cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oligosaccharide Elicitors: Structures and Recognition

Oligosaccharide elicitors capable of inducing one or more plant defense responses have been prepared from plant (homogalacturonan) and fungal (s-glucan, chitin, chitosan) cell wall polysaccharides. An overview of the structures and activities of these elicitors is presented. In addition, recent biochemical investigations of the cellular signaling pathways triggered by these elicitors will reviewed. The signal pathway leading to the biosynthesis and accumulation of phytoalexins in soybean tissues will be highlighted. This pathway is triggered by nanomolar concentrations of a branched hepta-s-glucoside elicitor from fungal walls. Current research is focused on the first step in the signaling pathway, the recognition of the elicitor by a specific receptor. A radio-labeled derivative of the elicitor has been prepared and used to demonstrate the presence of specific, high-affinity binding protein(s) (EBPs) (putative receptors) for the elicitor in soybean root membranes. The EBPs co-migrate with a plasma membrane marker in isopycnic sucrose density gradients. As a first step toward their purification, the EBPs have been solubilized from the soybean membranes using non-ionic detergents, and the solubilized proteins retain their high affinity and specificity for the hepta-s-glucoside elicitor. The membrane-localized and solubilized forms of the EBPs recognize the same structural elements of the hepta-s-glucoside elicitor that are essential for its phytoalexininducing activity, suggesting that the EBPs are physiological elicitor receptors.
The Adsorption Behavior of Polystyrene-Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Mixtures Containing Block Copolymers

The preparation and characterization of block copolymers has been actively pursued in recent years (l). Although such copolymers have been recognized as unique interface active species, their behavior at solid/liquid interfaces has received relatively little attention. Accordingly, a study has been made of the adsorption behavior of samples containing S/MMA block copolymers of the AB type. The styrene/methyl methacrylate (S/MMA) system was chosen because the adsorption behavior of S and MMA homopolymers has been studied, both as individual polymers and as mixtures (2). Since the S/MMA block copolymer synthesis procedure consistently yielded a mixture of S and MMA homopolymer plus S/MMA block copolymer, all measurements thus far have been confined to such mixtures.
Combining Data-Driven and Knowledge-Guided Methods to Induce Interpretable Physiological Models

In this paper, we review the paradigm of inductive process modeling and examine its application to human physiology. This framework represents models as a set of interacting processes, each with associated differential or algebraic equations that express causal relations among variables. Simulating such a quantitative process model produces trajectories for variables over time that one can compare to observations. Background knowledge about candidate processes enables search through the space of model structures and their associated parameters, and thus identify quantitative models that explain time-series data. We present an initial process model for aspects of human physiology, consider its uses for health monitoring, and discuss the induction of such models. In closing, we consider related efforts on physiological modeling and our plans for collecting data to evaluate our framework in this domain.
Why Did the Clayton Act Pass?: An Analysis of the Interest Group Hypothesis

Conventional wisdom has it that the Clayton Act of 1914 was enacted as a replacement for the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890: as markets found a way of circumventing the antitrust Act, the story goes, monopolies and trusts began to develop again at the beginning of the century, making it necessary to revise the law. A second hypothesis asserts that since the Clayton Act redistributed welfare among different groups in the economy, interest groups influenced politicians' vote on the passage of the Act. In this paper, we investigate whether these assertions can be empirically confirmed by estimating a political voting model of the passing of the Clayton Act. We also use stock market data to investigate which interest group was affected the most by this legislation during its gestation period.
Levamisole receptor phosphorylation: effects of kinase antagonists on membrane potential responses in Ascaris suum suggest that CaM kinase and tyrosine kinase regulate sensitivity to levamisole.

SUMMARY A two-micropipette current-clamp technique was used to record electrophysiological responses from the somatic muscle of Ascaris suum . Levamisole and acetylcholine were applied to the bag region of the muscle using a microperfusion system. Depolarizations produced by 10 s applications of 10 μmol l -1 levamisole or 20 s applications of 10 μmol l -1 acetylcholine were recorded. The effect on the peak membrane potential change of the kinase antagonists H-7, staurosporine, KN-93 and genistein was observed. H-7 (30 μmol l -1 ), a non-selective antagonist of protein kinases A, C and G but which has little effect on Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaM kinase II), did not produce a significant effect on the peak response to levamisole or acetylcholine. Staurosporine (1 μmol l -1 ), a non-selective kinase antagonist that has effects on protein kinases A, C and G, CaM kinase and tyrosine kinase, reduced the mean peak membrane potential response to levamisole from 6.8 mV to 3.9 mV ( P <0.0001) and the mean response to acetylcholine from 5.5 mV to 2.8 mV ( P =0.0016). The difference between the effects of H-7 and staurosporine suggested the involvement of CaM kinase II and/or tyrosine kinase. KN-93, a selective CaM kinase II antagonist, reduced the mean peak response to levamisole from 6.2 mV to 2.7 mV ( P =0.035) and the mean peak response of acetylcholine from 4.7 mV to 2.0 mV ( P =0.0004). The effects indicated the involvement of CaM kinase II in the phosphorylation of levamisole and acetylcholine receptors. The effect of extracellular Ca 2+ on the response to levamisole was assessed by comparing responses to levamisole in normal and in low-Ca 2+ bathing solutions. The response to levamisole was greater in the presence of Ca 2+ , an effect that may be explained by stimulation of CaM kinase II. Genistein (90 μmol l -1 ), a selective tyrosine kinase antagonist, reduced peak membrane potential responses to levamisole from a mean of 6.4 mV to 3.3 mV ( P =0.001). This effect indicated the involvement of tyrosine kinase in maintaining the receptor.
Self-Propelled Microswimmer Actuated by Stimuli-Sensitive Bilayered Hydrogel

Using computational modeling, we design a microscopic swimmer made of a bilayered responsive hydrogel capable of swimming in a viscous fluid when actuated by a periodically applied stimulus. The gel has an X-shaped geometry and two bonded layers, one of which is responsive to environmental changes and the other which is passive. When the stimulus is turned on, the responsive layer swells and causes the swimmer to deform. We demonstrate that when such stimulus-induced deformations occur periodically the gel swimmer effectively propels forward through the fluid. We show that the swimming speed depends on the relative stiffness of the two gel layers composing the swimmer, and we determine the optimal stiffness ratio that maximizes the swimming speed.
EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC FIELD ANNEALING ON PLASTIC STRAIN RATIO (r VALUE) OF IF DEEP DRAWING STEEL SHEET

Effects of electric field annealing on plastic strain ratio(r value)of IF(interstitial free)deep drawing steel sheet were studied by mean of tensile test.The results show that electric field annealing improved the average plastic strain ratio((?) value).This is due to that the electric field annealing reinforced theγ-fiber texture({111}〈uvw〉) and weakened theα-fiber texture({hkl}〈110〉) that deteriorated the plastic strain ratio.
Intellectual Disability and Developmental Delay: Cytogenetic Testing

Intellectual disability/developmental delay (ID/DD) is not a specific diagnosis, but a description of certain conditions in which intellectual functioning shows significant limitations when compared to the expected level for age. This chapter discusses the methods for evaluating an individual for ID/DD. In addition, advantages, limitations, and interpretation challenges are discussed.
Respiratory control in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

SUMMARY It is clear that no single factor can explain the pattern of respiratory control in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. It is a result of adaptation to the mechanical impairment, particularly to the increase in the inspiratory impedance, via neural and chemical regulatory mechanisms. An increase in inspiratory independence is usually associated with mechanical inefficiency of the muscle, and tends to reduce the gain of the carbon dioxide regulator (slope of the ventilatory response). In response to this impairment, two alternative adjustments appear to exist. One is neurally mediated augmentation of inspiratory activity. This mechanism takes place in acute external resistive load breathing and during exercise and in so called “pink puffer” or “fighter” patients. This neural mechanism, in effect, adjusts the threshold Pco2 to a lower level and augments the respiratory activity. The augmented respiratory activity thus achieved effectively prevents the development of hypercapnia, but one must pay a price in terms of efficiency of carbon dioxide load handling. Exercise performance in these patients is relatively poor. An alternative adaptive process is chemical adjustment via increased body fluid buffering capacity. This type of adaptation is prone to develop in patients with bronchitic features with chronically increased inspiratory impedance. The neurally mediated augmentation is somehow lost in this type of patient. This loss of neural compensatory mechanism plus mechanical inefficiency and increased inspiratory impedance results in a severe impairment of gain of controller and, hence, a resting hypercapnia which is followed by a compensatory increase of body fluid buffer and shift of the threshold to higher Pco2. As a result, carbon dioxide load handling and exercise performance are improved, but a price must be paid in terms of increased hypercapnia and hypoxemia. It is not known how some of the patients lose the neural compensatory mechanism, allowing the chemical adaptive mechanism to come into play. Although bronchitic patients are prone to take the latter course of adaptation, considerable individual variation appears to exist. Genetically determined and acquired hyposensitivity to chemical stimuli may modify the course of adaptation. The neural compensatory mechanism may involve information processing by central neurones perhaps at the cortical level. Individual variation may also exist in this processing. In view of the multiple factors involved, it is no surprise that considerable controversy still exists regarding the pathogenesis of carbon dioxide retention in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. The question of a genuine loss of central responsiveness to chemical stimuli remains unsettled.
CHAPTER 2 – AC Circuits

This chapter deals with the steady-state analysis of AC circuits. The simplest and widely occurring time-varying voltages and currents are sinusoidal. Nonsinusoidal waveshapes that drive circuits produce responses that vary substantially–to the point that the response has no resemblance to the source variation. It is only the sinusoid that could develop the phasor methodfor AC circuit analysis. If the voltage or current source is sinusoidal, all voltages and currents anywhere in the linear circuit will also be sinusoidal. Therefore, if it is desired to know a voltage somewhere in the circuit, all that remains to be solved for are the amplitude and phase angle of the unknown voltage. Phasor analysis, by introducing complex quantities, provides a method to analyze single-frequency circuits as easily as analyzing DC circuits. Since the impedance of inductors and capacitors depends on frequency, these elements are basic components in networks that are frequency sensitive and frequency selective. Band-pass filters can be used as tuning circuits where they allow one station or one channel out of many to be selected. The simplest band-pass filters are resonant circuits. Frequency selectivity of resonant circuits can be determined by the bandwidth. Transformers are also very efficient devices for changing the levels of AC currents, voltages, and impedances.
Using an Eye Tracking Device to Assess Vulnerabilities to Burglary

This research examines the extent to which visual cues influence a person’s decision to burglarize. Participants in this study (n = 65) viewed ten houses through an eye tracking device and were asked whether or not they thought each house was vulnerable to burglary. The eye tracking device recorded where a person looked and for how long they looked (in milliseconds). Our findings showed that windows and doors were two of the most important visual stimuli. Results from our follow-up questionnaire revealed that stimuli such as fencing, beware of pet signs, cars in driveways, and alarm systems are also considered. There are a number of implications for future research and policy.
Copulation in rats: Relations among intromission duration, frequency, and pacing

Thirty-eight male rats copulated-in ad lib and enforced intercopulatory interval sessions; more than 1,200 intromission durations were electrically recorded. Intromission duration grew roughly linearly with increased intercopulatory intervals to 5 min, while intromission frequency reached a minimum at intercopulatory in tervals of 2 min.
Intergenerational continuity in high-conflict family environments: investigating a mediating depressive pathway

Emerging evidence suggests that family conflict shows continuity across generations and that intergenerational family conflict can be more intense and deleterious than conflict experienced in a single generation. However, few investigations have identified etiological mechanisms by which family conflict is perpetuated across generations. Addressing this limitation, we sampled 246 families from a multigenerational, high-risk, longitudinal study of parents (G1s) and their children (G2s), followed from adolescence to adulthood as well as the children (G3s) of G2 targets. Specifically, the current study examined whether G2s' depressive symptoms measured at multiple time points across development explained continuity in family conflict from 1 generation (G1-G2) to the next (G2-G3). Results revealed that after controlling for externalizing symptoms, depressive symptoms served as mediators of intergenerational family conflict in both men and women, but in different ways. Specifically, G2 women's young adulthood represented a period of vulnerability in which G2 depressive symptoms were especially likely to mediate intergenerational continuity in family conflict. Additionally, in both men and women, higher G1-G2 family conflict was associated with higher depressive symptoms that persisted from adolescence into young adulthood and then subsequently predicted the development of G2-G3 family conflict. Results did not support the hypothesis that G2 partner depressive symptoms moderated the relation between G2 depressive symptoms and G2-G3 family conflict. Implications of findings regarding the roles that G2 gender and G2 depressive symptoms play in the intergenerational transmission of family conflict are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
New hope for an aids vaccine

The twenty-first century has begun with considerable success for new AIDS vaccines in macaque models. A common feature of these vaccines is their ability to induce high-frequency CD8+ T-cell responses that control, rather than prevent, infection with HIV. The new vaccines, which include DNA vaccines and live viral vectors, are based on technologies that have been developed since the start of the AIDS epidemic. The ultimate promise of these vaccines will be realized only when efficacy trials in humans are conducted.
Postoperative outcomes in patients with a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order undergoing elective procedures.

Abstract Study objective Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status has been shown to be an independent risk factor for mortality in the post-operative period. Patients with DNR orders often undergo elective surgeries to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life, but there are limited data on outcomes for informed decision making. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting A multi-institutional setting including operating room, postoperative recovery area, inpatient wards, and the intensive care unit. Patients A total of 566 patients with a DNR status and 316,431 patients without a DNR status undergoing elective procedures using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) from 2012. Interventions Patients undergoing elective surgical procedures. Measurements We analyzed the risk-adjusted 30-day morbidity and mortality outcomes for the matched DNR and non-DNR cohorts undergoing elective surgeries. Main results DNR patients had significantly increased odds of 30-day mortality (OR 2.51 [1.55–4.05], p Conclusions DNR patients, as compared with non-DNR patients, have increased post-operative mortality but not morbidity, which may arise from unmeasured severity of illness or transition to comfort care in accordance with a patient's wishes. The informed consent process for elective surgeries in this patient population should include a discussion of acceptable operative risk.
A Probabilistic Solution to the AX=XB Problem: Sensor Calibration without Correspondence

The “AX=XB” sensor calibration problem is ubiquitous in the fields of robotics and computer vision. In this problem A, X, and B are each homogeneous transformations (i.e., rigid-body motions) with A and B given from sensor measurements, and X is the unknown that is sought. For decades this problem is known to be solvable for X when a set of exactly measured compatible A’s and B’s with known correspondence is given. However, in practical problems, it is often the case that the data streams containing the A’s and B’s will present at different sample rates, they will be asynchronous, and each stream may contain gaps in information. Practical scenarios in which this can happen include hand-eye calibration and ultrasound image registration. We therefore present a method for calculating the calibration transformation, X, that works for data without any a priori knowledge of the correspondence between the As and Bs.
The Kids are Alright: Making a Case for Abolition of the Juvenile Justice System

When considering abolition of the criminal justice system, there is no greater or more impactful relevance than for juveniles that find themselves inextricably linked to the juvenile justice system. From its inception, the philosophical foundation of juvenile care was to provide individualized, compassionate assistance to young men and women perceived to be in need of emotional care and/or social control. With the establishment of the Cook County Juvenile Court in 1899, the American juvenile justice system has endured a 118-year odyssey that has produced progressively rational, largely unsympathetic, and increasingly punitive practices. With happenings such as the ‘school-to-prison pipeline’, ‘juvenile life without the possibility of parole’, ‘teen courts’, and ‘deferred prosecution probation’, current juveniles that make unassuming mistakes and errors in judgment are adjoined to a system that sustains and reinforces itself through these mistakes and errors. The charge of this article is to recommend the abolition of the contemporary juvenile justice system, with safeguards for the protection from serious offenders and a return to the compassionate care that is warranted for the majority of juveniles that currently bolster the system.
Analyzing Law School Choice

The contemporary crisis in law school enrollments presents a timely opportunity to evaluate a subject that has received little academic attention: student choice in legal education. In order to address the present lack of understanding about what motivates post-Recession law students to enroll in law school, this article examines several of the factors that bear on the choice to attend law school from the results of an original survey distributed to current law students at four law schools—a private elite law school, a public flagship law school, a public regional law school, and a private new law school—in the 2017–2018 academic year. This article analyzes the salience of location, information, opportunity cost, and cost sensitivity in the context of a law student’s decision to enroll in law school. The results from this survey indicate that legal education is a highly stratified market for consumers on the basis of their preferences. It is hoped that these results will shed greater light on and knowledge of the most understudied group in professional graduate education—law students.
Bundled Payments Are Effective in Reducing Costs Following Bilateral Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Alternative payment models such the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative have been effective in reducing costs following unilateral total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA), but few studies exist on bilateral arthroplasty. This study aimed to determine whether the BPCI program for bilateral THA and TKA reduced episode-of-care costs. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of patients who underwent simultaneous bilateral primary THA and TKA between 2015 and 2016. We recorded demographic variables, comorbidities, readmissions, and calculated 90-day episode-of-care costs based on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services claims data. We compared data from patients before and after the start of our BPCI program, and performed a multivariate analysis to identify independent risk factors for increased costs. Results Of 319 patients, 38 underwent bilateral THA (12%) while 287 underwent bilateral TKA (88%). There were 239 patients (74%) in the bundled payment group. Although there was no change in readmission rate (9% vs 8%), the post-BPCI group demonstrated reduced hospital costs ($21,251 vs $18,783), post–acute care costs ($15,488 vs $12,439), and overall 90-day episode-of-care costs ($39,733 vs $34,305). When controlling for demographics, procedure, and comorbidities, our BPCI model demonstrated a per-patient reduction of $5811 in overall claims costs. Additional risk factors for increased episode-of-care costs included age ($516/y increase) and cardiac disease ($5916). Conclusion Our bundled payment program for bilateral THA and TKA was successful with reduction in 90-day episode-of-care costs without placing the patient at higher risk of readmission. Older Medicare beneficiaries and those with cardiac disease should likely not undergo a simultaneous bilateral procedure due to concerns about increased costs.
Facile O-Deallylation of Allyl Ethers via SN2‘ Reaction with tert-Butyllithium

Allylic ethers are converted to the corresponding alcohol or phenol in virtually quantitative yield at temperatures below ambient simply by stirring a hydrocarbon solution of the ether with 1 molar...
Predicting Farmer Adoption of Water Conservation Practices Using a Norm-based Moral Obligation Model

This study examines the social-psychological drivers of conservation practice adoption among farmers in Minnesota. Specifically, it applies a moral obligation model to understand farmer decision-making related to water resource management, focusing in particular on conservation tillage and drainage management. Data were collected through a self-administered mail survey of 1500 landowners in two subwatersheds of the Red River Basin: Wild Rice River and Middle Snake-Tamarac Rivers. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Study results demonstrate that farmers’ decisions to adopt conservation practices are influenced by personal norms and perceived ability to protect water resources. Further, beliefs about personal responsibility for water protection, and perceived ability to protect water resources activate personal norms of water protection. Collectivistic and biosphere-altruistic values serve as the basis for the activation of personal norms. Study findings suggest that a combination of behavioral intervention strategies that provide tailored information about local water resource problems, appeal to farmers’ values, sense of responsibility and personal obligation, and enhance farmers’ ability to use conservation practices may be effective in achieving higher levels of conservation practice adoption.
Functional neuroanatomy of the human eye movement network: a review and atlas

The human eye movement network is a complex system that requires the integration of sensory, motor, attentional, and executive processes. Here, we review the neuroanatomy of the eye movement network with an emphasis on functional neuroimaging applications. We consolidate the literature into a concise resource designed to be immediately accessible and applicable to diverse research interests, and present the novel Functional Oculomotor System (FOcuS) Atlas-a tool in stereotaxic space that will simplify and standardize the inclusion of the eye movement network in future functional neuroimaging studies. We anticipate this review and the FOcuS Atlas will facilitate increased examination of the eye movement network across disciplines leading to a thorough understanding of how eye movement network function contributes to higher-order cognition and how it is integrated with other brain networks. Furthermore, functional examination of the eye movement network in patient populations offers the potential for deeper insight into the role of eye movement circuitry in functional network activity, diagnostic assessments, and the indications for augmentative communication systems that rely on eye movement control.
Effects of Systemic and Device-Related Complications in Patients Bridged to Transplantation With Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

Abstract Background The use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as a bridge to heart transplantation has increased rapidly over the last 2 decades. We aim to explore the effect of pretransplant systemic and device-related complications on posttransplant survival for patients bridged with LVADs. Materials and methods The United Network of Organ Sharing (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network) database was queried for all adult heart transplant recipients (aged ≥ 18 y) transplanted from April 1, 2015, to June 31, 2018. Device-related complications included thrombosis, device infection, device malfunction, life-threatening arrhythmia, and other device complications. Systemic complications included a new dialysis need or ventilator dependence between the time of listing and transplantation, transfusion, or systemic infection requiring treatment with intravenous antibiotics within 2 wk of transplantation. Results A total of 2131 patients were identified as requiring LVAD support before transplantation. LVAD patients had high rates of preoperative systemic complications (53%) and high rates of device-related complications (42.7% experienced at least one device-related complication). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a significantly decreased 1-y survival for LVAD patients bridged to transplantation who experienced a pretransplant systemic complication (P = 0.041). Interestingly, preoperative device-related complications had no effect on 1-y posttransplantation survival (P = 0.93). Multivariate Cox modeling revealed that systemic complications were associated with a significantly increased risk of posttransplant mortality for LVAD patients (hazard ratio 1.45; P = 0.033). Conclusions Recipients who suffered a systemic complication while awaiting heart transplantation experienced higher short-term mortality rates. Device-related complications do not appear to impact posttransplantation outcomes.
A Remarkable New Genus and Species of Broad-Nosed Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) from the Dominican Republic

Kosmimodes howdenae Setliff, new genus and new species, is described for a brilliant metallic green broad-nosed weevil from the dry forests of Pedernales Province in the Dominican Republic. Kosmimodes is closely related to Apotomoderes Dejean and Melathra Franz in the tribe Geonemini and distinguished from these genera by the form of the constriction on the head behind the eyes, shape of the nasal plate and median sulcus on the rostrum, and the lack of a tooth on the profemora. Images of the habitus and male genitalia and a diagnosis accompany the description. The new species is named in honor of the late Anne Howden (1927–2016) in recognition of her considerable contribution to our knowledge of Neotropical Entiminae.
Outness amplifies the negative effect of gay related rejection in rural, but not urban sexual minority men

Sexual minority men have consistently shown to be at-risk for adverse mental health outcomes due to minority stress, yet studies show some men successfully navigate these barriers. What is less kno...
Reducing Dislocations of Antibiotic Hip Spacers via Hybrid Cement-screw Constrained Liner Fixation: A Case Series.

Purpose: Infection following total hip arthroplasty is a challenging and devastating complication. In two-stage revision arthroplasty, antibiotic spacers, although efficacious, can be associated with an unacceptable rate of mechanical complications (e.g., fracture, dislocation). This series describes 15 patients with infected total hip prostheses treated with hybrid cement-screw fixation constrained liner antibiotic spacers to enhance stability and minimize mechanical complications. Materials and Methods: All patients with an infected hip prosthesis undergoing two-stage revision arthroplasty at a single academic medical center were identified and screened for inclusion. Clinical and radiographic data including patient demographics and outcome measures were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Results: Two patients died of unrelated causes at an average of 6-week postoperatively. Infections in the remaining thirteen patients (100%) were successfully eradicated; all underwent uncomplicated revision arthroplasty at a mean duration of 99.5 days after the placement of the antibiotic spacer. No dislocations, fractures, or other mechanical failures of any spacer were observed in this series. Conclusion: The hybrid cement-screw fixation technique for constrained liner antibiotic spacers is a reliable and effective treatment method for eradicating prosthetic joint infections without mechanical complications.
Dermal allograft superior capsule reconstruction biomechanics and kinematics.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the effect of a dermal allograft SCR on kinematics and joint pressure biomechanics immediately after simulated superior irreparable rotator cuff tear. Methods This controlled laboratory study tested eight fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders using a custom test frame. Balanced loading configuration centered the humeral head on the glenoid, and unbalanced load created a force pulling the head towards the acromion. Experimental conditions included the intact rotator cuff, irreparable supraspinatus tear (ISST), and dermal allograft SCR. A digital sensor measured glenohumeral and subacromial contact pressure maps, and a microscribe measured acromion-humeral distance. Results Glenohumeral contact pressure of ISST was 175% (295±44 kPa; P=0.018) of the intact rotator cuff value (169±10 kPa) at 0o in the balanced condition and 176% (P=0.048) of intact at 30o. SCR decreased glenohumeral contact pressure to 110% (185±27 kPa; P=0.044) of intact at 0o and to 95% (P=0.034) at 30o. Unbalanced ISST contact pressure was 146% (365±23 kPa; P=0.009) of intact (250±24 kPa) at 0o and 122% (P=0.045) at 60o. SCR decreased contact pressures to 110% (274±21 kPa; P=0.039) of intact at 0o and to 89% (P=0.003) at 60o. ISST increased superior migration of the humeral head, decreasing the acromion-humeral distance by 3.0±0.6 mm (P=0.006) in the unbalanced condition at 0o. SCR increased the acromion-humeral distance to a value similar to that of the intact cuff (P=0.003). SCR significantly lowered subacromial pressures in the unbalanced condition. Conclusions In an irreparable supraspinatus tear model, the dermal allograft SCR showed competency in stabilizing the glenohumeral joint, decreasing glenohumeral and subacromial contact pressures, and increasing the acromion-humeral distance. Level of Evidence Basic Science Study; Biomechanics
Mennonite Speculative Fiction as Political Theology

Recent definitions of speculative fiction make ample space in the genre for religious concerns. This essay shows how recent works of Mennonite speculative fiction such as Casey Plett's short story ...
Epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa responding to dupilumab.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of rare, inherited blistering disorders characterized by deficient dermoepidermal cohesion, resulting in fragile, easily blistered skin. The dystrophic variants are caused by a number of mutations of the COL7A1 gene on human chromosome 3, resulting in absent or dysfunctional collagen VII with resultant dysfunction of the anchoring fibrils below the basal lamina.1 EB pruriginosa (EBP), a subtype of EB, is characterized by numerous hypertrophic, intensely pruritic nodules and plaques primarily on the distal extremities. The chronic, recalcitrant nature of EBP can be debilitating and can reduce a patient's quality of life.2 We present a case of EBP showing rapid clinical response to dupilumab after multiple failed alternative treatments, a response which has been sustained for 9 months thus far.
The PerronRank family: a brief review

Ranking by pairwise comparison is a widely used method in economics, decision analysis, operations research, and machine learning. However, the choice of method used for computing the score vector can strongly influence the outcome. We examine three methods for ranking by pairwise comparison: PerronRank ( Principal Eigenvector), HodgeRank, and TropicalRank. In a previous work, we showed that HodgeRank and TropicalRank are limits of PerronRank, hence the methods belong to the same family. On the other hand, the choice of method can produce arbitrarily different rank order. This paper reviews these results, discusses their implications in practice, and states some open problems.
Capsulorhexis ovaling and capsular bag stretch after rigid and foldable intraocular lens implantation: experimental study in pediatric human eyes.

Purpose: To compare the amount of capsulorhexis ovaling and capsular bag stretch produced by various intraocular lenses (IOLs) implanted in pediatric human eyes obtained post-mortem. Setting: David J. Apple, MD Laboratories for Ophthalmic Devices Research, John A. Moran Eye Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Methods: In this nonrandomized comparative study, 16 pediatric human eyes obtained postmortem were divided into 2 groups: Eight eyes were obtained from children younger than 2 years (Group A), and 8 eyes were obtained from children older than 2 years (Group B). All eyes were prepared according to the Miyake-Apple posterior video technique. Six types of rigid and foldable posterior chamber IOLs manufactured from poly(methyl methacrylate) (single-piece), silicone (plate and loop haptics), and hydrophobic acrylic (single-piece and 3-piece AcrySof®, Alcon Laboratories) biomaterials were implanted. The capsulorhexis opening and capsular bag diameters were measured before IOL implantation and after in-the-bag IOL fixation with the haptics (or the main axis) at the 3 to 9 o'clock meridian. The percentage of ovaling of the capsulorhexis opening was calculated by noting the difference in the opening's horizontal diameter before and after IOL implantation. The percentage of capsular bag stretch was also calculated by noting the difference in the horizontal capsular bag diameter before and after IOL implantation. Results: All IOLs produced ovaling of the capsulorhexis opening and stretching of the capsular bag parallel to the IOL haptics. There were significant differences in capsulorhexis ovaling and capsular bag stretch (P<.001, analysis of variance) between the 6 IOL types in each group of eyes. The postimplantation difference was significant only between the single-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOL (AcrySof) and the other IOLs. The single-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOL was associated with significantly less capsulorhexis ovaling and capsular bag stretch in both groups (mean 12.06% ± 0.59% [SD] and 7.6% ± 1.47%, respectively). Conclusions: Modern rigid and foldable IOLs designed for the adult population implanted in the capsular bag of infants and children produced variable degrees of capsulorhexis ovaling and capsular bag stretch. The Miyake-Apple posterior video technique confirmed the well-maintained configuration of the capsular bag (with minimal ovaling) after implantation of a single-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOL because of its flexible haptic design.
Executable Protocol Specification in ESL

Hardware specifications in English are frequently ambiguous and often self-contradictory.We propose a new logic ESL which facilitates formal specification of hardware protocols. Our logic is closely related to LTL but can express all regular safety properties. We have developed a protocol synthesis methodology which generates Mealy machines from ESL specifications. The Mealy machines can be automatically translated into executable code either in Verilog or SMV. Our methodology exploits the observation that protocols are naturally composed of many semantically distinct components. This structure is reflected in the syntax of ESL specifications. We use a modified LTL tableau construction to build a Mealy machine for each component. The Mealy machines are connected together in a Verilog or SMV framework. In many cases this makes it possible to circumvent the state explosion problem during code generation and to identify conflicts between components during simulation or model checking. We have implemented a tool based on the logic and used it to specify and verify a significant part of the PCI bus protocol.
Elevated augmentation index derived from peripheral arterial tonometry is associated with abnormal ventricular-vascular coupling.

As a measure of late systolic load and systemic vascular function (Borlaug, et al. 2007) the augmentation index (AIx) may be a useful therapeutic target and secondary endpoint (Hashimoto, et al. 2007). AIx is associated with numerous cardiovascular morbidities (Nurnberger, et al. 2002), coronary artery disease (Hayashi, et al. 2002; Weber, et al. 2004), albuminuria (Tsioufis, et al. 2003), and predicts future cardiovascular events (Weber, et al. 2005) and mortality (London, et al. 2001). Moreover, the augmentation of systolic blood pressure owing to wave reflections (i.e. increased late systolic load) reduces left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function (Borlaug, Melenovsky, Redfield, Kessler, Chang, Abraham & Kass 2007), increases LV pressure effort, increases myocardial oxygen demand and reduces coronary perfusion (Hashimoto, Imai & O'Rourke 2007; Hashimoto, et al. 2007; Hashimoto, et al. 2008). This resultant ventricular-vascular mismatch impairs cardiac metabolic efficiency and causes LV hypertrophy (Hashimoto, Nichols, O'Rourke & Imai 2008). Although typically derived from the contour of central and peripheral arterial pressure waveforms (Chen, et al. 1997), AIx can also be derived from digital pulse volume waveforms using finger plethysmography (peripheral arterial tonometry, PAT). Little is known regarding the systemic vascular correlates of AIx derived from PAT. The digital pulse volume waveform is influenced by wave reflections (Chowienczyk, et al. 1999) and correlates with pressure waveforms measured at the finger, radial artery and carotid artery, and changes in the digital volume pulse with perturbation have been shown to be very similar to changes in the pressure waveforms (Millasseau, et al. 2000; Millasseau, et al. 2003). Thus, it is reasonable to speculate that digital AIx derived from PAT may also serve as a proxy of ventricular-vascular load but this has yet to be empirically demonstrated. Ventricular-vascular coupling can be quantified via examination of the ratio of effective arterial elastance and LV end-systolic elastance derived either invasively from catheterization-derived pressure-volume loops or non-invasively from conventional blood pressure measurement and echocardiography (Chen, et al. 2001). Ventricular-vascular uncoupling is associated with low exercise capacity (Chen, et al. 1999; Wong, et al.), has been implicated in the etiology of numerous pathologies (Kass 2005) and has also recently been shown to be associated with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients after myocardial infarction and predicts long-term CV mortality in this setting (Antonini-Canterin, et al. 2009). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between PAT-AIx and ventricular-vascular coupling. We hypothesized that elevated PAT-AIx would reflect abnormal ventricular-vascular coupling.
Investigation of substituted dihydronaphthalenes using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy

1H and 13C NMR studies were carried out on the substituted dihydronaphthalene compounds 1,2-dihydro-8-isopropyl-6,7-dimethoxy-2-methylnaphthalene, 3-bromo-1, 2-dihydro-8-isopropyl-6, 7-dimethoxy-2-methylnaphthalene, 3, 4-dihydro-5-isopropyl-6, 7-dimethoxy-3-methyl-1(2H)-naphthalenone, 1, 2-dihydro-6, 7-dimethoxy-2, 8-dimethylnaphthalene, 3-bromo-1, 2-dihydro-6, 7-dimethoxy-2, 8-dimethylnaphthalene and 3, 4-dihydro-6, 7-dimethoxy-3, 5-dimethyl-1(2H)-naphthalenone. Complete assignments of the proton and carbon spectra were made using one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques including APT, COSY, NOESY and 1H-13C HETCOR spectroscopy.
Abstract 13314: Comparative Meta-Analysis of Balloon-Expandable and Self-Expandable Valves for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background: Balloon-expandable valves (BEV) and self-expandable valves (SEV) are two major types of valves used for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Despite similar efficacy, recent reports have suggested important differences between the two valve types. We conducted a meta-analysis of available studies to compare the safety and efficacy of these two valve types. Methods: Medline search was conducted using standard search terms to determine eligible studies. Primary outcomes of the meta-analysis included death and stroke at 30 days and 1 year. Analysis was performed for entire cohort and separately for patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR (TF TAVR). Results: Analysis of entire cohort revealed significantly higher adjusted 30 day mortality in the SEV cohort as compared to the BEV cohort [Incidence rate ratio (IRR) (95% CI): 1.38 (1.12-1.70)]. There was no significant difference in the unadjusted or adjusted incidence of stroke at 30 days between the two study groups. We observed a significa...
Receptive field neural network with shift tolerant capability for Kanji character recognition

The authors present a model of a receptive field neural network as a discriminator for Kanji character recognition. Double emphases on local features of character images are performed in learning: first, generating receptive fields to capture distinctive structures of the characters, and then emphasizing strong differences of the features in the receptive fields which each detects precise positions of the features by shift tolerant LVQ (learning vector quantization) learning. The model is evaluated on printed Kanji characters with high similarity in each of 893 small categories with an average of 2.8 characters per category. It improves the discrimination accuracy from 98.87% without it to 99.55%, a 60% reduction in errors on a test data set of more than 13 fonts. A large scale neural network of three-stage hierarchical structure for Kanji character recognition is presented whose third stage is constructed by this model. It shows 99.0% accuracy on recognition of the multi-font printed 3303 Kanji characters including alphanumeric and symbol on 12000 randomly selected characters from the test data set. >
Tuberculosis Then and Now: A Personal Perspective on the Last 50 Years

Rates of death from tuberculosis in the United States decreased from 194 per 100,000 persons in 1900 to 40 per 100,000 persons in 1945, in part because the epidemic of tuberculosis in the western world was running its course and in part because of public health initiatives and improved socioeconomic conditions. In 1945, 63,000 persons died of tuberculosis and 115,000 new cases of the disease emerged. Streptomycin and para-aminosalicylic acid had just been discovered; the discovery of isoniazid followed, in 1952. Sanitarium care, nonsurgical and surgical collapse therapy, and resectional surgery were in widespread use. By the middle of the 1950s, it was evident that bedrest did not add to the benefit produced by effective chemotherapy, and sanitariums began to close, a process that was completed by the 1970s. As mortality and morbidity due to tuberculosis rapidly decreased, the U.S. government decreased funding for tuberculosis and many states and cities downgraded their tuberculosis control programs. After 1984, the rate of new cases of tuberculosis, which had decreased to 9.4 per 100,000, began to increase and focal outbreaks of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis were reported. Noncompliance with drug therapy, homelessness, immigration to the United States from developing countries, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were invoked as explanations. With the reinstitution of federal funding, improved case-finding and surveillance, and the practice of having patients receive therapy while under direct observation, the rate of new cases of tuberculosis decreased to 8.7 per 100,000 in 1995, the lowest rate since national surveillance was begun in 1953. However, at the end of the 20th century, the worldwide burden of tuberculosis, which is engrafted onto the pandemic of HIV infection, is enormous: an estimated 7.6 million new cases in developing countries and 400,000 new cases in industrial nations.
Cell Fusion induced by a Virus within the Zona Pellucida of Mouse Eggs

MAMMALIAN egg cells, like other cells, can be fused in culture in the presence of a virus1,2. But because many viruses do not infect eggs which possess a zona pellucida3, fusion of egg cells has been performed after its removal. This manipulation reduces the rate of successful development in early cleavage eggs4, which if transferred to recipient oviducts adhere to the epithelium and degenerate5. Now we report multinucleation and nuclear fusion within the zona pellucida of mouse eggs injected with a suspension of Sendai virus and somatic cells into the perivitelline cavity.
Thermal integration of processes with heat engines and heat pumps

An extended transportation array representation is developed for the design of process heat recovery networks incorporating heat engines and heat pumps. The formulation automatically accounts for the relocation of pinches in the integrated system. The optimal heat flow pattern is determined based on simple economic criteria. Simplified models of heat engine and heat pump systems are developed that permit integration options to be identified on the basis of heat flows without requiring specific cycle designs. The solution array identifies design alternatives and provides a decision framework to guide in selecting the final design topology.