cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Properties of β-N-Acetylglucosaminidase Activity in Inflammatory Joint Disease

This study demonstrates the presence of two distinct fractions of β-N-acetyIgIucosaminidase activity in inflammatory synovial fluids. They are separable by sephadex column chromatography, have different kinetic properties, and the level of activity of the two individual fractions varies with disease state. Data are presented suggesting that one of these fractions of activity has its origin in infiltrating polymorphonuclear leucocytes while the other originates from the synovial lining and its underlying tissue.
Predicting resilience in sexually abused adolescents.

Abstract This research examined factors that predicted resilience in sexually abused adolescents. Using Bronfenbrenner's Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) ecological model, this study considered the proximal and distal factors that would contribute to adolescents’ reactions to sexual victimization. This correlational study used hierarchical regression analysis ( n = 237) with cross-sectional data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being Wave I (NSCAW, Dowd et al., 2002 ). This study found that school engagement, caregiver social support, hope and expectancy, caregiver education and SES predicted resilience. In line with the PPCT model, findings suggest that placing a greater emphasis on the contextual environment could improve support for adolescent resilience. Augmenting interventions that focus on individual change with those that address environmental factors may increase the benefits to adolescents affected by sexual abuse.
Evidence of intertextuality: investigating Paul the Deacon's Angustae Vitae

1. J. Kristeva, “Word, Dialog and Novel,” in Toril Moi, ed., The Kristeva Reader, New York: Columbia University Press, 1986, p. 34-61. 2. G. Conte, Latin Literature: A History, Transl. by J. Solodow, rev. by D. Fowler and G. Most, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994. 3. C. Forstall and W. Scheirer, “Features from Frequency: Authorship and Stylistic Analysis Using Repetitive Sound,” Chicago Colloquium on Digital Humanities and Computer Science, 2009. 4. L. Manevit and M. Yousef, “One-Class SVMs for Document Classification,” Journal of Machine Learning Research (2), pp. 139-154, 2001. 5. M. Platnauer, Latin Elegiac Verse: A Study of the Metrical Usages of Tibullus, Propertius & Ovid. Cambridge University Press, 1951. See for example pp. 36-39. 6. E. Dummler, ed., Poetae Latini Aevi Carolini: Tomus. I. Berlin 1881, pp. 35-86. 7. K. Harrington, J. Pucci, and A.G. Elliott, Medieval Latin (2nd ed.), University of Chicago Press, 1997. 8. N. Coffee, J. Koenig, S. Poornima, and C. Forstall, The Tesserae Project, http:// tesserae.caset.buffalo.edu The study of intertextuality, the shaping of a text’s meaning by other texts, remains a laborious process for the literary critic. Kristeva1 suggests that “Any text is constructed as a mosaic of quotations; any text is the absorption and transformation of another.” The nature of these mosaics is widely varied, from direct quotations representing a simple and overt intertextuality, to more complex transformations that are intentionally or subconsciously absorbed into a text. " Since, in many cases, the problem is one of pattern recognition, it is a good candidate for automated assistance by computers." As a case study for our computational analysis of intertextuality, we turn to Paul the Deacon’s 8th century poem Angustae Vitae, which we suggest has a strong connection to the poetry of Catullus. "
Can we observe changes in mRNA “state”? Overview of methods to study mRNA interactions with regulatory proteins relevant in cancer related processes

RNA binding proteins (RBP) regulate the editing, localization, stabilization, translation, and degradation of ribonucleic acids (RNA) through their interactions with specific cis-acting elements within target RNAs. Post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms are directly involved in the control of the immune response and stress response and their alterations play a crucial role in cancer related processes. In this review, we discuss mRNAs and RNA binding proteins relevant to tumorigenesis, current methodologies for detecting RNA interactions, and last, we describe a novel method to detect such interactions, which combines peptide modified, RNA imaging probes (FMTRIPs) with proximity ligation (PLA) and rolling circle amplification (RCA). This assay detects native RNA in a sequence specific and single RNA sensitive manner, and PLA allows for the quantification and localization of protein–mRNA interactions with single-interaction sensitivity in situ.
Big Huggin' A Case Study in Affection Gaming

Big Huggin' is a game designed for use with a custom teddy bear controller. Players complete the game by providing several well-timed hugs to a 30 inch teddy bear. It is an experiment and gesture in alternative interface and affection gaming. The game is designed around the action of hugging to support an onscreen character. If the players hug too much, their on screen bear will suffer. If they hug too little the player character will never reach its goal. This paper outlines the design, development and evaluation of the game by a wide demographic. The first section provides an outline of the history of affection gaming, providing the theoretical basis for the design of Big Huggin'. The second section describes the development, prototyping and pre-release of the game. The final section outlines the release to a community of pediatric patients and general play audience. The application of this game as a resource to promote pro-social exploration by players is addressed. The goal of this research is not merely to create an alternative play experience. It is envisioned as an opportunity to explore and critique the intersection of play and affection as practiced in digital games. This paper serves as an introduction to the history of such games, a case study and a post-mortem in the design and development of an affection
Gaussian-Based Model Building

In this chapter we build on the material of the previous chapter, extending the model-building and model-checking capabilities of the least squares linear regression model. Most of this material typically is not covered in an introductory statistics course. We will focus on the aspects of advanced regression modeling that are of direct relevance to the categorical data modeling methods discussed in succeeding chapters.
The Characterization of Linear Polyethylene SRM 1475. IX. Number Average Molecular Weight of Fractions by Membrane Osmometry.

The number average molecular weights of a series of fractions of linear polyethylene have been determined using a high speed membrane osmometer. The Mn values of the fractions, which were prepared by an elutinn technique, were used in GPC calibration and subsequent characterization of linear polyethylene SRM 1475. The molecular weights, measurement techniques, and the precision of the measurements are presented.
Epidemiological characteristics of varicella outbreaks among children in primary and middle schools and kindergartens in Haidian district,Beijing,2006~2010

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of varicella outbreaks among primary and middle schools and kindergartens in Haidian District of Beijing,2006~2010,therefore to explore the reasons of disease outbreak and effectively control it.Methods The data collected from National Notifiable Disease Reporting System(NNDRS) was analyzed using descriptive epidemiological method.Results There were 31 varicella outbreaks involving 405 cases(without death) occurred in primary and middle schools and kindergartens in Haidian District during the study period.There were 21(67.74%) outbreaks occurred in primary schools.Among all cases,most of them occurred in April and May,and totally 69.88% cases were 5 to 9 years old children.There were 181(44.69%) cases had received one dose of attenuated varicella vaccine(VarV) before,and 198(48.89%) were not received VarV.However,the vaccination history of 26(6.42%) cases was unknown.Conclusion The primary school students were target population in varicella outbreaks controlling.Specific measures should be taken to improve the performance of varicella surveillance.Emergency VarV vaccination was effective against disease outbreak.
Research of Agricultural Products Quality and Safety Supervision System Construction Based on the Information Platform

Based on the investigation on the quality and safety supervision department,farmers in Daxing district of Beijing,this paper expounded the goal and the basic construction of agricultural products quality and safety supervision platform,in-depth analyzed of Beijing Daxing district construction quality and safety supervision system of agricultural products based on information platform,sorted out the Daxing district agricultural products quality and safety supervision problem.Study found that,although Daxing district had made great progress in agricultural products quality and safety supervision,there still existed many problems.Agricultural products quality and safety supervision technology remained to be improved,and the quality and safety of agricultural products monitoring the effectiveness remained to be improved.
Heat-stabile alkaline phosphatase: A parameter of placental function

Abstract An isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase is present in maternal serum in progressively increasing amounts during normal pregnancy, reaching peak values during labor, and these peak values of labor are related to the duration of labor. This isoenzyme is heat stabile and is produced by the placenta. Values for normal pregnancy and the deviations of serial values from the normal in “high-risk” pregnancies are reported. The specific function of this isoenzyme remains unknown, but serial estimations have been studied as to the manner in which they reflect the state of placental metabolism. A critical value denoting fetal death has not been established. Comparisons have been made between the values obtained by serial estimations of both heat-stabile alkaline phosphatase and urinary estriol, relative to the manner in which each reflects the state of placental metabolic function in pregnancies at risk. It is postulated that serial determinations of heat-stabile alkaline phosphatase may reflect the functional maturity of the placenta relative to the period of gestation.
Expanding the use of the internal mammary artery to improve patency in coronary artery bypass grafting.

To improve (he early and late benefits from coronary artery bypass grafting, we have expanded the use of the internal mammary artery by bypassing three or more coronary arteries with mammary grafts. Experience with higher power magnification and the use of the single internal mammary artery are necessary prerequisites of this procedure. The first 100 patients who had three or more mammary artery–coronary artery anastomoses are reviewed. Eighty-six patients received three mammary-coronary anastomoses, 13 received four, and one received six. An average of 3.2 internal mammary artery grafts and 1.7 saphenous vein grafts per patient were placed. Twenty-five of 27 mammary grafts were open on postoperative graft visualization. There were no early deaths and only one patient died late of complications of gangrene of the lower extremities. None of the patients had significant left ventricular failure and only three had perioperative myocardial infarctions. None of the patients complain of angina and 58 of 59 postoperative stress tests were normal. This procedure should significantly reduce the late closure of bypass grafts and the complications thereof, including the need for reoperation.
“Phones mean lies”: Secrets, sexuality, and the subjectivity of mobile phones in Tanzania

Based on a year of ethnographic interviews, focus groups, and participant observation on a university campus in Tanzania, this article examines the ways access and command of mobile technologies frame understandings of reciprocal obligation and intimacy. For this population, mobile devices actually acquire qualities of “ensoulment”; that is to say that the value of the phone is elevated beyond its materiality, becoming an entity whose proximity to the bearer is necessary for contextually specific constructions of identity, personhood, and relationships. In particular, access to and possession of these mobile technologies contribute to transformed strategies of image management that prize privacy and independence. For many of these young people, actually acquiring the “right kind” of phone remains embedded in intergenerational social relationships that include access to capital, gifting, and/or transactional sex, shaping new boundaries about what is expected within families and intimate relationships. Excited by the “new social spaces” afforded by social networks such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Vine, students worry that mobile phones increase the possibility of sexual infidelity and introduce a new vector of surveillance into their lives.
Long-Wave Extensional Buckling of Large Regular Frames

In very high and slender frames with very stiff members, the safety against long-wave buckling modes involving axial extensions requires investigation. The problem is solved exactly for a planar regular rectangular frame of rectangular boundary, compressed between two sliding rigid half spaces. The problem is reduced to a system of six linear first-order difference equations which are solved in terms of discrete complex exponentials. Because the coefficients of the determinant to varnish depend on axial loads nonlinearly, by means of explicitly inexpressible complex roots and eigenvectors of another 6 times 6 matrix and the well-known nonlinear stability functions, the critical load is determined numerically by a procedure analogous to the method regula falsi. The ratio of column critical force to column Euler load depends eessentially on the ratio of column and beam bending stiffnesses, the ratio of building slenderness to column slenderness, and weakly on column slenderness ratio.
The Contribution of MHC Gene Products to Demyelination by Theiler’s Virus

Infection with Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) provides an opportunity to study viral persistence and neuropathologic abnormalities in the central nervous system. This picornavirus was first recovered by Max Theiler in 1934 from a mouse suffering from spontaneous flaccid paralysis of the hind legs (Theiler, 1934). The virus is similar in size, virulence, buoyant density and viral structural proteins to poliovirus (Lorch et al., 1981). Early studies showed that intracerebral or intranasal inoculation of the virus into neonatal or weanling mice resulted in spinal cord lesions characterized by neuronal necrosis, especially of anterior horn cells, which is very similar to human poliomyelitis. This virus received little attention until Daniels et al. (1952) described an isolate of TMEV, subsequently designated DA strain, which had the propensity to induce in young adult mice primary demyelination in the central nervous system. The pathology in the spinal cord was characterized by an intense inflammatory infiltrate associated with primary destruction of myelin sheaths with relative preservation of axons (Dal Canto and Lipton, 1975; Lehrich et al., 1976).
Terminal Weight Loss, Frailty, and Mortality

Publisher Summary Loss of body weight in older adults is associated with an increased risk of disability, nursing home placement, and mortality. It is this association that is the subject of this chapter. Older adults who are frail, as defined by the Osteoporotic Fracture Index, undergo weight loss, which often is also terminal weight loss. However, the relationship between weight loss and mortality should be viewed in a broader context than frailty. It has been suggested that the association between weight loss and mortality is probably a reflection of illness. Although that preexisting disease underlies the association between weight loss and mortality, they also implicate disadvantageous lifestyles. However, the fact that the association between weight loss in the elderly is similar for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and noncardiovascular mortality makes the causal basis somewhat enigmatic. It has been claimed that weight loss in older humans is mainly due to reduced food intake. Further, reduced ability of the elderly to respond to a negative energy balance by increasing food intake plays a major role in weight loss older adults. They believe this deficit results from a complex of interacting factors: a decrease in olfactory and gustatory functions, impaired functioning of the autonomic nervous system, slowing of gastric emptying, an increase in the levels of plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon, and free fatty acids; these factors, along with others, probably result in a decreased perception of hunger and/or increased satiation.
Alternating Currents: Sacramental and Prophetic Imagining and Church Education

AbstractThis article advocates that education ought to be movement toward a unity of conflicting but complementary forces in the life of the congregation/parish. This paradox is captured best in the two divergent forms of imagination, namely, the sacramental and prophetic, both of which are grounded and united in their commitment to seeing ultimate reality. Church education in and for sacramental and prophetic practices offers the possibility of revitalizing church life from within and, in turn, offers an outward response to repair our social and public world.
An Empirical Analysis of How Inventory Levels and Prices Affect Online Retail Sales

Online retailers employ varied inventory disclosure tactics ranging from full disclosure at all times to showing mere stock availability cues, which begs the questions “what is the best inventory disclosure strategy” and “can inventory disclosure influence demand at all?” Past academic research in operations and marketing has not reached a consensus, as some researchers advocated that inventory can stimulate demand by indicating popularity or availability, whereas other papers suggest that in some retail settings, low inventory signals scarcity and should stimulate more imminent sales. In this paper, we try to establish a link between inventory and sales empirically by using a large data set that comprises a wide array of products sold at Amazon.com. Controlling for price effects on sales rates and taking into account endogeneity among disclosed inventory levels, prices and sales rates, we show that low disclosed inventory levels stimulate sales. Moreover, we isolate two distinct mechanisms that underlie our main finding, i.e., the frequency of product sales and the magnitude of sales, by which reductions in disclosed inventory and prices positively influence sales rates.
Intrinsic Properties of Motoneurons

The following is a brief review of the intrinsic properties of motoneurons that contribute to their recruitment and rate modulation. Our emphasis is on properties that may either accelerate or delay the onset of muscular fatigue. In general, intrinsic motoneuron properties are regulated in a way that minimizes energy expenditure. The correlation of recruitment threshold with motoneuron type ensures that the most fatigable motor units are reserved for the most forceful contractions. The variation in minimum firing rates arising from variations in AHP characteristics ensures that motoneurons begin to fire at rates that are matched to the force producing characteristics of their muscle units. Further, it is possible that spike-frequency adaptation contributes to optimization of the tension (force)-firing frequency (T-f) transform of individual motor units.
265. Polysialic Acid as a Novel Regulator of AAV Tropism in the Developing Brain

Recombinant AAV vectors are currently being exploited in a number of clinical trials that aim to correct neurological diseases. In many cases, it is important that therapeutic intervention occurs in the infantile stage of life. Thus, it is important to understand how AAV vectors interact with the constantly changing environment in the brain during neurodevelopment. Recombinant AAV is thought to spread through the central nervous system (CNS) by exploiting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flux and hijacking axonal transport pathways. The role of host receptors that mediate these processes in the developing brain are not well understood. In the current study, we utilized AAV serotype 4 as a model to evaluate whether ubiquitously expressed 2,3-linked sialic acid and the developmentally regulated marker, 2,8-linked polysialic acid (PSA) regulate viral transport and tropism in the neonatal brain. Modulation of the levels of SA and PSA in cell culture studies using specific neuraminidases revealed possibly opposing roles of the two glycans on AAV4 transduction. Interestingly, upon intracranial injection into lateral ventricles of the neonatal mouse brain, a low affinity AAV4 mutant displayed a striking shift in cellular tropism from 2,3-linked SA+ ependymal lining to 2,8-linked PSA+ migrating progenitors in the rostral migratory stream and olfactory bulb. In addition, this gain-of-function phenotype correlated with robust CNS spread of the mutant through paravascular transport pathways. Consistent with these observations, altering glycan dynamics within the brain by co-administering SA and PSA specific neuraminidases resulted in striking changes to the cellular tropisms and transduction efficiencies of both parental and mutant vectors. We postulate that glycan signatures associated with host development can be exploited to redirect novel AAV vectors to specific cell types in the brain.
Introduction: Exploring Neighbourhoods

This essay summarizes scholarship about the neighbourhoods and parishes surrounding London’s early modern theatres, and in the process introduces three essays for the Early Theatre Issues in Review ‘Theatre and Neighbourhood in Early Modern London’.
Concentrations of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Are Not Associated with Senescence Marker p16INK4a or Predictive of Intracellular Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Metabolite and Endogenous Nucleotide Exposures in Adults with HIV Infection.

Objectives As the HIV-infected population ages, the role of cellular senescence and inflammation on co-morbid conditions and pharmacotherapy is increasingly of interest. p16INK4a expression, a marker for aging and senescence in T-cells, is associated with lower intracellular concentrations of endogenous nucleotides (EN) and nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). This study expands on these findings by determining whether inflammation is contributing to the association of p16INK4a expression with intracellular metabolite (IM) exposure and endogenous nucleotide concentrations. Methods Samples from 73 HIV-infected adults receiving daily tenofovir/emtricitabine (TFV/FTC) with either efavirenz (EFV) or atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r) were tested for p16INK4a expression, and plasma cytokine and intracellular drug concentrations. Associations between p16INK4a expression and cytokine concentrations were assessed using maximum likelihood methods, and elastic net regression was applied to assess whether cytokines were predictive of intracellular metabolite/endogenous nucleotide exposures. Results Enrolled participants had a median age of 48 years (range 23-73). There were no significant associations between p16INK4a expression and cytokines. Results of the elastic net regression showed weak relationships between IL-1Ra and FTC-triphosphate and deoxyadenosine triphosphate exposures, and MIP-1β, age and TFV-diphosphate exposures. Conclusions In this clinical evaluation, we found no relationships between p16INK4a expression and cytokines, or cytokines and intracellular nucleotide concentrations. While inflammation is known to play a role in this population, it is not a major contributor to the p16INK4a association with decreased IM/EN exposures in these HIV-infected participants.
Application of continuous blood purification in the children with critical diseases

Objective To investigate the application of continuous blood purification in the children with critical diseases. Methods Eighteen critical patients aged 1 ～ 15 years in PICU underwent continuous blood purification(CBP). Fourteen with acute renal failure (ARF) were treated with continuous veno-venous hemmofiltration(CVVH) ,2 with Guillain-Barre syndrome and 2 with Raye's syndrome were treated with plasma exchange(PE). The changes of clinical symptoms, blood biochemistry , blood gas, and oxygenation were analyzed before and after CBP. Results After CVVH treatment, the BUN and creatinine of 14 patients with ARF were decreased from (48.6 ± 14. 8) mmol/L to(28. 9 ±5.4) mmol/L and (634. 3 ±258. 2) μ mol/L to (318.4 ± 143.5) μmol/L,K+ and pH of serum were maintained in the normal range,oxygenation was significantly improved. Breathing difficulties and muscle strength in 2 patients with GBS were ameliorated and successfully weaned from ventilator after PE. Serum ALT,AST and ammonia of 2 cases with Raye's syndrome decreased significantly and they discharged after comprehensive treatment including PE. Bleeding in puncture region were found in 3 patients, hypothermia in 2 patients. During the treatment, vital signs of patients were stable,blood pressure and pulse were not fluctuated. Conclusion CBP is an effective and safe method in the treatment of critical diseases in children. Key words: Continuous blood purification; Critical diseases; Children
Entrevista - Leonard Talmy

Leonard Talmy is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, where he taught for 15 years and was Director of the Center for Cognitive Science for 14 years. He is now also a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, where he had received his Ph.D. in Linguistics.
[259-POS]: Elevated ransglutaminase promotes the production of AT1-AA in preeclampsia

Objectives Preeclampsia (PE) is characterized by the presence of autoantibodies that activate the major angiotensin receptor, AT1R (AT1-AA). Little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the origination of these pathogenic autoantibodies. We have recently shown that tissue transglutaminase (TG2), modifies AT1R by the introduction of an e -( γ -glutamyl)-lysine isopeptide bond. This finding immediately raises an intriguing hypothesis that the posttranslational modification of AT1Rs by TG2 may generate neoantigen and subsequently trigger AT1-AA production. Methods Pregnant C57Bl/6J mice (Harlan) were anesthetized, and recombinant mouse LIGHT (2 ng) or the same volume of saline was introduced into pregnant mice by retro-orbital sinus injection on embryonic day E13.5 and E14.5. Cystamine dihydrochloride was put in drinking water with the concentration 0.9 g/L. Human NT and PE samples were collected from Memorial Hermann Hospital. Results Here we report that injection of LIGHT, a new TNF- α superfamily member, not only induced hallmark feature of PE including hypertension and proteinuria, but also circulating AT1-AA in the pregnant mice. This finding led us to further discover that circulating and placental TG2 activities were significantly induced in the LIGHT-infused pregnant mice compared to the saline-injected controls. Intriguingly, co-injection of TG2 inhibitor, cystamine, significantly attenuated LIGHT-induced PE features and AT1-AA production in pregnant mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that elevated HIF-1 α is a key factor underlying increased TG2 gene expression in the mouse placentas of LIGHT-injected pregnant mice. Finally, we validated our mouse finding in human showing that plasma TG2 activity was positively correlated with blood pressure, urinary protein and circulating AT1-AA. Conclusions Overall, our findings demonstrated for the first time that HIF-1 α -dependent elevated TG2 activity triggers AT1-AA generation in PE likely by posttranslational modification of AT1R. These findings add new chapter for molecular basis underlying production of AT1-AA in PE and highlight the therapeutic possibility for the disease. Disclosures R. Luo: None. C. Liu: None. S. Elliott: None. W. Wang: None. P. Daugherty: None. R. Kellems: None. Y. Xia: None.
Experimental Investigation of Electron Collection by Rectangular Cuboid Probes in a High-Speed Plasma

This paper describes ground-based scaled plasma experiments that simulated picosatellite and femtosatellite electron collection in the low earth orbit (LEO) ionospheric plasma, capturing special characteristics of these small spacecraft, including their possible rectangular cuboid shape, size relative to the plasma Debye length and the electron thermal gyroradius, and orientation with respect to plasma flow and magnetic field. It was observed that enhancing magnetic field strength to an appropriately scaled value to approximate LEO decreased the electron saturation current. The current collection characteristics were also impacted by the orientation of the probes relative to the magnetic field and the direction of plasma flow. In the voltage range tested, a model used in previous studies to predict electron saturation current underestimated the measured probe currents by a factor of two or more. Semi-empirical models developed here to calculate electron saturation currents that were within 10% of the measured currents. This experimental analysis enhances our understanding of current collection by rectangular cuboid probes in high-speed plasmas.
The Nature of Electrolytes

The objective of this chapter is to recall the interpretations of the behavior of acids and bases that are offered by existing theories. These encompass ionization and ion-association, hydrolysis, neutralization, amphoterism, and complex ion-dissociation.
Automatic Acquisition and Processing of Large Sets of Holographic Measurements in Medical Research

We are developing an advanced computer-controlled digital opto-electronic holographic system (DOEHS) with the ability to operate in several modalities, including optoelectronic holographic microscopy, lensless digital holography, speckle pattern interferometry, and fringe projection. The DOEHS is being designed for medical applications requiring full-field-of-view information of shape and deformations to aid in the diagnosis and investigation of specific disorders. Particular features of the DOEHS include the capabilities to rapidly acquire and quantitatively process a relatively large amount of interferometric data. Therefore, automatic procedures for acquisition of images or video, computation and application of quality metrics, and phase unwrapping are applied with minimal user interaction. The results are catalogued with relevant metadata in a database allowing for massive analysis and comparison between subjects or patients. Currently, the DOEHS is being developed to measure acoustically induced deformations of the eardrum of several species, including humans. Measurements are used in diagnosing middle-ear conductive disorders and investigating the causes of failure of middle-ear surgical procedures. We present representative measurement procedures and results.
What Is the Role for Magnesium to Treat Severe Pediatric Asthma Exacerbations

Abstract In this review, we explore the role for intravenous magnesium sulfate (IVMg) to treat children with acute exacerbations of asthma. Children who receive care for severe acute asthma in emergency departments are often hospitalized after inadequate response to standard asthma treatment. IVMg may have a role to decrease hospitalization of children with severe acute asthma, but is in need of further research. Future exploration of IVMg should include larger randomized controlled trials of IVMg versus standard treatment, administration of IVMg with enough time to have effect on hospitalization, exploration of the pharmacology of IVMg so that the most effective dosage regimens can be selected, and use of measures and criteria to select research participants reflective of the children likely to benefit from more effective asthma treatment in clinical practice.
Optimal Choice of Monetary Policy Instruments in a Simple Two-Country Game*

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses optimal choice of monetary policy instruments in a simple two-country game. A rational policy maker would choose in a simple two-country game. The game is essentially a two-country version in each country, the policy maker's inability to precommit with respect to the private sector results in an inflation bias. There is no uncertainty about private sector behavior, but instrument selection matters because it is an important strategic consideration. Each policy maker cares about inflation and employment, and while a policy maker's choice of instrument does not affect his own inflation–employment tradeoff, it does affect the opponent of policy maker. There are four Nash solutions to a game in which the policy maker in each country can choose a value for the money supply or the interest rate. Each country produces one good and two assets, money, and bonds. The goods are imperfect substitutes; the bonds are perfect substitutes and the moneys are not traded internationally.
Nutrition, Disability, and Health in the Older Population

The aging of the U.S. population, where one in eight persons is aged 65 or older, has focused national attention on the development of a continuum of health services which promote healthy aging. While the majority of American elders perceive themselves to be in good to excellent health (Institute of Medicine, 1992; Morley, 1986; Surgeon General’s Workshop on Health Promotion and Aging, 1988; U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging et al., 1991), more than four out of five people age 65 and older have at least one chronic disease. Older persons also experience a heavier disease burden. Over half of the older population has two or more coexisting, chronic health problems (U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging et al., 1991). As well, 7–10 of the years lived after age 65 will include significant disability and major health complaints, including pain and discomfort or reduced function in activities of daily living (Surgeon General’s Workshop on Health Promotion and Aging, 1988; Institute of Medicine, 1992). Other serious health-related problems, such as malnutrition, dementia, visual and hearing impairments, and incontinence further impact on functional independence and the quality of daily living. Therefore, it is important to recognize and promote preventive health strategies which improve the management of chronic diseases and reduce the accompanying discomfort and disability in older people.
Response to 35% CO2 in patients with chest pain and angiographically normal coronary arteries.

Objectives:Several interview studies have suggested that panic disorder (PD) exists in patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries (NCA). Interview studies require corroboration by other studies in order to validate them. The purpose of this study is to test whether response to the inhalation of 35% CO2 reliably discriminates between PD and non-panic disorder patients in this population.Method:Three groups were studied: six with NCA and PD, five with NCA and no PD, and ten in the control group. All subjects breathed room air, then 35% CO2 in a single-blind fashion. Each completed the Acute Panic Inventory (API) before and during the procedure.Results:The NCA-panic group scored significantly higher than the other two groups on the Acute Panic Inventory from baseline to post- inhalation.Conclusion:Despite several methodological limitations including a relatively small number people in each cells, 35% CO2 was shown to trigger more intense responses in panic patients, thus helping to validate the ...
Minority-group recruitment goals in federally funded clinical research: what's in a number?

When identifying underrepresented subgroups deserving of special recruitment efforts for research participation, social determinants of health other than race should be given more consideration.
Defining the transcriptional and post-transcriptional landscapes of Mycobacterium smegmatis in aerobic growth and oxygen limitation

The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to infect, proliferate, and survive during long periods in the human lungs largely depends on the rigorous control of gene expression. Transcriptome-wide analyses are key to understanding gene regulation on a global scale. Here, we combine 5'-end-directed libraries with RNAseq expression libraries to gain insight into the transcriptome organization and post-transcriptional mRNA cleavage landscape in mycobacteria during log phase growth and under hypoxia, a physiologically relevant stress condition. Using the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis, we identified 6,090 transcription start sites (TSSs) with high confidence during log phase growth, of which 67% were categorized as primary TSSs for annotated genes, and the remaining were classified as internal, antisense or orphan, according to their genomic context. Interestingly, over 25% of the RNA transcripts lack a leader sequence, and of the coding sequences that do have leaders, 53% lack a strong consensus Shine-Dalgarno site. This indicates that like M. tuberculosis, M. smegmatis can initiate translation through multiple mechanisms. Our approach also allowed us to identify over 3,000 RNA cleavage sites, which occur at a novel sequence motif. The cleavage sites show a positional bias toward mRNA regulatory regions, highlighting the importance of post-transcriptional regulation in gene expression. We show that in low oxygen, a condition associated with the host environment during infection, mycobacteria change their transcriptomic profiles and endonucleolytic RNA cleavage is markedly reduced, suggesting a mechanistic explanation for previous reports of increased mRNA half-lives in response to stress. In addition, a number of TSSs were triggered in hypoxia, 56 of which contain the binding motif for the sigma factor SigF in their promoter regions. This suggests that SigF makes direct contributions to transcriptomic remodeling in hypoxia-challenged mycobacteria. Our results show that M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis share a large number of similarities at the transcriptomic level, suggesting that similar regulatory mechanisms govern both species.
Dare to Care: How Are Others Doing, and How Might I Help?

This chapter describes categories of employees that might be at risk and how to recognize warning signs. It asks the reader to consider a past or current situation involving an individual who might be struggling with a mental health issue and provides some suggestions about how to proceed in the short term. Most managers exhibit a mix of approaches, depending on their own situations, personalities, and organizational context. The reflection focuses readers on their default modes and asks them to consider their advantages and risks.
Pursuing a Dual Degree

The goal of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the utility of pursuing a second professional degree, in addition to the MD, for practicing clinicians. The chapter will review the most common dual-degree types (MD/MBA, MD/MPH, MD/MPP) as well as the most common routes to receiving these degrees. Additional considerations include tuition implications for second-degree candidates as well as when in clinical training it may be appropriate to pursue a second degree.
Comparative health assessments of Alaskan ice seals.

Bearded (Erignathus barbatus), ringed (Pusa hispida), spotted (Phoca largha), and ribbon (Histriophoca fasciata) seals rely on seasonal sea-ice in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Many aspects of the biology and physiology of these seals are poorly known, and species-typical health parameters are not available for all species. Such information has proven difficult to obtain due to the challenges of studying Arctic seals in the wild and their minimal historic representation in aquaria. Here, we combine diagnostic information gathered between 2000 and 2017 from free-ranging seals, seals in short-term rehabilitation, and seals living in long-term human care to evaluate and compare key health parameters. For individuals in apparent good health, hematology and blood chemistry values are reported by source group for 10 bearded, 13 ringed, 73 spotted, and 81 ribbon seals from Alaskan waters. For a smaller set of individuals handled during veterinary or necropsy procedures, the presence of parasites and pathogens is described, as well as exposure to a variety of infectious diseases known to affect marine mammals and/or humans, with positive titers observed for Brucella, Leptospira, avian influenza, herpesvirus PhHV-1, and morbillivirus. These data provide initial baseline parameters for hematology, serum chemistries, and other species-level indicators of health that can be used to assess the condition of individual seals, inform monitoring and management efforts, and guide directed research efforts for Alaskan populations of ice-associated seals.
Evaluation of a PSE School-Based Fruit and Vegetable Intervention (P04-166-19)

To determine the effect of a policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) intervention, Students Take Charge! (STC) among 4th and 5th grade students from low-income communities on 1) fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, and 2) FV variety, PSE and FV knowledge, and self-efficacy (SE) to ask for FV at school and home. A quasi-experimental design was used involving six schools over two years. Schools were purposely selected; two schools each year either received STC or standard instruction. The study sample includes students (n = 326 intervention; n = 351 comparison) providing pre and post data (baseline and post-assessment at week 18). SNAP-Ed educators provided the 8-lesson STC curriculum across 18 weeks; comparison students received standard instruction. STC is a school-based PSE intervention focusing on empowering students to make FV based changes at school and at home. STC taught students about wellness policies, persuasive messages, and making requests; it cumulated with a vote to add a student submitted FV-based recipe to the school lunch menu. In addition, STC provided information about the importance of FV intake and variety. Students completed the STC survey at both time points assessing FV intake, variety, knowledge and SE. Analyses compared intervention and comparison students from baseline to post-assessment using ANCOVA (1) and MANOVA (2). From baseline to post-assessment, there were significant differences (P < 0.01) between intervention and comparison students; intervention students decreased fruit intake and variety, increased PSE knowledge and SE in school.There were no differences in vegetable intake, variety or FV knowledge between intervention and comparison students. There was a trend (P = .09) towards increased student SE to ask parents for FV in the home in the intervention students compared to the comparison students. STC was associated with an increase in PSE knowledge and student SE to ask for FV in school. STC may require additional strategies, including home-based strategies, to increase FV knowledge, intake, and variety behavior changes. USDA SNAP-Ed.
The router bit extraction technique for removing a well-fixed humeral stem in revision shoulder arthroplasty.

Aims A number of methods have been described to remove a well-fixed humeral implant as part of revision shoulder arthroplasty. These include the use of cortical windows and humeral osteotomies. The...
PLAC Test for Lp-PLA2 Activity to Predict Coronary Heart Disease.

The PLAC test is a blood test used to measure serum activity of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), an enzyme that breaks down oxidized low-density lipoprotein in the vascular wall.
A phase Ib/IIa study of rucaparib (PARP inhibitor) combined with nivolumab in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

TPS270Background: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies have had a major impact across a wide range of cancers. However, only subsets of patients across all malignancies benefit from ICB. In p...
Trajectory Mining for Localization Using Recurrent Neural Network

In this paper, we propose a novel end-to-end localization method on topological maps using the recurrent neural network model. In the era of big data and deep learning, we are motivated by availability of large amount map data that constantly gets updated. When a pedestrian moves on a map, such as the road network on OpenStreetMap (OSM) that is an abstract graph with nodes and edges, motion features, such as a sequence of turning angles can be used to represent the trajectory. Proposed recurrent neural network takes the trajectory as its input and locates trajectory. In order to learn potential motion patterns on a map, training dataset is generated on OSM. In our experiments, we captured real-time pedestrian trajectory using an inertial navigation system (INS) to test the trained network in a realistic case. When sufficient amount of nodes are traversed, the users can be efficiently localized and tracked on OSM by using the proposed network. We have observed that the final classification accuracy reaches up to 98%.
Swenson pull-through procedure with total mesorectal excision for a rectosigmoid mesenteric lymphatic malformation

Abstract Image guided sclerotherapy has become increasingly popular in the past decade, as a less invasive, first line approach for intraabdominal lymphatic malformations, especially in cases where complete resection is not felt to be achievable, or the morbidity of attempting surgical resection is untenable. Sclerotherapy does not offer a cure, but has been used to effectively manage symptoms in many cases. While surgical management is historically preferred, especially when it is expected to be curative, it has often been relegated to cases of complications, such as volvulus or intestinal obstruction. Here we present the case of a 5-month old male, who presented with a rectosigmoid mesenteric lymphatic malformation, and underwent successful surgical treatment, via Swenson pull-through procedure, with total mesorectal excision, and colo-anal anastomosis. We illustrate with this case, that surgery should be routinely considered in discussions of first line therapy, and various surgical techniques can be employed to achieve cure.
Maximum Tensor Analyzing Power Ayy = 1 in the \( ^3He{\left( {\vec d,p} \right)^4}He \) Reaction

Data points for the cartesian analyzing power Ayy(θ), derived from measurements of Gruebler et a1.1), reach and even exceed unity near Eo = 9 MeV and θo = 27° in the center of mass system (figure). This suggests the possibility of an extreme value of the analyzing power Ayy = 1 in this region2).
Hashtag Activism, Politics and Resistance in Africa: Examining #ThisFlag and #RhodesMustFall online movements:

The article examines the impact of digital technologies as emerging platforms for social activism in sub-Saharan Africa. Even though the African continent still lags behind in smartphone ownership ...
Evaluation of Airport Wayfinding Accessibility with the Use of a Wheelchair Simulator

As the number of air passengers with disabilities is expected to increase in the coming decades, the significance of airport wayfinding accessibility has been recognized by airport stakeholders. Em...