cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Petroimperialism: US Oil Interests and the Iraq War

It hardly needs to be added that if Saddam does acquire the capability to deliver weapons of mass destruction ... a significant portion of the world’s supply of oil will all be put at hazard ... The only acceptable strategy is ... to undertake military action as diplomacy is clearly failing. In the long term, it means removing Saddam Hussein and his regime from power. That now needs to become the aim of American foreign policy. (1998 letter from Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle (prior to their becoming the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Defense Policy Board) among others sent to President Clinton 26, January 1998, published in the Washington Times 8 March 2001)
Role of fluoroscopic guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in spinal pathologies

Background: The presence of vertebral lesion, whether symptomatic or not presents a diagnostic challenge. Open biopsy of spine is associated with considerable clinical morbidity. Hence it was decided to evaluate the efficacy of fluoroscopic guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FGFNAB) in providing a definitive diagnosis in pathologies of the spine and to determine the degree of co-relation between the histopathological diagnosis and the presumptive clinicoradiological diagnosis. Methods: A prospective study of 103 patients in whom a presumptive diagnosis was made by available imaging techniques (including magnetic resonance imaging) was undertaken. All patients underwent histopathological /cytological examination for confirmation of the presumptive diagnosis, using material obtained through FGFNAB. Results: A definitive diagnosis was established, through FGFNAB, in 76 (73.8%) patients. Non concordant diagnosis was seen in 13(12%) of patients. In 27 (26.2%) patients the results of FGFNAB were inconclusive. Conclusion: FGFNAB is a minimally invasive, technically easy, quick and cost-effective procedure. It can be done on an outpatient basis, under local anaesthesia and often eliminates the need for an open biopsy. FGFNAB can clinch the diagnosis early and helps institute definitive therapy. Hence we strongly recommend FGFNAB as a basic investigation in all pathological lesions of the spine.
Apoptosis as a therapeutic target for the treatment of lung disease

It has been speculated that the destruction of lung tissue, associated with several acute and chronic diseases, is in part mediated through apoptosis or programmed cell death. Thus, it has been shown that both increased endothelial/epithelial cell apoptosis and decreased cell death of inflammatory cells are associated with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. In the light of these observations, it might be possible to use apoptosis modulation as a novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of lung disease.
Domain-and species-specific monoclonal antibodies recognize the Von Willebrand Factor-C domain of CCN5

The CCN family of proteins typically consists of four distinct peptide domains: an insulin-like growth factor binding protein-type (IGFBP) domain, a Von Willebrand Factor C (VWC) domain, a thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSP1) domain, and a carboxy-terminal (CT) domain. The six family members participate in many processes, including proliferation, motility, cell-matrix signaling, angiogenesis, and wound healing. Accumulating evidence suggests that truncated and alternatively spliced isoforms are responsible for the diverse functions of CCN proteins in both normal and pathophysiologic states. Analysis of the properties and functions of individual CCN domains further corroborates this idea. CCN5 is unique among the CCN family members because it lacks the CT-domain. To dissect the domain functions of CCN5, we are developing domain-specific mouse monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies have the advantages of great specificity, reproducibility, and ease of long-term storage and production. In this communication, we injected mixtures of GST-fused rat CCN5 domains into mice to generate monoclonal antibodies. To identify the domains recognized by the antibodies, we constructed serial expression plasmids that express dual-tagged rat CCN5 domains. All of the monoclonal antibodies generated to date recognize the VWC domain, indicating it is the most highly immunogenic of the CCN5 domains. We characterized one particular clone, 22H10, and found that it recognizes mouse and rat CCN5, but not human recombinant CCN5. Purified 22H10 was successfully applied in Western Blot analysis, immunofluorescence of cultured cells and tissues, and immunoprecipitation, indicating that it will be a useful tool for domain analysis and studies of mouse-human tumor models.
Gender and age bias in triage decisions

Abstract Introduction: Recently it has been recognized that women are less likely than men to be diagnosed with a myocardial infarction (MI) or to receive early or aggressive treatment and are more likely than men to die of an MI. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the triage decisions made by ED nurses for persons with symptoms suggestive of MI. The theoretical framework for this investigation was Hammond's lens model for clinical inference and Evan's two-stage reasoning model. Method: Four focus group sessions were conducted. The participant's oral descriptions were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the Krueger method. Results: Content analysis revealed several important issues influencing triage decisions: patient presentation, nursing knowledge and experience, practice environment, intuition, the fear of liability, and gender-specific behaviors. ED nurses held different perceptions regarding the significance and likelihood of MI for male and female patients seeking evaluation and treatment. In addition, ED nurses admitted that MI is not the first diagnosis considered for middle-aged women. Discussion: The inability of ED nurses to associate middle-aged women's presenting symptoms with MI may contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality experienced by this population. The findings of this study have implications for nursing research, education, and practice. (J Emerg Nurs 2000;26:117-24)
Presto: Edge-based Load Balancing for Fast Datacenter Networks

Datacenter networks deal with a variety of workloads, ranging from latency-sensitive small flows to bandwidth-hungry large flows. Load balancing schemes based on flow hashing, e.g., ECMP, cause congestion when hash collisions occur and can perform poorly in asymmetric topologies. Recent proposals to load balance the network require centralized traffic engineering, multipath-aware transport, or expensive specialized hardware. We propose a mechanism that avoids these limitations by (i) pushing load-balancing functionality into the soft network edge (e.g., virtual switches) such that no changes are required in the transport layer, customer VMs, or networking hardware, and (ii) load balancing on fine-grained, near-uniform units of data (flowcells) that fit within end-host segment offload optimizations used to support fast networking speeds. We design and implement such a soft-edge load balancing scheme, called Presto, and evaluate it on a 10 Gbps physical testbed. We demonstrate the computational impact of packet reordering on receivers and propose a mechanism to handle reordering in the TCP receive offload functionality. Presto's performance closely tracks that of a single, non-blocking switch over many workloads and is adaptive to failures and topology asymmetry.
A New Technique for the Analysis of the Dispersion Characteristics of Microstrip Lines

Dispersion characteristics of shielded microstrip lines are investigated using a new technique. The method utilizes the well-known singular integral equation approach for deriving an alternate form of eigenvalue equation with superior convergence properties. It is shown that accurate numerical results may be obtained from this eigenvalue equation using only a 2x2 matrix equation. In comparison, the conventional formulation of the problem requires the use of matrices that are much larger in size. Aside from the numerical efficiency, the simplicity of the method makes it possible to conveniently extract higher order modal solutions for the propagation constants that affect the high-frequency application of microstrip lines. Even though the derivation of the determinantal equation requires some intricate mathematical manipulations, the user may bypass these completely and use the final eigenvalue equation which is programmable on the computer.
Metabolic control of G1-S transition: cyclin E degradation by p53-induced activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Cell cycle progression is precisely regulated by diverse extrinsic and intrinsic cellular factors. Previous genetic analysis in Drosophila melanogaster has shown that disruption of the mitochondrial electron transport chain activates a G1–S checkpoint as a result of a control of cyclin E by p53. This regulation does not involve activation of the p27 homologue dacapo in flies. We demonstrate that regulation of cyclin E is not at the level of transcription or translation. Rather, attenuated mitochondrial activity leads to transcriptional upregulation of the F-box protein archipelago, the Fbxw7 homologue in flies. We establish that archipelago and the proteasomal machinery contribute to degradation of cyclin E in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. Our work provides in vivo genetic evidence for p53-mediated integration of metabolic stress signals, which modulate the activity of the ubiquitin–proteasome system to degrade cyclin E protein and thereby impose cell cycle arrest.
Transcriptional Regulation of the pdt Gene Cluster of Pseudomonas stutzeri KC Involves an AraC/XylS Family Transcriptional Activator (PdtC) and the Cognate Siderophore Pyridine-2,6-Bis(Thiocarboxylic Acid)

In order to gain an understanding of the molecular mechanisms dictating production of the siderophore and dechlorination agent pyridine-2,6-bis(thiocarboxylic acid) (PDTC), we have begun characterization of a gene found in the pdt gene cluster of Pseudomonas stutzeri KC predicted to have a regulatory role. That gene product is an AraC family transcriptional activator, PdtC. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and expression of transcriptional reporter fusions were used to assess a role for pdtC in the transcription of pdt genes. PdtC and an upstream, promoter-proximal DNA segment were required for wild-type levels of expression from the promoter of a predicted biosynthesis operon (P(pdtF)). At least two other transcriptional units within the pdt cluster were also dependent upon pdtC for expression at wild-type levels. The use of a heterologous, Pseudomonas putida host demonstrated that pdtC and an exogenously added siderophore were necessary and sufficient for expression from the pdtF promoter, i.e., none of the PDTC utilization genes within the pdt cluster were required for transcriptional signaling. Tests using the promoter of the pdtC gene in transcriptional reporter fusions indicated siderophore-dependent negative autoregulation similar to that seen with other AraC-type regulators of siderophore biosynthesis and utilization genes. The data increase the repertoire of siderophore systems known to be regulated by this type of transcriptional activator and have implications for PDTC signaling.
Lifetime manic spectrum episodes and all-cause mortality: 26-year follow-up of the NIMH epidemiologic catchment area study

Abstract Background While evidence suggests that depression is associated with medical morbidity and mortality, the potential role of mania has received less attention. This analysis evaluated the association between manic spectrum episodes and risk of all-cause mortality over a 26-year follow-up in a population-based study. Methods Participants included 14,870 adults (mean age 48.2±20.3; 58.2% female; 31.1% non-white) from four sites of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study who completed the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) mania assessment between 1980 and 1983 and had vital status data available through 2007. Participants were grouped into four mutually exclusive categories based on DIS mania assessment: (1) manic episode (n=46); (2) hypomanic episode (n=195); (3) sub-threshold manic symptoms (n=1041); and (4) no manic spectrum episodes (n=13,588). To determine vital status, participants were matched with the National Death Index. Participants with manic spectrum episodes were compared to those without such episodes with regard to mortality after 26 years. Results After adjusting for major depressive symptoms and demographic differences, odds of mortality at follow-up for participants with lifetime manic spectrum episodes in the 30–44 and 45–64 year age cohorts at baseline were higher than those with no lifetime manic spectrum episodes in the same age cohorts (OR=1.39, 95% CI=[1.00, 1.93] and OR=1.41, 95% CI=[1.02, 1.95] respectively). Conclusions History of lifetime manic spectrum episodes in early to mid adulthood is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in mid to late life. Limitations Future studies of mania and mortality should evaluate specific causes of mortality.
Timing of aortic valve surgery

The timing of aortic valve surgery is described for patients presenting with two conditions: aortic stenosis and chronic aortic regurgitation. Aortic stenosis may be caused by rheumatic disease, a congenital bicuspid valve or calcification of a trileaflet valve. In Europe and North America, the aetiology of aortic stenosis most often is increased leaflet stiffness, without commissural fusion, caused by lipo-calcific deposits on the aortic side of the valve leaflets. This active disease process affects both congenitally bicuspid and normal trileaflet aortic valves and represents the extreme of a spectrum of disease that includes both aortic sclerosis without outflow obstruction and severe valvar aortic stenosis. Aortic valve sclerosis and stenosis are the most common valve diseases in Europe and North America, with sclerosis present in about 25% of all people over age 65 years and stenosis present in 2–7% of this population.1 Significant outflow obstruction tends to occur at a younger age in patients with a bicuspid valve, possibly related to increased mechanical stress on the valve leaflets. At the tissue level, aortic valve stenosis is characterised by focal areas of displacement of the subendothelial elastic lamina on the aortic side of the leaflet; there is protein and lipoprotein deposition and an inflammatory cell infiltrate with macrophages, T lymphocytes, and production of proteins, such as osteopontin, that are associated with tissue calcification. Ongoing studies of this active disease process will further clarify mechanisms of disease. ### Aortic sclerosis The initial phase of the disease process leading to aortic stenosis is mild leaflet thickening without obstruction to ventricular outflow, defined as aortic sclerosis. Although these patients do not have cardiac symptoms, they still are at increased risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. In the population based Cardiovascular Health Study, subjects with aortic sclerosis on echocardiography and no known cardiovascular disease had an approximately 50% increased …
Effects of dairy ingredients on cytokine responses to LPS challenge in mice (822.5)

Gut permeability to bacterial cell wall components, e.g.LPS, are thought to play a causative role in chronic systemic inflammation leading to disease. The effects of individual protein sources, namely isolated soy protein (ISP), dried whole milk powder (DWMP), milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) or milk protein concentrate (MPC) on cytokine responses to LPS (Salmonella) challenge was studied using whole blood from C57BL/6J mice (n=10/group) following 13 wk of test diet feeding. Isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets provided 20 EN% protein, 50 EN% carbohydrate and 30 EN% fat. Mice grew and consumed feed similarly. Multiplex assay for basal inflammatory cytokines showed lowest values for DWMP in all cases and significant for IL-1β and TNF-α (p<0.05). No differences in basal IL-10 were observed. In response to LPS challenge IL-12(p70), IFN-γ, TNF-α and MIP-2 were unchanged. Fold increases in IL-1β and IL-6 were lowest for MPC while ISP and DWMP showed the greatest increase in IL-1β and IL-6, respectively (p<0.05)...
Declines in Acute Myocardial Infarction After Smoke-Free Laws and Individual Risk Attributable to Secondhand Smoke

Background— The estimated effects of recent pubic and workplace smoking restriction laws suggest that they produce significant declines in community rates of heart attack. The consistency of these declines with existing estimates of the relative risk of heart attack in individuals attributable to passive smoking exposure is poorly understood. The objective is to determine the consistency of estimates of reductions in community rates of heart attacks resulting from smoking restriction laws with estimates of the relative risk of heart disease in individuals exposed to passive smoking. Methods and Results— Meta-analyses of existing estimates of declines in community rates were compared with a mathematical model of the relationship between individual risk and community rates. The outcome measure is the ratio of community rates of acute myocardial infarction (after divided by before implementation of a smoking restriction law). There is a significant drop in the rate of acute myocardial infarction hospital adm...
LVDCSL: a high fan-in, high-performance, low-voltage differential current switch logic family

This paper presents a low voltage differential current switch logic (LVDCSL) gate capable of achieving high performance for large fan-in gates. High fan-in is enabled by using a large height predischarged N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) trees. The power penalty of an increased number of internal nodes in the gate is mitigated by restricting their voltage swings. The salient features of this low-voltage DCSL family are high speed for high fan-in large stack height NMOS trees, low power due to restricted internal voltage swings, simple interface to static complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), and a latching nature which locks out inputs once outputs are evaluated. Results show that LVDCSL is capable of working at under 2 V in a 0.35% CMOS process while being faster than comparable Domino gates. At the same time total power consumption is reduced. LVDCSL achieves 40% delay improvement and 22% power reduction in comparison with dual rail Domino gates for 8 bit carry look-ahead circuits. Results for the critical path of an adder reveal that the complexity afforded by the gate, effectively decreases the number of logic levels and leads to improved performance.
Brooding and healthy reason: Kant’s regimen for the religious imagination

Kant’s critical philosophy responds in parallel ways to mysticism and speculative metaphysics. In doing so, he develops the distinction between brooding reason and healthy reason, the former causing excessive attention and abstraction that the latter must contain. Mystics and metaphysicians, according to Kant, exemplify such brooding reason. His regimen for maintaining healthy reason is not simply an operation of rational thought but itself an embodied activity as well, and these two activities intersect in the imagination. Although Kant’s work is often understood as wholly dismissive of mystical experience, I argue that his treatment of the religious imagination is fraught with ambiguity and can be most usefully understood as a technique for managing the incongruity of two types of religious imagination: the locative and the utopian.
Comparison of Electromyographic Activity in the Lumbar Paraspinal Muscles of Subjects with and without Chronic Low Back Pain

My purpose, in this study, was to test the reflex-spasm model of chronic pain by comparing the levels of muscle activity in the lumbar paraspinal muscles of subjects with and without chronic low back pain (CLBP). Each group, the CLBP group and the nonpain (NP) group, comprised 11 subjects who were matched by age and sex. I used surface electrodes to record integrated electromyographic (IEMG) activity from each side of the low back. All subjects performed three experimental tasks and a reference (normalizing) task. The three experimental tasks were quiet sitting, standing, and sitting during a repetitive unilateral upper extremity task (active sitting). The CLBP and NP groups showed no significant difference for any of the three experimental tasks. For both groups, the active sitting IEMG levels were significantly higher than the quiet sitting and standing IEMG levels. The quiet sitting and standing IEMG levels were not significantly different from each other. The findings of similar levels of IEMG activity in both the CLBP and NP groups while they performed these tasks suggested that the reflex-spasm cycle was not present and, therefore, was not a cause of pain in the subjects with CLBP.
Pituitary and plasma prolactin levels in male rats as influenced by the pineal gland

Rendering 21-day-old male rats blind (by bilateral orbital enucleation) and anosmic (by removal of the olfactory bulbs) resulted in severely depressed body weights and anterior pituitary gland weights and in reduced pituitary levels of prolactin until the animals were 125 days of age. Pinealectomy in blind anosmic rats returned all parameters toward those in controls although body weights and absolute pituitary weights were still slightly lower (p < 0.05 vs. intact controls) than normal in the animals autopsied at 75 and 100 days of age. By 125 days of age all rats had equivalent body and organ weights and also by this time pituitary prolactin levels had returned to the levels of those found in intact and pinealectomized control animals. Only in blind anosmic rats killed at 75 days of age were plasma levels of prolactin found to be significantly depressed.
ICOE Welcomes JBJS and OREF as Partners

January 2002 marked another milestone in the history of the International Center for Orthopaedic Education (ICOE). The ICOE is proud to welcome two new sponsors, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF). The addition of these two orthopaedic institutions alongside the other cosponsors, the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) and Orthopaedic Hospital in Los Angeles, helps to ensure that the ICOE can provide its humanitarian services to the world orthopaedic community for years to come. Currently the ICOE lists more than 2300 clinical, research, teaching, and service experiences in seventy-eight countries on six continents. Of these offerings, 36% are short-term (less than three months), 36% are long-term (more than three months), and 28% are flexible (time arranged by offerer and applicant). Thirty-five percent of the experiences are associated with some financial support, and 21% provide housing; 40% provide low-cost housing. Since the ICOE's inception in 1994, orthopaedic surgeons from about 115 countries have filed more than 6700 applications. As a testament to the effectiveness of the Internet, 3643 of these new applicants have registered since the ICOE's redesigned web site …
South China Sea and Freedom of Navigation: Taking a Closer Look at the Freedom of Navigation 'Myth'

In the ongoing South China Sea situation, People's Republic of China (PRC) government officials and Chinese commentators have attempted to message that any international concern about China’s actions in the South China and their impact on the freedom of navigation is much ado about nothing. They also suggest that, because China has not interfered with commercial ships transiting the South China Sea, the world has nothing to worry about when it comes to the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. In response, this commentary will focus on analyzing this “myth” regarding the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea (hereinafter, the “FON myth”). The analysis below will attempt to test the FON myth, by (1) identifying the applicable universal standards, (2) correcting inherent fallacies in the myth, and (3) applying those standards to relevant data. Steps 1 and 2 will be covered in this commentary, and Step 3 will be covered in a follow-on commentary.
P1 Omalizumab in Paediatric Asthma: Importance of Multi-Disciplinary Assessment to Identify Eligible Patients

Omalizumab is effective treatment for patients with severe asthma. It is reserved for patients with truly severe disease as it is expensive and associated with significant treatment burden. Identifying this small number of patients in problematic severe asthma (PSA) group is challenging. We evaluated the impact of multi-disciplinary severe asthma (SA) protocol on identifying those with severe disease and on potential use of omalizumab. After initial clinic visit, 19 patients aged between 6–15yrs with PSA underwent specialist nurse led SA protocol which included: assessment of clinical status, lung function, atopy, inhaler technique, asthma control test (ACT), quality of life (QoL); home visit for further assessment of environment, adherence and psychosocial comorbidities; school contact to address impact on education. Before SA protocol, 17/19 patients met criteria for use of omalizumab. After SA protocol, only 6(35%)were eligible as modifiable factors were identified in 11(65%). They included poor adherence, ongoing allergen exposure and psychological issues. 5/6 patients received omalizumab and 4(80%) improved. Of other 11 patients, clinical status improved in 6 (55%), unchanged but stable in 4(36%), worsened in 1(9%) after assessment. SA protocol identified modifiable factors in significant proportion of PSA children limiting omalizumab use to those with truly severe disease. Home visit assessment is essential to identify these factors which would otherwise be unrecognised. We hypothesise that proper recognition and management of these factors might not only ensure appropriate use of omalizumab but also improve its effectiveness.
EPR Evidence for Metal-Insulator Transition in the "One-Dimensional" Platinum Complex K 2 Pt ( CN ) 4 Br 1 3 · 3 H 2 O

Electron paramagnetic resonance has been observed in the mixed-valency platinum complex ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}\mathrm{Pt}{(\mathrm{CN})}_{4}{\mathrm{Br}}_{\frac{1}{3}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}3{\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$. The $g$ factors observed are characteristic of ${d}_{{z}^{2}}$-like hole states. The variation of the observed signal intensity is not consistent with the interrupted-strand model or the disorder model but is in accord with the predictions of the Peierls-distortion model.
Choosing How to Choose: From Democratic Primaries to Unholy Alliances in Mexico's Gubernatorial Elections

This article looks at how the major Mexican parties chose their gubernatorial candidates between 1997 and 2011. In contrast to arguments that parties adopt internal elections in order to achieve an electoral advantage by selecting ‘better’ candidates, this article finds that the decision to use an internal election to select candidates primarily reflected internal considerations. Specifically, parties were more likely to use primaries when they cost less, when parties themselves were more ideologically homogenous, and when competitive conditions in a state encouraged internal rivals to put pressure on party leaders to open up candidate selection.
Problems Arising in Antimicrobial Therapy Due to False Susceptibility Testing

In vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing provides clinicians with guidelines to assess microbial sensitivities to various antibiotics. However, susceptibility testing is a laboratory procedure which does not always reflect the in vivo situation. False susceptibility testing is often due to methodological/disk concentration problems. In vitro versus in vivo discrepancies may also occur because of problems with varying pH/antibiotic concentration at the infection site. Clinicians should use susceptibility testing as a guide, but must rely upon the patient's clinical response as the ultimate in vivo susceptibility test.
Codeine Pharmacogenetics as a Proof of Concept for Pediatric Precision Medicine.

* Abbreviations: FDA — : US Food and Drug Administration UM — : ultrarapid metabolizer Codeine is a prodrug whose analgesic efficacy derives from a 5% to 10% metabolic conversion to the active drug morphine by the polymorphic cytochrome P450 CYP2D6 enzyme system. Among individuals, codeine metabolism varies in proportion to the number and function of gene alleles. Dosing recommendations achieve therapeutic drug exposures in the great majority of the general population, who are “extensive metabolizers” possessing the wild type phenotype of 1 to 2 fully functional alleles. But codeine fails to provide adequate analgesia in many patients with reduced CYP2D6 function; of greater concern, “ultra-rapid metabolizers” (UMs), who have >3 functional genes due to gene copying, are at risk for serious adverse events including respiratory arrest and death. UMs make up 1% to 2% of the general population but as many as 28% in certain Arab, Ethiopian, and North African populations.1 In the past decade, multiple reports have recounted deaths in children receiving standard dosages of codeine for analgesia. Most of the children who had genomic analysis were found to demonstrate a UM phenotype, although 1 child was determined to be an extensive metabolizer.2 The American Academy of … Address correspondence to Mark L. Hudak, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine–Jacksonville, 653-1 W 8th St, Jacksonville, FL 32209. E-mail: mark.hudak{at}jax.ufl.edu
104 Gbps PAM4 transmission over OM3 and OM4 fibers using 850 and 880 nm VCSELs

The receiver sensitivity of 52 Gbps-PAM4 is investigated over OM3/OM4 fibers in real time. The measured sensitivities are compared and correlated with measured fiber bandwidths for 850/880 nm channels to examine 104 Gbps SWDM2-PAM4 transmission.
Commenting on the News

Journalists and digital news audiences value virtual conversations about the news, but only if they embody civil discussion. Drawing on a content analysis of 1379 stories and 333,605 user comments across 20 news websites, this study focuses on predictors of the volume of comments (as an indicator of user engagement and interactivity with the news) and the relative quality of those discussions, in terms of civility/hostility. The analysis explores variations in the degree and quality of user comments across story content (topic; including outside sources), story format (multimedia features), journalist participation in commenting platforms, and organizational commenting policies. The results shed light on how journalists and news organizations might encourage more and higher-quality user engagement with the news.
P079 Experience using the illumina HLA trusight NGS kits: Version 1 vs. version 2

Aim We present the evaluation of two NGS-based HLA typing kits from Illumina, comparing TruSight kit version 1 with the newly released version 2 kit. Methods Following Illumina’s protocol, 26 clinical and two IHWG DNA samples were evaluated using both kits. Samples had previously been Sanger sequenced. Pooled libraries were run on the Illumina MiSeq. Version 1 required the use of the 2 × 250 (500 cycle) MiSeq Reagent Kit whereas, version 2 required the use of the 2 × 150 (300 cycle) kit. Fastq files were analyzed using Conexio’s Assign software, versions 1.0.0.729 and 2.0.0.889 respectively. Results The version 2 kit outperformed the version 1 kit in several respects: there were fewer failures, fewer two-field ambiguities for B and DRB1 genes, and fewer problems with coverage and quality. Improvements in typing resolution are due to changes in primer locations. In addition, changes to the library preparation procedure simplified the process. In version 2, sample amplicons are now pooled much earlier in the process resulting in less pipetting and fewer consumables required. The change from the 500 to 300 cycle MiSeq kit resulted in time savings. The 500 cycle kit required 40 h of instrument run time while the 300 cycle kit only required 20 h of run time. In version 1, 88.9% of all samples typed correctly and unambiguously (2-field) whereas 97.8% of samples did so in version 2. Conclusions The improvements and change to the 300 cycle reagent kit enabled us to take six samples from genomic DNA to high-resolution HLA genotyping results in 48 h. Illumina has made numerous improvements to their HLA TruSight HLA NGS kit which has made it a viable option for clinical implementation.
Hydrodynamics of the Ballast-Free Ship Revisited

In order to clarify the existence and amount of a required propulsion power reduction possible with the efficient use of the Ballast-Free Ship concept on a Seaway-size bulk carrier, additional experimental and computational hydrodynamics studies were undertaken during the past year. Experimental studies performed in the University of Michigan Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory (MHL) are described. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigations performed using Star-CCM+ at both model and full scale are also presented.
High Throughput, Parallel, Scalable LDPC Encoder/Decoder Architecture for OFDM Systems

This paper presents a high throughput, parallel, scalable and irregular LDPC coding and decoding system hardware implementation that supports twelve combinations of block lengths 648, 1296, 1944 bits and code rates 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6 based on IEEE 802.11n standard. Based on architecture-aware LDPC codes, we propose an efficient joint LDPC coding and decoding hardware architecture. The prototype architecture is being implemented on FPGA and tested over the air on our wireless OFDM testbed, which is a highly capable, scalable and extensible platform for advanced wireless research. The ASIC resource requirements of the decoder are reported and a trade-off between pipelined and non-pipelined implementation is described.
Normative Tandem Gait in Collegiate Student-Athletes: Implications for Clinical Concussion Assessment.

Background:Impaired balance is common after concussion. The third edition of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT-3) recommends the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and/or tandem gait for ...
Effectiveness of Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir with/without Ribavarin in Liver Transplant Recipients with Hepatitis C.

Background and Aims: Recurrent infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in liver transplant (LT) recipients is universal and associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
Neuropathological Comparison of Adult Onset and Juvenile Huntington's Disease with Cerebellar Atrophy: A Report of a Father and Son.

Background Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat expansion in huntingtin (HTT) on chromosome 4. Anticipation can cause longer repeat expansions in children of HD patients. Juvenile Huntington's disease (JHD), defined as HD arising before age 20, accounts for 5-10% of HD cases, with cases arising in the first decade accounting for approximately 1%. Clinically, JHD differs from the predominately choreiform adult onset Huntington's disease (AOHD) with variable presentations, including symptoms such as myoclonus, seizures, Parkinsonism, and cognitive decline. Objective The neuropathologic changes of AOHD are well characterized, but there are fewer reports that describe the neuropathology of JHD. Here we report a case of a six-year-old boy with paternally-inherited JHD caused by 169 CAG trinucleotide repeats who presented at age four with developmental delay, dysarthria, and seizures before dying at age 6. The boy's clinical presentation and neuropathological findings are directly compared to those of his father, who presented with AOHD and 54 repeats. Methods A full autopsy was performed for the JHD case and a brain-only autopsy was performed for the AOHD case. Histochemically- and immunohistochemically-stained slides were prepared from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Results Both cases had neuropathology corresponding to Vonsattel grade 3. The boy also had cerebellar atrophy with huntingtin-positive inclusions in the cerebellum, findings not present in the father. Conclusions Autopsies of father and son provide a unique opportunity to compare and contrast the neuropathologic findings of juvenile and adult onset HD while also providing the first immunohistochemical evidence of cerebellar involvement in JHD. Additionally this is the first known report to include findings from peripheral tissue in a case of JHD.
Other Multiple Comparison Methods

A complete data analysis often requires more than a simple overall F test or a limited number of planned comparisons. Many important discoveries are “after the fact”—unanticipated relationships found in the data. Such relationships cannot be rested by planned comparisons; the choice of a comparison on the basis of apparent differences among the obtained means would introduce a strong bias in favor of rejecting the null hypothesis. Other techniques for making multiple comparisons exist, but they have very low power; in many cases, they will not find a significant difference unless it is large enough to be obvious without a test.
Multiple cluster CH activations and transformations of furan by triosmium carbonyl complexes

Reaction of Os3(CO)10(NCMe)2 with the triosmium furyne complex Os3(CO)9(μ3,η2-C4H2O)(μ-H)2, 1 yielded the bis-triosmium complex 2 containing a bridging furyenyl ligand by CH activation at the uncoordinated C–C double bond. Heating 2 led to additional CH activation with formation of the first furdiyne C4O ligand in the complex Os3(CO)9(μ-H)2(μ3-η2-2,3-μ3-η2-4,5-C4O)Os3(CO)9(μ-H)2, 3. The furdiyne ligand in 3 was subsequently ring-opened and decarbonylated to yield products 4 and 5 containing novel bridging C3 ligands. Complex 2 also undergoes ring opening to yield an intermediate Os3(CO)9(μ-H)(μ3-η2-μ-η2-CH–C–CH–CO)Os3(CO)10(μ-H), 6 which was also decarbonylated thermally to yield 4 and 5. All products were characterized by a combination of IR, NMR, mass spec and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.
Refractory Hypoxemia in a Patient with Submassive Pulmonary Embolism and an Intracardiac Shunt: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Introduction Acute pulmonary embolism is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death. Management options include anticoagulation with or without thrombolysis. Concurrent persistent hypoxemia should be a clue to the existence of an intracardiac shunt. Case presentation A 46-year-old man experienced acute hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation after anesthesia induction for elective hip arthroplasty. He was found to have submassive bilateral pulmonary emboli with acute right ventricular dysfunction and a coexisting patent foramen ovale with right-to-left shunt. He remained profoundly hypoxemic despite catheter-directed thrombolysis. He underwent surgical embolectomy with partial endarterectomy, resulting in clinical improvement. Discussion The management of acute submassive pulmonary embolism is undertaken on an individualized basis because of the wide spectrum of clinical presentations. In this report we review the literature and discuss the evidence behind the management of cases of acute pulmonary embolism complicated by hypoxemia from a patent foramen ovale. In a case of acute pulmonary embolism complicated by refractory hypoxemia from an intracardiac shunt, adjunctive therapies in addition to anticoagulation and thrombolysis must be considered.
Adolescent mental health education InSciEd Out: a case study of an alternative middle school population

Mental illness contributes substantially to global disease burden, particularly when illness onset occurs during youth and help-seeking is delayed and/or limited. Yet, few mental health promotion interventions target youth, particularly those with or at high risk of developing mental illness (“at-risk” youth). Community-based translational research has the capacity to identify and intervene upon barriers to positive health outcomes. This is especially important for integrated care in at-risk youth populations. Here the Integrated Science Education Outreach (InSciEd Out) program delivered a novel school-based anti-stigma intervention in mental health to a cohort of seventh and eighth grade at-risk students. These students were assessed for changes in mental health knowledge, stigmatization, and help-seeking intentions via a classroom activity, surveys, and teacher interviews. Descriptive statistics and Cohen’s d effect sizes were employed to assess pre–post changes. Inferential statistical analyses were also conducted on pilot results to provide a benchmark to inform future studies. Elimination of mental health misconceptions (substance weakness p = 0.00; recovery p = 0.05; prevention p = 0.05; violent p = 0.05) was accompanied by slight gains in mental health literacy (d = 0.18) and small to medium improvements in help-seeking intentions (anxiety d = 0.24; depression d = 0.48; substance d = 0.43; psychosis d = 0.53). Within this particular cohort of students, stigma was exceptionally low at baseline and remained largely unchanged. Teacher narratives revealed positive teacher views of programming, increased student openness to talk about mental illness, and higher peer and self-acceptance of mental health diagnoses and help-seeking. Curricular-based efforts focused on mental illness in an alternative school setting are feasible and integrated well into general curricula under the InSciEd Out framework. Preliminary data suggest the existence of unique help-seeking barriers in at-risk youth. Increased focus upon community-based programming has potential to bridge gaps in translation, bringing this critical population to clinical care in pursuit of improved mental health for all. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, ID:NCT02680899. Registered 12 February 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02680899
Organizing the musical canon: the repertoires of major U.S. symphony orchestras, 1842 to 1969

Abstract Scholars have addressed the tendency of U.S. symphony orchestras to perform the works of relatively few composers. While many highlight this phenomenon, others note that the nature and extent of this conformity can shift over time, as reliance on the works of certain composers decreases and allows the works of newly heralded composers to be heard. Drawing on the work of DiMaggio and others, we derive hypotheses about field-level factors influencing both phenomena. We analyze more than 86,500 performances given by 27 major U.S. symphony orchestras between 1842 and 1969. Our findings indicate that three factors spur the introduction of new composers into orchestral repertoires: the increased performance capabilities of symphony orchestras, the expanded resources for new music, and the proliferation of music programs among U.S. colleges and universities. We also find that one of these factors reduces the conformity of orchestral repertoires: the increased performance capabilities of orchestras. Our exploratory analyses, then, offer lessons about the organization of the musical canon.
Kienbock’s Disease

Although Kienbock’s disease (avascular necrosis of the lunate) is relatively rare, it can lead to severe chronic wrist pain in young to middle aged males. The inciting factor that causes Kienbock’s disease is thought to be multifactorial but trauma is often an underlying etiology.
Seasonal Hypothermia, Hypersomnolence, Encephalopathy, and Hypoventilation Following Hypothalamus Injury - A Case of Human Hibernation? (P2.122)

Objective: Nearly all land-dwelling mammalian orders, including primates (the fat tailed lemur of Madagascar, Cheirogaleus medius) have at least one species that hibernates. Its evolutionary persistence suggests that seasonal hibernation is a deeply ingrained trait that could plausibly occur in Homo sapiens. Background: We present the case of a 51-year-old retired Nigerian physician living in Minneapolis, Minnesota (45° north latitude) who presented with transient seasonal episodes of profound hypothermia, hypersomnolence, bradycardia, encephalopathy, and hypoventilation consistent with mammalian hibernation. Approximately 20 years prior, he acquired HIV via accidental needle stick and subsequently presented with CNS toxoplasmosis, an AIDS defining illness, extending to the region of the hypothalamus. He was treated with clindamycin and pyrimethamine after sulfadiazine caused hives. Serial MRIs revealed a stable contrast enhancing lesion involving the left medial thalamus extending to the left cerebral peduncle via the hypothalamus. Additional FLAIR hyperintensities were noted in the left corona radiata and right parietal subcortical white matter. Design/Methods: NA Results: Following his initial presentation, he had multiple re-admissions for stereotyped episodes of hypothermia (nadir 31° Celsius), hypersomnolence, bradycardia, hypoventilation, and altered mental status. They would last for several weeks. The only intervention which appeared to hasten his improvement would be external warming. The episodes have been temporally grouped in the fall and spring months while living in Minneapolis, MN. After discharge, particularly during winter months, he would monitor his condition through frequent measurements of body temperature. Body rewarming appeared to help prevent further hospitalizations Conclusions: We suspect that injury to the hypothalamus is responsible for his symptoms. This patient’s syndrome, while plausibly an epiphenomena, is remarkably similar to the expected physiologic changes of hibernating mammals and may represent the first report of hibernation in humans. This case highlights the importance of hypothalamic influence on autonomic function and sleep. Disclosure: Dr. Mohl has nothing to disclose. Dr. Howell has nothing to disclose.
Chapter II.6.16 – Tissue Engineering with Decellularized Tissues

Materials for the repair or reconstruction of injured, missing or weakened tissues can be composed of either synthetic or naturally occurring components. The optimal material for each application should be selected based upon criteria such as the structural and mechanical requirements of the intended application, the type of response expected from the adjacent host tissue, and the ability of the material to support normal tissue growth and function over the long-term. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches utilize “scaffold” materials to facilitate the restoration of the normal structure and function of the tissue or organ of interest. This chapter focuses exclusively on the use of decellularized tissues (i.e., extracellular matrix) as scaffold materials in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.