cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Platelet-Derived Short-Chain Polyphosphates Enhance the Inactivation of Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor by Activated Coagulation Factor XI.

Introduction Factor (F) XI supports both normal human hemostasis and pathological thrombosis. Activated FXI (FXIa) promotes thrombin generation by enzymatic activation of FXI, FIX, FX, and FV, and inactivation of alpha tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPIα), in vitro. Some of these reactions are now known to be enhanced by short-chain polyphosphates (SCP) derived from activated platelets. These SCPs act as a cofactor for the activation of FXI and FV by thrombin and FXIa, respectively. Since SCPs have been shown to inhibit the anticoagulant function of TFPIα, we herein investigated whether SCPs could serve as cofactors for the proteolytic inactivation of TFPIα by FXIa, further promoting the efficiency of the extrinsic pathway of coagulation to generate thrombin. Methods and Results Purified soluble SCP was prepared by size-fractionation of sodium polyphosphate. TFPIα proteolysis was analyzed by western blot. TFPIα activity was measured as inhibition of FX activation and activity in coagulation and chromogenic assays. SCPs significantly accelerated the rate of inactivation of TFPIα by FXIa in both purified systems and in recalcified plasma. Moreover, platelet-derived SCP accelerated the rate of inactivation of platelet-derived TFPIα by FXIa. TFPIα activity was not affected by SCP in recalcified FXI-depleted plasma. Conclusions Our data suggest that SCP is a cofactor for TFPIα inactivation by FXIa, thus, expanding the range of hemostatic FXIa substrates that may be affected by the cofactor functions of platelet-derived SCP.
Neuropathy and efficacy of once weekly subcutaneous bortezomib in multiple myeloma and light chain (AL) amyloidosis.

Introduction Randomized studies have shown that bortezomib (BTZ) can be given weekly via intravenous (IV) route or twice weekly via subcutaneous (SC) route with lower neuropathy risk and no loss of anti-myeloma efficacy compared to original standard IV twice weekly schedule. Weekly SC should therefore yield the best therapeutic index and is widely used but has not been compared to established administration schedules in the context of a clinical trial. Methods Comprehensive electronic medical record review was done for disease control and neuropathy symptoms of 344 consecutive patients who received their first BTZ-containing regimen for myeloma or AL amyloidosis before or after we changed to SC weekly in December 2010. Univariate and multivariable analyses were carried out that adjusted for age, underlying disease, concurrently used anticancer agents, underlying conditions predisposing to neuropathy, and number of prior regimens compared SC weekly to other schedules. Results Fifty-three patients received BTZ SC weekly, 17 SC twice weekly, 127 IV weekly and 147 IV twice weekly. Risk for neuropathy of any grade was higher with other schedules compared to SC weekly (44.3% vs. 26.9%, p = 0.001) while response rate was similar (72.1% vs. 76.6%, respectively, p = 0.15). Multivariable analyses upheld higher neuropathy risk (Odds ratio 2.45, 95% CI 1.26–4.76, p = 0.008) while the likelihood of not achieving a response (= partial response or better) was comparable (Odds ratio 1.25, 95% CI 0.58–2.71, p = 0.56) for other schedules compared to SC weekly, respectively. Lower neuropathy risk translated into longer treatment duration when BTZ was started SC weekly (p = 0.001). Conclusions Weekly SC BTZ has activity comparable to other schedules and causes low rates of neuropathy.
Novel Agents for Sperm Purification, Sorting, and Imaging†

The stringent selection of viable spermatozoa ensures the transmission of high-quality genetic material to the egg during fertilization. Sperm heterogeneity within or between ejaculates and between males obliges varied post-collection handling of semen to assure satisfactory fertility rates. The current techniques used to assess sperm generally detect non-viable and non-fertilizing gametes in the ejaculate, but do not permit the investigation of semen for improved fertility outcomes. Advances in technology, however, have spurred the search for new approaches to enrich semen with high-quality spermatozoa and to track intra-uterine sperm migration. This review highlights the current and future methodologies used for sperm labeling, selection, tracking, and imaging, with specific emphasis on the recent influence of nanotechnology.
Life satisfaction: A key to managing internet & social media addiction

Abstract Internet and social media addictions continue to grow as our dependence on technology increases. Estimates posit that over 210 million people worldwide suffer from this. Given its influence on users, reducing these addictions are of importance. Previous research demonstrates the importance of emotional states in affecting addiction behaviors. Through the Cognitive-Behavioral Model of Pathological Internet Usage, the role of life satisfaction in reducing both generalized Internet addiction and social media addiction is explored. Additionally, how happiness and stress affect these addictions through life satisfaction is examined. Results show that life satisfaction has significant effects on both generalized Internet addiction and the specific addiction to social media. For addicted individuals, there may be deep-rooted issues in their lives, lowering their satisfaction and driving their continued or increased addictions to Internet technologies.
Thirty-Day Readmission Rates Following Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery.

Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a safe and efficacious surgical intervention for several movement disorders; however, the 30-day all-cause readmission rate associated with this procedure has not previously been documented. Object To perform a retrospective cohort study to estimate the 30-day all-cause readmission rate associated with DBS. Methods We reviewed medical records of patients over the age of 18 who underwent DBS surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between 2009 and 2014. We identified patients who were readmitted to an inpatient medical facility within 30 days from their initial discharge. Results Over the study period, 23 (6.6%) of 347 DBS procedures resulted in a readmission to the hospital within 30 days. Causes of readmission were broadly categorized into surgery-related (3.7%): intracranial lead infection (0.6%), battery-site infection (0.6%), intracranial hematoma along the electrode tract (0.6%), battery-site hematoma (0.9%), and seizures (1.2%); and nonsurgery-related (2.9%): altered mental status (1.8%), nonsurgical-site infections (0.6%), malnutrition and poor wound healing (0.3%), and a pulse generator malfunction requiring reprogramming (0.3%). Readmissions could be predicted by the presence of medical comorbidities ( P .15). Conclusion All-cause 30-day readmission for DBS is 6.6%. This compares favorably to previously studied neurosurgical procedures. Readmissions frequently resulted from surgery-related complications, particularly infection, seizures, and hematomas, and were significantly associated with the presence of medical comorbidities ( P
Husserl and the Tradition

This essay will consider Husserl’s standing in twentieth-century philosophy. But it will not try to assess his importance. Rather it will address the question of whether he is a thinker committed to fulfilling the mandates of the past, a philosopher whose vision of philosophy was dictated by his predecessors, or whether, to the contrary, Husserl broke free from the mission determined by philosophy’ s history and tradition and promoted a vision that set new standards and different goals for the discipline.
Analysis on the quality of malaria blood examination from 2012 to 2014 in Guizhou Province

Objective To understand the quality of blood slide-making and the ability of films reading in Guizhou, in order to strengthen the detection ability on Plasmodium. Method The quality of blood slide-making and the medical result were assessed by re-checking all the 609 blood samples of network reported cases and a part of negative cases from 2012 to 2014 according to "Technical Plan of Eliminating Malaria (2011)" and "Diagnostic Criteria of Malaria (WS 259-2006)". Results The blood slide-making, stain, blood slice cleanliness were 48.93% (298/609), 62.56% (381/609) and 55.50% (338/609), respectively. The diagnostic coincidence rate was 94.91% (578/609), and the diagnostic coincidence rate of the positive cases and the negative cases were 73.77% (45/61) and 98.72% (541/548). Conclusion The diagnostic coincidence rate is satisfied in Guizhou. But the microscopy quality of Malaria parasite should be improved. Key words: Malaria; Quality of blood examination; Analysis
Detection of an Iridium-Dihydrogen Complex: A Proposed Intermediate in Ionic Hydrogenation.

Addition of high pressures of H2 to five-coordinate [(tBu)4(POCOP)Ir(CO)(H)]OTf [(tBu)4(POCOP) = κ3-C6H3-2,6-(OP(tBu)2)2] complexes results in observation of two new iridium–dihydrogen complexes. If the aryl moiety of the POCOP ligand is substituted with an electron withdrawing protonated dimethylamino group at the para position, hydrogen coordination is enhanced. Five-coordinate Ir–H complexes generated by addition of triflic acid to (tBu)4(POCOP)Ir(CO) species show an Ir–H 1H NMR chemical shift dependence on the number of equivalents of acid present. It is proposed that excess triflic acid in solution facilitates triflate dissociation from iridium, resulting in unsaturated five-coordinate Ir–H complexes. The five-coordinate iridium–hydride complexes were found to catalyze H/D exchange between H2 and CD3OD. The existence of the dihydrogen complexes, as well as isotope exchange reactions, provide evidence for proposed ionic hydrogenation intermediates for glycerol deoxygenation.
Discovery Tool Cookbook: Recipes for Successful Lesson Plans: Nancy Fawley and Nikki Krysak, Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2016.

In 2009, Ryan Sittler and Douglas Cook introduced the Library Instruction Cookbook, a collection of library instruction lesson plans in the guise of recipes published by the American Library Associ...
Null-space smoothing of tomographic images using TV norm minimization

Smoothing is desirable in tomographic imaging when it reduces the effects of noise in the data and is undesirable when it smooths a small feature such as a tumor or a lesion so much that they become undetectable. Linear algebra can be used to identify a significant problem associated with reconstruction from incomplete data set; namely, the rank of the resulting system matrix is less then full. To maximize its benefit and to minimize its harm, when smoothing is used in this case, it seems desirable to give more credence to the row-space component of the reconstruction than the null-space because the tomographic data contains only information about the row-space component of the object. The objective of the work presented here is to propose and demonstrate a method, which is called null-space smoothing, for achieving this. The Methodology used involved computer generated data. ART is used to reconstruct the row-space component of the Shepp and Logan phantom. By solving a convex optimization problem, an image in the null-space was added to the reconstruction so that the resulting image had a minimum TV norm; thus, leaving the row-space component unchanged. It is concluded that although null-space smoothing can produce smooth images with an unchanged row-space component, more work needs to be done in the future to demonstrate its usefulness with real data.
Chevron's Interstitial Steps

The Chevron doctrine’s apparent simplicity has long captivated judges, lawyers, and scholars. According to the standard formulation, Chevron involves just two straightforward steps: (1) Is a statute clear? (2) If not, is the agency’s interpretation of the statute reasonable? Despite the influence of this two-step framework, Chevron has come under fire in recent years. Some critics bemoan what they perceive as the Supreme Court’s incoherent application of the Chevron framework over time. Others argue that Chevron’s second step, which calls for courts to defer to reasonable agency interpretations of ambiguous statutory provisions, amounts to an abdication of judicial responsibility. Yet as this Foreword shows, both criticisms draw on a mistaken understanding of Chevron. Despite the conventional view that Chevron analysis has only two steps, the reality is that it has always comprised a series of steps constituting a veritable Chevron staircase. If a statute is unclear at Step 1, a court must confront a number of important legal questions — Chevron’s “Interstitial Steps” — before considering deference at Step 2. After all, the legal justification for Chevron deference — legislative delegation of authority to the agency to resolve statutory ambiguity — requires judicial analysis of whether the statute can properly be construed as having made such a delegation. Recognizing the Interstitial Steps embedded in Chevron analysis not only reveals that the Supreme Court has been more consistent in its application of the framework than is generally acknowledged, but such recognition also rebuts the mistaken notion that Chevron automatically requires judicial deference on the mere showing of statutory ambiguity. The full Chevron staircase — Step 1, Interstitial Steps, and Step 2 — reveals how much work Chevron demands of judges and it makes clear that, far from abdicating their responsibility, judges actually fulfill their duty to uphold the law when they defer to agency interpretations at Step 2. The staircase also affords a basis for seeing why a popular alternative Chevron “Step 0” framework is misplaced and why, contrary to yet another scholarly account, the Chevron doctrine cannot be meaningfully collapsed into a single step. Properly understood, the Chevron doctrine, with its Interstitial Steps, ensures that courts act responsibly by answering crucial legal questions at every step of the way.
Addressing Professionalism, Social, and Communication Competencies in Surgical Residency Via Integrated Humanities Workshops: A Pilot Curriculum.

Objective We aimed to conduct professionalism and social competencies (PSC) training by integrating humanities into structured workshops, and to assess reception of this curriculum by first-year surgical residents. Design An IRB-approved, pilot curriculum consisting of 4 interactive workshops for surgical interns was developed. The workshops were scheduled quarterly, often in small group format, and supplemental readings were assigned. Humanities media utilized to illustrate PSC included survival scenarios, reflective writing, television portrayals, and social media. Emphasis was placed on recognizing personal values and experiences that influence judgment and decision-making, using social media responsibly, identifying and overcoming communication barriers related to generational changes in training (especially technology and work-life balance), and tackling stereotypes of surgeons. Anonymous and voluntary pre- and postcurriculum surveys were administered. Univariate analysis of responses was performed with JMP Pro v12 using Fisher’s exact, χ2, and Students’ t-tests for categorical and continuous variables. Setting The study took place at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH, within the general surgery program. Participants Surgical interns at the Cleveland Clinic were included in the study. A total of 16 surgical interns completed the curriculum. Results Sixteen surgical interns participated in the curriculum: 69% were domestic medical school graduates (DG) and 31% were international medical school graduates (IMG). Overall, the majority (81%) of residents had received PSC courses during medical school: 100% of DG compared to 40% of IMG (p = 0.02). Before beginning the curriculum, 86% responded that additional PSC training would be useful during residency, which increased to 94% upon completion (p = 0.58). Mean number of responses supporting the usefulness of PSC training increased from 1.5 ± 0.2 before the curriculum to 1.75 ± 0.2 upon completion (p = 0.4). When describing public and medical student perceptions of surgeons, 60% and 83% of adjectives used were negative, respectively. When describing perceptions of female surgeons, 88% of adjectives used were negative. Conclusions Most interns received prior PSC coursework; however, the majority still desired additional training during residency. After completion, a greater percentage of interns responded that PSC training was important and choose more reasons in favor of the curriculum. Formalized didactics should be strongly considered, especially in programs with IMG. Future areas of investigation include expanding the cohort to additional years of residency; potentially identifying unique PSC needs for each postgraduate year.
Optimizing reverse shoulder arthroplasty component position in the setting of advanced arthritis with posterior glenoid erosion: a computer-enhanced range of motion analysis.

Background Our study purpose was to determine the optimal glenoid and humeral reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) component design and position in osteoarthritic shoulders with severe glenoid retroversion deformities. Methods Computed tomography scans from 10 subjects were analyzed with advanced software including RSA range of motion (ROM) analysis. Variables included glenoid component retroversion of 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, and 20° and baseplate lateralization of 0, 5, and 10 mm. Humeral variables included 135°, 145°, and 155° angle of inclination (AOI) combined with variable humeral offset. Results Glenoid component lateralization had the greatest influence on ROM. In comparing each ROM direction among all lateralization options independently, there were significantly greater adduction, abduction, external rotation, extension, and flexion motions with progressively greater lateralization. Internal rotation motion was greater at 10 mm only. In analyzing the effects of glenoid version independently, no differences in adduction or abduction ROM were seen. With greater retroversion, decreased external rotation and extension motion was noted; however, greater internal rotation and flexion motion was seen with the exception of flexion at 10 mm of lateralization. For adduction, external rotation, and extension, a more valgus AOI resulted in less ROM at each progressively greater AOI independent of humeral lateralization. Internal rotation and flexion motions were greater with a more varus AOI but not significant between each inclination angle. Abduction ROM was maximized with a more valgus AOI. Humeral lateralization had no effect on ROM. Conclusions In the setting of RSA for advanced glenoid osteoarthritic deformities, optimal ROM is achieved with 10-mm baseplate lateralization and neutral to 5° of retroversion mated to a humeral implant with a varus (135°) inclination angle.
Clinical Investigation of Antiarrhythmic Devices

Cardiac pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, and electrode catheter systems are essential for the treatment of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. The widespread and rapidly expanding use of these antiarrhythmic devices has focused attention on the need for thorough, efficient, and practical assessment of their safety, efficacy, and clinical usefulness. In general, the effectiveness of these devices is well documented. Their capabilities may be enhanced through incorporation of existing technology and future innovations, and it is anticipated that the range of clinical indications requiring intervention and the demand for use of antiarrhythmic devices will continue to grow. A multidisciplinary policy conference was held November 15 and 16, 1993, in Washington, DC, to facilitate formal communication among interested parties involved in the development and use of antiarrhythmic devices. Participants included representatives of divisions of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) responsible for overseeing the pre–market release evaluation and post–market release surveillance of antiarrhythmic devices and the Health Industry Manufacturers Association, representing the device manufacturing industry. This statement focuses on the types of clinical evaluation necessary for commercial release and subsequent assessment of antiarrhythmic devices. Generally the term clinical investigation describes the broad area of scientific studies pertaining to human pathophysiology and therapeutics. In this report, the term clinical evaluation refers to a specific class of clinical investigations performed as part of a government-mandated biomedical regulatory mission (Fig 1⇓). Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing the relation between different types of clinical investigation undertaken in development of an antiarrhythmic device, its clinical application, and its commercial release. The phases of clinical evaluation and subsequent process are detailed at left. Other clinical investigations performed for scientific inquiry are delineated at right. Interrelations between the two processes and their relations to practice guidelines, outcomes research, clinical usefulness, and postmarketing studies are broadly presented. This statement is based on a …
Neurobiological Origins of Human Values

In reviewing the special ethical problems of treating patients with disorders of the nervous system or behavior, we encounter conflicts between values. Ruth Macklin (1982, 1983a,b) assures us that a philosopher expects many patient-care situations to involve built-in tensions among values. Frequently, for example, doctors will have to choose among standards which tend to increase the autonomy of the patient versus those which maximize the doctors’ expected medical benefit to the patient. Most importantly, Macklin (1983a,b) says, there are no philosophically final decision rules for choosing among values:There exists no purely philosophical, rational approach to logically closed arguments in these situations of value conflict.
Diabetes in American Indians.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on diabetes in American Indians. Diabetes-related studies in American Indians have been confined mainly to Indians of North America, although a few observations have been made in South and Central America. There were probably about one million Indians living in North America when the Europeans arrived. By the early part of the twentieth century, the Indian population had declined markedly, but since that time, the death rate has diminished greatly and the birth rate has been high. A study of photographs of the nineteenth century reveals that obesity was then uncommon in all tribes. The potential, however, was evident even then. Indians often have considerable hyperglycemia without symptoms or without complaint. It is, therefore, quite possible that rates of diabetes prior to recent times were not as low as they seemed. In 1954, Cohen presented evidence that diabetes had become common in Pimas, who appeared to have about ten times as much diabetes as Navajos. In a population of about 6000 Pimas, there were 94 known diabetics.
Positively Dependent and Exchangeable Normal Variables

The study of concepts of positive dependence of random variables, started in the late 1960s, has yielded numerous useful results in both statistical theory and applications. The results are generally given for large classes of distributions and are not just for the normal family. However, when the underlying distribution is multivariate normal, then many special results follow and most of them involve only the covariance matrix of the distribution.
Evaluation and Management of Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: A Position Statement by the American Diabetes Association

Although all types of diabetes result in hyperglycemia, the pathophysiology of each type of diabetes is different. These guidelines summarize available data specific to the comprehensive care of youth with type 2 diabetes. The objective is to enrich the recognition of type 2 diabetes in youth, its risk factors, its pathophysiology, its management, and the prevention of associated complications. Glucose homeostasis is maintained by a balance between insulin secretion from the pancreatic β-cells and sensitivity to insulin in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver (1). When insulin sensitivity declines, insulin secretion must increase to maintain glucose tolerance, and, in most youth, decreased insulin sensitivity due to puberty and/or obesity is compensated by increased insulin secretion. However, when β-cells cannot secrete sufficient insulin to compensate for insulin resistance, abnormalities in glucose homeostasis ensue, potentially progressing to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes as β-cell function deteriorates further (2–9). The relationship between β-cell function and insulin sensitivity in adults and youth has been demonstrated to be a hyperbolic function and can be described mathematically as the product of insulin sensitivity and β-cell function, called the disposition index (DI) (1). The DI essentially expresses the amount of insulin being secreted relative to the degree of insulin resistance and is a constant for a given degree of glucose tolerance in any one individual. Overweight and obesity are major acquired contributors to the development of insulin resistance, particularly in the face of the physiologic insulin resistance characteristic of puberty. Robust pancreatic β-cell compensatory insulin secretion maintains normal glucose homeostasis. However, in adolescents with obesity who develop type 2 diabetes, there is severe peripheral and hepatic insulin resistance, with ∼50% lower peripheral insulin sensitivity than peers with obesity without diabetes, along with increased fasting hepatic glucose production and inadequate first- and second-phase insulin secretion, resulting …
The Calculation of Atomic and Molecular Electron Binding Energies

Interest in accurate theoretical determination of electron binding energies has grown with the experimental advances in the field of photoelectron spectrometry. Much early work [1] on ionization potentials, photoionization cross sections, chemical shifts etc. relied on semiempirical models. It was also recognized early [2] that ground state Hartree-Fock ab-initio orbital energies (according to Koopmans’ theorem) can with some success be used as measures of valence electron binding energies, while core ionization energies are rather poorly represented in this manner.
Safety findings from Phase 3 lasmiditan studies for acute treatment of migraine: Results from SAMURAI and SPARTAN:

BackgroundWe assessed the safety profile of lasmiditan, a selective 5-HT1F receptor agonist without vasoconstrictive activity being developed as an acute therapy for migraine.MethodsSAMURAI and SPA...
Deformation of singular connections I: G2-instantons with point singularities

Abstract We establish a multiplicative Fredholm theory for a Dirac-type operator associated to a connection with point singularities. There are two applications. 1: over a closed 7-manifold, we develop a deformation theory for G 2 -instantons with isolated (point) singularities. 2: for any G 2 − structure defined near the origin in R 7 , and any Hermitian Yang–Mills connection A O on S 6 , we show that there exists a locally defined G 2 -monopole asymptotic to A O at the origin.
Understanding the New Human Dynamics in Smart Spaces and Places: Toward a Splatial Framework

The smart technologies led by advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the emerging data science in recent years are transforming many facets of society in profound ways. One of t...
Change in paradigm: impact of an IBD medical home on the outpatient management of acute severe ulcerative colitis

A 72-year-old man presents with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC), initially partially responsive to intravenous steroids and infliximab over a 3-day hospital stay. Following discharge and over the course of 15 days, his care was coordinated by the inflammatory bowel disease medical home team, who conducted clinical laboratory assessments and two outpatient flexible sigmoidoscopies to evaluate endoluminal disease activity and treatment response prior to proceeding with a laparoscopic total abdominal colectomy and creation of end ileostomy following medical failure. He was admitted to the hospital for a total of only 7 days, which included attempted medical management of ASUC, surgery and postoperative recovery.
Characterizing the Evolution of Trapped scCO2 Curvature in Bentheimer and Nugget Sandstone Pore Geometry

During a Geologic Carbon Storage process, supercritical CO2 (scCO2) is subjected to a series of dynamic and static conditions where the relationship between pore geometry and the trapped scCO2 curvature remains to be established. To mimic the dynamic process, two sandstones, Bentheimer and Nugget, were subjected to two successive drainage and imbibition (D-I) cycles and X-ray computed tomography scanned at each residual state to capture the wettability evolution at static conditions in the same pore geometry. Both sandstones contain similar grain size distributions, pore size distributions, and pore interconnectivity but differ in that the Nugget formation contains approximately half the porosity of the Bentheimer sandstone, and the pore network contains dead-end pores. scCO2 size distributions, strain calculations, and geometric contact angle measurements were used to characterize the curvature of scCO2 in different pore types between cycles. An increase in geometric contact angle was the greatest when advancement along the pore network of the same ganglion occurred between cycles while strain increased the most with pore-filling trapping. Moreover, Nugget sandstone results in a greater aggregated residual saturation and shows a clear increase in scCO2 sizes with an additional D-I cycle while scCO2 in the Bentheimer core shows a more complex response with some ganglion increasing and some decreasing in size with an additional D-I cycle. From this work, we suspect the pore geometry is playing a role in scCO2 size distributions and use this information to suggest using water pulses to enhance trapping capacity in lower porosity sandstones.
Patient with Heart Transplant

Heart transplant population has been increasing over the last two decades. Currently more than 5000 heart transplants are performed per year worldwide and its been reported that up to 55% of patients undergoing heart transplant will develop chronic pain.
Sequence variation and immunogenicity of the Mycoplasma genitalium MgpB and MgpC adherence proteins during persistent infection of men with non-gonococcal urethritis

Mycoplasma genitalium is a sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen that infects men and women. Antigenic variation of MgpB and MgpC, the immunodominant adherence proteins of M. genitalium, is thought to contribute to immune evasion and chronic infection. We investigated the evolution of mgpB and mgpC sequences in men with non-gonococcal urethritis persistently infected with M. genitalium, including two men with anti-M. genitalium antibodies at enrollment and two that developed antibodies during follow-up. Each of the four patients was persistently infected with a different strain type and each patient produced antibodies targeting MgpB and MgpC. Amino acid sequence evolution in the variable regions of MgpB and MgpC occurred in all four patients with changes observed in single and multiple variable regions over time. Using the available crystal structure of MgpC of the G37 type strain we found that predicted conformational B cell epitopes localize predominantly to the variable region of MgpC, amino acids that changed during patient infection lie in these epitopes, and variant amino acids are in close proximity to the conserved sialic acid binding pocket. These findings support the hypothesis that sequence variation functions to avoid specific antibodies thereby contributing to persistence in the genital tract.
COVID-19 and the Sacrificial International Order

This essay uses COVID-19 to illuminate the sacrificial practices of the liberal international order as woven through the concepts of humanitarian governance, moral economy, triage, and sacrifice The concept of a sacrificial international order calls attention to how all international orders have their share of sacrifices-and this includes liberal international orders International orders can be distinguished by the selection mechanisms used to identify the sacrifices and the meanings attached to them I call attention to how liberal international orders often rely on markets as a selection mechanism and interpret these deaths as part of progress Following critical contributions to the study of neoliberalism that show how markets shape the ethics of "giving life" and "letting die," I illuminate these processes through four concepts: humanitarian governance and the claim that the highest moral principle is saving lives and relieving suffering;moral economy that regulates who has access to basic subsistence goods during periods of crisis;triage, which considers how to prioritize whose lives are valued;and whether all deaths count as sacrifices or whether they are better understood as "those who can be killed " I conclude by discussing how COVID-19 conjures hierarchies of humanity ignored by the liberal international order and challenges the discipline to consider the sacrifices in world order
Prophylactic antibiotics after endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis: a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled noninferiority clinical trial

BACKGROUND Surgeons commonly prescribe prophylactic antibiotics after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), yet minimal data exist to support this practice. In this study we aimed to assess the impact of post-ESS antibiotics on infection, quality of life (QOL), and endoscopic scores. METHODS This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, noninferiority trial comparing amoxicillin-clavulanate vs placebo after ESS (NCT01919411, ClinicalTrials.gov). Adults (N = 77) with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) refractory to appropriate medical therapy who underwent ESS were randomized to antibiotics (N = 37) or placebo (N = 40) and followed clinically (mean ± standard deviation: 1.3 ± 0.3 and 8.8 ± 3.9 weeks postoperatively). At baseline and follow-up, QOL was measured with 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test questionnaires and Lund-Kennedy endoscopic scores were evaluated. Outcomes were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of variance and analysis of covariance and z tests for proportions. RESULTS Placebo was noninferior to antibiotic prophylaxis with regard to postoperative SNOT-22 scores (β = 0.18, 2-tailed p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the antibiotic and placebo groups in LK score trajectories over time (p = 0.63) or in postoperative infection rates (2.6% vs 2.4%, respectively; p = 0.96). The rate of diarrhea was significantly higher in the antibiotic group (24.3% vs 2.5%; relative risk = 10.8; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION Although statistically underpowered, the results suggest placebo was noninferior to prophylactic antibiotics after ESS for CRS regarding postoperative sinonasal-specific QOL. There were no significant differences in postoperative endoscopic scores or rates of infection, but the rate of diarrhea was significantly higher in the antibiotic group. These findings add to the growing evidence that routine use of prophylactic postoperative antibiotics does not improve outcomes post-ESS and significantly increases the rate of diarrhea.
The Significance of Base Rates, Test Sensitivity, Test Specificity, and Subjects’ Knowledge of Symptoms in Assessing TBI Sequelae and Malingering

Three factors are often overlooked in the interpretation of neuropsychological test data collected from patients with head injury. These factors are base rate information regarding symptom sequelae commonly associated with head injury, base rate information regarding test performance passes and failures, and subject knowledge of traumatic brain injury. This chapter is intended to provide information regarding these issues in an attempt to aid the neuropsychologist in conducting and interpreting the neuropsychological assessment. Although base rate data are typically overlooked or ignored in making clinical judgments, specific suggestions for overcoming this base rate fallacy are offered. These include history taking and records review, selection of tests varying along a continuum of sensitivity, and the use of retrospective self-report and collateral interviews. Additionally, misconceptions regarding symptoms following traumatic brain injury will be discussed along with the actual sequelae of mild head injury. The ability of neuropsychologists to identify accurately malingering on neuropsychological tests/batteries will be examined, and the present-day usage of malingering detection tests will be considered in light of the base rate fallacy.
The Politics of Sexual Harassment: Diffusion through supranational actors: sexual harassment in the European Union

European Union Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, celebrating the passage of the directive on sexual harassment, announced at a press conference: “The general level of awareness of sexual harassment in Member States is very poor. Now sexual harassment, absent from most national laws today, will finally have a name” (Commission Press Release April 18, 2002). The 2002 Equal Treatment Directive passed despite the objections of several European member states and the European employers' associations. They had actively criticized the European Union's efforts to combat sexual harassment and long resisted it. They declared sexual harassment a culturally specific issue for which EU-wide regulations could not be developed, and sought to protect businesses against overregulation and additional costs. For example, a spokesman for the United Kingdom right/center Tory party explained: “Sexual harassment has got absolutely nothing to do with the EU” (Philip Bushill-Matthews, Member of the British Parliament, 2002). The Tories not only argued that the EU was intruding on domestic affairs but demanded the dismantling of the European Commission's Equality Directorate, arguing that this office had become “an engine of costly left-wing legislation that was plaguing business with rules and red tape” (Evans-Pritchard 2002). The Commissioner had tried to convince businesses of the value of anti-harassment laws: “In my mind, the chief purpose of this directive is preventive … At the end of the day, a clear and predictable working environment free of sexual harassment is also in the interest of business itself”(Commission Press Release June 7, 2000).
Single Crystals, Powders, and Anisotropy Effects

I have remarked on the fact that the rapid motion of liquids characteristic of high resolution NMR causes us to lose certain types of information. Let us now examine what that information is, and illustrate its significance. To do so I will pick a concrete example — one which my student Dr. Thomas Stakelon has recently carried out for his Ph. D. thesis, completed just before the start of this summer school. Like Dr. Alloul, we have been interested in the general problem of magnetic atoms, such as those of the iron group of the periodic table, in non-magnetic metals such as Cu or Al. Dr. Stakelon has studied the NMR of Cu nuclei which are near neighbours to Fe, Co, or Ni atoms in single crystals of Cu. My student Thomas Aton is looking at the spectrum of single crystals of Cu containing Mn and Cr. In my lecture I will discuss the form of the interactions, and the number and intensity of spectral lines which should result. I will not discuss what this tells us about theories of magnetic atoms in nonmagnetic hosts. My lecture will serve partly to introduce the work of Dr. Alloul.
The role of environmental conditions and exploitation in determining dynamics of redfish (Sebastes species) in the Northwest Atlantic

The six stocks of redfish (Sebastes spp.) in the Northwest Atlantic have been fished for the past 60 years, during which time they have also experienced considerable variability in environmental conditions. Despite their close proximity and with life-history features characteristic of many deep-sea fishes (long-lived, slow-growing, late-maturing, relatively low fecundity), each redfish stock has displayed quite different dynamics. Some have been able to support apparently sustainable fisheries, whereas others have been forced to close. The causes of such differences are unclear. We used dynamic factor analysis to determine the relative impacts of exploitation (days fishing for redfish, days fishing for shrimp, days fished by all fisheries, catch in the redfish fishery, total redfish catch) and environment (North Atlantic Oscillation, surface temperature, salinity, shallow, middle, and deep bottom temperatures) on trends of abundance in each stock over the years 1960–2004. The results showed that a mix of exploitation and environmental variability, with various and different lag times, accounted for observed trends. The Gulf of St. Lawrence stock was affected most by exploitation. Flemish Cap and northern Newfoundland-Labrador stocks were mostly affected by environmental factors with longer time lags than more southerly stocks. We conclude that management of redfish must take into account individual responses to exploitation and environment over the time periods during which such factors operate, often decades or more, as opposed to the usual practice of reviewing only dynamics of the past few years. Deep-sea populations cannot be managed on the same scales as shelf fisheries.
Yeast as a Model for Human Diseases

Yeasts are single-celled eukaryotes that provide a genetically and biochemically amenable model system for biomedical research. Over the past decades, studies in yeast have established a foundation for much of our current knowledge on such fundamental processes as eukaryotic cell cycle control, genetic instability and colon cancer, metabolism and metabolic disease and even aging. Through basic science and pharmaceutical applications, studies in yeast hold promise for even greater contributions in the future. Keywords: yeast; saccharomyces cerevisiae; human genetics; model systems; mutations
Stereotaxic radiosurgical ablation: An alternative treatment for recurrent and multifocal hemangioblastomas: A report of four cases

Craniotomy and resection is usually a safe and effective treatment for hemangioblastoma. However, since the surgical removal of recurrent and multifocal tumors can be associated with greater risks, stereotaxic radiosurgery was used to ablate hemangioblastomas in four patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease. In two of these cases a symptomatic lesion was surgically resected just prior to radiosurgery. The 11 radiosurgically treated tumors (four patients) were spherical and varied in diameter from 0.75 to 2.0 cm with a mean of 1.25 cm. Dose ranged from 30 to 75 Gy with a mean of 35 Gy. After a mean clinical and radiologic follow-up of greater than 1 1/2 years, tumor size and/or cyst formation was controlled in all cases. Nevertheless, it was necessary to temporarily shunt a tumor cyst in one patient. In another case, aggressive treatment resulted in symptomatic radiation necrosis. Despite such potential problems we believe that radiosurgical tumor ablation is a reasonable alternative to craniotomy and/or radiation therapy in poor risk patients. This report is believed to be the first published description of the use of radiosurgery in the treatment of hemangioblastoma.
Lipid Composition of Chlamydia psittaci Growth in Monkey Kidney Cells in Defined Medium

Abstract The lipid compositions of (i) monkey kidney (MK-2) cells cultivated in Eagle's minimal essential medium (MEM) with 5% calf serum, (ii) MK-2 cells cultivated in Waymouth medium supplemented with 20 μg of sodium oleate and 2 mg of bovine albumin per ml, (iii) Chlamydia psittaci strain 6BC grown in the latter host system, and (iv) calf serum were compared. Strain 6BC contains 31% phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) and 15% phosphatidyl glycerol (PG), whereas the host cell contains almost the same amount of PE (27%) and no PG. A high concentration of total lipid was observed in strain 6BC (29 to 34%), whereas MK-2 cells contain only 9 to 15% and calf serum contains 4.5% total lipid. The fatty acids of the total lipid from strain 6BC contain branched-chain acids. These fatty acids were found mostly in PE (33.0%) and PG (37.0%). No branched-chain fatty acid was found in the MK-2 cells. There was an increase in triglyceride content when MK-2 cells cultivated in MEM (19.2%) were compared with cells cultivated in Waymouth medium (28.0%). A high concentration (62.0%) of octadecenoic acid (C18:1) was found in the triglyceride of MK-2 cells cultivated in Waymouth medium. The level of polyunsaturated fatty acids observed in MK-2 cells cultivated in Waymouth medium (10.8%) and in the chlamydiae grown in these cells (13.3%) was low compared with the level in MK-2 cells (28.8%) cultivated in MEM with 5% calf serum and the level in calf serum itself (50.8%). A higher ratio of sterol ester to free sterol was found in calf serum than in MK-2 cells or in chlamydiae. Host contribution to lipid composition of strain 6BC is discussed.
Practical methods for minimizing embedding impact in steganography

In this paper, we propose a general framework and practical coding methods for constructing steganographic schemes that minimize the statistical impact of embedding. By associating a cost of an embedding change with every element of the cover, we first derive bounds on the minimum theoretically achievable embedding impact and then propose a framework to achieve it in practice. The method is based on syndrome codes with low-density generator matrices (LDGM). The problem of optimally encoding a message (e.g., with the smallest embedding impact) requires a binary quantizer that performs near the rate-distortion bound. We implement this quantizer using LDGM codes with a survey propagation message-passing algorithm. Since LDGM codes are guaranteed to achieve the rate-distortion bound, the proposed methods are guaranteed to achieve the minimal embedding impact (maximal embedding efficiency). We provide detailed technical description of the method for practitioners and demonstrate its performance on matrix embedding.
Objectivity in Evaluations for Assisted Suicide: Appreciating the Role of Relational and Intrapsychic Components

Recent literature has emphasized the important role psychologists can play in evaluating patients' competency and decision-making processes in cases of assisted suicide. It is often assumed that psychologists will be objective when conducting evaluations or that current training standards will neutralize potential sources of bias. Yet, providing service to patients who are seeking an assisted suicide may give rise to a number of relational and intrapsychic issues that could influence the evaluation process and its outcomes. In this commentary, we argue that psychologists should not be involved in cases of assisted suicide until they are adequately trained to be cognizant of the psychodynamic issues, particularly their own countertransference, that are likely to emerge within this unique clinical situation. We offer suggestions for augmenting previously recommended training procedures to account for these issues.
“Apples and Oranges Are Both Round”: Furthering the Discussion on the Flynn Effect

While the magnitude of the Flynn effect is well established (approximately 3 points a decade on the Wechsler scales), the causes behind it are still unknown and hotly debated. Kaufman argues that, ...