cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validity of Knee Flexion and Extension Peak Torque Prediction Models

The primary purpose of this study was to test the validity of predictive models relating isokinetic knee torque production to anthropometric and demographic variables. Subjects were 23 healthy female and 15 healthy male volunteers between the ages of 10 and 77 years. We measured subjects' peak knee flexion and extension torque production at two angular velocities. For each torque dependent variable, we calculated a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between the measured torque values and the values obtained with prediction equations. The difference between the squared value of the correlation coefficients and the regression multiple R2 values obtained for an original group of 134 subjects ranged between .05 and .10 for the torque dependent variables. The results indicate the validity of the regression models at the level specified by the multiple regression R2 values. Clinicians can use the prediction equations presented in this article to establish rehabilitation goals for patients and can estimate the error involved in applying each prediction equation.
A Consideration of the Differential Grinding of Quartz and Feldspar in Weathered Granite

An experimental study has been made to obtain the compressive strength and Martens scratching hardness of quartz, alkali feldspar and plagioclase particles. These minerals were sorted from weathered granite according to the weathering degree. The compressive strength and hardness of weathered plagioclase particles showed a prominent decrease due to argillization against the unweathered ones as compared with the other two minerals. The different behaviour of the compressive strength and hardness of each mineral suggests that the abrasive grinding mechanism may be more effective than compressive one for differential grinding.Laboratory scale mill tests were carried out with the samples of weathered granite by using pot mill, jet mill and hammer mill. The results of the differential grinding show that pot mill was more effective than jet and hammer mills in the amount of grinding for plagioclase particles.
Motivations for and Obstacles to Religious Financial Giving

This paper extends previous findings on religion and generosity by developing and assessing a conceptual typology of potential motivations for and obstacles to religious giving. Specifically, we examine "socialized giving," "need giving," "normative giving," and "guilt giving" as potential motivators, and "wealth insecurity," "giving illiteracy," and "comfortable guilt" as potential obstacles. To investigate these mechanisms, we then combine behavioral and observational data, linking ethnographic and interview data with church-reported financial giving behavior. Data analyzed are from the Northern Indiana Congregation Study. Based on church-reported giving levels, interview respondents are grouped into high- and low-giving categories, and responses are analyzed for stated motivations for and obstacles to religious giving. Findings reveal how complicated it is to ascertain mechanisms driving or inhibiting people's religious giving, and highlight the need to be wary of relying exclusively on self-reported giving data. The conceptual typology presented here can be developed further in future studies that investigate the prevalence and origins of these types. Understanding such processes underlying religious giving becomes particularly relevant in light of the recent economic recession.
Discussion of Licensed Pharmacist Professional Standard

OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for the perfection of licensed pharmacist professional standard in China.METHODS:Through literature review,specific content of licensed pharmacist professional standard were compared among United States,Japan and Taiwan region,and the suggestions were put forward to improve licensed pharmacist professional standard.RESULTS CONCLUSIONS:Because of different national condition and foundation,the contents of licensed pharmacist professional standard in China are different from those of United States,Japan and Taiwan region.We learn from the practices of licensed pharmacist professional standard in developed countries and regions at home and abroad.The irreplaceability of licensed pharmacist profession,licensed pharmacist positions and operational responsibilities,and the scope of pharmaceutical care should be defined,and the practice behavior and professional ethics of licensed pharmacist should be regulated by legislation to improve licensed pharmacist professional standard.
Estimation Of Prostate Cancer Volume By Transrectal Ultrasound Imaging

AbstractEstimation of prostate cancer volume is a potentially important application of transrectal ultrasound imaging. Preoperative volume estimation was performed in 110 patients undergoing transrectal prostatic ultrasonography and subsequent radical prostatectomy. Several different methods for calculation of cancer volume were compared. Most of the sonographic methods that have proved to be useful for estimation of prostate gland volume were inaccurate in estimation of the cancer volume in the prostatectomy specimen. All methods underestimated the cancer volume in the majority of the cases. Step-section planimetry provided the highest correlation with cancer volume (r = 0.84) but the wide range of error makes clinical application impractical. With the current technology, ultrasound imaging alone does not appear to be a useful means to predict cancer volume.
Heat transfer and pressure drop of condensation from superheated vapor to subcooled liquid

Abstract The focus of this paper is heat transfer and pressure drop during condensation in a horizontal smooth round tube. R134a in 6.1 mm inner diameter is used as an example for heat transfer measurements operated in a range of mass fluxes from 50 kg m−2 s−1 to 200 kg m−2 s−1 and heat fluxes from 5 kW m−2 to 15 kW m−2. The paper also presents pressure drop measurements with mass flux from 100 kg m−2 s−1 to 200 kg m−2 s−1, showing the effect of mass flux and heat flux on the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and pressure drop. All the measurements are taken at a constant pressure of 1.319 MPa, which corresponds to a saturation temperature of 50 °C. By connecting heat transfer results with flow characterizations, the behavior of HTC is explained from the perspectives of both mathematics and physics. The result shows that for fixed heat flux and different mass flux, even though the liquid film for higher mass flux is much thinner in the condensing superheated (CSH) region, the HTC is not affected by mass flux. In the two-phase (TP) region, however, higher mass flux clearly yields higher HTC. Opposite behavior is found when heat flux is varied and mass flux is fixed. In the CSH region, HTC increases with heat flux, while in TP region, HTC does not change with heat flux. For both cases, a peak of HTC is presented at quality one, which seems to imply some counter-acting factors that always put heat transfer largest at quality one. The counter-acting factors, however, should not exist based on flow characterization. After mathematically explaining the behavior of HTC in CSH region, film HTC (HTCf) is proposed and ready to serve as a tool in a unified heat transfer model throughout the entire CSH and TP regions. The result of film HTC shows that the film HTC goes to infinite at the onset of condensation, which is physically correct. Also, the film HTC increases with increasing mass flux. The effect of heat flux, or wall temperature on film HTC is still under discussion. In this study, higher heat flux yields lower film HTC only at high qualities, which is due to the difference in void fraction. In addition, the result of pressure drop measurement also shows that the presence of liquid film tends to increase the pressure drop, which suggests that the wavy structure of vapor–liquid interface increases the friction of the flow. The peak of the pressure drop, however, occurs at lower enthalpy for higher mass flux. The reason could be the later onset of condensation and thinner film, which delays the peak of vapor–liquid interaction at higher mass flux.
Varying Influences of Aldosterone on the Plasma Potassium Concentration in Blacks and Whites.

BACKGROUND: Aldosterone acts to restrain the extracellular potassium (K+) concentration. Blacks have on average lower plasma aldosterone concentrations (PACs) than Whites. Whether this ethnic difference is associated with similar changes in the concentration of K+ is unclear. METHODS: Subjects were Blacks and Whites from an observational study of blood pressure regulation. PAC was known to be significantly lower in Blacks than Whites. We sought to test the hypothesis that the concentration of K+ remains constant despite variability in PAC. Initial enrollment took place in childhood in 1986. Some of the original enrollees were studied again in adulthood: 160 healthy Blacks and 271 healthy Whites (ages 5 to 39 years; all were studied as children and as adults). RESULTS: Plasma renin activity [a biomarker of angiotensin II and, more proximally, extracellular fluid volume (ECFV)] and PAC were lower in Blacks (P < 0.0354 and P < 0.001, respectively, for all ages). At the same time no ethnic difference in levels of K+ was observed regardless of age. Plasma K+ concentration and PAC associated differently based on ethnicity: PAC increased in Blacks by 1.5-2.0 and in Whites by 2.3-3.0 ng/dl per mmol/l increase in K+ (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lower aldosterone levels in Blacks did not translate into higher K+ concentrations. We speculate that reaching the right concentration of K+ was an endpoint of aldosterone production in the presence of varying levels of ECFV and angiotensin II.
A Comprehensive Photonic Approach for Solar Cell Cooling

The heating of a solar cell has significant adverse consequences on both its efficiency and its reliability. Here to fully exploit the cooling potential of solar cells, we experimentally characterized the thermal radiation and solar absorption properties of current silicon solar cells and, on the basis of such experimental characterization, propose a comprehensive photonic approach by simultaneously performing radiative cooling while also selectively utilizing sunlight. In particular, we design a photonic cooler made of one-dimensional photonic films that can strongly radiate heat through its thermal emission while also significantly reflecting the solar spectrum in the sub-band-gap and ultraviolet regimes. We show that applying this photonic cooler to a solar panel can lower the cell temperature by over 5.7 °C. We also show that this photonic cooler can be used in a concentrated photovoltaic system to significantly reduce the solar cell temperature or required cooling power. This photonic cooler can be r...
Inoculation messages as a preemptive financial crisis communication strategy with inexperienced investors

ABSTRACTThis study focuses on the problem of collapsed ‘stay in the market’ (SIM) beliefs during financial crises. More specifically, the goal of this investigation was to ascertain whether or not inoculation messages are a viable preemptive crisis communication strategy to protect the SIM beliefs of inexperienced investors amidst a major stock market downturn. Inoculation messages were compared to both supportive messages and no-message controls to determine their effectiveness in protecting SIM beliefs. Additionally, the impact of inoculation messages on beliefs in the absence of a crisis and the impact of crisis message modality (i.e. video versus print) on inoculation-generated resistance were explored. A between-subjects factorial design (3 × 2 plus one additional condition) was designed to explore three hypotheses and two research questions. Results indicate that inoculation messages can serve as a viable preemptive financial crisis communication strategy and that inoculation messages did not harm S...
Venous Disease and Cavernous Malformations

This chapter covers the gamut of intracranial venous issues, ranging from the most common entity – developmental venous anomalies – to the nonexistent: “chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency.”
Telavancin for refractory MRSA bacteraemia in intermittent haemodialysis recipients.

Background Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring intermittent haemodialysis (IHD) are at high risk of MRSA bacteraemia (MRSA-B) and often fail first-line therapy. The safety, effectiveness and optimal dosing of telavancin for MRSA-B in this patient population are unclear. Objectives We aimed to describe clinical outcomes of telavancin in the treatment of refractory MRSA-B in patients with ESRD requiring IHD. Patients and methods This was a retrospective study of hospitalized patients at two tertiary care academic medical centres with recurrent or persistent (≥3 days) MRSA-B treated with telavancin monotherapy. Outcomes included duration of MRSA-B (pre-telavancin versus post-telavancin) and microbiological failure (duration of MRSA-B ≥3 days after initiation of telavancin). Results Telavancin dosed 10 mg/kg three times weekly post-IHD or 10 mg/kg every 48 h resulted in microbiological cure in 7/8 (87.5%) refractory MRSA-B cases. Telavancin monotherapy was associated with a significant reduction in median duration of bacteraemia [16 days pre-telavancin (IQR 8-19 days) versus 1 day post-telavancin (IQR 0-2 days); P = 0.018]. Telavancin was well tolerated by all patients and no adverse events were reported. Conclusions Telavancin was very safe and highly effective in the treatment of refractory MRSA-B in a cohort of patients with ESRD requiring IHD. These data support the utility of telavancin in the armamentarium against refractory MRSA-B, particularly in the high-risk IHD-dependent population.
Nanomechanical systems with normalized and coupled acoustic and electromagnetic modes in piezoelectric structures

Abstract This paper deals with the quantization of the acoustic modes in nanomechanical systems with coupled acoustic and electromagnetic modes in piezoelectric structures. Specifically, the well-known Bleustein-Gulyaev (BG) modes in the theory of surface acoustic wave devices, are second quantized so that the relationship between the acoustic modes and the electromagnetic modes can be examined in the limit where the acoustic mode is a single acoustic phonon. By considering a theory where the quantized acoustic phonons are explicitly related to the electromagnetic modes, this treatment allows a description of nanomechanical systems where acoustic and electromagnetic modes can be described in the nanoscale limit. This effort will examine quantitatively the electromagnetic-acoustic interaction caused by the piezoelectricity in the limit where the classical acoustic waves must be described in terms of phonons.
Keratins and the Skin

Keratins are the epithelial-specific members of the superfamily of intermediate filament (IF) genes and proteins. The 28 type I and 26 type II keratin genes are regulated in a pairwise fashion, reflecting the heteromeric nature of the 10 nm filaments they form, as well as in a tissue-specific and differentiation-dependent fashion in the body, giving rise to expression patterns that are very useful to define the status of epithelia in health and disease. Keratin IFs fulfill two major functions: structural support, without which incident physical trauma exposes an inherent fragility and leads to loss of cell integrity, and regulation of several basic cellular processes such as growth, proliferation, apoptosis, made possible by interactions with various cellular proteins.
Mitral valve repair in rheumatic disease

Rheumatic mitral valve disease was the earliest indication for cardiac surgery, and techniques have evolved progressively since the first mitral »valvotomy« by Elliot Cutler in 1923. Worldwide, rheumatic heart disease remains a major cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality with the incidence exceeding 50 per 100,000 children. After decades of declining incidence in North America and Europe, current data suggest that rheumatic disease is increasing even in developed countries. In most cardiac surgical centers, rheumatic valve dysfunction remains a significant clinical entity comprising approximately 20% of current mitral practice.
The Two Amino Terminal Transforming Functions of the SV40 Large T-Antigen are Required to Overcome P53 Mediated Growth Arrest

About 60% of cancers from humans contain mutations at the p53 locus1,2. Most commonly, there is a missense mutation in one of the p53 alleles and a loss of the second allele resulting in a reduction to homozygosity of the mutant gene3. Thus p53 behaves like a tumor suppressor gene4 where a loss of function (recessive to wild-type) enhances the probability of cancerous growth. Returning the wild-type p53 gene into cells that are being transformed by an oncogene5 or are already transformed6 blocks the transformation process and, when p53 is expressed at high levels, inhibits cell division of transformed cells. Cells transformed with a temperature sensitive p53 mutant replicate at 37–39°C, where the p53 protein is in a mutant conformation, but fail to grow at 32°C, where the p53 protein is acting as a wild type tumor suppressor1–8. The wild-type p53 protein blocks progression through the cell cycle in G1 7,8. Thus, the wild-type protein can, under certain circumstances9, regulate progression of cells through the cell cycle while mutant p53 proteins fail to do this. The wild-type p53 protein, but not the mutant protein, can act as a transcription factor10–12 and so it is tempting to speculate that p53-mediated transcription of a set of genes can block progression through the cell cycle in the G1 phase of the cycle.
From Research to Clinical Assessment of Reading and Writing Disorders: The Unit of Analysis Problem

A battery of developmental measures and achievement measures, which was administered to 100 first grade, 100 second grade, and 100 third grade children, and the theoretical models of reading and writing acquisition underlying the battery are described. An overview is provided of the previous major results based on group analytical techniques (multiple regression, canonical correlational analysis, and structural equation modeling) to be compared with the results of the individual subject analyses, which are the focus of the research reported here. Three criteria (absolute, relative, and combined absolute +relative) were used to identify individuals who had a disorder (low functioning, underachieving, or learning disabled, respectively) on each of the developmental and academic measures and to analyze their profiles in reference to the set of variables validated by the group analyses. Comparison of the group and individual subject analyses indicates that it is difficult to generalize from the group as the unit of analysis to the individual as the unit of analysis in a simple one-to-one fashion. Most identified individuals had a disorder in at least one of the relevant variables identified in the group analysis, but few had disorders in all the relevant variables. The variability across individual profiles for the same reading or writing disorder shows that multiple etiologies or developmental processes can contribute to the same academic achievement disorder.
Oncologic reconstruction of the proximal humerus with a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty megaprosthesis.

Background and purpose Both malignant and benign tumors of the proximal humerus may necessitate resection of a substantial portion of the proximal humerus, making reconstruction options challenging. While hemiarthroplasty has been a classic treatment, reverse total shoulder replacement may provide better pain relief and function for these patients. Methods We utilize a two-surgeon approach for these challenging cases. The orthopedic oncologist resects the tumor. A shoulder-trained surgeon implants the reverse shoulder replacement. Modern implants, with large glenospheres and modular components, can allow reliable, straightforward reconstructions for these patients. We prefer 6 weeks of postoperative immobilization to decrease the risk of instability. Results We have completed 13 reverse total shoulder replacements for oncologic shoulder resections, with acceptable clinical outcomes and no complications to date. Conclusion Reverse total shoulder replacement with long-stem, modular components can reliably and reproducibly reconstruct the shoulder in patients with oncologic resections of the proximal humerus.
InstaSent: A Novel Framework for Sentiment Analysis Based on Instagram Selfies.

Sentiment analysis and opinion mining is the field of study to analyse opinions, attitudes, and emotions of people. It is the most studied research field. With the evolution of social media, many new terms have been evolved including selfies. A selfie has provided a way for to the users of social media to record their personal memories. People are sharing their images on social media in a massive amount. Keeping in mind the big data nature, it is very difficult to analyse selfies manually. In this research study, we have proposed a framework called InstaSent for sentiment analysis based on Instagram selfies. This framework incorporates both text mining and image mining techniques for sentiment prediction. Support vector machine is used for sentiment classification based on the text associated with selfies like captions, hashtags, comments, and emoticons, while the deep learning method Convolutional neural network is used for processing image data for sentiment analyses. By combining the practices for text mining and image mining we believe that this technique will outperform all other techniques presented in this domain. In a nutshell, we believe that our research study has provided novel opportunities for researchers to explore the use of selfies in other domains.
An Analysis of Load Management System by Using Unified Power Quality Conditioner for Distribution Network

This paper focused to designing and control of unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) for improving the load enhancement. In this paper, the authors presented the modeling of UPQC-based power system network for improving the voltage profile and load enhancement in a radial distribution power network under various power system faults. The objective of this paper is to improve the voltage profile and load enhancement using an intelligent controller based UPQC device. The operation of UPQC devices is to be analysis using intelligent controller at various fault conditions. The intelligent controller compares the power system parameters such as voltage and phase angle with the reference value and it will generate the triggering pulses for a voltage source converter of UPQC system. The proposed model will be simulated in MATLAB environment. The simulation results are evaluated with IEEE standards and compare to existing models for strong impact of the proposed model.
Signal Space Diversity based Cognitive Two-Way Relay Network with Underlay Spectrum Sharing

In this paper, signal space diversity (SSD) is introduced in an underlay cognitive two-way relay network where two secondary source terminals communicate with each other directly and via an intermediate secondary relay in the presence of a primary user. SSD is applied at all transmitting nodes in the secondary network to rotate and interleave the signal components before transmission that enables both source terminals and intermediate relay to transmit different symbols. Therefore, SSD enhances the mutual information of the SSD-based underlay cognitive two-way relay network compared to the conventional one. Thus, performance analysis and results of the proposed system are different than that of the conventional system. It is shown that the proposed system improves the outage performance and spectral efficiency of the underlay cognitive two-way relay network. Moreover, the closed-form expression for exact outage probability of the proposed system is derived over Rayleigh fading channels. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to validate the analytical work. In all analysis, interference power constraints and correlation among signal-to-noise ratios are taken into consideration to provide accurate results. Furthermore, the impact of channel estimation error on the outage probability of the system is investigated and the closed-form expression of the outage probability is derived.
Recognizing speech in the context of talker variability

The relationship of the acoustic patterns of speech to phonetic categories varies across talkers. A change in talker therefore requires listeners use this relationship which depends on determining the acoustic-phonetic mapping for a new talker. The work from our group has demonstrated that tuning the perceptual system to the acoustic-phonetic system of a new talker is associated with a redirection of attention and a momentary increased load on working memory. These empirical findings support the hypothesis that speech perception is best thought of as an active cognitive process, where the ambiguity of the acoustic signal determines the mobilization of cognitive resources needed to support accurate perception. In this talk, I will (1) discuss the implication of these results for both cognitive and neural models of speech perception and (2) make the argument that extant theories of speech perception must address recognition in the context of acoustic-linguistic pattern variability, such as talker variability, as it is central to the computational problem of understanding speech perception.
Chapter 10 – Anterior Pituitary Failure

Publisher Summary Hypopituitarism results from the failure of one or more pituitary hormones to be produced or secreted from the anterior pituitary. The anterior lobe of the pituitary is responsible for the production and secretion of hormones that affect specific peripheral glandular tissues. The anterior pituitary is under control of the hypothalamus via hypophysiotropic neurohormonal regulation, which integrates feedback mechanisms that govern secretion of hypothalamic factors, pituitary hormones and peripheral hormones. Peripheral stimuli from a wide array of sources prompt modulation of the neurohormonal control of anterior pituitary function, including production and secretion of pituitary hormones. These hormones are released into the circulation, resulting in specific systemic effects. Anterior pituitary failure can result from the disruption of any step in the production, stimulation, secretion and regulation of these hormones.
Quantitative assessment of parameters that affect strength development in alkali activated fly ash binders

Abstract The influence of activator composition (pH, modulus), activator to fly ash ratio, (L/S)vol, and curing on strength development of alkali activated fly ash (AAFA) mortars is investigated. A statistical analysis is performed to evaluate the significance of these parameters and to develop a preliminary regression model for predicting the 1-day strength. The results show that to achieve high strengths, activators with very high pH (⩾15.0) or high pH and moderate modulus (pH ⩾ 14.75, n ⩾ 0.75) are needed. Such activators have high viscosity and lead to low workability. AAFA strength does not monotonically increase with reducing (L/S)vol, but is maximum at intermediate (L/S)vol.
Neuron‐generated thrombin induces a protective astrocyte response via protease activated receptors

Astrocytes protect neurons during cerebral injury through several postulated mechanisms. Recent therapeutic attention has focused on enhancing or augmenting the neuroprotective actions of astrocytes but in some instances astrocytes can assume a neurotoxic phenotype. The signaling mechanisms that drive astrocytes toward a protective versus toxic phenotype are not fully known but cell-cell signaling via proteases acting on cell-specific receptors underlies critical mechanistic steps in neurodevelopment and disease. The protease activated receptor (PAR), resides in multiple brain cell types, and most PARs are found on astrocytes. We asked whether neuron-generated thrombin constituted an important astrocyte activation signal because our previous studies have shown that neurons contain prothrombin gene and transcribed protein. We used neuron and astrocyte mono-cell cultures exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation and a model of middle cerebral artery occlusion. We found that ischemic neurons secrete thrombin into culture media, which leads to astrocyte activation; such astrocyte activation can be reproduced with low doses of thrombin. Media from prothrombin-deficient neurons failed to activate astrocytes and adding thrombin to such media restored activation. Astrocytes lacking PAR1 did not respond to neuron-generated thrombin. Induced astrocyte activation was antagonized dose-dependently with thrombin inhibitors or PAR1 antagonists. Ischemia-induced astrocyte activation in vivo was inhibited after neuronal prothrombin knockout, resulting in larger strokes. Restoring prothrombin to neurons with a lentiviral gene vector restored astrocyte activation and reduced stroke damage. We conclude that neuron-generated thrombin, released during ischemia, acts via PAR1 and may cause astrocyte activation and paracrine neuroprotection.
Short‐wave infrared light imaging measures tissue moisture and distinguishes superficial from deep burns

Existing clinical approaches and tools to measure burn tissue destruction are limited resulting in misdiagnosis of injury depth in over 40% of cases. Thus, our objective in this study was to characterize the ability of short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging to detect moisture levels as a surrogate for tissue viability with resolution to differentiate between burns of various depths. To accomplish our aim, we constructed an imaging system consisting of a broad-band Tungsten light source; 1,200-, 1,650-, 1,940-, and 2,250-nm wavelength filters; and a specialized SWIR camera. We initially used agar slabs to provide a baseline spectrum for SWIR light imaging and demonstrated the differential absorbance at the multiple wavelengths, with 1,940 nm being the highest absorbed wavelength. These spectral bands were then demonstrated to detect levels of moisture in inorganic and in vivo mice models. The multiwavelength SWIR imaging approach was used to diagnose depth of burns using an in vivo porcine burn model. Healthy and injured skin regions were imaged 72 hours after short (20 seconds) and long (60 seconds) burn application, and biopsies were extracted from those regions for histologic analysis. Burn depth analysis based on collagen coagulation histology confirmed the formation of superficial and deep burns. SWIR multispectral reflectance imaging showed enhanced intensity levels in long burned regions, which correlated with histology and distinguished between superficial and deep burns. This SWIR imaging method represents a novel, real-time method to objectively distinguishing superficial from deep burns.
Age-associated changes in the mechanical properties of human cadaveric pelvic floor muscles.

Abstract Proper function of the female pelvic floor requires intact pelvic floor muscles (PFMs). The prevalence of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) increases substantially with age, in part due to clinically identified deterioration of PFM function with age. However, the etiology of this decline remains largely unknown. We previously demonstrated that PFMs undergo age-related fibrotic changes. This study sought to determine whether aging also impacts PFMs’ passive mechanical properties that are largely determined by the intramuscular extracellular matrix. Biopsies from younger (≤52y) and older (>52y) female cadaveric donors were procured from PFMs, specifically coccygeus (C) and two portions of the levator ani - iliococcygeus (IC) and pubovisceralis (PV), and the appendicular muscles - obturator internus (OI) and vastus lateralis (VL). Muscle bundles were subjected to a passive loading protocol, and stress-sarcomere length (Ls) relationships calculated. Muscle stiffness was compared between groups using 2-way ANOVA and Sidak pairwise comparisons, α
Curbing Youth E-cigarette Use Must Remain a Priority

* Abbreviations: e-cigarette — : electronic cigarette EVALI — : electronic cigarette, or vaping, product use–associated lung injury FDA — : US Food and Drug Administration In this month’s issue of Pediatrics , Rao et al1 report a retrospective study of 13 adolescents in Dallas, Texas, who were hospitalized and treated for electronic cigarette, or vaping, product use–associated lung injury (EVALI). The first EVALI cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on August 1, 2019, although subsequent retrospective analysis of emergency department data has revealed that visits for EVALI had started by June 20192 and peaked in September 2019.3 The group of patients described by Rao et al1 are younger than the national average (15.9 vs 24 years nationally), with a higher percentage of girls (54% vs 34%) and more people of Hispanic ethnicity (46% vs 15%).3 Similar to national reports, the majority of patients (92%) reported vaping tetrahydrocannabinol-containing products, and more than half (62%) reported vaping nicotine-containing products. Consistent with previous reports of EVALI, clinical severity varied greatly between cases, including one patient experiencing a near-fatal clinical course involving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and long-term mechanical ventilation. Interestingly, 85% of patients had gastrointestinal symptoms (commonly nausea and vomiting), and 4 presented with predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms. The authors report rapid clinical improvement attributed to the … Address correspondence to S. Christy Sadreameli, MD, MHS, Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 200 N Wolfe St, Third Floor, Baltimore, MD 21287. E-mail: ssadrea1{at}jhmi.edu
DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF NOVEL ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES FOR IN VITRO DISSOLUTION STUDY AND VALIDATION PROTOCOL FOR ESCITALOPRAM AS ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUG AND THEIR FORMULATION

Objective: To develop and validate the RP-HPLC method and in vitro dissolution study for escitalopram as antidepressant drug and their formulation. Methods: The chromatographic separation was done by using a C-18, 150 mm column and a mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer (40%) and acetonitrile HPLC grade (60%). Detection was carried out at 211 nm with a flow rate of 1 ml/min with an injection of 20 μl. The method was validated with different parameters such as linearity, precision, accuracy, robustness, and limit of detection (LOD), the limit of quantification (LOQ) according to ICH guidelines. Results: The linear calibration curve was obtained in the concentration range of 0-50 μg/ml and gave an average correlation factor 0.992. The retention time was observed at 2.96 min. The Minimum concentration level at which the analyte can be reliably detected (LOD) and quantified (LOQ) were found to be 0.03 and 0.09 µg/ml, respectively. The relative standard deviation of intra and the inter-day assay was found to be less than 2. The dissolution studies show moderate dissolution (23.4%) after 45 min, but it reaches a plateau after approximately 25 min. Conclusion: This method was found to be simple, rapid and economic with less run time. The validated parameters manifest the method is reliable, linear, accurate and precise as well as robust with minor variations in chromatographic parameters. Therefore, the developed method can be applied for both routine analysis and quality control assay and it could be a very powerful tool to investigate the stability of escitalopram.
Deficiency of Splicing Factor 1 (SF1) Reduces Intestinal Polyp Incidence in ApcMin/+ Mice.

Background: Splicing factor 1 (SF1) is a conserved alternative splicing factor expressed in many different mammalian cell types. The genetically modified Sf1+/− (or Sf1β-geo/+) mice express reduced levels of SF1 protein in mouse tissues, including in cells of the intestines. Mutational inactivation of human adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene deregulates the Wnt signaling pathway and is a frequent genetic event in colon cancers. Mice with a point mutation in the Apc gene (ApcMin/+) also develop numerous intestinal polyps at a young age. Our aim was to determine the effect of reduced SF1 levels on polyp development due to the strong driver ApcMin/+ mutation. Methods: We utilized mice genetically deficient for expression of SF1 to assess how SF1 levels affect intestinal tumorigenesis. We crossed ApcMin/+ to Sf1+/− mice to generate a cohort of heterozygous mutant ApcMin/+;Sf1+/− mice and compared intestinal polyp development in these mice to that in a control cohort of sibling ApcMin/+ mice. We compared total polyp numbers, sizes of polyps and gender differences in polyp numbers between ApcMin/+;Sf1+/− and ApcMin/+ mice. Results: Our results showed that ApcMin/+ mice with lower SF1 expression developed 25–30% fewer intestinal polyps compared to their ApcMin/+ siblings with normal SF1 levels. Interestingly, this difference was most significant for females (ApcMin/+;Sf1+/− and ApcMin/+ females developed 39 and 55 median number of polyps, respectively). Furthermore, the difference in polyp numbers between ApcMin/+;Sf1+/− and ApcMin/+ mice was significant for smaller polyps with a size of 2 mm or less, whereas both groups developed similar numbers of larger polyps. Conclusions: Our results suggest that lower SF1 levels likely inhibit the rate of initiation of polyp development due to ApcMin/+ driver mutation in the mouse intestine. Thus, therapeutic lowering of SF1 levels in the intestine could attenuate intestinal polyp development.
Bilateral Renal Agenesis: Redefining Complex Palliative Care Across the Continuum of a Shifting Disease Paradigm

Introduction: Bilateral renal agenesis was historically labeled “lethal” as pulmonary hypoplasia from chronic anhydramnios results in life-limiting respiratory failure at birth. Recently, the first case of long-term survival for an infant with bilateral renal agenesis to kidney transplant following serial prenatal amnioinfusion was reported. Subsequently, clinical trials have proposed prenatal amnioinfusions to allow for fetal pulmonary maturation, thus increasing the likelihood of survival at birth allowing for peritoneal dialysis as a bridge to kidney transplant. We report the role of palliative care across the continuum of multidisciplinary, complex care …
Comparison of transient absorption of laser ablation plasma with fundamental plasma absorption relations

Nanosecond pulsed laser ablation plasmas were studied by time resolved shadowgraphy coupled with normal imaging, followed by laser probing and plasma spectroscopy in the 5-25 J/cm2 fluence regime. We describe methods for imaging and probing that allow us to determine variations in the distribution of ejecta in the plume and monitor the optical absorption using a probe laser to obtain a measure of the linear absorption coefficient of the plasma. Experimental determination of absorber distribution also corresponds well to the theoretical prediction of density increase near the emitted shockwave edge. We finally demonstrate that fundamental plasma correlations can accurately describe the absorption of light by the plasma near the ablation wavelength. We observed good agreement in peak attenuation, directly measuring 65% peak absorption and compared to a calculation of 57% using a simple model of the plasma, but a 10 ns shift in peak attenuation time. The shift in dip times is explained both by experimental error and a fundamental imprecision in the model proposed for the expansion.
Prevalence and risk factors for acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder after burn injury.

Abstract Background Psychological consequences of burn injury can be profound. Acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are known sequelae, but routine identification is challenging. This study aims to identify patient characteristics associated with outpatient positive screens. Methods The Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder questionnaire (PC-PTSD-4) was administered at initial outpatient Burn Center visits between 5/2018–12/2018. Demographics, injury mechanism, and total body surface area (TBSA) were recorded. Those with ≥3 affirmative answers were considered positive. Patients with positive and negative screens were compared. Results Of 307 surveys collected, 292 (median TBSA 1.5 %, IQR 0.5–4.0 %) remained for analysis after exclusions. Of those, 24.0 % screened positive. Positive screens were associated with presence of a deep component of the injury, injury mechanism, upper extremity involvement, ICU admission, and prolonged hospital length of stay. Conclusions Numerous factors distinguish burn injury from other traumatic mechanisms and contribute to disproportionate rates of traumatic stress disorders. Optimization of burn-oriented ASD and PTSD screening protocols can enable earlier intervention.
The Equality Principle: How Title VII Can Save Insider Trading Law

The law of insider trading needs to be scrapped and replaced. Because Congress has not passed a statute directly addressing insider trading, the Supreme Court has, by default, based insider trading law on section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and its regulatory complement, Rule 10b-5. An antifraud provision, section 10(b) has failed as a basis for insider trading law because trading wrongfully on inside information does not necessarily involve fraud. If, for example, an eavesdropper trades on inside information, or someone trades on a gratuitous tip or on the spoils of corporate espionage, it is unlikely that fraud came into play. Allowing market participants to trade on inside information in such circumstances defies common sense. The conflation of informational abuses with deceptive practices spawns unfairness to investors, harms them economically, shakes their confidence in the financial system, and erodes the efficiency of capital markets. Congress should enact a new legal framework that targets all informational abuse, whether or not based on fraud. The question is: Where might lawmakers look for guidance on how to craft a new insider trading law? The answer may come from an unexpected place. Title VII strives to achieve equality of workplace opportunity for those in protected classes, but it does not guarantee equality of result in acquiring employment or other related benefits. The fundamental policy underlying insider trading law is analogous: to achieve equality of access to material, nonpublic information, but not equality of outcome in acquiring information. Both areas are therefore supported by an antidiscrimination principle. Title VII provides effective statutory and judicially-created rules that promote its underlying policy. These rules could be adapted to the law of insider trading. The result would be a framework unencumbered by a fraud requirement. Such a framework would establish strict liability for trading on inside information.
Control of Gluconeogenesis from Amino Acids in the Perfused Rat Liver

Gluconeogenesis from amino acids was investigated with isolated rat livers perfused with Krebs bicarbonate buffer containing bovine red cells and serum albumin. In livers from fasted rats perfused with a mixture of amino acids at various multiples of their normal plasma concentrations, glucose production was half-maximal at normal amino acid concentrations and approached saturation at three times normal concentrations. Urea production also rose with increasing concentrations of amino acids, but was not saturated at four times normal levels. It is concluded that the rate of release of amino acids from peripheral tissues can be important in controlling hepatic gluconeogenesis. In livers perfused with physiological levels of amino acids, glucagon increased alanine conversion to glucose 3.5-fold and produced changes in the steady state concentrations of intermediates of the gluconeogenic pathway which indicated stimulation of the conversion of pyruvate to phosphopyruvate. With high concentrations of alanine, transamination became a significant rate-limiting step for gluconeogenesis. Under these conditions glucagon or cyclic 3',5'-AMP increased alanine conversion to glucose 2- to 3-fold, and the changes in intermediates indicated that they also stimulated the transport of alanine into the cell. Maximum gluconeogenesis from alanine was reached only when the perfusate concentration of alanine was 20 times the normal, physiological level. Glucagon stimulated both glucose and urea production from the amino acid mixture at all amino acid concentrations studied. Urea production was also stimulated by epinephrine and cyclic 3',5'-AMP in livers perfused with or without amino acids. It is proposed that glucagon and possibly catecholamines play a role in the physiological regulation of gluconeogenesis from amino acids by increasing the formation of cyclic 3',5'AMP, which acts to stimulate both the transport of amino acids into the hepatic cell and the conversion of pyruvate to P-pyruvate.
Australia's Lost Folk Songs: The Treasures that Slipped through Percy Jones' Fingers

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Keith McKenry Year: 2008 Pages: 80 Details: illustrated by Ron Edwards Publisher: The Rams Skull Press ISBN: 1875872825 (soft cover).
Effect of Glufosinate-Resistant Corn (Zea mays) Population and Row Spacing on Light Interception, Corn Yield, and Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) Growth1

Abstract: Management of corn (Zea mays) row spacings and populations has been used for many years to increase corn productivity. In 1998 and 1999, nonirrigated corn was grown in 38-, 56-, and 76-cm row spacings at populations averaging 59,300, 72,900, and 83,900 plants/ha in Michigan. Glufosinate at 0.29 kg/ha was applied to common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) averaging 5 cm in height in each plot. Corn population and row spacing did not influence weed emergence following application of glufosinate. Common lambsquarters biomass and seed production were reduced when grown under canopies of corn planted in populations exceeding 72,900 plants/ha. Common lambsquarters biomass was reduced as corn row spacings were reduced from 76 to 38 cm. Early-season interception of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) by corn canopies increased as row spacings decreased, but differences were not apparent later in the season. Interception of PAR was similar throughout the season when corn populations exceeded 72,900...
Attenuation of Paired-Pulse Facilitation Associated With Synaptic Potentiation Mediated by Postsynaptic Mechanisms

Wang, Jin-Hui and Paul T. Kelly. Attenuation of paired-pulse facilitation associated with synaptic potentiation mediated by postsynaptic mechanisms. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2707–2716, 1997. The relati...
When others cross psychological distance to help: Highlighting prosocial actions toward outgroups encourages philanthropy

Abstract Prior research has found several factors that affect people's willingness to participate in philanthropy. In the present article, we explore whether people feel more inspired to engage in philanthropy after learning about individuals who help targets who are socially close or distant from those individuals. Specifically, we propose that when people learn about others who help socially distant (vs. close) targets, such prosocial actions will be more salient because it violates people's lay belief about distance and helping; therefore, people will be more attracted to the idea of engaging in prosocial actions after learning that prosocial actions have been directed toward socially distant (vs. close) targets. We present four experiments in support of our hypotheses.