cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Right Lymphatic Duct Distribution Volume in Dogs: Relationship to Pulmonary Interstitial Volume

Steady-state ratios of the concentration in lymph to that in plasma were measured for 125I-serum albumin after 4 days of equilibration in unanesthetized dogs. Subsequently, acute experiments 3-8 hours in duration were carried out in the same dogs under anesthesia to measure the exchange kinetics of 131I-serum albumin in right duct lymph and thoracic duct lymph. The albumin distribution volume in the field of right lymphatic duct drainage was calculated and compared with the pulmonary interstitial fluid volume measured using 14C-sucrose. For the right lymphatic duct, a single rate constant ( KR ) was sufficient to account for equilibration up to 3-8 hours. The mean value of KR was 2.35 x 10-3 ± 0.99 x 10-3 min-1 (half-time 5.6 ± 1.96 hours). In contrast, equilibration of thoracic duct lymph was multiexponential over this period. The concentration of 125I-albumin in lung interstitial water was 74% of that in corresponding right duct lymph. At 3-8 hours (termination of the acute experiment), fractional equilibration of interstitial albumin calculated from 131I-albumin wash-in kinetics was 0.33 ± 0.1 and that of right duct lymph was 0.34 ± 0.11, indicating that the KR measured for the latter reflects the equilibration process in lung interstitial fluid. The mean distribution volume drained by the right lymphatic duct was 0.92 ± 0.42 ml/kg. Subtracting the reported cardiac lymph distribution volume and correcting the remainder for albumin concentration relative to lymph suggests that about 28% of the lung lymph drains into the right lymphatic duct.
Resistive grid image filtering: input/output analysis via the CNN framework

The cellular neural network framework developed by L.O. Chua and L. Yang (IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst., vol.32, Oct. 1988) is used to analyze the image filtering operation performed by the VLSI linear resistive grid. In particular, it is shown in detail how the resistive grid can be cast as a CNN, and the use of frequency-domain techniques to characterize the input-output behavior of resistive grids of both infinite and finite size is discussed. These results lead to a theoretical justification of one of the so-called folk theorems commonly held by researchers using resistive grids: resistive grids are robust in the presence of variations in the values of the resistors. An application to edge detection is proposed. In particular, it is shown that the filtering performed by the grid is similar to the exponential filter in the edge detection algorithm proposed by J. Shen and S. Castan (1986). >
Pulsed Shortwave Diathermy and Joint Mobilizations for Achieving Normal Elbow Range of Motion After Injury or Surgery With Implanted Metal: A Case Series.

Context: Regaining full, active range of motion (ROM) after trauma to the elbow is difficult. Objective: To report the cases of 6 patients who lacked full ROM in the elbow because of trauma. The tr...
Limitation of 3547 to 1182 &#197; conversion efficiency in Xe

We report experiments which indicate that the 3547 → 1182A conversion efficiency in Xe-Ar mixtures is limited by Kerr-induced dispersion to about 0.9 percent. The mixed frequency third-order nonlinearity \chi^{(3)}(-3\omega, 3\omega, -\omega, \omega ) significantly alters the index of refraction at 1182 A in the presence of large power densities at 3547 A, affecting phase matching. We suggest using a Xe-Mg-Ar mixture to reduce the effect, thus permitting increased efficiencies.
Management of cardiopulmonary bypass in a patient with congenital factor XII deficiency

ACTOR XII, also known as Hagemann factor, is the F first enzyme in the intrinsic pathway of the clotting cascade. Patients with a congenital Factor XII deficiency demonstrate laboratory abnormalities but are not at risk for bleeding diatheses.’ The activated coagulation time (ACT) is prolonged in these patients and is, thus, of little value for monitoring the adequacy of anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). This report describes the management of a patient with a congenital deficiency of Factor XII who presented for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). All three bypass grafts thrombosed shortly after separation from CPB and heparin reversal, suggesting a Factor XII associated hypercoagulability. Further complicating this patient’s management was prolonged preoperative heparin therapy and the potential for heparin resistance, making estimation of anticoagulation requirements even more problematic.
The Raymond Pearl memorial lecture, 1996: The eternal triangle-genes, phenotype, and environment.

Attempts to understand the causes for phenotypical differences in the biology and behavior of human populations have tended to focus alternatively on genetic, cultural, and natural environmental variables. The relative narrowness of focus in these studies often impedes the development of research design appropriate to the hypothesis and the process of reaching reasonable conclusions. Past research on native high-altitude populations is used first to illustrate the deficiencies of research based on single variables and errors which can occur in conclusions about causal factors when potential genetic contributions are excluded. Analyses of blood pressure data from Samoan modernization studies are used to illustrate the complexity of determining causality in the development of a pathological condition. The need for better qualified cross-cultural measures is emphasized. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9:93-101 © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Vancomycin prophylaxis and emerging resistance: are ophthalmologists the villains? The heroes?

Abstract PURPOSE: To determine whether the routine use of vancomycin prophylaxis in elective cataract surgery promotes emerging resistance and provides effective protection against post-operative endophthalmitis. METHODS: Critical review of the current scientific and clinical literature was undertaken including appropriate statistical analyses of published data. RESULTS: Public health concerns for emergent vancomycin-resistant life-threatening "super bugs" are legitimate. Evaluation of the risk factors that are known to promote emerging vancomycin resistance (sick patients, hospital intensive care unit setting, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clonal infections, prolonged systemic therapy, sub-therapeutic dosing, indwelling intravascular and drainage catheters, total kilogram usage and agricultural use) suggest that ophthalmic usage in routine cataract surgery is unlikely to be a significant factor in promoting emerging worldwide resistance. Clinical and scientific studies purporting to prove the value of vancomycin prophylaxis in cataract surgery contain substantial biases and design flaws that seriously undermine their validity. Issues of potential intraocular toxicity, increased costs, absence of medical-legal protection, and compliance with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy of Ophthalmology guidelines (in hospital) mitigate against this practice. CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmologists who use vancomycin prophylaxis in routine cataract surgery are neither the villains nor heroes according to my interpretation of the currently available scientific data. Personal conscience and an ongoing critical review of the literature should guide each ophthalmologist's choice in this controversy.
Searching for the Center on the Mathematics‐Science Continuum

The history of mathematics and science integration in American schools can be illustrated through the use of a continuum which runs from math for math's sake at one end to science for science's sake at the other. True integration occurs at the center point. While published examples of integration focusing on process skills are common, those featuring integration of content are less often found. Two such lessons, developed around radioactive decay and efficiency in nature, are presented as examples of science and mathematics concepts taught in concert. Changes in preservice and in-service teacher training must occur if the potential for this type of integration is to be realized.
Only as Happy as the Least Happy Child: Multiple Grown Children's Problems and Successes and Middle-aged Parents’ Well-being

Objectives. Middle-aged parents’ well-being may be tied to successes and failures of grown children. Moreover, most parents have more than one child, but studies have not considered how different children’s successes and failures may be associated with parental well-being. Methods. Middle-aged adults (aged 40–60; N = 633) reported on each of their grown children (n = 1,384) and rated their own well-being. Participants indicated problems each child had experienced in the past two years, rated their children’s successes, as well as positive and negative relationship qualities. Results. Analyses compared an exposure model (i.e., having one grown child with a problem or deemed successful) and a cumulative model (i.e., total problems or successes in the family). Consistent with the exposure and cumulative models, having one child with problems predicted poorer parental well-being and the more problems in the family, the worse parental well-being. Having one successful child did not predict well-being, but multiple grown children with higher total success in the family predicted enhanced parental well-being. Relationship qualities partially explained associations between children’s successes and parental well-being. Discussion. Discussion focuses on benefits and detriments parents derive from how grown progeny turn out and particularly the implications of grown children’s problems.
Hydrophilic guide wire technique to facilitate organ entrapment using a laparoscopic sack during laparoscopy.

Purpose: Morcellation of the kidney in a LapSac (Cook Surgical, Spencer, Indiana) is reportedly safe and effective during laparoscopic nephrectomy. However, organ entrapment in a LapSac can be difficult, especially during early surgeon experience. A technique to facilitate organ entrapment is described.Materials and Methods: We have recently used a simple technique to facilitate deployment of the LapSac in the abdomen using a hydrophilic nitinol guide wire passed through the holes in the mouth of the sack beside its drawstring. The inherent elasticity of the guide wire helps to spring open the mouth of the sack, while facilitating appropriate orientation of the sack mouth.Results: This technique appears to decrease the time needed for organ entrapment because it eliminates the need to triangulate the sack to achieve organ entrapment. An additional port is usually not required during the procedure.Conclusions: The hydrophilic guide wire technique is inexpensive and effective for LapSac deployment and organ...
Reduced salience and default mode network activity in women with anorexia nervosa.

Background: The neurobiology of anorexia nervosa is poorly understood. Neuronal networks contributing to action selection, selfregulation and interoception could contribute to pathologic eating and body perception in people with anorexia nervosa. We tested the hypothesis that the salience network (SN) and default mode network (DMN) would show decreased intrinsic activity in women with anorexia nervosa and those who had recovered from the disease compared to controls. The basal ganglia (BGN) and sensorimotor networks (SMN) were also investigated. Methods: Between January 2008 and January 2012, women with restricting-type anorexia nervosa, women who recovered from the disease and healthy control women completed functional magnetic resonance imaging during a conditioned stimulus task. Network activity was studied using independent component analysis. Results: We studied 20 women with anorexia nervosa, 24 recovered women and 24 controls. Salience network activity in the anterior cingulate cortex was reduced in women with anorexia nervosa (p = 0.030; all results false-discovery rate‐ corrected) and recovered women (p = 0.039) compared to controls. Default mode network activity in the precuneus was reduced in women with anorexia compared to controls (p = 0.023). Sensorimotor network activity in the supplementary motor area (SMA; p = 0.008), and the left (p = 0.028) and right (p = 0.002) postcentral gyrus was reduced in women with anorexia compared to controls; SMN activity in the SMA (p = 0.019) and the right postcentral gyrus (p = 0.008) was reduced in women with anorexia compared to recovered women. There were no group differences in the BGN. Limitations: Differences between patient and control populations (e.g., depression, anxiety, medication) are potential confounds, but were included as covariates. Conclusion: Reduced SN activity in women with anorexia nervosa and recovered women could be a trait-related biomarker or illness remnant, altering the drive to approach food. The alterations in the DMN and SMN observed only in women with anorexia nervosa suggest state-dependent abnormalities that could be related to altered interoception and body image in these women when they are underweight but that remit following recovery.
Community pharmacists' attitudes towards clinical utility and ethical implications of pharmacogenetic testing.

Aim: To examine community pharmacists‘ attitudes towards pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing, including their views of the clinical utility of PGx and the ethical, social, legal and practical implications of PGx testing. Methods: A web-based survey administered to 5600 licensed community pharmacists in the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania (USA). Results: Of 580 respondents, 78% had a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy and 58% worked in a chain drug store. Doctors of pharmacy-trained pharmacists had a significantly higher knowledge score than those with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy (3.2 ± 0.9 vs 2.6 ± 0.6; p < 0.0001). All pharmacists had positive attitudes towards PGx and most (87%) felt it would decrease the number of adverse events, and optimize drug dosing. More than half (57%) of pharmacists felt that it was their role to counsel patients regarding PGx information. Many (65%) were concerned that PGx test results may be used to deny health insurance. Conclusion: Regardless of the type of education, a...
Comparative Study of Chill-Coma Temperatures and Muscle Potentials in Insect Flight Muscles

Muscle potentials in insect flight muscles decrease in amplitude and increase in duration with decreasing temperature. Amplitudes fall to zero at distinct temperatures, which are characteristic for different species. Chill-coma temperature is thus denned here as the critical temperature below which flight muscles cannot be activated. Chill-coma temperatures were 2°C in the species of butterflies measured and −2 to 0°C in the moths. In the species of Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera measured, chill-coma temperatures ranged from 3 to 14°C. The rate of decline of muscle potential amplitudes with decreasing temperature was different for different species. Rates were smaller over most of the temperature range for species that warm up from low environmental temperatures to reach thoracic temperatures necessary for flight. Amplitudes decreased faster at higher thoracic temperatures in species that start shivering only at higher ambient temperatures. Temperature has a similar effect on durations of muscle potentials in different species. Between 25 and 15°C, durations increased by 100% in all species. The results suggest that cold-adaptation is not strongly related to chill-coma temperature but is strongly related to the rate of decline of muscle potential amplitudes.
A Locally Exact Homogenization Theory for Periodic Microstructures With Isotropic Phases

Elements of the homogenization theory are utilized to develop a new micromechanics approach for unit cells of periodic heterogeneous materials based on locally exact elasticity solutions. The interior inclusion problem is exactly solved by using Fourier series representation of the local displacement field. The exterior unit cell periodic boundary-value problem is tackled by using a new variational principle for this class of nonseparable elasticity problems, which leads to exceptionally fast and well-behaved convergence of the Fourier series coefficients. Closed-form expressions for the homogenized moduli of unidirectionally reinforced heterogeneous materials are obtained in terms of Hill’s strain concentration matrices valid under arbitrary combined loading, which yield homogenized Hooke’s law. Homogenized engineering moduli and local displacement and stress fields of unit cells with offset fibers, which require the use of periodic boundary conditions, are compared to corresponding finite-element results demonstrating excellent correlation.
CRITERIA FOR RECOMMENDING SURGERY IN THE TETRALOGY OF FALLOT.

Abstract Selection of the proper operative procedure for patients with tetralogy of Fallot depends upon several factors including age of the patient and severity of symptoms and findings. Infants in the first two years of life with severe cyanosis and with “spells” of dyspnea and loss of consciousness should be treated initially by creation of a systemic-pulmonary shunt. Indeed, operation during the newborn period may be necessary on an emergency basis if symptoms are acute. Definitive repair of the anatomic lesion should be deferred until the patient has reached a more favorable age, more than 5 years old. If hypoxemia is mild to moderate only, surgical intervention should be delayed until the age of 6 to 8 years at which time a total correction may be done. In some older patients with severe cyanosis and polycythemia, a preliminary systemic-pulmonary shunt is often used to reduce the hematocrit and to develop and prepare the hypoplastic left side of the heart to support systemic circulation when a complete correction is accomplished. These criteria were developed through an experience with selection of indirect and direct surgical procedures in a series of 416 operations on tetralogy of Fallot.
Information technology for continuous patient health education

Information technology for continuous patient health education and counseling could be a powerful means for health promotion and disease prevention. We developed a universal platform for Individualized Continuous Patient Education (iCOPE). This platform is a comprehensive informatics framework for rapid adaptation and dissemination of Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) products tailored to different categories of health consumers including difficult-to-reach patients. The iCOPE platform implements universal means for customized delivery of CER information in the format of interactive self-paced educational modules, quick "question & answer" guides, and interactive decision aids. In addition, the iCOPE platform will support the innovative concept of continuous patient health education by providing patients with easy access to the interactive CER updates via web, MP3 players and phone-based interactive voice response (IVR) technology. We tested usability and acceptance of educational platforms in patients with chronic health conditions in several clinical settings.
Hearing and vertigo outcomes after congenital labyrinthine cholesteatoma resection

Abstract Congenital labyrinthine cholesteatoma can cause varying degrees of hearing loss and vertigo. Hearing preservation is not always possible when treatment involves total labyrinthectomy. Since 1969, there have been several case reports and case series documenting hearing preservation following surgical treatment of congenital labyrinthine cholesteatoma. However, none of the case reports or case series documents the patients’ vestibular complaints after surgery. Herein, we report a case series of four patients who were treated with the goal of hearing preservation and resolution of vertigo after partial or complete removal of the bony labyrinth for congenital inner ear cholesteatoma. We will also discuss possible explanations for the mechanisms of preservation of hearing and vestibular function with a review of the current literature.
Measuring Value Creation and Its Distribution Among Stakeholders of the Firm

We present a general methodology that uses publicly available data to estimate the magnitude of economic value creation and its distribution among a firm’s stakeholders. Based on productivity literature in economics, the methodology goes beyond the conventional focus on shareholders and allows the examination of value appropriation by other stakeholders of the firm including employees, customers and government. We illustrate the methodology using historical data on General Motors and Toyota.
A New Type Assignment for Strongly Normalizable Terms

We consider an operator definable in the intuitionistic theory of monadic predicates and we axiomatize some of its properties in a definitional extension of that monadic logic. The axiomatization lends itself to a natural deduction formulation to which the Curry-Howard isomorphism can be applied. The resulting Church style type system has the property that an untyped term is typable if and only if it is strongly normalizable.
Upward Price Pressure, Merger Simulation, and Merger Simulation Light

The Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice have traditionally used market shares as an early preliminary screen in evaluating the potential for anticompetitive effects of a proposed merger. Recently, Farrell and Shapiro proposed a new merger screen known as Upward Price Pressure. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this screen, contrasts it to more complicated full merger simulations, and ultimately suggests a merger simulation light approach that has elements of both and that may be more useful in the very early stages of analysis.
Rumination and self-control interact to predict bulimic symptomatology in college students

Recent studies suggest that a ruminative response style may contribute to the development and maintenance of Bulimia nervosa. However it is not clear what factors may contribute to the relationship between rumination and BN. One factor may be self-control, as studies suggest that BN symptomatology relates to deficits in self-control. In the present study, we hypothesized that the association between rumination and BN symptomatology would be the strongest among individuals with lower self-control relative to those with higher self-control. Participants were 353 students at a large university. Participants completed measures of self-control, rumination, and eating disorder symptomology as part of an online study. A hierarchical regression supported an interaction between rumination and self-control predicting bulimic symptomatology, controlling for BMI. Individuals with higher levels of rumination presented more bulimic symptoms if they also had lower levels of self-control, supporting our hypothesis. Based on these findings, assessing rumination in conjunction with self-control among individuals who present with eating concerns may help to direct treatment. Additionally, clinical interventions increasing self-control may also alleviate some BN symptoms in ruminators.
Hominoid Dental Microwear: Complications in the Use of Microwear Analysis to Detect Diet

Analysis of dental microwear on chimpanzee molars reveals much variation that reflects jaw mechanics and occlusal function rather than diet. Observed microwear pattern differences relate to variations in molar position, facet type, and overall age of the tooth. Gradients in the amounts of shear and compression generated at different points in the molar series relative to the condyle probably account for pattern variations associated with molar position, while differences in facet inclination may affect the vectors of compression and shear, resulting in facet differences. Age-related pattern differences may be a result of surface and subsurface variations in enamel hardness. These results demonstrate that intraspecific and intra-individual differences in microwear may be extreme, and care must be taken to distinguish normal variation due to occlusal mechanics from variations due to dietary difference. The finding that microwear variations are reflective of subtle changes in occlusal forces and vectors along the tooth row might in itself be a clinically useful phenomenon.
Depth of closure over large regions using airborne bathymetric lidar

Abstract The depth at which significant bathymetric change can be expected is an important morphological factor for science and engineering on sandy coastlines. Although most depth of closure studies have been conducted on a limited number of sites, the great quantity of airborne lidar bathymetry data collected over the past decade allows for a much wider study region. Here, we present depth of closure analysis over 600 km of sandy coastline using the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) dataset. Improved closure predictions resulted when both extreme waves (as represented by the 12 hour exceedance significant wave height over a given time interval), and more typical storm waves (as represented by the 99% significant wave height) were jointly considered. In contrast to some other studies, wave steepness terms were found to be negligible. Consideration of error terms in least-squares closure predictions was used to develop relations with different degrees of conservatism: e.g. to provide closure depth exceeded by only 10% of observations. Results are presented for four closure criteria: root-mean-square depth changes Δh close = [20, 30]cm, and relative depth changes Δh close / h = [0.02, 0.04]. Further improvements in accuracy may occur once decadal wave hindcasts include storm surge variations in water levels, and have increased nearshore resolution.
A condemnation of subcutaneous fasciotomy

Controversy exists regarding the indications and methods for lower-extremity fasciotomy. Two recent cases at our institution in which recurrent, acute limb-threatening ischemia occurred despite adequate fascial division have convinced us that in certain situations subcutaneous fasciotomy is clearly inadequate. In both patients, both of whom were young, intact healthy skin between the lower extent of the incision and the malleolus acted as a tourniquet, causing recurrent compartment syndrome as reperfusion edema occurred after initial repair. We believe that therapeutic fasciotomy in young patients with relatively noncompliant skin should include division of skin from the knee to the ankle on at least one side to prevent a tourniquet effect by intact skin at the ankle.
The Incidence of Known Diabetics among U.S. Army Active Duty Dental Patients

Diabetes affects an estimated 16 million Americans. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of known diabetes among active duty soldiers by reviewing medications dispensed for diabetes at a large military installation. This study was conducted from July 31, 1997, through August 1, 1998. Fifty-eight (0.18%) members of the total active duty male population of 32,593 had been dispensed diabetes medications, whereas 43 (0.48%) members of the total female active duty population of 8,898 had been dispensed medications for diabetes. Gestational diabetes was the cause for 88.37% of the total active duty females dispensed diabetic medication at Fort Hood, Texas. The female-to-male ratio for diabetes was 2.7:1. Diabetics made up 0.27% of the total population.
“It's no longer your Film”: Abjection and (the) mulholland (death) drive

Very early in david lynch’s mulholland drive, the film provides attentive viewers with sufficient clues that what we are watching is the dream-work at work. Indeed, I would hazard a guess that anyone who has made much sense of the film has most likely accomplished this feat by recognizing that the first two hours or so of Mulholland Drive represent an extended dream on the part of the central character, Diane Selwyn (Naomi Watts), while the last segment narrates the “actual” historical circumstances that have informed the dream’s patterns of imagery and that culminate in Diane’s hallucinatory psychotic breakdown (if that’s what we should call it) as well as her final hysterical suicide (if, indeed, that’s what occurs).1
At the Siberian Desk

The Early Modern Russian empire resembled both contemporary European colonial empires and the Mongolian empire created by Chingis Khan’s descendants during the thirteenth century, to which it was an heir.1 Like the Mongolians, the Russians took hostages to enforce the delivery of tribute (mainly in furs), and some of the practices and terminology they used in administering their empire were directly borrowed from the Mongolians, whom they had replaced in less than a century (1553–1637) in Kazan, Astrakhan and in Siberia, but whose subjects they had been for most of the three centuries preceding that conquest.2 The colonized, in other words, had become the colonizers.
Model development of plasma implanted hydrogenic diffusion and trapping in ion beam damaged tungsten

A Cu ion beam is used to induce controlled levels of damage (10−3, 10−2, and 10−1 dpa) in room temperature W samples. A single 5 MeV beam energy yielding a peaked damage profile 0.8 μm into the material, or three beam energies (0.5, 2, and 5 MeV) producing a relatively uniform damage profile from the near surface up to 0.8 μm were used. The W samples were then exposed to a D plasma ion fluence of 1024 ions m−2 at 380 K, and the resulting D retention was measured using the D(3He,p)4He reaction analysis (NRA) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). We observe that within experimental error there is no significant difference in retention whether the damage profile is peaked or uniform. The increase in retention is observed to increase proportional to estimated from the dpa peak calculated from the SRIM program. A simplified retention model is proposed that provides concentration profiles that can be directly compared to NRA data and total retention measurements. Taking the trapping energies due to three defect types calculated from density functional theory (DFT), the only free-parameters are three defect densities of in-grain monovacancies, dislocations, and grain boundary vacancies, and we assume these defects to be the dominant trapping locations. The model can fit D retention data in a pristine W sample within the experimental error of the measurements, and in subsequent modeling these intrinsic defect densities are then fixed. We model the retention profile after ion damage by adding the SRIM predicted vacancy profile to the intrinsic monovacancy defect density. Since the increase in retention, and therefore the increase in vacancy production, does not increase linearly with dpa, a correction factor is multiplied to the predicted vacancy profile to fit the data. A new diffusion coefficient is calculated with the model that is a function of the concentration of trapped atoms. This calculation may resolve discrepancies of various diffusivity measurements and models in the literature.
Molecular Basis for α-Thalassemia Associated With the Structural Mutant Hemoglobin Suan-Dok (α2109LEU→ARG)

Abstract Hemoglobin (Hb) Suan-Dok (α109Arg) is a rare α-globin structural mutation that is linked to an α-thalassemia (α-thal) determinant. When inherited in trans to an α-thal-1 mutation (– –), it results in Hb H disease associated with low levels (9%) of the Suan-Dok Hb. The nature of the thalassemic defect associated with the αSD mutation has been investigated by structural and functional studies. Sequence analysis of the cloned Suan-Dok allele showed a missense mutation (T → G) at codon 109 in an otherwise normal α2-globin gene. When the α2SD-globin gene was introduced into mouse erythroleukemia cells, the steady state α-globin messenger RNA (mRNA) level was equivalent to the αA-globin gene control. Although in vitro translation of a synthetic α2SD-globin mRNA generated levels of α globin equivalent to α2A-globin mRNA at early time points, the ratio of αSD to αA globin decreased markedly at later time points. These data suggest that the thalassemic defect associated with the Suan-Dok mutation results from a significant instability of the αSD globin.
I-Cubed (Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation) and the Human Microbiome

Medical science is just now realizing the full importance of the microbial world. Thanks to developments such as low-cost high-throughput sequencing of microbial communities comprising the human microbiome, the identity and function of unculturable microbes are being unveiled. Public health officials and neuroepidemiology researchers will be called on to guide the understanding of I-Cubed illnesses and the implications of the human microbiome for communicable and noncommunicable diseases, as the natural history is appreciated and the responsiveness of given medical and neurologic disorders to a variety of medical approaches, including strong antibiotics and immune-modulatory therapy is established.
Diminished pulmonary function in pectus excavatum: from denying the problem to finding the mechanism

Background: Recently, technical improvement in the ability to measure lung function and the severity of chest deformity have enabled progress in understanding the mechanism of limitations of lung function in pectus excavatum. Methods: After establishing that most patients with pectus excavatum do have symptoms of exercise intolerance, easy fatigability, and shortness of breath with exertion, lung function has been evaluated by a variety of methods in different centers. Spirometry, plethysmography, exercise testing, oculo electronic plethysmography, and imaging methods have been used to assess lung function in pectus excavatum and its response to surgery. Results: Not all patients with pectus excavatum have subnormal static pulmonary function testing; some have above-average values. However, in more than 1500 adult and pediatric surgical patients with anatomically severe pectus excavatum at a single center, the bell curve of FVC, FEV1, and FEF 25-75 is shifted to significantly lower values in pectus excavatum. The curve is shifted to higher values after operation by approximately one standard deviation. Previous work has demonstrated that patients with more anatomically severe pectus excavatum are more likely to have diminished PFT’s. A mechanism for this effect is seen by oculo electronic plethysmography, which demonstrates that the depressed portion of the chest does not move on respiration. After Nuss procedure, the chest wall motion used to create suction to draw air into the lungs is indistinguishable from that of persons with a normal chest, and the intrathoracic volume is markedly increased. Conclusions: Pectus excavatum is accompanied in most patients by diminished static pulmonary function. Correction by Nuss procedure results in improvement in chest wall motion; this improvement in the thoracic bellows action is accompanied by improvement in pulmonary function testing.
Iatrogenic amyloid polyneuropathy after domino liver transplantation

Liver transplantation has been used in treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis, and some patients undergo domino liver transplantation (DLT) with explanted liver being transplanted to another patient with liver failure as the liver is otherwise usually functionally normal. Until end of 2015, there were 1154 DLT performed worldwide. DLT for transthyretin amyloidosis is associated with the risk of developing de novo systemic amyloidosis and amyloid neuropathy, and the risk may be greater with some non-Val30Met mutations. De novo amyloid neuropathy has been described in up to 23% of transplant recipients. Neuropathy may be preceded by asymptomatic amyloid deposition in various tissues and symptoms of neuropathy started after a median of 7 years following DLT (5.7 ± 3.2 years; range 2 mo to 10 years). Typical initial symptoms include neuropathic pain and sensory loss, while dysautonomia usually starts later. Progression of neuropathy may necessitate liver re-transplantation, and subsequent improvement of neuropathy has been reported in some patients. Explant allograft recipients need close monitoring for signs of systemic amyloidosis, neuropathy and dysautonomia as progressive symptoms may require re-transplantation.
Effects of parasitic reactance on lattice circuit slotline switch

A slotline lattice switch has recently been proposed and demonstrated. In that paper, ideal diode characteristics were assumed. In this paper, the effects of parasitic reactances, due to the diode and the wire bonds that connect it to the circuit, are investigated. The switch is compared to a traditional slotline switch with a single diode across the slot.
Internally-headed relative clauses in sign languages

This chapter considers relative clause data from sign languages in light of their variation with respect to basic word order, nonmanual marking, and presence/absence of internally-headed and externally-headed relative clauses. Syntactically, a double merge cartographic model (Cinque 2005a; b), following Brunelli (2011), is adopted. The differences across sign languages are suggested to result from differences in raising requirements with respect to the relative clauses themselves and with respect to their heads, rather than basic word order, use of complementizers, relative pronouns, or nominalizers, or (type of) nonmanual marking. Typologically, it is noted that several of the SVO SLs have IHRCs, that at least one SOV SL does not have IHRCs, and that three of the SLs have both internally-headed (IHRCs) and externally-headed (EHRCs) relative clauses. This article is part of the special collection: Internally-headed Relative Clauses
Critical Buckling Loads for Tapered Columns

Formulas and graphs for the determination of the critical elastic buckling loads of uniformly tapered columns having wide flange, box section, and other cross-sectional shapes are presented herein....
Being There in the Midst of the Story: How Immersive Journalism Affects Our Perceptions and Cognitions.

Abstract Immersive journalism in the form of virtual reality (VR) headsets and 360°-video is becoming more mainstream and is much touted for inducing greater “presence” than traditional text. But, does this presence influence psychological outcomes of reading news, such as memory for story content, perceptions of credibility, and empathy felt toward story characters? We propose that two key technological affordances of VR (modality and interactivity) are responsible for triggering three presence-related cognitive heuristics (being-there, interaction, and realism), which influence news readers' memory and their perceptions of credibility, empathy, and story-sharing intentions. We report a 3 (storytelling medium: VR vs. 360°-video vs. Text) × 2 (story: “The displaced” and “The click effect”) mixed-factorial experiment, in which participants (N = 129) experienced two New York Times stories (that differed in their emotional intensity) using one of three mediums (VR, 360°-video, Text). Participants who experie...
The Success of Female Scientists in the 21st Century

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has long considered a focus on women in science to be an important component of its strategic investment portfolio. The Foundation’s mission is to promote progress across all fields of basic science and engineering through its investment portfolio in research and education, a high priority within that portfolio being broadening participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (hereafter, SE 1993), only a paltry few women scientists have actually won Nobel prizes, despite the seminal role that many more played, with the prizes being awarded to their male collaborators (Ward 2005b). Some data points provided in the following section demonstrate this underutilization of talent.
Pre-clinical evaluation of EC1456, a folate-tubulysin anti-cancer therapeutic

EC1456 is a folate-tubulysin conjugate constructed with an all-D enantiomeric spacer/linker configuration. When tested against folate receptor (FR)-positive cells, EC1456 demonstrated dose-responsive activity with an approximate 1000-fold level of specificity. Treatment of nude mice bearing FR-positive human xenografts (as large as 800 mm3) with non-toxic doses of EC1456 led to cures in 100% of the mice. Combinations of low dose EC1456 with standard of care agents such as platins, taxanes, topotecan and bevacizumab, safely and significantly augmented the growth inhibitory effects of these commonly used agents. When tested against FR-positive human tumor xenograft models having confirmed resistance to a folate-vinca alkaloid (vintafolide), cisplatin or paclitaxel, EC1456 was found to generate partial to curative responses. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that EC1456 has significant anti-proliferative activity against FR-positive tumors, including models which were anticancer drug resistant, thereby justifying a Phase 1 trial of this agent for the treatment of advanced human cancers.
Mortality in rheumatoid arthritis: Have we made an impact in 4 decades?

Objective. To evaluate trends in survival among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over the past 4 decades. Methods. Three population based prevalence cohorts of all Rochester, Minnesota, residents age ≥ 35 years with RA (1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria) on January 1, 1965, January 1, 1975, and January 1, 1985; and an incidence cohort of all new cases of RA occurring in the same population between January 1, 1955 and January 1, 1985, were followed longitudinally through their entire medical records (including all inpatient and outpatient care by any provider) until death or migration from the county. Mortality was described using the Kaplan-Meier method and the influence of age, sex, rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity, and comorbidity (using the Charlson Comorbidity Index) on mortality was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. Results. Mortality was statistically significantly worse than expected for each of the cohorts (overall p < 0.0001). A trend toward increased mortality in the 1975 and 1985 prevalence cohorts compared to the 1965 prevalence cohort was present, even after adjusting for significant predictors of mortality (age, RF positivity, and comorbidity). Survival for the general population of Rochester residents of similar age and sex improved in 1975 compared to 1965, and in 1985 compared to 1975. Conclusion. The excess mortality associated with RA has not changed in 4 decades. Moreover, people with RA have not enjoyed the same improvements in survival experienced by their non-RA peers. More attention should be paid to mortality as an outcome measure in RA.
Chicken matrix metalloproteinase 22

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the activity, specificity and structural chemistry of chicken matrix metalloproteinase 22 (MMP-22). In northern blotting, chicken matrix metalloproteinase (CMMP) mRNA of 1.8 kb is barely detectable in the head and body of 8-day-old chicken embryos and is dramatically upregulated in the head and body of 9-day-old embryos. In cultured chicken embryo fibroblasts, CMMP mRNA of 1.8 kb is constitutively expressed, and its level is significantly upregulated by TNF or TPA, whereas FGF, IL-1 and retinoic acid have little or no effect. This suggests a different mechanism of gene regulation of CMMP from other MMPs, because retinoic acid inhibits, and TNF, TPA, IL-1 and FGF induce many MMP genes in several cell types. CMMP has caseinase, gelatinase and collagenase activity. A bacteria-produced, His-tagged and purified, catalytically active CMMP digests casein and gelatin, and cleaves native fibrillar type I collagen into the characteristic three-quarters and one-quarter products. A novel MMP of 512 amino acids, cloned from the tree shrew Tupaia belangen, is 57% identical with CMMP. A novel human MMP of 513 amino acids, called MMP-27, is 68% identical with CMMP. The Tupaia and the human MMPs contain a conserved unique cysteine in the catalytic domain, and their amino acid sequences are 83% identical, suggesting that they are orthologs.
Efficacy and outcomes of a summer-based pediatric vision screening program

Purpose To investigate the prevalence of decreased visual acuity and uncorrected refractive error in school-aged children participating in summer programs. Methods During the summers of 2014-2016, Wills Eye Hospital collaborated with summer programs in Philadelphia to provide vision screenings for underserved children. Parental consent was obtained prior to vision screening. Fail criteria included children in grades K-1 (ages 5-6) with visual acuity worse than 20/40 in either eye, children in grades 2-6 (ages 7-13) with visual acuity worse than 20/30 in either eye, or children with ≥2 lines of interocular difference. If decreased visual acuity was correctable to ≥20/30 by the onsite optometrist, two pairs of free eyeglasses were provided. Children with other ocular abnormalities were referred to pediatric ophthalmology. Results Of 1,627 children screened, 360 children (22.1%) did not pass vision screening, and 64 (3.9%) were referred. The prevalence of decreased distance visual was 34.1%. Younger children were more likely to have worse visual acuity than older children (OR = 0.943; P = 0.023; 95% CI, 0.896-0.992). Myopia (73%), astigmatism (56.8%), hyperopia (15.5%), spherical anisometropia (12.5%), and cylindrical anisometropia (11.9%) presented in the 303 children who underwent a manifest refraction. Myopia increased with age (OR = 0.818; P = 0.001; 95% CI, 0.724-0.922), whereas astigmatism decreased (OR = 0.817; P Conclusions Partnership with summer programs and other community initiatives to provide vision screenings facilitates access to eye care ultimately aimed at improving social functioning and academic performance.
Multidimensional Impacts of Nanotechnology on Public Health

Abstract Nanotechnology brings multidimensional impacts to society that are sure to be debated for decades to come. The benefits are many, the risks are real, and the paths forward are complex. This chapter provides an overview of the many ways that nanotechnology may impact public health—both positively and negatively. Long-term effects of nanomanufacturing may impact nanotechnology workers. Unintended effects of nano-enabled products may adversely impact consumers. Release of nanomaterials to air, water, and soil may negatively impact our environment. Conversely, nano may usher in more sustainable, bottom-up manufacturing processes. Medical nanodevices may prevent and cure diseases that have long been the scourges of mankind. Nano-enabled smart filters may prevent and remedy environmental damage through selective capture and recovery of pervasive contaminants. Clearly, the nano issue is complex, and a balanced consideration of the public health impacts of nanotechnology require careful consideration of the risks as well as the benefits.