cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Cell-Based Phenotypic Assay to Identify Cardioprotective Agents

Rationale: Tissue ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury underlies several leading causes of death such as heart-attack and stroke. The lack of clinical therapies for IR injury may be partly due to the difficulty of adapting IR injury models to high-throughput screening (HTS). Objective: To develop a model of IR injury that is both physiologically relevant and amenable to HTS. Methods and Results: A microplate-based respirometry apparatus was used. Controlling gas flow in the plate head space, coupled with the instrument9s mechanical systems, yielded a 24-well model of IR injury in which H9c2 cardiomyocytes were transiently trapped in a small volume, rendering them ischemic. After initial validation with known protective molecules, the model was used to screen a 2000-molecule library, with post-IR cell death as an end point. Po 2 and pH monitoring in each well also afforded metabolic data. Ten protective, detrimental, and inert molecules from the screen were subsequently tested in a Langendorff-perfused heart model of IR injury, revealing strong correlations between the screening end point and both recovery of cardiac function (negative, r 2 =0.66) and infarct size (positive, r 2 =0.62). Relationships between the effects of added molecules on cellular bioenergetics and protection against IR injury were also studied. Conclusions: This novel cell-based assay can predict either protective or detrimental effects on IR injury in the intact heart. Its application may help identify therapeutic or harmful molecules.
AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF ASSESSMENT: USING STUDENT-CREATED PROBLEMS

ABSTRACT Assessment of student knowledge of mathematics and understanding of concepts is improved when students design problems and solutions, applying classroom-acquired knowledge to new situations. An alternative to single-class-period testing is proposed.
Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming Problems (MINLPs)

Mixed-integer problems are those that involve both continuous and integer variables. The introduction of integer variables allows the modeling of complex decisions through graph theoretic representations denoted as superstructures (Floudas, 1995). This representation leads to the simultaneous determination of the optimal structure of a network and its optimum operating parameters. Thus MINLPs find applications in engineering design such as heat exchanger network synthesis, reactor-separator-recycle network synthesis or pump network synthesis (Floudas, 1995; Grossmann, 1996), in metabolic pathway engineering (Hatzimanikatis et al., 1996a,b; Dean and Dervakos, 1996), or in molecular design (Maranas, 1996; Churi and Achenie, 1996) .
Vortex shedding in steady flow through a model of an arterial stenosis and its relevance to mural platelet deposition.

In this study, the development of unsteady vortical formations in the separated flow region distal to a stenosis throat is presented and compared with the platelet deposition measurements, to enhance our understanding of the mecha- nisms involved in platelet kinetics in flowing blood. Qualitative and quantitative flow visualization and numerical simulations were performed in a model of a streamlined axisymmetric stenosis with an area reduction of 84% at the throat of the stenosis. Measurements were performed at Reynolds numbers ~Re!, based on upstream diameter and average velocity, ranging from 300 to 1800. Both the digital particle image visualization method employed and the numerical simulations were able to capture the motion of the vortices through the separated flow region. Periodic shedding of vortices began at approximately Re5375 and continued for the full range of Re studied. The locales at which these vortices are initiated, their size, and their life span, were a function of Re. The numerical simulations of turbulent flow through the stenosis model entailed a detailed depiction of the process of vortex shedding in the separated flow region downstream of the stenosis. These flow patterns were used to elucidate the mechanisms involved in blood plate- let kinetics and deposition in the area in and around an arterial stenosis. The unsteady flow development in the recirculation region is hypothesized as the mechanism for observed changes in the distribution of mural platelet deposition between Re 5300, 900, and 1800, despite only a marginal variation in the size and shape of the recirculation zone under these flow con- ditions. © 1999 Biomedical Engineering Society. @S0090-6964~99!00306-9#
Effects of titania nanotube distance and arrangement during focused ion beam guided anodization

Anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays possess exciting application potentials in solar cells and photocatalysis. However, self-organized anodization alone can only produce randomly arranged nanotubes. In this study, focused ion beam (FIB) guided anodization is used to create highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays with different intertube distances and tube arrangements. On the one hand, FIB patterning greatly enhances the organization of the nanotubes for the classic hexagonal close packing. On the other hand, fundamentally different nanotube arrangements, such as square, oblique hexagonal, and alternating-sized patterns, are also created. The self-compensating effect enables the development of alternating-sized TiO2 nanotube hexagonal arrays from graphite lattice FIB guiding patterns. The mechanism of the FIB guided anodization is proposed. This approach presents great opportunities in producing ordered TiO2 nanotubes and new nanotube arrangements for the desired applications.
Abscisic Acid (ABA)

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone that mediates responses to abiotic stress conditions and controls stomatal aperture. It is also involved in seed development and is associated with seed dormancy. ABA is biosynthesised in higher plants from carotenoid precursors and early steps take place in the chloroplast. ABA binds to PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE (PYR)/PYR1-like (PYL) receptor proteins that are localised in the cytosol and nucleus. The ABA–receptor complex binds to and inhibits specific PP2C protein phosphatases. Inhibition of these PP2Cs results in activation of SnRK2 protein kinases that in turn activate downstream signalling proteins resulting in both short-term changes in ion-channel activity and long-term effects on gene expression. ABA effects depend on influx and efflux carriers that facilitate movement between cells and through conductive tissue to coordinate responses in shoots and roots. Key Concepts ABA reduces water use and causes adaptive responses to water stress. One of the most important effects of ABA is to reduce stomatal aperture. ABA acts by binding to PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors located in the cytoplasm and nucleus. ABA causes rapid changes in ion-channel activity and longer term changes in transcription factor activity leading to changes in gene expression. Movement of ABA between cells and tissues is regulated by influx and efflux carriers on cell surfaces. ABA is synthesised from carotenoid precursors and early steps in the pathway occur in the chloroplast. Keywords: abiotic stress; drought; stomata; germination; dormancy; 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase; phytohormone
Clonal Mosaic Analysis of EMPTY PERICARP2 Reveals Nonredundant Functions of the Duplicated HEAT SHOCK FACTOR BINDING PROTEINs During Maize Shoot Development

The paralogous maize proteins EMPTY PERICARP2 (EMP2) and HEAT SHOCK FACTOR BINDING PROTEIN2 (HSBP2) each contain a single recognizable motif: the coiled-coil domain. EMP2 and HSBP2 accumulate differentially during maize development and heat stress. Previous analyses revealed that EMP2 is required for regulation of heat shock protein (hsp) gene expression and also for embryo morphogenesis. Developmentally abnormal emp2 mutant embryos are aborted during early embryogenesis. To analyze EMP2 function during postembryonic stages, plants mosaic for sectors of emp2 mutant tissue were constructed. Clonal sectors of emp2 mutant tissue revealed multiple defects during maize vegetative shoot development, but these sector phenotypes are not correlated with aberrant hsp gene regulation. Furthermore, equivalent phenotypes are observed in emp2 sectored plants grown under heat stress and nonstress conditions. Thus, the function of EMP2 during regulation of the heat stress response can be separated from its role in plant development. The discovery of emp2 mutant phenotypes in postembryonic shoots reveals that the duplicate genes emp2 and hsbp2 encode nonredundant functions throughout maize development. Distinct developmental phenotypes correlated with the developmental timing, position, and tissue layer of emp2 mutant sectors, suggesting that EMP2 has evolved diverse developmental functions in the maize shoot.
A re-appraisal of screening for colour vision impairments.

Summary Screening for colour vision Impairments (CVI) has been carried out In schools in the UK since 1934, but little is known about Its yield or value. A survey was conducted among Sheffield schoolboys, school nurses and optometrists to determine the benefits of CVI screening. The results Indicated that between 4.2 and 5.2% of boys had been identified as having a CVI, compared with the expected prevalence of 8% Boys were ill-informed about the significance of CVI for careers planning but recognized the potential importance of having this information before making decisions about choice of subjects and examinations. Possible reasons for the low yield of screening are reviewed and alternative strategies are discussed.
Stability of myosin heavy chain isoforms in selectively denervated adult rat muscle spindles.

BACKGROUND Rat intrafusal fibers consist of multiple isoforms of myosin heavy chains (MHCs) whose expression involves complex interactions among motor neurons, sensory neurons, and muscle cells during spindle development. Little is known about the roles of sensory and motor innervation in regulating and maintaining expression of MHC isoforms in adult rat muscle spindles. METHODS MHC expression was investigated in deafferented or deefferented adult rat muscle spindles by reacting transverse sections of spindles with a panel of monoclonal antibodies specific for different MHC isoforms. RESULTS Deefferentation or deafferentation did not alter the number of intrafusal fibers expressing most MHC isoforms. However, the numbers of fibers expressing two MHC isoforms were altered in deefferented muscle spindles. Nuclear bag1 fibers ceased to express alpha-cardiac MHC and upregulated embryonic MHC after ablation of motor innervation. Likewise, bag2 and chain fibers downregulated avian neonatal/fast MHC following deafferentation, but chain fibers upregulated type 2A MHC and became more extrafusal-like in their pattern of MHC expression. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that (1) perturbations in spindle sensory and motor nerve supplies produce less severe alterations in MHC expression in mature intrafusal fibers than do similar lesions in developing intrafusal fibers and (2) MHC expression in intrafusal fibers reflects a combination of inductive and suppressive effects of motor and sensory neurons.
Novel endotracheal tube cuffs: improving the seal as a barrier to leakage.

Nosocomial infections are a challenge to the base credo of doing no harm to our patients. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is an iatrogenic complication in patients who require invasive mechanical ventilation. Unfortunately, as with any such generic term, the truth is missed. The ventilator is
Using MesoHABSIM to develop reference habitat template and ecological management scenarios

An important goal in the development of the MesoHABSIM model is its integration into river management frameworks. Here I explain how the model can be used as a backbone for ecological management planning at the catchment scale, and how it may serve in establishing rehabilitation end-points. Next, I merge the MesoHABSIM model with the target fish community (TFC) approach to develop target habitat conditions and make recommendations for their achievement. By observing the frequency, magnitude and duration of extreme habitat events occurring under natural conditions, one can estimate the critical habitat values and limiting habitat factors leading to environmental stress. This creates a foundation for the developing dynamic flow/habitat augmentation schemes to help prevent human-induced pulse and press disturbance at the intra- and inter-annual scale. The rules are seasonal and use ‘habitat’ as an ultimate metric rather than flow alone. The final recommendations identify locations with high restoration potential and conservation needs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular approaches to malaria: on the way to integration.

A report on the Molecular Approaches to Malaria meeting, Lome, Australia, 4-8 February 2004.
The instability and breakdown of a round variable-density jet

A study has been made of the instability and the subsequent breakdown of axisymmetric jets of helium/air mixtures emerging into ambient air. Although the density of the nozzle gas is less than that of the ambient fluid, the jet is essentially nonbuoyant. Two kinds of instability are observed in the near field, depending upon the mean flow parameters. When the ratio of the exiting nozzle fluid density to ambient fluid density is pJp, > 0.6, shear-layer fluctuations evolve in a fashion similar to that observed in constant-density jets: the power spectrum near the nozzle is determined by weak background disturbances whose subsequent spatial amplification agrees closely with the spatial stability theory. When the density ratio is less than 0.6, an intense oscillatory instability may also arise. The overall behaviour of this latter mode (to be called the ‘oscillating’ mode) is shown to depend solely upon the density ratio and upon D/O, where D is the nozzle diameter and 19 is the momentum thickness of the boundary layer at the nozzle exit. The behaviour of this mode is found to be independent of the Reynolds number, within the range covered by the present experiments. This is even true in the immediate vicinity of the nozzle where, unlike in the case of shear-layer modes, the intensity of the oscillating mode is independent of background disturbances. The streamwise growth rate associated with the oscillating mode is not abnormally large, however. The frequency of the oscillating mode compares well with predictions based on a spatio-temporal theory, but not with those of the standard spatial theory. From high-speed films it is found that the overall structure of the oscillating mode repeats itself with extreme regularity. The high degree of repeatability of the oscillating mode, in association with a strong pairing process, leads to abnormally large centreline velocity fluctuation, with its root-mean-square value being about 30 YO of the nozzle exit velocity. Energetic and highly regular pairing is found also to lead to the early and abrupt breakdown of the potential core. The regularity often extends even to the finer structure immediately downstream of the breakdown. An attempt is made to explain these special features both in terms of the large-amplitude vorticity field, and in terms of the theoretically predicted space-time evolution of wave packets.
Development of a commercial code-based two-fluid model for bubble plumes

Abstract Bubble plume models are applied to study the de-stratification of lake water, aeration of reservoirs, wastewater treatment, and gas injection into liquid metals. Several existing models exemplify numerical modeling as problem-specific art, solve a mixture momentum equation, and have limitations in the availability of documentation, definition of boundary conditions, and post- and pre-processing capabilities. The transfer of problem-specific models to a client or to a multidisciplinary research and development team is a difficult process. The questions addressed in this study were as follows: (a) can one use a commercial code as a basis to develop a user-friendly, efficient model that simulates two-phase flow in bubble plumes? (b) what are the capabilities and limitations of such a model? The two-fluid model developed has flexibility in the definition of the multiphase and viscous models, easily understood definition of boundary conditions, simple definition of spatial dimensionality and time dependency, efficient numerical solution, clear documentation and user-friendly pre- and post-processing capabilities. Water and air phase velocities, water turbulent kinetic energy, and air volume fraction are predicted with accuracy similar to that of existing problem-specific models. A strategy to overcome some under-dispersion and include air–water mass transfer effects through user-defined functions is discussed.
Absorption and excretion of chorionic gonadotropin administered intramuscularly in women.

IT HAS been shown that daily doses of 10,000 international units (I.U.) of chorionic gonadotropin prolong the life of the corpus luteum in women (1). In that study, it was also observed that urinary excretion of the gonadotropin was sufficiently high to give a positive Aschheim-Zondek reaction. The factors concerned in the absorption and excretion of the injected hormone were sufficiently obscure to justify an attempt to determine whether delaying absorption might prolong the effectiveness of treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Women on the gynecologic ward who were waiting for elective surgical procedures were selected as test subjects. Chorionic gonadotropin (Antuitrin-S) was given as a single intramuscular injection (10,000 I.U.—either in aqueous solution, mixed with an emulsifying agent (Emulgen) or in oil and 1 per cent wax (A.P.L.). Urine was collected as successive 12-hour specimens for periods of 48 to 120 hours. The chorionic hormone concentration in this urine was determined by injection into immat...
Accuracy of two-particle N-representability conditions for describing different spin states and the singlet–triplet gap in the linear acene series

ABSTRACTVariational two-electron reduced-density-matrix (2-RDM) methods can provide a reference-independent description of the electronic structure of strongly correlated molecules and materials. These methods represent one of few ways of performing large active-space-based computations that are beyond the scope of conventional configuration-interaction-based approaches. However, implementations of the method are quite rare, making it difficult for the quantum chemistry community to assess the utility of the approach. Here, we discuss an open-shell implementation of the variational 2-RDM method and explore its ability to describe different spin states in several model systems, including linear hydrogen chains and linear acenes. The largest calculations considered are comparable to complete-active-space computations with 50 electrons in 50 orbitals.
Paying attention to your acetylcholine, Part 1: structural organization of nicotinic receptors.

SUMMARY The structure of nicotinic receptors has been elucidated. How these structures lead to specific functions will be discussed in BRAINSTORMS next month.
The War on Terrorism after September 11: A Perspective from America's Heartland

The United States has always engaged the enemy employing the rhetoric of freedom. And, this "war" is no different. In declaring that this is not "just: America's fight [a]nd what is at stake is not just America's freedom," President Bush declared that "[t]his is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom." (Ibid: xviii). If this is truly a fight for freedom, not: just a temporary, illusory, and utopian quest for freedom from evil acts committed by terribly misguided individuals, but true freedom to live and develop as individuals within communities -in short, freedom for excellence - and if our quest for freedom realistically extends to the alienated peoples of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, and other Islamic countries, then we have a chance to win this war.
Basinward nitrogen limitation demonstrates role of terrestrial nitrogen and redox control of δ15N in a Late Devonian black shale

The depleted nitrogen isotope values observed in Devonian black shales have been ascribed to the dominant role of marine diazotrophic N fixation in providing new reactive N for the productivity that generated the organic matter preserved in these organic-rich facies. However, the emergence of substantial terrestrial ecosystems in the Middle to Late Devonian introduced an additional source of reactive N to shallow epicontinental seas. We examined three sites along a deepening transect of the Late Devonian Appalachian Basin (eastern United States) employing element ratios of C, N, and P, degree of pyritization, and stable isotope analyses of C, N, and S, in order to determine whether basinward changes in N biogeochemistry and δ 15 N reflect the dominant source of new reactive N. High degrees of pyritization and depleted δ 34 S indicate a persistently dysoxic to euxinic water column. Sediment N/P rises basinward, indicating that P was relatively more abundant than N in the water column with increasing distance from the shore. Nitrogen isotope values, however, are very consistently ∼0‰ at all three sites despite the evidence of distally increasing N limitation, suggesting that terrestrially derived reactive N was an important source of reactive N and that marine N fixation was not sufficient to address the stoichiometric deficit. Depleted δ 15 N values in these black shales do not provide a reliable record of diazotrophy; rather, they are a product of the reducing state of the water column and underlying sediments.
Obsession with perfection: Body dysmorphia

The deeply rooted fascination with beauty penetrates society worldwide. The indulgence to look and feel beautiful pervades all ages, genders, and nationalities, with research conferring a remarkable tendency to agree on measures of attractiveness among these disparate groups. Research has found that beautiful people do, in fact, receive more desirable outcomes in life and job satisfaction, family formation, and overall happiness. Humans have a tendency to respond to attractive persons more favorably, driving many patients to our clinics. Although some dissatisfaction with one's appearance is common and normal, excessive concern with certain facial or body attributes can be sign of an underlying disorder. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a disorder of self-perception. It is the obsession with perfection. Defined as the impairing preoccupation with a nonexistent or minimal flaw in appearance, BDD affects 0.7-2.4% of the general population and a much larger percentage of those attempting to receive aesthetic treatments. Clinicians should be aware of this disorder and remain vigilant because such patients will not be satisfied with corrective procedures. Although not involving cosmetic intervention, the treatment of BDD does involve psychiatric referral and psychopharmacologic therapy, with patients receiving these having a much better prognosis.
ADHD Parent–Pediatrician Letters to the School A Family-Centered Medical Home Tool to Improve Collaboration, Grades, and Behavior

Between 15% and 35% of children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have learning disabilities or behavior disorders as coexisting conditions.1 Stimulant medication alone will fail to produce optimal improvement at home and school unless combined with academic and behavioral therapies. Parents as well as pediatricians may lack the expertise necessary to successfully advocate for the ADHD child or patient to receive psychological or academic testing and appropriate classroom accommodations. Despite their legal eligibility based on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with ADHD may not receive the educational services essential for them to achieve their potential. Earlier studies have addressed this issue by describing methods to improve interaction between physicians and schools.2 Subsequent research has suggested an extensive multidisciplinary process to develop community consensus for the accurate diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of ADHD.3 The recent American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) classification of ADHD as a chronic condition recommends that the medical home guiding principle of family-centeredness should be followed to promote strong family–school partnerships.4 Although both the AAP and the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities have endorsed a strategy of letters to the school from the pediatrician and parent to improve collaboration with the school, the format and effectiveness has not been studied.5,6
Surfactant for Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Surfactant treatment is standard of care for infants who have respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). However, many practical questions remain about what RDS is, and who should be treated and when. This review will attempt to answer these questions on the basis of new clinical trials and a perspective on the goals of treatment. Clinical data now support an initial use of continuous positive airway pressure to stabilize most infants before treatment, but the optimal way to treat an infant is under intense investigation. The best treatment option for an infant ultimately depends on gestational age, clinical status, and the experience of the clinician. The differences in surfactants are minor given the low rates of complications with any surfactant treatment. The clinical management of RDS is the greatest success story in neonatology.
Surgical treatment of secondary atrial septal defect associated with mitral valve disease

From March 1965 through August 1991, 703 patients with secondary atrial septal defect were treated surgically in our hospital. Among them, 32 cases (4.6%) were associated with mitral valve disease. The mitral valve lesion was repaired at the same time of closure of the atrial septal defect. The operative mortality was 6.3% and there was no late death. Follow-up study showed that heart function of the patients was improved obviously and most of them have resumed work or study. The clinical features, incidence, etiology, pathology and surgical techniques of secondary atrial septal defect associated with mitral valve disease were discussed.
Mother-Infant Room-Sharing and Sleep Outcomes in the INSIGHT Study

OBJECTIVES: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infant-parent room-sharing until age 1. We assessed the association between room-sharing and sleep outcomes. METHODS: The Intervention Nurses Start Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories study is an obesity prevention trial comparing a responsive parenting intervention with a safety control among primiparous mother-infant dyads. Mothers completed the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire at 4, 9, 12, and 30 months. Reported sleep duration and overnight behaviors, adjusted for intervention group, were compared among early independent sleepers (own room RESULTS: At 4 months, reported overnight sleep duration was similar between groups, but compared with room-sharers, early independent sleepers had better sleep consolidation (longest stretch: 46 more minutes, P = .02). At 9 months, early independent sleepers slept 40 more minutes nightly than room-sharers and 26 more minutes than later independent sleepers ( P = .008). The longest stretch for early independent sleepers was 100 and 45 minutes more than room-sharers and later independent sleepers, respectively ( P = .01). At 30 months, infants sleeping independently by 9 months slept >45 more minutes nightly than those room-sharing at 9 months ( P = .004). Room-sharers had 4 times the odds of transitioning to bed-sharing overnight at both 4 and 9 months ( P CONCLUSIONS: Room-sharing at ages 4 and 9 months is associated with less nighttime sleep in both the short and long-term, reduced sleep consolidation, and unsafe sleep practices previously associated with sleep-related death.
Eine einfache Konstruktion der Parabel

Aus dem zweiten Beispiel folgt eine sehr gute Konstruktion der Parabel, wenn der Scheitel, die Scheiteltangente und ein Punkt gegeben sind (Abb. 46).
Activation energy for electrotransport in thin aluminum films by resistance measurements

Abstract The activation energy for electrotransport in thin aluminum films was measured by a resistometric technique involving several individual resistance measurements along the stripe. An equation was derived which relates the rate of resistance change to the ion velocity. A thin film thermocouple which is free of any loss of heat was used to monitor the temperature of the stripe. This thermocouple was calibrated by the melting points of pure metals placed on the film. The activation energy for electrotransport in thin aluminum films was found to be temperature dependent and to vary between 0.45 and 0.72 eV in a temperature range between 220 and 360°C. The average ion velocity in the grain boundaries due to electrotransport was found to be around 10 −7 cm sec in agreement with the literature.
Virgin nation: sexual purity and American adolescence

In 1993, a group of nearly 60 American teenagers took the first True Love Waits pledge: Believing that True Love Waits, I make a commitment to God, my family, my friends, my future spouse and my fu...
Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty in Knee Osteonecrosis Demonstrated Excellent Survivorship and Outcomes at Three-Year Minimum Follow-Up.

Abstract Background Lack of consensus exists on the use of cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with knee osteonecrosis. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate (1) implant survivorship; (2) clinical outcomes and complications; and (3) radiographic outcomes of primary cementless TKA in knee osteonecrosis. Methods This study included 46 patients (49 knees) who had knee osteonecrosis and underwent primary cementless TKA and had a mean follow-up of 44 months (range 36-96). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate implant survivorship. Follow-up was performed post-operatively at 6 weeks, 3 months, and annually thereafter. Clinical outcomes including the Knee Society Scores (KSS) for pain and function, changes in range-of-motion, complications, and radiographic outcomes were analyzed. Results Aseptic implant survivorship was 97.9% (95% confidence interval 1.01-0.93) and all-cause implant survivorship was 95.9% (95% confidence interval 1.01-0.9), with 1 septic and 1 aseptic failures. The mean KSS for pain was 93 points (range 85-100) and the mean KSS for function was 84 points (range 70-90). Additionally, 1 patient had superficial wound necrosis and was treated with local wound care with no further sequela. Otherwise, no evidence of loosening, subsidence, or progressive radiolucencies were noted on radiological evaluation. Conclusion Excellent implant survivorship, clinical, and radiographic outcomes of primary cementless TKA in the setting of knee osteonecrosis was demonstrated. Although further long-term study is needed to validate survivorship, new generation cementless TKA implants provide promising results in this subset of patients.
An Alternative Model of Antibody Forming Cell Differentiation

The recently described model system of specific immune vibriolysis by lymphoid cells of mice immunized with Vibrio cholerae permits some observations impossible in other systems (1). First, there is an absence of “natural” background of lytic antibodies and plaque forming cells (PFC) against the major cell wall antigens of the bacteria. Second, each bacterial cell possess two distinguishable non-crossreacting antigens, A and B (strain Ogawa) or A and C (strain Inaba), respectively. Therefore, we can study the specific PFC response separately against two antigens carried on one particle and “handled” together by the lymphoid cells of the RES. The method allows both enumeration and localization in tissue of anti-A, anti-B and anti-C PFC, as described elsewhere (1,2). The major observations with the present model for this report deal with the early accumulation pattern of PFC and with restricted specificity of antigen reactive cells and their localization in splenic tissue.
The Politics of Space and Identity: Making Place in a Suburban District

This chapter examines the interlocking notions of migration, space, and identity through a study of a suburban district, Box Hill, in Melbourne, Australia. It argues that the evolving spatiality of Box Hill, perceived as an emerging Chinatown in public narratives, is an outcome of international migration and domestic immigration policies. The case of Box Hill is illustrative of global formations of multiethnic neighborhoods, particularly revolving around public politics about space and identity. This study sheds light on the discursive production of Box Hill, as a place, through its discursive relation with Chinatown, as a space; by applying the notion of place-making, this study reveals tension with public politics of space and identity as well as agencies and impetuses under which multifaceted ethnic spaces were produced in a translocal terrain.
Analogues of Arylamide Phenylpiperazine Ligands To Investigate the Factors Influencing D3 Dopamine Receptor Bitropic Binding and Receptor Subtype Selectivity.

We have previously reported on the ability of arylamide phenylpiperazines to bind selectively to the D3 versus the D2 dopamine receptor subtype. For these studies, we used LS-3-134 as the prototypic arylamide phenylpiperazine ligand because it binds with high affinity at D3 dopamine receptor (0.17 nM) and exhibits >150-fold D3 vs D2 receptor binding selectivity. Our goal was to investigate how the composition and size of the nonaromatic ring structure at the piperazine position of substituted phenylpiperazine analogues might influence binding affinity at the human D2 and D3 dopamine receptors. Two factors were identified as being important for determining the binding affinity of bitropic arylamide phenylpiperazines at the dopamine D3 receptor subtype. One factor was the strength of the salt bridge between the highly conserved residue Asp3.32 with the protonated nitrogen of the nonaromatic ring at the piperazine position. The second factor was the configuration of the unbound ligand in an aqueous solution....
Clinical magnetic resonance-enabled characterization of mono-iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis in a large animal species

Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. Medical and surgical treatments have yet to substantially diminish the global health and economic burden of OA. Due to recent advances in clinical imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a correlation has been established between structural joint damage and OA-related pain and disability. Existing preclinical animal models of OA are useful tools but each suffers specific roadblocks when translating structural MRI data to humans. Intraarticular injection of mono-iodoacetate (MIA) is a reliable, well-studied method to induce OA in small animals but joint size discrepancy precludes the use of clinical grade MRI to study structural disease. The porcine knee is suited for clinical MRI and demonstrates homology with humans. We set out to establish the first large animal model of MIA-induced knee OA in swine characterized by structural MRI. Materials and methods Yucatan swine (n = 27) underwent ultrasound-guided injection of knees with 1.2, 4, 12, or 40 mg MIA. MRI was performed at several time points over 12 weeks (n = 54 knees) and images were assessed according to a modified clinical grading scheme. Knees were harvested and graded up to 35 weeks after injection. Results MIA-injected knees (n = 25) but not control knees (n = 29) developed gross degeneration. A total of n = 6,000 MRI measurements were recorded by two radiologists. MRI revealed progressive cartilage damage, bone marrow edema, erosions, and effusions in MIA-injected knees. Lesion severity and progression was influenced by time, dose, and inter-individual variability. Conclusions Intraarticular injection of MIA produced structural knee degradation that was reliably characterized using clinical MRI in swine. Destruction was progressive and, similar to human OA, lesion severity was heterogeneous between and within treatment groups.
Exclusive use of fixed pressure valves for cerebrospinal fluid diversion in a modern adult cohort.

Abstract Background There is extensive debate on the role of fixed pressure shunts in the adult population. Most studies assessing fixed pressure valves do not consider the potential for changes in technique and management of shunts. We sought to examine the natural history of fixed pressure. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of 169 patients undergoing shunt placement by the senior author Daniel Wecht (DW). The etiology of shunt placement, shunt failure rates, and outcome data was assessed for each patient. Results Overall, 126 patients underwent initial shunt placement. Thirty-three (26.2%) patients required at least one shunt revision during follow-up. The most common cause of first time revision was mechanical shunt malfunction (13, 39.4%), followed by infection (7, 21.2%), and shunt migration (6, 18.2%). Three patients (9.1%) required revision due to misplaced catheters. Underdrainage or overdrainage of shunts each resulted in revisions for 2 (6.1%) patients. The mean follow-up length was 28.1 ± 6.1 months. Conclusion Fixed pressure shunts failed primarily because of shunt malfunction and occurred most commonly in patients developing hydrocephalus as a result of hemorrhage or normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). The overall failure rate between these two groups was proportionally equivalent. Both overdrainage or underdrainage were found to be rare indications for revision.
Urban development by dispossession: planetary urbanization and primitive accumulation

Structural changes in capitalism over the last four decades have facilitated the emergence of globalized sociospatial processes such as urbanization. Meanwhile, the scale of uneven sociospatial dev...
Abstract MP15: Validation of Phenotyping Algorithms for Stroke From Electronic Health Records Using Natural Language Processing

Background: Accurate identification of stroke cases from electronic health record (EHR) is needed for efficient and valid clinical and epidemiology research. A number of studies have evaluated the ...
Pains and gains of ethnic multilingual learners in China: an ethnographic case study

Students who are speakers of minority languages face enormous challenges in a rapidly modernising China. This detailed and illuminating ethnography of two students at the Yunnan University of the N...
White matter disconnection is related to age-related phonological deficits

Older adults have more language production difficulties than younger adults but display largely comparable language comprehension abilities. The Transmission Deficit Hypothesis suggests that production difficulties stem from an age-related increase in phonological signal transmission failures, while the semantic system, being more redundant than the phonological system, allows comprehension to be relatively preserved despite signal failures. Though the neural instantiation of the Transmission Deficit Hypothesis remains an open question, white matter represents one important factor to investigate. Metrics indicative of white matter connectivity across the brain, namely, Radial Diffusivity (RD) and Fractional Anisotropy (FA) have also been linked to age-related cognitive differences including naming difficulties. Using a Picture-Word Interference (PWI) task with 18 younger and 19 older healthy adults, we found that, across ages, better picture naming in the presence of phonological distractors was associated with lower RD across dorsal (r = −.35, p = .03), ventral (r = −.34, p = .04), and fronto-striatal (r = −.33, p = .04) tracts, and higher FA along dorsal tracts (r = .43, p = .008). The pattern of lower RD and higher FA, which is thought to reflect better white matter structure, points to the dorsal stream tracts as critical for performance on the PWI task. Moreover, the effects of RD and FA on performance were attenuated by the effect of age, reflecting the shared variance between age and white matter as it relates to language production ability.
The Geometry of Equality-constrained Global Consensus Problems

A variety of unconstrained nonconvex optimization problems have been shown to have benign geometric landscapes that satisfy the strict saddle property and have no spurious local minima. We present a general result relating the geometry of an unconstrained centralized problem to its equality-constrained distributed extension. It follows that many global consensus problems inherit the benign geometry of their original centralized counterpart. Taking advantage of this fact, we demonstrate the favorable performance of the Gradient ADMM algorithm on a distributed low-rank matrix approximation problem.
Immediate effect of transmucosal application of corn syrup or 50% dextrose solution on blood glucose concentrations in healthy dogs.

OBJECTIVE Evaluate and quantify the effects of mucosal corn syrup and 50% dextrose application on blood glucose concentrations in healthy dogs, to assess the effectiveness of a widely used practice for treatment of hypoglycemia. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. SETTING University teaching hospital. ANIMALS Twelve client-owned dogs that were healthy, >1 year of age, weighing >5 kg, and had normal physical exam and biochemical profiles. INTERVENTIONS Dogs were fasted overnight for a minimum of 12 hours. Once normal physical exam and biochemical profile were confirmed, an IV catheter was placed in a peripheral vein for serial blood sampling. Each dog served as their own control and received each of 3 treatments, the orders of which were randomized for each dog. Treatments included mucosal application of commercially available corn syrup (Karo light syrup), water (control), and 50% dextrose solution, each at a dose of 1 mL/kg of body weight. Blood glucose was measured using a point-of-care glucometer. Samples were taken immediately prior to each treatment and at 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, and 60-minute intervals. RESULTS All treatments were well tolerated and no adverse events were observed. A statistically significant increase in blood glucose was observed at the 15-, 20-, 30-, and 60-minute time points in the corn syrup and 50% dextrose groups as compared with the control. CONCLUSIONS A significant effect on the blood glucose concentrations of the treated animals was not observed until 15 minutes after application of concentrated glucose solutions. These findings suggest that, in more severely hypoglycemic patients, parenteral glucose administration may be necessary.
Evolutionary disruption of S&P 500 trading concentration: An intriguing tale of a financial innovation.

The novel finding of Balakrishnan, Miller & Shankar (2008) that investors, overwhelmed by the plethora of stock investment offerings, limit their analysis and daily choices to only a small subset of stocks (i.e., herding behavior) now seems to be common wisdom (Iosebashvili, 2019). We investigate whether the introduction of an innovation in financial products designed to allow investors to trade the entire product bundle of S&P 500 stocks, namely S&P 500 index funds, altered “herding behavior” by creating a new class of index investors. We model the distribution of daily trading concentration as a power law function and examine changes over the last six decades. Intriguingly, we discover a unique pattern in the trading concentration distribution that exhibits two distinct trends. For the period 1960–75, the trading concentration of the S&P 500 stocks tracks the increasing trend for the entire market, i.e., the unevenness in trading has steadily increased. However, after the introduction of S&P 500 index funds in 1975, concentration of trading in the S&P 500 stocks has steadily decreased, i.e., trading distribution has become more even across all 500 stocks, contrary to the current belief of equity analysts. This is also in sharp contrast to the case of U.S. stocks that are not in the S&P 500 index where trading concentration has steadily increased. We further corroborate the uniqueness of the inverted V-shape by a counterfactual investigation of the trading concentration patterns for other sets of 500 stock portfolios. This uniquely distinctive trading concentration pattern for S&P 500 stocks appears to be driven by the increasing dominance of bundle trading by index investors.
Achieving a popliteal venous access for renal replacement therapy in critically ill COVID-19 patient in prone position.

This patient is a 67-year-old male who initially presented to our facility with acute respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19. Soon after arrival at our facility, the patient decompensated, developing severe ARDS requiring intubation and prone positioning to maintain adequate oxygenation. Over the next few days, the patient developed acute kidney injury with oliguria and severe volume overload. The vascular surgery service was consulted to obtain central venous access for emergent CRRT. Upon our exam, the patient was sedated and paralyzed in a rotating prone-positioning bed. He could not be positioned supine without immediately becoming hypoxic and decompensating. A 50-cm Permcath was inserted via left popliteal vein. This case report outlines a possible challenging scenario that may encounter vascular interventionist when dealing with COVID-19 patients with respiratory compromise in prone position.
Recognizing opioid addiction and overdose: An interprofessional simulation for medical, nursing and pharmacy students

Abstract Health science students need to be prepared to recognize and treat opioid overdose. A high-fidelity opioid overdose simulation was created to assess use of team-based communication strategies and competence in behaviors of interprofessional health science students (medical, nursing and pharmacy). Measureable outcomes were 1) frequency and quality of team-based behaviors through video analysis and 2) care delays and patient harm experienced by the simulated patient through a checklist tool. A total of 67 health care students in sixteen teams participated in the scenario. Of the sixteen teams, 75% (n = 12) administered naloxone correctly. Students excelled in the communication and situational awareness domains, but were less successful with skills in the cooperation and coordination domains. The scenario provides a unique educational opportunity for students to collaborate within an interprofessional team to provide care for a patient experiencing an opioid overdose.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass decreases serum inflammatory markers and cardiovascular risk factors in obese diabetics

Abstract Background Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus are associated with elevated levels of inflammatory markers. This chronic inflammation is known to contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in these populations. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is associated with a high rate of diabetes remission. We hypothesize that laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass decreases systemic inflammatory markers and cardiovascular disease risk factors in obese diabetics. Methods This was a single-institution prospective cohort study of 61 obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 30 patients underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, and 31 patients underwent standard medical therapy with diabetes support and education. Collected data included preoperative and postoperative inflammatory biomarkers and clinical parameters. Results Twelve months after undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, controlling for sex and age, there was a significant correlation between a change in interleukin-6 and a change in systolic blood pressure (Spearman r = 0.41, P = .03). Similarly, when sex and age were controlled for in the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass group, a statistically significant relationship remained between percent excess weight loss and change in interleukin-6 (P = .001). Conclusion A significant relationship exists between decreased systemic interleukin-6 levels and both excess weight loss and lowered systolic blood pressure after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in obese patients with diabetes mellitus. These correlations may explain the decreased risk of cardiovascular disease after surgical weight reduction in this patient population.