cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Childhood Activity on Progression in Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2I

Limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2I is a slowly progressive muscular dystrophy due to mutations in the Fukutin-related protein ( FKRP) gene. Clinicians are frequently asked if physical activity is harmful for pediatric patients with limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2I. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between self-reported childhood activity level and motor function and respiratory function in older children and adults with limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2I. We compared retrospective self-reported middle school activity level and sport participation with age at onset of weakness, 10-meter walk test, and forced vital capacity later in life in 41 participants with FKRP mutations. We found no relationship between activity level in childhood and disease course later in life, suggesting that self-directed physical activity in children with limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2I does not negatively affect disease progression and outcome.
Electrochemical Characterization and Catalytic Application of Gold-Supported Ferrocene-Containing Diblock Copolymer Thin Films in Ethanol Solution

This paper reports the electrochemical behavior and catalytic property of electrode-supported thin films of polystyrene-block-poly(2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocenecarboxylate) (PS-b-PAEFc) in an ethanol (EtOH) solution. The electrochemical properties of PS-b-PAEFc films with different PAEFc volume fractions (fPAEFc = 0.47, 0.30, and 0.17) in 0.1 M ethanolic sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF6) were compared with those in an acetonitrile (MeCN) solution of 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate. Pristine PS-b-PAEFc films did not afford significant faradaic currents in the EtOH solution because EtOH is a nonsolvent for both PS and PAEFc. However, the films could be rendered redox-active in the EtOH solution by applying potentials in the MeCN solution to induce the redox-associated incorporation of the supporting electrolytes into the films. Atomic force microscopy images verified the stability of PAEFc microdomains upon electrochemical measurements in these solutions. Cyclic voltammograms measured in the ...
III-nitride nanowire array edge-emitting 1.3 μm diode laser on (001) silicon substrate

A monolithic diode laser on (001)Si is useful for silicon photonics. Ga (Al, In)N nanowires can be grown catalyst-free on silicon and other substrates [1]. The diameter of individual nanowires in an array and the array density can be varied over wide ranges. Single or multiple InGaN disks can be inserted in Ga(Al)N nanowires and the alloy composition in the disk can be varied to tune the luminescence from visible to near infrared. The nanowires have other desirable properties such as very low density of extended defects and minimal strain. They can also be selectively doped n- and p-type, thereby enabling the formation of junction diodes as with planar materials. With adequate passivation the internal quantum efficiency of GaN nanowires and the InGaN disks, which behave as quantum dots [2], is higher than 50%. We have exploited these favorable attributes to design, epitaxially grow and characterize the first edge-emitting electrically pumped GaN/In(Ga)N disk-in-nanowire lasers with the peak of the coherent emission at ∼1.3pm. It may be noted that light sources with emission at wavelengths larger than 590nm cannot be realized with InGaN/GaN quantum wells. The epitaxy and characteristics of the nanowire heterostructures and the measured characteristics of the lasers are described.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Generated by Tofu Production: A Case Study

The objective of this study was to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) generated by the production of tofu. A partial life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed using SimaPro 8 software with a functional unit of 1 kg of packaged tofu and a farm to factory gate boundary. Original production data for the period of 1 year were obtained from a tofu manufacturer based in the United States and used with soybean production data from SimaPro 8 Ecoinvent 3.1 and U.S. Life Cycle Inventory databases to calculate the associated GHGEs as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e). The LCA calculations included resource inputs required to produce and package tofu: soybeans, water, electricity, natural gas, transportation, and packaging materials. The LCA boundary was from the cradle (i.e., soybean farm) to the factory exit gate (i.e., postpackaging). Uncertainty analyses were performed using Monte Carlo simulations. Total CO₂e from packaged tofu were 982 g/kg, 9820 g/kg of protein, 1150 g/1000 calories, and 336 g/retail packet of 396 g. For 1 kg of packaged tofu, 16% of CO₂e resulted from soybean production, 52% from tofu manufacturing, 23% from packaging, and 9% from transportation. Tofu, a protein-rich plant food, generates relatively low GHGEs.
Effect of amino acids on the precipitation kinetics and Ca isotopic composition of gypsum

Abstract Stirred gypsum (CaSO 4 · 2H 2 O) precipitation experiments (initial Ω gypsum = 2.4 ± 0.14, duration ≈ 1.0–1.5 h) were conducted in the presence of the amino acids glycine (190 µM), l -alanine (190 µM), d - and l -arginine (45 µM), and l -tyrosine (200 µM) to investigate the effect of simple organic compounds on both the precipitation kinetics and Ca isotopic composition of gypsum. Relative to abiotic controls, glycine, tyrosine, and alanine inhibited precipitation rates by ∼22%, 27%, and 29%, respectively, while l - and d -arginine accelerated crystal growth by ∼8% and 48%, respectively. With the exception of tyrosine, amino acid induced inhibition resulted in fractionation factors (α s-f ) associated with precipitation that were no more than 0.3‰ lower than amino acid-free controls. In contrast, the tyrosine and d - and l -arginine experiments had α s-f values associated with precipitation that were similar to the controls. Our experimental results indicate that Ca isotopic fractionation associated with gypsum precipitation is impacted by growth inhibition in the presence of amino acids. Specifically, we propose that the surface-specific binding of amino acids to gypsum can change the equilibrium fractionation factor of the bulk mineral. We investigate the hypothesis that amino acids can influence the growth of gypsum at specific crystal faces via adsorption and that different faces have distinct fractionation factors (α face-fluid ). Accordingly, preferential sorption of amino acids at particular faces changes the relative, face-specific mass fluxes of Ca during growth, which influences the bulk isotopic composition of the mineral. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the energetic favorability of glycine sorption onto gypsum crystal faces occurs in the order: (1 1 0) > (0 1 0) > (1 2 0) > (0 1 1), while glycine sorption onto the (−1 1 1) face was found to be energetically unfavorable. Face-specific fractionation factors constrained by frequency calculations of clusters derived from DFT structures vary by as much as 1.4‰. This suggests that the equilibrium fractionation factor for the bulk crystal can vary substantially, and that surface sorption can induce changes in α eq associated with gypsum precipitation. While we do not rule out the influence of kinetic isotope effects, our results clearly demonstrate that the mode of crystal growth can have a sizeable effect on the bulk fractionation factor (α s-f ). Ultimately, our results suggest that the same mechanism by which organic molecules affect the morphology of a mineral can also impact the isotopic composition of the mineral. The results of our study provide valuable insight into the mechanism of Ca isotopic fractionation during gypsum precipitation. Our results are also important for establishing a framework for accurate interpretations of mineral-hosted Ca isotope records of the past, as we demonstrate a mechanistic pathway by which the biological and chemical environment can impact Ca isotopic fractionation during mineral precipitation.
Delirium pathophysiology: An updated hypothesis of the etiology of acute brain failure.

Background Delirium is the most common neuropsychiatric syndrome encountered by clinicians dealing with older adults and the medically ill and is best characterized by 5 core domains: cognitive deficits, attentional deficits, circadian rhythm dysregulation, emotional dysregulation, and alteration in psychomotor functioning. Design An extensive literature review and consolidation of published data into a novel interpretation of known pathophysiological causes of delirium. Results Available data suggest that numerous pathological factors may serve as precipitants for delirium, each having differential effects depending on patient-specific patient physiological characteristics (substrate). On the basis of an extensive literature search, a newly proposed theory, the systems integration failure hypothesis, was developed to bring together the most salient previously described theories, by describing the various contributions from each into a complex web of pathways-highlighting areas of intersection and commonalities and explaining how the variable contribution of these may lead to the development of various cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions characteristic of delirium. The specific cognitive and behavioral manifestations of the specific delirium picture result from a combination of neurotransmitter function and availability, variability in integration and processing of sensory information, motor responses to both external and internal cues, and the degree of breakdown in neuronal network connectivity, hence the term acute brain failure. Conclusions The systems integration failure hypothesis attempts to explain how the various proposed delirium pathophysiologic theories interact with each other, causing various clinically observed delirium phenotypes. A better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of delirium may eventually assist in designing better prevention and management approaches.
National Study of Women with Physical Disabilities: Final Report

The final report of the National Study on Women with Disabilities provides an overview of the research conducted from 1992 to 1996 at the Center for Research on Women with Disabilities. The report addresses the methodologies used in the recruitment of women and reviews the various analyses conducted on the data. In addition, the report provides a discussion of recruitment techniques used for nondisabled women and the analysis used for this population as well. It provides a summary of findings in the areas of sense of self, relationships, information about sexuality, sexual functioning, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, abuse, chronic conditions, health maintenance behaviors, gynecologic health, and health care utilization.
History of Disruptions in Laboratory Medicine: What Have We Learned From Predictions?

Predictions about the future of laboratory medicine have had a mixed success, and in some instances they have been overambitious and incorrectly assessed the future impact of emerging technologies. Current predictions suggest a more highly automated and connected future for diagnostic testing. The central laboratory of the future may be dominated by more robotics and more connectivity in order to take advantage of the benefits of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems (e.g. decision support software and imaging analytics). For point-of-care testing, mobile health (mHealth) may be in the ascendancy driven by healthcare initiatives from technology companies such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft and Uber.
Descending Control of Spinal Nociceptive Transmission

It is well known that the human experience of pain varies dramatically, depending on such factors as the situation, emotional state, voluntary control, or therapeutic intervention. There is much recent experimental evidence for the existence of endogenous neural systems that can modulate the central transmission of nociceptive signals in animals. Particularly electrical stimulation or opiate microinjection at sites of the medial brain stem produces analgesia, which is generally measured as an increase in threshold for nocifensive reflexes or behavior (41, 114). Stimulation at these analgesic sites is associated with a powerful descending inhibition of the responses of spinal dorsal horn neurons to noxious skin inputs (88). Many spinal dorsal horn neurons are differentially activated by noxious skin stimuli, and much evidence implicates them in the central transmission of nociceptive information (93). Thus descending inhibition of spinal dorsal horn neurons may be an important mechanism underlying the analgesic effect of central stimulation (82). This chapter focuses on descending modulation of spinal dorsal horn neuronal responses to somatosensory stimuli, with particular emphasis on 1) recently described brain stem and forebrain regions that cause descending inhibition, 2) possible functional pathways, 3) neurotransmitters, and 4) synaptic mechanisms involved in descending inhibition. The modulation of nociceptive information at supraspinal levels is not considered, although this may also be an important mechanism of analgesia requiring further study.
STRUCTURE-FUNCTION STUDIES WITH HUMAN INTERFERON-GAMMA

ABSTRACT Interferon-gamma, produced in cultures of human white blood cells by combined stimulation with a phorbol ester and phytohemagglutinin (PHA), was purified about 1,000-fold in a simple 3-step procedure. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that interferon activity not destroyed by SDS treatment was recovered mainly from two peaks with apparent molecular weights of 20,000 and 25,000. The two molecular weight subspecies, isolated in pure form, were antigenically indistinguishable. Highly purified interferon-gamma was iodinated with the 125-I-Bolton-Hunter reagent. This material bound with a high affinity (Kd 7.5 × 10 −11 M) to human fibroblasts in culture. Unlabeled human interferon-gamma or -beta, but not interferon-alpha, competitively inhibited the specific binding of 125I-interferon-gamma. Crude interferon-gamma preparations had a pronounced cytotoxic effect on HeLa and FS-4 cells, while highly purified interferon-gamma was effective only at high concentrations. Furthermore, only in HeLa cells did it show a greater antiproliferative effect than interferon-alpha or -beta.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus Epidemiology and Control

Tobacco mosaic is an endemic disease of Nicotiana tabacum L. throughout the world. It was recognized as a problem in The Netherlands before 1879 when Adolf Mayer initiated his research into a disease of unknown etiology. He later named the disease tobacco mosaic and demonstrated the infectious nature of the causative agent (Mayer, 1886).
Dual Antibiotic Therapy with Vancomycin and Cefazolin for Surgical Prophylaxis in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background: Perioperative administration of intravenous antibiotics is a routine part of total knee arthroplasty. Antibiotic selection is a matter of controversy, and the potential risks and benefits associated with each antibiotic selection need to be considered. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of routine dual antibiotic prophylaxis with both cefazolin and vancomycin on infection and renal failure after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared with cefazolin alone. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of primary TKA patients for two years before and two years after routine dual antibiotic prophylaxis was implemented at our institution. 1502 patients were included (567 cefazolin-only and 935 dual prophylaxis). Results: 2 patients (0.4%) in the cefazolin-only group had a deep surgical site infection, compared with 13 patients (1.4%) in the dual prophylaxis group (p=0.06). 46 patients (8.1%) in the cefazolin-only group had postoperative renal failure, compared with 36 patients (3.9%) in the dual prophylaxis group (p=0.0006). Discussion and Conclusion: Our results did not support the routine use of vancomycin in primary total joint arthroplasty to decrease periprosthetic joint infection. However, we also did not see any clear harm due to renal failure in the routine use of dual antibiotic prophylaxis.
Abstract 80: Amino-terminal Pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-Pro-BNP) And Risk Of Stroke: The Reasons For Geographic And Racial Differences In Stroke (REGARDS) Cohort

Background: Higher NT-Pro-BNP is a biomarker of cardiac dysfunction associated with risk of future heart failure and atrial fibrillation, and as such may be a marker of stroke risk. Methods: REGARDS enrolled 30,239 US participants in 2003-07 (41% black, 59% white, 55% living in the southeastern stroke belt). With 5.4 years follow-up, baseline NT-Pro-BNP was measured in 610 subjects with first-time stroke and a 1017 person cohort random sample free from prebaseline stroke. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) of stroke by quartiles of NT-Pro-BNP. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) was calculated using the category free NRI statistic. Results: Baseline NT-Pro-BNP was higher with older age, in whites, women, and with diabetes, impaired kidney function, atrial fibrillation, prebaseline heart disease, lower body-mass index and left ventricular hypertrophy by ECG. Levels were higher in those who developed incident stroke. Adjusting for age, race and sex there was an increased HR of stroke with increasing quartiles of NT-Pro-BNP (Model 1 in table); subjects in the 4 th versus 1 st quartile had a 3.7-fold increased stroke risk. Adjustment for income, education and traditional stroke risk factors attenuated this HR to 3.0. There was minimal impact of added adjustment for kidney function, BMI and heart failure. Associations did not differ by age, sex, race or kidney disease status. Based on NRI, predicted stroke risk was more accurate in 27% of participants if NT-Pro-BNP was measured with traditional stroke risk factors (p Discussion: NT-Pro-BNP was a major risk marker for stroke and improved risk classification. By comparison, in this cohort the HRs of stroke were 1.5 for atrial fibrillation and 1.8 for hypertension. More work is needed to confirm that measuring NT-Pro-BNP improves clinical prediction scores for stroke.
Hydrogen isotope composition of Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum lipids: Comparing wild type with a nfn- transhydrogenase mutant

Abstract The 2 H/ 1 H ratio in microbial fatty acids can record information about the energy metabolism of microbes and about the isotopic composition of environmental water. However, the mechanisms involved in the fractionation of hydrogen isotopes between water and lipid are not fully resolved. We provide data aimed at understanding this fractionation in the Gram-positive, obligately thermophilic anaerobe Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum , by comparing a wild-type strain with a deletion mutant in which the nfnAB genes encoding electron-bifurcating transhydrogenase have been removed. The wild strain showed faster growth rate and larger overall fractionation ( 2 e total −319 ± 4‰) than the mutant strain ( 2 e total −298 ± 4‰). The overall trend in growth rate and fractionation, along with the isotopic ordering of individual lipids, is consistent with results reported for the Gram-negative sulfate reducer, Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20.
Researching Catholic education: contemporary perspectives

The contributors to this collection of 19 essays bring together a wealth of experience and reflection on Catholic education in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. It emerges from an International...
Gaze as an Indicator of Selective Attention in Adolescents with Social Anxiety Disorder

Attention bias, conceptualized to be involved in the development and maintenance of SAD, may differentiate teens with SAD from those without. Although SAD typically emerges during adolescence, eye-tracking research has not explicitly focused on biased attention in adolescents with SAD relative to healthy controls, using stimuli specifically developed for adolescents, thus prompting the rationale for the present study. Youth with SAD were quicker to fixate their gaze on angry faces and maintained their gaze longer toward both angry and neutral faces. Findings suggest that socially anxious teenagers demonstrate bias, relative to teens without SAD. The bias is marked by shortened latency to fixate on angry faces. Additionally, given that the adolescents with SAD also exhibited longer initial fixation duration to both angry and neutral faces, relative to controls, these results suggest the possibility of heightened reactivity to social stimuli regardless of emotional valence. Alternatively, it may be the case, that youth with SAD perceive neutral faces as threatening. Given the role attention bias plays in the etiology and maintenance of SAD, better understanding of the cognitive processes which underlie the disorder is warranted. The current study offers initial findings for informing treatment for adolescents with the condition.
Immobilized Thrombopoietin (TPO) Lipopeptide Mimic Supports Similar Signaling and CD34+ Cell Differentiation as Soluble TPO.

Abstract Ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) would greatly facilitate cell and gene therapies. However, HSC division in culture is associated with differentiation. This contrasts with sustained HSC expansion in vivo, and has led to the hypothesis that a stem cell niche supports self-renewal. It is likely that multiple aspects of the niche will have to be mimicked to substantially enhance HSC self-renewal. We are developing a defined culture surface for the presentation of cytokines and cell adhesion molecule (CAM) ligands that are thought to be in the HSC niche. Peptide mimics of CAM ligands and cytokines conjugated to dipalmitoyl glycerol via a polyethylene glycol tether are incorporated into dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles and deposited onto a hydrophobic surface to create a lipid monolayer. We have previously shown that this system effectively presents adhesive peptide ligands (Jensen et al., JACS 126:15223, 2004). The strategy for immobilizing lipopeptides has been extended to the presentation of a peptide mimetic for the hematopoietic growth factor thrombopoietin (TPO). The lipopeptide mimetic of TPO is based on the branched dimer mimic (TPOm) developed by Cwirla et al. (Science 276:1696, 1997). We have synthesized two versions of TPOm lipopeptide, the first linked to a lipid at both of the amine termini (TPOm-2L) and the second is linked by a single lipid at the carboxy terminus (TPOm-1L). This immobilization strategy does not interfere with the bioactivity of the TPOm as evidenced by cell adhesion and signaling assays. Adhesion was measured with a normal force assay at 30g using the TPO-responsive M07e cell line. We observed a dose-dependent increase in adhesion, with
Normalizing Deviants: Notes on the De-Stigma Trend

This article explores destigmatization discourses in the United States in the early 21st century, as social and political strategies and as narrative social movements unto themselves. We argue that...
Dodging a Draft: Gary Becker's Lost Paper on Conscription

Gary Becker wrote what may be the first economic analysis of conscription. Less than a decade later, economists played a key role in an important public policy debate during the Vietnam War, which eventually led to abolishment of the military draft. Becker had connections to many of those economists who studied the economics of conscription, and his paper foreshadowed many of the ideas in that literature. Despite this, none cited his paper on conscription. We discuss this history and speculate on this puzzle.
Stress and Turnover Intention

A three-stage linear model of turnover with role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload as antecedents and stress as an intervening variable was constructed to guide this research. In addition, the moderator effects of external and internal opportunities, social support, and personal experience on the stress-turnover linkage were examined. Two samples of data were collected from nurses working in both general hospitals (N = 689) and specialized hospitals (N = 441) in the Greater Montreal area, through a field survey. Structural modelling using the LISREL technique was employed to examine the fit between the proposed model and the data. In addition, data from American nurses collected by Bedeian and Armenakis were reanalyzed using the proposed model to test for generalizability of our findings across different national groups. The proposed model was found to exhibit a better fit for both the Canadian and American data. All the hypothesized role stressors were significant predictors of stress. While the stressors failed to predict turnover intention consistently across samples, stress in all samples yielded significant predictions of turnover intention. However, none of the proposed moderating variables showed significant effects on turnover. The implications of these findings for future research on turnover is discussed. Key words: Role stressors, Stress, Turnover intention, Canadian nurses
The Koopman Operator: Capabilities and Recent Advances

In this paper, we provide an introduction to the Koopman Operator (KO) designed to be accessible to those not already familiar with the field. Our aim is to expose domain experts and controls practitioners to the concept and the capabilities the KO provides in the interest of promoting wider KO use; as such, we deliberately focus more on the uses and computational aspects of the KO than on the wealth of analytical results in the literature. Domain experts may then be able to pose new applications-based research questions for the KO community. We begin by defining the KO and describing its key components. Secondly, we discuss computational methods used to calculate the KO in practice. Thirdly, we provide an overview of different uses for the KO and its associated capabilities. Finally, we discuss some open areas of research for future KO work.
CEO Duality and Firm Performance Under Endogeneity

This paper intends to lay out a framework to identify self-selection bias and how it can be used practically to analyze CEO duality in the field of corporate governance. Prior literature about agency theory and stewardship theory have argued extensively in this topic yet most of them treat duality as an exogenous variable. The model identifies whether this leadership structure is self-selected to maximize firm’s profit. Also, it gives a correct estimate of duality effect after the bias is corrected. Because of different measurement of firm performance, the author uses four measures, including Tobin’s q, return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and earnings per share (EPS) to represent firms’ ability to make profit. The results are mixed. For Tobin’s q and earnings per share, the author finds strong evidence that self-selection bias exists, that is, there is evidence that firms choose the structure to perform better. After controlling for bias, both Tobin’s q and EPS show negative effect of duality on performance which means non-duality provides better performance than duality. However, for ROA and ROE, there is no evidence that firms do so to improve performance. Specifically, for ROE, the model has low predictability and thus, is not likely to provide meaningful and reliable results. We also compare the model with traditional methods including dummy variable approach and two stage least square approach. Two stage least square method produces similar result for EPS but opposite result for Tobin’s q, while dummy variable approach shows there is no association for any measurement. The author also suggests not to use ROE as an approximation for profitability due to its unpredictability. Such results contradict the agency theory of corporate governance. These findings should be examined further by considering those firms that changed governance structure in sample period and more deeply the reasons such changes were made.
Effort-Based Decision-Making for Exercise in People with Parkinson's Disease

Background People with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) are less active than their age-matched peers. Non-motor symptoms, specifically, deficient motivation, may influence decision-making for exercise due to the impaired mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine if effort-based decision-making for physical effort was different in PwPD compared to healthy controls. We sought to determine the relationship between effort-based decision making for exercise and a discrete motor task as well as the impact of components of motivation on decision-making for physical effort in PwPD. Methods An effort-based decision-making paradigm using a discrete motor task (button pressing) and a continuous exercise task (cycling) was implemented in 32 PwPD and 23 healthy controls. Components of motivation were measured using the Apathy Scale and the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale- Anticipatory Pleasure scale. Results The presence of Parkinson's disease (PD) did not moderate decisions for either physical effort task. There was a moderate correlation between decisions for both tasks, within each group. The anticipation of pleasure and apathy were predictors of decisions for both physical effort tasks in PwPD, but not in healthy controls. Conclusion PwPD responded similarly to effort and reward valuations compared to those without PD. Individuals were consistent in their decisions, regardless of the physical effort task. The anticipation of pleasure and apathy were significant predictors of decisions for exercise in PwPD only. Increased anticipation of pleasure, reduction of apathy, and the use of rewards may enhance engagement in high effort exercise among PwPD.
No Benefit of Prophylactic Surgical Drainage in Combined Liver and Kidney Transplantation: Our Experience and Review of the Literature

Background: Contrasting results have emerged from limited studies investigating the role of prophylactic surgical drainage in preventing wound morbidity after liver and kidney transplantation. This retrospective study analyzes the use of surgical drain and the incidence of wound complications in combined liver and kidney transplantation (CLKTx). Methods: A total of 55 patients aged ≥18 years were divided into two groups: the drain group (D) (n = 35) and the drain-free group (DF) (n = 20). Discretion to place a drain was based exclusively on surgeon preference. All deceased donor kidneys were connected to the LifePort Renal Preservation Machine® prior to transplantation, in both simultaneous and delayed technique of implantation of the renal allograft. The primary outcome was the development of superficial/deep wound complications during the study follow-up. Secondary outcomes included the development of delayed graft function (DGF) of the transplanted kidney, primary non-function (PNF) and early allograft dysfunction (EAD) of the transplanted liver, graft failure, graft and patient survival, overall post-operative morbidity rate and length of hospital stay. Results: With a median follow-up of 14.4 months after transplant, no difference in the incidence of superficial/deep wound complications, except for hematomas, in collections size, intervention rate, PNF, EAD, graft failure and patient survival, was observed between the 2 groups. Significantly lower level of platelets, higher INR values, DGF, morbidity rates and length of hospital stay were reported post-operatively in the D group. Pre-operative hypoalbuminemia and longer CIT were included in the propensity score for receiving a drain and were associated with a significantly higher rate of developing a hematoma post-transplant. Conclusions: Absence of the surgical drain did not appear to adversely affect wound morbidity compared to the prophylactic use of drains in renal transplant patients during CLKTx.
Cattle Behavior and Cattle Handling

Reducing stress during handling is important because excitement and other handling stresses can lower conception rate and suppress immune function (Stoebel and Moberg, 1982; Hixon et al, 1981; Kelley et al, 1981 and Blecha et al, 1984). An animal's previous experiences will affect its response to handling (Grandin, 1984). Animals raised in close contact with people will have less intense physiologic responses to handling than animals raised on pasture (Reid & Mills, 1962). Livestock remember painful and frightening experiences. Sheep will remember a bad experience when they enter the corrals a year later (Huston, 1985) and cattle will remember an aversive event such as electro-immobilization for at least nine months (Pascoe, 1986). There is an old saying "You can tell what kind of stock man a man is by looking at the behavior of his cattle." Cattle which have had previous experiences with gentle handling will be less excitable when they are handled in the future. Providing a feed reward immediately after handling will facilitate movement through the corrals in the future (Hutson, 1982). Animals with previous experiences with gentle handling and a feed reward can be trained to voluntarily accept restraint (Grandin, 1985). Wythes and Shorthose (1984) found that calves accustomed to regular gentle handling had fewer bruises during marketing. Calves handled quietly in good facilities will have lower heartrates compared to calves handled roughly in poor facilities (Stermer et al, 1981). An understanding of basic cattle behavior principles will help you and your clients to reduce stress on the animals and improve handling safety for both people and animals.
Epistemic Possibility

Seven proposed accounts of epistemic possibility are criticized, and a new account is proposed, making use of the notion of having justification for dismissing a proposition. The new account explains intuitions about otherwise puzzling cases, upholds plausible general principles about epistemic possibility, and explains the practical import of epistemic modality judgements. It is suggested that judgements about epistemic possibility function to assess which propositions are worthy of further inquiry.
Patient and Graft Survival Outcomes During 2 Eras of Immunosuppression Protocols in Kidney Transplantation: Indiana University Retrospective Cohort Experience.

BACKGROUND Since 1964 when Indiana University performed its first kidney transplant, immunosuppression protocol was steroid-based until 2004 when steroid-free immunosuppression protocol was adopted. We describe clinical outcomes on our patients administered early steroid withdrawal (ESW) protocol (5 days) compared with our historical cohort (HC), who were on chronic steroid-based immunosuppression. METHODS We performed a retrospective study evaluating kidney transplant recipients between 1993 and 2003 (HC, n = 1689) and between 2005 and 2016 (ESW cohort, n = 2097) at the Indiana University program, with a median follow-up of 10.5 years and 6.1 years, respectively. Primary outcomes were patient and death-censored graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years in both study cohorts. Secondary outcomes were 1-year rates of biopsy-proven acute rejection; graft function at 1, 3, and 5 years; and risk of post-transplant infection (BK virus and cytomegalovirus) in the ESW cohort. Cox proportional model and Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to estimate survival probabilities. Fisher exact tests were used to compare episodes of acute rejection in the ESW cohort. RESULTS No difference was observed in patient survival between the ESW and HC cohorts (P = .13). Compared with the ESW cohort, death-censored graft survival was significantly worse in the HC (5 year: 86.4% vs 90.6%, log-rank P < .001). One-year acute rejection reported in the ESW cohort alone was 15.7% and significantly worse in Black patients and younger patients (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS In this sizeable single-center cohort study with significant ethnic diversity, ESW is a viable alternative to steroid-based immunosuppression protocol in kidney transplant recipients.
Activity In Vitro of the Quinolones

This chapter reviews the in vitro activities of the currently available and several investigational fluoroquinolones on the basis of data from published literature. The primary purpose of the chapter is to explore the potential antimicrobial spectrum of the class rather than to highlight specific agents. Antimicrobial activity was performed for gram-negative bacteria, gastrointestinal pathogens, respiratory tract pathogens, gram-positive bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, genital pathogens, mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas. The influence of serum on activities of fluoroquinolones in vitro is usually of minimal consequence. Minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of the various fluoroquinolone antimicrobials were almost always within two dilutions of the MIC. The newer agents seem to behave similarly. Clinafloxacin and gatifloxacin MBCs are generally within two dilutions of MICs. The bactericidal activities of fluoroquinolones have also been studied in vitro, in pharmacodynamic models that simulate serum antimicrobial concentrations following standard dosing in humans. Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus was detected after fewer passages in ciprofloxacin than in levofloxacin or trovafloxacin. In the treatment of infections due to gram-negative bacteria, it is not uncommon to witness the use of fluoroquinolones in combination with other antibiotics that display a similar antibacterial spectrum. The fluoroquinolones continue to provide excellent in vitro activity against most commonly encountered gram-negative bacteria. However, in certain areas of the world or in specific institutional settings, significant numbers of Escherichia coli or Klebsiella spp. are now resistant to available agents of this class. Rates of resistance among clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are higher still.
The promise of asymmetric interventions for addressing risks to environmental systems

Recent studies suggest that people the world over are becoming increasingly concerned about the health of environmental systems. However, research has also shown that many people still fail to make decisions that will result in even small behavioral changes that, when aggregated across society, might lead to positive environmental consequences. This paper reports the results of three naturalistic experiments—each involving asymmetric interventions and set in the context of real-world decisions—aimed at helping people to make decisions at the individual level that, when scaled up, can help to address risks to environmental systems.
THE DETECTION AND INTERPRETATION OF MICROSEISMIMS IN SOIL MASSES

This paper presents a description of an experiment to determine the feasibility of extending a stability investigation technique developed for sound rock for use in soil materials. Experimental results are presented along with detailed descriptions of the field test sites. The results presented show that microseismims are generated in soil materials. There is a strong indication that there is a relationship between microseismic rate and slope stability.
Beliefs, Risk Perceptions, and Gaps in Knowledge as Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES: To assess beliefs and perceptions of risk about colorectal cancer (CRC) and gaps in knowledge about screening in adults aged 65 to 89. DESIGN: A population-based survey. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1,148 respondents with no history of CRC, representing an estimated population of 31.6 million persons, who were stratified according to screening behavior (up to date (n=457) vs not up to date (n=691)) and age (65–74 vs 75–89). MEASUREMENTS: The Health Information National Trends Survey (2003) questionnaire. RESULTS: An estimated 25% of adults aged 65 to 89 had not heard of the fecal occult blood test, 17% had not heard of sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, and 42% were not up to date with either screening modality. Not visiting a healthcare provider in the previous year, not knowing about tests available for colon cancer, perceiving the arrangements to be checked for detecting colon cancer to be difficult, and not having an opinion about it and its cost, were significantly associated with not being up to date (each P 75%). Lack of knowledge and awareness were more prevalent in those aged 75 to 89 than those aged 65 to 74. CONCLUSION: Lack of knowledge and awareness and the absence of a physician's recommendation to be tested might explain not being up to date with CRC screening in adults in these age groups. These findings suggest a potential value for better communication between older adults and their providers regarding screening for CRC, when appropriate.
A novel switching paradigm for buffer-less WDM networks

Optical burst switching (OBS) is proposed to efficiently support IP over wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). We describe various OBS protocols and in particular, one that can achieve high bandwidth utilization and low blocking probability in bufferless optical networks.
Yin-Yang 1 Activates Interleukin-4 Gene Expression in T Cells

Abstract Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a multifunctional cytokine that plays an important role in immune and inflammatory responses. Expression of the IL-4 gene is tightly controlled at the level of gene transcription by both positive and negative regulatory elements in the IL-4 promoter. Several constitutive nuclear factors have been identified that can interact with IL-4 promoter elements in DNA binding assays. Here we report that the zinc-finger protein YY-1 (Yin-Yang 1) can bind to multiple elements within the human IL-4 promoter. Cotransfection of Jurkat T cells with different IL-4 promoter/reporter constructs together with expression vectors encoding antisense, wild-type, or zinc finger-deleted mutant YY-1 suggested that YY-1 enhanced IL-4 promoter activity in a DNA-binding domain-dependent manner. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that a proximal YY-1-binding site, termed Y0 (−59TCATTTT−53), was essential for YY-1-driven IL-4 promoter activity. In addition, cotransfected YY-1 enhanced both IL-4 promoter activity and endogenous IL-4 gene expression in nontransformed peripheral blood T cells. Thus, YY-1 positively regulates IL-4 gene expression in lymphocytes.
Imaging vibration of the cochlear partition of an excised guinea pig cochlea using phase-sensitive Fourier domain optical coherence tomography

Studying the sound stimulated vibrations of various membranes that form the complex structure of the organ of Corti in the cochlea of the inner ear is essential for understanding how the travelling sound wave of the basilar membrane couples its energy to the organ structures. In this paper we report the feasibility of using phase-sensitive Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) to image the vibration of various micro-structures of the cochlea at the same time. An excised cochlea of a guinea pig was stimulated using sounds at various frequencies and vibration image was obtained. When measuring the apex area, vibration signal from different turns, which have different best response frequencies are obtained in the same image. The method has the potential to measure the response from a much wider region of the cochlea than any other currently used method. The noise floor for vibration image for the system at 200 Hz was ~0.3nm.
Hydrolysis of Amides Catalyzed by 4‐Heterocyclohexanones: Small Molecule Mimics of Serine Proteases

The base-promoted hydrolysis of amide substrates that contain a thiol substituent in the position α to the amide carbonyl group is effectively catalyzed by 4-heterocyclohexanones [Eq. (1)]. The proposed mechanism of the hydrolysis reaction mimics that employed by serine proteases, and involves equilibrium binding of the substrate to the catalyst, formation of an acyl-catalyst intermediate, and deacylation of the intermediate to release the product and regenerate the catalyst.
Comparison of statistical models for writer verification

A novel statistical model for determining whether a pair of documents, a known and a questioned, were written by the same individual is proposed. The goal of this formulation is to learn the specific uniqueness of style in a particular author's writing, given the known document. Since there are often insufficient samples to extrapolate a generalized model of an writer's handwriting based solely on the document, we instead generalize over the differences between the author and a large population of known different writers. This is in contrast to an earlier model proposed whereby probability distributions were a priori without learning. We show the performance of the model along with a comparison in performance to the non-learning, older model, which shows significant improvement.
Introduction to the special issue on group therapy and substance abuse.

(2001). Introduction to the Special Issue on Group Therapy and Substance Abuse. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy: Vol. 51, Special issue: Group Therapy and Substance Abuse, pp. 5-10.
Phase evolution studies of (TI,Pb)(Sr1.6Ba0.4Ca2Cu3Oy superconductors

Optimum compositions that lead to (Tl{sub 1{minus}x}Pb{sub x})(Sr{sub 1.6}Ba{sub 0.4})Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}Ag{sub 0.4}O{sub y} (referred to as Tl,Pb-1223) phase evolution have been identified. The Tl-free precursor powders with the composition Sr{sub 1.6}Ba{sub 0.4}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}Ag{sub 0.4}O{sub 7} were prepared in an aerosol flow reactor. These precursor powders were then mixed with appropriate amounts of Tl{sub 2}O{sub 3} and PbO, pressed and wrapped in a gold foil, and introduced into a furnace kept at 920 C where they were held at 920 C for 2 hours before being slow cooled to room temperature in 4--5 hours under flowing oxygen. X-ray data showed that single-phase Tl,Pb-1223 can be obtained in the range x = 0.3--0.5. All the samples studied were found to be superconducting. The {Tc} (diamagnetic onset) for Tl,Pb-1223 single phase varies from 105 K to 116 K for the as-synthesized samples.
Treatment for cigarette smoking among depressed mental health outpatients: a randomized clinical trial.

Objectives. Using a brief contact control, we tested the efficacy of a staged care intervention to reduce cigarette smoking among psychiatric patients in outpatient treatment for depression.Methods. We conducted a randomized clinical trial that included assessments at baseline and at months 3, 6, 12, and 18. Three hundred twenty-two patients in mental health outpatient treatment who were diagnosed with depression and smoked ≥1 cigarette per day participated. The desire to quit smoking was not a prerequisite for participation. Staged care intervention participants received computerized motivational feedback at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months and were offered a 6-session psychological counseling and pharmacological cessation treatment program. Brief contact control participants received a self-help guide and referral list of local smoking-treatment providers.Results. As we hypothesized, abstinence rates among staged care intervention participants exceeded those of brief contact control participants at m...
Transposon-induced deletions in unc-22 of C. elegans associated with almost normal gene activity

The unc-22 gene of Caenorhabolitis elegans encodes a protein which is a component of the myosin-containing A-band of the worm's striated body-wall muscle1–3. Among 51 revertants of a transposon-induced mutant, we have identified four which retain a barely detectable mutant phenotype. Molecular analysis shows that three of these have in-frame deletions of 1.0, 1.3 and 2.0 kilobases, whereas the fourth partial revertant and two other apparently complete revertants have small insertions. All these rearrangements involve coding sequence and, in the case of the deletions, result in polypeptides that are shorter than the wild-type protein. The region of the gene containing these rearrangements contains 10 copies of a motif recognized in other regions of the gene (our unpublished data). We suggest that one explanation for the minimally mutant phenotype associated with the deletions is that the size and the repeated nature of the unc-22 protein structure make it relatively tolerant of substitutions or deletions involving one or a small number of repeated motifs. These results could explain why in some human genetic diseases, such as Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, deletions can be associated with only mild forms of the disease4.