate correlation with PI (coefficient, –0.60; 95% confidence interval, –0.72 to –0.45) and was not correlated with PR. Multivariable analysis demonstrated a significant negative association between PI and UE, with a significantly larger magnitude of effect for patients older than 11 years of age. Conclusions The biopsychosocial model applies to pediatric hand surgery patients. The association between greater pain interference and worse patient-reported upper extremity function, as assessed using parent proxy instruments, was significantly stronger for patients older than 11 years than those 11 years old or younger. Clinical relevance This study suggests that the biopsychosocial model applies to pediatric hand patients.
Preduodenal portal vein – a cause of antenatally diagnosed duodenal obstruction

Preduodenal portal vein (PDPV) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly in which the portal vein passes anterior to the duodenum rather than posteriorly. Generally asymptomatic, PDPV may rarely cause a duodenal obstruction in the newborn. It is usually associated with gastrointestinal tract, cardiac, pancreatic, as well as biliary tract anomalies or may, occur as a single isolated malformation. Till now, only a few cases have been reported with duodenal obstruction and associated anomalies. The present study report one such case of PDPV with multiple congenital anomalies. A full-term, one-day-old baby who had an antenatal history of polyhydramnios, presented to us with abdominal distension and non-bilious vomitings soon after birth. Surgical exploration revealed a hugely dilated stomach, multiple Ladd bands, malrotation of the small intestine, preduodenal portal vein, and an annular pancreas causing external duodenal compression. Intraoperative recognition of PDPV is important because iatrogenic injury during surgery can cause profuse hemorrhage from the vein and may cause damage to the biliary tract or duodenal wall. Prompt evaluation of associated cardiac anomalies is important before surgery. Duodenostomy anterior to the portal vein is the definitive treatment. Studies in animal models (AKR/J mice) have shown an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance.