cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interventions to Reduce Tobacco-Related Health Disparities

The science of tobacco-related health disparities has come a long way since the release of the 1998 Report of the Surgeon General, “Tobacco Use Among US Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups”.1 In that report, there was a small section devoted to “tobacco control and education efforts of smokers from four racial/ethnic minority groups.” A major conclusion in the 1998 report was that prevention and cessation efforts in racial/ethnic communities are limited by underdeveloped tobacco control infrastructures and low levels of resources for research, program development, and program dissemination. This report inspired a number of national, regional, and local initiatives by funding agencies, health departments, and individuals to begin to address some of the concerns.
Temporal Lobe and Object Recognition

Object recognition is an essential cognitive function that critically depends on parts of the temporal lobe. Four temporal-lobe structures have been implicated in this function, based on a battery of object-recognition tasks. Early studies emphasized the hippocampus in visual object recognition, but more recent evidence suggests that the inferotemporal and perirhinal cortices may be more important. The perirhinal cortex is also necessary for recognizing previous female sexual partners, where olfaction is a critical sensory dimension. Both the perirhinal and insular cortices are essential for olfactory- or gustatory-recognition memory. The perirhinal and insular cortices may turn out to be supremely important for representing multimodal objects.
Hand Sensorimotor Function in Older Children With Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy.

Abstract Background Routine sensory assessments in neonatal brachial plexus palsy are infrequently performed because it is generally assumed that sensory recovery exceeds motor recovery. However, studies examining sensory function in neonatal brachial plexus palsy have produced equivocal findings. The purpose of this study was to examine hand sensorimotor function in older children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy using standard clinical and research-based measures of tactile sensibility. Methods Seventeen children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy (mean age: 11.6 years) and 19 age-matched controls participated in the study. Functional assessments included grip force, monofilament testing, and hand dexterity (Nine-Hole Peg, Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function). Tactile spatial perception involving the discrimination of pin patterns and movement-enhanced object recognition (stereognosis) were also assessed. Results In the neonatal brachial plexus palsy group, significant deficits in the affected hand motor function were observed compared with the unaffected hand. Median monofilament scores were considered normal for both hands. In contrast, tactile spatial perception was impaired in the neonatal brachial plexus palsy group. This impairment was seen as deficits in both pin pattern and object recognition accuracy as well as the amount of time required to identify patterns and objects. Tactile pattern discrimination time significantly correlated with performance on both functional assessment tests ( P Discussion This study provides evidence that tactile perception deficits may accompany motor deficits in neonatal brachial plexus palsy even when measures of tactile registration (i.e., monofilament testing) are normal. These results may reflect impaired processing of somatosensory feedback associated with reductions in goal-directed upper limb use and illustrate the importance of including a broader range of sensory assessments in neonatal brachial plexus palsy.
Complications in replacement arthroplasty of the hip.

A total of fifty-three complications occurred in twenty-three patients. Different complications were encountered which produced varying degrees of disability. It is appropriate to quote from the conclusions drawn by Judet and Judet3 from their recent report of 400 patients: "Some fatalities and a proportion of bad or poor results make this operation one to be undertaken only by surgeons well trained in the surgery of the hip and only on patients who really need it". Although our study is not an end-result evaluation, we feel justified in recommending that surgeons have a critical awareness of the many hazards involved in this operation.
Hydrolysis of ketene catalyzed by formic acid: modification of reaction mechanism, energetics, and kinetics with organic acid catalysis.

The hydrolysis of ketene (H2C═C═O) to form acetic acid involving two water molecules and also separately in the presence of one to two water molecules and formic acid (FA) was investigated. Our results show that, while the currently accepted indirect mechanism, involving addition of water across the carbonyl C═O bond of ketene to form an ene–diol followed by tautomerization of the ene–diol to form acetic acid, is the preferred pathway when water alone is present, with formic acid as catalyst, addition of water across the ketene C═C double bond to directly produce acetic acid becomes the kinetically favored pathway for temperatures below 400 K. We find not only that the overall barrier for ketene hydrolysis involving one water molecule and formic acid (H2C2O + H2O + FA) is significantly lower than that involving two water molecules (H2C2O + 2H2O) but also that FA is able to reduce the barrier height for the direct path, involving addition of water across the C═C double bond, so that it is essentially ident...
A training primer for Institutional Officials

The laws and policies governing the care and use of animals in research in the US require institutions to establish training programs to assure that personnel are qualified for their roles in animal care and use programs. Few programs define specific training requirements for the Institutional Official (IO), one of the most important roles in an animal care program. In some cases, IOs may have little or no experience in biomedical science. In this article, the author provides an overview of the IO's role in an animal care and use program as defined by US government laws and policies for use in training IOs and chief executive officers. The author outlines the key responsibilities of the IO in an animal care program, the implications of noncompliance with federal requirements and some of the pitfalls in program design.
Fast Enzymatic Processing of Proteins for MS Detection with a Flow-through Microreactor.

The vast majority of mass spectrometry (MS)-based protein analysis methods involve an enzymatic digestion step prior to detection, typically with trypsin. This step is necessary for the generation of small molecular weight peptides, generally with MW < 3,000-4,000 Da, that fall within the effective scan range of mass spectrometry instrumentation. Conventional protocols involve O/N enzymatic digestion at 37 oC. Recent advances have led to the development of a variety of strategies, typically involving the use of a microreactor with immobilized enzymes or of a range of complementary physical processes that reduce the time necessary for proteolytic digestion to a few minutes (e.g., microwave or high-pressure). In this work, we describe a simple and cost-effective approach that can be implemented in any laboratory for achieving fast enzymatic digestion of a protein. The protein (or protein mixture) is adsorbed on C18-bonded reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) silica particles preloaded in a capillary column, and trypsin in aqueous buffer is infused over the particles for a short period of time. To enable on-line MS detection, the tryptic peptides are eluted with a solvent system with increased organic content directly in the MS ion source. This approach avoids the use of high-priced immobilized enzyme particles and does not necessitate any aid for completing the process. Protein digestion and complete sample analysis can be accomplished in less than ~3 min and ~30 min, respectively.
Fundamental Solutions of Transversely Isotropic Trimaterial Due to Point Forces via Cylindrical System of Vector Functions

Many physical systems can be modeled as layered structures, such as pavements, piezoelectric and piezomagnetic composites. Thus, response of these systems due to different types of loading and boundary conditions is important. One of the fundamental issues is associated with the response in trimaterials due to point forces. These trimaterials could have many practical applications in composite laminates and thin films coating on substrates. In this paper, we present the static solution of the trimaterial subjected to a point force. The transversely isotropic trimaterial is made of a plate bonded by two half spaces on its top and bottom. The cylindrical system of vector functions is adopted to derive the Green’s functions in the transformed domain. Then, a fast and efficient mathematical methodology is developed to solve the equations for the displacements and stresses at any field point within the trimaterial domain. Numerical examples are carried out to verify the present formulation. It is obvious that if the properties of all the three materials are identical, then our solution is reduced to the corresponding full space case. By selecting the material properties properly, our solution can be also reduced to the corresponding half space and bimaterial cases.
Parent Ratings of Ability to Consent for Clinical Trials in Fragile X Syndrome

Advances in understanding neurobiology and intellectual disabilities have led to clinical trials testing new medications. This study assessed parents' perceptions of the ability of their son or daughter with fragile X syndrome (FXS), an inherited form of intellectual disability, to participate in the consent process for clinical trials. Four hundred twenty-two families participated in a survey that included six items assessing various aspects of the ability to provide consent. A rank ordering of decisional tasks was found. The easiest task was to understand that the medication was different from his or her medical treatment; the most difficult was the ability to understand and weigh the potential benefits and risks of study participation. Factor analysis suggested that despite the range in difficulty, the six items were best summarized by a single decisional ability score. Parents of 29% of males reported that their son was not at all capable of participating, but the remainder exhibited a range of decisional skills. Factors associated with this variability include age and parents' willingness to enroll their child in clinical trials. We conclude that many individuals with FXS appear to be able to participate at some level in the consent or assent process, but will likely need individualized support to maximize effective participation.
Regulation of Excitability in the Epileptic Human Dentate Gyrus

Numerous anatomical and physiological changes occur in the dentate gyrus of patients with medial temporal lobe sclerosis, a specific form of temporal lobe epilepsy. Although many of the reported changes are potentially preconvulsive, patients do not seize continuously. We hypothesize that neuromodulatory systems present in the epileptic dentate gyrus may help limit neuronal hyperexcitability and/or hypersynchronization. Three such systems are described in detail, including GABA, zinc, and adenosine. In addition, we briefly discuss several other modulatory systems that have not been studied extensively in the epileptic human hippocampus but that are also well suited to controlling neuronal excitability.
The Granth of Guru Gobind Singh: essays, lectures, and translations

The most controversial issue in Sikh studies is about the status of the Dasam Granth (DG) in current scholarship. In the last two decades, the Dasam Granth debate has become quite nasty. The missio...
Rumor Belief as Online Media Effects: Evidence from a Natural Experiment during the 2008 Election Cycle

Does exposure to online media contents persuade people? Due to the “symbiotic” relationship between online media and mainstream media (Weeks & Southwell, 2010), magnitude and even the existence of online media effects are largely open questions. We use 2008-2009 ANES panel data and, as a natural experiment, leverage the surge in rumor circulation online and lack thereof in the mainstream media after Obama’s verbal slippage in ABC interview. Political rumors that do not normally pass traditional media’s gatekeeping test can offer a convenient tool to single out the effects of online media. We demonstrate the effect of online rumor circulation by comparing the respondents interviewed before the online rumor diffusion with those who interviewed afterwards, finding online media effects that are large across different specifications. In a similar vein with Zaller (1992; 1996), the largest media effects are found amongst those who score in the middle range of habitual Internet use.
“Digging in the Dark”: The Forward ’s Advertising Strategy in the 1920s

This chapter offers a concise history of the origins of the Jewish labor movement in the United States up through World War I. It locates Baruch Charney Vladeck, the business manager of the Yiddish Socialist Forward newspaper, within the context of the Bund and its cultural politics. State repression and the growth of the advertising industry prompted Vladeck to develop a plan to rely on national advertising during the 1920s. The Forward sought to explain to advertisers how to reach Jewish consumers. Vladeck emphasized readers’ ethnicity over their politics. The chapter explores how this commodification process altered the content and form of the newspaper as it cultivated a cosmopolitan proletarianism. The paper received a good deal of criticism, especially from the Communist paper Di frayhayt, as the Forward became increasingly sympathetic to Zionism.
Higher immunocompetence is associated with higher genetic diversity in feral honey bee colonies ( Apis mellifera )

Honey bees are the most important managed pollinators as they provide key ecosystem services for crop production worldwide. Recent losses of honey bee colonies in North America and Europe have demonstrated a need to develop strategies to improve their health and conserve their populations. Previously, we showed that feral honey bees—colonies that live in the wild without human assistance—exhibit higher levels of immunocompetence than managed colonies in North Carolina (USA). In a first attempt to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this difference in immune response, here we characterize the genetic composition of feral and managed honey bees using microsatellite markers. Our results reveal significant but small genetic differentiation between feral and managed honey bee colonies (ϕCT = 0.047, P = 0.03) indicating admixture between these two groups. Higher genetic diversity was correlated with higher immune response in feral (P MANOVA = 0.011) but not managed bees, despite the fact that the latter group showed significantly higher average genetic diversity (P ANCOVA < 0.001). These findings suggest that genetic diversity is positively associated with immunocompetence in feral honey bee colonies, and that the benefits of genetic diversity are obscured in managed bees, perhaps as a result of artificial selection. We hypothesize that high genetic variability provides the raw material upon which natural selection acts and generates adaptive genotypes in unmanaged populations. Feral populations could be useful sources of genetic variation to use in breeding programs that aim to improve honey bee health.
Studying human immunodeficiencies in humans: advances in fundamental concepts and therapeutic interventions

Immunodeficiencies reveal the crucial role of the immune system in defending the body against microbial pathogens. Given advances in genomics and other technologies, this is currently best studied in humans who have inherited monogenic diseases. Such investigations have provided insights into how gene products normally function in the natural environment and have opened the door to new, exciting treatments for these diseases.
Ancillary Endovascular Equipment: Catheters, Guidewires, and Procedural Considerations

The concept of treating peripheral arterial diseases using catheter and wires is no longer a novel. For instance, a typical vascular surgeon will perform more than 50% of his/her cases using endovascular techniques. Vascular surgery started having endovascular credentialing and defining endovascular procedures as part of fellowship training since 1993 [1–5]. Vascular surgery fellowships today thrive by training practitioners skilled in both open and endovascular interventions. Some programs have taken one step further, using stimulation modules to train their fellows with good results [6]. For the interventional cardiologist training, it is required that fellows spending one full year learning skill sets for peripheral endovascular interventions [7].
Shifting Paradigms: Teaching and Learning in an Animated, Web-Connected World

A disclaimer as part of an introduction to a topic is perhaps slightly amusing. But thates exactly what this introduction is: a disclaimer. Consider for a moment the dilemma of writing about anything. regarding the future of the World Wide Web, let alone the future of education in the context of the Web. On the one hand is the Web itself, a phenomenon that could scarcely have been predicted a mere decade ago, and one that evolves with blinding speed and in often unpredictable ways. On the other hand stretch all of the grand visions about how the Web can be used for teaching and learning, visions that can only be realized through painstaking software development and testing—a frustratingly slow process.
Understanding behavior under nonverbal transitive-inference procedures: Stimulus-control-topography analyses

Following training with verbal stimulus relations involving A is greater than B and B is greater than C, verbally-competent individuals reliably select A>C when asked "which is greater, A or C?" (i.e., verbal transitive inference). This result is easy to interpret. Nonhuman animals and humans with and without intellectual disabilities have been exposed to nonverbal transitive-inference procedures involving trained arbitrary stimulus relations. Following the training of A+B-, B+C-, C+D-, and D+E-, B reliably is selected over D (i.e., nonverbal transitive inference). Such findings are more challenging to interpret. The present research explored accounts of nonverbal transitive inference based in transitive inference per se, reinforcement, such as value-transfer theory, and operant stimulus control. In Experiment 1, college students selected B>G following the training of A+B-, B+C-, C+D-///E+F-, F+G-, and G+H- (where///signifies the omission of D+E-). In Experiment 2, college students selected B>G following the training of A+B-, B+C-, C+D-///E+F-, F+G-, and G+X- (where X refers to 10 stimuli that alternated across trials). In Experiment 3, college students selected G>B following the training of Y+B-, B+C-, C+D-///E+F-, F+G-, and G+X- (where Y and X refer to 10 stimuli, respectively, that alternated across trials). These findings are discussed in the context of operant stimulus control by offering an approach based in stimulus B typically acquiring only a select stimulus control topography.
Polymerization of silyl ketenes using alkoxide initiators: a combined computational and experimental study

The atomic composition and chemical structure of polymers is fundamental to dictating properties and applications. While much work has addressed controlling pendant group functionalities and polymer molecular weight, much less work has focused on novel polymer backbone chemistries. Herein we report experimental and computational investigations of the polymerization of triisopropyl silyl (TIPS) ketene, and detail products formed. TIPS ketene reacts with an alkoxide initiator to give an enolate intermediate that propagates through either the carbon or oxygen atom, giving multiple functional groups in the resulting polymer backbone. This work indicates that silyl ketenes are suitable monomers for chain growth polymerizations, and that they can polymerize through both the CC and CO to prepare multiple polymer functionalities from a single monomer.
Nonlinear theory for axisymmetric self-similar two-dimensional oscillations of electrons in cold plasma with constant proton background

We consider simultaneous oscillations of electrons moving both along the axis of symmetry and also in the direction perpendicular to the axis. We derive a system of three nonlinear ordinary differential equations which describe self-similar oscillations of cold electrons in a constant proton density background (np = n0 = constant). These three equations represent an exact class of solutions. For weak nonlinear conditions, the frequency spectra of electric field oscillations exhibit split frequency behavior at the Langmuir frequency ωp0 and its harmonics, as well as presence of difference frequencies at low spectral values. For strong nonlinear conditions, the spectra contain peaks at frequencies with values ωp0(n+m2), where n and m are integer numbers (positive and negative). We predict that both spectral types (weak and strong) should be observed in plasmas where axial symmetry may exist. To illustrate possible applications of our theory, we present a spectrum of electric field oscillations observed in s...
High brightness photonic lantern kW-class amplifier

Pump-limited kW-class operation in a multimode fiber amplifier using adaptive mode control was achieved. A photonic lantern front end was used to inject an arbitrary superposition of modes on the input to a kW-class fiber amplifier to achieve a nearly diffraction-limited output. We report on the adaptive spatial mode control architecture which allows for compensating transverse-mode disturbances at high power. We also describe the advantages of adaptive spatial mode control for optical phased array systems. In particular, we show that the additional degrees of freedom allow for broader steering and improved atmospheric turbulence compensation relative to piston-only optical phased arrays.
Underwater object detection performance of a chaotically modulated laser rangefinder

This paper derives system performance for a chaotically modulated laser rangefinder operating in turbid water, both as a function of rangefinder parameters and as a function of water and target characteristics. An ocean impulse response simulator is used to calculate signal-to-noise-ratios and target detection performance at a variety of water turbidities and target ranges. The use of a digital filter chain is demonstrated, and its effect on system performance is considered. The use of an optical backscatter-removal filter is proposed, and its potential effect on system performance is considered.
Embryonic Development of the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has proven to be a powerful model system to uncover general principles controlling animal development. In fact, to date, three Nobel Prizes have been awarded to researchers utilizing what is commonly referred to as ‘the worm’. Several factors account for its utility, including a rapid life cycle (embryogenesis occurs in 14 h at room temperature, and egg-to-adult only takes 3 days), transparency (enabling researchers to view embryogenesis in a living organism under the microscope, as well as visualize fluorescently tagged proteins), and powerful genetics. The aim of this article is to introduce the reader to the C. elegans embryo and provide an overview of many of the processes in which this system has provided significant insight. Specifically, this article will cover the anatomy and timing of embryogenesis, developmental plasticity, axis specification, cell polarity, and several examples in which the worm embryo has uncovered general principles in cell biology. In addition, there will be a brief discussion of the methods used while studying C. elegans embryogenesis. Thus, the reader will be exposed to many examples demonstrating that this system is applicable to human development and disease.
‘Occupancy’ and ‘Settlement’: Anishinaabemowin and the Interpretation of Michigan Indian Treaty Language

The 2007 Consent Decree in United States v. Michigan, a major victory for the tribal interests, recognized that the lands in ownership by the state, federal, and tribal governments – vast swaths of Michigan – would stand in for the lands not yet “required for settlement.” The Michigan Indians’ “privilege” to continued “occupancy” acquired legal determinacy. This short essay examines how Michigan Indian treaty negotiators would have understood the meaning of the words “settlement” and “occupancy,” and how that understanding strongly influenced the land base in which Michigan Indians can continue to exercise their inland treaty rights in accordance with the 1836 Treaty.
Prevention and Elimination of Contamination for in vitro Culture of Several Woody Species

Microbial contamination is one of the most critical and frequently occurring problems in plant tissue culture. In previous experiments with several woody genera such as Castanea, [1–3] Ligustrum, Spirea, Syringa [4], Corylus, Populus, Salix [5], and others we worked out some successful techniques to establish contamination-free cultures. In most cases the available plant material was in very limited quantity, received from the breeding project of the American Chestnut Foundation [1,2], or as a part of a special plant exchange program with the University of Horticulture and Food, Budapest, Hungary [5] ; thus, it was extremely important not to lose any culture because of contamination problems.
Female Urinary Tract Fistulas

Urinary tract fistulas in women are an uncommon complication of a variety of surgical procedures. However, such fistulas lead to significant patient and physician distress, and have important medicolegal implications. Successful repair of urinary tract fistulas requires careful preoperative evaluation and adherence to basic surgical principles. A variety of approaches and techniques may be used, and the choice of procedure is less important than achieving adequate resection of fibrosis with watertight, tension-free closure of well vascularized tissues in layers. Interposition grafts of omentum, muscle, peritoneum and labial fat may be used in recurrent, complicated or radiated fistulas, and add significantly to the rate of success. Overall, successful repair of urinary tract fistulas can be achieved in the majority of cases.
An inexpensive method of setting the monitor white point

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses an inexpensive method of setting the monitor white point. Calibrating a color television monitor in terms of the CIE XYZ color notation system has assumed an increasingly important role in computer graphics. This adjustment has been shown to be useful in applications as diverse as two-dimensional page layout for the graphic arts and three-dimensional realistic image synthesis for commercial animation. Part of the calibration process involves setting the individual brightness and contrast controls for the three monitor guns so that a white color with known chromaticity coordinates is produced whenever R = G = B. Typically, this is thought to require an expensive color measurement device, such as a colorimeter or a color comparator. This chapter shows how a relatively inexpensive luminance meter can be used to establish this setup. It also shows how the luminance meter may only need to be used once if a simple light meter with arbitrary spectral sensitivity but linear response is available. The chapter discusses how this approach can be adapted to postpone the need for a complete monitor calibration.
Towards Information Security Savvy Students in Institutions of Higher Learning in Africa: A Case of a University in Kenya

Whereas there is growing use of information technology (IT) within institutions of higher learning, little is known about the level of information security awareness (ISA) amongst students joining such institutions in developing countries and more specifically Africa. This study investigates ISA amongst undergraduate students in one of the universities within Nairobi in Kenya. From the study findings, it was clear that majority of the students did not possess adequate understanding of ISA. This was further affirmed by more than 60% of the students indicating not to have received any ISA training program before. We therefore submit that, there is a strong need to cultivate ISA culture amongst students joining institutions of higher learning. Cultivating this culture at the entry level will ensure that students as well as the institutions’ communities at large have secure utilization of various IT resources. Furthermore, we recommend that ISA needs to be incorporated in the undergraduate curriculum to help enhance such awareness. Likewise, it would be valuable for such institutions to have ISA program as part of their wider information security strategy framework.
Cortical Computation

A computational theory of cortex necessitates a novel paradigm of exquisitely distributed computation. Here we review recent work on a primitive called Predictive Join, or PJoin, which is both plausible and useful in regards to cortical computation, and which enables a spontaneous form of unsupervised learning exhibiting many of the characteristics of brain activity. We also outline several immediate goals of a computational research program on the brain.
Automatic Kalman-filter-based wavelet shrinkage denoising of 1D stellar spectra

Author(s): Gilda, S; Slepian, Z | Abstract: We propose a non-parametric method to denoise 1D stellar spectra based on wavelet shrinkage followed by adaptive Kalman thresholding. Wavelet shrinkage denoising involves applying the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to the input signal, 'shrinking' certain frequency components in the transform domain, and then applying inverse DWT to the reduced components. The performance of this procedure is influenced by the choice of base wavelet, the number of decomposition levels, and the thresholding function. Typically, these parameters are chosen by 'trial and error', which can be strongly dependent on the properties of the data being denoised. We here introduce an adaptive Kalman-filter-based thresholding method that eliminates the need for choosing the number of decomposition levels. We use the 'Haar' wavelet basis, which we found to provide excellent filtering for 1D stellar spectra, at a low computational cost. We introduce various levels of Poisson noise into synthetic PHOENIX spectra, and test the performance of several common denoising methods against our own. It proves superior in terms of noise suppression and peak shape preservation. We expect it may also be of use in automatically and accurately filtering low signal-to-noise galaxy and quasar spectra obtained from surveys such as SDSS, Gaia, LSST, PESSTO, VANDELS, LEGA-C, and DESI.
An Introduction to RA21: Taking Authentication Beyond IP Addresses.

AbstractProviding access to electronic resources is a core service for most libraries, and for more than two decades librarians have used Internet Protocol (IP) addresses as a way to authenticate users and prove they should have access to their institution’s licensed materials. But in recent years, IP addresses have become a less accurate method of determining whether a user is affiliated with a particular library. Key players in the publishing industry and academia are working together on a new set of protocols to replace IP authentication called Resource Access for the 21st Century, or RA21. This column will briefly explore what RA21 is, what problems it purports to solve, and what problems it may create. A list of resources for further reading on RA21 is provided.
Why Weightlifters Grunt: A Classroom Exercise That Introduces Students to Evolution

A classroom exercise is described in which college students take part in creating and supporting an evolutionary hypothesis that explains effort grunting. The exercise holds their interest throughout and readies them to understand hypotheses of animal and plant evolution. It informs them about the dependence of cultural evolution upon biological evolution, and it connects widely to curricula.
Multi-day Longitudinal Assessment of Physical Activity and Sleep Behavior Among Healthy Young and Older Adults Using Wearable Sensors

Abstract Objectives The number of elderly people is growing rapidly and aging is found to affect activities of daily living. Older adults are found to perform less physical activity when compared to younger ones. In the perspective of movement behavior, it is not well understood how are elderly different from younger ones. It is not known whether they produce only low frequency movement accelerations or the overall number of movements produced are reduced in elderly. It is also not known how elderly and younger ones perform movement transitions throughout the duration of a day and during night-time sleep. Material and methods In this study, 10 healthy young and 10 healthy old participants wore inertial measurement unit at their lower back for 3-days. The 24 hours of day were divided into four 6 hour time zones and transitions made by young and elderly were investigated. All participants performed their regular daily activities unhindered and longitudinal multi-day signals for acceleration and angular velocity were analyzed. Time-frequency analysis was performed using wavelet transform and frequency content of each movement performed was computed. Results We found that both young and older adults performed significantly more low amplitude movements than medium and high amplitude movements. Healthy young adults produced significantly more movements at 1.1 Hz than older adults. Healthy young adults were also found to have produced significantly smaller number of transitions in the mid-phases of sleep. They were also found to produce significantly larger accelerations during night-time sleep transitions than their older counterparts. Conclusion The advantages of collecting longitudinal data about human movement and sleep transition data can lead us to important clinical diagnosis. The information from longitudinal assessment can help develop lifestyle interventions for disease prevention, monitoring of chronic diseases to prevent or slow disease progression among elderly people.
The Hours with Ghosts of Edward Drinker Cope, Elliott Coues and Joseph Leidy: Scientific Interest in the Occult in the Nineteenth Century

“Reader, you must die… What will become of you?...what shall you be on the day after your death…your soul, whither shall it go?... That which was free within you…what shall become of it? Where shall that sensible, existing soul, which must survive the tomb, go to? What will it become, what shall you be, my reader, the day after your death?” Louis Figuier, The Day After Death. 1884, pp. 1-2.“Every age has its bogus prophets, who become famous or infamous if you prefer it.” Elliott Coues, New york Sun, July 20, 1890.“The serious worker in science holds a high position among men, no matter what the great herd may say about him. They simply do not know their opinion is not worth considering.” Edward D. Cope to Charles H. Sternberg, March 16, 1896.
Mutant COMP shapes growth and development of skull and facial structures in mice and humans.

Background Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is an important extracellular matrix protein primarily functioning in the musculoskeletal tissues and especially endochondral bone growth. Mutations in COMP cause the skeletal dysplasia pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) that is characterized by short limbs and fingers, joint laxity, and abnormalities but a striking lack of skull and facial abnormalities. Methods This study examined both mice and humans to determine how mutant-COMP affects face and skull growth. Results Mutant COMP (MT-COMP) mice were phenotypically distinct. Snout length and skull height were diminished in MT-COMP mouse and the face more closely resembled younger controls. Three-dimensional facial measurements of PSACH faces showed widely spaced eyes, reduced lower facial height, and decreased nasal protrusion, which correlated with a more juvenile appearing face. Neither MT-COMP mice nor PSACH individuals show midface hypoplasia usually associated with abnormal endochondral bone growth. MT-COMP mice do show delayed endochondral and membranous skull ossification that normalizes with age. Conclusion Therefore, mutant-COMP affects both endochondral and intramembranous bones of the skull resulting in a reduction of the nose and lower facial height in mice and humans, in addition to its well-defined role in the growth plate chondrocytes.
Pathophysiology of Right Heart Disease in Chronic Lung Disease

Different chronic lung diseases (CLDs) are associated with varying degrees of right heart dysfunction. The pathophysiology of right heart disease in chronic lung disease is complex, and mechanisms include pulmonary hypertension, hypoxia, neurohormonal alterations, metabolic perturbations, endothelial dysfunction, ischemia, and systemic inflammation. The right ventricle can develop adaptive or maladaptive responses to these processes, and varying degrees of right heart dysfunction can ensue. Clinical management is currently focused on management of underlying lung disease and pulmonary hypertension, but as pathophysiologic mechanisms become better understood, new therapeutic targets, including those that focus directly on the right ventricle, may emerge. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of normal physiology as well as the pathophysiology of the right heart and pulmonary circulation in chronic lung disease.
Equilibrium of an Arbitrary Bunch Train in Presence of a Passive Harmonic Cavity: Solution through Coupled Ha\" issinski Equations

We study the effect of a passive harmonic cavity, introduced to cause bunch lengthening, in an electron storage ring. We derive a formula for the induced voltage from such a cavity with high $Q$, excited by a a sequence of bunches, allowing for arbitrary gaps in the sequence and arbitrary currents. Except for a minor term that can be determined iteratively, the voltage is given in terms of a single mode of the Fourier transforms of the bunch forms, namely the mode at the resonant frequency of the cavity. Supposing that the only wake field is from the harmonic cavity, we derive a system of coupled Haissinski equations which determine the bunch positions and profiles in the equilibrium state. The number of unknowns in the system is only twice the number of bunches, and it can be solved quickly by a Newton iteration, starting with a guess determined by path-following from a solution at weak current. We explore the effect of the fill pattern on the bunch lengthening, and also the dependence on the shunt impedance and detuning of the cavity away from the third harmonic of the main accelerating cavity. We consider two measures to reduce the effects of gaps: 1) distribution of the gaps around the ring to the greatest extent allowed, and 2) "guard bunches" with higher charges adjacent to the gaps, compensating for the charge missing in gaps. Results for parameters of the forthcoming ALS-U light source are presented.
SCADA Testbed Implementation, Attacks, and Security Solutions

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems have been in use for decades. They provide remote management and monitoring capabilities for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) such as power plants, trains, water treatment plants, and dams. In recent years, SCADA systems have been targeted by malicious attackers. The Modbus TCP/IP protocol, which is the standard communication protocol used by many SCADA systems for network communication, is unencrypted and therefore it is insecure by design. In this research, cost-effective design and implementation of a custom SCADA testbed is proposed to assess common vulnerabilities and exploits in real-world Industrial Control Systems. A solution is then proposed to prevent these types of vulnerabilities from being exploited on real-world systems by implementing a secure tunnel.
Association of obesity-related inflammatory pathways with lung function and exercise capacity.

Abstract Background Obesity has multifactorial effects on lung function and exercise capacity. The contributions of obesity-related inflammatory pathways to alterations in lung function remain unclear. Research Question: To examine the association of obesity-related inflammatory pathways with pulmonary function, exercise capacity, and pulmonary-specific contributors to exercise intolerance. Method We examined 695 patients who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) with invasive hemodynamic monitoring at Massachusetts General Hospital between December 2006–June 2017. We investigated the association of adiponectin, leptin, resistin, IL-6, CRP, and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) with pulmonary function and exercise parameters using multivariable linear regression. Results Obesity-related inflammatory pathways were associated with worse lung function. Specifically, higher CRP, IL-6, and HOMA-IR were associated with lower percent predicted FEV1 and FVC with a preserved FEV1/FVC ratio suggesting a restrictive physiology pattern (P ≤ 0.001 for all). For example, a 1-SD higher natural-logged CRP level was associated with a nearly 5% lower percent predicted FEV1 and FVC (beta −4.8, s.e. 0.9 for FEV1; beta −4.9, s.e. 0.8 for FVC; P Interpretation Our findings highlight the importance of obesity-related inflammatory pathways including inflammation and insulin resistance on pulmonary spirometry and pulmonary vascular function. Specifically, systemic inflammation as ascertained by CRP, IL-6 and insulin resistance are associated with restrictive pulmonary physiology independent of BMI. In addition, inflammatory markers were associated with lower exercise capacity and pulmonary vascular dysfunction.
Efficacy of intentional permanent atrial pacing in the long-term management of congenital long QT syndrome.

BACKGROUND Unfortunately, some patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) experience breakthrough cardiac events (BCEs) despite maximal therapy. Small studies have shown that refractory LQTS cases may benefit from intentional permanent atrial pacing (IPAP). As such, we sought to determine the genotype-specific utilization and efficacy of IPAP in a single-center LQTS registry. METHODS AND RESULTS In this retrospective study, electronic medical records from 1065 patients diagnosed with LQTS were used to identify individuals that received IPAP. Pre- and post-IPAP heart rate, heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) values, annual BCE rate, and IPAP-related complications were compared between genotypes. BCEs were defined as LQTS-associated syncope/seizures, sustained ventricular arrhythmia (VA)-terminating ICD therapies, and sudden cardiac arrest/death. Overall, 52 out of 1065 LQTS patients received adjunctive IPAP therapy (77% female; median age 18.5 [interquartile range, 1-35.5] years; 73% with prior VA). Over an average IPAP follow-up of 121 ± 82 months, the average heart rate increased from 65.8 ± 20.4 bpm to 78.9 ± 17.1 bpm; (p < .01) and the average QTc decreased from 533.4 ± 66.6 to 488.3 ± 52.4 ms; (p < .01). The mean BCE rate dropped from 0.88 to 0.19 per patient-year (p = .01), driven by a marked decrease in the LQT2 cohort (1.01 BCE/year to 0.02 BCE/year; p = .003). No serious IPAP-related complications were observed. CONCLUSION In high-risk LQTS patients, namely those with recalcitrant LQT2, IPAP appears to be a safe and efficacious adjunct therapy. The beneficial effects of IPAP may stem from attenuating the QTc and circumventing a pause-dependent trigger. Whether IPAP might obviate the need for an ICD in some instances warrants further study.
The everyday erosion of refugee claims: Representations of the Rohingya in Thailand

Scholars have described the increasing fragmentation of categories like ‘refugee’ as part of efforts to reduce refugees’ access to protection. The proliferation of categories such as economic migra...
COMPLICATIONS OF ARTHROSCOPIC DRILLING IN THE TREATMENT OF OSTEOCHONDRITIS DISSECANS OF THE KNEE IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Background:Arthroscopic drilling is a well-established treatment for stable intact OCDs of the knee in children when non-operative treatment fails. The decision to proceed to operative treatment re...
Zooming in on the cell biology of disease.

Today’s cell biology could be considered a fusion of disciplines that blends advanced genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and engineering to answer fundamental as well as medically relevant ...
CORR Insights(®): Can Radiographs Predict the Use of Modular Stems in Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip?

P redicting from plain radiographs when a patient’s complex proximal femoral anatomy might benefit from a femoral prosthesis that differs from those used in routine primary THA can be difficult. This occurs most commonly in patients with excessive anteversion and increased valgus neck-shaft angle. We have all been there, waiting in the operating room, unable to proceed to the next step in the operation, because the correct equipment is unavailable. Most, but certainly not all, of these delays are avoidable. Steve Jobs once stated, ‘‘My favorite things in life don’t cost money. It is really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time’’ [1]. Complex primary and revision hip arthroplasty often require extensive preoperative planning. This planning takes valuable time, and our time is short; however, time spent preparing for surgery can save much more time—and more valuable time—in the operating room later. Things would be better still if we could have a higher degree of confidence that the preoperative planning we perform will not allow for unpleasant surprises during surgery. The paper by Peters et al. is the first to describe threshold angles from preoperative radiographs—including coronal neck-shaft angle, sagittal neckshaft angle, and calculated femoral neck anteversion—that can help the surgeon determine preoperatively whether nonstandard femoral stems may be needed to successfully address complex proximal femoral geometry.
Isolation and binding characteristics of nuclear retinoic acid receptors.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the isolation and binding characteristics of nuclear retinoic acid receptors. The addition of protease inhibitors, glycerol, and monothioglycerol in all buffers used during the preparation and analysis of nuclear and cytosolic extracts appears to be essential for assaying retinoic acid receptor (RAR) proteins. The omission of these substances resulted in the complete elimination of, or greatly reduced, retinoic acid-binding activity. The nuclear retinoic acid receptors are distinguished from cellular retinoic acid-binding protein (CRABP) by molecular weight, cellular distribution, and retinoid-binding characteristics. The nuclear receptors RARα, RAReβ, and RARλ have a molecular weight of approximately 50,000 and are largely associated with the nucleus. Assay of [3H]retinoic acid-binding activity via size-exclusion HPLC can be used to perform saturation binding and Scatchard plot analyses in order to determine the binding affinity and number of receptors per cell. The binding characteristics of the nuclear receptors are different from those of CRABP.