Anti-aliasing Wiener filtering for wave-front reconstruction in the spatial-frequency domain for high-order astronomical adaptive-optics systems.

Computationally efficient wave-front reconstruction techniques for astronomical adaptive-optics (AO) systems have seen great development in the past decade. Algorithms developed in the spatial-frequency (Fourier) domain have gathered much attention, especially for high-contrast imaging systems. In this paper we present the Wiener filter (resulting in the maximization of the Strehl ratio) and further develop formulae for the anti-aliasing (AA) Wiener filter that optimally takes into account high-order wave-front terms folded in-band during the sensing (i.

Associations among depressive symptoms, drinking motives, and risk for alcohol-related problems in veterinary students.

Hazardous alcohol consumption among medical students appears to occur at a level comparable to the general population; however, among medical students, it has been found that the motivation to use alcohol partially stems from unique stressors related to their professional training. Although veterinary students may also experience psychological distress in association with their training, little work has focused on the way that these students use alcohol to cope with their distress. The current study sought to examine the severity of depressive symptoms and alcohol consumption among veterinary students as well as students' specific motives for drinking alcohol.

BCL2 mutations are associated with increased risk of transformation and shortened survival in follicular lymphoma.

Follicular lymphoma (FL), an indolent neoplasm caused by a t(14;18) chromosomal translocation that juxtaposes the BCL2 gene and immunoglobulin locus, has a variable clinical course and frequently undergoes transformation to an aggressive lymphoma. Although BCL2 mutations have been previously described, their relationship to FL progression remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the frequency and nature of BCL2 mutations in 2 independent cohorts of grade 1 and 2 FLs, along with the correlation between BCL2 mutations, transformation risk, and survival.

Cell surface protein disulfide isomerase regulates natriuretic peptide generation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate.

Rationale: The family of natriuretic peptides (NPs), including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), exert important and diverse actions for cardiovascular and renal homeostasis. The autocrine and paracrine functions of the NPs are primarily mediated through the cellular membrane bound guanylyl cyclase-linked receptors GC-A (NPR-A) and GC-B (NPR-B). As the ligands and receptors each contain disulfide bonds, a regulatory role for the cell surface protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) was investigated.

Hope for GWAS: relevant risk genes uncovered from GWAS statistical noise.

Hundreds of genetic variants have been associated to common diseases through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), yet there are limits to current approaches in detecting true small effect risk variants against a background of false positive findings. Here we addressed the missing heritability problem, aiming to test whether there are indeed risk variants within GWAS statistical noise and to develop a systematic strategy to retrieve these hidden variants. Employing an integrative approach, which combines protein-protein interactions with association data from GWAS for 6 common diseases, we found that associated-genes at less stringent significance levels (p < 0.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: rare cause of meningitis.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative bacillus, which is an extremely rare cause of meningitis. To our knowledge, there are only five previous pediatrics cases. Here, we describe the case of a 4-year-old boy who developed meningitis associated with this organism, after several neurosurgical procedures and previous treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Chemo-, regio- and stereoselective Heck arylation of allylated malonates: mechanistic insights by ESI-MS and synthetic application toward 5-arylmethyl-γ-lactones.

We describe herein a general method for the controlled Heck arylation of allylated malonates. Both electron-rich and electron-poor aryldiazonium salts were readily employed as the aryl-transfer agents in good yields and in high chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity without formation of decarboxylated byproducts. Reaction monitoring via ESI-MS was used to support the formation of chelated Pd species through the catalytic cycle.

Casp8p41 generated by HIV protease kills CD4 T cells through direct Bak activation.

Previous studies have shown that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease cleaves procaspase 8 to a fragment, termed Casp8p41, that lacks caspase activity but nonetheless contributes to T cell apoptosis. Herein, we show that Casp8p41 contains a domain that interacts with the BH3-binding groove of pro-apoptotic Bak to cause Bak oligomerization, Bak-mediated membrane permeabilization, and cell death. Levels of active Bak are higher in HIV-infected T cells that express Casp8p41.

Pentoxifylline attenuates leukocyte-endothelial interactions in a two-hit model of shock and sepsis.

Background: This study investigated the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) combined with resuscitation fluids on microcirculatory dysfunctions in a two-hit model of shock and sepsis.

Materials And Methods: Male Wistar rats (250 g) were submitted to hemorrhagic shock and reperfusion followed by sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture. For the initial treatment of shock, rats were randomly divided into: sham, no injury, no treatment; hypertonic saline solution (HS) (7.

Not just fun and games: a review of college drinking games research from 2004 to 2013.

Drinking games are a high-risk social drinking activity consisting of rules and guidelines that determine when and how much to drink (Polizzotto et al., 2007). Borsari's (2004) seminal review paper on drinking games in the college environment succinctly captured the published literature as of February 2004.

[Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome: an important cause of stroke in the puerperium].

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is a rare cerebrovascular disorder characterized by cerebral arterial segmental vasoconstriction, usually spontaneously reversible. This disease can occur in the postpartum period, manifesting itself through acute neurologic symptoms, and the imaging studies play a fundamental role in its diagnosis. Although classically considered a benign and self-limiting disease, it may present less favorable courses with significant associated morbidity and mortality.

Towards the development of laboratory methods for studying drinking games: initial findings, methodological considerations, and future directions.

Background: Drinking games are prevalent among college students and are associated with increased alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences. There has been substantial growth in research on drinking games. However, the majority of published studies rely on retrospective self-reports of behavior and very few studies have made use of laboratory procedures to systematically observe drinking game behavior.

The Hazardous Drinking Games Measure (HDGM): a multi-site implementation.

Background: Drinking game participation has been associated with increased frequency and quantity of alcohol use, as well as alcohol-related problems, in college students. To date, the assessment of drinking games typically entails the use of self-developed measures of frequency of participation and amount of alcohol consumed while playing.

Objectives: The Hazardous Drinking Games Measure (HDGM) is the first effort to create a comprehensive yet concise method of assessing drinking game participation.

Pulse pressure waveform estimation using distension profiling with contactless optical probe.

The pulse pressure waveform has, for long, been known as a fundamental biomedical signal and its analysis is recognized as a non-invasive, simple, and resourceful technique for the assessment of arterial vessels condition observed in several diseases. In the current paper, waveforms from non-invasive optical probe that measures carotid artery distension profiles are compared with the waveforms of the pulse pressure acquired by intra-arterial catheter invasive measurement in the ascending aorta. Measurements were performed in a study population of 16 patients who had undergone cardiac catheterization.

Stereoselective synthesis of aryl cyclopentene scaffolds by Heck-Matsuda desymmetrization of 3-cyclopentenol.

A new enantioselective Heck-Matsuda desymmetrization reaction was accomplished by using 3-cyclopentenol to produce chiral five-membered 4-aryl cyclopentenol scaffolds in good yields and high ee's, together with some 3-aryl-cyclopentanones as minor products. Mechanistically, the hydroxyl group of 3-cyclopentenol acts as a directing group and is responsible for the cis- arrangement in the formation of the 4-aryl-cyclopentenols.

Alcohol use, impulsivity, and the non-medical use of prescription stimulants among college students.

The non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) is a growing public health concern. College students have been identified as a particularly at risk population for engagement in NMUPD. Across all prescription drug classes, stimulants show the highest ratio of illicit to medical use and are thus important to examine within this population.

Liquid marbles for high-throughput biological screening of anchorage-dependent cells.

Stable liquid marbles (LM) are produced by coating liquid droplets with a hydrophobic powder. The used hydrophobic powder is produced by fluorosi-lanization of diatomaceous earth, used before to produce superhydrophobic structures. Here, the use of LM is proposed for high-throughput drug screening on anchorage-dependent cells.

Photosynthesis light-independent reactions are sensitive biomarkers to monitor lead phytotoxicity in a Pb-tolerant Pisum sativum cultivar.

Lead (Pb) environmental contamination remains prevalent. Pisum sativum L. plants have been used in ecotoxicological studies, but some cultivars showed to tolerate and accumulate some levels of Pb, opening new perspectives to their use in phytoremediation approaches.

Factors associated with thymic size at birth among low and normal birth-weight infants.

Objective: To study the effect of gestational and perinatal exposures on thymic size in 366 normal birth weight and 426 low birth weight (LBW) neonates in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa.

Study Design: In a cross-sectional study, thymic size was measured at birth by the use of ultrasound. Information on possible determinants was collected from pregnancy cards, hospital records, and interviews with the mother.

Power and limitations of daily prognostications of death in the medical ICU for outcomes in the following 6 months.

Objectives: We tested the power of clinicians' predictions that a medical ICU patient would "die before hospital discharge" for both survival to discharge and for outcomes at 6 months.

Design: We restricted our analyses to patients who had been in the medical ICU at least 72 hours and for whom we had follow-up at 6 months after medical ICU admission. For 350 medical ICU patients, on each medical ICU day, we asked their attending physician, fellow, resident, and primary nurse one question-"do you think this patient will die in hospital or survive to be discharged"? We correlated these responses with 6-month outcomes (death and/or Barthel score for survivors).

Evaluation of glycogen storage disease as a cause of ketotic hypoglycemia in children.

Introduction: Ketone formation is a normal response when hypoglycemia occurs. Since the majority of children with recurrent hypoglycemia cannot be diagnosed with a known endocrine or metabolic disorder on a critical sample, ketotic hypoglycemia has been described as the most common cause of low blood glucose concentrations in children. Critical samples, however, will miss the ketotic forms of glycogen storage disease (GSD), which present with elevated ketones, hypoglycemia, and normal hormonal concentrations.