cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subperiosteal Masqueraders as Compared to Subperiosteal Abscess: Contrasting Clinical Presentation and Radiographic Densities.

Purpose Subperiosteal orbital lesions are most commonly abscesses secondary to sinusitis but, in rare cases, may represent other processes. Here, the authors compare the clinical and radiographic presentation of subperiosteal abscesses and alternate subperiosteal processes ("masqueraders") in an effort to establish distinguishing preoperative diagnostic criteria. Methods A retrospective chart review of cases of subperiosteal orbital lesions that underwent surgical intervention over a 3-year period was performed. The medical records of 6 cases of subperiosteal masqueraders and 6 cases of abscesses were reviewed for the clinical course, imaging (including radiographic density of lesions), and pathology. Clinical and radiographic features of the 2 groups were compared. Results All cases presented with orbital signs on exam. Fever and leukocytosis were absent in the masquerader group and present in 3 patients from the abscess group. Common radiographic findings in both groups included a rim-enhancing convex mass along the orbital wall and adjacent sinus opacification, often with bony dehiscence. Of the masqueraders, the final diagnosis was hematoma in 3 cases, mucocele in 1, and malignancy in 2. The difference between the mean radiodensity of the subperiosteal abscesses, 38 ± 5 Hounsfield units (95% CI, 34-42), as compared with the average radiodensity of the masqueraders, 71 ± 5 Hounsfield units (95% CI, 67-75), was significant (p = 0.042). Comparing radiodensity of the orbital lesion to adjacent sinus lesions and metastatic lesions elsewhere was also informative in establishing the diagnosis. Conclusions Radiographic features, particularly radiodensity, may help distinguish subperiosteal abscesses from other lesions and aid in preoperative diagnosis and management.
Electrochemical attack and corrosion of platinum electrodes in dielectrophoretic diagnostic devices

Though the advances in microelectronic device fabrication have realized new capabilities in integrated analytical and diagnostic platforms, there are still notable limitations in point-of-care sample preparation. AC electrokinetic devices, especially those leveraging dielectrophoresis (DEP), have shown potential to solve these limitations and allow for sample-to-answer in a single point-of-care device. However, when working directly with whole blood or other high conductance (~ 1 S/m) biological fluids, the aggressive electrochemical conditions created by the electrode can fundamentally limit the device operation. In this study, platinum wire-based electrode devices spanning circular polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) wells and a planar microarray device with sputtered platinum electrodes were tested in plasma and PBS buffers of differing concentration across a wide range of frequencies and electric field intensities (AC voltages) to determine their respective safe regions of operation and to gain an understanding about the failure mechanisms of this class of device. At frequencies of 10 kHz and below, the upper bound of operation is the degradation of electrodes due to electrochemical attack by chlorine overcoming the native platinum oxide passivation. At higher frequencies, 100 kHz and above, the dielectric loss and subsequent heating of the buffer will boil before the electrodes suffer observable damage, due to the slow irreversible reaction kinetics. Effective dielectrophoretic capture of small biological particles at these frequencies is limited, and heat/oxidative denaturation of target material are a major concern. A new class of smaller devices, ones capable of high throughput at voltages low enough to maintain the integrity of the platinum passivation layer, is needed to mitigate these fundamental limitations.
Medical radiation exposure and risk of sporadic retinoblastoma.

Background While there is evidence that parental exposure to medical radiation is associated with increased risk of sporadic bilateral retinoblastoma in offspring, this association has not been confirmed. Additionally, the relationship between paternal and maternal exposures and sporadic unilateral retinoblastoma has not been fully investigated. Procedure Data were obtained from two large multicenter case-control studies of retinoblastoma. For the paternal analyses, 268 bilateral cases, 155 unilateral cases, and 358 controls were included. For the maternal analyses, 298 bilateral cases, 184 unilateral cases, and 404 controls were included. Logistical regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to evaluate the associations between parental exposures to medical radiation and sporadic retinoblastoma, while adjusting for potential confounders. Results Paternal exposure to medical radiation was not significantly associated with sporadic bilateral retinoblastoma in offspring. However, increasing paternal exposure to gonadal radiation was associated with increased risk of unilateral retinoblastoma (P-trend = .03). Maternal history of upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) series was associated with bilateral retinoblastoma (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1-3.2 and OR = 6.9, 95% CI: 2.9-16.4, respectively). However, there was no association between maternal exposure to medical radiation and unilateral retinoblastoma in offspring. Conclusion Our investigation adds to the evidence that medical radiation exposure in fathers as well as mothers prior to pregnancy may increase the risk of germline alterations leading to the development of retinoblastoma in their offspring. However, our findings could point to a more complex etiological framework for this important pediatric malignancy.
Characterization of the binding sites for plasminogen and tissue-type plasminogen activator in cytokeratin 8 and cytokeratin 18.

Cytokeratin 8 (CK8) is an intermediate filament protein that penetrates to the external surfaces of breast cancer cells and is released from cells in the form of soluble heteropolymers. CK8 binds plasminogen and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and accelerates plasminogen activation on cancer cell surfaces. The plasminogen-binding site is located at the C-terminus of CK8. In this study, we prepared GST-fusion proteins which contained either 174 amino acids from the C-terminus of CK8 (CK8f) or 134 amino acids from the C-terminus of CK18 (CK18f). A third GST-CK fusion protein was identical to CK8f except that the C-terminal lysine was mutated to glutamine (CK8fK483Q). CK8f bound plasminogen; the K D was 0.5 μM. Binding was completely inhibited by eACA. CK8fK483Q also bound plasminogen, albeit with decreased affinity (K D ≍ 1.5 μM). CK18f did not bind plasminogen at all. All three fusion proteins bound t-PA equivalently, providing the first evidence that CK18 may function as a t-PA receptor. t-PA and plasminogen cross-competed for binding to CK8f. Thus, t-PA and plasminogen cannot bind to the same CK8f monomer simultaneously. Nevertheless, CK8f still promoted plasminogen activation, probably reflecting the fact that CK8f was purified in dimeric or tetrameric form. These studies demonstrate that CK8 may promote plasminogen activation by t-PA only when present in an oligomerized state. CK18 may participate in the oligomer, together with CK8, based on its ability to bind t-PA.
Small-Scale Beam Scanning with an Ultrathin High Impedance Surface-Based Leaky Wave Antenna with Multiple Feeds

An ultrathin antenna of thickness nearly 100th of the wavelength is presented, which is capable of providing small-scale beam steering. The antenna is inspired by concepts used in high impedance surfaces (HISs) A linear array antenna comprised of periodic dogbone-shaped elements mounted on top of a grounded substrate with multiple feeds is analyzed to obtain beam scanning and large gain bandwidth, despite the ultrathin thickness. Beam steering is observed when one port at the time is excited among multiple ports distributed along the length of the array. When multiple ports are excited simultaneously, a significantly larger gain bandwidth is observed even from this ultra-low-profile configuration. A maximum gain of 5.7 dBi is achieved along with a 3 dB gain bandwidth over a wide frequency range from 19.2 GHz to 25.2 GHz (27%).
Time-Wavelength Optical Sampling under Low Light

Time-wavelength optical sampling (TWOS) is compared with the conventional time-stretched spectroscopy (TSS) with direct photodetection under the low-light limit, where reliable measurement begins to be compromised due to the loss of optical power.
The Microsporidial Infections: Progress in Epidemiology and Prevention

Microsporidia have risen from obscure and anecdotal causes of keratitis and systemic disease in humans to become one of the most medically significant groups of emerging infectious agents. This chapter focuses on what is known regarding the epidemiology of human microsporidiosis and what we may be poised to better understand in the very near future. Topics covered include prevalence and geographic distribution, case demographics and populations at risk, and potential modes of transmission. The most common clinical presentation of Encephalitozoon intestinalis infection, similar to that of Encephalitozoon bieneusi infection, is severe chronic diarrhea, which often progresses to malabsorption and wasting syndrome. Surveys for antibodies to microsporidia in human sera have focused exclusively on human exposure to Encephalitozoon species. Although most recognized cases of human microsporidiosis are associated with some form of immunosuppression, reports describing microsporidial infections in HIV-negative, immunocompetent patients are also increasing. Microsporidia have been isolated from ditch water in a mosquito larval habitat in Florida. The only two factors which were associated with microsporidian infection were swimming in a pool and male homosexuality. One of the most exciting observations in the prevention of microsporidiosis in persons with AIDS has been the role of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in raising CD4 lymphocyte counts and heightening immunity. A high standard of personal hygiene seems mandatory for patients infected with microsporidia. Cohabitating sexual partners of infected patients should be offered screening for microsporidiosis regardless of their HIV status.
A Review of Forensic Osteology, Advances in the Identification of Human Remains

Reviewing the papers presented in this volume from the keyword in the book title, “Advances,” the contributions range from excellent to a repetition of data published elsewhere. This compilation of articles contains some papers with new material, or variations and ramifications of previously described methods of identification. Alternately, there are a few articles that are only reviews of the literature or overviews of well-known techniques. In the Introduction, Reichs divides the 16 chapters into 3 stages with some subdivision: Stage I: Field Recovery; Stage II: Laboratory Analysis, Osteological Aspects—Age, Sex, Race; Stage III: Laboratory Analysis, Forensic Aspects—Time and Manner of Death, Individuation. Then she considers the contributions made through the data analyses or presentation by the authors, with a brief review of the relevant literature.
Data and Information Quality: Research Themes and Evolving Patterns

Along with data being increasingly viewed as a critical asset and the rise of “Big Data” with its potential uses, research of data and information quality has grown in importance to become a distinct area within information systems. Particularly with the ever more rapid changes in technology and adoption of datadriven decision-making, at this juncture it is important to take stock of data and information quality research by identifying the core topics and themes that distinguish this area. Next, it is important to understand its ongoing trends and patterns, which in turn will lead us to recognizing new and emerging research opportunities for researchers. This paper is a work in progress report on our study and the results for the first of these objectives, determining the core topics and themes that define the area of data and information quality research.
Dance, Technology, and the Web Culture of Students

Media and technological advances over the past decade have significantly influenced our teaching—its design, delivery, and interactivity. At the same time, social media now dominates the ways in wh...
Chain Elongation, 2-Hydroxylation, and Decarboxylation of Long Chain Fatty Acids by Yeast

Abstract Chain elongation and 2-hydroxylation pathways, which are specific for very long chain fatty acids (gC18), have been found in the yeast, Candida utilis. The chain elongation system acts specifically on fatty acids of chain length C20 to C24; there is no detectable elongation of C18 and only trace activity with C19. The product of the elongation enzyme or enzymes is C26 when C20, C22, or C24 is substrate and is a mixture of C25 and C27 when the substrates are C21 and C23. The 2-hydroxylation enzyme converts C26 acid, formed in situ by chain elongation, to 2-hydroxyhexacosanoic acid. The enzyme seems quite specific for the C26 chain length, although there may be some activity for chain lengths C24, C25, and C27. In addition to the chain elongation and 2-hydroxylation systems, a relatively nonspecific system for the oxidative decarboxylation of 2-hydroxy acids has been studied in C. utilis. All 2-hydroxy fatty acids tested (C18 through C26 containing an even number of carbons) were converted, in part, to the unsubstituted acid containing 1 carbon less than the substrate. Decarboxylation was most efficient with 2-OH-C18 and least with 2-OH-C26 acids. Another product arising from the decarboxylation reaction was the aldehyde containing 1 carbon less than the 2-hydroxy acid substrate. The aldehydes were detected in trace amounts with the shorter chain substrates but were major products from the decarboxylation of 2-OH-C24 and 2-OH-C26. Presumably, the aldehyde is an intermediate between the 2-hydroxy acid substrate and the unsubstituted fatty acid which results as the final product in the oxidative decarboxylation process.
Atoms for Terror: The Determinants of Nuclear/Radiological Terrorism

A rare bipartisan consensus among US leaders identifies nuclear and radiological (NR) terrorism as the greatest threat to national security. Although terrorists have yet to acquire or detonate nuclear weapons, an alarming number of other types of NR terrorism incidents occurred in many countries in recent decades. Surprisingly, there is little systematic statistical analysis of the causes of these NR terrorist events. Our research fills this important gap. We argue that an important but overlooked determinant of NR terrorism is the size of a country’s civil and military nuclear programs for several theoretical reasons. We conduct the first systematic analysis of NR terrorism incidents that occurred between 1992 and 2006. Our findings not only support our theoretical expectation but are also arguably quite provocative. Civilian and military nuclear programs swamp most other commonly perceived sources of NR terrorism. Corruption has little effect on NR terrorism, contrary to conventional wisdom. The US and Russia experience a large number of NR terrorism incidents because of their exceedingly large civilian and military nuclear programs. Civilian and military nuclear programs have little impact on chemical and biological (CB) terrorism. These findings bring to light a serious tradeoff between nuclear programs and the prevention of NR terrorism.
The Latitude Variation of Water Vapor on Mars

Spectra of Mars, centered on the 8200 A band of H2O, have been obtained using the coude spectrograph of the 107-inch telescope at McDonald Observatory with reciprocal dispersion of 1.9 A/mm. The plate scale (4.4 arc sec/mm) and angular resolution (3″–6″) were sufficient to measure the strength of the Doppler-shifted H2O lines at 5 points across the disk.
Characteristics of an Optically Scanned SEC Device

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the characteristics of an optically scanned secondary electron conduction (SEC) device. The development of the optically scanned proximity focused SEC device has continued beyond the preliminary feasibility studies. One of the parameters limiting the maximum possible gain is the charge deposited on the SEC target during the first step— namely, priming. Experimental studies were made to determine the optimum priming parameters. Even a device of relatively low gain would be acceptable provided that it allows a long integration time. In a device of the type investigated, the integration time is limited by all those electronic processes in the background that contribute to discharging the primed SEC target. The time variation of the priming current at various priming voltages is monitored on a chart recorder. It is found that the increase in the capacitance at higher priming voltages could indicate that the photoelectrons have enough energy to penetrate into the layer and then get trapped.
Origin of Fibroblasts in Blood Cultures for Chromosome Analysis

In a series of 19 postmortem short term blood cultures for chromosome analysis, 3 cases unexpectedly showed fibroblasts. These blood samples were obtained by puncture of the right atrium of the heart. Fibroblasts apparently originated from fragments of tissue inadvertently introduced into the culture. To substantiate this, 20 random punctures of the atrium of the heart at autopsy were done and 3 samples contained tissue fragments in the cell blocks. The incidence of fibroblasts growing out of cultures are quite similar. Therefore this supports our view that fibroblasts originate from tissue fragments rather than from a transformation of leucocytes into fibroblasts.
Healthcare Technology: Physician Collaboration in Reducing the Surgical Cost

Background The increasing cost of providing health care is a national concern. Healthcare spending related to providing hospital care is one of the primary drivers of healthcare spending in the United States. Adoption of advanced medical technologies accounts for the largest percentage of growth in healthcare spending in the United States when compared with other developed countries. Within the specialty of orthopaedic surgery, a variety of implants can result in similar outcomes for patients in several areas of clinical care. However, surgeons often do not know the cost of implants used in a specific procedure or how the use of an implant or technology affects the overall cost of the episode of care.
Shelter in place: a First Nation community in Canada's Chemical Valley

This case study is based on research conducted in the region of Ontario known as 'Chemical Valley'. One stark indicator of health risks posed by industry there is a public service announcement instructing residents that in the event of a dangerous gas emission, they are to 'shelter in place' – i.e., stay indoors with windows tightly closed. The local community with greatest exposure is Aamjiwnaang First Nation, whose reserve is surrounded by heavily polluting industry. Despite significant health concerns, band members remain at Aamjiwnaang, a circumstance that outsiders find puzzling. This article explores the complex factors connecting residents to their reserve – a place in which they have found shelter for many generations. This interpretive case study is intended to complement general and quantitative approaches to environmental issues by providing a qualitative, place-specific example of the profound connections that First Nations people experience to their homeland, even when that homeland has become toxic.
Genetic fusions of subunit c in the F0 sector of H+-transporting ATP synthase. Functional dimers and trimers and determination of stoichiometry by cross-linking analysis.

The multicopy c subunit of the H+-transporting ATP synthase of Escherichia coli folds through the transmembrane F0 sector as a hairpin of two hydrophobic α-helices with the proton-translocating aspartyl-61 side chain centered in the second transmembrane helix. The number of subunits c in the F0 complex, which is thought to determine the H+-pumping/ATP stoichiometry, was previously not determined with exactness but thought to range from 9–12. The studies described here indicate that the exact number is 12. Based upon the precedent of the subunit c in vacuolar-type ATPases, which are composed of four transmembrane helices and seem to have evolved by gene duplication of an F0-type progenitor gene, we constructed genetically fused dimers and trimers of E. coli subunit c. Both the dimeric and trimeric forms proved to be functional. These results indicate that the total number of subunit c in F0 should be a multiple of 2 and 3. Based upon a previous study in which the oligomeric organization of c subunits in F0 was determined by cross-linking of Cys-substituted subunits (Jones, P. C., Jiang, W., and Fillingame, R. H. (1998) J. Biol. Chem.273, 17178–17185), we introduced Cys into the first and last transmembrane helices of subunit c monomers, dimers, and trimers and attempted to generate cross-linked products by oxidation with Cu(II)-(1,10-phenanthroline)2. Double Cys substitutions at two sets of positions gave rise to extensive cross-linked multimers. Multimers of the monomer that extended up to the position of c 12 were correlated and calibrated with distinct cross-linked species of the appropriate doubly Cys-substituted dimers (i.e. c 2,c 4, … c 12) and doubly Cys-substituted trimers (i.e. c 3, c 6,c 9, c 12). The results show that there are 12 copies of subunit c per F0 in E. coli, the exact number having both mechanistic and structural significance.
Practice effects on motor control in healthy seniors and patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

ABSTRACT This research was designed to test the hypothesis that motor practice can enhance the capabilities of motor control in healthy controls (NC) and patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and consequently results in better motor performance. Approximately half of the subjects in the NC (n = 31), AD (n = 28), and MCI (n = 29) either received or did not receive practice on a task of fast and accurate arm movement with a digitizer. Changes in movement time (MT), movement smoothness (jerk), and percentage of primary submovement (PPS) were recorded and compared among the three groups across six blocks of trials (baseline and five training sessions). For all subjects, practice improved motor functions as reflected by faster and smoother motor execution, as well as a greater proportion of programming control. Compared to unaffected matched controls, AD and MCI subjects exhibited a greater reduction in movement jerk due to practice. Movement time a...
Redirecting the Cyclization Steps of Fungal Polyketide Synthase

Regiospecific cyclizations of the nascent poly-beta-ketone backbones dictate the structures of polyketide natural products. The fungal iterative megasynthases use terminal thioesterase/claisen cyclase (TE/CLC) domains to direct the fate of the polyketide chains. In this work, we present two strategies toward redirecting the cyclization steps of fungal PKSs using the Gibberella fujikuroi PKS4. First, inactivation or removal of the TE/CLC domain resulted in the synthesis of the new polyketide SMA93 2. Complementation of the mutant PKS4 with a standalone TE/CLC domain restored the regioselective cyclization steps of PKS4 and led to the synthesis of SMA76 1, demonstrating that cyclization enzymes can interact with the megasynthase in trans. This led to the second approach in which various dissociated, bacterial tailoring enzymes were added to the megasynthase in trans. Addition of the act KR led to the synthesis of mutactin 3, while the addition of first ring and second ring cyclases yielded anthraquinone compounds DMAC 5 and SEK26 6. The cooperative activities of fungal and bacterial PKS components are especially important and enable synthesis of polyketides utilizing enzymes from two distinct families of PKSs.
Reflection electron microscopy studies of GaP(110) surfaces in UHV-TEM

Abstract Reflection electron microscopy (REM) and reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) were used in a UHV electron microscope to study the effects of various surface treatments on the topography and crystal structure of cleaved GaP(110) surfaces. Reported ion-milling and annealing cleaning treatments resulted in rough surface topography, and in good 1 × 1 RHEED patterns. Annealing at 800°C resulted in surface smoothing, but also led to dissociation of GaP with viscous flow of a Ga-rich molten phase on the surface. Regions on the surface which were not covered by the molten phase maintained the 1 × 1 reconstruction typical of the clean GaP(110) surface.
Role of Arctic sea ice in global atmospheric circulation: A review

Abstract Formed by the freezing of sea water, sea ice defines the character of the marine Arctic. The principal purpose of this review is to synthesize the published efforts that document the potential impact of Arctic sea ice on remote climates. The emphasis is on atmospheric processes and the resulting modifications in surface conditions such as air temperature, precipitation patterns, and storm track behavior at interannual timescales across the middle and low latitudes of the Northern hemisphere during cool months. Addressed also are the theoretical, methodological, and logistical challenges facing the current observational and modeling studies that aim to improve our awareness of the role that Arctic sea ice plays in the definition of global climate. Moving towards an improved understanding of the role that polar sea ice plays in shaping the global climate is a subject of timely importance as the Arctic environment is currently undergoing rapid change with little slowing down forecasted for the future.
Parallel algorithms for solving matrix-oriented problems on the three-dimensional computer

Abstract An interpreter-simulator called SIM3D has been developed to interpret and execute three- dimensional (3-D) machine functions. FORTRAN was used to write SIM3D. The 3-D instructions have a five-field fixed format and are strongly correlated with the actual hardware structure and capability. Ordinary sequential (non-paralle) instructions are also implemented and may be intermixed in the instruction stream although they are executed by a supervisory machine. The most elementary operations described in SIM3D are macro operations from the standpoint of hardware execution. The following 3-D instructions are presently implemented: input, output, conductive (interplane) transfer, direct (incell) transfer, nonconductive (interplane) transfer, conditional and unconditional branch, and stop. Using SIM3D, algorithms for matrix transpose, multiplication and inversion were implemented and proved to be faster than the predecessor to the 3-D machine and much faster than an equivalent serial machine.
The dynamics between civil liberties and technology in the war on terrorism

Project Guardian will examine technology policy issues that are associated with maintaining our civil liberties. This multidisciplinary effort will provide a public forum to examine the balance between civil liberties and national security. Project Guardian will endeavor to provide practical and workable recommendations to policymakers for accomplishing both the projection of our civil liberties, and the enabling technology to enhance the aggressive pursuit of terrorists.
Imbalanced Expression of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Isoforms in Cultured Lymphocytes from a Patient with Systemic Glucocorticoid Resistance and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The human glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is expressed as two alternatively spliced isoforms, GRalpha and GRbeta. Whereas GRalpha is a hormone-activated transcription factor, GRbeta does not bind glucocorticoids (GCs), is transcriptionally inactive, and is a potential inhibitor of activated GRalpha. Differential expression of GR isoforms may play a role in generalized or tissue-specific GC resistance. GCs induce apoptosis in neoplastic lymphoid cells; and, defective apoptosis is implicated in the genesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We studied a patient with generalized GC resistance and CLL. GR number in the patient's transformed lymphocytes was approximately one half that of control cells with a approximately 10-fold reduction in binding affinity for dexamethasone. In vitro apoptosis induction in CLL cells was delayed in response to GCs, but not to other apoptosis inducers. Sequencing of the GR cDNA and gene including the 2.3-kb coding region, the intron/exon junctions, the known 5'-regulatory region, and approximately 300 bp of the 3'-region revealed no alterations. Western blot with an N-terminal antibody showed normal levels of immunoreactive GR, but quantitative analysis with isoform-specific C-terminal antibodies revealed a markedly reduced GRalpha expression, and high GRbeta expression. These findings indicate that imbalanced expression of the GR isoforms may be a mechanism of GC resistance, and may have implications for tumorigenesis by enhancing cell survival.
Osteolysis of the distal clavicle: long-term results of arthroscopic resection.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of arthroscopic distal clavicle resection by the direct superior approach for treatment of isolated osteolysis of the distal clavicle. Type of Study: Case series. Materials and Methods: Forty-one shoulders in 37 patients underwent arthroscopic resection of the distal clavicle. Thirty-three patients were male and 4 female, with an average age of 39 years. All patients complained of pain localized to the acromioclavicular joint region. Symptoms began after a traumatic event in 18 shoulders and were associated with repetitive stressful activity in 23 shoulders. Results: At an average follow-up of 6.2 years, 22 shoulders had excellent results, 16 had good results, and 3 were failures. All 3 failures occurred in patients with a traumatic etiology. Conclusions: Arthroscopic resection for osteolysis of the distal clavicle has results comparable to open excision with low morbidity. Patients with a traumatic etiology had slightly worse results compared with patients with a microtraumatic etiology. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related surgery, Vol 16, No 6 (September), 2000: pp 600–605
The great society as a rhetorical proposition

The Great Society programs of President Lyndon Johnson reflected commitment to the quality of life, the idea of affirmative action, and government's role as stimulus and guarantor of social change. Obstacles to adopting the programs were overcome by employing conservative themes, claiming a moral imperative to act, and distinguishing the Great Society from older programs.
Genetic interactions between ATM and the nonhomologous end-joining factors in genomic stability and development

DNA ligase IV (Lig4) and the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) function in nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). However, although Lig4 deficiency causes late embryonic lethality, deficiency in DNA-PK subunits (Ku70, Ku80, and DNA-PKcs) does not. Here we demonstrate that, similar to p53 deficiency, ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) gene deficiency rescues the embryonic lethality and neuronal apoptosis, but not impaired lymphocyte development, associated with Lig4 deficiency. However, in contrast to p53 deficiency, ATM deficiency enhances deleterious effects of Lig4 deficiency on growth potential of embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and genomic instability in both MEFs and cultured progenitor lymphocytes, demonstrating significant differences in the interplay of p53 vs. ATM with respect to NHEJ. Finally, in dramatic contrast to effects on Lig4 deficiency, ATM deficiency causes early embryonic lethality in Ku- or DNA-PKcs-deficient mice, providing evidence for an NHEJ-independent role for the DNA-PK holoenzyme.
Improved results in vasovasostomies using internal plain catgut stents

Abstract Internal stents of 3-0 plain catgut gave an 86 per cent patency rate after vasovasostomy in 14 patients while externalized silkworm gut stents gave a 67 per cent patency rate in 21 patients. The internal stent technique does not require microsurgical instruments or specialized sutures. The use of the internal stent avoids having both a portal of entry for infection and an additional site for leakage of sperm with possible subsequent granuloma formation. The patency rates using internal stents compare favorably with those of any other technique now in use.
Human plasma α1-proteinase inhibitor: Temporary inhibition and multiple molecular forms of the complex with porcine trypsin

Abstract Human plasma α 1 -proteinase inhibitor (M.W. 58,000) reacts with porcine trypsin to form a 1:1 complex (M.W. 76,000) which dissociates at pH 8.0 into a modified, inactive inhibitor (M.W. 54,000) and active trypsin. The % recovery of active trypsin decreases with increasing enzyme to inhibitor ratios. Unrecovered trypsin is present in modified, more stable, enzyme-inhibitor complexes.
Swimming speed of larval snail does not correlate with size and ciliary beat frequency.

Many marine invertebrates have planktonic larvae with cilia used for both propulsion and capturing of food particles. Hence, changes in ciliary activity have implications for larval nutrition and ability to navigate the water column, which in turn affect survival and dispersal. Using high-speed high-resolution microvideography, we examined the relationship between swimming speed, velar arrangements, and ciliary beat frequency of freely swimming veliger larvae of the gastropod Crepidula fornicata over the course of larval development. Average swimming speed was greatest 6 days post hatching, suggesting a reduction in swimming speed towards settlement. At a given age, veliger larvae have highly variable speeds (0.8–4 body lengths s−1) that are independent of shell size. Contrary to the hypothesis that an increase in ciliary beat frequency increases work done, and therefore speed, there was no significant correlation between swimming speed and ciliary beat frequency. Instead, there are significant correlations between swimming speed and visible area of the velar lobe, and distance between centroids of velum and larval shell. These observations suggest an alternative hypothesis that, instead of modifying ciliary beat frequency, larval C. fornicata modify swimming through adjustment of velum extension or orientation. The ability to adjust velum position could influence particle capture efficiency and fluid disturbance and help promote survival in the plankton.
Hybrid hessians for flexible optimization of pose graphs

We present a novel “hybrid Hessian” six-degrees-of-freedom simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm. Our method allows for the smooth trade-off of accuracy for efficiency and for the incorporation of GPS measurements during real-time operation, thereby offering significant advantages over other SLAM solvers.
Noise- and stimulus-dependence of the optimal encoding nonlinearities in a simple ON/OFF retinal circuit model

Encoding of stimuli in the retina depends on the statistical properties of the input stimuli, neural noise, and circuit nonlinearities. Here, we present a simple model of a two-path ON/OFF RGC circuit (figure ​(figure1A).1A). We use variational methods to analytically calculate the optimal encoding nonlinearities in the presence of noise sources with two key biophysical properties: they have separate components that corrupt the stimulus (pre-nonlinearity) and the responses (post-nonlinearity), and they may be correlated across cells. We study qualitatively the effects of the competition between the stimulus and noise sources on the form of the encoding nonlinearities. We find that when both pre- and post-nonlinearity noises are low, the ON and OFF pathways each encode roughly half of the stimulus distribution (figure ​(figure1B).1B). However, the optimal nonlinearities rearrange at higher noise levels, introducing redundancy in signal encoding (figure ​(figure1C).1C). For very large post-nonlinearity noise, the best the circuit can do is encode the sign of the received stimulus (figure ​(figure1D).1D). The results of related studies are consistent with behavior observed in specific parameter regimes of the broad framework encompassed by this model [1,2]. Figure 1 A. Simple two-pathway retinal circuit model. A stimulus (s) is presented and transmitted to separate ON and OFF pathways, which receive correlated corrupting noises η+ and η-, respectively. The signals are passed through encoding nonlinearities ...
Psychoactive drugs in outpatient therapy.

A great many patients coming to a clinic for the first time are already using one or more drugs. The physician must be aware of this, not only for the purpose of prescription, but also in determining the validity of patient responses. He should be aware, too, of the correlation between demographic data and drug effect. If a drug is indicated, the therapist must consider, in addition to questions of potency, side effects and possible habituation, what he hopes to achieve through therapy. This paper provides a brief clinical evaluation of psychoactive drugs and their interaction with such non-drug variables as setting, expectation, placebo response, therapist attitude, and social class.
Effect of Network Structure on Characterization and Flow Modeling Using X-ray Micro-Tomography Images of Granular and Fibrous Porous Media

Image-based network modeling has become a powerful tool for modeling transport in real materials that have been imaged using X-ray computed micro-tomography (XCT) or other three-dimensional imaging techniques. Network generation is an essential part of image-based network modeling, but little quantitative work has been done to understand the influence of different network structures on modeling. We use XCT images of three different porous materials (disordered packings of spheres, sand, and cylinders) to create a series of four networks for each material. Despite originating from the same data, the networks can be made to vary over two orders of magnitude in pore density, which in turn affects network properties such as pore-size distribution and pore connectivity. Despite the orders-of-magnitude difference in pore density, single-phase permeability predictions remain remarkably consistent for a given material, even for the simplest throat conductance formulas. Detailed explanations for this beneficial attribute are given in the article; in general, it is a consequence of using physically representative network models. The capillary pressure curve generated from quasi-static drainage is more sensitive to network structure than permeability. However, using the capillary pressure curve to extract pore-size distributions gives reasonably consistent results even though the networks vary significantly. These results provide encouraging evidence that robust network modeling algorithms are not overly sensitive to the specific structure of the underlying physically representative network, which is important given the variety image-based network-generation strategies that have been developed in recent years.
Child Passenger Deaths Involving Alcohol-Impaired Drivers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Approximately 1 in 5 child passenger deaths in the United States involves an alcohol-impaired driver, most commonly the child’s own driver. The objective of this study was to document recent trends and state-specific rates of these deaths. METHODS: A descriptive analysis of 2001–2010 Fatality Analysis Reporting System data for child passengers aged RESULTS: During 2001–2010, 2344 children CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol-impaired driving remains a substantial threat to the safety of child passengers in the United States, and typically involves children being driven by impaired drivers. This risk varies meaningfully among states. To make further progress, states and communities could consider increased use of effective interventions and efforts aimed specifically at protecting child passengers from impaired drivers.
Methadone inhibits serotonin and norepinephrine uptake into rat brain synaptosomes and synaptic vesicles in vitro but not in vivo

Methadone in vitro inhibited biogenic amine uptake into synaptosomes isolated from rat whole brain; the IC50 for inhibition of serotonin uptake was between 0.1 and 1 micron, and for norepinephrine uptake, 10 micron when the serotonin or norepinephrine concentration was 0.05 micron. Methadone in vitro also inhibited uptake of norepinephrine into rat brain synaptic vesicles to the same extent that it inhibited synaptosomal norepinephrine uptake. In all cases, all cases, morphine in vitro was much less effective in blocking uptake. However, in vivo acute or chronic administration of methadone to rats failed to cause inhibition of serotonin or norepinephrine uptakes in synaptosomes isolated from the brains of treated rats, nor was inhibition of vesicular norepinephrine uptake produced. Amine uptake in situ also was unaffected by methadone administration, as evidenced by normal incorporation of intracisternally administered 3H-serotonin into synaptic endings. These data show that inhibition of synaptosomal and vesicular biogenic amine uptake by methadone in vitro is probably not a major determinant of the alterations in biogenic amine turnover caused by methadone administration. Thus, results obtained with platelets and adrenomedullary chromaffin vesicles, in which methadone administration does cause effective inhibition of amine uptake in vivo, cannot be extended to the central nervous system.
Polymorphisms near EXOC4 and LRGUK on chromosome 7q32 are associated with Type 2 Diabetes and fasting glucose; The NHLBI Family Heart Study

The chromosome 7q32 region is linked to metabolic syndrome and obesity related traits in the Family Heart Study. As part of a fine mapping study of the region, we evaluated the relationship of polymorphisms to fasting glucose levels and Type 2 diabetes. Thirty-nine HapMap defined tag SNPs in a 1.08 Mb region and a novel deletion polymorphism were genotyped in 2,603 participants of the NHLBI Family Heart Study (FHS). Regression modeling, adjusting for BMI, age, sex, smoking and the TCF7L2 polymorphism, was used to evaluate the association of these polymorphisms with T2D and fasting glucoses levels. The deletion polymorphism confers a protective effect for T2D, with homozygous deletion carriers having a 53% reduced risk compared to non-deleted carriers. Among non-diabetics, the deletion was significantly associated with lower fasting glucose levels in men (p = 0.038) but not women (p = 0.118). In addition, seven SNPs near the deletion were significantly associated (p < 0.01) to diabetes. Chromosome 7q32 contains both SNPs and a deletion that were associated to T2D. Although the deletion region contains several islands of strongly conserved sequence, it is not known to contain a transcribed gene. The closest nearby gene, EXOC4, is involved in insulin-stimulated glucose transport and may be a candidate for this association. Further work is needed to determine if the deletion represents a functional variant or may be in linkage disequilibrium with a functional mutation influencing EXOC4 or another nearby gene.
Undergraduate research: the senior thesis in finance

Abstract An undergraduate senior thesis offers the individual student an opportunity to pursue a topic of special interest or in greater depth than available in a traditional course. This paper describes the Senior Thesis in Finance required of all finance majors enrolled in The College of New Jersey, specifies the objectives of the thesis, and offers the results on an assessment survey of alumni, who completed the senior thesis.
Characterization of electronic structure and properties of a Bis(histidine) heme model complex.

Ferric and ferrous hemes, such as those present in electron transfer proteins, often have low-lying spin states that are very close in energy. To explore the relationship between spin state, geometry, and cytochrome electron transfer, we investigate, using density functional theory, the relative energies, electronic structure, and optimized geometries for a high- and low-spin ferric and ferrous heme model complex. Our model consists of an iron-porphyrin axially ligated by two imidazoles, which model the interaction of a heme with histidine residues. Using the B3LYP hybrid functional, we found that, in the ferric model heme complex, the doublet is lower in energy than the sextet by 8.4 kcal/mol and the singlet ferrous heme is 6.7 kcal/mol more stable than the quintet. The difference between the high-spin ferric and ferrous model heme energies yields an adiabatic electron affinity (AEA) of 5.24 eV, and the low-spin AEA is 5.17 eV. Both values are large enough to ensure electron trapping, and electronic stru...
Idealism, Disproportionality, and Democracy: A Reply to Chambers and Garvey

There are three phases to the argument I develop in “Legitimate Punishment in Liberal Democracy.” In the first, methodological phase, I argue for a Rawlsian approach to the problem of punishment, and construct a model of the original position that, I claim, represents the appropriate perspective from which to derive principles on the basis of which a liberal democracy might legitimately punish convicted offenders. In the second phase, I put this model to work to determine the content of such principles. And in the third phase, I draw on the principles just derived to evaluate the legitimacy of current policies and practices. Taken together, the comments offered by Professors Chambers and Garvey raise questions bearing on each phase of my argument. I cannot in this brief essay adequately respond to all their thoughtful observations, but I will attempt to address what I take to be their main concerns.
WE-G-BRE-09: Targeted Radiotherapy Enhancement During Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (ABPI) Using Controlled Release of Gold Nanoparticles (GNPs)

Purpose: Several studies have demonstrated low rates of local recurrence with brachytherapy-based accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). However, long-term outcomes on toxicity (e.g. telangiectasia), and cosmesis remain a major concern. The purpose of this study is to investigate the dosimetric feasibility of using targeted non-toxic radiosensitizing gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for localized dose enhancement to the planning target volume (PTV) during APBI while reducing dose to normal tissue. Methods: Two approaches for administering the GNPs were considered. In one approach, GNPs are assumed to be incorporated in a micrometer-thick polymer film on the surface of routinely used mammosite balloon applicators, for sustained controlled in-situ release, and subsequent treatment using 50-kVp Xoft devices. In case two, GNPs are administered directly into the lumpectomy cavity e.g. via injection or using fiducials coated with the GNP-loaded polymer film. Recent studies have validated the use of fiducials for reducing the PTV margin during APBI with 6 MV beams. An experimentally determined diffusion coefficient was used to determine space-time customizable distribution of GNPs for feasible in-vivo concentrations of 43 mg/g. An analytic calculational approach from previously published work was employed to estimate the dose enhancement due to GNPs (2 and 10 nm) as a function of distance up to 1 cm from lumpectomy cavity. Results: Dose enhancement due to GNP was found to be about 130% for 50-kVp x-rays, and 110% for 6-MV external beam radiotherapy, 1 cm away from the lumpectomy cavity wall. Higher customizable dose enhancement could be achieved at other distances as a function of nanoparticle size. Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest that significant dose enhancement can be achieved to residual tumor cells targeted with GNPs during APBI with electronic brachytherapy or external beam therapy. The findings provide a useful basis for developing nanoparticle-aided APBI, with potential to significantly reduce normal tissue/skin toxicity.
Effect of quenching on the kaon B parameter.

We compute the kaon [ital B] parameter on an ensemble of lattices which include the effects of dynamical quark loops. Comparing with our previous quenched calculations, we find that dynamical fermions have negligible effect.