cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retinopathy of Prematurity: Molecular Mechanism of Disease

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was first described in the late 1940s as retrolental fibroplasia. The disease was soon associated with excessive oxygen use [12, 14, 50]. As a result, supplemental oxygen is now delivered to premature infants to maintain adequate blood levels, but it is monitored carefully [36]. Nonetheless, even with controlled oxygen use, the number of infants with ROP has increased further [54], due most likely to the increased survival rate of very low birth weight infants [22]. ROP is still a major cause of blindness in children in the developed and developing world [66], despite current treatment of late-stage ROP. Although laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy of the retina reduces the incidence of blindness by approximately 25%, the visual outcomes after treatment are often poor.Preventive therapy for ROP is sorely needed. To develop such treatments, we need to understand the pathogenesis of the disease and develop medical interventions based on this understanding to prevent or treat ROP.
Ethics of Primate Fieldwork: Toward an Ethically Engaged Primatology

Field primatologists have ethical responsibilities that extend beyond study subjects to the local human communities living near primate populations and their surrounding ecosystems. In this review,...
A Globalist at Home

This chapter covers the short, but intense, period of the early Occupation (1945–1950) when Tanaka served as the Minister of Education and as a legislator in the House of Councillors. Unable to travel overseas, Tanaka focused on implementing globalist values domestically. One key battle ground in this respect was the reformation of Japanese education, and his role in drafting the Fundamental Law of Education was crucial. Tanaka’s Catholic values were not always welcomed by the Supreme Command of the Allied Powers (SCAP) whose commander General MacArthur staffed key posts with Freemasons like himself. Tanaka continued his independent stance as a Diet member, becoming a central figure in the unaligned Rokufūkai association of legislators. In the Diet, Tanaka drew on his globalist values and experiences to resist legislation sponsored by SCAP, such as the Eugenics Protection Bill.
Risk of Subsequent Cutaneous Melanoma in Moderately Dysplastic Nevi Excisionally Biopsied but with Positive Histologic Margins

Importance Little evidence exists to guide the management of moderately dysplastic nevi excisionally biopsied without residual clinical pigmentation but with positive histologic margins (hereafter referred to as moderately dysplastic nevi with positive histologic margins).
Isolated mycotic hypogastric artery aneurysm

Abstract Isolated iliac artery aneurysms are rare and commonly associated with aortic aneurysms. Hypogastric artery aneurysms (HAAs) are exceptionally rare. The general approach to HAAs has been exclusion and bypass, although when this is complicated by mycotic disease, endovascular techniques can provide unique approaches to management. We present the case of a patient with a mycotic HAA treated with endovascular coil and exclusion followed by aortic to external iliac artery bypass with cadaveric conduit.
Design and Pharmacological Evaluation of PF‐4840154, a Non‐Electrophilic Reference Agonist of the TrpA1 Channel.

Conduction of a high throughput screening leads to the identification of a novel class of non-covalent TrpA1 agonists that is utilized as a replacement for the well established yet problematic reference agonist Mustard Oil.
Sadat’s African dilemma: Libya, Ethiopia, and the making of the Camp David Accords

ABSTRACTThis article contends that the roots of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s 1977 decision to seek peace with Israel, eventually leading to the 1978 Camp David Accords and the 1979 Egyptian-Isr...
Development of a Risk Prediction Model to Estimate the Probability of Malignancy in Pulmonary Nodules Being Considered for Biopsy.

Background Malignancy probability models for pulmonary nodules (PN) are most accurate when used within populations similar to those in which they were developed. Our goal was to develop a malignancy probability model that estimates the probability of malignancy for PNs considered high enough risk to recommend biopsy. Methods This retrospective analysis included training and validation datasets of patients with PNs who had a histopathologic diagnosis of malignant or benign. Radiographic and clinical characteristics associated with lung cancer were collected. Univariate logistic regression was used to identify potential predictors. Stepdown selection and multivariate logistic regression were used to build several models, each differing according to available data. Results Two hundred malignant nodules and 101 benign nodules were used to generate and internally validate eight models. Predictors of lung cancer used in the final models included age, smoking history, upper lobe location, solid and irregular/spiculated nodule edges, emphysema, fluorodeoxyglucose-PET avidity, and history of cancer other than lung. The concordance index (C-index) of the models ranged from 0.75 to 0.81. They were more accurate than the Mayo Clinic model (P Conclusions We developed eight models to help characterize PNs considered high enough risk by a clinician to recommend biopsy. These models may help to guide clinicians' decision-making and be used as a resource for patient communication.
Virtue Without Law? A Problem and Prospect for Virtue Ethics

In this essay, I identify an important problem that has plagued virtue ethics since its inception and offer something of a solution. The problem to which I refer is the inability of many virtue ethicists to understand properly the relationship between law and virtue. This essay will unfold in four sections. First, we will discuss the causes of this inability among virtue ethicists to see clearly the connection between law and virtue. We will focus on the work of Rosalind Hursthouse and argue that she does not adequately understand the political dimension of human nature. Second, we will draw upon both Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, two crucial sources for virtue ethics, to understand how law functions as a necessary foundation for virtue; we will argue that law is a training in and support for virtuous action, while virtue in turn perfects the law by bringing out its full dynamism and intelligibility. Third, we will continue to discuss Aristotle’s understanding of law and virtue by appealing to his distinction between natural and legal justice, and we will offer an Aristotelian account of how one comes to know the natural law. Finally, fourth, we will develop points from the ancient craft analogy to virtue. Just as skillful activity is founded upon rules but transcends mechanical rule-following behavior, so too virtuous actions are founded upon law but transcend mere law-abiding behavior. This section shows that our account does not violate the so-called “non-codifiability” thesis, nor does it fall into law or rule “fetishism.”
Debye Model Fitting for Time-Domain Modeling of Lossy Dielectrics

In this paper, we will show a systematic procedure for fitting a Debye model to tabulated data of dielectric constant and loss tangent at discrete frequency points. Our approach is based on generation of a guaranteed passive RC macromodel, satisfying Kronig-Kramers relations for complex permittivity. We present for the first time an RC vector fitting method.
Aerial Release of Norway Spruce with Roundup in the Central Appalachians

Restrictions on use of 2,4,5- T have created a need for herbicides that can be used for conifer release. Seven-year-old Norway spruce was released from competing vegetation with aerially applied Roundup. A wide spectrum of competing species were controlled and most hardwoods did not resprout during the 2-year evaluation period following treatment. Norway spruce appeared to respond to treatment and suffered negligible damage. Roundup as applied in this study appears to be a safe, effective herbicide that can be used to release Norway spruce.
Assessing driving behavior upstream of work zones by detecting response points in speed profile: A naturalistic driving study.

AbstractObjective: To assess driving behavior when presented with different work zone features such as signs. Driving behavior upstream of a work zone is of interest since this is the point where d...
Block versus Longitudinal Scheduling of Emergency Medicine Residents' Rotation in an Independent Children's Hospital: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Attending Faculty's Perspective.

Introduction For many emergency medicine (EM) residency programs, pediatric education takes place at independent pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). Residency programs are charged with selecting a scheduling model for their residents' clinical experience at these PEDs. The main advantage of block scheduling is that it immerses the residents in pediatric care for a period of time and provides continuity of work with the same PED attending faculty. The longitudinal model offers residents continuous pediatrics experience throughout their training and allows them to treat illnesses related to the seasons (seasonal variation). The purpose of this project was to evaluate a shift from block to longitudinal scheduling through the eyes of the PED attending faculty members. Methods A questionnaire was designed by a committee to obtain attending faculty's opinions about resident scheduling, seasonality, and the factors they would consider to make decisions about resident autonomy in patient care. The questionnaire was reviewed by a survey expert and piloted; they were then delivered electronically to 60 faculty members at our affiliated children’s hospital emergency department (ED). Results The survey return rate was 63%. Most attending faculty expressed a preference for longitudinal over block scheduling because it eliminated the negative impact of seasonality on resident education. Others expressed positive features, including more sustained experience with pediatrics throughout training, and an experience that was more representative of day-to-day emergency medicine practice. A few attending faculty expressed concern that longitudinal scheduling would jeopardize attending faculty's familiarity with residents, making it difficult for residents to be entrusted to work autonomously. Most of the attending faculty suggested that their familiarity with a resident was a key factor in how they made decisions about the resident’s participation in procedures or resident autonomy; however, very few were concerned that longitudinal scheduling would impact their ability to “get to know a resident.” Conclusion Attending faculty mostly thought that longitudinal scheduling was better than block scheduling. While they acknowledged that their familiarity with the resident was the driver of faculty entrustment in the PED, they did not express any concern that the scheduling change would affect their ability to get to know the residents. Other solutions, including a mixed scheduling model to address both issues, are also proposed.
Context influences on task orientation among preschoolers who display disruptive behavior problems

Abstract Variable elements of the classroom context affect children’s behavior and may enhance or inhibit task orientation among children who display disruptive behaviors. The current study examined within- and across-child variation in children’s task orientation, as well as classroom and child predictors of that variation. The sample included 453 preschool children, ages 30–66 months (mean = 48.8, SD = 6.8), identified by teachers as displaying elevated disruptive behavior problems. Children’s task orientation was observed during multiple, 15-min cycles four times throughout the school year using the inCLASS observation system (Downer, Booren, Hamre, Pianta, & Williford, 2010). Results indicated that task orientation varied substantially from cycle to cycle within a school day. The level of teacher involvement as well as the activity setting (e.g., whole group, free play) significantly predicted child task orientation, with greater teacher involvement and teacher-managed activity settings associated with lower task orientation. Children with higher receptive vocabulary and effortful control showed higher average task orientation. The effects of the situational context factors on task orientation varied from child to child, but there was only limited evidence that child characteristics (disruptiveness, receptive vocabulary, and effortful control) or classroom organization moderated the effects of these situational context variables on child behavior: one interaction indicated that children with higher effortful control showed greater task orientation during whole group, but no other interactions were significant. Results are discussed in relation to supporting greater classroom-based task engagement among young children who display elevated disruptive behaviors.
The Effects of Information and Predisposition on Individual Responses to Hypothetical Survey Questions

This study investigates the effects of information and predisposition on individual responses to hypothetical questions. By employing the empirical implications of theoretical models (EITM) framework, I confirm that information and predisposition have positive effects on individual substantive responses to the hypothetical questions about the independence-unification issue in Taiwan. Respondents with higher levels of information and predisposition are more likely to provide substantive responses. More importantly, information and predisposition exert a negative interaction effect on individual responses to hypothetical questions, which implies that when an individual counts more on information to respond to hypothetical questions, her predisposition plays a less important role in her responses and vice versa. Finally, this study suggests that hypothetical questions are effective to probe individual opinion on specific issues under hypothetical conditions.
New-Onset Seizure in Patient Medicated With Bupropion for Smoking Cessation: A Case Report.

Abstract Background Bupropion is a pharmacologic agent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an antidepressant and to support smoking cessation. Because reduction of seizure threshold is a rare but serious side effect of bupropion, its use in patients with a known history of seizures is contraindicated. We report a patient without seizure risk factors who presented to the emergency department (ED) with new-onset seizures secondary to bupropion use. Case Report A 66-year-old female presented to the ED by emergency medical services with altered mental status. She was determined to be postictal after a witnessed new-onset seizure 4 days after starting bupropion for smoking cessation. She had no personal or family history of seizure disorders, although her medication list raised suspicion that recent discontinuation of alprazolam may have contributed to a reduced seizure threshold. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? New-onset seizures secondary to bupropion use are less likely in patients with no personal or family history of seizure disorders. Emergency medicine clinicians should be aware, however, of the seizure risk associated with bupropion regardless of personal risk factors. Discontinuation of bupropion should be considered if determined to be a contributor to seizures.
Job Descriptions of Rehabilitation Teachers and Orientation and Mobility Specialists in State Agencies

This article describes the results of a survey on the roles of rehabilitation teachers and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists employed by government agencies for the blind. To obtain the ne...
P413 A dyadic intervention for STI prevention in youth: feasibility, acceptability & preliminary effectiveness

Background Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention strategies for adolescents and young adults (AYA) primarily rely on individual approaches leaving sexual partners with significant unmet sexual and reproductive health needs. This paper describes the research methods and preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a dyad-based behavioral intervention that augments individual evidence-based interventions with joint health education counseling for STI-affected AYA dyads within a primary care setting. Methods Index participants were AYA 15–25 years, engaged in heterosexual intercourse, history of positive STI, Baltimore City resident, willing to recruit their main sexual partner for the study. Exclusions include: one or both partners has HIV infection, pending incarceration, greater than five years age difference, evidence of partner violence. Index and partner completed a single individual session separately with a gender-matched health educator. Dyads were randomized to receive an additional joint debriefing session together, and separately completed a telephone interview 6 weeks post intervention. Results 18 dyads were recruited over 11 months. Mean age [range] females: 21.5 [17–26], males: 22.7 [18–27]. Mean age difference within dyads: 1.4 years. Acceptability was high with 100% agree/strongly agree it was a great opportunity to reflect on relationship with their partner and a worthwhile use of their time. More in the intervention group endorsed feeling closer to their partner than when they arrived for the visit (94 vs 88%). 100% of dyads were still together at 6 weeks. Participants reported high confidence that they could negotiate condom use with their partner even if partner did not want to, mean 9.3 (sd =2.2) out of 10. Conclusion AYA endorsed helpfulness of the intervention. Participants showed high confidence in condom negotiation with their partner 6 weeks following the intervention. Recruitment of AYA dyads is a challenge, and more successful with young adults; however, dyadic interventions show promising impact on behavior that can prevent STI. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Comparative efficacy of primary treatment approaches in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC): An updated network meta-analysis.

e18566Background: ATC is a rare tumor accounting for around 5% of all thyroid cancers. With survival measured in months, ATC is often fatal despite combined therapeutic approaches. Several studies ...
Vaccinating high-risk calves against BRD

Prevention of infectious disease by vaccination is a cornerstone of animal health management. Almost all commercial feedlots in the US (>90%) vaccinate newly received beef calves against viral respiratory pathogens, whereas a fewer majority use bacterin and/or toxoid agents. Many of these calves arrive as high-risk for developing clinical signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) because predisposing factors can cause stress-induced immune dysfunction, and previous virus transmission is plausible during the marketing process. Published studies that utilize a non-vaccinated control treatment under commercial conditions are limited, thus it is difficult to elucidate the efficiency of respiratory vaccines used in high-risk calves. Health and performance outcomes of vaccinates in such studies range from beneficial to detrimental, yet the variable research results are confusing. Inconsistent research outcomes may be explained by: 1) different vaccine products or regimens used, 2) differences in stress, population dynamics, or natural virus challenge conditions between studies or treatment pens within a study, 3) poor sensitivity and specificity of current BRD diagnostic methods used to determine morbidity outcome, and 4) issues with sample size when comparing pen means of binary data (i.e., morbidity and mortality) and risk of type II statistical error. Similarly, controlled studies evaluating the efficacy of respiratory vaccines used in beef calves subjected to chronic physiological stress are rare. The humoral immune response to vaccine antigens administered in stressed cattle may depend on the duration and severity of stress imposed, and whether live-attenuated or non-replicating vaccine agents are administered. Current dogma indicates the immune response to a respiratory vaccine is diminished for stressed calves, but this philosophy will require refinement with further research and understanding.
I'll See You at Work: Spatial Features and Discrimination

We increasingly talk about HR practices and work cultures as mechanisms for discrimination in work with nary a thought given to one of the most obvious influences on our daily work lives: where we work. This article seeks to change that. In it, I delineate spatial features as a condition of discrimination in workplaces and develop an understanding of what spatial features might matter and why. Drawing together some seemingly disparate lines of research and literature—from social psychology and sociology to geographies and urban planning—I theorize three specific spatial feature categories: insularity, precarity, and permeability. Each of these categories is about place as it affects our interactions and our expectations around interactions in our work. The Article also examines the law’s current stance toward spatial features, segregation, and discrimination. It turns out that we are at an important crossroad: Where once spatial segregation was an obvious form of discrimination, today courts are backpedaling. Segregation is downplayed as evidence of discrimination, and spatial features are often either ignored entirely or siphoned off into individualized allegations, where they are treated as passing, innocuous moments of subjective experience rather than as organization-driven causal contributors to systemic discrimination. I urge us to put work “place” on our research and advocacy agendas and to consider spatial features and segregation as casual mechanisms for discrimination in legal cases as well. I make several specific recommendations to this end.
Optimal timing and conditioning regimen in allogeneic stem cell transplantation for AML

In all stages of the disease, allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) plays an important role in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. It is an ongoing challenge to find the right balance between the chance of a cure and the risk of dying from side effects of the procedure. With respect to the conditioning, the large number of available protocols, ranging from non-myeloablative to a classical high-dose regimen, offers the opportunity to individualize the treatment, considering both the clinical situation and patient-specific factors such as age and co-morbidities. As a consequence, allo-SCT has become available to a larger percentage of patients, and the question as to whether or not to undergo a transplantation needs to be answered more frequently. The factors to be considered vary widely among patients in remission, those with relapsed disease, and those who never responded to conventional therapy. This review addresses this discussion, focusing on how to define an individualized and weighted treatment concept for each patient.
Refractory Dysphonia Due to Isolated Cricothyroid Muscle Dystonia.

Summary Objective To demonstrate the utility of electromyography (EMG) in the evaluation and management of treatment-resistant dysphonia. Method We report a case of refractory dysphonia in which EMG was used to identify and treat isolated cricothyroid (CT) dystonia. Results The patient, a healthy 43-year-old woman, presented with 9 months of progressive hoarseness. Her symptoms were present across vocal tasks but were particularly bothersome while dictating. On presentation, her voice was rated grade 3, roughness 3, breathiness 1, asthenia 0, and strain 3 (G3R3B1A0S3). Videostroboscopy was remarkable for hyperfunction. Voice therapy was not beneficial despite appropriate effort. Microdirect laryngoscopy revealed no evidence of structural pathology. The patient was referred for EMG because of her normal examination and failure to improve with therapy. The CT muscle demonstrated an increased latency of 750 ms in all vocal tasks. One month after CT injection with 3 units of botulinum toxin (BTX), her voice was improved. Perceptual voice evaluation was rated G1R1B0A0S1. Voice Handicap Index improved from 87 to 35. Conclusions In the absence of structural pathology, EMG can be a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of dysphonia that persists despite adequate trials of voice therapy. To our knowledge, this is the only report of laryngeal dystonia due to isolated CT dysfunction successfully treated with BTX.
Reconstructive Transplantation: What Can We Learn from Solid Organ Transplantation?

Reconstructive transplantation is a relatively new field with as-yet uncharted boundaries, while solid organ transplantation (SOT) has been developing for over half a century. Many technical, immunological, psychosocial, logistical, and legal solutions from SOT may be applied to vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA). Other challenges are unique to VCA, including heightened immunogenicity, psychological identity changes, and the non-lifesaving nature of the graft. Nevertheless, clinical VCA owes its emergence to long-term refinement in SOT. The application of insights from each field to the other will continue to stimulate advancement in the future.
Land surface state and flux estimation using the ensemble Kalman smoother during the Southern Great Plains 1997 field experiment

[1] The ensemble Kalman smoother (EnKS) is employed to estimate surface and subsurface soil moisture and surface energy fluxes during the Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP97) experiment through the assimilation of observed L band radiobrightness temperatures. Previous work using the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and a simple smoother demonstrated that soil moisture estimation is a reanalysis-type problem. The EnKF uses observations as they become available to update the current state. The EnKS takes the EnKF estimate as its first guess. However, in addition to updating the current state it also updates the best estimate at previous times. The performance of the EnKS is compared to the EnKF and the ensemble open loop in which no measurements are assimilated. Estimated surface soil moisture is compared to gravimetric observations at three locations. Root zone (5–100 cm) soil moisture is evaluated by comparing the resultant latent heat flux to flux tower observations. In a fixed lag smoother, observations are used to update past estimates within a fixed time window. The EnKS can be implemented in a fixed lag formulation in problems with limited memory such as soil moisture estimation. It is shown that there is a trade-off to be made between the improved accuracy with longer lag and the increased computational cost incurred. It is demonstrated that the EnKS is a relatively inexpensive state estimation algorithm suited to operational data assimilation.
Triggering of El Niño onset through trade wind–induced charging of the equatorial Pacific

[1] Sea surface temperature variations over the equatorial Pacific associated with the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) produce changes in climates across the globe. Here we report evidence from observationally constrained ocean data for the initiation of warm ENSO events (El Ninos) resulting from subsurface equatorial Pacific heat content increases related to tropical/extratropical sea level pressure (SLP) changes over the North Pacific. We hypothesize that the increase in heat content is a response to SLP-generated variations in the North Pacific trade winds, which we term trade wind charging of the equatorial Pacific. Experiments using a high-resolution numerical ocean model verify that the charging of subsurface heat content along the equatorial Pacific can be induced by SLP-generated trade wind variations. Furthermore, analysis of the numerical model results and historical observations indicates that the trade wind–induced ocean heat content increases are sufficiently large to initiate the onset of El Nino events, which mature approximately 12 months after the trade wind forcing itself.
Mars rovers, past and future

This work discusses the history of planetary rovers, including research vehicles, from the initial concepts in the early 1960's to the present. General characteristics and their evolution are discussed including mission drivers, technology limitations, controls approach, mobility and overall performance. Special emphasis is given to the next generation mission of rovers, the Mars Science Laboratory rover. This vehicle is being designed for a 2009 launch with the capability to operate over 80% of the surface of Mars for a full Martian year (687 days). It is designed to visit numerous sites, with a science payload capable of making measurements that will enable understanding the past or present habitability of Mars.
Pseudomonas denitrificans Meningitis

An elderly male patient with Pseudomonas denitrificans bacteremia and meningitis is described. The antimicrobial susceptibility and minimum criteria necessary for the identification of this unusual and rare human pathogen are discussed.
Exploring the feasibility of traditional image querying tasks for industrial radiographs.

Although there have been great strides in object recognition with optical images (photographs), there has been comparatively little research into object recognition for X-ray radiographs. Our exploratory work contributes to this area by creating an object recognition system designed to recognize components from a related database of radiographs. Object recognition for radiographs must be approached differently than for optical images, because radiographs have much less color-based information to distinguish objects, and they exhibit transmission overlap that alters perceived object shapes. The dataset used in this work contained more than 55,000 intermixed radiographs and photographs, all in a compressed JPEG form and with multiple ways of describing pixel information. For this work, a robust and efficient system is needed to combat problems presented by properties of the X-ray imaging modality, the large size of the given database, and the quality of the images contained in said database. We have explored various pre-processing techniques to clean the cluttered and low-quality images in the database, and we have developed our object recognition system by combining multiple object detection and feature extraction methods. We present the preliminary results of the still-evolving hybrid object recognition system.
Steroid-free maintenance of islet allografts using mycophenolate mofetil and cyclosporine in the non-human primate.

BACKGROUND Islet transplantation continues to be a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes, however, numerous limitations still prevent its widespread use. Many immunosuppressive medications used for islet transplantation are known to be diabetogenic. The goal of this study is to evaluate the short-term follow-up (90 day) of a steroid-free maintenance immunosuppression protocol of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and cyclosporine (CSA) in non-human primate islet allotransplantation. MATERIAL/METHODS Diabetes was induced in the primate Macaca fascicularis via total pancreatectomy. Freshly isolated islets were autotransplanted (n=5) or allotransplanted (n=5) into the portal vein. Immunosuppression consisted of induction with rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and prednisone. CSA (25 mg/daily) and MMF (250 mg daily) were used for maintenance and given orally once daily throughout the 90 day study period. Fasting blood glucose measurements were used to monitor graft function. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT) were performed prior to pancreatectomy and at the study endpoint. RESULTS Average fasting blood glucose levels were elevated in diabetic controls (313.6 mg/dl ±51.8) and untreated allograft recipients (257 mg/dl ±61.0) post-transplant. Auto-transplanted animals and allograft recipients treated with immunosuppression, on the other hand, maintained normoglycemia (74.5 mg/dl ±20.9, 62.3 mg/dl ±4.40) throughout the follow-up period. Additionally, beta cell function and first phase insulin secretion did not differ significantly between auto-graft and immunosuppressed allo-graft recipients post-transplant. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that this steroid-free maintenance immunosuppression regimen is effective in maintaining islet allograft survival in the non-human primate and offers comparable graft function to that of autografts for up to 3 months post-transplant.
How does obesity correlate with severe asthma

Introduction: 10% of asthmatics have refractory disease. Cluster analysis has identified that BMI is a factor in defining phenotypes of severe asthma [1]. Obesity antedates asthma diagnosis [2], suggesting that obesity has a pathophysiological role. Last year we reported the outcome of 115 patients with severe, treatment refractory asthma (ATS, 2000). This study looks at data from 374 patients from 4 UK centres, collected as part of the National Registry for dedicated UK Difficult Asthma Services. Methods: Patients were divided into three groups by BMI: 18.5 to 24.99, 25 to 29.99 (overweight), and ≥30 (obese). Results: The table below highlights demographic data, lung function, steroid use and bone density between groups. Conclusion: Severe asthmatics are more likely to be female although this does not appear to correlate to BMI. Raised BMI is associated with more GORD, greater use of PPI9s, increased KCO, but a reduction in aspirin sensitivity, and appears to be protective against osteoporosis at the neck of femur. References: 1Moore W, et al. Identification of asthma phenotypes using cluster analysis in the severe asthma research program. AJCCM 2009 epub ahead of print. 2Shore SA. Obesity and asthma: cause for concern. Current Opinion in Pharmacology 2006;6:230-236.
Direct Observation of Substitutional Au Atoms in SrTiO3

Ion implantation and subsequent high-temperature annealing is an effective way to prepare metal nanoclusters dispersed in a dielectric for useful optical and electrical properties. However, there is very little understanding of the nucleation and growth process of these nanoclusters, their correlations with the sites of the implanted ions, and the behavior of defects (such as vacancies) generated during the ion-implantation process. Using high-angle annular dark-field imaging in aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, we have directly observed that, at a dilute concentration, Au atoms implanted in SrTiO3 are in a substitutional lattice position for both Sr and Ti. Congregation of Au atoms by diffusion to a critical concentration leads to the nucleation of a Au lattice within the SrTiO3. The Au nanocluster and SrTiO3 were found to maintain an orientation relationship of Au[001]//SrTiO3[001] and Au(100)//SrTiO3(100), which corroborated the results of a first-principles total-energy calculation. The interface between the Au cluster and SrTiO3 was bridged by an O/Ti plane. The Au-O bond length was found to be 2.2 A, which is the same as Au-O bond length in AuO. Furthermore, the atomic planes adjacent to the interface in both Au and SrTiO3 were found to be slightly stretched. The high concentration ofmore » vacancies generated during the Au implantation aggregated to form cavities in the SrTiO3 lattice, and were faceted mostly along the SrTiO3 {100} and (110) planes. The Au and vacancy clusters were spatially associated, indicating a strong interaction. Thus, the formation of cavities in Au-implanted materials indicates that the vacancy-clustering process prevails over the Frenkel-pair recombination.« less
Adjustable gastric banding: a comparison of models

Abstract Background There are several models of adjustable gastric banding in use with little evidence for choosing a particular model. The objective of this study was to evaluate factors for selecting a particular type of band in terms of weight loss, complications, and co-morbidities. Methods From July 2006 to May 2012, 222 patients underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) by a single surgeon. Patient demographic characteristics, weight loss, body mass index (BMI), percentage of weight loss (%EWL), complications, and co-morbidities were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were grouped according to the band model into 6 categories: 27 LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System VG, 25 Allergan-LAGB, 20 LAP-BAND AP M Standard, 18 LAP-BAND AP M Large, 34 Realize Band, and 98 Realize-C band. Results At 60 months follow up, in the LAP-BAND VG Group, the mean %EWL was 41%, percentage of co-morbidity improvement was 66%, and percentage of complications was 14.3%; the same percentages in the Allergan-LAGB Group were 41%, 0%, and 52%, respectively; in the LAP-BAND AP Standard Group were 42%, 20%, and 40%, respectively; in the LAP-BAND AP Large group were 38% , 12.5%, and 27.8%, respectively (at 48 months); in the Realize Band Group were 37%, 60%, and 0%, respectively (at 48 months); and in the Realize-C Band Group were 48%,12.5%, and 12.2%, respectively (at 36 months). Conclusions In terms of weight loss and co-morbidities, no differences were found supporting the choice of one model over the others. Short-term and long-term band-related complications occurred without any clear predilection. The port-related complications were significantly lower in the Realize bands.
Phosphorus–Nitrogen Compounds VI: Some Phenethylamine Derivatives

Eight diphenyl or diethyl phosphoramidates and one phenyl phosphorodiamidate containing phenethylamine moieties were synthesized for pharmacological testing. The derivatives were screened for their effect on the rabbit eye and isolated intestine, on dog blood pressure, and locomotor and anorexigenic activity in mice. The anorexigenic properties exhibited by some of these compounds may be related to their sedative effects. Three of the compounds inhibited spontaneous duodenal contractions at concentrations of 10 p.p.m. followed by tissue recovery. This anti-spasmodic effect was not reversed by acetylcholine or barium chloride.
Mutations Found in Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Indicates the Functional Importance of the Highly Conserved C-Terminal Segment of Troponin I

The C-terminal segment of troponin I (TnI) containing the last 27-33 amino acids is highly conserved and critical for the inhibitory function of TnI. We recently showed a Ca2+-regulated interaction between this C-terminal segment of TnI and tropomyosin (Zhang et al., FEBS J. 278:3348-59, 2011). Several mutations in or near the C-terminal segment of cardiac TnI (K178E, R192H and R204H) are found to cause restrictive cardiomyopathy in humans and confirmed in transgenic mice models. K179E presented a more severe phenotype than that of R192H in transgenic mice with early lethality. Patients with cardiac TnI-R204H mutation were presented with either hypertrophic or restrictive cardiomyopathy. To understand the function of TnI C-terminal region in the regulation of muscle contraction and in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy, we constructed mouse cardiac TnI containing K179E, R193H or R205H mutation. Using recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibody epitope analysis demonstrated that R193H abolished a C-terminal structure highly conserved in all TnI isoforms across vertebrate species, but did not alter calcium regulated binding of TnI to tropomyosin in reconstituted troponin complex. R205H resulted in a significant conformational change in the middle region troponin C-binding helix of cardiac TnI. Mutations R193H and K179E had similar but weaker effects. Protein binding assays showed that mutations R193H and K179E slightly increased the binding affinity of cardiac TnI for troponin T with statistic significance, whereas R205H drastically decreased the binding. The binding affinity for troponin C was also very much decreased in the R205H mutation. These results provided novel evidence for the critical function of the highly conserved C-terminal segment of TnI, in which mutations may alter local and long-range effects on the function of the troponin complex with major pathological impact.
Flame retardancy and char microstructure of nylon‐6/layered silicate nanocomposites

We investigated the effect of organically modified clay alone and in combination with zinc borate on the thermal/flammability behavior of nylon-6 nanocomposites. Differential thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the peak decomposition temperature was not affected by the addition of clay, but the rate of weight loss decreased with increase in clay concentration. Nanocomposite films of approximately 0.5 mm thickness with 2.5 and 5 wt % clay burned for almost the same duration as neat nylon-6 but with reduced dripping in horizontal flame test. The 10 wt % clay nanocomposite sample burned without any dripping and the flame spread rate was reduced by 25–30%. Zinc borate/clay containing nanocomposite developed into a very good intumescent system in cone calorimeter test, swelling about 10–13 mm height prior to ignition forming a cellular char structure. This was found to be an effective composition in reducing the heat release and mass loss rate of nylon-6 by about 65% and at par with 10 wt % clay nanocomposite. Flame retardant behavior could be attributed to distinct char morphologies observed through scanning electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the 10 wt % clay nanocomposite char showed the presence of amides, indicating possible residual polymer within the shielded char. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1540–1550, 2007
A cladistic study of North American Coreopsis ( Asteraceae: Heliantheae )

A cladistic study of all 44 species of North AmericanCoreopsis was performed using 35 characters. The resulting cladogram indicated that all 11 sections are monophyletic. At the intersectional level, two lineages were revealed, one consisting of six sections occurring almost exclusively in Mexico and California, and another comprising five sections restricted largely to the eastern and southeastern United States. The cladogram is similar to phylogenies produced by less explicit methods but it differs in two major respects: the monotypic sect.Silphidium is placed with other sections from the southeastern United States rather than with Mexican sections, and sect.Anathysana from Mexico is more closely allied with the three California sections than with sect.Electra from Mexico.
Keratoacanthoma arising in newly healed burn scars

Abstract KERATOACANTHOMA is a rapidly enlarging cutaneous lesion which clinically or histologically may be confused with low grade epidermoid cancer (Reed, 1972). Three instances of keratoacanthoma arising in recently epithelized cutaneous thermal burns have been observed.
A snapshot of enzyme catalysis using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Insights into the early molecular events involving protein−ligand/substrate interactions such as protein signaling and enzyme catalysis can be obtained by examining these processes on a very short, millisecond time scale. We have used time-resolved electrospray mass spectrometry to delineate the catalytic mechanism of a key enzyme in bacterial lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, 3-deoxy-d-manno-2-octulosonate-8-phosphate synthase (KDO8PS). Direct real-time monitoring of the catalytic reaction under single enzyme turnover conditions reveals a novel hemiketal phosphate intermediate bound to the enzyme in a noncovalent complex that establishes the reaction pathway. This study illustrates the successful application of mass spectrometry to reveal transient biochemical processes and opens a new time domain that can provide detailed structural information of short-lived protein−ligand complexes.
Cells in the astroglial lineage are neural stem cells

A common assumption of classical neuroscience was that neurons and glial cells were derived from separate pools of progenitor cells and that, once development was completed, no new neurons were produced. The subsequent disproving of the “no new neuron” dogma suggested that ongoing adult neurogenesis was supported by a population of multipotent neural stem cells. Two germinal regions within the adult mammalian brain were shown to contain neural progenitor cells: the subventricular zone (SVZ) along the walls of the lateral ventricles, and the subgranular zone (SGZ) within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Surprisingly, when the primary progenitors (stem cells) of the new neurons in these regions were identified, they exhibited structural and biological markers of astrocytes. The architecture of these germinal regions and the pattern of division of neural stem cells have raised fundamental questions about the mechanism of adult neurogenesis. This review describes studies on the origin of adult neural stem cells, the features distinguishing them from astrocytes in non-germinal regions, and the control mechanisms of the proliferation and differentiation of these cells. Astrocytic adult neural stem cells are part of a developmental lineage extending from the neuroepithelium to radial glia to germinal astrocytes. Adult neural stem cells appear to be strongly influenced by their local microenvironment, while also contributing significantly to the architecture of these germinal zones. However, environment alone does not seem to be sufficient to induce non-germinal astrocytes to behave as neural stem cells. Although emerging evidence suggests that significant heterogeneity exists within populations of germinal zone astrocytes, the way that these differences are encoded remains unclear. The further characterization of these cells should eventually provide a body of knowledge central to the understanding of brain development and disease.
Outcomes of a Group Intensive Peer-Support Model of Case Management for Supported Housing

Intensive case management (ICM) is a key component of VA housing programs. However, provision of ICM makes heavy demands in terms of staff time and VA resources. And ICM may not be the most recovery-oriented or practical approach for many clients. This study found that intensive peer support can serve as an effective substitute. Veterans in this innovative supported housing program experienced several positive outcomes, particularly in regard to self-reported social integration.
A wheelchair society: The nursing home scene

Abstract This article examines the range of interpretive structures used by staff and residents in assigning meanings to patterns of wheelchair use in a 180 bed nursing home. The focus is upon the ways in which these systems of meaning are built into larger patterns of social relationships and reflect institutionalized status differences. Participant observation over a nine month period revealed that wheelchairs increased the abilities of staff to manage and control a large, diverse resident population. In contrast, wheelchairs extended the mobility status of residents with significant consequences for environmental control and wellbeing. The concept of the environmental embodiment principle is introduced which supports the importance of considering the subjective and objective realities affecting person-object relations in institutional and noninstitutional settings.