cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of the IL-23/T H 17 Immune Pathway in the Pathogenesis of Arthritis

Studies with IL-23-deficient mice revealed the critical role of IL-23 and in particular IL-17-producing cells, including TH17 cells, in the initiation of experimental auto-immune arthritis. Interestingly, the recognition of TH17 cells and TH17 cytokines at the very early stage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fits with the concept that the IL-23/TH17 immune pathway is important in the development of this auto-immune disease. However, the exact biological role of this immune pathway in the development of RA and other arthropathies needs further examination. The first data from clinical trials using anti-IL-17A antibody treatment in psoriatic arthritis and RA is promising. Whether the regulation of TH17 cell activity or specific combinations of TH17 cytokines will have additional value compared to neutralizing IL-17A activity or TNF needs to be elucidated. However, first evidence from in vitro studies showed that the inhibition of the TH17 pathway in addition to anti-TNF suppressed the pro-inflammatory feedback loop between TH17 cells and synovial fibroblasts of patients with early RA. This approach may help to reach the ultimate goal of permanent remission or even prevent the development of this crippling disease. In addition, further understanding of the plasticity of T cell subsets in the pathogenesis of chronic destructive arthritis especially at different stages of the disease will be essential to understanding the T cell biology in RA. Moreover, understanding T cell plasticity due to different therapies may further improve treatment of patients with chronic destructive arthritis.
Transient paralysis after robotic prostatectomy

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LARP) has been accepted as first line therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Complications have been low and outcomes are comparable to that of open surgery with potential benefits including shorter hospital stay, less pain and quicker return to normal activity. Unexplained paralysis following LARP is a rare entity with no reported cases in the current literature. We report a case of complete motor paralysis following LARP. An extensive multidisciplinary evaluation did not definitively establish a diagnosis. Aggressive multimodality treatment led to a complete recovery. Our understanding of this phenomena with the possible etiology and treatment is discussed.
Estimated precipitation and latent heating profiles from combined Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission TMI/PR/VIRS observations

The November 27, 1997 launch of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observatory provides the first opportunity to perform combined passive microwave/radar/infrared remote sensing of precipitation from satellite. A method for retrieving vertical precipitation/latent heating profiles using combined measurements from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), Precipitation Radar (PR), and Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS) is presented. The TMI is a nine-channel passive microwave radiometer with dual polarization channels at 10.65, 19.35, 37, and 85.5 GHz and a vertical-polarization channel at 21.3 GHz. The PR is a 13.8 GHz single-parameter radar. The VIRS radiometer operates at visible/infrared wavelengths of 0.63, 1.61, 3.75, 10.8, and 12 microns. The TMI channels are to a large extent affected by the vertically-integrated cloud and precipitation water contents within clouds, while the PR senses the backscatter of radiation from precipitation within 0.25 km thick contiguous cloud layers. The VIRS, although not sensitive to precipitation directly, yields high-resolution measurements of cloud top temperature and overall cloud geometry. The combined TMI/PR/VIRS observations provide complementary information regarding the cloud morphology and spatial distribution of liquid/ice phase precipitation in tropical weather systems. From this information, the vertical and horizontal distributions of latent heating may be inferred.
Characterization of a genetically engineered mouse model of hemophilia A with complete deletion of the F8 gene.

UNLABELLED ESSENTIALS: Anti-factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitory antibody formation is a severe complication in hemophilia A therapy. We genetically engineered and characterized a mouse model with complete deletion of the F8 coding region. F8(TKO) mice exhibit severe hemophilia, express no detectable F8 mRNA, and produce FVIII inhibitors. The defined background and lack of FVIII in F8(TKO) mice will aid in studying FVIII inhibitor formation. BACKGROUND The most important complication in hemophilia A treatment is the development of inhibitory anti-Factor VIII (FVIII) antibodies in patients after FVIII therapy. Patients with severe hemophilia who express no endogenous FVIII (i.e. cross-reacting material, CRM) have the greatest incidence of inhibitor formation. However, current mouse models of severe hemophilia A produce low levels of truncated FVIII. The lack of a corresponding mouse model hampers the study of inhibitor formation in the complete absence of FVIII protein. OBJECTIVES We aimed to generate and characterize a novel mouse model of severe hemophilia A (designated the F8(TKO) strain) lacking the complete coding sequence of F8 and any FVIII CRM. METHODS Mice were created on a C57BL/6 background using Cre-Lox recombination and characterized using in vivo bleeding assays, measurement of FVIII activity by coagulation and chromogenic assays, and anti-FVIII antibody production using ELISA. RESULTS All F8 exonic coding regions were deleted from the genome and no F8 mRNA was detected in F8(TKO) mice. The bleeding phenotype of F8(TKO) mice was comparable to E16 mice by measurements of factor activity and tail snip assay. Similar levels of anti-FVIII antibody titers after recombinant FVIII injections were observed between F8(TKO) and E16 mice. CONCLUSIONS We describe a new C57BL/6 mouse model for severe hemophilia A patients lacking CRM. These mice can be directly bred to the many C57BL/6 strains of genetically engineered mice, which is valuable for studying the impact of a wide variety of genes on FVIII inhibitor formation on a defined genetic background.
The Secret Sauce for Super Bowl Advertising: What Makes Marketing Work in the World's Most Watched Event?

This study investigated the relationship between Super Bowl advertising and advertisers' market valuation, identifying several factors that influence the financial rewards of this media-placement strategy. Specifically, the authors examined the impact of each commercial's featured characters and appeals--and the product benefits promoted--on abnormal stock returns for sponsoring companies that appear in Super Bowl advertising. Event study results showed that Super Bowl advertising is positively related to abnormal stock returns for advertisers. Cross-sectional regression analyses also indicated that market value of Super Bowl advertisers is positively related to likeable characters, emotional appeals, and approach messaging. The combined use of likeable characters with either emotional appeals or approach messages is positively associated with firm valuation.
Familial striatal degeneration: New mutation and neuroimaging clues

Autosomal dominant striatal degeneration (ADSD) (MIM 609161) is a rare genetic disease caused by mutation in the PDE8B gene.1,2 The disease, with onset in the fourth to fifth decade, is characterized by slowly progressive dysarthria, mild parkinsonism but no tremor, brisk deep tendon reflexes, poor response to levodopa treatment, and distinctive brain MRI findings.1,2 Heterozygous mutations in the PDE8B gene, first identified in a German family,2 result in loss of protein cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) function. PDEs are responsible for the breakdown of cyclic nucleotides, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate, and play a major role in striatal neuron regulation.3 The PDE superfamily consists of 11 families (PDE1–PDE11), each of which has 1 to 4 subtypes. Some neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, including depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and Huntington disease, have changes in phosphodiesterase expression in the brain.3 PDE8B expression is higher in specific brain regions affected by ADSD (putamen, caudate nucleus, and nucleus accumbens), producing peculiar lesions in the striatum.2,3
Effect of Warm Mix Asphalt on Aging of Asphalt Binders

This paper evaluated the rheological and chemical properties of asphalt binders recovered from short-term and long-term aged foamed warm mix asphalt (WMA) and traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA). AASHTO R 30 was utilized to simulate the short-term and long-term aging of the laboratory-prepared asphalt mixtures. The dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) was used to characterize the rheological properties of the unaged and aged asphalt binders. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to identify and quantify the amount of functional groups present in these binders. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was utilized to determine the molecular size distribution within these binders. The asphalt binders recovered from short-term and long-term oven aged HMA mixtures exhibited slightly higher G*/sinδ and G*sinδ values than those recovered from foamed WMA mixtures. The FTIR and GPC test results agreed with those obtained in the DSR. This indicates that foamed WMA mixtures undergo less aging than traditional HMA mixtures.
A Microprocessor Based Vehicular Engine Control System Testbed

A microprocessor based vehicular engine control system testbed has been developed to make possible complex, interactive engine control experiments in the vehicle environment. Designed for flexibility, the on-board vehicle system incorporated two microprocessors, a variety of engine instrumentation, and controls over spark advance, airfuel ratio, and exhaust gas recirculation. The two microprocessors have been linked to form an efficient computational network with sufficient capacity to implement most, if not all, engine control experiments. Also included in the vehicle are video displays which provide operator control and interaction with experimental engine control systems. /GMRL/
A high efficiency inverter design for Google little box challenge

This paper proposed a high efficiency standalone inverter design for Google Little Box Challenge (LBC). A full bridge inverter is designed with two high frequency legs and one low frequency leg. To improve the system efficiency, asymmetrical unipolar modulation is utilized and interleaved switching is used. The synchronization between high switching frequency leg and low switching frequency leg is studied and implemented based on a TI micro-controller, which minimized the zero-crossing distortion on the output voltage waveform. A prototype hardware utilizing GaN devices has been developed and tested. A peak efficiency with 99.30% and a CEC efficiency with 99.26% are both achieved.
“Turning Private Pain Into Public Action”: The Cultivation of Identity Narratives by a Faith-Based Community Organization

Scholars have argued that activist identity narratives are key to social movement participation and commitment, but there are few in-depth analyses of identity construction processes that take place in social movement organizations. This study of a faith-based community organizing group, ELIJAH, draws upon interviews, participant observation, and archival data to address this. The findings indicate that ELIJAH leaders go through parallel processes of politicizing their personal experiences and personalizing their political beliefs. These processes result in a politicized personal narrative that motivates sustained activism by making involvement in social change efforts an integral part of individual identity. This study contributes to the literature on identity and narrative in social movements by demonstrating how an organization can intentionally cultivate activist identities using narrative.
Large Exciton Energy Shifts by Reversible Surface Exchange in 2D II–VI Nanocrystals

Reaction of n-octylamine-passivated {CdSe[n-octylamine]0.53±0.06} quantum belts with anhydrous metal carboxylates M(oleate)2 (M = Cd, Zn) results in a rapid exchange of the L-type amine passivation for Z-type M(oleate)2 passivation. The cadmium-carboxylate derivative is determined to have the composition {CdSe[Cd(oleate)2]0.19±0.02}. The morphologies and crystal structures of the quantum belts are largely unaffected by the exchange processes. Addition of n-octylamine or oleylamine to the M(oleate)2-passivated quantum belts removes M(oleate)2 and restores the L-type amine passivation. Analogous, reversible surface exchanges are also demonstrated for CdS quantum platelets. The absorption and emission spectra of the quantum belts and platelets are reversibly shifted to lower energy by M(oleate)2 passivation vs amine passivation. The largest shift of 140 meV is observed for the Cd(oleate)2-passivated CdSe quantum belts. These shifts are attributed entirely to changes in the strain states in the Zn(oleate)2-pa...
Introduction to the special issue: negotiating boundaries: effective leadership of interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability programs

This special issue explores challenges and opportunities confronting higher education related to leadership at a variety of levels and the creation of linkages between students, faculty, administration, and community stakeholders necessary to address the many “wicked problems” facing society. One common thread among all the papers is that higher education is being challenged to collectively reexamine and change the paradigms under which they operate. Each of the articles express explicitly or implicitly that change happens through relationships and negotiating boundaries. The papers in this issue explore the challenges of leadership and program development at different scales from student and faculty learning to institutional initiatives that span across an entire campus. The leadership, relationship development, and boundary crossing experiences presented in the papers in this issue address four primary themes—Interdisciplinary Team Building Strategies, Curriculum and Community Connections, Institution-Level Leadership and Perspectives, and Interdisciplinary Leadership and Scholarship Support. Each of the individual papers address a pressing need in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work for development of effective, situation-relevant methods for negotiating disciplinary and professional boundaries.
Commodity Bundling in Government Securities Auctions: An Analysis of the Primary DealerModel in Canada

Does the decision of human intermediaries to provide matching services depend critically on compensations for intermediation. This paper argues that the answer is yes for the widely prevalent primary dealer system to issue government securities in which the issuer imposes participation obligations on human intermediaries and compensates them with rents conditional on compliance. A unique data set from the Government of Canada securities auctions is utilized to show that the matching services of primary dealers are necessary in forestalling under subscribed auctions, and that the primary dealers respond strongly to the compensations offered by the issuer.
N-acetylcysteine renoprotection in methotrexate induced nephrotoxicity and its effects on B-cell lymphoma

Background: Nephrotoxicity is one of the known side effects of methotrexate (MTX) therapy despite the use of conventional protective measures. Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on MTX-induced toxicity in renal tubular cells and to evaluate whether adjunctive use of NAC interferes with MTX antitumor activity in the B-cell lymphoma. Methods: Kidney Epithelial (Madin-Darby canine kidney [MDCK]) cells were exposed to MTX (10 μM or 100 μM) alone and with NAC (0.2 mM or 0.4 mM). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation at 1, 2, 4, and 24 h was measured by flow cytometer. Quantification of total glutathione (GSH) was performed by using GSH assay kit. To measure the impact of NAC on the antitumor activity of MTX, B lymphoma cells were exposed to MTX alone and with NAC. A percentage of apoptosis was measured using fluorescein isothiocyanate in both cell lines. Quantitative data was presented as a means ± standard deviation, and P values were analyzed using the Student′s t-test. Results: Apoptosis in MDCK cells were observed after 24 h of incubation with both 10 μM and 100 μM MTX. Maximum ROS generation was observed at 4 h and corresponded to GSH production. Treatment with 0.2 and 0.4 mM of NAC led to decrease percentages of apoptotic MDCK cells. NAC did not change either proliferation or apoptosis of B-cell lymphoma. Conclusion: Using NAC for kidney protection may not interfere with the antitumor activity of MTX. Further in vivo studies are warranted to confirm noninterference between MTX and NAC and assess synergistic antitumor effects.
High‐Temperature Oxidation of ZrB2–SiC–AlN Composites at 1600°C

The effect of AlN substitution on oxidation of ZrB2–SiC was evaluated at 1600°C up to 5 h. Replacement of ZrB2 by AlN, with 30 vol% SiC resulted in improved oxidation resistance with a thinner scale and reduced oxygen affected area. On the other hand, substitution of AlN for SiC resulted in a deterioration of the oxidation resistance with an abnormal scale and significant recession. The effect of SiC content was also studied, and was found to be consistent with the literature for the composites without AlN additions. A similar effect was observed when AlN was added, with the higher SiC content materials showing improved oxidation resistance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the presence of Al2O3 and SiO2 on the surface, which could possibly lead to a modification in the viscosity of the glassy oxide scale. Possibly, the oxidation behavior of ZrB2–SiC composites can be improved with controlled AlN additions by adjusting the Al:Si ratios.
Computed tomography angiography for transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established alternative to surgery for patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who are not suitable candidates for surgical replacement of the aortic valve. The computed tomography (CT) technologist has a critical role in the care of patients undergoing TAVR. Because image acquisition and postprocessing for TAVR planning are highly complex, it is important for CT technologists involved in the planning to understand clinical detail, protocols, potential pitfalls, and factors that may influence workflow. Purpose To describe, from the CT technologist's point of view, the details of CT angiography acquisition and postprocessing at 1 institution for patients being screened for TAVR. Discussion For TAVR patients, CT image acquisition and postprocessing is essential for a successful intervention. It is clinically essential to maintain and execute a detailed, standardized imaging approach. Conclusion TAVR planning is among the most complex procedures in radiology. For these patients, meticulous image acquisition and image postprocessing protocols are paramount, and successful patient outcomes depend on attention to clinical detail, protocols, potential pitfalls, and factors that may influence workflow.
Normal and abnormal variations and clinical significance of the one-minute and total serum bilirubin determinations.

Abstract The studies of this paper have defined quantitatively normal and abnormal variations of the one-minute and total serum bilirubin tests, and have evaluated the clinical significance of the one-minute bilirubin determination. The mean normal one-minute bilirubin is 0.11 ± 0.05 mg. per cent. The mean normal total bilirubin is 0.62 ± 0.25 mg. per cent. The upper limit of normal for the one-minute determination is 0.25 mg. per cent; for the total determination, 1.5 mg. per cent. Analyses of the variation of each test in normal and abnormal subjects emphasize the significant contribution of physiological factors to the over-all variation in every instance. Technical factors contribute significantly to the variation of both tests in the normal range but are of no consequence in the abnormal range. Both tests are highly reliable in the abnormal range. The total bilirubin is also quite reliable in the normal range. However, the one-minute bilirubin is unreliable in the normal range for any purpose other than distinguishing a given score as normal. In regurgitation jaundice the one-minute and total bilirubin scores are nearly perfectly correlated above a one-minute level of 1.0 mg. per cent. The equation relating the two variables in this region is (TB) = 2.02 (1′B) 0.9 , very nearly a two to one relationship. There is no segregation of points in the scatter diagram according to disease groups. Below this level the correlation decreases progressively. Color development time curves of direct reacting bilirubin consist generally of two components, one prompt, the other slow or delayed. The rate of change of the slope of the curve is maximal in the neighborhood of one minute. The one-minute determination is therefore a useful quantitative measure of the amount of prompt direct reacting bilirubin. The one-minute bilirubin is more effective than the total bilirubin in detecting an individual with liver or biliary tract disease, though the tests are equally efficient in differentiating a normal from an abnormal group of patients, on the average. There is a significant curvilinear correlation (η = 0.64) between the bilirubin ratio (1′T × 100) and the total bilirubin. The bilirubin ratio decreases rapidly as the total bilirubin decreases below 2.0 mg. per cent. Above this level there is no appreciable correlation between the two. There is nearly complete separation between the bilirubin ratio frequency distributions of patients with hemolytic jaundice and patients with regurgitation jaundice. The mean ratio for all hemolytic jaundice patients with TB > 2.0 mg. per cent is 15 ± 8 per cent, and for the corresponding regurgitation jaundice patients 56 ± 12 per cent. One cannot differentiate among individuals with regurgitation jaundice by means of the bilirubin ratio because there is relatively great overlapping of the frequency distributions for the various disease groups. Certain group comparisons, however, reveal significant differences in the means and at the extremes of the distributions.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus From Inactivation of Prolactin Receptor and MafB in Islet β-Cells

β-Cell proliferation and expansion during pregnancy are crucial for maintaining euglycemia in response to increased metabolic demands placed on the mother. Prolactin and placental lactogen signal through the prolactin receptor (PRLR) and contribute to adaptive β-cell responses in pregnancy; however, the in vivo requirement for PRLR signaling specifically in maternal β-cell adaptations remains unknown. We generated a floxed allele of Prlr, allowing conditional loss of PRLR in β-cells. In this study, we show that loss of PRLR signaling in β-cells results in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), reduced β-cell proliferation, and failure to expand β-cell mass during pregnancy. Targeted PRLR loss in maternal β-cells in vivo impaired expression of the transcription factor Foxm1, both G1/S and G2/M cyclins, tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (Tph1), and islet serotonin production, for which synthesis requires Tph1. This conditional system also revealed that PRLR signaling is required for the transient gestational expression of the transcription factor MafB within a subset of β-cells during pregnancy. MafB deletion in maternal β-cells also produced GDM, with inadequate β-cell expansion accompanied by failure to induce PRLR-dependent target genes regulating β-cell proliferation. These results unveil molecular roles for PRLR signaling in orchestrating the physiologic expansion of maternal β-cells during pregnancy.
Improved pronuclear mouse embryo development over an extended pH range in Ham's F-10 medium without protein

Pronuclear mouse embryos were cultured at four different pHs (7.17, 7.27, 7.37, and 7.50) in Ham's F-10 medium (Gibco, Grand Island, NY) alone and in Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with 10% human cord serum (v/v) to assess the effects of pH and serum on preimplantation embryo development. Media used in these experiments was stored both without (old protocol) or with triple gas equilibration (new protocol). Development was assessed by the percent of embryos developing to the 2-cell stage and on to the morula and blastocyst stages. Triple gas equilibration prior to media storage improved development to the morula and blastocyst stages. Development to the 2-cell and morula stages was not adversely affected by the presence of serum, but development to the blastocyst stage was significantly higher in Ham's F-10 medium without serum at all pHs tested. In conditions without serum, percent development at all stages examined was similar over the pH range of 7.17 to 7.37, with a significant decrease in development to the morula and blastocyst stage at pH 7.50. Embryos cultured in the presence of serum demonstrated a greater decrease in the percent development to blastocyst at both the low, 7.17 and 7.27, and high, 7.50, pHs, with an apparent pH optimum at 7.37. In summary, the complex media Ham's F-10 medium supports mouse embryo development without the need for serum. Serum inhibits pronuclear embryo development to the blastocyst stage. Mouse embryo culture in the absence of serum can tolerate a pH as low as 7.17 (8.4% CO2) without any detrimental effects.
Vienna’s Feuilletons from 42nd Street: Culture and Civilization in Ann Tizia Leitich’s Amerika, du hast es besser (1926)

While so many of her fellow European writers, like Zweig, either naively celebrated the mechanical wonders of Henry Ford’s factories or made paranoid forecasts of American jazz music squelching out Europe’s symphonies and concertos, the author of those lines, Ann Tizia Leitich (1891-1976), contended that America is much more than an ideological projection space for Europe’s hopes and fears. As the American correspondent for Vienna’s influential Neue Freie Presse newspaper, Leitich chronicles the complexity and power of the United States from a specific, personal and intimate perspective. In this article, I will argue that Leitich counters the popular interwar perception of Europe as a beautiful, doomed culture that is under attack by a soulless but powerful American civilization. Focusing on her appropriation of Oswald Spengler’s dichotomy between civilization and culture, I will explore Leitich’s concept of a cultural syncretism that combines artistic beauty and economic power in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Displacement of the Lamina Cribrosa in Response to Acute Intraocular Pressure Elevation in Normal Individuals of African and European Descent.

PURPOSE To assess if the in vivo mechanical displacement of the anterior laminar cribrosa surface (ALCS) as a response of an acute elevation in intraocular pressure (IOP) differs in individuals of European (ED) and African descent (AD). METHODS Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) scans were obtained from 24 eyes of 12 individuals of AD and 18 eyes of 9 individuals of ED at their normal baseline IOP and after 60 seconds IOP elevation using ophthalmodynamometry. Change in depth (displacement) of the LC and to the prelaminar tissue (PLT) were computed in association with the change (delta) in IOP (Δ IOP), race, age, corneal thickness, corneal rigidity (ocular response analyzer [ORA]), and axial. RESULTS In the ED group for small IOP elevations (Δ IOP < 12 mm Hg), the ALCS initially displaced posteriorly but for larger increase of IOP an anterior displacement of the lamina followed. Inversely, in the AD group the ALCS did not show a significant posterior displacement for small Δ IOP, while for larger IOP increases the ALCS significantly displaced posteriorly. Posterior displacement of the lamina cribrosa (LC) was also significantly correlated with longer axial length, higher corneal thickness, and ORA parameters. Prelaminar tissue posteriorly displaced for any magnitude of Δ IOP, in both groups. CONCLUSIONS The African descent group demonstrated a greater acute posterior bowing of the LC after adjustment for age, axial length, Bruch's membrane opening (BMO) area, and ORA parameters. Greater PLT posterior displacement was also seen in the AD group with increasing IOP, which was tightly correlated with the displacement of the LC.
Arthroscopic rotator interval repair and anterior portal closure: An alternative technique

The rotator interval capsule has been implicated as an important restraint to shoulder subluxation, and plays an important role in shoulder stability. Anterior portal placement during arthroscopic shoulder instability repair violates the interval capsule and compromises the biomechanical integrity of the rotator interval. The following is a technique for interval capsule repair. Using an 18-gauge needle via the anterior portal, a monofilament suture is passed through the capsule just above the subscapularis. A Penetrator suture retriever (Arthrex, Naples, FL) is passed high into the capsule just anterior to the biceps. The intra-articular end of the suture is then removed from the superior aspect of the interval capsule. The suture limbs are then tied into the portal onto the anterior capsule. The technique is advantageous because it may be repeated as needed until appropriate interval plication has been achieved. Furthermore, it does not require an interval portal through which to pass the suture. It appears to be a safe, effective, and reproducible technique for arthroscopic rotator interval closure.
The Murder Mystery: Police Effectiveness and Homicide

Previous aggregate analyses of the effect of police on crime show that increases in police staffing are especially effective at preventing homicide. This conflicts with evidence that suggests standard police methods should be more effective at preventing robbery, auto theft, and other property crimes. My objective is to reconcile the two. Regression of crime rates on uniformed police staffing and other economic and demographic covariates, for a panel of 59 US cities for the period 1970–2013. Lagged crime rates are strong and statistically significant predictors of both policing staffing and crime rates, particularly homicide. When lags are included in the specification, the apparent effect of police on homicide drops by more than 70 %; there is little change in the effect of police on other crimes. Findings are robust with respect to specification and method. Previous studies omitted lags and overstated the effectiveness of police on homicide. Because murder accounts for almost 40 % of all costs of crime in US cities, it is no longer clear whether increasing police force size is a cost-effective way to cut crime. Improving police tactics is more likely to work and less expensive.
Microbiology in the Andes: Ancient and Unexpected

Thanks to the investigations by the Ecuadorian physician and scientist Dr. Byron Nunez Freile, I learned of a surprisingly high level of scientific development that took place long ago in a remote region of the world. Quito, the present-day capital of Ecuador, is nestled amidst the high Andes and was the northern capital of the Inca empire. It was conquered by the Spaniards in 1534. In this exceedingly distant land, Jesuits established a college within a year of their coming in the late sixteenth century. By 1622, they founded one of the oldest universities in the Americas, the Universidad de San Gregorio Magno. This was earlier than the founding of Harvard, which happened in 1642. With the passing years, the two universities may not have enjoyed a parallel development, but early on they were likely of comparable quality. Soon, San Gregorio became a major institution with a most impressive library of 16,000 volumes, the largest in South America at the time. In its first thirty years of existence, the university granted 160 master’s degrees and 120 doctorates, mostly in philosophy and theology. Nevertheless, the library holdings also included numerous scientific and medical treatises.
Cardiac Transplantation: Denervation, Reinnervation, and Myocardial Blood Flow

The intact heart is innervated by the parasympathetic and sympathetic fibers of the autonomic nervous system. Cardiac transplantation results in transection of the postganglionic neural axons innervating the heart. Axonal degeneration develops within days after transplantation and leads to total depletion of cardiac norepinephrine stores and eventual disappearance of nerve terminals in the transplanted tissue, resulting in total cardiac denervation.
Specification of Root Hair Cells

The initial step in the formation of a root hair is the specification of a newlyformed epidermal cell to differentiate as a root hair cell. This represents an example of a central problem in developmental biology; namely, how do particular cell types acquire their identity? During root development in most species, two cell types arise in the epidermis: root-hair cells (which derive from trichoblasts) and non-hair cells (which derive from atrichoblasts). The simplicity, accessibility, and conspicuous cell types of the root epidermis has led to its wide use as a model to understand the problem of cell specification in plants. This chapter will review the information garnered from these studies over the past century, with emphasis on the molecular genetic findings from recent research on the specification of root-hair cells in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Acute Peroneal Tendon Injuries in Sport

Peroneal tendon pathology is a common and underdiagnosed cause of lateral ankle pain. Acute injuries may occur in sport, but often go unrecognized at the initial time of injury. It is not uncommon for patients to experience a considerable delay before diagnosis of peroneal tendon injury. The anatomy of the peroneal tendons predisposes to acute injury via the same injury mechanisms that cause lateral ankle ligamentous injury. Acute peroneal instability typically occurs secondary to rapid ankle dorsiflexion and eversion. Chronic peroneal instability is often associated with recurrent lateral ankle instability. Repetitive instability may lead to peroneal tendon pathology, including longitudinal tears. Patients frequently complain of lateral ankle pain, with an insidious and gradual onset of pain, and symptoms are frequently the result of tendon instability, due to superior peroneal retinaculum injury. Treatment is frequently nonsurgical with initial immobilization, followed by gradual return to activity, including progressive motion, strengthening, and proprioceptive stability exercises. Failure of nonsurgical management may indicate surgical treatment, including tendon and instability repair. Surgical treatment has a greater than 90% success rate, with elimination of instability, relief of symptoms, return of function, and return to activities.
Exploring examinee behaviours as validity evidence for multiple-choice question examinations.

Context Clinical-vignette multiple choice question (MCQ) examinations are used widely in medical education. Standardised MCQ examinations are used by licensure and certification bodies to award credentials that are meant to assure stakeholders as to the quality of physicians. Such uses are based on the interpretation of MCQ examination performance as giving meaningful information about the quality of clinical reasoning. There are several assumptions foundational to these interpretations and uses of standardised MCQ examinations. This study explores the implicit assumption that cognitive processes elicited by clinical-vignette MCQ items are like the processes thought to occur with ‘real-world’ clinical reasoning as theorised by dual-process theory. Methods Fourteen participants (three medical students, five residents and six staff physicians) completed three sets of five timed MCQ items (total 15) from the Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP). Upon answering a set of MCQs, each participant completed a retrospective think aloud (TA) protocol. Using constant comparative analysis (CCA) methods sensitised by dual-process theory, we performed a qualitative thematic analysis. Results Examinee behaviours fell into three categories: clinical reasoning behaviours, test-taking behaviours and reactions to the MCQ. Consistent with dual-process theory, statements about clinical reasoning behaviours were divided into two sub-categories: analytical reasoning and non-analytical reasoning. Each of these categories included several themes. Conclusions Our study provides some validity evidence that test-takers’ descriptions of their cognitive processes during completion of high-quality clinical-vignette MCQs align with processes expected in real-world clinical reasoning. This supports one of the assumptions important for interpretations of MCQ examination scores as meaningful measures of clinical reasoning. Our observations also suggest that MCQs elicit other cognitive processes, including certain test-taking behaviours, that seem ‘inauthentic’ to real-world clinical reasoning. Further research is needed to explore if similar themes arise in other contexts (e.g. simulated patient encounters) and how observed behaviours relate to performance on MCQ-based assessments.
HALO: a fast and durable disk write cache using phase change memory

To close the increasing performance gap between disk storage and processors, flash based solid-state devices (FSSDs) have been adopted within the memory hierarchy to improve the performance of hard disk drive (HDD) based storage system. However, FSSDs still suffer from erase-before-write restriction, coarse access granularity and limited write endurance. Recently, the cutting-edge non-volatile memory technologies are merging, e.g., phase-change memory and resistive memory, which offer us new storage alternatives with faster access, byte-addressability and better endurance. In order to address the imperative data intensive computing issues, we propose to leverage PCM as disk write cache for constructing a hybrid PCM+HDD storage architecture in this paper. First, we develop a novel hash-based write caching scheme called HALO to improve both spatial and temporal locality on hard disks, thus addressing the limitations of traditional LRU caching algorithms and rendering better I/O performance. To deal with the limited durability of PCM devices and reclaim the degraded spatial locality in previous wear-leveling techniques, we further propose novel PCM wear leveling algorithms that provide effectively uniform writes while maximizing access parallelism. We have evaluated this PCM-based hybrid storage architecture using applications with a diverse set of I/O access patterns. Our experimental results demonstrate that the HALO caching scheme leads to an average reduction of 36.8% in execution time compared to the LRU caching scheme, and that the space filling curve based wear leveling extends the lifetime of PCM by a factor of 21.6.
The selection of police pursuits of fleeing motorists for coverage in newspapers

The selection process that determines which police–public interactions are considered newsworthy and result in coverage has rarely been examined. Given the potential impact on public understanding,...
Regioselective palladium-catalyzed CH arylation of 4-alkoxy and 4-thioalkyl pyrazoles

Abstract A methodology for the palladium-catalyzed regioselective C H arylation of electron rich pyrazoles has been developed. New ligands and mild conditions (70–90 °C) have been identified for this transformation. An intramolecular application of the methodology provided a novel synthetic route for the regioselective synthesis of 1,5-dihydroisochromeno[4,3- c ]pyrazoles and 1,5-dihydroisothiochromeno[4,3- c ]pyrazoles.
Persistent nature of alterations in cognition and neuronal circuit excitability after exposure to simulated cosmic radiation in mice.

Abstract Of the many perils associated with deep space travel to Mars, neurocognitive complications associated with cosmic radiation exposure are of particular concern. Despite these realizations, whether and how realistic doses of cosmic radiation cause cognitive deficits and neuronal circuitry alterations several months after exposure remains unclear. In addition, even less is known about the temporal progression of cosmic radiation-induced changes transpiring over the duration of a time period commensurate with a flight to Mars. Here we show that rodents exposed to the second most prevalent radiation type in space (i.e. helium ions) at low, realistic doses, exhibit significant hippocampal and cortical based cognitive decrements lasting 1 year after exposure. Cosmic-radiation-induced impairments in spatial, episodic and recognition memory were temporally coincident with deficits in cognitive flexibility and reduced rates of fear extinction, elevated anxiety and depression like behavior. At the circuit level, irradiation caused significant changes in the intrinsic properties (resting membrane potential, input resistance) of principal cells in the perirhinal cortex, a region of the brain implicated by our cognitive studies. Irradiation also resulted in persistent decreases in the frequency and amplitude of the spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in principal cells of the perirhinal cortex, as well as a reduction in the functional connectivity between the CA1 of the hippocampus and the perirhinal cortex. Finally, increased numbers of activated microglia revealed significant elevations in neuroinflammation in the perirhinal cortex, in agreement with the persistent nature of the perturbations in key neuronal networks after cosmic radiation exposure. These data provide new insights into cosmic radiation exposure, and reveal that even sparsely ionizing particles can disrupt the neural circuitry of the brain to compromise cognitive function over surprisingly protracted post-irradiation intervals.
The Influence of Multiple Knowledge Networks on Innovation in Foreign Operations

Although extant literature has long argued that firm embeddedness within knowledge networks increases innovation, we know much less about how interactions across multiple knowledge networks jointly...
Complications of Durable Left Ventricular Assist Device Therapy

Heart failure patients on durable left ventricular assist device support experience improved survival, quality of life, and exercise capacity. The complication rate, however, remains unacceptably high, although it has declined with improvements in pump design, better patient selection, and greater understanding of the pump physiology and flow dynamics. Most complications are categorized as those related to the pump-patient interface or those related to patient physiology. It is hoped that further engineering progress, and better patient selection through risk stratification, will allow for left ventricular assist device to be totally biocompatible and perform effectively, without affecting biology and homeostasis of the different organ systems.
A modified extensile exposure for the treatment of complex or malunited acetabular fractures

A modification of the extended iliofemoral incision of Letournel and Judet facilitates the operative exposure of T-type, complex transverse, and both-column acetabular fractures and malunions. The modification includes the utilization of a T-shaped skin incision with large flaps, and osteotomies of the iliac crest, greater trochanter, and anterior superior iliac spine. The iliotibial band is transected and the abductor muscle mass is rotated posteriorly, hinged on the superior gluteal neurovascular bundle. Twenty patients had open reduction and internal fixation of a complex acetabular fracture using this surgical approach. Excellent surgical exposure allowed good or excellent reduction of the acetabulum in all patients. No flap necrosis developed, and all fractures healed. One non-union of a trochanteric osteotomy needed revision. This approach provides increased exposure of the posterior column and visualization of the entire surface of the joint and it allows fixation of the fracture from both sides of the iliac wing. The T-shaped skin incision allows utilization of a standard posterior approach with conversion to the extensile exposure if necessary. Options for late reconstruction are not compromised. Lagscrew fixation of the osteotomies allows aggressive rehabilitation of the joint.
Pivotal Role of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Activation in the Pathogenesis of Immunodeficiency and in the Therapy of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase plays an essential role in mediating the toxic effects of DNA damage in non-dividing lymphocytes. In cells with extensive DNA damage, excessive poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity can exhaust the available NAD pool, leading to a depletion of cellular ATP and to toxic perturbations of intermediary metabolism (1). Various agents known to damage DNA have been shown in vitro to elicit the biochemical sequelae of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity in resting human lymphocytes (2). For example, exposure of lymphocytes to xanthine oxidase plus hypoxanthine causes massive DNA damage and a lethal fall in cellular NAD and ATP levels, attributable to excessive poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity (3). This model system suggests that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation may contribute to immune dysfunction in certain chronic inflammatory states, in which stimulated neutrophils release toxic oxygen species.
Comprehensive Investment Framework for Optimal Exploitation of Liquid-Rich Unconventional Reservoirs and Natural Gas Distribution

Abstract A techno-economic framework is proposed for the optimal exploitation of unconventional shale reservoirs and the delivery of shale gas products within the Marcellus region. A 3-D compositional reservoir model is constructed to simulate realistic drilling, completion, stimulation (DCS) strategies and pad production processes. A feed-forward neural network (FNN) is implemented to understand re-frac well candidature so as to aid development of alternative development strategies throughout a project planning horizon. In addition, optimal well configurations and DCS strategies for well-pad development are developed in line with best petroleum engineering practices. Simulation results are incorporated in a long-term strategic planning model used for determining the optimal shale gas supply chain network and its operations. For this, a mixed-integer non-linear programing (MINLP) formulation is developed to maximize net present value (NPV). Natural gas demand is predicted by running long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks based on the historical data of critical predictors. Results of this framework depict the influence of reservoir engr., completion engr., and machine learning in predicting project profitability and establishing optimal strategies for shale gas production and distribution.