cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluid and diffusion limits for transient sojourn times of processor sharing queues with time varying rates

We provide an approximate analysis of the transient sojourn time for a processor sharing queue with time varying arrival and service rates, where the load can vary over time, including periods of overload. Using the same asymptotic technique as uniform acceleration as demonstrated in [12] and [13], we obtain fluid and diffusion limits for the sojourn time of the Mt/Mt/1 processor-sharing queue. Our analysis is enabled by the introduction of a "virtual customer" which differs from the notion of a "tagged customer" in that the former has no effect on the processing time of the other customers in the system. Our analysis generalizes to non-exponential service and interarrival times, when the fluid and diffusion limits for the queueing process are known.
The Mini-hemoglobins in Neural and Body Wall Tissue of the Nemertean Worm, Cerebratulus lacteus*

Hemoglobin (Hb) occurs in circulating red blood cells, neural tissue, and body wall muscle tissue of the nemertean worm, Cerebratulus lacteus. The neural and body wall tissue each express single major Hb components for which the amino acid sequences have been deduced from cDNA and genomic DNA. These 109-residue globins form the smallest stable Hbs known. The globin genes have three exons and two introns with splice sites in the highly conserved positions of most globin genes. Alignment of the sequences with those of other globins indicates that the A, B, and H helices are about one-half the typical length. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that shortening results in a small tendency of globins to group together regardless of their actual relationships. The neural and body wall Hbs in situ are half-saturated with O2 at 2.9 and 4.1 torr, respectively. The Hill coefficient for the neural Hb in situ, approximately 2.9, suggests that the neural Hb self-associates in the deoxy state at least to tetramers at the 2-3 mM (heme) concentration estimated in the cells. The Hb must dissociate upon oxygenation and dilution because the weight-average molecular mass of the HbO2 in vitro is only about 18 kDa at 2-3 microM heme concentration. Calculations suggest that the Hb can function as an O2 store capable of extending neuronal activity in an anoxic environment for 5-30 min.
Unusual presentation of long QT syndrome

We describe the case of a 9-yr-old child with undiagnosed long QT syndrome who experienced an intraoperative cardiac arrest after accidental intravascular injection of bupivacaine with epinephrine via a misplaced epidural catheter.
Mutations in the Cytoplasmic Tail of Murine Leukemia Virus Envelope Protein Suppress Fusion Inhibition by R Peptide

During viral maturation, the cytoplasmic tail of the murine leukemia virus (MuLV) envelope (Env) protein undergoes proteolytic cleavage by the viral protease to release the 16-amino-acid R peptide, and this cleavage event activates the Env protein's fusion activity. We introduced Gly and/or Ser residues at different positions upstream of the R peptide in the cytoplasmic tail of the Friend MuLV Env protein and investigated their effects on fusion activity. Expression in HeLa T4 cells of a mutant Env protein with a single Gly insertion after I619, five amino acids upstream from the R peptide, induced syncytium formation with overlaid XC cells. Env proteins containing single or double Gly-Ser insertions after F614, 10 amino acids upstream from the R peptide, induced syncytium formation, and mutant proteins with multiple Gly insertions induced various levels of syncytium formation between HeLa T4 and XC cells. Immunoprecipitation and surface biotinylation assays showed that most of the mutants had surface expression levels comparable to those of the wild-type or R peptide-truncated Env proteins. Fluorescence dye redistribution assays also showed no hemifusion in the Env proteins which did not induce fusion. Our results indicate that insertion mutations in the cytoplasmic tail of the MuLV Env protein can suppress the inhibitory effect of the R peptide on membrane fusion and that there are differences in the effects of insertions in two regions in the cytoplasmic tail upstream of the R peptide.
Values Underpinning Poverty Programs for Children

Values create a framework through which the American public gives meaning to particular concepts and events. To better understand the values underlying public support for poverty programs for children, this article examines public attitudes toward children, poverty, and government. Although Americans continue to view helping children as a top policy priority, there is ambivalence with regard to poor children because of their inevitable connection to poor adults and the public's expectation that adults be self-sufficient. Rather than choosing between extreme ideological views of the causes of poverty and the ideal role of government in curbing poverty, the American public takes an integrative perspective that both values individual initiative and supports opportunities for all Americans. Favored are government programs fitted to the practical needs of everyday life. Such programs should support personal efforts but not assume responsibility for individual or particular group outcomes.
A permeability barrier surrounds taste buds in lingual epithelia.

Epithelial tissues are characterized by specialized cell-cell junctions, typically localized to the apical regions of cells. These junctions are formed by interacting membrane proteins and by cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix components. Within the lingual epithelium, tight junctions join the apical tips of the gustatory sensory cells in taste buds. These junctions constitute a selective barrier that limits penetration of chemosensory stimuli into taste buds (Michlig et al. J Comp Neurol 502: 1003–1011, 2007). We tested the ability of chemical compounds to permeate into sensory end organs in the lingual epithelium. Our findings reveal a robust barrier that surrounds the entire body of taste buds, not limited to the apical tight junctions. This barrier prevents penetration of many, but not all, compounds, whether they are applied topically, injected into the parenchyma of the tongue, or circulating in the blood supply, into taste buds. Enzymatic treatments indicate that this barrier likely includes glycosaminoglycans, as it was disrupted by chondroitinase but, less effectively, by proteases. The barrier surrounding taste buds could also be disrupted by brief treatment of lingual tissue samples with DMSO. Brief exposure of lingual slices to DMSO did not affect the ability of taste buds within the slice to respond to chemical stimulation. The existence of a highly impermeable barrier surrounding taste buds and methods to break through this barrier may be relevant to basic research and to clinical treatments of taste.
Treatment of Supplementary Motor Area Syndrome

Supplementary motor area syndrome is characterized by impaired initiation of volitional movement and commonly occurs following dominant or bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) lesions. Initiation deficit is extremely disruptive to functional performance due to the pervasive nature of the impairment. We present a functional treatment approach, based on a Lurian model of neuropsychological intervention, involving the verbal regulation of movement. Using a single-case experimental design (i.e., extended ABAB), involving planned intermittent treatment withdrawal, we treated the severe initiation deficit of a 53-year-old male with supplementary motor area syndrome, secondary to a dominant SMA lesion. Significant gains were demonstrated in response latency, time to completion of multiple-step upper limb movements, activities of daily living (ADL), and mobility. Despite severely impaired initiation, the patient was able to learn and independently utilize a structured cuing sequence, which significantly incre...
Biomarkers, natural variability, and risk assessment: Can they coexist?

Abstract This paper is a discussion of the utility of biomarkers as a component of the ecological risk assessment process. Both the pros and the cons of biomarkers are discussed, as well as consideration of some of the sources of variability. In the end, biomarkers are considered useful as long as we are aware of their limitations and sources of uncontrolled variability.
How students and field geologists reason in integrating spatial observations from outcrops to visualize a 3-D geological structure

Geologists and undergraduate students observed eight artificial “rock outcrops” in a realistically scaled field area, and then tried to envision a geological structure that might plausibly be formed by the layered rocks in the set of outcrops. Students were videotaped as they selected which of fourteen 3‐D models they thought best represented the geological structure and then explained their choice. The focus of this paper is on how students reasoned from observations to inferences. Students used observations of outcrops’ location, steepness (dip), orientation (strike), stratigraphy, and placement relative to topography to infer whether the structure was convex or concave, deep or shallow, symmetrical or asymmetrical, open or closed, and elongate or circular. On average, science majors produced more than twice as many evidence‐supported claims than did non‐science majors. Science majors produced more valid lines of reasoning than did non‐science majors, and students who selected a correct model produced m...
International Efforts Spotlight Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine

Affordable, available, and ever more popular at home and abroad, "alternative" healers are finally getting positive attention from Western practitioners. This rapprochement has enormous implications for public health worldwide.
Listeners' Bodies in Music Analysis: Gestures, Motor Intentionality, and Models *

In this article I demonstrate how listeners understand musical processes with their bodies, and how their gestures can be used to build analytical models. Specifically, I draw on the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty to argue that situated, active listeners project their motor intentional gestures inside music, where they reconstitute the very nature of musical space and its objects according to their own unique perspective. Rather than passively reflecting gestures of performers, these listeners use their own bodily states to create the structure and meaning of music. I illustrate how those states can be mobilized for analysis by taking quantifiable features of gestures—acceleration and temporal profiles—as models of musical structure, and by using those models as a basis for analytical narratives. I focus on three pieces—Olga Neuwirth's Vampyrotheone , Elliott Carter's ASKO Concerto , and Thomas Ades's Living Toys —in which motion-capture studies revealed the different roles of listeners' gestures in organizing musical experience.
The alpha- and beta-isoforms of the inhibitor protein of the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase: characteristics and tissue- and developmental-specific expression.

The inhibitor protein (PKI) of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase was first characterized from rabbit skeletal muscle. More recently a form of PKI was isolated and cloned from rat testis which shares relatively limited amino acid sequence with the rabbit skeletal muscle form. We have now isolated a cDNA from rat brain which encodes a protein corresponding to the rabbit skeletal muscle PKI. This establishes the presence of the "skeletal muscle" and "testis" proteins in the same species and therefore that they clearly represent distinct isoforms. We have also demonstrated that the isoform from testis, like the skeletal muscle isoform, is specific for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase and that it is able to inhibit this enzyme when expressed in cultured JEG-3 cells. Both forms contain the five specific amino acid recognition determinants which have been shown to be required for high affinity binding to the protein kinase catalytic site, although there is some noted lack of conservation of codons used for thes...
Optimizing sampling of tomato fruit for carotenoid content with application to assessing the impact of ripening disorders.

Color defines one aspect of quality for tomato and tomato products. Carotenoid pigments are responsible for the red and orange colors of tomato fruit, and thus color is also of dietary interest. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the relative importance of field sampling and analytical replication when measuring lycopene and � -carotene in tomato fruit and (2) to determine the effect of yellow shoulder disorder (YSD) on the content of lycopene and � -carotene in tomato juice and tissue. Our results show that increasing biological replications is an efficient strategy for reducing the experimental error associated with measurements of lycopene and � -carotene. Analytical replications did not contribute significantly to observed variation, and therefore experimental efficiency will be gained by reducing analytical replications while increasing field replication. We found that YSD significantly reduces lycopene in affected tissue and in juice made from affected fruit. In contrast, � -carotene concentrations were only reduced in affected tissue but were not significantly reduced in juice. With increasing interest in biofortified crops, modulating the carotenoid profile in tomato by minimizing YSD symptoms represents a strategy for improving tomato fruit quality that is currently supported by grower contract structure and processor grades.
Soil phosphorus and water effects on growth, nutrient and carbohydrate concentrations, δ13C, and nodulation of mimosa (Albizia julibrissin Durz.) on a highly weathered soil

Growth and physiological performance of multipurpose tree species can be severely constrained by low phosphorus (P) availability in highly weathered soils. Limitations to plant growth are accentuated by seasonal dry periods. The overall objective of this study was to examine P fertilization and irrigation effects on survival, growth, biomass partitioning, foliar nutrients, intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUE) indexed by δ13C, Rhizobium nodulation, and carbohydrate content as an indicator of resprouting potential, of mimosa (Albizia julibrissin Durz.), a N2-fixing tree species being tested for browse in agroforestry practices in south-central USA. In a field experiment carried out during two growing seasons near Booneville, Arkansas, USA, mimosa had a strong growth response to irrigation. The trial was arranged in a split plot design with three replications with irrigation as main plot treatment and P as sub-plot treatment. Mean total plant aboveground biomass at the end of the second growing season was 9.8 and 44.1 g plant−1 for the rainfed treatment without and with 300 mm of irrigation water, respectively. Placed P fertilization increased mean total aboveground biomass from 19 g plant−1 for the 0-P treatment to 69 g plant−1 for the treatment with 90 kg P ha−1 year−1. Similarly, irrigation consistently increased stem basal diameter, total height, survival, root, stem, foliar and total aboveground biomass, and number of nodules per plant. Phosphorus fertilization increased basal diameter, and root and stem biomass in both irrigation treatments, survival and nodulation in the rainfed treatment, and foliar and total aboveground biomass in the rainfed +300 mm irrigation treatment. There was a decrease of foliar δ13C suggesting that WUE decreased with P fertilization. In a pot experiment, seedlings were subjected to a factorial combination of two irrigation treatments and six P levels in a randomized complete block design. Irrigation increased basal diameter, root, stem, foliar and total biomass, leaf area and nodulation, whereas P fertilization (i.e., levels from 0 to 3.68 g P kg−1 soil) had similar effect in all the above variables except foliar biomass. Foliar P concentration to obtain 90% of the maximum total plant biomass (critical level) was estimated at 0.157%. Total nonstructural and water soluble carbohydrate, and starch concentrations increased non-linearly with irrigation and P addition suggesting impaired re-growth potential after defoliation of seedlings with reduced water supply and at low soil P availability. Results of this study indicated strong limitations for growth and regrowth potential of mimosa on a highly weathered soil with very low P availability and seasonal water content shortages. Placed (i.e., near the plant base) application of P appeared to be a good strategy to fertilize perennial woody plants.
Why do category labels stick? Industry evolution and the battle for categorical dominance

A growing body of literature has shown that categorical affiliation affects firm performance. However, little is known about what drives the adoption of category labels in emerging industries. Using data from the smartphone industry from 1998 to 2011 we track firms? adoption of category labels over time. We argue and find support for a trade-off between the degree of familiarity and originality when firms make affiliation choices. In contrast to the existing literature, we show that familiarity and originality are not two ends of a spectrum, but represent distinct dimensions. The labels that diffuse most widely are, therefore, the ones that balance both familiarity and originality simultaneously. In other words, successful category labels are familiar, but not too familiar to be uninteresting, and original, but not too original that stakeholders cannot relate to them. We end the paper by discussing the implications of our findings for category dynamics in emerging industries and the consequences our findings have when firms make affiliation choices.
Jaime Cuadriello, The Glories of the Republic of Tlaxcala: Art and Life in Viceregal Mexico

Resena sobre Jaime Cuadriello, The Glories of the Republic of Tlaxcala: Art and Life in Viceregal Mexico, translation of Christopher J. Follet, Austin, Texas, University of Texas Press, 2011. (Edicion original Las glorias de la Republica de Tlaxcala o la conciencia como imagen sublime, Mexico, Museo Nacional de Arte / UNAM, Instituto de Investigaciones Esteticas, 2004).
Thematic Minireview Series: Complexities of Cellular Signaling Revealed by Simple Model Organisms.

All cells discriminate environmental signals and generate appropriate intracellular responses. Our understanding of these signal transduction mechanisms has benefitted from studies across the kingdoms of life, from fungi and fish to mice and men. This thematic minireview series examines lessons learned from three of the simplest (and best understood) eukaryotic model organisms. The first article focuses on the mating pheromone pathway in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The second describes stress-mediated signaling in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. The third outlines some of the signaling pathways that dictate growth and development in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Each system has provided unique insights into hormone and neurotransmitter signaling mechanisms, in particular those mediated by the MAPKs. The advances described in these articles will continue to improve our understanding of human physiology and pharmacology.
Records of Southern Wolverine, Gulo luscus luteus, in California

Ruth (Jour. Mamm., 35: 594, 1954) reports a recent observation of the wolverine in California. Jones (California Fish and Game, 36: 320–322, 1950) reported on sixteen recent records. Since that time nine additional observations have come to light. In 1938 Bill Carrasco, Lone Pine, California, cattleman, saw one in Little Five Lakes Basin, Tulare County, at 10,000 …
Systematic Control of the Nanostructure of Semiconducting-Ferroelectric Polymer Composites in Thin Film Memory Devices

In polymer-based ferroelectric diodes, films are composed of a semiconducting polymer and a ferroelectric polymer blend sandwiched between two metal electrodes. In these thin films, the ferroelectric phase serves as the memory retention medium while the semiconducting phase serves as the pathway to read-out the memory in a nondestructive manner. As such, having distinct phases for the semiconducting and ferroelectric phases have proven critical to device performance. In order to evaluate this crucial structure–property relationship, we have fabricated ordered ferroelectric devices (OFeDs) through common lithographic techniques to establish systematically the impact of nanoscale structure on the macroscopic performance. In particular, we demonstrate that there is an optimal domain size (∼400 nm) for the interpenetrating networks, and we show that the ordered device, with semiconducting domains that span the entire length of the active layer film, provides a significant increase in the ON/OFF ratio relative...
The Management of Delayed Recognized Ureteral Injuries

AbstractOf the 90 cases of ureteral injuries reviewed 51 injuries were recognized immediately, while 39 were recognized in the delayed period. Although the over-all difference in results between those treated immediately and those receiving delayed treatment was relatively small, when the cases were further subdivided by etiology and time of recognition into immediate and delayed iatrogenic injuries and traumatic injuries the difference in results was striking. This fact had been suspected clinically but not well documented previously in the urologic literature.
Conjunctival fibrous histiocytoma in an 8-year-old boy

An 8-year-old healthy boy underwent surgery for excision of a painless, enlarging vascularized conjunctival tumor. Histopathology disclosed a mass comprised of interweaving spindle cells and scattered histiocytes in a fibrous matrix, consistent with benign fibrous histiocytoma. This rare tumor can resemble several conditions, including scleritis/episcleritis, inflamed pterygium, juvenile xanthogranuloma, foreign body granuloma, solitary fibrous tumor, amelanotic melanoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.
Applications of hyperellipsoidal prediction regions

Olive (Internat J Stat Probab 2:90–100, 2013) developed a large sample $$100(1-\delta )\%$$ nonparametric prediction region for a future $$m \times 1$$ test vector $$\varvec{y}_f$$ given past training data $$\varvec{y}_1,\ldots , \varvec{y}_n$$ . Consider predicting an $$m \times 1$$ future test response vector $$\varvec{y}_f$$ , given $$\varvec{x}_f$$ and past training data $$(\varvec{x}_1,\varvec{y}_1),\ldots , (\varvec{x}_n,\varvec{y}_n)$$ . For the multivariate linear regression model $$\varvec{y}_i = \varvec{B}^T \varvec{x}_i + \varvec{\epsilon }_i$$ , let the pseudodata $$\varvec{w}_i = \hat{\varvec{y}}_f + \hat{\varvec{\epsilon }}_i$$ for $$i = 1,\ldots , n$$ where the $$\hat{\varvec{\epsilon }}_i$$ are the residual vectors. Under mild regularity conditions, applying the (Olive in Internat J Stat Probab 2:90–100, 2013) prediction region to the pseudodata gives a large sample $$100(1-\delta )\%$$ nonparametric prediction region for $$\varvec{y}_f$$ . Suppose there is an $$m \times 1$$ statistic $$T_n$$ such that $$\sqrt{n} (T_n - \varvec{\mu }) \mathop {\rightarrow }\limits ^{D} N_m(\varvec{0}, \varvec{\Sigma }_T)$$ . Under regularity conditions, applying the (Olive in Internat J Stat Probab 2:90–100, 2013) prediction region to the bootstrap sample $$T^*_1,\ldots , T^*_B$$ gives a large sample $$100(1-\delta )\%$$ confidence region for the parameter vector $$\varvec{\mu }$$ .
Interactions Between Inflammatory Bowel Disease Drugs and Chemotherapy

As new and effective novel therapies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) become available, patients are living longer with advancing age and are at increased risk for malignancy. The management of IBD and malignancy involves multiple combinations of chemotherapy agents and IBD drugs, with the potential for interactions between these therapies. Interactions may either potentiate the effectiveness of drug class or exacerbate their common side effects. In this review article, we present a guide on studied interactions between IBD therapies and chemotherapy agents, specifically those of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and melanoma. The pharmacology and pharmocokinetics of each IBD drug will be discussed. Then, the IBD drug and chemotherapy interactions are summarized in table format. This guide will provide a quick reference to guide clinicians with this challenging management of two disease processes.
Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Preoperative Weight Loss and Other Factors as Predictors of Postoperative Success

Correlation between weight loss before bariatric surgery and postoperative success has been discussed and investigated. It also has been a requirement for some surgeons and insurance companies. The aim of this study is to address whether weight loss before sleeve gastrectomy is a predictor of postoperative success in terms of excess body weight lost (EBWL). Study was performed at a community teaching hospital in Michigan. We examined data from 204 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy between August 2011 and January 2015. Data was collected retrospectively including demographics, comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), percentage of EBW lost prior to surgery, percentage of EBW lost, and change in BMI at 3 months (191, 93.6%), 6 months (164, 80.4%), and 12 months (134, 65.7%). When examining postoperative mean percentage of EBW lost and change in BMI, we found that the group who lost >5% of their EBW before surgery had a statistically significant more weight loss than those who lost 5% of their EBW and those who lost 5%, but both groups still achieved similar postoperative weight loss success at 1 year. Increasing preoperative BMI resulted in decreasing postoperative percentage EBWL.
Fingolimod confers neuroprotection through activation of Rac1 after experimental germinal matrix hemorrhage in rat pups.

Fingolimod, a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) agonist, is clinically available to treat multiple sclerosis and is showing promise in treating stroke. We investigated if fingolimod provides long-term protection from experimental neonatal germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH), aiming to support a potential mechanism of acute fingolimod-induced protection. GMH was induced in P7 rats by infusion of collagenase (0.3 U) into the right ganglionic eminence. Animals euthanized at four weeks post-GMH received low or high dose fingolimod (0.25 or 1.0 mg/kg) or vehicle, and underwent neurocognitive testing before histopathological evaluation. Subsequently, a cohort of animals euthanized at 72 hours post-GMH received 1.0 mg/kg fingolimod; the specific S1PR1 agonist, SEW2871; or fingolimod co-administered with the S1PR1/3/4 inhibitor, VPC23019, or the Rac1 inhibitor, EHT1864. All drugs were injected intraperitoneally 1, 24, and 48 hours post-surgery. At 72 hours post-GMH, brain water content, extravasated Evans blue dye, and hemoglobin were measured as well as the expression levels of phospho-Akt, Akt, GTP-Rac1, Total-Rac1, ZO1, occludin, and claudin-3 determined. Fingolimod significantly improved long-term neurocognitive performance and ameliorated brain tissue loss. At 72 hours post-GMH, fingolimod reduced brain water content and Evans blue dye extravasation as well as reversed GMH-induced loss of tight junctional proteins. S1PR1 agonism showed similar protection, whereas S1PR or Rac1 inhibition abolished the protective effect of fingolimod. Fingolimod treatment improved functional and morphological outcomes after GMH, in part, by tempering acute post-hemorrhagic blood-brain barrier disruption via the activation of the S1PR1/Akt/Rac1 pathway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
R* Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Liver for Patients with Iron Overload.

Iron overload is an inevitable consequence of multiple transfusions and occurs in many hematological diseases including sickle cell anemia (SCA) and beta thalassemia (β-thal). Liver biopsy provides quantification of iron content in the liver, but is not without risks such as bleeding, pain, and infection. MRI R2* has the advantage of quantifying liver iron without the risks of invasive procedures, however, this technique has not been fully investigated or validated. Furthermore, the variability introduced by multiple MRI readers has not been investigated to date. Patients with hematological diseases were selected to participate in this prospective IRB-approved study if they received ≥ 18 transfusions or had a serum ferritin ≥ 1000 ng/mL. All study participants completed 1.5 Tesla MRI R2* testing (Siemens Symphony), serum ferritin, and liver biopsy with quantification of liver iron content (LIC) within 30 days. Regions of interest (ROI) were drawn on R2* maps in a homogeneous area of the right hepatic lobe, avoiding blood vessels and obvious bile ducts. Three independent reviewers, blinded to the patients’ clinical status and the other 2 reviewers’ results, performed the ROI analysis. The correlation between LIC and liver R2* was calculated using the Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation Coefficient. Due to possible outliers in the data, robust simple linear regression methods were used to fit a regression line to scatter plots. All liver biopsy samples were sent to Mayo Laboratories for LIC quantification. The agreement among the 3 raters was assessed using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Forty-seven patients, median age 14 years (range 7 – 37) participated; 24 were female. Thirty-five of them had SCA, 8 had β-thal (major or intermedia), and 4 had bone marrow failure syndromes. Total table time for R2* MRI testing was between 20 to 30 minutes. All patients tolerated the liver biopsy without complications. The mean (±1SD) ferritin was 2917ng/mL (±2239), mean LIC was 12.139 mg/ 100g of dry weight liver (±8.269), and mean liver R2* ranged from 425 to 432 Hz (±257 to 249 Hz). All 3 raters produced R2* values strongly associated with LIC, with correlation coefficients from 0.93 to 0.95 (p
Second-Order Light Scattering by Classical Fluids I: Collision Induced Scattering

In this and the following lecture I shall deal with two important examples of higher-than-first-order light scattering from classical gases and liquids. The term “first-order” means here that (1) light has been scattered only once by the sample (i.e., doubly-and multiply-scattered waves make negligible contributions to the detached signal), and (2) the polarizabilities of the molecules are not distorted through interaction with the electronic charge clouds of neighboring molecules. Virtually all discussions in the journal and monograph literature1 have dealt only with the first-order scattering of light, e.g. critical point fluctuations and sound propagation via Rayleigh-Brillouin spectra, molecular reorientation in liquids via Raman line shapes, and macromolecular weight distributions, conformational changes and diffusion.
Anatomy of the Median Nerve: Anatomic Variations and Anomalies

In this chapter, anatomic variations and anomalies of the median nerve in or adjacent to the carpal tunnel are described. Cadaveric and clinical studies are reviewed that delineate the variable patterns, courses, and anastomoses of the median nerve and its branches in this region. Specific attention is given to the palmar cutaneous branch, thenar motor branch, and common digital nerve branches of the median nerve. Understanding these anatomic variations and anomalies is essential to minimizing risk during open or endoscopic carpal tunnel release.
Generalized lichen nitidus-like eruption in the setting of mogamulizumab and tremelimumab

Generalized lichen nitidus is a rare condition that typically manifests with clusters of multiple, discrete, shiny, 1-3-mm papules that are flesh-colored to pink or brown [1, 2]. Histopathologically, it is characterized by a dense lymphohistiocytic infiltrate within dermal papillae [1]. While the etiology is unknown, genetic and immunologic factors have been implicated in disease pathogenesis [1, 2]. Herein, we present a case of generalized lichen nitidus-like eruption in the setting of immunotherapy [...]
Surface-atmosphere exchange in a box: Space-time resolved storage and net vertical fluxes from tower-based eddy covariance

Abstract Systematic bias in eddy-covariance flux measurements are pervasive. These arise both from unmeasured terms such as advection, and sampling bias in representativeness of the footprint for both turbulent and storage fluxes. As a result, the majority of eddy-covariance towers suffer from unaccounted bias when comparing to gridded earth system models and fail to close the surface energy balance. We hypothesize that one cause for these two problems is a mismatch between mass and energy fluxes measured within a time-varying source area and the actual storage and net vertical flux over a presumed “control volume”, a novel concept derived theoretically in Metzger (this issue) . Here, we practically implement this theory to estimate the true net surface-atmosphere exchange (NSAE) over such control volume, thus resolving “storage flux” and “vertical advection” issues by applying the environmental response function (ERF) technique to a virtual control volume (VCV). In this method, flux observations are related at high spatio-temporal resolution to meteorological forcings and surface properties within the estimated flux footprint, and these relationships are utilized to map the control volume explicitly in 3-D over space and time. Volume integration then allows, for the first time, retrieval of the NSAE. When ERF was applied to eddy covariance and profile observations in July and August 2014 from the AmeriFlux Park Falls WLEF tower in Wisconsin, USA, heat emission integrated over the target domain increased substantially over the tower observations by +18.2 Wm−2 (+20.6%). Storage flux contributes up to 30% of NSAE at hourly timescale. The systematic uncertainty of ERF-VCV method applied for vertical flux and storage flux is within 15% and 20%, respectively. This systematic uncertainty is effectively corrected in projections. Volume-controlled NSAE provides improvements for mapping unbiased surface-atmosphere exchange for model-data comparison, assimilation and model building at model grid scale. These advances also present a promising direction for reconciling energy balance non-closure.
Surgery for benign esophageal disorders in the US: risk factors for complications and trends of morbidity.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), paraesophageal hernia (PEH), and achalasia are the most frequent benign esophageal disorders that may need surgical treatment. We aimed to identify risk factors for postoperative complications and to characterize trends of morbidity for surgery for benign esophageal disorders in a national cohort. A retrospective population-based analysis was performed using the National Inpatient Sample for the period 2000–2013. Adult patients (≥ 18 years old) diagnosed with GERD, PEH, and achalasia, and who underwent fundoplication, PEH repair, and esophagomyotomy were included. The yearly incidence of complications, stratified by procedure, was calculated using Poisson regression, and multivariable logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for complications. A total of 79,622 patients were included; 38,695 (48.6%) underwent PEH repair, 38,719 (48.6%) fundoplication, and 2208 (2.8%) esophagomyotomy. While the rate of postoperative complications dropped from 26.5 to 10.0% and from 16.1 to 12.2% for PEH repair and esophagomyotomy, respectively, the complication rate after fundoplication increased from 5.7 to 12.7% during the same period (p < 0.0001). Age, black race, diabetes, renal insufficiency, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and open surgery were independent risk factors for postoperative complications. The rate of laparoscopic procedures for PEH repair increased from 4.9 to 91.4%, while for fundoplication it increased from 24.2 to 78.3% (p < 0.0001). Opposite to PEH repair and esophagomyotomy, antireflux surgery has shown an increase in the morbidity rate in the last decade. Patient selection and embracement of laparoscopic techniques are critical to improve the perioperative outcome in surgery for benign esophageal disorders.
Long-term potentiation at the lateral perforant path-nucleus accumbens synapse in the rat in vivo

The nucleus accumbens (NAcb), a basal forebrain structure implicated in drug-mediated reward, receives afferents from a variety of limbic and cortical structures, including the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, the entorhinal cortex, and the subicular complex. In the present study, monosynaptic projections from the lateral entorhinal cortex (lateral perforant path) to the NAcb are shown to display sustained increases in field EPSP magnitudes following high-frequency stimulation of the perforant path in anesthetized rats. By contrast, stimulation of the medial aspect of the perforant path, although capable of evoking responses in the dentate gyrus, produced no observable synaptic responses within the nucleus accumbens. Intra-accumbens administration of (±)-CPP (-3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid), a selective competitive NMDA-receptor antagonist, blocked both short-term potentiation and long-term potentiation (LTP). Thus afferents from the entorhinal cortex to the NAcb display NMDA-receptor-dependent synaptic potentiation that appears similar to NMDA-receptor-dependent LTP observed at other targets of the perforant path, such as the hippocampal formation.
Diagnosis and Management of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, an idiopathic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, is characterized pathologically by demyelination and subsequent axonal degeneration. The disease commonly presents in young adults and affects twice as many women as men. Common presenting symptoms include numbness, weakness, visual impairment, loss of balance, dizziness, urinary bladder urgency, fatigue, and depression. The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis should be made by a physician with experience in identifying the disease. Diagnosis should be based on objective evidence of two or more neurologic signs that are localized to the brain or spinal cord and are disseminated in time and space (i.e., occur in different parts of the central nervous system at least three months apart). Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium contrast, especially during or following a first attack, can be helpful in providing evidence of lesions in other parts of the brain and spinal cord. A second magnetic resonance scan may be useful at least three months after the initial attack to identify new lesions and provide evidence of dissemination over time. It is critical to exclude other diseases that can mimic multiple sclerosis, including vascular disease, spinal cord compression, vitamin B12 deficiency, central nervous system infection (e.g., Lyme disease, syphilis), and other inflammatory conditions (e.g., sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, SjA¶gren's syndrome). Symptom-specific drugs can relieve spasticity, bladder dysfunction, depression, and fatigue. Five disease-modifying treatments for multiple sclerosis have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These treatments are partially effective in reducing exacerbations and may slow progression of disability.
Timelessness and Personhood

If arguments for divine timelessness have shown themselves to be at best 1. inconclusive, what of arguments on behalf of divine temporality? Unfortunately, we do not have a convenient catalogue of arguments for divine temporality akin to that furnished us by Leftow in favor of divine timelessness. Nonetheless, three arguments come up again and again in the literature and so may serve as the focus of our discussion in this section.
Transplantation and Rejection of Individual Cell Layers of the Cornea

Techniques have been developed for the transplantation of allografts of pure rabbit corneal epithelium and of endothelium with Descemet's membrane and only minimal amounts of adherent donor stroma. By appropriately inducing vascularization of the donor graft, the recipient becomes sensitized to and ultimately rejects the pure epithelial graft. The epithelium is rejected as a moving front of infiltrated and dying donor cells, with the rapidly regenerating recipient epithelium effecting immediate repair of the defect. The entire epithelial rejection process takes place in the absence of persisting stromal edema and cloudiness. Sensitization by, and rejection of, pure corneal stromal allografts were also studied. Rejection is characterized by a diffuse band of leukocytic infiltrate which sweeps across the donor tissue, leaving dead keratocytes in its wake. Endothelial allografts also lead to sensitization of the recipient and to graft rejection, again when appropriate vascularization is induced. Like epithelium, the rejection of corneal endothelium is associated with an advancing front of densely infiltrated and dying cells. In this instance, however, repair of the defect by recipient endothelium is so slow that edema and cloudiness of the overlying stroma develop and persist for long periods of time. Endothelial regeneration in the rabbit is associated with substantial recovery of corneal clarity.
Implementation of an adhesive small bowel obstruction protocol using low-osmolar water soluble contrast and the impact on patient outcomes.

Abstract Background Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common condition leading to numerous hospital admissions and operations. Standardized care of adhesive SBO patients has not been widely implemented in hospital systems. Methods A prospective cohort of SBO patients was compared to a historical cohort of SBO patients after implementation of a SBO protocol using evidence-based guidelines and Omnipaque, a low-osmolar water soluble contrast. Patients without a history of abdominal surgery were excluded and data was collected through chart review. Results Univariate analyses demonstrated a decrease in both LOS by 1.35 days and in the proportion of patients receiving surgery (37% vs 25%; p Conclusions Utilizing an evidence-based SBO protocol can lead to shorter LOS and may result in fewer operations for adhesive SBO patients.
Brassicaceous seed meal, root removal, and chemical fumigation vary in their effects on soil quality parameters and Pratylenchus penetrans in a replanted floricane raspberry production system

Abstract A decline in red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) crop longevity has been partially attributed to parasitism by the plant-parasitic nematode Pratylenchus penetrans. Soil fumigation with 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin is the most common management practice for P. penetrans in this production system, but the effects are variable and there are strict regulations regarding application; alternatives are needed. A three-year study was conducted in a replanted commercial red raspberry field with a history of P. penetrans to evaluate brassicaceous seed meal (BSM) soil amendment combined with root inoculum removal (RR) as preplant alternatives to traditional soil fumigation with 1,3-D and chloropicrin. Additionally, the fumigant metam sodium at full and half rates with root removal was evaluated. Treatments were applied once prior to planting and included: BSM at 3.4 t ha−1 with RR, full rate metam sodium (692 L ha−1; Max Fum) with RR, half rate metam sodium with RR (Min Fum), and full rate metam sodium without RR (Max Fum–RR; control). Data collected included: P. penetrans population dynamics in soil and raspberry roots, microbial (bacterial and fungal) communities in soil, raspberry vegetative growth, estimated yield, and fruit total soluble solids (TSS) concentration. Population densities of P. penetrans in soil and roots were significantly higher in BSM (983–4801 P. penetrans g−1 of root) than in Max Fum and Max Fum–RR (32–802 and 40–1509 P. penetrans g−1 of root, respectively) during the first two years of the study. By the end of the study there were no differences in P. penetrans population densities among the treatments. Root removal did not affect P. penetrans densities as there were no significant differences between Max Fum and Max Fum–RR. Min Fum was more effective than BSM at reducing P. penetrans population densities, but not as effective as Max Fum or Max Fum-RR. The only difference among treatments regarding the soil microbial community was observed in the first spring after treatment application, when BSM had a soil bacterial community that differed from the other treatments; this difference did not persist into the next sampling date. The most noticeable differences in bacterial and fungal soil communities were due to season, not treatment. There were no significant differences in raspberry vegetative growth the first summer after planting. Yield or TSS did not differ in the second and third summer after planting. The current data show that Min Fum, BSM amended to soil at this experimental rate, and root removal are not effective in reducing P. penetrans population densities, but yield and fruit quality are not compromised under the conditions of the experiment.
Optical Parametric Amplification Using Dual Chirps

A new type of optical parametric amplifier based on dual chirps is presented. Simulations indicate an increase in bandwidth when compared to existing systems as well as the potential for active carrier envelop phase control.
Segmentation and Abstraction of an IoT Enabled Distributed Sensor Network

We propose an area segmentation algorithm which is completely distributed, highly responsive, and exhibits a wide range of application scenarios. The proposed algorithm segments the area based on similarity of local sensor data and therefore, it requires a similarity measure parametrized with selected system indicators. In addition, algorithm creates an energy efficient data aggregation tree with a local highest energy node as a root. The resulting segmented sub-areas represents a level of spatial diversity and an abstraction of the sensor field which has a wide range of large scale distributed applications. Through simulation, the application and working of our scheme is demonstrated.
A method to reduce imbalance for site-level randomized stepped wedge implementation trial designs

Controlled implementation trials often randomize the intervention at the site level, enrolling relatively few sites (e.g., 6–20) compared to trials that randomize by subject. Trials with few sites carry a substantial risk of an imbalance between intervened (cases) and non-intervened (control) sites in important site characteristics, thereby threatening the internal validity of the primary comparison. A stepped wedge design (SWD) staggers the intervention at sites over a sequence of times or time waves until all sites eventually receive the intervention. We propose a new randomization method, sequential balance, to control time trend in site allocation by minimizing sequential imbalance across multiple characteristics. We illustrate the new method by applying it to a SWD implementation trial. The trial investigated the impact of blended internal-external facilitation on the establishment of evidence-based teams in general mental health clinics in nine US Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. Prior to randomization to start time, an expert panel of implementation researchers and health system program leaders identified by consensus a series of eight facility-level characteristics judged relevant to the success of implementation. We characterized each of the nine sites according to these consensus features. Using a weighted sum of these characteristics, we calculated imbalance scores for each of 1680 possible site assignments to identify the most sequentially balanced assignment schemes. From 1680 possible site assignments, we identified 34 assignments with minimal imbalance scores, and then randomly selected one assignment by which to randomize start time. Initially, the mean imbalance score was 3.10, but restricted to the 34 assignments, it declined to 0.99. Sequential balancing of site characteristics across groups of sites in the time waves of a SWD strengthens the internal validity of study conclusions by minimizing potential confounding. Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as clinical trials # NCT02543840 ; entered 9/4/2015.