cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of interferon-γ by lung lymphocytes in HIV-infected individuals

A CD8+ lymphocytic alveolitis occurs in up to 60% of asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. Early in HIV infection, lymphocytes consist predominantly of cytotoxic T l...
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection occurs with and without periadventitial inflammation

Dissection of a coronary artery not associated with aortic dissection or trauma is a rare condition that occurs most frequently in peripartum or postpartum women. It has been suggested that localized periadventitial inflammation, often found adjacent to these lesions, may represent a primary vasculitis which causes dissection. Two cases of spontaneous coronary artery dissection are described, together with a brief review of previously published cases. Based on this review, we conclude that periadventitial inflammation is reactive, rather than primary, in nature.
Sliding Window-based Probabilistic Change Detection for Remote-sensed Images

A recent probabilistic change detection algorithm provides a way for assessing changes on remote-sensed images which is more robust to geometric and atmospheric errors than existing pixel-based methods. However, its grid (patch)-based change detection results in coarse-resolution change maps and often discretizes continuous changes that occur across grid boundaries. In this study, we propose a sliding window-based extension of the probabilistic change detection approach to overcome such artificial limitations.
Outcome of Infants with Intracranial Tumors

Investigators at British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, Canada evaluated by retrospective chart review the long-term outcome and its predictors in all infants with a primary intracranial tumor seen at BCCH in the 23-year period, 1982-2005.
Rate-limiting Pyrophosphate Release by HIV Reverse Transcriptase Improves Fidelity

Previous measurements of the rates of polymerization and pyrophosphate release with DNA templates showed that pyrophosphate (PPi) dissociation was fast after nucleotide incorporation so that it did not contribute to enzyme specificity (kcat/Km). Here, kinetic parameters governing nucleotide incorporation and PPi release were determined using an RNA template. Compared with a DNA template of the same sequence, the rate of chemistry increased by up to 10-fold (250 versus 24 s-1), whereas the rate of PPi release decreased to approximately 58 s-1 so that PPi release became the rate-limiting step. During processive nucleotide incorporation, the first nucleotide (TTP) was incorporated at a fast rate (152 s-1), whereas the rates of incorporation of remaining nucleotides (CGTCG) were much slower with an average rate of 24 s-1, suggesting that sequential incorporation events were limited by the relatively slow PPi release step. The accompanying paper shows that slow PPi release allows polymerization and RNase H to occur at comparable rates. Although PPi release is the rate-determining step, it is not the specificity-determining step for correct incorporation based on our current estimates of the rate of reversal of the chemistry step (3 s-1). In contrast, during misincorporation, PPi release became extremely slow, which we estimated to be ∼0.002 s-1 These studies establish the mechanistic basis for DNA polymerase fidelity during reverse transcription and provide a free energy profile. We correct previous underestimates of discrimination by including the slow PPi release step. Our current estimate of 2.4 × 106 is >20-fold greater than estimated previously.
A Randomized Clinical Trial Targeting Anxiety Sensitivity for Patients With Suicidal Ideation

Objective Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a well-established transdiagnostic risk factor for anxiety and mood psychopathology including suicide. A variety of interventions using cognitive-behavioral skills as well as cognitive bias modification (CBM) suggest that AS can be quickly and effectively reduced in nonclinical and nontreatment seeking samples. However, it is unclear whether AS reduction protocols will have efficacy for more severe clinical samples. Moreover, the combination of cognitive-behavioral techniques with CBM focused on changing interpretation bias (CBM-I) related to AS has not been evaluated. Method A patient sample with co-occurring anxiety psychopathology and active suicidal ideation (N = 74) was randomly assigned to a brief 1-session computerized treatment including: (a) psychoeducation and interoceptive exposure (i.e., cognitive anxiety sensitivity treatment [CAST]) plus CBM-I for AS; or (b) health information condition plus sham CBM for AS. Participants were assessed immediately after the 1-hr intervention as well as at 1- and 4-month follow-ups. Results Consistent with hypotheses, participants in the active treatment showed significantly greater AS reduction that was maintained through follow-up (effect sizes ranged from medium to large for the overall AS and the AS subscales). Mediation analyses suggested that changes in AS mediated suicide outcomes. Conclusions In sum, these are the first findings to suggest that brief AS reduction protocols have efficacy both in terms of risk and symptom outcomes in patient samples showing active suicidal ideation. (PsycINFO Database Record
Genome Sequence of a Providencia stuartii Strain Isolated from Lucilia sericata Salivary Glands

ABSTRACT We present here the draft genome sequence of a Providencia stuartii strain, derived from the salivary glands of larval Lucilia sericata, a common blow fly important to forensic, medical, and veterinary science. The genome sequence will help dissect coinfections involving P. stuartii and Proteus mirabilis, as well as blow fly–bacteria interactions.
“O divino para mim é real”: Divinity, Maternity and Jouissance in A Paixão Segundo G.H.

In an analysis of the linguistic, feminine and spatial features of Clarice Lispector’s A paixao segundo G.H. , this article proposes an alternative reading of the text as an aesthetic treatise on the gendered female body and female sexuality. Contemplating the textual occurrences of Freudian and Lacanian jouissance, I trace the protagonist’s physical trajectory in the spatial dimension of her apartment. Through an analysis of the etymological ties between Christ’s πασχeιn to G.H.’s paixao , textual similarities to Joyce and religious linguistic wordplay, I demonstrate the particularly biological and feminized specificities of G.H.’s passion. Drawing from the theoretical work of Kristeva, Cixous and Irigaray, I suggest that G.H. both supports and refutes the Freudian paradigm of female sexuality. Through a discursive and structural analysis, this article will also make a case for a reading of the novel as the textual representation of female autoeroticism and poetic climax.
Electric field characteristics of low-field synchronized transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS)

Low-field synchronized trancranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS) was hypothesized to have significant therapeutic effects in patients with major depressive disorder by entrainment of neural oscillations. The sTMS device is comprised of neodymium magnets mounted over multiple brain regions and set to rotate at the patients alpha frequency. We characterized the electric field strength and distribution of sTMS using the finite element method. We found that the maximum induced electric field strength on the surfaces of the head and cortex are approximately 0.06Vm−1 and 0.02Vm−1, respectively. These field strengths are an order of magnitude lower than that delivered by transcranial current stimulation.
Comparison of Bone Marrow Biopsy Specimens Obtained Using a Motorized Device and Manual Biopsy Systems

Objective: Bone marrow biopsy is an essential component in the diagnosis of hematopoietic disorders. Researchers evaluated the quality of bone marrow biopsy tissue acquired with a motorized bone marrow biopsy device versus a standard manual device based on the following criteria: biopsy length, percentage of aspiration artifact/intrastromal hemorrhage, length of nonhematopoietic bone, and overall quality of the sample. Methods: Bone marrow biopsies (motorized, n = 30; manual, n = 120) from two academic medical centers were evaluated by two board-certified hematopathologists. For each specimen, the following parameters were recorded: biopsy length (cm), aspiration artifact (assessed in intervals of ≤10%, 11%–25%, 26%–50%, 51%–75%, and >75%), length (cm) of nonhematopoietic biopsy (e.g., cortical bone and skin), and overall quality of sample (inadequate, suboptimal, adequate, and excellent). Results: Operators from two centers included physicians and nurse practitioners. The manual system was superior to the powered drill with respect to the amount of crush artifact (0.15 cm ± 0.01 vs. 0.24 cm ± 0.04, P = 0.01 [t-test]). There was a trend toward less aspiration artifact/intrastromal hemorrhage with the use of the manual biopsy; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.06). There was no statistically significant difference in the overall biopsy size, biopsy length, amount of nonhematopoietic elements, and overall adequacy of the sample. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the biopsy length, amount of nonhematopoietic elements, and overall adequacy of the sample. Results suggest that the manual bone marrow biopsy device has significantly less crush artifact of the specimen and has a trend toward less aspiration artifact/intrastromal hemorrhage as well.
Characterization of Liver- and Cancer-type-Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide (OATP) 1B3 Messenger RNA Expression in Normal and Cancerous Human Tissues.

Background Membrane transport protein organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B3 mediates the cellular uptake of many clinically important drugs including anti-cancer drugs (e.g., paclitaxel). In addition to the well-recognized hepatic expression and function of OATP1B3 [herein named liver-type (Lt) OATP1B3], OATP1B3 also expresses in cancers and has been postulated to play a role in cancer therapy, presumably by facilitating the influx of anti-cancer drugs. Recently, a cancer type (Ct)-OATP1B3 mRNA variant was identified in colon and lung cancer tissues, which encodes truncated Ct-OATP1B3 with negligible transport activity. Other than in colon and lung cancers, reports on mRNA expression of OATP1B3 in other cancers cannot distinguish between the Ltand Ct-OATP1B3. Objective The current studies were designed to characterize the expression of Lt- and Ct-OATP1B3 mRNA in ovarian, prostate, bladder, breast, and lung tissues. Methods Lt- and Ct-OATP1B3 isoform-specific PCR primers were utilized to determine the mRNA levels of Lt- and Ct-OATP1B3, respectively. An expression vector expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Lt-OATP1B3 was transiently transfected into the ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3. Confocal live-cell microscopy was utilized to determine the localization of GFP-Lt-OATP1B3 in SKOV3 cells. Results For the first time, Lt-OATP1B3 mRNA was detected in ovarian, prostate, bladder and breast cancers. The localization of GFP-Lt-OATP1B3 on the plasma membrane of SKOV3 cells after transient transfection was readily detected by confocal microscopy. Conclusion Our findings are supportive of the potential role of Lt-OATP1B3 in cancer cells.
Spell checker for consumer language (CSpell)

Objective Automated understanding of consumer health inquiries might be hindered by misspellings. To detect and correct various types of spelling errors in consumer health questions, we developed a distributable spell-checking tool, CSpell, that handles nonword errors, real-word errors, word boundary infractions, punctuation errors, and combinations of the above. Methods We developed a novel approach of using dual embedding within Word2vec for context-dependent corrections. This technique was used in combination with dictionary-based corrections in a 2-stage ranking system. We also developed various splitters and handlers to correct word boundary infractions. All correction approaches are integrated to handle errors in consumer health questions. Results Our approach achieves an F1 score of 80.93% and 69.17% for spelling error detection and correction, respectively. Discussion The dual-embedding model shows a significant improvement (9.13%) in F1 score compared with the general practice of using cosine similarity with word vectors in Word2vec for context ranking. Our 2-stage ranking system shows a 4.94% improvement in F1 score compared with the best 1-stage ranking system. Conclusion CSpell improves over the state of the art and provides near real-time automatic misspelling detection and correction in consumer health questions. The software and the CSpell test set are available at https://umlslex.nlm.nih.gov/cSpell.
An Overview, Current Challenges of Drug Resistance, and Targeting Metastasis Associated With Lung Cancer

Abstract Lung cancer is one of the deadliest and most common forms of cancer and is the leading global cause of cancer-related deaths in men and second only to breast cancer in women. Nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for almost 80% of all lung cancer cases. In the past decade, discoveries regarding the molecular pathways and alterations implicated in the development and progression of lung cancer have facilitated the opening of new research avenues in the realms of therapeutics and targeted therapy, ultimately boosting clinical results. However, with the recent advancements in the treatment strategies, the prognosis of lung cancer patients is still poor, and this is due to the lack of early diagnosis, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapeutics. Most often, by the time a patient is detected with lung cancer, metastasis has already occurred. Additionally, resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs over the course of treatment is one of the major challenges of lung cancer-associated therapies. In this context, tumor heterogeneity is the biggest culprit, owing to the fact that individual tumors are distinct at histologic and molecular levels; thus, making it even more challenging to nail down one particular mechanism of drug resistance that is common to lung cancer and its associated pathologies. This chapter discusses the basic molecular alterations in NSCLC, existing treatment strategies, drug resistance, and metastasis in NSCLC. This knowledge will aid in the identification of new targets, defining novel molecular biomarkers and how they can be exploited to improve the current state of early cancer detection and overcome drug resistance.
Survey of flowering plants in Hawaii as potential banker plants of anthocorid predators for thrips control

Abstract Flowering plants in gardens and along roadsides on the Big Island of Hawaii were sampled for thrips and anthocorid predators of thrips. A total of 171 plant samples, comprising 859 plant sample units (e.g. flowers or flower clusters) were collected from 56 species of plants in 25 families. Adult thrips were found on 43 plant species, and 32 of these also had larval thrips of the same species, indicating the plant species was a breeding host for thrips. Five different species of anthocorids – Orius persequens, Orius tristicolor, Paratriphleps laeviusculus, Montandoniola confusa, and Blaptostethus pallescens – were collected on 22 different plant species in 10 plant families. The plants with the highest numbers of anthocorid adults and nymphs present were Macaranga tanarius (Blush Macaraga), Verbesina encelioides (Golden Crownbeard), Tithonia diversifolia (Tree Marigold), Acalypha hispida (Chenille bush), and Coreopsis lanceolata (Lance-leaf Coreopsis). Macaranga tanarius was found to be the best host plant for anthocorids, with an average of 25.5 adult and 21.1 larval anthocorids per plant sample. Orius persequens was the most abundant anthocorid on M. tanarius with average adult and larval densities of 24.1 and 17.3 per plant sample, respectively. None of the insects found in association with M. tanarius are known pests. Macaranga tanarius has great potential as a banker plant to help suppress thrips populations in greenhouse crops with anthocorid predators.
Penetration of glyphosate into the food supply and the incidental impact on the honey supply and bees

Abstract This review explores the entrance of glyphosate into the food supply and its impact on human health, along with the incidental impact on the honey supply and bees. Currently, glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide as well as the most politicized and publicized herbicide. The debate on the use of glyphosate has been prompted by the confusion over the safety of glyphosate shown by conflicting scientific studies, public interest groups, and the media. This review will give some insight into the causes of confusion over the safety of glyphosate by examining the various knowledge limitations of the general public and of the authorities, who approve and set limits on the usage of glyphosate. Finally, this review concludes by suggesting that commercial formulations be studied to determine if the additives or impurities in the glyphosate-based solution have bigger impacts on human health than pure glyphosate.
CellWell: A micropatterned biphasic nanocomposite platform for culturing chondrocytes

Graphical AbstractnnO_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=77 SRC="FIGDIR/small/790030v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">nView larger version (25K):norg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@e0a6c0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@e3b9f7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c60cb6org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6cb884_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG AbstractWe present a unique micropatterned nanocomposite cell culture platform to model articular cartilage that is suitable for high-throughput single-cell analyses using standard imaging techniques. This platform, the CellWell, is constructed out of a thin, optically transparent substrate that is lithographically micropatterned with a network of wells sized to fit individual cells. The substrate material consists of a thin layer of agarose hydrogel embedded with polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers. The geometries of the wells are designed to reinforce a physiological morphology, thereby combining the physiological advantages of 3D culture systems with the practical advantages of 2D systems. CellWells were found to have compressive moduli of 144 {+/-} 11.5 kPa and 158 {+/-} 0.6 kPa at strain rates of 5 m/s and 15 m/s. The compressive moduli were determined at two different strain rates to allow for comparison of CellWell stiffness with published values of pericellular matrix and with observed values of articular cartilage, which could not be indented at the same rate. Articular chondrocytes seeded in a CellWell were found to maintain their spheroidal morphology more effectively than those seeded in monolayer cultures and to be more easily imaged than those seeded in a 3D scaffold of identical thickness. Through its ease of use and ability to maintain the physiological morphology of chondrocytes, we expect that the CellWell will enhance the clinical translatability of future studies conducted using this culture platform.
Neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with congenital heart disease: A review

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth anomaly affecting approximately 1% of births. With improved survival in this population, there is enhanced ability to assess long-term morbidities including neurodevelopment. There is a wide range of congenital heart defects, from those with minimal physiologic consequence that do not require medical or surgical intervention, to complex structural anomalies requiring highly specialized medical management and intricate surgical repair or palliation. The impact of congenital heart disease on neurodevelopment is multifactorial. Susceptibility for adverse neurodevelopment increases with advancing severity of the defect with initial risk factors originating during gestation. Complex structural heart anomalies may pre-dispose the fetus to abnormal circulatory patterns in utero that ultimately impact delivery of oxygen rich blood to the fetal brain. Thus, the brain of a neonate born with complex congenital heart disease may be particularly vulnerable from the outset. That vulnerability is compounded during the newborn period and through childhood, as this population endures a myriad of medical and surgical interventions. For each individual patient, these factors are likely cumulative and synergistic with progression from fetal life through childhood. This review discusses the spectrum of risk factors that may impact neurodevelopment in children with congenital heart disease, describes current recommendations and practices for neurodevelopmental follow-up of children with congenital heart disease and reviews important neurodevelopmental trends in this high risk population.
The associations between patterns of precarious employment and workers’ health

Abstract Although the prevalence of precarious employment has been on the rise due to structural changes in the global labor market, there is still lack of a clear understanding of whether precarious employment is a social determinant of health. Data from the 2006–2010–2014 General Social Survey (N = 5,411) were used to examine the relationships between patterns of precarious employment and perceived health among US workers. Based on a multidimensional construct of precarious employment, latent class analysis identified four differential patterns of precarious employment experienced by workers: (1) the most precarious group, (2) low precarious with middle income group, (3) low precarious with high income group, and (4) mixed precarious group. I then conducted a multinomial logistic regression and found that socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender, race/ethnicity, and education, were significantly associated with precarious employment class membership. Finally, a logistic regression analysis showed that there were significant differences in perceived health status across precarious employment classes, controlling for individual background characteristics. Study findings highlight the heterogeneity and various patterns of precarious employment experiences and indicate a need for the use of a multidimensional construct of employment precariousness in determining its health impact on the working population.
Nonbank Lending and Credit Cyclicality

We document three facts about nonbank lending in the syndicated loan market. First, nonbank lending is more than twice as cyclical as bank lending. Second, declines in nonbank lending explain most of the declines in syndicated lending during the Great Recession and COVID-19 crisis. Third, cyclicality in nonbank lending is matched by cyclicality in nonbank funding flows. The higher nonbank cyclicality is not explained by either the health or monitoring ability of banks, nor by bank-borrower relationships. Instead, it appears to be driven by nonbank funding instability. We highlight frictions in CLOs and mutual funds that contribute to this instability.
Natural Disasters, ‘Partisan Retrospection,’ and U.S. Presidential Elections

Research investigating whether natural disasters help or hurt politicians’ electoral fortunes has produced conflicting results. Some find that voters punish elected officials indiscriminately in the wake of a natural disaster (i.e. ‘blind retrospection’). Others find that voters instead incorporate elected officials’ subsequent relief efforts in their assessment (i.e. ‘attentive retrospection’). We argue that an additional consideration affects voters’ response to natural disasters: the elected official’s partisan affiliation. We contend that whether voters reward or punish incumbents following a disaster is influenced by whether or not the official is a co-partisan. We look for evidence of such ‘partisan retrospection’ by examining the effects of Hurricane Sandy on the 2012 presidential election, and find that voters’ reactions to disaster damage were strongly conditioned by pre-existing partisanship, with counties that previously supported Obama reacting far more positively to disaster damage than those that had earlier opposed him. We then use existing data to investigate the relationship between disasters and presidential elections between 1972 and 2004. We find that incumbent-party candidates performed no worse in disaster-affected co-partisan counties than in non-affected co-partisan counties, but that they underperformed in disaster-affected counties safely in the opposing party column.
Thrift Conversions and Windfall Profits: An Empirical Examination

The thrift industry has been studied extensively in recent years due to the enormous costs to resolve failed thrifts during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Almost all of the studies have focused on the causes of these failures. Yet, an important but relatively neglected development that merits further study is the conversion of mutual institutions to the stock form of ownership. Such conversions raise questions regarding the appropriate price for the shares in initial offerings, particularly in view of reports that windfall profits have been realized by the initial investors in numerous cases and who should receive the shares. The purpose of this paper is to examine mutual thrifts that converted to stock ownership form during 1992 and 1993 to determine whether excess returns were indeed realized and, if so, to identify the determinants of those excess returns. The empirical results indicate the initial investors do indeed benefit from significantly positive abnormal returns during the first few days of trading after conversion. Additional empirical results indicate that both the pro-forma price-to-book ratio and the dollar amount of shares management intends to purchase are significant factors in explaining the variation in the abnormal returns.
Conclusion and Future Outlook

The developed multifunctional GNS theranostic nanoprobe has multiple capabilities ranging from in vivo tracking at the subcellular all the way up to the whole body level as well as specific cancer treatment with photoimmunotherapy, providing a superior nanoplatform for both pre-clinical basic research and clinical translation in cancer management.
Continuous-Domain Real-Time Distributed ADMM Algorithm for Aggregator Scheduling and Voltage Stability in Distribution Network

With an increase in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) and battery storage systems (BSSs), there are major challenges in the distribution grid to maintain a scaling control structure. Also, with the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, EVs can now inject power into the grid for voltage regulation. This article proposes a new distributed real-time alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) technique to control EVs and BSSs for voltage regulation while maximizing their utility function. More specifically, a continuous-domain real-time optimization and control algorithm is developed in closed form, which exchanges relevant information among the neighboring nodes through the communication network and optimizes a combined convex objective of EVs and BSSs welfare and voltage regulation with power flow equations as constraints. Convergence analysis is provided using the Lyapunov direct approach, and simulation results are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Connecting the Dots: a cluster-randomized clinical trial integrating standardized autism spectrum disorders screening, high-quality treatment, and long-term outcomes.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects one in 54 children in the United States of America, and supporting people with ASD across the lifespan presents challenges that impact individuals, families, and communities and can be quite costly. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued recommendations for routine ASD screening at 18 and 24 months, but some research suggests that few pediatricians perform high-fidelity, standardized screening universally. Furthermore, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found insufficient evidence to recommend for or against universal ASD screening. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that children with ASD who have high fidelity; standardized screening will achieve superior outcomes at 5 years of age compared to children receiving usual care ASD detection strategies. This is a cluster-randomized, controlled clinical trial in 3 sites in the USA. Pediatric practices will be randomized to implement universal, standardized, high-fidelity toddler screening or usual care, with randomization stratified by the practice size. The study will enroll 3450 children, approximately half in each group. From this sample, we anticipate 100 children to be diagnosed with ASD. Children in both groups receiving an ASD diagnosis will be administered the Early Start Denver Model, an evidence-based early intervention addressing social, communication, and cognitive functioning. Treatment will last for 1 year, with up to 20 h per week of therapy for children with ASD. Primary outcomes measured at baseline, following treatment, and at 4 and 5 years of age include ASD symptom severity (Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC)) and cognitive functioning (Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and Differential Abilities Scale-II (DAS-II)). Secondary outcomes in children include measures of adaptive functioning, ASD symptoms, and kindergarten readiness; secondary analyses will also examine stress and empowerment among parents. Several novel exploratory measures will be included as well. The study will utilize a modified intention-to-treat analysis. This trial will evaluate the impact of universal, standardized, high-fidelity screening for ASD among children at 18 months of age, with a goal of providing evidence to support this strategy to detect ASD in toddlers in order to start treatment as young as possible and maximize outcomes. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Drexel University (IRB protocol: 1607004653). All findings will be provided by the principal investigator via email; data will be available through the NIMH Data Archive ( https://nda.nih.gov/ ). ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03333629 . Registered on November 7, 2017
Sex-Specific Difference in Dynamic Balance Following Total Hip Replacement

Background and Objectives Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common surgical procedure in older adults (65 years or older). THA has high patient satisfaction, but little is known about balance and mobility limitations after surgery and if outcomes are sex-specific. This study was aimed to evaluate post-THA asymmetry during unilateral standing and a dynamic balance and reach test and test the hypotheses that balance performance would be decreased on the surgical limb and that balance deficits would be greater in women than in men. Research Design and Methods Primary, unilateral THA (70 male, 57 female) patients completed a bilateral 10-s single-leg stance test. Sixty male but only 34 female participants could maintain unilateral balance for 10 s or greater. The cohort who successfully completed the 10-s single-limb stance test then completed a Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test in which the maximum anterior (ANT), posteromedial (PM), and posterolateral reach distances were obtained bilaterally and used to calculate the asymmetry score. All variables were compared using a mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of variance (sex by limb), while independent samples t tests were used to assess sex-specific asymmetry. Results Women failed single-leg stance at a higher rate than men (85.7% vs 59.6%; p = .001). Reach distance was different between limbs for all reach directions (p < .004) with greater reach distance on the nonoperative limb for all patients. Men had a greater reach distance in the ANT (p = .004) and PM (p = .006) directions. Discussion and Implications These results indicate that post-THA, the operative limb and female patients have greater balance limitations. These results are novel and reveal sex-specific patterns that emphasize the need for sex-specific postoperative rehabilitation programs to improve long-term outcomes, especially in older adults with muscle weakness and balance deficits.
Versatile Porous Poly(arylene ether)s via Pd-Catalyzed C-O Polycondensation.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation DMR-1809740 and KAUST sensor project REP2719. The authors thank Dr. Richard Y. Liu for advice on the preparation of this paper and fluorescence titration experiment, Lennon Shaoxiong Luo for XPS analysis, and a core center grant P30-ES002109 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health for ICPMS equipment.
Advancing Prosthetic Designs

Much research effort is aimed at improving prosthetic functions, particularly the upper limb. The human-machine interface (HMI) remains the weak link in prosthetic restoration of function, and HMI technologies have advanced over the past decade, as demonstrated by greater dexterity in trials. In particular, the sensors used to encode users’ volition have been upgraded and simplified to endow more function to users. Many other innovations are being developed, including surgical re-routing of nerves, brain implants, and closed-loop control.
Photodissociation Dynamics of Vinoxy Radical via the B̃2A″ State: The H + CH2CO Product Channel.

Photodissociation dynamics of the jet-cooled vinoxy radical (CH2CHO) via the B2A″ state was studied in the near-ultraviolet (near-UV) region of 308-328 nm using high-n Rydberg H atom time-of-flight (HRTOF) and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) techniques. The vinoxy radical beam was produced by 193 nm photolysis of ethyl vinyl ether followed by supersonic expansion. The H + CH2CO product channel was observed directly in the H atom TOF spectra. The H atom photofragment yield (PFY) spectra were obtained by integrating the H atom TOF spectra and measuring the H atom REMPI signals, and showed several vibronic bands of the B2A″ state. The translational energy distributions of the H + CH2CO products, P(ET)'s, were obtained at several vibronic transitions. The P(ET) distributions were broad, peaking at a low energy of ∼3500 cm-1. The product translational energy release was moderate; the average translational energy release in the maximum available energy, ⟨fT⟩, was in the range of 0.24-0.27. The product angular distributions in this wavelength region were slightly anisotropic, with the β parameter in the range of 0.10-0.24. The near-UV photodissociation mechanism of the H + CH2CO product channel of the vinoxy radical is consistent with unimolecular dissociation on the electronic ground state (X2A″) following internal conversion from the B2A″ state to the A2A' state and then to the X2A″ state (although unimolecular dissociation from the first excited A2A' may also contribute).
Experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of projected transparencies on instruction in vocational agriculture

scores resulted in the highest correlations with the posttest mean scores. When the two groups of schools were compared on DAT, mechanical, it was noted that the control group of schools scored higher than did the transparency schools. Although the DAT, mechanical scores for the treatment group of schools were lower than for the control group of schools, the posttest results of the transparency group were equal to those of the control group. This would tend to indicate that the use of the prepared overhead transparencies did increase student achieve­ ment. Scores from the Nebraska Agriculture Achievement and the Intelligence Quotient tests were correlated at a higher level with posttest mean scores In the farm credit subject matter area for the treatment group of schools. The highest correla­ tion values in the control group of schools were between posttest scores and scores on the Kuder Outdoor, Intelligence Quotient and Nebraska Agriculture Achievement tests. When the two groups of schools were compared, it was found that the treatment group of schools* correlation values were all lower than those of the control group of schools. The researcher feels that if a group of students score low on a selected variable, but perform well on the posttest, transpar­ encies did contribute to the student achievement. — —" — I • 4# WW» I T m "1 3 XUliu X X wiii vliC X vc%.a.u.cu> o v; vw-w. xcx^c^v uixc* w the Nebraska Agriculture Achievement and the Intelligence
Synthesis of M protein by mouse myeloma tumor: correlation of in vitro and in vivo methods.

1. In vitro incubation of Potter-Pilgrim No. 5563 and No. 5647 mouse myeloma tumors with tritiated-d,l-leucine produced demonstrable radioactivity in the respective myeloma proteins. 2. In vivo inoculation of H3-d,l-leucine in tumor bearing animals showed similar incorporation and in addition showed incorporation of radioactivity into albumin and alpha globulin. 3. It is suggested that the in vitro studies better serve to identify the isolated tissue function in protein synthesis. 4. Mouse myeloma studies confirm previous results in human multiple myeloma and indicate that in vitro incubation of protein producing tissues with H3-d,l-leucine can demonstrate protein synthesis.
Chapter 18: Sensing cytoskeletal mechanics by ballistic intracellular nanorheology (BIN) coupled with cell transfection.

Abstract Key processes in normal and diseased cells depend directly or indirectly on the viscoelastic properties of the cytoplasm. Particle‐tracking microrheology is a highly versatile method that measures the viscoelastic properties of cytoplasm directly by tracking fluorescent nanoparticles embedded in the cytoskeleton with high spatial and temporal resolutions. Here we present a new method that combines cell transfection, ballistic injection, and particle‐tracking microrheology to monitor changes in cytoplasmic micromechanics following controlled changes in protein expression. We demonstrate that cells transfected with GFP (green fluorescent protein) display viscoelastic properties identical to untransfected fibroblasts, that low levels of expression of GFP‐α‐actinin do not affect cell microrheology, and that the transient transfection with GFP‐C3 transferase reduces the elasticity of the cytoplasm of fibroblasts to a similar extent as C3 transferase toxin, which de‐activates the GTPase Rho. Combining cell transfection with particle‐tracking microrheology opens the way to quantitative, single live‐cell mechanical studies where stable cell lines cannot be easily established, but where commonly used transfections can be exploited to manipulate cytoskeletal organization.
The multiplicity of human formins: Expression patterns in cells and tissues.

Formins are actin-binding proteins conserved across species from plants to humans. The formin family is defined by their common formin homology (FH2) domains. The 15 distinct human formins are involved in a broad range of cellular functions, including cell adhesion, cytokinesis, cell polarity, and cell morphogenesis. Their commonality is actin polymerization activity inherent to FH2 domains. Although still requiring much study, biochemical activity of formins has been carefully described. In contrast, much less is known of their activities in complex living systems. With the diversity of the formin family and the actin structures that they affect, an extensive future of study beckons. In this study, we report the expression level of all 15 formins in 22 different human cell and tissue types using quantitative real-time PCR. Identification of major themes in formin expression and documentation of expression profiles should facilitate the cellular study of formins. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ultrastructural analysis of the apical ectodermal ridge during vertebrate limb morphogenesis. 1. the human forelimb with special reference to gap junctions.

Abstract The fine structure of the human forelimb apical ectodermal ridge of stages 12–19 was examined using techniques of transmission electron microscopy, freeze fracture, and scanning electron microscopy. This paper reports the presence of subcellular structures that distinguish the inductively active apical ectoderm from adjacent dorsal and ventral ectoderms. The apex of the human forelimb begins development with an epithelium of two cell layers (stage 12) which thickens at the distal tip during stages 13 and 14 into a multilayered apical ectodermal ridge. During this transition we have observed that the basal lamina differentiates from a bilayered structure to the definitive single lamina. Some cells in the ectoderm become detached from the basal lamina as stratification begins. At the same time these cells show increased mitotic activity and the developing ridge cells acquire gap junctions. Annular gap junctions are also observed. Gap junctions are not observed in adjacent, presumably noninductive, epithelia. Finally, the ridge cells next to the basal lamina acquire bundles of microfilaments that are oriented in the dorsal-ventral plane in the basal cytoplasm of the cells. The apical ridge reaches its greatest dimensions during stage 15. The number and peripheral extent of gap junctions also appear to be greatest at this same time. At stage 17, cells within the ridge begin to die, and other ridge cells engulf them. By stage 19, gap junctions in the apical epithelium are sparse and are of lesser diameter than in the definitive ridge. In addition, the oriented bundles of microfilaments present at stages 14–17 are absent. Thus, at stage 19 a morphologically distinct apical ectodermal ridge is no longer present. The apex of the limb is covered by two cell layers typical of human embryonic epidermis.
Targeted mRNA Degradation

Regulation of gene expression includes a wide array of cellular mechanisms that control abundance of RNA and protein levels. Besides the well-described mechanisms of transcriptional control, cells use a variety of posttranscriptional processes to regulate the levels and activity of RNA and protein molecules through modification, stabilization, or degradation of these molecules. In particular, changes in the amounts of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) play a major role in gene expression. In this article we will focus on the mechanisms that regulate cellular abundance of mRNAs through targeted mRNA degradation.
The Persecution of the Jews and Muslims of Portugal: King Manuel I and the End of Religious Tolerance (1496–7)

The Persecution of the Jews and Muslims of Portugal: King Manuel I and the End of Religious Tolerance (1496–7) FRANCOIS SOYER, 2007 Leiden: Brill xix + 325 pp., maps €95.00/US$136.00 (hardback) ISB...
Investigation of larger forms of somatostatin in pigeon pancreas and rat brain

Abstract Either ribosomal or nonribosomal mechanisms1 could be considered for the biosynthesis of the polypeptide somatostatin. Since it seems improbable on the basis of investigations of Blobel et al.2,3 that small secretory peptides such as somatostatin are directly synthesized on ribosomes, a ribosomal mechanism of somatostatin biosynthesis would require a larger precursor molecule which could be synthesized on the ribosomes and then be enzymatically processed to generate the tetradecapeptide somatostatin. The possibility that hypothalamic extracts might contain larger somatostatin species was proposed by Schally et al.4 and in a report from our laboratories.5 Arimura et al.6 found two immunoreactive somatostatin species in the extracts from the stomach and pancreas of the rat. One species eluted in Sephadex G-25 gel chromatography with the tetradecapeptide somatostatin. Most of the pancreatic somatostatinlike activity (SLA) was eluted in the void volume, possibly representing a larger SLA species. Recent investigations of Dupont and Alvarado-Urbina,7 however, raised doubts about the existence of a big pancreatic somatostatin. According to this report, the big pancreatic somatostatin species can be converted into the small form, which is eluted with the tetradecapeptide somatostatin in gel chromatography, by treatment with 8 M urea independent of the presence of thioglycol. In this paper, we report our investigations of larger somatostatin species using extraction and purification procedures that minimize protein-protein interactions and protease activities.
A SAS macro for a clustered logrank test

Abstract: The clustered logrank test is a nonparametric method of significance testing for correlated survival data. Examples of its application include cluster randomized trials where groups of patients rather than individuals are randomized to either a treatment or a control intervention. We describe a SAS macro that implements the 2-sample clustered logrank test for data where the entire cluster is randomized to the same treatment group. We discuss the theory and applications behind this test as well as details of the SAS code.
Widening Life Expectancy Advantage of Hispanics in the United States: 1990-2010.

We examine trends in the Hispanic longevity advantage between 1990 and 2010, focusing on the contribution of cigarette smoking. We calculate life expectancy at age 50 for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites between 1990 and 2010. We use an indirect method to calculate the contribution of smoking to changes over time in life expectancy. Among women, the Hispanic advantage in life expectancy grows from 2.14 years in 1990 (95 % CI 1.99–2.30 years) to 3.53 years in 2010 (3.42–3.64 years). More than 40 % of this increase reflects widening differences in smoking-attributable mortality. The advantage for Hispanic men increases from 2.27 years (2.14–2.41 years) to 2.91 years (2.81–3.01 years), although smoking makes only a small contribution. Despite persistent disadvantage, US Hispanics have increased their longevity advantage over non-Hispanic whites since 1990, much of which reflects the continuing importance of cigarette smoking to the Hispanic advantage.
Symmetry and cluster magnetism.

Three possible isomers of 13-atom iron clusters are studied using local-density-functional methods that allow the spin of the cluster to be determined self-consistently. The ground state is the icosahedral structure. It has the greatest magnetic moment because of increased symmetry-required orbital degeneracy for electrons of different spins.
American beach law and policies

Abstract The beaches of the United States are subject to profound physical changes and some bitter legal and political disputes. A misinterpreted public trust doctrine went far in allowing government control over the foreshore, further strengthened by doctrines of prescription, dedication, and custom to increase public access to the beach and even the dry sands regarded as private property. But the struggle over vertical access to the beach through private property by the public or unlimited use of the foreshore and private dry sand has not ceased. Judicial interpretations and policies vary in different State with the promise of more costly litigation. The challenge is for State legislatures to provide comprehensive legislation that will clearly define the public’s right to beach access.
Percutaneous pinning of proximal humerus fractures

Displaced proximal humerus fractures remain a therapeutic challenge to the treating orthopedic surgeon. It is generally agreed that most displaced 4-part fractures and head-splitting fractures are best treated with hemiarthroplasty, but there are numerous surgical techniques for the treatment of displaced 2- and 3-part fractures, as well as valgus-impacted 4-part fractures. One treatment method is closed reduction and percutaneous pinning that provides the benefit of obtaining and holding adequate reduction without the soft-tissue dissection of open reduction and internal fixation. The indications, technique, results, and complications of this method are discussed in this article.