cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utility of FDG PET/CT in patients with Myofascial Pain Syndrome

1694 Objectives The mechanism of uptake of 18F-FDG suggests a role in the evaluation of pain. Areas of FDG uptake in muscle are often seen in oncology PET scans but of unknown etiology. To understand this better, we examined a group of patients with significant focal muscle pain with FDG PET/CT. Methods Patients with a diagnosis of Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) and active trigger points were prospectively recruited from the Stanford University Pain Management Center and scanned with a whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT. Patients with a history of cancer, recent surgery, or recent trigger point injections were excluded. Medications that may decrease FDG uptake were temporarily stopped. The location of the patients’ pain were identified by a physician, as well as the by the patient, and recorded on a standard whole-body diagram. The PET/CT scans were reviewed without knowledge of the location of the patient’s pain, then correlated. Results Eight subjects included 5 women and 3 men, with an average age of 49 years. The average pain score was 7.5/10. The sites of pain primarily included the neck and back. The physician and patient reported sites of pain agreed in all cases. Only 1 out of the 8 patients studied had any abnormal 18F-FDG uptake seen on their PET/CT scan; all other scans were negative, both qualitatively and qualitatively. That one patient (see figure) had abnormal focal FDG uptake in the right T9/10 intervertebral space, which correlated with the radicular distribution of his pain along the right mid-back. Ultimately, an osteid osteoma was removed from this site with subsequent pain resolution. Conclusions Our hypothesis that FDG would show focal areas of muscle activity in patients with MPS was not borne out. These results suggest that increased glucose utilization is either not associated with muscle pain, or the degree of uptake is below the sensitivity for PET. As such, this study does not support the use of FDG PET for MPS. Other types of painful conditions may have different findings and should be studied.
Hamiltonian Closure in Random Graphs

The closure C * (C) of a graph G with n vertices is obtained by iteratively adding edges to G between nonadjacent vertices whose degrees sum to at least n. We show that for almost all graphs G with edge probability at least 1/2, C * (G) is a complete graph, answering a question posed by Palmer.
A Fast GPU Point-cloud Registration Algorithm

The purpose of point cloud registration is to find a 3D rigid body transformation so that the 3D coordinates of the point cloud at different angles can be correctly matched. With the current advances of high definition (HD) 3D cameras, several applications have emerged utilizing stereoscopic cameras. For real time objects tracking, fast point cloud registration calculations are required. In the current study we have considered two methods: a standard Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and a truncated SVD (TSVD) point cloud registration algorithm. The registration process can be summarized in the following steps; the centroids of the chosen point datasets are first found, then they both are aligned to the origin, and then the optimal rotation and translation are determined based on the SVD or on the TSVD technique. Our strategy was firstly to identify the major computational bottlenecks of our code, and secondly parallelize them on the GPU accordingly. Performance tests were conducted on three GPU cards in comparison to a serial version of the algorithm executed on a CPU. Performance comparisons are also conducted between the parallel SVD and the parallel TSVD in order to test the computational efficiency of them on GPU cards. The studies indicated that there is no computational benefit from the parallization of the simple SVD on GPU. On the contrary, there is computational advantage of the parallel TSVD, but it varies with the GPU architecture. Speedup factors were recorded for every registration steps for all GPU cards. The step 2 of registration process was the most computational expensive task for the algorithm, and when it was parallelized on K40m card gave a maximum speed up of ~100 for the maximum number of pixels, while for other resolution sizes the performance of K40m decreased dramatically. The GTX1080Ti card achieved the highest speed up of ~150 for block 2 calculations, for 8K resolution. In overall, for the full registration process GTX1080Ti indicated a linear increase of speedup factors versus the number of pixels, fact that renders it is the most suitable GPU card with respect to the other GPU cards used for the specific application.
330 PESTICIDE EXPOSURE BROCHURE FOR OTHELLO, WASHINGTON.

Purpose Every year over 1 million people sought medical attention because of exposure to organophosphates, one of the main chemicals in pesticides. Of those, roughly 100,000 occurred in the United States and 50,000 were children under the age of 6. Pesticide poisoning is the cause of 20,000 deaths a year. Death generally comes because of anoxia injury due to respiratory failure. Othello, WA, is farm country, where there is extensive use of pesticides and farm workers. The Columbia Basin Health Association (the main health clinic in Othello) has an outreach program that contacts local growers to educate them about the importance of testing cholinesterase baselines and then a program to regularly monitor cholinesterase levels. Also, the Maternity Support Services has a program in the local work camps and talks to workers about the signs of pesticide overexposure. However, neither of these programs had any type of educational brochure. Methods I prepared a handout to be used for both employers and employees. This handout addressed such issues as how to recognize pesticide exposure, what to do if exposed, when someone can return to a field after pesticide application, how to reduce exposure to self and others with whom you live, and the basis of cholinesterase testing, including who, when, and why. Summary of Results The final product was given to both of the aforementioned programs to be used in their future relations with growers and their employees. Conclusion Having written materials that workers can take home with them is an important part in education and allows the ability to look over the material later.
My Experience with the Laser Cane.

The Veterans Administration conducted a five-week training program and subsequent evaluation of the C-4 Laser Cane. This is a critical and sometimes amusing account of one participant's experiences...
An Unfinished War

In May 2018, the death of 20-year-old Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzalez was recorded and streamed on Facebook Live. A U.S. border guard shot her in the head after she crossed into Texas. She was unar...
Population epigenetic divergence exceeds genetic divergence in the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

Populations may respond to environmental heterogeneity via evolutionary divergence or phenotypic plasticity. While evolutionary divergence occurs through DNA sequence differences among populations, plastic divergence among populations may be generated by changes in the epigenome. Here, we present the results of a genome-wide comparison of DNA methylation patterns and genetic structure among four populations of Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We used a combination of restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) to explore population structure, gene-wide averages of FST, and DNA methylation differences between oysters inhabiting four estuaries with unique salinity profiles. This approach identified significant population structure despite a moderately low FST (0.02) across the freshwater boundary of the Mississippi river, a finding that may reflect recent efforts to restore oyster stock populations. Divergence between populations in CpG methylation was greater than for divergence in FST, likely reflecting environmental effects on DNA methylation patterns. Assessment of CpG methylation patterns across all populations identified that only 26% of methylated DNA was intergenic; and, only 17% of all differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were within these same regions. DMRs within gene bodies between sites were associated with genes known to be involved in DNA damage repair, ion transport, and reproductive timing. Finally, when assessing the correlation between genomic variation and DNA methylation between these populations, we observed population-specific DNA methylation profiles that were not directly associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms or broader gene-body mean FST trends. Our results suggest that C. virginica may use DNA methylation to generate environmentally responsive plastic phenotypes and that there is more divergence in methylation than divergence in allele frequencies.
Semiparametric regression methods for temporal processes subject to multiple sources of censoring

Process regression methodology is underdeveloped relative to the frequency with which pertinent data arise. In this article, the response‐190 is a binary indicator process representing the joint event of being alive and remaining in a specific state. The process is indexed by time (e.g., time since diagnosis) and observed continuously. Data of this sort occur frequently in the study of chronic disease. A general area of application involves a recurrent event with non‐negligible duration (e.g., hospitalization and associated length of hospital stay) and subject to a terminating event (e.g., death). We propose a semiparametric multiplicative model for the process version of the probability of being alive and in the (transient) state of interest. Under the proposed methods, the regression parameter is estimated through a procedure that does not require estimating the baseline probability. Unlike the majority of process regression methods, the proposed methods accommodate multiple sources of censoring. In particular, we derive a computationally convenient variant of inverse probability of censoring weighting based on the additive hazards model. We show that the regression parameter estimator is asymptotically normal, and that the baseline probability function estimator converges to a Gaussian process. Simulations demonstrate that our estimators have good finite sample performance. We apply our method to national end‐stage liver disease data. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 48: 222–237; 2020 © 2019 Statistical Society of Canada
58. ENTER THE MATRIX; A STANDARDIZED, ACCOUNTABLE APPROACH TO RESIDENT BOARD PREPARATION

Background Balancing clinical and board relevant education is a common struggle for residency programs. The ACGME mandates that programs maintain a > 70% first-time board pass rate but does not dictate how this is achieved. In-training exam (ITE) scores are reliable predictors of certifying board scores, but remediation success remains variable within and across institutions. Our program developed an educational aide, “the Matrix”, to guide and hold residents accountable for board preparation with flexible study activities based on individual learning preferences. It provides a starting point for determining remediation need and activities for those at risk of board failure. Objective Develop an educational aide based on adult learning theory to improve board pass rates of categorical pediatric residents. Methods Beginning intern year, pediatric residents completed the intervention “Matrix” throughout the academic year, with learning activities including practice question banks, article reviews and didactic attendance (Exhibit A). Residents discussed “Matrix” compliance with advisors every 3 months over 3 years. Board pass rate of residents for the 3 years after institution of the matrix is compared to prior 5 years of pass/fail data. Results First-time board pass or failure data was obtained for 60 residents over an 8-year period and divided into a pre- and post-intervention group (36 control and 24 intervention subjects). Pre-intervention had a composite pass rate of 70% compared to the intervention group with a pass rate of 92%, which is statistically significant (p value 0.01). Conclusion Our program has early success in increasing yearly board pass rates. Fewer have failed in the past 3 years post-intervention than in the 1 year prior. Adult learners require self-driven, relevant methods of study. Those at risk for exam failure need accountability. Applying these concepts to resident education improved pass rates with a small resident cohort taking the certifying boards. Our aide is easily adapted by other intuitions looking for a flexible but standardized method of board preparation.
Art revealing science: marine mammal palaeoart

Apart from mythological drawings (e.g. unicorns and mermaids), some appearing during classical times, marine mammals have been the subject of palaeoart since the seventeenth century. Whales were th...
FAFNIR: Accelerating Sparse Gathering by Using Efficient Near-Memory Intelligent Reduction

Memory-bound sparse gathering, caused by irregular random memory accesses, has become an obstacle in several on-demand applications such as embedding lookup in recommendation systems. To reduce the amount of data movement, and thereby better utilize memory bandwidth, previous studies have proposed near-data processing (NDP) solutions. The issue of prior work, however, is that they either minimize data movement effectively at the cost of limited memory parallelism or try to improve memory parallelism (up to a certain degree) but cannot successfully decrease data movement, as prior proposals rely on spatial locality (an optimistic assumption) to utilize NDP. More importantly, neither approach proposes a solution for gathering data from random memory addresses; rather they just offload operations to NDP. We propose an effective solution for sparse gathering, an efficient near-memory intelligent reduction (Fafnir) tree, the leaves of which are all the ranks in a memory system, and the nodes gradually apply reduction operations while data is gathered from any rank. By using such an overall tree, Fafnir does not rely on spatial locality; therefore, it minimizes data movement by performing entire operations at NDP and fully benefits from parallel memory accesses in parallel processing at NDP. Further, Fafnir offers other advantages such as using fewer connections (because of the tree topology), eliminating redundant memory accesses without using costly and less effective caching mechanisms, and being applicable to other domains of sparse problems such as scientific computing and graph analytics. To evaluate Fafnir, we implement it on an XCVU9P Xilinx FPGA and in 7 nm ASAP ASIC. Fafnir looks up the embedding tables up to 21.3× more quickly than the state-of-the-art NDP proposal. Furthermore, the generic architecture of Fafnir allows running classic sparse problems using the same 1.2 mm2 hardware up to 4.6× more quickly than the state of the art.
Revealing long–range orbit–orbit interaction between coherent light-emitting excitons occurring in amplified spontaneous emission in CsPbBr3 microstructures

Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) has become a common phenomenon in hybrid perovskites by establishing coherent light-emitting excitons. This paper reports a new phenomenon that the long–range orbit–orbit interaction is established through orbital polarizations between coherent light-emitting excitons during the generation of ASE in the CsPbBr3 microrods. Essentially, when the orbital polarizations are optically generated with the same direction between coherent light-emitting excitons by using a circularly polarized pumping beam, the ASE amplitude can be largely enhanced by 22.3%, as compared to the situation when the orbital polarizations are generated with opposite directions by using linearly polarized photoexcitation in randomly orientated microstructures. This observation provides evidence that long–range orbit–orbit interaction occurs between coherent light-emitting excitons in ASE. Furthermore, the long–range orbit–orbit interaction between coherent light-emitting excitons is simultaneously increased with the ASE amplitude while increasing the pumping fluence. Therefore, the long–range orbit–orbit interaction plays an important role in developing coherent light-emitting excitons towards ASE in metal halide perovskites.
Deconstructing taxa x taxa x environment interactions in the microbiota: A theoretical examination

Abstract A major objective of microbial ecology is to identify how the composition of gut microbial taxa shapes host phenotypes. However, most studies focus solely on community-level patterns and pairwise interactions and ignore the potentially significant effects of higher-order interactions involving three or more component taxa. Studies on higher-order interactions among microbial taxa are scarce for many reasons, including experimental intractability, daunting diversity and complexity of many microbial systems, and the potential confounding role of the environment. Moreover, we still lack the empirical and statistical tools to isolate and understand the role of higher-order interactions on the host. Here, we apply a mathematical approach to quantifying the effects of higher-order interactions among taxa on host infection risk. To do so, we adapt the Hadamard-Walsh method recently used in evolutionary genetics to quantify the nonlinear effects of mutations on fitness. We apply our approach to an in silico dataset built to resemble a population of insect hosts with gut-associated microbial communities at risk of infection from an intestinal parasite. Critically, we examine these interactions across a breadth of environmental contexts, using nutrient content of the insect diet as a model for context. We find that the effect of higher-order interactions is considerable and can change appreciably across environmental contexts. Strikingly, the relative eminence of different orders (pairwise vs. third order, fourth order, and fifth order) changes as a function of environmental context. Furthermore, we show–in our theoretical microcosm–that higher-order interactions can stabilize community structure thereby reducing host susceptibility to parasite invasion. Our approach illustrates how incorporating the effects of higher-order interactions among gut microbiota across environments can be essential for understanding their effects on host phenotypes. We conclude that higher-order interactions among taxa can profoundly shape important organismal phenotypes, and they deserve greater attention in host-associated microbiome studies.
Diversification of plasmids in a genus of pathogenic and nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Members of the agrobacteria–rhizobia complex (ARC) have multiple and diverse plasmids. The extent to which these plasmids are shared and the consequences of their interactions are not well understo...
Symbolic Interactionism and Supervisor-Teacher Relationships

a time. Interrupt teachers while they are teaching and talk with students while class is going on. 6. Omit selected aspects of the school program from your report. For example, in the English department, make no mention of journalism, speech, drama, advanced placement courses or creative writing publications. In industrial arts, ignore metal working and electricity. Make no mention of the Student Council or the Faculty Council.
A Randomized Algorithm for Distance Matrix Calculations in Multiple Sequence Alignment

Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) is a vital problem in biology. Optimal alignment of multiple sequences becomes impractical even for a modest number of sequences [1] since the general version of the problem is NP-hard. Because of the high time complexity of traditional MSA algorithms, even today’s fast computers are not able to solve the problem for large number of sequences. In this paper we present a randomized algorithm to calculate distance matrices which is a major step in many multiple sequence alignment algorithms. The basic idea employed is sampling (along the lines of [2]).
Asymmetric diffractionless beams in nonlinear optics

We have shown that there exists a generalization of the Bessel beam that can be more efficient for some nonlinear optical interactions. The intensity-length product maybe larger for asymmetric beams but still maintains the advantageous characteristics of the Bessel beam, such as an extended longitudinal focus and a well-defined angle with respect to the z-axis.
STRUCTURE OF A G48H MUTANT OF HIV-1 PROTEASE EXPLAINS HOW GLYCINE-48 REPLACEMENTS PRODUCE MUTANTS RESISTANT TO INHIBITOR DRUGS

Abstract The crystal structure of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease mutant G48H with peptidic inhibitor U-89360E is described. Comparison with wild-type protease-inhibitor complex shows that mutation of flap residue 48 to histidine allows stabilizing van der Waals contacts between the side chains of His 48 and Phe 53 as well as between His 48 and the P 2 ′ and P 3 ′ inhibitor subsites. The flap region is less mobile than in the wild-type enzyme. A model of saquinavir-resistant mutant protease G48V in complex with saquinavir predicts interactions similar to those found in the G48H crystal. Energetic calculations confirm the similarity of the His 48 and Val 48 interactions.
Intervention with Adults

During the past two decades, there have been a number of significant developments relating to the evaluation of the evidentiary foundations of psychosocial interventions. Within psychology, efforts were made to establish research standards to be used to designate whether or not a given treatment could be considered to be empirically supported, and lists of such treatments have been published, along with many related treatment manuals and practice guidelines. The Cochrane and Campbell Collaborations have devised a rigorous methodology to appraise the research literature about the usefulness of various assessment methods and interventions, and a large and growing number of such systematic reviews are available to provide guidance to social workers. Much of this information is in the public domain and readily accessible via the Internet. This chapter describes these developments and lists representative examples of empirically-supported treatments and systematic reviews related to social work interventions with adults. Some possible implications of this newly available knowledge for social work practitioners, students, faculty, and organizations are discussed. Keywords: adults; psychosocial treatments; intervention; clinical social work; empirically supported treatments; evidence-based practice
Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of metal–metal bonded dinuclear rhenium complexes bridged by organocyanide acceptor ligands

The syntheses, spectroscopic properties, redox chemistry, and solid-state structures of products obtained from the reaction of Re2Cl4(dppm)2 (dppm = bis(diphenylphosphino) methane) with the polycyano acceptors TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethanido) and DM-DCNQI (2,5-dimethyl-N,N′-dicyanoquinonediimine) are described. The compounds [Re2Cl4(dppm)2]2(μ-TCNQ), 1, and [Re2Cl4(dppm)2]2(μ-DM-DCNQI), 2, have been prepared by reaction of two equivalents of Re2Cl4(dppm)2 with TCNQ and DMDCNQI, respectively, in THF or CH2Cl2. A single-crystal X-ray crystallographic study of [Re2Cl4(dppm)2]2(μ-TCNQ)·10THF revealed the presence of a trans-μ2 bidentate mode for the bridging TCNQ ligand that joins two Re2Cl4(dppm)2 molecules through equatorial positions. In a similar fashion, the compound [Re2Cl4(dppm)2]2(μ-DM-DCNQI)·10THF consists of two Re2 units coordinated to the two nitrile positions of the DM-DCNQI ligand. The electronic properties of both compounds are unusual in that they exhibit intense, broad absorptions that span the near-IR region and extend into the mid-IR. The electrochemistry of the compounds consists of numerous oxidation and reduction processes in the range of +2.0 to −2.0 V as determined by cyclic voltammetry. Both 1 and 2 exhibit temperature independent paramagnetism (TIP) with large χTIP values of 7.29 × 10−3 and 6.23 × 10−3 emu mol−1, respectively.
Chemical carcinogens and inhibitors of carcinogenesis in the human diet

The induction of cancer by chemicals as presently understood involves a series of steps, some of which require the passage of time. Many substances that are potent carcinogens in experimental animals are known to exist in nature and occur as part of the human diet. In addition, many of the substances that are known to inhibit experimental carcinogenesis also exist in the human diet. Thus, in addition to industrially produced carcinogens, humans can be presumed to have evolved in an environment that contains both carcinogens and anti-carcinogens. There is also a great deal of experimental and human epidemiologic data on the influence of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates on cancer incidence rates; however, much of those data are confusing and conflicting.
Differential Phosphorylation of the Signal-responsive Domain of IκBα and IκBβ by IκB Kinases

Abstract NF-κB activity is regulated by its association with the inhibitory IκB proteins, among which IκBα and IκBβ are the most abundant. IκB proteins are widely expressed in different cells and tissues and bind to similar combinations of NF-κB proteins. The degradation of IκB proteins allows nuclear translocation of NF-κB and hence plays a critical role in NF-κB activation. Previous studies have demonstrated that, although both IκB proteins are phosphorylated by the same IκB kinase (IKK) complex, and their ubiquitination and degradation following phosphorylation are carried out by the same ubiquitination/degradation machinery, their kinetics of degradation are quite different. To better understand the underlying mechanism of the differences in degradation kinetics, we have carried out a systematic, comparative analysis of the ability of the IKK catalytic subunits to phosphorylate IκBα and IκBβ. We found that, whereas IKKα is a weak kinase for the N-terminal serines of both IκB isoforms, IKKβ is an efficient kinase for those residues in IκBα. However, IKKβ phosphorylates the N-terminal serines of IκBβ far less efficiently, thereby providing an explanation for the slower rate of degradation observed for IκBβ. Mutational analysis indicated that the regions around the two N-terminal serines collectively influence the relative phosphorylation efficiency, and no individual residue is critical. These findings provide the first systematic analysis of the ability of IκBα and IκBβ to serve as substrates for IKKs and help provide a possible explanation for the differential degradation kinetics of IκBα and IκBβ.
On the numerical evaluation of Eshelby's tensor and its application to elastoplastic fibrous composites

A numerical evaluation of Eshelby's S tensor for an ellipsoidal inclusion imbedded in a general anisotropic matrix material is performed. The numerical scheme is valid for any degree of matrix anisotropy and for any aspect ratio of the ellipsoid, including the extreme cases of cracks and cylindrical inclusions. The influence of matrix anisotropy on the evaluation of S is tested extensively for cylindrical inclusions by considering plasticity induced anisotropy in the instantaneous properties of an elastic-plastic matrix material. The Mori-Tanaka averaging method is used to study the influence of the evaluation of S on the prediction of instantaneous effective properties of fibrous composites with elastic fibres and elastic-plastic matrix.
Polymorphism of human telomeric quadruplex structures

Human telomeric DNA consists of tandem repeats of the sequence d(TTAGGG). Compounds that can stabilize the intramolecular DNA G-quadruplexes formed in the human telomeric sequence have been shown to inhibit the activity of telomerase and telomere maintenance, thus the telomeric DNA G-quadruplex has been considered as an attractive target for cancer therapeutic intervention. Knowledge of intramolecular human telomeric G-quadruplex structure(s) formed under physiological conditions is important for structure-based rational drug design and thus has been the subject of intense investigation. This review will give an overview of recent progress on the intramolecular human telomeric G-quadruplex structures formed in K+ solution. It will also give insight into the structure polymorphism of human telomeric sequences and its implications for drug targeting.
Shuffle the deck, flip that coin: randomization comes to medicine.

There is a lot of confusion about the first use of randomization in an experiment and the first use of randomization in medicine. Some writers think that the great statistician R A Fisher carried out the first randomized trial (in agriculture)1 and published the results in 1923.2–5 Others think that the first medical trial was carried out by the British National Research Council in the 1940s.6,7 But there are earlier examples and we think we have found the oldest. Readers of this series will know that controlled trials are as old as Biblical Daniel,8 the evaluation of smallpox inoculation in 1721,9 the evaluation of Mesmerism in 1784,10 and Semmelweiss’s trials to reduce hospital infections.11 To resolve this debate we have to be precise in our definition of randomization in experiments. The word “randomization” does not exist in the Oxford English Dictionary or its supplement.12,13 It has two frequent uses in social science and clinical research. The first is a “random sample” from a larger population. Here randomization is used to ensure that the sample is representative of the population as a whole. The second use of randomization in experimental design is our focus here. There is an experiment, purposefully and prospectively designed; there are control and experimental interventions on patients purposefully designed to eliminate every observable and unobservable difference between the two except for the experimental intervention; and there is a method of assignment which is out …
Biomechanical comparison of stimulated and nonstimulated skeletal muscle pulled to failure

We compared the biomechanical properties of passive and stimulated muscle rapidly lengthened to failure in an experimental animal model. The mechanical parameters compared were force to tear, change in length to tear, site of failure, and energy absorbed by the muscle-tendon unit before failure. Paired comparisons were made between 1) muscles stimulated at 64 Hz (tetanic stimulation) and passive (no stimulation) muscles, 2) muscles stimulated at 16 Hz (wave-summated stimulation) and passive muscles, and 3) muscles stimulated at 64 Hz and at 16 Hz. Both tetanically stimulated and wave-summation contracted muscles required a greater force to tear (at 64 Hz, 12.86 N more, P less than 0.0004; and at 16 Hz, 17.79 N more, P less than 0.003) than their nonstimulated controls, while there was no statistical difference in failure force between muscles stimulated at 16 Hz and 64 Hz. The energy absorbed was statistically greater for the stimulated muscles than for the passive muscles in Groups 1 and 2 (at 64 Hz, 100% more, P less than 0.0003; and 16 Hz, 88% more, P less than 0.0002). In Group 3, the tetanically contracted muscle-tendon units absorbed 18% more energy than the wave-summated stimulated muscles (P less than 0.01). All muscles tore at the distal musculotendinous junction, and there was no difference in the length increase at tear between muscles in each group. These findings may lead to enhanced understanding of the mechanism and physiology of muscle strain injuries.
Musculoskeletal Complications of Fluoroquinolones: Guidelines and Precautions for Usage in the Athletic Population

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are associated with a wide spectrum of musculoskeletal complications that involve not only tendon but also cartilage, bone, and muscle. Insights into the pathoetiology of fluoroquinolone toxicity on musculoskeletal tissues have been evolving over recent years. Although the pathoetiology is certainly multifactorial, alterations in cell signaling proteins and direct toxic effects on musculoskeletal tissues have been strongly implicated. Increasing age and concomitant systemic corticosteroid use appear to significantly increase the risk of adverse events. The purpose of this article is to review the musculoskeletal complications associated with use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics by adults; identify risk factors associated with fluoroquinolone toxicity; explore the possible pathoetiology of fluoroquinolone toxicity on tendon, cartilage, bone, and muscle; and offer recommendations regarding evaluation and treatment of fluoroquinolone-associated musculoskeletal complications. In addition, this review will provide recommendations regarding fluoroquinolone use in athletes and return to play after fluoroquinolone exposure.
A Conserved Three-nucleotide Core Motif Defines Musashi RNA Binding Specificity

Musashi (MSI) family proteins control cell proliferation and differentiation in many biological systems. They are overexpressed in tumors of several origins, and their expression level correlates with poor prognosis. MSI proteins control gene expression by binding RNA and regulating its translation. They contain two RNA recognition motif (RRM) domains, which recognize a defined sequence element. The relative contribution of each nucleotide to the binding affinity and specificity is unknown. We analyzed the binding specificity of three MSI family RRM domains using a quantitative fluorescence anisotropy assay. We found that the core element driving recognition is the sequence UAG. Nucleotides outside of this motif have a limited contribution to binding free energy. For mouse MSI1, recognition is determined by the first of the two RRM domains. The second RRM adds affinity but does not contribute to binding specificity. In contrast, the recognition element for Drosophila MSI is more extensive than the mouse homolog, suggesting functional divergence. The short nature of the binding determinant suggests that protein-RNA affinity alone is insufficient to drive target selection by MSI family proteins.
COMPETITION FROM TAX‐EXEMPT BUSINESS (Discussion)

TAX EXEMPTION IS A POWERFUL weapon of economic policy. In order to make use of it with optimum economic effect yet without encountering constitutional barriers the fiscal authority must be discriminating without being discriminatory; it must be economically selective without violating legal prohibitions. The task of accomplishing this may seem to be impossible, yet many types of tax exemption do exist in our tax structure with full constitutional sanction. The major types of tax exemption are: (i) the exemption from the individual income tax of those incomes that fall below a certain level; (2) the exemption of certain governmental bond interest from income taxation; (3) the partial exemption from property taxes granted certain persons, such as veterans; (4) the exemption from property taxes granted new businesses in some localities; (5) the exemption from either property taxes or income taxes or both granted to co-operative enterprises, governmental agencies or religious, charitable, or educational institutions; and (6) certain exemptions granted to firms operating in foreign countries. We are concerned here with those tax-exempt entities which engage in business in competition with firms that are subject to taxation. The question involved is whether and to what extent tax exemption gives the tax-exempt enterprise a competitive advantage over the taxable enterprise. Professor Guthmann has quite reasonably confined his paper to a description of the exemption from the federal income tax enjoyed by co-operatives and government-owned utilities. Since the questions he raises are of fairly broad application, however, we may first supplement his remarks by reviewing briefly the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code which deal with exemption from the federal income tax.
Clostridial oncolysis in man

Resume L'activite antineoplasique du C. butyricum a ete demontree sur l'adenocarcinome spontane des souris et sur des tumeurs humaines. Parmi les souris montrant l'effet oncolytique du clostridium, l'amelioration de la survie survint chez celles qui recurent un traitement de support a l'aide d'antibiotiques, de corticosteroides et de solutions d'electrolytes. Cinq patients furent traites avec 1 × 1010 spores de C. butyricum Les hemocultures positives envers ce micro-organisme le furent pendant les 4a 9 jours qui suivirent l'injection. Une oncolyse fut notee chez trois patients au niveau de leurs plus grandes tumeurs, mais non au niveau de leurs plus petites tumeurs. Une amelioration clinique, transitoire, s'est produite dans l'un des cas; il y a eu oncolyse d'une tumeur cliniquement occulte dans un second cas et, chez un troisieme patient, oncolyse d'une tumeur qui ne fut pas reconnue cliniquement. Un test d'hemagglutination sensible et specifique fut mis au point afin de mesurer la reponse des patients et d'autres sujets aux anticorps bacteriens. De faibles titres d'anticorps furent demontres chez des donneurs de sang en bonne sante et chez des patients cancereux. Les cinq patients traites avec les spores developperent des titres substantiels d'anticorps. Ces titres furent plus eleves chez les trois sujets avec oncolyse que chez les deuz patients dont les tumeurs ne furent pas lysees. L'oncolyse due au clostridium semble liee aux caracteristiques physiologiques et biochimiques des grandes masses tumorales plutot qu'aux differences qualitatives entre les cellules normales et neoplasiques ou a la cytolyse immunologique et, de ce fait, son utilite clinique est limitee.
Feedback Control Methods for Distributed Manipulation Systems that Involve Mechanical Contacts

In this paper we introduce feedback control methods for distributed manipulation systems thatmove objects via rolling and slipping point contacts. Because of the intermittent nature of these mechanical contacts, the governing mechanics of these systems are inherently nonsmooth. We first present a methodology to model these non-smooth mechanical effects in a manner that is tractable for non-smooth control analysis. Using these models, we show that when considerations of these non-smooth effects are taken into account, a class of traditional open-loop distributed manipulation control methods cannot stabilize objects near an equilibrium. However, stability can be achieved through the use of feedback, and we present non-smooth feedback laws with guaranteed stability properties. We then describe an experimental modular distributed manipulation test-bed upon which one can implement a variety of control schemes. Experiments with this test-bed confirm the validity of our control algorithms. Multimedia extensions ...
Brain potentials during reading reflect word expectancy and semantic association

The neuroelectric activity of the human brain that accompanies linguistic processing can be studied through recordings of event-related potentials (e.r.p. components) from the scalp. The e.r.ps triggered by verbal stimuli have been related to several different aspects of language processing. For example, the N400 component, peaking around 400 ms post-stimulus, appears to be a sensitive indicator of the semantic relationship between a word and the context in which it occurs. Words that complete sentences in a nonsensical fashion elicit much larger N400 waves than do semantically appropriate words or non-semantic irregularities in a text. In the present study, e.r.ps were recorded in response to words that completed meaningful sentences. The amplitude of the N400 component of the e.r.p. was found to be an inverse function of the subject's expectancy for the terminal word as measured by its 'Cloze probability'. In addition, unexpected words that were semantically related to highly expected words elicited lower N400 amplitudes. These findings suggest N400 may reflect processes of semantic priming or activation.
Children at risk of maltreatment: Identification and intervention in the emergency department

Child maltreatment is a leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality, described as one of the greatest threats facing the health, welfare, and social well-being of children in the United States (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). Despite mandatory reporting laws, the poignant reality is that this public health problem is significantly underrecognized and underreported by heath care providers. The purpose of this project was to implement a series of strategies in a pediatric emergency department to identify children who are at risk of maltreatment and initiate interventions to ensure their safety and protection before a devastating outcome occurs. The results of this project support the implementation of nursing education, a screening program for risk of child maltreatment, and collaboration with interdisciplinary stakeholders to achieve best practice in emergency medicine.
Transition state stabilization of subtilisins in organic media.

Electrostatic forces are among the stabilizing interactions that contribute to the high degree of enzyme-transition state complementarity. The active-site polarity, which can differ substantially from that of water, is thus an important determinant of transition-state stabilization. Here they pose the question of whether the rate of an enzymatic reaction proceeding through a charged transition state can be increased by increasing the active-site polarity in an organic solvent. The active-site polarity of subtilisin has been reduced by dehydration and suspension in a nonpolar solvent (tetrahydrofuran), and then increased by adding water to the solvent. Enhancing the local polarity substantially increases the rate of catalysis, implicating polarity as an important factor in stabilizing the charged tetrahedral transition state. Studies with subtilisins whose active sites have been modified by site-directed mutagenesis support the role of polarity in transition state stabilization.
Early adrenalectomy increases myelin content of the rat brain.

Abstract Rats were adrenalectomized (ADX) or sham-operated (SHAM) on the 11th day of life and killed on days 35–36, 63, or 151–153 for the isolation of cerebral myelin from each animal. Despite having lower overall body weights. ADX rats had heavier cerebra than SHAM control rats at all ages. Mean cerebral weight increases were 10.0% at day 35–36, 15.3% at day 63, and 16.7% at day 151–153. Recovered myelin dry weights were even more elevated in the ADX rats, but only at day 63 (41.7% increase) and 151–153 (42.1% increase). At both of these ages, there was a clear linear relationship between cerebral wet weights and the amount of myelin recovered from the cerebra. Analysis of the day-63 myelin samples showed no group differences in total cholesterol or protein concentration or in the specific activity of the myelin marker enzyme 2′:3′-cyclic-nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase (CNP). However, myelin isolated from the ADX rats appeared to be deficient in both galactolipid and phospholipid. Optic nerve myelination was assessed in all animals by measuring CNP activity in homogenates prepared from this tissue. No difference between ADX and SHAM rats was observed at any age. These results indicate that early adrenalectomy stimulates myelin deposition in the rat brain as part of a more general, long-lasting enhancement of brain growth. Myelin from the brains of ADX animals may be slightly abnormal in its lipid composition. Finally, the optic nerve data may mean that myelination is not affected equally in all areas of the CNS by the loss of adrenal glands.
The International Normalized Ratio as a measure of anticoagulation: Significance for the management of the dental outpatient

Susceptibility to bleeding in the patient treated with coumarin derivatives poses difficult management issues for the dentist. Classic monitoring for anticoagulation relied on the prothrombin time, but reagent variability issues have caused the emergence of the International Normalized Ratio (INR) as an alternative, and possibly more reliable, laboratory test for the assessment of a patient's anticoagulation status. The literature suggests that an INR range of 1.5 to 2.5 represents the most appropriate level of anticoagulation for the surgical patient. That is, at this INR, some protection is afforded against thrombo-embolic events without significantly sacrificing effective post-operative hemostasis. Since the patient with an INR value within the recommended range is still anticoagulated, he/she is still at risk for post-operative bleeding. Adherence to local hemostatic measures--such as pressure, topical thrombin, alveolar-placed resorbable sponges, and primary wound closure--offers the patient important adjunctive protection against post-operative bleeding.
Laser Capture Microdissection of Enriched Populations of Neurons or Single Neurons for Gene Expression Analysis After Traumatic Brain Injury

Long-term cognitive disability after TBI is associated with injury-induced neurodegeneration in the hippocampus-a region in the medial temporal lobe that is critical for learning, memory and executive function.1,2 Hence our studies focus on gene expression analysis of specific neuronal populations in distinct subregions of the hippocampus. The technique of laser capture microdissection (LCM), introduced in 1996 by Emmert-Buck, et al.,3 has allowed for significant advances in gene expression analysis of single cells and enriched populations of cells from heterogeneous tissues such as the mammalian brain that contains thousands of functional cell types.4 We use LCM and a well established rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to investigate the molecular mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of TBI. Following fluid-percussion TBI, brains are removed at pre-determined times post-injury, immediately frozen on dry ice, and prepared for sectioning in a cryostat. The rat brains can be embedded in OCT and sectioned immediately, or stored several months at -80 °C before sectioning for laser capture microdissection. Additionally, we use LCM to study the effects of TBI on circadian rhythms. For this, we capture neurons from the suprachiasmatic nuclei that contain the master clock of the mammalian brain. Here, we demonstrate the use of LCM to obtain single identified neurons (injured and degenerating, Fluoro-Jade-positive, or uninjured, Fluoro-Jade-negative) and enriched populations of hippocampal neurons for subsequent gene expression analysis by real time PCR and/or whole-genome microarrays. These LCM-enabled studies have revealed that the selective vulnerability of anatomically distinct regions of the rat hippocampus are reflected in the different gene expression profiles of different populations of neurons obtained by LCM from these distinct regions. The results from our single-cell studies, where we compare the transcriptional profiles of dying and adjacent surviving hippocampal neurons, suggest the existence of a cell survival rheostat that regulates cell death and survival after TBI.