cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Underlying Mental Illness and Psychosocial Factors Are Predictors of Poor Outcomes After Proximal Humerus Repair.

Objectives (1) To assess the correlation of psychosocial factors and long-term outcomes of proximal humerus fractures all in surgical repair; (2) to identify specific psychosocial factors with favorable and unfavorable outcomes; and (3) to assess the correlation between DSM-V mental health diagnoses and long-term Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Academic medical center. Patients Patients were screened and identified on presentation to the emergency department or in the clinical office for inclusion in an institutional review board-approved registry. One hundred eighty-five proximal humerus fractures of 247 met inclusion criteria. Intervention Surgical repair of proximal humerus fractures. Main outcome measure All patients were prospectively followed up and assessed for clinical and functional outcomes at latest follow-up visit (mean = 24.8 months) using the DASH questionnaires along with ranges of motion and pain level. Psychosocial factors at 3 months were obtained from the DASH survey. Results Concomitant diagnosis of depressed mood (P = 0.001), anxiety (P Conclusion Analysis demonstrated that psychological and social factors at 3 months postoperatively have a strong correlation with negative long-term (>1 year) outcomes after proximal humerus fixation. Clinicians may offer psychological support and encourage social support to these patients postoperatively to improve pain and treatment outcomes. Level of evidence Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
CHARACTERISTICS AND LIVING ARRANGEMENTS OF CHILDLESS ELDERLY AMERICANS

Despite a growing number of Americans without children, information on characteristics of childless older adults and their living arrangements is sparse and often outdated. To address this knowledge gap, we examined data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) on childless Americans age ≥65 years (N=760) and compared with childless elders in 2004 HRS (N=830). All analyses accounted for complex sample design of HRS to generate nationally representative estimates. The proportion of elderly Americans without any living biological or step children increased from 8.1% in 2004 to 9.4% in 2014. Compared to childless elders in 2004, those in 2014 were younger (mean age=76.8 years versus 73.8 years, p<0.01) with a higher proportion completing college education (20.7% versus 37.5%, p<0.01) or were cognitively intact (64.6% versus 73.6%, p<0.01). However, childless elders in 2014 had more chronic conditions than those in 2004 (mean=2.5 versus 2.3, p<0.01). The proportion of childless elders living independently (alone or with a spouse) (81.6% in 2004 versus 82.6% in 2014) or living with others (10.0% in 2004 versus 13.5% in 2014) remained relatively stable, whereas the proportion living in nursing homes declined significantly from 8.4% in 2004 to 4.0% in 2014 (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=0.07, p<0.01). A sensitivity analysis limited to childless elders without biological children showed that they accounted for 9.9% of the elderly population in 2004 versus 11.9% in 2014, while other results were generally similar. These findings can help inform long term care needs of childless elders.
Not so fast: LB-1 is unlikely to contain a 70 M? black hole

The recently discovered binary LB-1 has been reported to contain a $\sim$\,$70\,M_{\odot}$ black hole (BH). The evidence for the unprecedentedly high mass of the unseen companion comes from reported radial velocity (RV) variability of the H$\alpha$ emission line, which has been proposed to originate from an accretion disk around a BH. We show that there is in fact no evidence for RV variability of the H$\alpha$ emission line, and that its apparent shifts instead originate from shifts in the luminous star's H$\alpha$ absorption line. If not accounted for, such shifts will cause a stationary emission line to appear to shift in anti-phase with the luminous star. We show that once the template spectrum of a B star is subtracted from the observed Keck/HIRES spectra of LB-1, evidence for RV variability vanishes. Indeed, the data rule out periodic variability of the line with velocity semi-amplitude $K_{\rm H\alpha} > 1.3\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$. This strongly suggests that the observed H$\alpha$ emission does not originate primarily from an accretion disk around a BH, and thus that the mass ratio cannot be constrained from the relative velocity amplitudes of the emission and absorption lines. The nature of the unseen companion remains uncertain, but a "normal" stellar-mass BH with mass $5\lesssim M/M_{\odot}\lesssim 20 $ seems most plausible. The H$\alpha$ emission likely originates primarily from circumbinary material, not from either component of the binary.
Agricultural Emergencies: Factors and Impacts in the Spread of Transboundary Diseases in, and Adjacent to, Agriculture

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce agricultural emergencies and provide some case examples, specifically transboundary disease (TBD) events, that have threatened sustainable agriculture worldwide. Agricultural self-sufficiency, the ability of a country to meet its own food requirements domestically, is a new goal of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. Agricultural emergencies are hazardous conditions or events that threaten production, livelihoods, and economic stability within the agricultural sector. TBD outbreaks are socially, economically, and politically significant agricultural emergencies that offer a diverse array of impacts and challenges to the economy and trade of agriculture. This chapter explored the impacts and factors involved in the spread of multiple plant and animal TBDs in, and adjacent to, agricultural production. TBDs cost millions to billions of dollars in production and trade losses in endemic countries where they normally circulate, in addition to outbreaks in non-endemic countries. Outbreaks of TBDs are also capable of producing massive social fear and civil or political unrest. This research found that human activity, climate change and variability, and the agricultural-wildlife interface are important drivers in the occurrence and spread of these diseases, but the threat of a malicious attack using these pathogens is a continuing danger as well. The threats in the occurrence and spread of these diseases are not easily eliminated and the severity of impacts caused by TBDs warrants continuing research and monitoring.
Four dimensional (4D) microstructural evolution of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic and voids under electromigration in bi-crystal pure Sn solder joints

Abstract Electromigration (EM) causes intermetallic and void growth that decreases the reliability and lifetime of solder joints. As a diffusion-controlled process, EM is highly dependent on the fastest diffusion pathways in a structure. In anisotropic β-tetragonal Sn those pathways are along high angle grain boundaries and along the c-axis of the Sn grains. A bicrystal sample with two major grain orientations and two major grain boundary types was EM tested for 100 h. EM was interrupted at intervals for x-ray microtomography to reveal the 3D evolution of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and voids within the joint. Quantitative IMC growth along high angle grain boundaries and twins was captured for the first time and related to the effective Cu diffusivity of multiple grains. Using a correlative approach that combined scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping, IMC growth and morphology were linked to the evolution of the Sn grain structure. Unusual void shrinkage and void splitting behavior were connected to uneven cathode interface consumption and thermal compression.
Application of optimized laser surface re-melting process on selective laser melted 316L stainless steel inclined parts

Absract Lower surface quality of selective laser melting (SLM) manufactured parts remains to be a key shortcoming particularly for high performance functional components. In this paper, the authors utilized Box–Behnken methodology to explore the effect of laser surface re-melting process parameters. The process parameters are:laser power, laser exposure time, laser point distance, and shell layer thickness. The experiments were conducted using Renishaw AM-250 machine. SLM manufactured parts with inclination of 45˚ up-skin were treated with a given surface roughness using laser surface re-melting (LSR). The optimization of process parameters was conducted using response surface methodology and the validation tests was carried out utilizing the determined input parameters. The results verified the effectiveness of the integrated approach and the proposed statistical model. The outcomes of this study demonstrated that selective laser melting process followed by the laser surface re-melting process is very likely to become a fast and economic integrated method for improving the inclined surface quality of SLM manufactured parts.
Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes in an iPSC Model of Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar I Disorder (BP) is a serious, recurrent mood disorder that is characterized by alternating episodes of mania and depression. To begin to identify novel approaches and pathways involved in BP, we have obtained skin samples from BP patients and undiagnosed control (C) individuals, reprogrammed them to form induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), and then differentiated the stem cells into astrocytes. RNAs from BP and C astrocytes were extracted and RNAseq analysis carried out. 501 differentially expressed genes were identified, including genes for cytoskeletal elements, extracellular matrix, signaling pathways, neurodegeneration, and notably transcripts that identify exosomes. When we compared highly expressed genes using hierarchial cluster analysis, “Exosome” was the first and most highly significant cluster identified, p < 5 × 10−13, Benjamini correction. Exosomes are membrane-bound vesicles that package and remove toxic proteins from cells and also enable cell to cell communication. They carry genetic material, including DNA, mRNA and microRNAs, proteins, and lipids to target cells throughout the body. Exosomes are released by cortical neurons and astrocytes in culture and are present in BP vs C postmortem brain tissue. Little is known about what transcripts and proteins are targeted to neurons, how they regulate biological functions of the acceptor cell, or how that may be altered in mood disorders. Since astrocyte-derived exosomes have been suggested to promote neuronal plasticity, as well as to remove toxic proteins in the brain, alterations in their function or content may be involved in neurodevelopmental, neuropathological, and neuropsychiatric conditions. To examine exosome cargos and interactions with neural precursor cells, astrocytes were differentiated from four bipolar disorder (BP) and four control (C) iPSC lines. Culture supernatants from these astrocytes were collected, and exosomes isolated by ultra-centrifugation. Western blot analysis demonstrated the presence of the exosome markers CD9, CD81, and Hsp70. Nanosight technology was used to characterize exosomes from each astrocyte cell line, suggesting that exosomes were slightly more concentrated in culture supernatants derived from BP compared with C astrocytes but there was no difference in the mean sizes of the exosomes. Analysis of their function in neuronal differentiation is being carried out by labeling exosomes derived from bipolar patient and control astrocytes and adding them to control neural progenitor cells. Given the current interest in clearing toxic proteins from brains of patients with neurodegenerative disorders, exosomes may present similar opportunities in BP.
Multiscale homogenization method for the prediction of elastic properties of fiber-reinforced composites

Abstract An analytical approach based on multiscale homogenization is proposed to enable efficient and accurate characterizations of fiber-reinforced composites with imperfect interfaces. Micromechanical formulations are developed to evaluate transversely isotropic properties of a microscale representative volume element (RVE) consisting of a fiber, the surrounding matrix and their interfaces. We utilized the shear-lag model to derive the longitudinal Young’s modulus, the composite cylinder assemblage (CCA) model to get the in-plane bulk modulus and the axial shear modulus, and the generalized self-consistent (GSC) scheme for the transverse shear modulus. Numerical results given by the detailed finite element analysis (FEA) demonstrate the high accuracy of the obtained material properties. To scale up-to macro-level, the RVEs are homogenized to equivalent inclusions that are perfectly bonded to the matrix, followed by the application of the Mori–Tanaka method to obtain bulk properties of the overall composites. The large-scale FEA model that allows incorporation of periodic boundary conditions and cohesive interfaces between fiber and surrounding matrix confirms the good accuracy of the proposed multiscale homogenization strategy. The proposed strategy does not depend on any computational simulations, providing a very efficient tool to understand effects of imperfect interfaces and an alternative to determine mechanical properties of composites only based on geometric and material parameters.
New integral inequalities of Hermite–Hadamard type via the Katugampola fractional integrals for strongly $$\eta$$ η -quasiconvex functions

In this paper, we introduce new integral inequalities of the Hermite–Hadamard type for strongly $$\eta$$ -quasiconvex functions via the Katugampola fractional integrals. Some results in the literature are particular cases of some of our results.
Revisiting the Long Memory in Global Stock Market Returns: An Empirical Analysis:

We present a multifarious view on the presence of long memory across 33 countries, subsampled as developed, emerging and frontier economies for the period 2000–2018. We employ the classical rescale...
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Promoting Financial Inclusion in Developing Countries

According to the World Bank’s Global Findex database, about 1.7 billion adults were unbanked in 2017, which means that they lacked an account with a formal financial institution or a mobile money provider. Most of the unbanked population is in developing countries. In South Sudan, for instance, only 9% of the adults had a bank account. Similarly, about 70% of the population in Latin America is unbanked or underbanked (Rojas-Torres, Kshetri, Hanafi, & Kouki, 2021). Likewise, according to the International Finance Corporation, over 200 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries lack access to financial services.
Modern Portfolio Theory and Risk Management: Assumptions and Unintended Consequences

The article presents an overview of the assumptions and unintended consequences of the widespread adoption of modern portfolio theory (MPT) in the context of the growth of large institutional investors. We examine the many so-called risk management practices and financial products that have been built on MPT since its inception in the 1950‟s. We argue that the very success due to its initial insights had the unintended consequence, given its widespread adoption, of contributing to the undermining the foundation of the financial system in a variety of ways. This study has relevance for both the on-going analyses of the recent financial crisis, as well as for various existing and proposed financial reforms.
Trauma and physical health : understanding the effects of extreme stress and of psychological harm

Trauma and Primary Care: A Framework and Introduction to Integrating Trauma Treatment into Primary Care, Victoria Banyard, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Valerie Edwards 1. The association between childhood abuse, health and pain-related problems, and the role of psychiatric disorders and current life stress, Natalie Sachs-Ericsson,Kiara Cromer,Annya Hernandez & Kathleen Kendall-Tackett 2. Victimization, chronic pain and fatigue: A unique opportunity for collaborative care, Boudewijn van Houdenhove, Patrick Luyten, Ulrich Egle 3. The impact of traumatic childbirth on health through the undermining of breastfeeding, Cynthia Good Mojab 4. The complexity of links between trauma and health: The role of gender, Victoria Banyard 5. Thinking outside the box: Why research on self-efficacy and sleep disorders is relevant for trauma survivors, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett 6. Where Does It Hurt? How Victimization Impacts Presentation and Outcomes in Primary Care, Stephanie Dallam 7. Client-centered care: Integrating the perspectives of adult CSA survivors and clinicians, Carol A. Stalker, Candice L. Schachter, Eli Teram & Gerri C. Lasiuk 8. Healthcare can change from within: A sustainable model for intimate partner violence intervention and prevention in healthcare settings, Bruce Ambuel, Kevin Hamberger, Mary Beth Phelan, & Marie Wolff
Competing values leadership : creating value in organizations

This thoroughly updated book serves as the key source for understanding the Competing Values Framework, one of the most widely used and highly cited frameworks in the world. The authors, who have been at the foundation of developing, applying and studying this framework for over three decades, explain how it helps foster successful leadership, improve organizational effectiveness and promote value creation. It would be unusual for a framework as powerful and predictive as the Competing Values Framework to remain unchallenged and absent of criticism. In addition to updating the examples and references, this second edition provides a new chapter motivated by recent criticisms of the framework. Future business leaders will find it an illuminating and useful reference.
Listening as an Act of Composing.

ABSTRACT The fact that students have not learned to listen may be the reason some of them cannot write. Listening is an active process requiring the same skills of prediction, hypothesizing, checking, revising, and generalization that reading and writing demand. The following three exercises were designed to make students conscious of themselves as active listeners who create the voices they hear as they read/listen and write/listen. In the first exercise students were asked to retell the story of "1984," and in the proceis learned some lessons about composing: (1) strategies of organization -beginnings, middles, ends--are not set by the form of the narrative itself, but developed by them as they retell the story; (2) general and specific ideas occur naturally as they both tell details of ttle story and attempt to move to the next point by generalizing; and (3) retellings of the same plot can take many ' forms. The second lesson was begun by an oral reading of Dorothy Parker's "You Were Perfectly Fine," and the students were to listen for details and generalities to use in retelling the story. In the third lesson the story of King Lear was told to the students, and they were asked to listen and retell it. Then they were asked to write a sentence or two that generalized what they felt about what the writer-voice seemed to tell them. The experiment taught students that listening is composing; what people listen for determines the form, style, and content of the responses they write. (EL)
Enabling closed-loop neural interface: A bi-directional interface circuit with stimulation artifact cancellation and cross-channel CM noise suppression

We present the first bi-directional neural interface chip that employs a stimulation artifact cancellation circuit to allow concurrent recording and stimulation. In order to further suppress cross-channel common-mode noise, we incorporated a novel common average referencing (CAR) circuit in conjunction with range-adapting (RA) SAR ADC for low-power implementation. The fabricated prototype attenuates stimulation artifacts by up to 42 dB and suppresses common noise among channels by up to 39.8 dB at 330 nW and in an area of 0.17 mm2 per channel.
Turing Trade: A Hybrid of a Turing Test and a Prediction Market

We present Turing Trade, a web-based game that is a hybrid of a Turing test and a prediction market. In this game, there is a mystery conversation partner, the “target,” who is trying to appear human, but may in reality be either a human or a bot. There are multiple judges (or “bettors”), who interrogate the target in order to assess whether it is a human or a bot. Throughout the interrogation, each bettor bets on the nature of the target by buying or selling human (or bot) securities, which pay out if the target is a human (bot). The resulting market price represents the bettors’ aggregate belief that the target is a human. This game offers multiple advantages over standard variants of the Turing test. Most significantly, our game gathers much more fine-grained data, since we obtain not only the judges’ final assessment of the target’s humanity, but rather the entire progression of their aggregate belief over time. This gives us the precise moments in conversations where the target’s response caused a significant shift in the aggregate belief, indicating that the response was decidedly human or unhuman. An additional benefit is that (we believe) the game is more enjoyable to participants than a standard Turing test. This is important because otherwise, we will fail to collect significant amounts of data. In this paper, we describe in detail how Turing Trade works, exhibit some example logs, and analyze how well Turing Trade functions as a prediction market by studying the calibration and sharpness of its forecasts (from real user data).
The Rest of the Story: Baccalaureate Social Work Programs No Longer Accredited.

Abstract In 1979, 274 baccalaureate social work programs were accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Ten years later 34 programs (12.4%) of this group no longer held accredited status. This article presents the results of a study of these schools. Data on each program was acquired through a questionnaire and a review of institutional documents such as catalogs. This article includes demographic patterns of the institutions and programs, the reasons for program termination, present existence of any human service-related program, and future plans of the institution for social work education and accreditation. This information should prove useful to colleges and universities contemplating establishing social work programs and to social work education as a whole.
Optogenetic control of molecular motors and organelle distributions in cells.

Summary Intracellular transport and distribution of organelles play important roles in diverse cellular functions, including cell polarization, intracellular signaling, cell survival, and apoptosis. Here, we report an optogenetic strategy to control the transport and distribution of organelles by light. This is achieved by optically recruiting molecular motors onto organelles through the heterodimerization of Arabidopsis thaliana cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) and its interacting partner CIB1. CRY2 and CIB1 dimerize within subseconds upon exposure to blue light, which requires no exogenous ligands and low intensity of light. We demonstrate that mitochondria, peroxisomes, and lysosomes can be driven toward the cell periphery upon light-induced recruitment of kinesin, or toward the cell nucleus upon recruitment of dynein. Light-induced motor recruitment and organelle movements are repeatable, reversible, and can be achieved at subcellular regions. This light-controlled organelle redistribution provides a new strategy for studying the causal roles of organelle transport and distribution in cellular functions in living cells.
Advanced scientific computing: an extraordinary tool for extraordinary science

Work is under way throughout the world to realize the promise of petascale computing and to complete the emergence of simulation as the third leg of science, joining theory and experiment. By the end of this decade, our ability to attack previously unsolvable problems will provide the basis for transformational advances in science and engineering that will enable us to address global challenges in energy, environment, and national security. In the United States, three government agencies are pursuing petascale initiatives: the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). I will describe the new capability for high-end science that is being fielded by DOE's Leadership Computing Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and discuss how this capability will be applied to such computationally challenging problems as climate modeling and prediction, astrophysics, nuclear fusion, systems biology, and materials design at the nanoscale.
Potential Faces of Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO PFO)

Background: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is diagnosed on echocardiography by saline contrast study with or without color Doppler evidence of shunting. PFO is benign except when it causes embolic events. Methods and Results: In this report, we describe unique additional manifestations related to the diagnosis and presentation of PFO. These include demonstration of PFO during the release phase of “sigh” on the ventilator in the operating room, use of a separate venipuncture to allow preparation of blood-saline-air mixture after multiple failed saline bubble injections, resting and stress hypoxemia related to left to right shunting across a PFO in the absence of pulmonary hypertension, presentation of quadriperesis secondary to an embolic event from a PFO and development of a thrombus on the left atrial aspect of PFO in a patient with atrial fibrillation, and on the right atrial aspect of PFO in a patient who had undergone repair of a flail mitral valve. Finally, in one patient with end-stage renal disease, aortic valve endocarditis and periaortic abscess, PFO acted as a vent valve relieving right atrial pressure following development of aortoatrial fistula. Conclusion: PFO diagnosis can be elusive if appropriate techniques are not used during saline contrast administration. PFO can present as hypoxemia in the absence of pulmonary hypertension, can be a rare cause of quadriperesis, and can be associated with thrombus formation on either side of interatrial septum. Finally, PFO presence can be lifesaving in those with sudden increase in right atrial pressure such as with aortoatrial fistula. (Echocardiography 2010;27:897-907)
Listening to the Narratives of Our Patients as Part of Holistic Nursing Care

Nurses in all settings interact with individuals often identified as vulnerable or marginalized, and at times are frustrated by their own inability to "make a difference." By allowing oneself to listen, a fuller appreciation of the individual circumstance, or that which is unwritten, can be appreciated. Storytelling is a way to set the stage for experiences to be shared and can provide insight into lives. The narratives told by patients are often complex, affected by various influences of the environment, and personal, which in combination with nursing informs their individual healing journeys. Using a philosophy of nursing that encompasses all of the distinct influences on these narratives can allow nurses to more holistically care and advocate for their patients. As this case study shows, nursing plays a significant role in the narratives of others. Although many vulnerable populations live in a perpetual cycle of poverty and poor health, some nurses are able to assess the intricacies of a situation and facilitate understanding, as part of their support, caring, and advocacy for their patients.
A comparison of techniques to affect sociometric status: A small step toward primary prevention in the classroom?

Abstract Interdependent tasks and role play were implemented as treatment conditions in three elementary classrooms ( n =142) to affect the peer nominations of the subjects. Third to fifth grade subjects, 68 female and 74 male, received 1 2 hour per day of treatment or a control condition for two weeks. Sociometric measurements were obtained prior to the treatment, one week after, and six weeks after. Analysis of covariance was used to test the effectiveness of the treatments. One week following treatment, intersependent tasks was effective ( p p
Microstructure of gold grown by ion-induced deposition

Abstract Ion-induced deposition is a process of film growth where adsorbed gas (usually organometallic) molecules are decomposed on the surface by ion impact leaving a deposit behind. This process is used in focused ion beam repair of microelectronic devices and masks. The deposited films are usually mixtures of metal and carbon. We have studied the microstructure of ion deposited gold by transmission electron microscopy. The gas used was dimethylgold hexafluoroacetylacetonate. The film is found to be made up of segregated gold and carbon. The gold can either be in the form of grains (isolated, approximately spherical islands 20–50 nm in diameter), in the form of columns of comparable diameter perpendicular to the surface, or in the form of a normal polycrystalline structure. Higher temperature growth (80–100 °C) or slower growth rate favors the polycrystalline films, while faster growth or growth at room temperature tends to produce granular films with a high carbon content. The incorporation of carbon may be related to the inability of the reaction products to escape from the surface.
Synergistic Effects of Conditioned Media and Hydrostatic Pressure on the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of mechanical stimuli in combination with conditioned media (CM) on the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Two “opposing” groups were defined for the study. The first, designated the bone group, was formed by seeding MSCs onto porous poly(l-lactide-co-e-caprolactone)/hydroxyapatite scaffolds. The second group, designated the cartilage group, was formed by encapsulating MSCs in 2% agarose. The samples were either subjected to hydrostatic pressure (HP), administered CM from the opposing group at a concentration of 50%, or given a combination of the two stimuli. The sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content and SOX9, aggrecan, and collagen type II expressions suggest that both osteoblast CM and intermittent HP individually enhanced the chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs. In addition, there is evidence of a synergistic interaction between CM and HP on chondrogenic differentiation. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein expression suggest that the combination of chondrocyte CM and HP significantly enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. However, the individual stimuli did not have a significant effect on osteogenic differentiation. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results revealed that both the chondrocyte CM and osteoblast CM contained considerable amounts of TGF-β1 and BMP-2.
Redox chemistry of reduced pterin species

Abstract The redox chemistry of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin (THP), 7,8-dihydropterin (7,8-DHP) and pterin has been studied by electrochemical methods. The initial electrooxidation reaction of THP is an almost reversible 2e−2H+ process giving an unstable quinonoid-dihydropterin which rearranges to give 7,8-DHP. The latter species reacts with water to form an equilibrium mixture of a covalently hydrated 7,8-DHP and a non-hydrated species. The former species is favored at low pH. Covalently hydrated 7,8-DHP is structurally similar to THP and therefore is electrooxidized at almost the same potential as THP. This reaction is also a quasi-reversible 2e−2H+ process giving an unstable quinonoid. The latter undergoes a rather fast chemical reaction to give another intermediate, thought to be an isomeric but more stable quinonoid. These quinonoids break down to give an almost equimolar mixture of pterin and 7,8-dihydroxanthopterin. The non-hydrated form of 7,8-DHP is electrooxidized at more positive potentials.
Preliminary Development of a Fiber Optic Sensor for Measuring Bilirubin

Preliminary development of a fiber optic bilirubin sensor is described, where an unclad sensing portion is used to provide evanescent wave interaction of the transmitted light with the chemical environment. By using a wavelength corresponding to a bilirubin absorption peak, the Beer–Lambert Law can be used to relate the concentration of bilirubin surrounding the sensing portion to the amount of absorbed light. Initial testing in vitro suggests that the sensor response is consistent with the results of bulk absorption measurements as well as the Beer–Lambert Law. In addition, it is found that conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin have different peak absorption wavelengths, so that two optical frequencies may potentially be used to measure both types of bilirubin. Future development of this device could provide a means of real-time, point-of-care monitoring of intravenous bilirubin in critical care neonates with hyperbilirubinemia.
The Effect of Urea on the Activity and Allosteric Coupling in Phosphofructokinase from Bacillus Stearothermophilus and Escherichia Coli

Phosphofructokinase (PFK) catalyzes the phosphorylation of fructose-6-phosphate (Fru-6-P) by MgATP in the first committed step of glycolysis. Bacterial phosphofructokinase is an allosteric, homotetrameric enzyme and is allosterically regulated by phospho(enol)pyruvate (PEP) and MgADP. In phosphofructokinase from both Bacillus stearothermophilus (BsPFK) and Escherichia coli (EcPFK) the allosteric coupling between PEP and Fru-6-P results from compensating enthalpy and entropy components. In EcPFK the positive coupling free energy associated with inhibition by PEP is established by the positive enthalpy component. In BsPFK the sign of the coupling free energy is opposite that of the enthalpy term and is therefore determined by the larger absolute value of the entropy term. This striking contrast between BsPFK and EcPFK suggests that fundamentally different mechanisms may be responsible for transmitting the allosteric signal between binding sites. In the present study, enzyme activity and allosteric couplings were determined at varying concentrations of urea for both BsPFK and EcPFK. The specific activity of BsPFK increases at low concentrations of urea, reaching 115% of initial activity at ∼0.5M urea. The activity remains at this level until ∼2.5M urea, where it decreases until reaching 0% at ∼6M urea. EcPFK slowly loses activity from 0 to ∼1.5M urea, where the activity begins to quickly decline and is completely lost by ∼3M. Compared to 0M conditions, the allosteric coupling between PEP and Fru-6-P increases by about 3-fold in 0.5M urea, 2-fold in 2M urea, and decreases by 2-fold in 4M urea. This is in direct contrast to EcPFK, where the allosteric coupling is similar at 0, 0.5M and 2M urea. These results support the notion of different underlying mechanisms for inhibition of PFK in Bacillus stearothermophilus and Escherichia coli. Funding: NIH-GM33261, NIH-CBI, Welch-A1543.
The Evolution of Lethals in the t-Haplotype System of the Mouse

The evolution of lethal haplotypes in the t-haplotype segregation distortion system of Mus is examined by mathematical and computer models. The models assume that there is reproductive compensation for the loss of lethal embryos, such that the net reproductive success of a female is not reduced in proportion to the frequency of lethal offspring which she produces. The initial population consists of a mixture of wild-type and homozygous male-sterile t-haplotypes. The failure of sterile males to reproduce may cause a higher fitness cost to mothers heterozygous for t-haplotypes than does elimination of a recessive lethal. Under certain conditions, a recessive lethal will spread and come to a polymorphic equilibrium. Wild-type, lethal and non-lethal haplotypes are all present at this equilibrium. If a second lethal mutation arises on a non-lethal t-haplotype in such an equilibrium population, it will increase in frequency and eventually displace the non-lethal t-haplotypes. A third lethal t-haplotype introduced at a low frequency into an equilibrium with two lethals can sometimes be selected for, although this is less likely if compensation is strong. The theoretical predictions are compared with data on natural populations.
Impact of frontloading of skilled nursing visits on the incidence of 30-day hospital readmission

Hospitalization among older adults receiving skilled home health services continues to be prevalent. Frontloading of skilled nursing visits, defined as providing 60% of the planned skilled nursing visits within the first two weeks of home health episode, is one way home health agencies have attempted to reduce the need for readmission among this chronically ill population. This was a retrospective observational study using data from five Medicare-owned, national assessment and claim databases from 2009. An independent randomized sample of 4500 Medicare-reimbursed home health beneficiaries was included in the analyses. Propensity score analysis was used to reduce known confounding among covariates prior to the application of logistic analysis. Although whether skilled nursing visits were frontloaded or not was not a significant predictor of 30-day hospital readmission (p = 0.977), additional research is needed to refine frontloading and determine the type of patients who are most likely to benefit from it.
Scintigraphic appearance of bone during external beam irradiation

Separate imaging studies employing Tc-99m MDP, In-111 labeled leukocytes, and Tc-99m SC were performed in a patient receiving external beam radiation therapy to the mediastinum and left hemithorax. The leukocyte scan demonstrated greatly increased activity at the site of the radiation port. The bone marrow (sulfur colloid) scan was normal and the bone scan demonstrated only minimally increased activity in the irradiated region. The varying appearance of these scans may represent the difference in the early effect of radiation on bone and bone marrow elements.
Editorial Response: Diversity of Campylobacter Species and Its Impact on Patients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Campylobacter species are recognized as one of the most important causes of diarrheal disease worldwide. Campylobacters were first isolated from aborted sheep fetuses in 1909, and these and similar organisms were originally called Vibrio fetus. In 1957, Campylobacter jejuni, identified as a related vibrio, was found to be associated with human diarrhea; on the basis of this organism's biochemical characteristics and DNA content, a new genus, Campylobacter, was created [1]. There are now 18 species and subspecies within the genus Campylobacter; two of these species, C. jejuni and C. coli, have been recognized as major causes of diarrheal disease since the late 1970s [2]. In the United States, the annual incidence of laboratory-diagnosed cases of campylobacter enteritis is estimated to be 54 per 100,000 population, but this figure is an underestimate of the true number of campylobacter infections. Sampling rates during waterborne outbreaks of campylobacter enteritis have been ~1% (1,000 cases per 100,000 population per year), representing 2.1 million cases per year. In a survey of patients seeking treatment for acute diarrhea in the United Kingdom, investigators found a similar incidence of 1.1%, or 500,000 cases per year [3]. The incidence of campylobacter infections in developing countries is probably much higher, and travelers to these areas are at risk for developing campylobacter infection; isolation rates are as high as 39% among symptomatic individuals [4].
Prospects for genetic control of the gypsy moth

Abstract Male gypsy moths, Lymantria dispar L., that have been irradiated as pupae with a substerilizing dose of gamma radiation (10 krads) and mated with normal females, yield sterile F 1 progeny. This inherited sterility enhances classical sterile-insect release methods, since control is exerted on the target population for two generations with a release in the first generation. However, difficulties associated with large-scale deployment of partially sterile males renders genetic control impractical on a large scale. Diapausing F 1 eggs (progeny of 10-krad male x normal female) can be stockpiled in the laboratory and released into target populations, greatly simplifying deployment of sterile insects. With the release of F 1 eggs, the overflooding of fertile males by F 1 sterile males will reduce reproduction in the year of release, provided that F 1 egg and larval hatch, establishment, development and survival are comparable to that in wild populations. Releasing F 1 egg-masses is a significant step forward in making sterile-insect technology operational for the gypsy moth. Field trials in isolated infestations have been conducted, and the technique has been successfully used in eradicating an isolated population in Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A. Prospects for its continued use in gypsy-moth management programs are discussed.
Tyrosine and serine phosphorylation of dystrophin and the 58-kDa protein in the postsynaptic membrane of Torpedo electric organ.

: Dystrophin associates with a 58-kDa and an 87-kDa protein in the postsynaptic membrane of the Torpedo electric organ. We have previously shown that the 87-kDa protein is a major phosphotyrosine-containing protein in these membranes. Immunoprecipitation of the 87-kDa protein from phosphorylated postsynaptic membranes results in coimmunoprecipitation of additional phosphoproteins. These phosphoproteins are identified as dystrophin and the 58-kDa protein. Monoclonal antibodies to dystrophin and the 58-kDa protein immunoprecipitate phosphorylated forms of these proteins from postsynaptic membranes phosphorylated in vitro. Phosphoamino acid analysis reveals that dystrophin and the 58-kDa protein are phosphorylated on serine and tyrosine residues. In addition, both dystrophin and the 58-kDa protein are shown to be phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in vivo. These results suggest that the synaptic function of dystrophin and its associated proteins, the 58-kDa and 87-kDa proteins, may be modulated by tyrosine and serine protein Phosphorylation.
Fibre splice loss: a simple method of calculation

We evaluate the loss encountered when splicing between two circular single-mode fibres with unmatched parameters. Our method represents a significant improvement in simplicity over other methods, with only an insignificant degradation of accuracy. We use Galerkin's method, but expand the field of both fibres in terms of the same set of basis functions, leading to considerable simplicity: the overlap integral is simply the inner (dot) product of the eigenvectors. Integration is thus avoided. We assume that weakly guiding conditions prevail.
Adipocyte Apoptosis, a Link between Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and Hepatic Steatosis

Adipocyte death has been reported in both obese humans and rodents. However, its role in metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation associated with obesity has not been studied. We now show using real-time reverse transcription-PCR arrays that adipose tissue of obese mice display a pro-apoptotic phenotype. Moreover, caspase activation and adipocyte apoptosis were markedly increased in adipose tissue from both mice with diet-induced obesity and obese humans. These changes were associated with activation of both the extrinsic, death receptor-mediated, and intrinsic, mitochondrial-mediated pathways of apoptosis. Genetic inactivation of Bid, a key pro-apoptotic molecule that serves as a link between these two cell death pathways, significantly reduced caspase activation, adipocyte apoptosis, prevented adipose tissue macrophage infiltration, and protected against the development of systemic insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis independent of body weight. These data strongly suggest that adipocyte apoptosis is a key initial event that contributes to macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis associated with obesity in both mice and humans. Inhibition of adipocyte apoptosis may be a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of obesity-associated metabolic complications.
Near-field focusing by a nonuniform leaky-wave interface

The concept and the theoretical analysis of near-field focusing by a passive planar nonuniform leaky-wave interface are presented. The nonuniform interface, using a recently proposed uniform backfire-to-endfire leaky-wave antenna, is designed to exhibit the appropriate phase-conjugated distribution for focus formation at a desired point. A simplified nonlinear phased-array approach is proposed to predict the dispersion of the focus. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 416–418, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20652
Head slap simulation for linear and rotary shock impulses

A finite element model of a hard disk drive (HDD) is developed to investigate the response of the HDD to a shock impulse. Two types of shock are of interest, a linear shock and a rotary shock. The linear model corresponds to a HDD being dropped flat onto an impact surface. The rotary model is constrained to rotate about an axis and simulates a HDD standing on one edge that is allowed to drop and impact the opposite edge. The geometry is developed using Pro/E, a CAD package, and is then imported into Hypermesh, a pre- and post-processor. The transient solution is performed using LS-Dyna, a finite element solver. The three software packages are commercially available. Results are shown as animations and time series data. Comparison of the simulation results for the two models is used to develop a correlation between the linear and rotary shock tests.
De novo biosynthesis of docosahexaenoyl-phosphatidic acid in bovine retinal microsomes.

Abstract Lysophosphatidic acid stimulated several-fold the formation of docosahexaenoyl-phosphatidic acid from 14 C-labeled docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 ( n − 3)) in the bovine retina. 1-Palmitoyl- and 1-oleoyl- sn -glycerol 3-phosphate were the preferred acceptors. Most of the activity was localized in the 105 000 × g microsomal fraction. Despite the very high content of 22:6 in the phospholipids of photoreceptor membranes, only about 1% of the microsomal activity was found in discs isolated from rod outer segments. The newly synthesized docosahexaenoyl-phosphatidic acid was further metabolized to diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine. The de novo synthesis of docosahexaenoyl-phosphatidylcholine was stimulated by 1 mM CDPcholine. Lysophosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine up to 50 μM do not compete with each other for 22:6 in the formation of their respective diacylated lipids. This suggests that this fatty acid is introduced into phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylcholine via different acylation systems. We conclude that, in addition to the deacylation-acylation cycle, there is also an active pathway for the acylation of 22:6 into glycerolipids during the de novo biosynthesis of phosphatidic acid.
The sexual rehabilitation of the hemodialysis patient

The sexual functioning of patients maintained by hemodialysis is severely comprised. The causes for these dysfunctions include medical, pharmacological and psychological reasons. As to psychological ones, these include the effects of depression, anxiety, reversal of family role, loss of urination and loss of ability to carry through life functions which individuals associate with gender identity.
Reduced gain controllers for a class of uncertain dynamical systems

A class of uncertain systems described by ordinary differential equations and whose uncertainties can be characterized by certain structural conditions (the matching conditions) and known bounding parameters ( kappa and lambda ) are discussed. For any prescribed rate of exponential convergence, linear state-feedback controllers which yield exponential stability are presented. It is shown how the controller gain matrix can be chosen so that its norm is bounded above affinely in kappa . An illustrative example is also given. >