cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anesthetic Considerations for Abdominal Wall Reconstructive Surgery

Anesthesia considerations for abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR) are numerous and depend upon the medical status of the patient and the projected procedure. Obesity, sleep apnea, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease are not uncommon in patients with abdominal wall defects; pulmonary functions and cardiac output can be affected by the surgical procedure. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are also at a higher risk of coughing during the postoperative awakening process, which can compromise the reconstruction of the fascia. Given the increased complexity of the patients presenting for AWR, and the importance of the anesthesia for these specific procedures, it is important that surgeons are aware of the challenges that anesthesiologists face when treating these patients. Some of these challenges and their resolution are reviewed here.
The human tyrosine aminotransferase gene mapped to the long arm of chromosome 16 (region 16q22----q24) by somatic cell hybrid analysis and in situ hybridization.

Tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT; EC 2.6.1.5) is a liver enzyme involved in amino acid metabolism and gluconeogenesis. Low levels of TAT have been implicated in several inherited disorders, particularly tyrosinemia II (Richner-Hanhart syndrome). We have determined the chromosomal location of the human TAT gene by Southern blot hybridization analysis of DNAs from 18 humanxrodent hybrid cell lines, using a rat cDNA probe. The results indicate that the TAT gene maps to chromosome 16. Analysis of two hybrids containing a rearranged chromosome 16 allowed assignment of the TAT locus to 16q22→24. In situ hybridization to human metaphase chromosomes confirmed this regional assignment.
Actin‐dependent, Retrograde Motility of Surface‐attached Beads and Aggregating Pigment Granules in Dissociated Teleost Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Teleost retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells contain pigment granules within apical projections which undergo actin-dependent, bi-directional motility. Dissociated RPE cells in culture attach to the substrate and extend apical projections in a radial array from the central cell body. Pigment granules within projections can be triggered to aggregate or disperse by the presence or absence of 1 mM cAMP. Aminated, fluorescent latex beads attached to the dorsal surface of apical projections and moved in the retrograde direction, towards the cell body. Bead rates on RPE cells with aggregating or fully aggregated pigment granules were 2.2 +/- 0.5 and 2.6 +/- 0.2 microm/min (mean +/- SEM), respectively, similar to rates of aggregating (retrograde) pigment granule movement (2.0 +/- 0.4 microm/min). Bead rates were slightly slower on cells with fully dispersed or dispersing pigment granules (1.5 +/- 0.1 and 1.5 +/- 0.4 microm/min). Movements of surface-attached beads and aggregating pigment granules were closely correlated in the distal portions of apical projections, but were more independent of each other in proximal regions of the projections. The actin disrupting drug, cytochalasin D (CD), reversibly halted retrograde bead movements, suggesting that motility of surface-attached particles is actin-dependent. In contrast, the microtubule depolymerizing drug, nocodazole, had no effect on retrograde bead motility. The similar characteristics and actin-dependence of retrograde bead movements and aggregating pigment granules suggest a correlation between these two processes.
Simulation of Subsonic Flow Through a Generic Labyrinth Seal

A new method for predicting the leakage through labyrinth seals has been developed and is shown to provide realistic results which agree with measurements. It utilizes a finite-difference computer code which was developed in order to compute the pressure drop across a single cavity of the seal. This quantity is obtained at several leakage flow Mach numbers to be used subsequently in predicting the leakage rate. The model is widely applicable and does not require an estimate of the kinetic energy carry-over coefficient, whose value is often uncertain for many untested configurations. Detailed cavity distributions of basic flowfield quantities are also presented and examined. Specifically, the predicted results of four seal leakage mass flow rates at given cavity inlet pressure and temperature are compared, and important variations are examined. Also, realistic approximations of flow variable distributions within a single cavity are made from the included figures to assist in the development of analytical methods.
Studies of trehalase and sucrase of Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract Drosophila melanogaster possesses trehalase and sucrase activities that have a similar pH optima and heat labilities but are completely distinct forms as revealed by clear differences in electrophoretic mobility, pH inactivation, and their near-complete separation by ion-exchange chromatography. Both enzymes show a similar developmental pattern that includes a rapid, parallel increase in specific activity at the pupal-adult transition. Trehalase and sucrase are both partitioned between a membrane-bound and a free, soluble state although the enzymes in these two states appear to be similar in the several properties examined. Sucrase is not present as a single form, but consists of a family of isoenzymes that are separable into discrete fractions, but which are similar to each other by several criteria.
Inhibition of tumor cell growth by Sigma1 ligand mediated translational repression

Treatment with sigma1 receptor (Sigma1) ligands can inhibit cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. However, the cellular pathways engaged in response to Sigma1 ligand treatment that contribute to these outcomes remain largely undefined. Here, we show that treatment with putative antagonists of Sigma1 decreases cell mass. This effect corresponds with repressed cap-dependent translation initiation in multiple breast and prostate cancer cell lines. Sigma1 antagonist treatment suppresses phosphorylation of translational regulator proteins p70S6K, S6, and 4E-BP1. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Sigma1 also results in translational repression, consistent with the effects of antagonist treatment. Sigma1 antagonist mediated translational repression and decreased cell size are both reversible. Together, these data reveal a role for Sigma1 in tumor cell protein synthesis, and demonstrate that small molecule Sigma1 ligands can be used as modulators of protein translation.
Confidence intervals for a population proportion based on a ranked set sample

Abstract This article examines several approximate methods to formulate confidence intervals for a single population proportion based on a ranked set sample (RSS). All of the intervals correspond to certain test statistics. That is, the confidence intervals are obtained by inverting the Wald, Wilson, score, and likelihood ratio tests. The Wald and Wilson intervals are based on the asymptotic distributions of two point estimators; the method of moments (MM) estimator and the maximum likelihood (ML) estimator. Continuity corrected versions of these intervals are also discussed. The R statistical software program is used to both calculate and evaluate the proposed intervals. For instance, an actual data set is analyzed for the sake of illustration. Furthermore, a simulation study which compares the intervals via expected widths and coverage probabilities is presented. The study indicates that the confidence intervals derived from the ML methodology generally outperform those based on MM procedures. Additiona...
Disjoint matchings of graphs

Abstract In this paper, we prove a generalization of the familiar marriage theorem. One way of stating the marriage theorem is: Let G be a bipartite graph, with parts S 1 and S 2 . If A ⊂ S 1 and F ( A ) ⊂ S 2 is the set of neighbors of points in A , then a matching of G exists if and only if Σ x ∈ S 2 min(1, | F −1 ( x ) ∩ A |) ≥ | A | for each A ⊂ S 1 . Our theorem is that k disjoint matchings of G exist if and only Σ x ∈ S 2 min ( k , | F −1 ( x ) ∩ A |) ≥ k | A | for each A ⊂ S 1 .
The course of photooxidation of menadione.

Aerobic photolysis of menadione (vitamin K 3 ) in ethanol solution yields menadione 2,3-epoxide which has been analyzed by gas chromatography and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectometry.
Variation in the responsiveness of female rats to ovarian hormones as a function of preceding hormonal deprivation.

Abstract Ovariectomized female rats were tested for the display of lordosis behavior 30 days after gonadectomy. They were then tested 7, 14, 21 and 81 days later following estrogen and progesterone treatment. Finally, on Day 88 of the experiment the animals were tested after either estrogen and progesterone treatment or after progesterone alone. The response to estrogen and progesterone treatment was found to be limited on the first test and on the fifth test which occurred after 2 mo without hormone treatment. When hormone treatment was repeated at seven day intervals (Tests 2–4) the tendency to show lordosis increased markedly. On the final test the animals given both hormones showed lordosis, while those which received only progesterone did not. The data suggest that the response to estrogen decreases after estrogen deprivation.
Drugs from nature

Abstract Medicinal Natural Products: A Biosynthetic Approach by P.M. Dewick John Wiley & Sons, 1997. £29.95 pbk (ix+466 pages) ISBN 0 471 97478 1
The acoustic qualities of Bora vowels.

Bora contains the vowel system /i e a o i w/, where /i/ is high, central, open, unrounded and /w/ is high, back, open, unrounded. A contrast between /i/ and /w/ is exceedingly rare in the languages of the world. An opposition between a central and a back vowel which are otherwise identical is theoretically significant since it shows that the binary feature [± back] is too weak to encode all phonological contrasts along the front/back dimension. However, previous analyses of languages containing such oppositions are based primarily on impressionistic transcriptions without instrumental confirmation. This study contributes to the debate by providing acoustic evidence supporting the minimal contrast between /i/ and /w/ in Bora. The results indicate that these phonemes have identical F 1 values, but /i/ yields higher F 2 and F 3 measurements than /w/, in keeping with their reported difference in backness.
Structure of a Nudix protein from Pyrobaculum aerophilum reveals a dimer with two intersubunit beta-sheets.

Nudix proteins, formerly called MutT homolog proteins, are a large family of proteins that play an important role in reducing the accumulation of potentially toxic compounds inside the cell. They hydrolyze a wide variety of substrates that are mainly composed of a nucleoside diphosphate linked to some other moiety X and thus are called Nudix hydrolases. Here, the crystal structure of a Nudix hydrolase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum is reported. The structure was determined by the single-wavelength anomalous scattering method with data collected at the peak anomalous wavelength of an iridium-derivatized crystal. It reveals an extensive dimer interface, with each subunit contributing two strands to the β-sheet of the other subunit. Individual subunits consist of a mixed highly twisted and curved β-sheet of 11 β-strands and two α-helices, forming an α–β–α sandwich. The conserved Nudix box signature motif, which contains the essential catalytic residues, is located at the first α-helix and the β-strand and loop preceding it. The unusually short connections between secondary-structural elements, together with the dimer form of the structure, are likely to contribute to the thermostability of the P. aerophilum Nudix protein.
Green Polymer Chemistry: II. Enzymatic Synthesis of Methacrylate‐Terminated Polyisobutylenes

Methacrylate-terminated polyisobutylenes (PIB-MAs) were synthesized by transesterification of vinyl methacrylate by hydroxyl-terminated polyisobutylenes (PIB-OH) using Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozyme 435) catalyst in hexane at 50°C. PIB-CH 2 -CH 2 -CH 2 -OH and Glissopal-OH, synthesized by anti-Markovnikov hydrobromination of allyl-terminated PIB and Glissopal®2300 followed by hydrolysis, were quantitatively converted into the corresponding PIB-MAs. 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy verified the formation of the expected structures. This "green" chemistry is a very promising methodology for polymer functionalization in general, and biomaterial synthesis in particular.
Complex elliptically symmetric distributions

In this paper, the authors introduce a class of distributions known as complex elliptically symmetric distributions. The complex multivariate normal and complex multivariate t distributions are members of this class. Various properties of the complex elliptically symmetric distributions are studied. Finally, the robustness of certain test procedures are discussed when the assumption of complex multivariate normality is violated but the underlying distribution still belongs to the class of elliptically symmetric distributions.
Ray Theory Results and Ray Wavefront Diagrams for the Hyperbolic Cosine Propagation Sound-Speed Profile

In this paper, we provide a complete geometrical treatment of classical rays emanating from an underwater point source and propagating in an unbounded medium where the speed of sound has a hyperbolic cosine dependence on the depth coordinate $(z)$ . General results are derived exclusively from Snell's law and are not limited to the case in which the ray emitting source is located at a point on the minimum propagation speed plane. Explicit relations are provided for the following: 1) the ray depth coordinate $(z)$ expressed as a function of the ray horizontal range $(\rho)$ and the ray source angle $(\theta_0)$ ; 2) all the relations among the ray source angle $(\theta_0)$ , the ray receiver angle $(\theta)$ , and the travel time $(\tau)$ to reach an arbitrary position of the receiver from an arbitrary position of the source; and 3) the classical wavefront coordinates $(\rho,z)$ along a ray expressed as a function of the ray source angle $(\theta_0)$ and travel time $(\tau)$ . From the wavefront coordinates $(\rho,z)$ , we construct and display ray/wavefront diagrams for a varying source depth $(z_0)$ relative to the minimum propagation speed plane. We also derive the time-averaged acoustic energy flux carried along classical ray tubes.
A Supervisory Method for Prepracticum Skill Development

This study investigated student readiness for clinical practicum in speech/language pathology. A one group, pretest-treatment-posttest design was used to evaluate the knowledge of beginning graduate students (n=45) in the areas of legal and professional issues, behavioral observation, data collection, and program planning. The treatment program was developed and administered by clinical supervisors who held the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The treatment program emphasized knowledge and skills that are dependent on the prior acquisition of curriculum subject matter. Differences between pretest scores and posttest scores were significant (p<.0001). Difference scores between pretest and posttest were significant (p<.0001) for two groups depending on their participation in a clinical procedures course. These results add to our knowledge of the efficacy of prepracticum, clinical skills training in the field of c...
Information revelation in a market with pairwise meetings: the one sided information case

We study a market with pairwise meetings of agents and with a one sided information asymmetry regarding the state of the world, which may be “low” or “high.” We characterize the set of equilibria of the model, and study its behavior as the market becomes approximately frictionless. For any one sided information economy there is an equilibrium where trade occurs at the right price (an ex-post individually rational price). Moreover, there is an open set of economies where in all the equilibria trade occurs at the right price.
Breaking Women’s Health Taboos: Integrating Diffusion of Innovations Theory With Social Marketing

This study explored diffusion of innovations theory as a particularly relevant and useful theory to the social marketing approach. In-depth interviews with 44 biological mothers of newborns were co...
Preparation of h and m antigens of Histoplasma capsulatum free of heterologous antigens

Salt gradient elution of crude histoplasmin on CM-Sepharose CL6B at pH 3.0 was used in essentially a one-step procedure to isolate the h, m, and non-m antigens ofHistoplasma capsulatum and free them of any c antigen common to other pathogenic fungi. The h antigen fraction was pure; the isolated m and non-m antigens contained less than 0.1% of the c antigen present in the original preparation. The residual c antigen in these fractions was removed by affinity chromatography on Affigel-10 coupled to aBlastomyces dermatitidis fungal antiserum. The final preparations of h, m, and non-m were pure when tested by immunodiffusion (ID), sodium-dodecyl-sulfate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), or electrofocusing. The antigens were serologically stable at neutral pH for at least three months at 10°C. The relative molecular weights, isoelectric points, and amino acid composition of the antigens are described.
Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis increases focal ischemic infarction in rat

We investigated whether inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis with N-ω-nitro-l-arginine (NNA), a competitive inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS), would modify the volume of the focal ischemic infarction produced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. NNA was infused for 1 h (2.4 mg/kg/h) immediately following occlusion of the MCA. NNA increased lesion volume 24 h later by 32% over controls (150.8 ± 16.6 to 199.2 ± 17.4 mm3; p < 0.001, n = 6). This effect was antagonized by co-infusion of l- but not d-arginine. The antihypertensive rilmenidine (0.75 mg/kg) reduced the lesion by 27% (p < 0.05, n = 4). Changes in lesion size were confined to the penumbra. NNA increased arterial pressure (AP) (118 ± 8.9 to 149 ± 16.0 mm Hg; p < 0.01, n = 3) but did not change regional CBF. However, elevation of AP did not change the lesion volume or distribution. We conclude that inhibition of the constitutive form of NOS in vivo increases the volume of focal ischemic infarction...
FEAR OF CRIME AND PERSONAL VULNERABILITY: EXAMINING SELF-REPORTED HEALTH

This research considers the relationship between self-reported health and fear of crime. Fear of crime literature suggests women, the elderly, or the impoverished may experience heightened fear of crime. It is hypothesized that it is a sense of vulnerability that leads individuals to believe they would be unable to protect themselves should an attack occur, increasing their personal fear of crime. We argue in this article that poor self-reported health may also lead to a sense of vulnerability and elevate fear of crime. We test this hypothesis using data from the General Social Survey (GSS). Using a variety of health measures, our results indicate that some indicators of health are related to a heightened fear of crime and that this relationship varies by gender. Women are at a double disadvantage, in that they feel more vulnerable to crime than men, and women also have more negative perceptions of health.
Interpretation of genomic variants using a unified biological network approach.

The decreasing cost of sequencing is leading to a growing repertoire of personal genomes. However, we are lagging behind in understanding the functional consequences of the millions of variants obtained from sequencing. Global system-wide effects of variants in coding genes are particularly poorly understood. It is known that while variants in some genes can lead to diseases, complete disruption of other genes, called ‘loss-of-function tolerant’, is possible with no obvious effect. Here, we build a systems-based classifier to quantitatively estimate the global perturbation caused by deleterious mutations in each gene. We first survey the degree to which gene centrality in various individual networks and a unified ‘Multinet’ correlates with the tolerance to loss-of-function mutations and evolutionary conservation. We find that functionally significant and highly conserved genes tend to be more central in physical protein-protein and regulatory networks. However, this is not the case for metabolic pathways, where the highly central genes have more duplicated copies and are more tolerant to loss-of-function mutations. Integration of three-dimensional protein structures reveals that the correlation with centrality in the protein-protein interaction network is also seen in terms of the number of interaction interfaces used. Finally, combining all the network and evolutionary properties allows us to build a classifier distinguishing functionally essential and loss-of-function tolerant genes with higher accuracy (AUC = 0.91) than any individual property. Application of the classifier to the whole genome shows its strong potential for interpretation of variants involved in Mendelian diseases and in complex disorders probed by genome-wide association studies.
Polyoxalates from biorenewable diols via Oxalate Metathesis Polymerization

Oxalate Metathesis Polymerization (OMP) was developed for the synthesis of polyoxalates, which were subjected to molecular weight and thermal property analysis. This methodology employs para-toluene sulfonic acid for the acid-catalyzed ester interchange of dimethyl oxalate and diols. Polyalkylene oxalates were derived from dimethyl oxalate and linear diols HO–(CH2)n–OH with three to twelve methylene groups (n = 3–12). Poly(decylene oxalate), a known polymer based on (potentially biorenewable) decanediol was synthesized in 83% yield with this methodology and exhibited no discernable Tg, a Tm of 79 °C, and a Mw of 67 600 g mol−1. Polyarylene oxalates were derived from dimethyl oxalate and resorcinol bis(hydroxyethyl)ether (RBHE) or hydroquinone bis(hydroxyethyl)ether (HBHE), aromatic diols that can be obtained from biorenewable resources. The poly(resorcinol bis(hydroxyethyl)ether) oxalate (or poly(RBHE) oxalate) was obtained in 56% yield and showed a Tg of 34 °C and a Tm of 156 °C. The poly(hydroquinone bis(hydroxyethyl)ether) oxalate (or poly(HBHE) oxalate) was obtained in 88% yield and showed a Tg of 45 °C and a Tm of 190 °C. Aliphatic/aromatic polyoxalate copolymers derived from 1,10-decanediol and RBHE or HBHE in varying compositions were prepared and studied. Incorporation of the aromatic diols into the polymer chain generally afforded increased Tg and Tm. Solid-state degradation studies indicated facile water-degradation of the polyoxalates as molecular weights decreased 81–92% over the course of 13 months in humid air.
Measuring the effectiveness of ACATS

This paper reviews the effectiveness of the Ada Conformity Assessment Test Suite (ACATS) for testing the implicit components of an Ada application. Rough measures are achieved on the basis of both requirements coverage and structural coverage.
Acid and aluminum effects on freshwater zooplankton: An in situ Mesocosm study

Abstract An in situ mesocosm experiment was performed to evaluate the role of aluminum toxicity in determining zooplankton community responses to take acidification. Large plastic enclosures were suspended in East Twin Lake, Ohio, USA, and duplicates were either untreated controls ( pH 8·8), acidified to pH 4·5 over a 23 day period, or acidified and also spiked with incremental additions of Al, to produce a final inorganic monomeric Al level of 180 μg/liter at pH 4·5. Zooplankton abundance and species richness declined in both acid treatments, relative to the control, as numerous acid-sensitive species were eliminated. All of the acid-sensitive species were also Al-sensitive, declining in abundance more rapidly in the acid plus Al treatment than in the acid-alone treatment. Only two small cladocerans ( Bosmina longirostris and Chydorus sphaericus ) were acid tolerant. Both were also tolerant of elevated Al levels.
The weak nuclear force, the chirality of atoms, and the origin of optically active molecules

Although chemical phenomena are primarily associated with electrons in atoms, ions, and molecules, the masses, charges, spins, and other properties of the nuclei in these species contribute significantly as well. Isotopes, for instance, have proven invaluable in chemistry, in particular the elucidation of reaction mechanisms. Elements with unstable nuclei, for example carbon-14 undergoing beta decay, have enriched chemistry and many other scientific disciplines. The nuclei of all elements have a much more subtle and largely unknown effect on chemical phenomena. All nuclei are innately chiral and, because electrons can penetrate nuclei, all atoms and molecules are likewise chiral. This article describes in considerable detail the discovery of chiral nuclei, how this unusual chirality may influence the chemical behavior of atoms and molecules, and how atomic chirality may have been responsible for the synthesis of optically active molecules in the pre-biotic world.
Characterization of unusual stacking faults and dislocations in the massive γm-phase in a quenched Ti–46 at% Al alloy

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize stacking faults and dislocations observed in the massive gamma ( γ m ) phase formed in a Ti–46 at% Al alloy quenched from the α -phase field. The results reveal that 1 2 〈101〉 unit dislocations and stacking faults bound by 1 6 〈121〉 Shockley partial of all possible types, were present in the γ m phase. In addition, antiphase boundaries were found to commence or terminate on the 1 2 〈101] unit dislocations and on the stacking faults at the partial dislocations with b = 1 6 〈121], but not those with b = 1 6 〈112]. These results are presented and discussed.
An adaptive mesh rezoning scheme for moving boundary flows and fluid-structure interaction

Abstract Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) techniques provide a general framework for solving moving boundary flows and fluid–structure interaction problems. ALE formulations allow freedom of prescribing the fluid mesh velocity which can be independent of the velocity of the fluid particles. A major challenge in ALE descriptions lies in developing mesh moving techniques to update the fluid mesh and map the moving domain in a rational way. Exploiting the notion of arbitrary mesh velocity for the fluid domain, we have developed an adaptive mesh rezoning technique for structured and unstructured meshes. The method has been applied to meshes composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, as well as an arbitrary combination of these two element types in the computational domain. This feature of the proposed scheme is very attractive from practical problem solving viewpoint in that it allows kinematically complex problems to be handled effectively. A variety of test cases are shown that involve single and/or multiple moving objects. Embedding the mesh rezoning scheme in our flow solver, we also present some representative simulations of flows over moving meshes.
Ultrastructural localization of the site of hemoglobin synthesis in Chironomus thummi (Diptera).

Light and electron microscopy illustrate that the fat body of 4th instar larvae of Chironomus thummi is composed of a loose association of homogenous cells. The fat body is surrounded by a capsule-like basal sheath. Cells immediately adjacent to the basal sheath sometimes display digitiform surface amplifications. Fat body cells contain numerous lipid droplets and glycogen deposits, evidence of storage function. The presence of glycogen was verified by the periodic acid-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate cytochemical technique. Additionally, the synthetic capacity of fat body cells is indicated by the presence of abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and free polysomes. The localization of hemoglobin pseudoperoxidase activity was shown by means of a 3-3′-diaminobenzidine cytochemical technique. Reaction product was found in cisternae of RER, perinuclear cisternae. Golgi complexes, and Golgi-derived vesicles of all fat body cells examined. Autoradiography demonstrates that the heme precursor, δ-aminolevulinic acid, is incorporated into a fixable tissue product. This study confirms and expands upon previous biochemical studies showing that the fat body is the major site of hemoglobin synthesis in C. thummi .
Pragmatic Objectivity and the Standardization of Engineered Tissues

This paper analyzes attempts to develop consensus standards, reference methods, and classification rubrics in the nascent field of tissue engineering. I examine the collective formal and informal processes that were employed to determine what would count as relevant, objective evidence in the regulation of engineered human tissue products. The paper underscores the way political—industrial assemblages participate in socially negotiated forms of objectivity and are inseparable from the way new technologies take shape. In the story of tissue engineering, one challenge was producing a form of objectivity that could meet the expectations of various audiences (regulators, producers, payers, users). I call this ‘pragmatic objectivity’, generated in the hope of meeting the multiple, sometimes conflicting goals of participants: getting new therapies to patients quickly, understanding the therapeutic effects of novel, hybrid products, establishing databases with which to link cell technology platforms, and downsiz...
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Syndrome of Partial Thenar Atrophy, and W. Russell Brain: A Historical Perspective

This article presents the history of the discovery of compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel without an identifiable cause as a distinct clinical entity. By analyzing primary sources, we show that, at the beginning of the twentieth century, physicians described patients with paresthesias and numbness in the hands, most prominent at night, accompanied by bilateral symmetrical atrophy along the radial side of thenar eminence. At the time, the 2 most influential hypotheses regarding etiology were, first, compression of the lower trunk of the brachial plexus by a cervical or first rib, and second, compression of the thenar branch of the median nerve as it passes beneath the anterior annular ligament of the wrist. The condition was named syndrome of partial thenar atrophy and was considered a distinct clinical entity. In 1946, after extensive analysis, neurologist Walter Russell Brain concluded that both sensory and motor symptoms of the syndrome were caused by "compression neuritis" of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. At his suggestion, surgeon Arthur Dickson Wright performed decompression of the nerve by "an incision of the carpal ligament," with excellent results. Brain presented this work at the Royal Society of Medicine in London in 1946 and published his landmark paper in Lancet the following year. In so doing, he established the basis for the disease we know today as idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome. Unfortunately, in 1947, Brain did not realize that another "condition" with the same clinical picture but without atrophy of the thenar muscles, known as acroparesthesia at the time, was actually the same disease as syndrome of partial thenar atrophy, but of lesser severity. As a result of Brain's influence, 7 other papers were published by 1950. Between 1946 and 1950, there were at least 10 papers that presented, in total, 31 patients (26 women) who exhibited symptoms of compression of the median nerve without an identifiable cause and underwent section of the transverse carpal ligament.
A novel integrated-optic WDM cross-connect for wide area all optical networks

The authors propose a novel design for an integrated-optic wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) cross-connect that can be used in routing network applications at various wavelengths. The device is based on integrating a two-dimensional array of Bragg diffraction cells at cross points of input/output (I/O) coplanar waveguides. The wavelength tuning of the individual Bragg cells can be chosen to produce a WDM cross-connect with any number of required I/O interconnections. These cross-connects have proved extremely useful in the design and deployment of wide-area/nationwide all-optical networks. >
Infant Sleep After Immunization: Randomized Controlled Trial of Prophylactic Acetaminophen

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of acetaminophen and axillary temperature responses on infant sleep duration after immunization. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized controlled trial to compare the sleep of 70 infants monitored by using ankle actigraphy for 24 hours before and after their first immunization series at ∼2 months of age. Mothers of infants in the control group received standard care instructions from their infants9 health care provider, and mothers of infants in the intervention group were provided with predosed acetaminophen and instructed to administer a dose 30 minutes before the scheduled immunization and every 4 hours thereafter, for a total of 5 doses. Infant age and birth weight and immunization factors, such as acetaminophen use and timing of administration, were evaluated for changes in infant sleep times after immunization. RESULTS: Sleep duration in the first 24 hours after immunization was increased, particularly for infants who received their immunizations after 1:30 pm and for those who experienced elevated temperatures in response to the vaccines. Infants who received acetaminophen at or after immunization had smaller increases in sleep duration than did infants who did not. However, acetaminophen use was not a significant predictor of sleep duration when other factors were controlled. CONCLUSIONS: If further research confirms the relationship between time of day of vaccine administration, increased sleep duration after immunization, and antibody responses, then our findings suggest that afternoon immunizations should be recommended to facilitate increased sleep in the 24 hours after immunization, regardless of acetaminophen administration.
Rejection of two-photon fluorescence background in thick tissue by differential aberration imaging

We present a simple and robust way to reject out-of-focus background when performing deep two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging in thick tissue. The technique is based on the use of a deformable mirror (DM) to introduce illumination aberrations that preferentially degrade TPEF signal while leaving TPEF background relatively unchanged. A subtraction of aberrated from unaberrated images leads to background rejection. We present a heuristic description of our technique, which we corroborate with experiment. An added benefit of our technique is that it leads to somewhat improved image resolution.
Disorders of cholesterol biosynthesis: prototypic metabolic malformation syndromes

Since 1998, five disorders involving enzyme defects in post-squalene cholesterol biosynthesis have been identified-desmosterolosis, X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata, CHILD syndrome, lathosterolosis, and hydrops-ectopic calcification-moth-eaten skeletal dysplasia. They join the most common cholesterol biosynthetic disorder, Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, whose underlying defect was identified in 1993. All are associated with major developmental malformations that are unusual for metabolic disorders. The existence of mouse models for five of these disorders is beginning to enable more detailed developmental and in vitro studies examining the mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis. In this review, an overview of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway will be presented. Clinical features of the human disorders and mouse models of post-squalene cholesterol biosynthesis will then be discussed.
The new transparency in development economics: Lessons from the Millennium Village controversy.

The Millennium Villages Project is a high profile multi-country development project that has aimed to serve as a model for ending rural poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. The project became the subject of controversy when the methodological basis of early claims of success was questioned. The lively ensuing debate offers lessons on three recent mini-revolutions that have swept the field of development economics: the rising standards of evidence for measuring impact the “open data” movement and the growing role of the blogosphere in research debates.
A sensor-based dual-arm tele-robotic manipulation platform

This paper presents a novel telerobotic framework for human-directed dual-arm manipulation. Current telerobotic systems typically involve a single robot arm commanded by human through a joystick or a master arm. In contrast, our system involves a dual-arm robot manipulating a held object through human gestures without any mechanical coupling. Our experiment involves an industrial robot consisting of a torso, two seven degree-of-freedom arms, and two three-finger hands. We use the existing industrial robot controller, and only modify the position setpoint in the outer loop. The human interfaces to the robot using a set of gesture vocabulary. During object manipulation, the human gesture is interpreted as the desired configuration of the object. The robot performs autonomous vision-based target identification and alignment, grasp selection and force control, to ensure stable and robust object manipulation, with no demand on human for stable grasping. The heterogeneous components of the system are integrated through Robot Raconteur, a distributed communication and control software system. The system interfaces easily to powerful analysis and visualization tools, facilitating rapid algorithm development and prototyping. We envision that the integrated architecture will serve as the foundation for versatile, robust, and safe human-robot collaboration in increasingly complex sensing and manipulation tasks.
Early Childbearing and Educational Attainment Among Mainland Puerto Rican Teens

We report the results of a study about how early childbearing affected the educational trajectories of nine Puerto Rican teenage mothers living in New England. Raised largely on the mainland, participants chose to carry pregnancies to term and to participate in a parenting program for young mothers. Upon examination of shared meaning-making around childbearing, we found that, consistently, childbearing activated a family building script as the main task of motherhood. The pursuit of education as a developmental script was less consistent. We identified three approaches to reconciling the competing tasks of family building and educational attainment. “Successful jugglers” managed to do both, and even work at the same time. “Prioritizers” chose motherhood over education, either before or after childbearing. The two participants who did not follow a clear trajectory also happened to be the youngest in the study. Key factors contributing to each trajectory are presented.
High-Lift Low Reynolds Number Airfoil Design

A new high-lift airfoil design philosophy has been developed and experimentally validated through wind-tunnel tests. A key element of the high-lift design philosophy was to make use of a concave pressure recovery with aft loading. Three codes for airfoil design and analysis (PROFOIL, the Eppler code, and ISES) were used to design the example S1223 high-lift airfoil for a Reynolds number of 2 3 10 5 . In windtunnel tests, the new airfoil yielded a maximum lift coefe cient of 2.2. With vortex generators and a 1% chord Gurney eap (used separately), the Cl,max increased to 2.3. The airfoil demonstrates the rather dramatic gains in Cl,max over those airfoils previously used for high-lift low Reynolds number applications.
High-low temperature performance of GaN 600 V Schottky rectifiers

The performance of a 600 V gallium nitride Schottky rectifier at high temperatures up to 125 °C and cryogenic operation has been reported. A 600 V, 4 A GaN Schottky rectifier from Velox semiconductors has been used for the characterization. Forward conduction and reverse blocking performance was measured down to 77 K. Two Schottky barrier heights have been noticed at low temperatures and a tunnelling limited reverse leakage current was observed. The SPICE model parameters are also extracted for circuit simulation purposes (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Intercellular and Intracellular Events Following the MHC-Unrestricted TCR Recognition of a Tumor-Specific Peptide Epitope on the Epithelial Antigen MUC1

We examined the functional and molecular parameters involved in direct TCR recognition of a tumor-specific peptide epitope on the tumor Ag MUC1. This peptide epitope is tandemly repeated and recognized on the native molecule rather than processed and bound to the MHC. Even though the TCR was not MHC restricted, intercellular interactions found to facilitate this recognition included intercellular adhesion molecule-1/LFA-1, LFA-3/CD2, and class I/CD8. Intracellular parameters of MHC-unrestricted CTL activation were examined to compare the recognition of the MUC1 epitope presented on synthetic microspheres, with the recognition of the native epitope in the context of other molecules on the target cells. The epitope on microspheres induced a transient influx of Ca2+ that was not accompanied by detectable tyrosine phosphorylation of the zeta-associated protein ZAP-70, whereas recognition of MUC1 epitopes on tumor cells caused a sustained Ca2+ influx and ZAP-70 phosphorylation. The transient influx of Ca2+ was not sufficient to cause translocation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NF-AT) into the nucleus or CTL proliferation. In contrast, recognition of the MUC1 epitope on tumor cells resulted in full activation of the CTL, nuclear translocation of NF-AT, and proliferation. MHC-unrestricted TCR triggering, therefore, involves similar intercellular and intracellular events that participate in the conventional, MHC-restricted Ag recognition. Direct recognition of the MUC1 peptide epitope by the TCR in the absence of presentation by the MHC induces a partial signal that is completed by further interactions of other receptor/ligand pairs on the surface of the CTL and their target cells.
Hyperkinesias in a Prepubertal Boy with Autistic Disorder Treated with Haloperidol and Valproic Acid

A 7-yr.-old Bangladeshi boy with autistic disorder, unspecified mental retardation, asthma, pica, and generalized tonic seizures, presented for hyperactivity, aggression, and disruptive behaviors. He had a history of an elevated blood lead level. He was being treated with haloperidol and valproic acid. He was assessed in an unstimulated state for the occurrence of adventitious movements. He exhibited hand flapping, jumping, running, and spinning as well as other motor and phonic stereotypes typical of autistic disorder. Although the presence of subjective distress and a sensation of inner restlessness could not be ascertained given his cognitive impairments, the objective picture of constant leg movement and inability to sit still was consistent with akathisia. The hyperkinesias may be due to autistic disorder, multiple comorbid conditions, and medications. Further studies with large populations of medicated and unmedicated children with autistic disorder are needed to characterize further the associated movement disorders which may result from neurological disorders and pharmacological treatments.
Variation in Resistance Traits, Phylogenetic Backgrounds, and Virulence Genotypes among Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates from Adjacent Hospital Campuses Serving Distinct Patient Populations

Escherichia coli sequence type 13 (ST131), an emergent cause of multidrug-resistant extraintestinal infections, has important phylogenetic subsets, notably the H30 and H30Rx subclones, with distinctive resistance profiles and, possibly, clinical associations. To clarify the local prevalence of these ST131 subclones and their associations with antimicrobial resistance, ecological source, and virulence traits, we extensively characterized 233 consecutive E. coli clinical isolates (July and August 2013) from the University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview Infectious Diseases and Diagnostic Laboratory, Minneapolis, MN, which serves three adjacent facilities (a children's hospital and low- and high-acuity adult facilities). ST131 accounted for 26% of the study isolates (more than any other clonal group), was distributed similarly by facility, and was closely associated with ciprofloxacin resistance and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production. The H30 and H30Rx subclones accounted for most ST131 isolates and for the association of ST131 with fluoroquinolone resistance and ESBL production. Unlike ST131 per se, these subclones were distributed differentially by hospital, being most prevalent at the high-acuity adult facility and were absent from the children's hospital. The virulence gene profiles of ST131 and its subclones were distinctive and more extensive than those of other fluoroquinolone-resistant or ESBL-producing isolates. Within ST131, bla CTX-M-15 was confined to H30Rx isolates and other bla CTX-M variants to non-Rx H30 isolates. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis documented a predominance of globally distributed pulsotypes and no local outbreak pattern. These findings help clarify the epidemiology, ecology, and bacterial correlates of the H30 and H30Rx ST131 subclones by documenting a high overall prevalence but significant segregation by facility, strong associations with fluoroquinolone resistance and specific ESBL variants, and distinctive virulence gene associations that may confer fitness advantages over other resistant E. coli.
Injection of air bubbles during flushing of angiocatheters: an in vitro trial of conventional hardware and techniques.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Injected air bubbles are a well-accepted cause of stroke during cerebral angiography. We used an in vitro model to determine the frequency of occurrence of air emboli during catheter flushing using conventional hardware and techniques. METHODS: Two experimental models were used in this study. The first incorporated an inline bubble trap. Ten members of our angiography section flushed this system in their usual fashion and then with two modifications of the hardware. The trap was inspected after each trial of seven injections and any visible bubble was measured with calipers. The second model used a peristaltic pump along with a transcranial Doppler device to look at the relative number of bubble events with modifications of the flush solution or technique. RESULTS: The closed-flush set in common usage in our department caused an increase in the number of visible bubbles in the trap as compared with an open basin. Degassing the solution and delaying injection decreased the number of bubble events noted in model 2. CONCLUSION: Bubble emboli are commonplace during flushing of angiography catheters when using conventional techniques and equipment. Although the occurrence of procedure-related stroke from cerebral angiography is low, any stroke may be devastating to the patient. Techniques or hardware that further reduce this risk should be constantly evaluated. Many mechanisms for these strokes have been proposed, but one accepted cause is an arterial air embolism introduced during the procedure. This event has come under careful consideration in the past decade, during which sonographic techniques have allowed real-time visualization of intravascular bubble emboli. During the course of imaging a patient with CT after cerebral angiography, we noticed a small air bubble inside a large aneurysm. The patient had no evident neurologic deficit, but this occurrence suggested to us that air is very likely injected with some frequency in the course of cerebral angiography. As a consequence, we devised two in vitro models that we used to quantify the injected air and