cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection: state of the art in humans

Among infertile couples, 25% involve both male and female factors, while male factor alone accounts for another 25% due to oligo-, astheno-, teratozoospermia, a combination of the three, or even a complete absence of sperm cells in the ejaculate and can lead to a poor prognosis even with the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been with us now for a quarter of a century and in spite of the controversy generated since its inception, it remains in the forefront of the techniques utilized in ART. The development of ICSI in 1992 has drastically decreased the impact of male factor, resulting in millions of pregnancies worldwide for couples who, without ICSI, would have had little chance of having their own biological child. This review focuses on the state of the art of ICSI regarding utility of bioassays that evaluate male factor infertility beyond the standard semen analysis and describes the current application and advances in regard to ICSI, particularly the genetic and epigenetic characteristics of spermatozoa and their impact on reproductive outcome.
On the relative importance of bending and compression in cervical spine bilateral facet dislocation.

Abstract Background Cervical bilateral facet dislocations are among the most devastating spine injuries in terms of likelihood of severe neurological sequelae. More than half of patients with tetraparesis had sustained some form of bilateral facet fracture dislocation. They can occur at any level of the sub-axial cervical spine, but predominate between C5 and C7. The mechanism of these injuries has long been thought to be forceful flexion of the chin towards the chest. This “hyperflexion” hypothesis comports well with intuition and it has become dogma in the clinical literature. However, biomechanical studies of the human cervical spine have had little success in producing this clinically common and devastating injury in a flexion mode of loading. Methods The purpose of this manuscript is to review the clinical and engineering literature on the biomechanics of bilateral facet dislocations and to describe the mechanical reasons for the causal role of compression, and the limited role of head flexion, in producing bilateral facet dislocations. Findings Bilateral facet dislocations have only been produced in experiments where compression is the primary loading mode. To date, no biomechanical study has produced bilateral facet dislocations in a whole spine by bending. Yet the notion that it is primarily a hyper-flexion injury persists in the clinical literature. Interpretation Compression and compressive buckling are the primary causes of bilateral facet dislocations. It is important to stop using the hyper-flexion nomenclature to describe this class of cervical spines injuries because it may have a detrimental effect on designs for injury prevention.
A snap shot of patients' recall, attitudes, and perceptions of their pain contracts from a family medicine resident outpatient clinic.

Objective: Determine patient recall, attitudes, and perceptions of their pain contract in a family medicine resident outpatient clinic. Design: A cross-sectional study design using a telephone survey to all eligible subjects who signed a hardcopy pain contract from August 29, 2014 to May 19, 2016 at a resident outpatient clinic. Setting: Penn State Hershey Family and Community Medicine Residency clinic. Participants: All patients who signed a hardcopy pain contract at the practice site who met specific inclusion criteria. Main outcome measures: What proportions of items are remembered from the standardized Penn State Hershey pain contract and does recall vary with time of contract signing. Secondary outcome measures: Patient attitudes and perceptions of their pain contract. Results: Ninety-five percent of patients recalled agreeing to random urine drug screens (UDS) and 60 percent recalled they were not to receive prescriptions from another provider unless approved by their practice site. The recall rate for the remaining 33 items in the contract ranged from 0 percent to 20 percent. The highest recall rate was for contracts signed between 0-3 months. Patient feedback regarding the pain contract was recorded and while five were positive or neutral, 15 patients recorded negative attitudes toward the process, the physician, and/or the UDS. Conclusions: This study highlights limited recall and negative patient attitudes toward the pain contract. Considering the public health concerns with regard to the current opioid epidemic in the United States, additional training of providers, redesign of pain contracts and new models for informing patients about safe chronic pain management may be warranted.
How Can Extended Demolition in Primary Advanced Presentations Be Beneficial

Approximately 5–15% of rectal cancers are diagnosed in a “locally advanced” stage [1], with invasion of neighboring organs and structures (clinical T4a, a neoplasm that perforates the visceral peritoneum; T4b, a tumor that invades other organs or structures directly); from the surgeon’s point of view, a tumor may be called locally advanced (or unresectable) when it is impossible to resect it radically following the natural visceral fascial layer, as advocated in total mesorectal excision surgery. Not rarely, despite their large size, these tumors have no evidence of distant dissemination, and so they are potentially curable, especially if regional lymph nodes are free of metastasis, as is surprisingly common [2–4]. Anyway, these lesions are challenging to treat, because of the invasion of surrounding tissues: anteriorly the bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, uterus, adnexia, and vagina; laterally the pelvic sidewall, iliac vessels, ureters, and nerve bundles; posteriorly the sacrum and coccyx.
Abstract TMP43: Therapy Time, Settings and Transitions Across All Post-Acute Care (PAC) Settings in the First Year After Stroke in Medicare Patients

Introduction: Post-acute care (PAC) may be an important factor in recovery, yet little is known about stroke patients’ receipt of PAC across settings. To optimize future PAC, we described all setti...
Posterior sampling with constructed likelihood functions: an application to flowgraph models: Research Articles

We consider posterior sampling in situations where data are incomplete in such a way that likelihood functions corresponding to portions of the data must be constructed. Slice sampling, a recently developed Markov chain Monte Carlo method, makes such computation feasible. Such situations arise in the context of stochastic networks where an overall predictive waiting time is comprised of convolutions and finite mixtures of individual transitions and portions of the individual transition information is unobserved for some records. We present applications involving flowgraph models in the reliability setting; however, the methodology presented is relevant to any application where likelihood functions cannot be specified in closed form but can be evaluated numerically. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Possible Photoregulation by Flavoproteins

A wide variety of biological phenomena are blue light-dependent, responding to light of wavelengths below 500 nm. This topic has been the subject of many review articles; a recent one by Schmidt (1) is particularly useful, both in its description of the phenomena and in exploring the basis of the possible molecular mechanisms involved. Many individual examples of blue light photoreception will be dealt with in detail at this meeting; I will simply list here those examples where action spectra permit a reasonable conclusion about the nature of the photoreceptor. There now seems to be general agreement that flavin is the blue light photoreceptor (1). This conclusion is based on several lines of evidence. The action spectra of most blue light dependent biological phenomena show a prominent band around 450 nm, often with a distinct shoulder in the region of 470-480 nm. This spectral characteristic is shared by two classes of widely spread biological compounds, flavins and carotenes. In addition most action spectra also exhibit a near-UV band, in the region of 350 nm. There is however much less consistency about the shape, position and “intensity” of this band, a fact chiefly responsible for the past uncertainty about whether flavin or carotene is the blue light photoreceptor. Flavins do possess such an absorption band, as does cis-s-carotene. However trans-s-carotene does not, and the biological occurrence of cis-s-carotene is apparently quite rare. Particularly important is the failure to detect this form in one of the archetypal organisms exhibiting blue light photoresponse, Phycomyces (2). Another important piece of evidence is that carotene-deficient mutants of various biological species generally exhibit the same blue light responses as the wild types (3-5). Finally while carotene is present in high concentrations in the growing avena coleoptile, it has been shown by microchemical techniques to be absent from the apex, which is the most photosensitive zone of the coleoptile (6).
5-hydroxytryptamine uptake by rat brain in vitro.

Abstract 5HT is taken up by rat-brain slices by a mechanism showing all the characteristics of active transport. The uptake is inhibited by tryptamine and to a lesser extent by dopamine, but noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptophan are not effective inhibitors. Imipramine, desmethylimipramine, cocaine and chlorpromazine inhibit 5HT uptake. Reserpine does not inhibit the transpor of 5HT into the cells, but reduces their binding capacity for the amine.
More expansive gene transfer to the rat CNS: AAV PHP.EB vector dose–response and comparison to AAV PHP.B

Engineered recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have advanced the transduction of neurons in the CNS on an expansive, wide-scale basis since the papers first using AAV9 for this purpose. Wide-scale CNS expression is relevant to gene therapy as well as indispensable for basic studies such as disease modeling. For example, the wide-scale gene transfer approach could expedite hypothesis testing in vivo relative to the generation of germ-line transgenic mice for all of the genes of interest. Wide-scale gene transfer is more efficient in neonates than in adults, so improving gene transfer efficiency in adults is an important goal. Here we characterized the relatively novel AAV PHP.EB vector for expansive gene transfer in the CNS of adult rats at three doses. The dose–response data were consistent; expression levels can be controlled in a reproducible manner in the rat from moderate to robust levels. Within the CNS, the AAV PHP.EB-derived expression was neuron-selective to neuron-specific, while outside the CNS, organs such as the liver and heart were transduced by the parenteral gene delivery. Though we demonstrated graded expression levels, only the high dose, 1.2 × 1014 vector genomes/kg, yielded efficient expression in spinal cord motor neurons of the adult rat, so this vector dose would be required for models of spinal cord motor neuron disease. The neuronal expression in the rat CNS was greater with AAV PHP.EB than the previous engineered vector AAV PHP.B. AAV PHP.EB is thus one of the most efficient AAV vectors in the field for CNS gene transfer.
Filling Open Screw Holes in the Area of Metaphyseal Comminution Does Not Affect Fatigue Life of the Synthes Variable Angle Distal Femoral Locking Plate in the AO/OTA 33-A3 Fracture Model.

Introduction The aim of this study is to evaluate the biomechanical effect of filling locking variable angle (VA) screw holes at the area of metaphyseal fracture comminution in a Sawbones® (Sawbones USA, Vashon, Washington) model (AO/OTA 33A-3 fracture) using a Synthes VA locking compression plate (LCP) (Depuy Synthes, Warsaw, Indiana). Materials and methods Seven Sawbones® femur models had a Synthes VA-LCP placed as indicated by the manufacturers technique. A 4cm osteotomy was then created to simulate an AO/OTA 33-A3 femoral fracture pattern with metaphyseal comminution. The control group consisted of four constructs in which the open screw holes at the area of comminution were left unfilled; the experimental group consisted of three constructs in which the VA screw holes were filled with locking screws. One of the control constructs was statically loaded to failure at a rate of 5mm/min. A value equal to 75% of the ultimate load to failure was used as the loading force for fatigue testing of 250,000 cycles at 3Hz. Cycles to failure was recorded for each construct and averages were compared between groups. Results The average number of cycles to failure in the control and experimental groups were 37524±8187 and 43304±23835, respectively (p=0.72). No significant difference was observed with respect to cycles to failure or mechanism of failure between groups. In all constructs in both the control and experimental groups, plate failure reproducibly occurred with cracks through the variable angle holes in the area of bridged comminution. Conclusions The Synthes VA-LCP in a simulated AO/OTA 33-A3 comminuted metaphyseal femoral fracture fails in a reproducible manner at the area of comminution through the "honeycomb" VA screw holes. Filling open VA screw holes at the site of comminution with locking screws does not increase fatigue life of the Synthes VA-LCP in a simulated AO/OTA 33-A3 distal femoral fracture. Further studies are necessary to determine whether use of this particular plate is contraindicated when bridging distal femoral fractures with metaphyseal comminution.
A case of erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp in a pediatric patient.

Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp (EPDS) is a rare inflammatory disease with predominance in the elderly population. Clinically, the condition is characterized by sterile pustules and chronic crusted erosions. Bacteriologic and mycologic workups tend to have negative findings, and histopathologic evaluation findings are nonspecific. Affected areas undergo a continuous cycle of healing and recurrence, resulting in atrophic skin with new areas of pustules and erosions. If left untreated, these areas may progress and result in scarring alopecia or cutaneous malignancies. Although the exact etiology remains unknown, EPDS tends to occur in areas of cutaneous atrophy because of numerous etiologies such as long-standing solar damage, surgical/medical/physical trauma, or, in the case of our patient, a burn.1 Although EPDS has been documented after skin grafts in elderly patients, to the best of our knowledge, it has yet to be described in a pediatric patient after skin graft for a burn.
Transition state and product diffusion control by polymer–nanocrystal hybrid catalysts

Effective catalysts stabilize specific transition states and control the transport of species to and from catalytically active sites. Enzymes show these traits thanks to their diverse amino acid functional groups encapsulating metal centres, but are limited in the reaction conditions in which they can operate. Realizing a catalyst with this kinetic and transport control that can be used under demanding industrial conditions is challenging. Here, we show a modular approach for the systematic synthesis of polymer–nanocrystal hybrids, where palladium nanocrystals are encapsulated within tunable microporous polymer layers. The polymer chemistry and morphology control the catalytic performance of the metal sites, affecting the transition state for CO oxidation and controlling the transport of CO2 away from the active site. This approach can be applied to other polymer–nanocrystal compositions and catalytic applications, and is therefore expected to have an impact in many areas of catalysis. Encapsulation is an effective strategy to tune metal-catalysed reactions, although its potential has not been fully explored. Here, design principles and advanced understanding of the reactivity of different polymer-encapsulated Pd nanocrystals are provided using CO oxidation as a benchmark reaction.
BRMS1: Metastasis suppressor gene methylation as a target for anticancer therapy in breast and ovarian cancer

4314 The BRMS1 (breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1) gene has previously been found to suppress metastasis in animal models without inhibiting primary tumor growth. Our prior work indicated that reduced BRMS1 expression is associated with aggressive ovarian carcinomas, nodal metastases, and poor patient survival. Because low BRMS1 RNA expression correlates with poor clinical outcome, we have focused on the regulation of BRMS1 at the transcriptional level. One notable mechanism of transcriptional regulation and gene silencing is hypermethylation of CpG islands within the first exon and promoter regions of tumor and metastasis suppressor. We observed that a high-density CpG island is present in BRMS1 promoter by CpG Island Searcher software, and then hypothesized that DNA methylation regulates BRMS1expression in breast and ovarian cancer. We further hypothesized that treatment with 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR), a DNA methylation inhibitor, would increase BRMS1 expression in breast and ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Metastasis suppressor gene reactivation may inhibit metastatic colonization and further invasion, resulting in clinical benefit. BRMS1mRNA levels were examined in a panel of breast and epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines and normal ovarian surface epithelial cells (NOSE) by real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) or microarray analyses. Hypermethylation of the BRMS1CpG island in these cell lines was determined by methylation specific PCR (MSP). BRMS1 expression and motility of metastatic cell lines (ovarian cancer HO-8910PM and breast cancer MDA-MB-231) were observed following treatment with 5-aza-CdR. Our qPCR and microarray analyses confirmed that BRMS1 mRNA expression was significantly decreased (P
Debating “Good” Care: The Challenges of Dementia Care in Shanghai, China

The increasing number of dementia sufferers in China has transformed dementia care from a private issue to a public concern. Nationwide dementia-friendly campaigns have intensified debates about what constitutes “good” care. In response to these campaigns, the Shanghai government proposes a systematic care model, which stresses the need for dementia-care units and professionalization. Non-state actors, however, focus on the relational care model, which integrates western humanitarian ethics with Confucian values. This article employs cultural and structural frameworks to examine why and how a specific form of “good” care is constructed in China. The debates about the establishment of dementia-care units and the professionalization of eldercare enable us to understand how politics shape certain forms of care.
Scoping review of fire safety behaviors among high‐rise occupants: Implications for public health nursing

Objective The purpose of this review was to identify gaps in the research literature regarding high-rise (HR) building occupant fire safety behaviors. Findings from this review will inform further development of the role of public health nurses (PHNs) in promoting population-based strategies to enhance HR occupant fire safety. Design and sample The search included peer-reviewed English language articles published after 2001 describing fire safety behaviors among HR building occupants in the United States. Results Fourteen articles were included in the final review. Twelve articles reported exclusively on commercial HR building fire safety; two reported on both the residential and commercial HR building fire safety; 10 reported on events related to the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) towers. Various factors influenced HR occupants' fire safety behaviors, including knowledge about building fire safety features and emergency plans, participation in drills, and organizational emergency preparedness. People with mobility impairments required special considerations. Two theoretical models explaining HR occupants' fire safety behaviors were identified. Conclusions Gaps in the research literature exist regarding residential HR occupant fire safety behaviors. Further research regarding ways that PHNs are currently engaged in this important public health issue should be further explored.
Current situation of iodine deficiency disorders in Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in 2015

Objective To understand the current situation of iodine deficiency disorders of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, in order to provide evidence for establishing prevention and control strategies. Methods According to their sub-area positions of east, west, south, north and center, 5 units were extracted in each division via the random sampling method, 4 companies were sampled in each chosen unit, 15 households were selected in each chosen company to detect salt iodine content in 2015; and 1 elementary school was sampled in each chosen unit, 40 students aged 8-10 were selected to collect their urine samples in each school to test urinary iodine and determine the goiter. Twenty pregnant women were randomly selected in each unit to test urinary iodine. Salt iodine was tested using direct titration, urinary iodine was determined using arsenic osmium catalytic spectrophotometry, thyroid was examinated using B-ultrasound. Results Totally 3 915 edible salt samples were monitored. The mean of salt iodine was (27.8 ± 5.5) mg/kg, with 99.1% (3 880/3 915) iodized salt coverage rate, 93.2% (3 617/3 880) iodized salt qualified rate and 92.4% (3 617/3 915) qualified iodized salt consumption rate. The goiter rate was 1.0% (26/2 552) and the median of urinary iodine was 217.9 μg/L of 2 552 children aged 8-10, urinary iodine of southern region and northern region was 212.1 and 222.1 μg/L, respectively. The median of urinary iodine of 1 233 pregnant women was 157.7 μg/L. Conclusion The iodine nutrition level of key groups have already reached the national standard for eliminating iodine deficiency disorders, we should pay more attention to lower level urinary iodine of pregnant women. Key words: Salts; Iodine; Urine; Goiter
A 65-Year-Old Man with Poor Cancer Pain Control Despite Intrathecal Pump

Cancer is a public healthcare problem and is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer pain occurs in varying degrees depending on the disease stage, type of cancer, and location where 75% of cancer patients will complain of pain at some stage of their disease (Bao et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev 10:CD011108, 2016). Intrathecal pump (ITP) was first reported as an effective cancer pain treatment modality in 1981 (Onofrio et al., Mayo Clin Proc 56(8):516–520, 1981; Wang et al., Anesthesiology 50(2):149–151, 1979). Advances in technology over the past 30 years have rendered ITP as an effective modality for treating intractable cancer pain; however, this modality requires sufficient knowledge and expertise for implantation and management. We will discuss some of the important aspects of ITP therapy in cancer pain patients, factors to consider in case of poor pain control in previously stable patients with ITP therapy thus avoiding long-term serious complications.
In Vitro Macrophage-Mediated Phagocytosis Assay of Brain Tumors.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have recently emerged as potentially crucial therapeutic targets for cancer. Thus, the development of macrophage-mediated phagocytosis assays is vital for preclinical drug screening of different tumor cells. This assay can be used to evaluate the effect of anti-cancer therapy, such as immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, on different tumor cells. Here, we describe the in-vitro phagocytosis assay in detail. As an example of immunotherapy treatment, we used a monoclonal antibody to block an anti-phagocytic signal (CD47) to evaluate the assay using human brain tumor cells and monocyte-derived macrophages. We also demonstrated that this assay can be used to evaluate the effect of different irradiation doses on the phagocytosis of brain tumor cells. This functional assay is fast, accurate, and highly reproducible. Furthermore, the results successfully demonstrate that anti-CD47 antibodies and irradiation can enhance the macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of brain tumors.
Voice and Votes: Gender, Power and Politics

The 2016 presidential election produced disbelief, grief, and anger, particularly among women. Over the subsequent years and months, they have responded with increased political engagement and activism. A record number of female candidates stood for the 2018 elections, and the 116th Congress, seated in January, 2019, is the most diverse and most female in history. Yet there has been significant resistance to the rise of women’s political power. The situation has revealed, in ways both old and new, the deep and pervasive bias in favor of male power, a revelation that is both shattering and energizing to feminists. Psychology has something to say about the ways in which these impacts have unfolded.
A Novel Spatial Feature For Predicting Lysine Malonylation Sites Using Machine Learning

Lysine malonylation is a recently identified post-translation modification type with known effects on type 2 diabetes. Several machine learning algorithms have been used to predict lysine malonylation sites using various features of protein. We proposed a novel spatial feature that captures rich structure information in a succinct form. The dimension of this feature is much lower than that of other sequence and structural features that were used in previous studies. When the proposed feature was used to predict lysine malonylation sites, it achieved performance comparable to other state-of-the-art methods that had much higher dimension. The low dimensionality of the proposed feature would be very helpful for building interpretable predictors for various applications involving protein structures.
Extreme events and climate change: A multidisciplinary approach

Abstract This first chapter of the book gives an overview of its content. After a brief introduction, the chapter discusses the three sections' content that makes this book. Section one reports on temperatures and severe convective storms; however, section two of the book comprises two chapters on hydrological responses. These two chapters provide in-depth analyses of the present status and future outlook of the respective topics. The last section of the book deals with mitigation and adaptation measures for climate change. Some of its chapters deal with analyzing the potential impacts of climate change and extreme events on ecosystem responses, lifeline infrastructures, green infrastructure, and sea-level rise. The last two chapters of the book give an overview of governance and climate change policies and extreme events.
Phonon dynamics modeling using wave packet

Abstract Phonons are fundamental carriers of thermal energy in crystalline solids. Microscopic heat transfer analysis rely on properties and dynamics of phonons. Phonon wave packet method is a molecular dynamics simulation to visualize the phonon dynamics and scattering to calculate the energy transmission coefficient and to study phonon conversion. In this chapter, the machinery and the practice of phonon wave packet method are discussed with applications on carbon nanostructures.
Abstract P643: Incidence of Ischemic Stroke Among Migraineurs on Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Inhibitors

Introduction: Migraine is common and often disabling. Recent research has focused on a new class of treatments targeting the pain-signaling molecule calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP inh...
Representing the Unification of Text Featurization using a Context-Free Grammar.

We propose a novel context-free grammar to represent text embeddings in conjunction with their various transformations. We show how this grammar can serve as a unification layer on top of different featurization techniques, and their hybridization thereof. The approach is embodied in an open-source library, called TextWiser, with a high-level user interface to serve researchers and practitioners. The goal of TextWiser is to enable rapid experimentation with various featurization methods and to serve as a building block within AI applications consuming unstructured data. We highlight several key benefits that are desirable especially in industrial settings where rapid experimentation, reusability, reproducibility, and time to market are of great interest. Finally, we showcase a deployed service powered by TextWiser as a proof-of-concept enterprise application.
Parallel computations in information retrieval

Conventional information retrieval processes are largely based on data movement, pointer manipulations and integer arithmetic; more refined retrieval algorithms may in addition benefit from substantial computational power. In the present study a number of parallel processing methods are described that serve to enhance retrieval services. In conventional retrieval environments parallel list processing and parallel search facilities are of greatest interest. In more advanced systems, the use of array processors also proves beneficial. Various information retrieval processes are examined and evidence is given to demonstrate the usefulness of parallel processing and fast computational facilities in information retrieval.
Regulation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in red blood cells from hemolytic and nonhemolytic variant subjects.

Because of the strong inhibition of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by physiologic concentrations of NADPH and ATP, only 0.1%-0.2% of its potential activity (Vmax) is estimated to be expressed in human red cells that contain low concentrations of NADP and glucose 6-phosphate. 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase is also strongly inhibited by NADPH, ATP, and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate under the physiologic conditions, and only about 0.2% of its potential activity is estimated to be expressed in red cells. The very low shunt pathway activity can be explained by these findings. Some human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase variants that are associated with severe enzyme deficiency, such as Gd Union, Gd Markham, and Gd Mediterranean, have no chronic hemolytic problem. On the other hand, several variants with less severe enzyme deficiency, such as Gd Manchester, Gd Alhambra, and Gd Tripler, are associated with chronic hemolytic anemia. Examination of the enzymes from these variant subjects under simulated physiologic conditions revealed that: (1) Enzymes from the hemolytic variant subjects are strongly inhibited by a physiologic concentration of NADPH due to their high Km for NADP or low Ki for NADPH. Thus, these variant enzymes presumably cannot generate NADPH in red cells to maintain an adequate level of reduced glutathione. (2) The nonhemolytic variant enzymes are far less sensitive to the inhibition by NADPH, because of their low Km for NADP and high Ki for NADPH. These variants are also more resistant to the inhibition by ATP. The activities of these variant enzymes in red cells are estimated to be more than 30% of the normal level. In black people, the common variant A—, associated with enzyme deficiency, is less sensitive to the inhibition by NADPH, and it is probably as active as normal in red cells, under physiologic conditions.
Cardif (MAVS) Regulates the Maturation of NK Cells

Cardif, also known as IPS-1, VISA, and MAVS, is an intracellular adaptor protein that functions downstream of the retinoic acid-inducible gene I family of pattern recognition receptors. Cardif is required for the production of type I IFNs and other inflammatory cytokines after retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptors recognize intracellular antigenic RNA. Studies have recently shown that Cardif may have other roles in the immune system in addition to its role in viral immunity. In this study, we find that the absence of Cardif alters normal NK cell development and maturation. Cardif(-/-) mice have a 35% loss of mature CD27(-)CD11b(+) NK cells in the periphery. In addition, Cardif(-/-) NK cells have altered surface marker expression, lower cytotoxicity, decreased intracellular STAT1 levels, increased apoptosis, and decreased proliferation compared with wild-type NK cells. Mixed chimeric mice revealed that the defective maturation and increased apoptotic rate of peripheral Cardif(-/-) NK cells is cell intrinsic. However, Cardif(-/-) mice showed enhanced control of mouse CMV (a DNA β-herpesvirus) by NK cells, commensurate with increased activation and IFN-γ production by these immature NK cell subsets. These results indicate that the skewed differentiation and altered STAT expression of Cardif(-/-) NK cells can result in their hyperresponsiveness in some settings and support recent findings that Cardif-dependent signaling can regulate aspects of immune cell development and/or function distinct from its well-characterized role in mediating cell-intrinsic defense to RNA viruses.
Two-photon absorption spectra of fluorene derivatives

Summary form only given. Two-photon absorption (2PA) has achieved appreciable interest in a wide array of fields including all-optical switching, two-photon fluorescence microscopy, and optical power limiting. Consequently, it is a goal to find materials that exhibit large 2PA cross-sections. Organic materials are strong candidates for these applications because their material properties can be tailored through molecular engineering. This not only allows organics to be utilized in a wide variety of applications, but also provides a means to analyze structure-property relationships for a class of samples. We present a method for rapid characterization of 2PA materials using a femtosecond white-light continuum (WLC) pump-probe nonlinear spectrometer. In this experimental instrument, a strong pump beam induces a nonlinear response in the system under investigation and a weak, broad-band WLC beam probes the induced nonlinearity. The 2PA process requires simultaneous absorption of one photon from both the pump and probe beams and the outcome is the nondegenerate 2PA spectrum of the sample. We have synthesized a group of fluorene derivatives in order to investigate the structure-property relationships of these dyes.
Saccadic eye movements to visual and auditory targets

Recent neurophysiological studies of the saccadic ocular motor system have lent support to the hypothesis that this system uses a motor error signal in retinotopic coordinates to direct saccades to both visual and auditory targets. With visual targets, the coordinates of the sensory and motor error signals will be identical unless the eyes move between the time of target presentation and the time of saccade onset. However, targets from other modalities must undergo different sensory-motor transformations to access the same motor error map. Because auditory targets are initially localized in head-centered coordinates, analyzing the metrics of saccades from different starting positions allows a determination of whether the coordinates of the motor signals are those of the sensory system. We studied six human subjects who made saccades to visual or auditory targets from a central fixation point or from one at 10° to the right or left of the midline of the head. Although the latencies of saccades to visual targets increased as stimulus eccentricity increased, the latencies of saccades to auditory targets decreased as stimulus eccentricity increased. The longest auditory latencies were for the smallest values of motor error (the difference between target position and fixation eye position) or desired saccade size, regardless of the position of the auditory target relative to the head or the amplitude of the executed saccade. Similarly, differences in initial eye position did not affect the accuracy of saccades of the same desired size. When saccadic error was plotted as a function of motor error, the curves obtained at the different fixation positions overlapped completely. Thus, saccadic programs in the central nervous system compensated for eye position regardless of the modality of the saccade target, supporting the hypothesis that the saccadic ocular motor system uses motor error signals to direct saccades to auditory targets.
Sofosbuvir and simeprevir is effective for recurrent hepatitis C in liver transplant recipients.

Background & Aims Hepatitis C is the most common indication for liver transplantation (LT). Recurrent infection is universal and can lead to progressive liver disease. Widespread use of interferon-based therapy has been limited by intolerability and adverse effects. Methods We retrospectively evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of sofosbuvir and simeprevir in the treatment of recurrent hepatitis C in adult (age >18) LT recipients. Results Seventy-six percent of the recipients were male and the mean age [±standard deviation (SD)] was 61 (±6.0) years. The mean time (±SD) from LT to treatment initiation was 71.8 (±77.1) months. Of the 26 patients with viral levels measured 4 weeks after starting antiviral therapy, 58% were undetectable. At the end of therapy, viral load was undetectable in all transplant recipients. The 12 week sustained viral response (SVR) was 93%. All recipients were able to complete therapy and no patients required growth factors of blood product transfusion during treatment. No patient required drug interruption of their immunosuppressant therapy. Conclusion The use of sofosbuvir and simeprevir is efficacious, safe, and tolerable and should be considered in LT recipients with recurrent HCV who are candidates for antiviral therapy.
The Publishing History of the New York Dramatic News and Dramatic Times

The New York Dramatic News was one of the numerous theatrical papers that sprang up in New York City during the last few decades of the nineteenth century. Although it never attained the status of the New York Clipper , or the Dramatic Mirror , it is useful for research in popular entertainment. My inquiry into the paper began as a search for the 1895 and 1896 volumes of the Dramatic News, New York Dramatic News , or Leander Richardson's Dramatic News , as it was variously referred to by my sources. During this inquiry, I discovered that the bibliographical information on this newspaper is incorrect.
Isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 inferred from carbon in C4 plant cellulose

The isotopic composition of atmospheric carbon dioxide provides an important constraint for models of the global carbon cycle. It is shown that carbon in C4 plants preserves an isotopic record of the C02 used in photosynthesis. Data for the maize plant Zea mays yield results for the isotopic composition of atmospheric C02 consistent with measurements of modern air and air trapped in polar ice. Data from C4 plants may thus be used to extend the isotopic record of atmospheric C02 into the past, complementing data from other sources.
Pharmacists' Attitudes Toward Product-Specific Television Advertising of Prescription Drugs

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this exploratory study was to survey pharmacists' attitudes toward product-specific television advertising of prescription drugs. A survey was mailed to 320 Lucas County, Ohio, pharmacists. A total of 159 (49.7%) responses were received. Frequency distributions were performed to determine the extent of agreement or disagreement of these pharmacists with various issues concerning such advertising. Forty-two percent of respondent pharmacists either strongly disagreed or disagreed that advertising prescription (Rx) drugs on television would be beneficial to the consumer. Also, more than one-half of the pharmacists considered television to be an unsuitable medium for providing balanced information about Rx drugs. However, 75% of the pharmacists agreed that such advertising may inform patients about available treatments, while 32% agreed it may lead to improved patient-pharmacist contact. Ninety percent of the pharmacists agreed with the idea of having a prior review of such advertisemen...
Size exclusion chromatography of H-coal liquids on silica, polyvinylacetate and polystyrene columns

Abstract The physico-chemical properties of liquids derived from Kentucky coals have been examined using size exclusion chromatography. Three major types of column packing for s.e.c. have been used in the H-coal liquid analysis: inorganic silica particles commonly known as controlled pore glass, soft polyvinylacetate gel and a rigid polystyrene-divinylbenzene gel. Of these, the PVA column appears to be a general and versatile choice for routine s.e.c. analysis of coal-derived liquids.
Structure of the S100A4/myosin-IIA complex

Background S100A4, a member of the S100 family of Ca2+-binding proteins, modulates the motility of both non-transformed and cancer cells by regulating the localization and stability of cellular protrusions. Biochemical studies have demonstrated that S100A4 binds to the C-terminal end of the myosin-IIA heavy chain coiled-coil and disassembles myosin-IIA filaments; however, the mechanism by which S100A4 mediates myosin-IIA depolymerization is not well understood.
Reduction of coherent artifacts in dynamic holographic three-dimensional displays by diffraction-specific pseudorandom diffusion

An electroholographic display based on diffraction-specific computation can reduce speckle by electronic diffusion through selective addition of a pseudorandom sequence. Intensity fluctuation as a result of the introduction of pseudorandom noise does not affect three-dimensional (3-D) images significantly since spatial windows formed by diffused basis fringes do not widen noticeably at low pseudorandom spread, whereas the features of the fluctuation are much smaller than human visual resolution. Experimental results obtained on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology holographic video system confirmed that the diffusion smooths 3-D images and improves the intensity nonuniformity among horizontal holographic lines.
Designing flexible manufacturing cells using a branch and bound method

SUMMARY The grouping of parts into families and machines into cells poses an important problem in the design and planning of the flexible manufacturing cells (FMC). This paper presents a new method of forming flexible manufacturing cells, based on branching from seed machine and bounding on a completed part. This method creates a number of alternative solutions based on the presence of a seed part which will enhance the flexibility of the manufacturing cells’ design, and which provides an opportunity to evaluate different options and to select the one which is the most cost effective.
The dollar and special drawing rights

The IMF's Interim Committee recently for the first time discussed the creation of a “Substitution Account” to convert certain amounts of excess reserve currencies into SDRs. This issue is likely to be on the agenda of the next annual meeting of the IMF in the fall of this year. Prof. Feuerlein discusses the problems of such an account.
Characterization of epithelial apoptosis in biopsies of small-bowel allografts using cleaved caspase 3 immunostaining.

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of acute cellular rejection (ACR) in small-bowel allograft biopsies depends in part on quantification of crypt apoptotic bodies (ABs). The definition of ABs varies between authors. Recently, immunoperoxidase stains specific for apoptotic material have been used in paraffin-embedded tissue. The aim was to characterize AB morphology and quantify ABs using immunoperoxidase and hematoxylin and eosin (HE P < .002), with good overall correlation. With the latter definition, AB numbers by H&E were significantly higher in most cases (72%), with the diagnosis of mild ACR being downgraded in 50% if only classical ABs were counted. CONCLUSIONS ABs have a range of morphology in biopsies of intestinal allografts, and H&E identifies the majority. The results suggest that AB counts should include basophilic clusters.
Pharmacy Students’ Preference for Using Mobile Devices in a Clinical Setting for Practice-Related Tasks

Objective. To examine pharmacy students’ ownership of, use of, and preference for using a mobile device in a practice setting.Methods. Eighty-one pharmacy students were recruited and completed a pretest that collected information about their demographics and mobile devices and also had them rank the iPhone, iPad mini, and iPad for preferred use in a pharmacy practice setting. Students used the 3 devices to perform pharmacy practice-related tasks and then completed a posttest to again rank the devices for preferred use in a pharmacy practice setting.Results. The iPhone was the most commonly owned mobile device (59.3% of students), and the iPad mini was the least commonly owned (18.5%). About 70% of the students used their mobile devices at least once a week in a pharmacy practice setting. The iPhone was the most commonly used device in a practice setting (46.9% of students), and the iPod Touch was the least commonly used device (1.2%). The iPad mini was the most preferred device for use in a pharmacy pract...
Natural history of the first non-Q wave myocardial infarction in the placebo arm of the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial.

Abstract Despite extensive investigation, the prognostic significance of the first non-Q wave acute myocardial infarction (AMI), when compared with Q wave AMI, remains controversial. The placebo arm of the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial (BHAT) provides a unique opportunity to comparethe long-term cardiac events in patients suffering from their first and uncomplicated Q wave or non-Q wave AMI. Of a total 3837 patients enrolled in the BHAT, 3375 were classifiable in terms of appearance or absence of Q waves during the perandomization period. Of these, 1444 patients with their first AMI were randomized to placebo. Of these, 1186 experienced a Q wave AMI; the remaining 258 suffered a non-Q wave AMI. At 36 months of follow-up, the mortality was 8.4% in the Q wave AMI group and 7.4% in the non-Q wave AMI group. Sudden death was 5.4% in the Q wave AMI group and 4.7% in the non-Q wave AMI group. The reinfarction rate was 5.5% in the Q wave AMI patients and 7.4% in the non-Q wave AMI patients. More patients developed angina (44.6%) in the non-Q wave AMI group compared with 35.2% in the Q wave AMI group. Despite similar long-term cardiac event rates within the two groups, the 1-year mortality rate for patients with Q wave AMI appeared higher than in the non-Q wave AMI group, 5.2% versus 3.1%, respectively. In contrast, the rate of reinfarction appeared higher at the 12-month follow-up period in the non-Q wave AMI group, 4.7% versus 3.4%, respectively. Although statistically not different, it appeared that initially the non-Q wave AMI group had a higher reinfarction rate and a lower mortality when compared with the Q wave AMI group. However, over time there was an attenuation of these differences, suggesting a different clinical course for the two types of AMI.
Consolidation during sleep of perceptual learning of spoken language

Memory consolidation resulting from sleep has been seen broadly: in verbal list learning, spatial learning, and skill acquisition in visual and motor tasks. These tasks do not generalize across spatial locations or motor sequences, or to different stimuli in the same location. Although episodic rote learning constitutes a large part of any organism's learning, generalization is a hallmark of adaptive behaviour. In speech, the same phoneme often has different acoustic patterns depending on context. Training on a small set of words improves performance on novel words using the same phonemes but with different acoustic patterns, demonstrating perceptual generalization. Here we show a role of sleep in the consolidation of a naturalistic spoken-language learning task that produces generalization of phonological categories across different acoustic patterns. Recognition performance immediately after training showed a significant improvement that subsequently degraded over the span of a day's retention interval, but completely recovered following sleep. Thus, sleep facilitates the recovery and subsequent retention of material learned opportunistically at any time throughout the day. Performance recovery indicates that representations and mappings associated with generalization are refined and stabilized during sleep.
Vascular obstruction of ureter after transureteroureterostomy

Abstract Transureteroureterostomy in 6 dogs with the ureter transposed to cross the arterial notch between the caudal (inferior) mesenteric artery and aorta did not -result in vascular induced ureteral obstruction.