cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P129 Missing the forest for the trees: Using shared epitope analysis tools to understand crossmatch results

Aim A positive crossmatch with no identifiable donor specific antibody (DSA) is often considered not to be a contraindication for transplant. However, accurate HLA antibody identification is critical for assessing the risk of transplant in the presence of a positive crossmatch. In this case study, we present a 45 year-old female who had a strong positive flow cytometric crossmatch (FCXM) but no obvious donor specific antibody (DSA) detected. The patient had multiple pregnancies with no autoimmune disease. Our goal was to investigate the cause of this patient’s positive crossmatch with no apparent DSA to assess the risk of transplanting this patient. Methods Single antigen bead (SAB), LABScreen PRA (LSPRA), and FlowPRA Screen (FlowPRA) assays were used to identify HLA antibodies. Epitope analysis was performed using the Epitope Registry and EpVix. Flow cytometry crossmatches were performed using the Rapid Optimized FCXM protocol. Initial DSA results were based on the SAB assay using the laboratory’s established positive/negative MFI cutoff ( ⩾ 1000). Results The results of the FCXM were T-cell negative (MCS = 0) and B-cell positive (MCS = 208). The donor’s class II HLA typing was DR11,-; DQ5,-; DR52. Although the DR8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, and 18 beads were at the top of SAB panel, all had MFI of less than 1000 MFI (DR11 MFI = 500). The LSPRA assay showed some weak reactivity; however, the class II FlowPRA assay was strong positive. Therefore, we hypothesized that antibody against a shared epitope was likely to be the cause of the strong positive FlowPRA and observed positive FCXM. Epitope analysis using the EpVix program demonstrated that the 96HK epitope is shared among DR8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, and 18, thus supporting our shared epitope hypothesis. To determine if patient’s antibodies may result in positive crossmatch with other donors sharing the same epitope, we performed surrogate FCXMs. The results confirmed that the patient had positive B-cell crossmatches with donors who expressed DR8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, or 18 antigens. Conclusions Utilizing multiple assay platforms can help elucidate antibody specificities. Performing epitope analysis is useful to confirm shared epitope reactivity. In the future, listing unacceptable epitopes may be a better method to eliminate positive crossmatch than listing unacceptable antigens.
Development and assessment of an innovative experiential pharmacy course

A innovative first professional year clinical program was developed to meet national pharmacy school accreditation standards relating to experiential programs. The content and assessments were developed in conjunction with the Purdue University Center for Instructional Excellence. The content is taught in a clinically based, on-campus pharmacy. Students serve faculty, staff, retirees and students’ prescription needs and provide patient counseling while meeting course objectives through mentored experiences with instructors, pharmacists and upper classmen. Students gain practical and clinical experience with patient care, commonly used drugs and engage in pharmacy operations. The course is a blended design of active learning and small group discussion. It is a highly structured clinical experience that ensures patient safety and incorporates continuous assessment with feedback. Technology plays a key role in student assessments, which are conducted primarily by upperclassmen. Assessment data on course effectiveness has been compiled and is available for review. Pre and post test results, prescription processing methods, counseling simulations, peer-reviewed video recorded counseling sessions with patients, and the use of multimedia and iPads are discussed. Patti Darbishire, Clinic Pharmacol Biopharmaceut 2013, 2:3 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2167-065X.S1.004
GENDER REVERSAL AND BILATERAL GIANT ADRENAL MYELOLIPOMAS IN A 46,XX PATIENT WITH 21-HYDROXYLASE DEFICIENCY: CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

ABSTRACT Objective: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) can result in hormonal changes that influence gender identification and possibly the formation of adrenal myelolipomas in rare cases. Methods: A patient case is presented with associated literature review. Results: A 46,XX patient with 21-hydroxylase deficiency who had ambiguous genitalia at birth that were surgically revised to a female phenotype is reported. The patient was intermittently compliant with glucocorticoid therapy. Years later, because of his male gender identification, he had a legal name change and gender reversal surgery to male. At age 46 he was found to have bilateral giant adrenal myelolipomas that were surgically removed. Conclusion: Treatment objectives in the care of patients with CAH include adequate glucocorticoid replacement to reduce increased corticotropin-releasing hormone and corticotropin secretion that result in hyperandrogenemia so that growth, sexual maturation, and reproductive function, as well as psychosocial dev...
When gastroenteritis isn't: a case report of a 20-year-old male with Boerhaave's syndrome complicated by intra-abdomimal hemorrhage.

Here we present the case of a 20-year-old male with a known history of an artificial mechanical aortic valve replacement at ages four and twelve, on chronic warfarin therapy, who presented to our community emergency department for the evaluation of vomiting, diarrhea, generalized malaise and abdominal pain. He was seen at a local urgent care for similar symptoms earlier in the day, subsequently discharged with a diagnosis of mild gastroenteritis; however, according to the patient’s sister, upon his return home he looked very unwell and she called an ambulance immediately. He stated the vomiting was nonbloody, nonbilious and without a coffee-ground appearance; the diarrhea likewise was nonbloody, non-melenic, but mucousy. He had chills, but denies recent fevers, urinary complaints, back pain, chest pain, cough, or dyspnea. No recent illnesses, sick contacts, or travel. The patient denied any other medical or surgical history. Importantly, the patient reported no recent adjustments in his warfarin dose, admitted compliance, with last INR 2.1 two days prior to presentation.
Modeling Cargo Transport by Pairs of Kinesin-1 and -3 Motors

Intracellular cargo transport frequently involves multiple motor types, either having opposite directionality or having the same directionality but different speeds. Although significant progress has been made in characterizing kinesin motors at the single-molecule level, predicting their ensemble behavior requires tight coupling between experiments and modeling to uncover the underlying motor behavior. To understand how diverse kinesins attached to the same cargo coordinate their movement, we analyzed the transport properties of complexes of kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 motors attached to protein scaffolds in vitro (Norris et al.
Landscape and pesticide effects on honey bees: forager survival and expression of acetylcholinesterase and brain oxidative genes

The aim of the present work was to assess the effects of landscape and pesticides on honey bee survival and physiological stress. Integrated use of acetylcholinesterase and detoxification enzymes was tested on honey bee brains for detecting possible exposure to pesticides. Foragers were tracked in agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes in West Tennessee (USA) and then recovered for molecular and chemical analyses. In addition, four honey bee cohorts were fed imidacloprid in the laboratory ad libitum for several weeks and were analyzed by RT-qPCR for gene expression. Pesticides were identified at different concentrations in both crop flowers and recovered foragers. No significant differences in foragers’ mortality were found among locations. Acetylcholinesterase and detoxification genes showed no response to exposure to pesticides except for GstS3 and GstS4. Our results suggest that none of the studied genes make suitable biomarkers for honey bee exposed to pesticides.
The Right Place at the Right Time: Optimizing Automated External Defibrillator Placement in the Community.

Article, see p 1104 Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) afflicts >350 000 persons annually in the United States.1 Although early defibrillation can improve survival, public access defibrillation (PAD) with an automated external defibrillator (AED) is not available much of the time.2 The American Heart Association has long advocated for the development of PAD programs,3 with the AED as a crucial component of the “Chain of Survival.”4 Early proof-of-concept studies in controlled environments, such as aircraft and casinos, demonstrated efficacy and confirmed the importance of early defibrillation.5,6 In the PAD trial, the survival rate doubled in higher-risk public settings when lay responders trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation were equipped with AEDs compared with those who were not.7 Despite data confirming efficacy of early defibrillation, AED usage remains low.2 This finding relates, in part, to an issue of limited resources because there is a cost related to AED purchase, placement, and maintenance. One of the challenges for PAD programs has been deciding where to place AEDs to optimize access. Early efforts focused on identifying sites or location categories with high OHCA incidence rates. For example, Becker and colleagues8 identified 10 location categories with a higher incidence of cardiac arrest in Seattle and King County, Washington; these locations included the airport, county jail, and a large shopping mall. They estimated that coverage for 134 cardiac arrest patients over a 5-year period could be obtained by the placement of 276 AEDs in the 172 highest incidence sites. However, to cover the remaining 347 arrests over this same time period, an AED would have to be placed in an additional 71 000 sites, illustrating the challenges of obtaining widespread coverage. The PAD trial, in addition …
Artificial General Intelligence Begins With Recognition: Evaluating the Flexibility of Recognition

Many types of supervised recognition algorithms have been developed over the past half century. However, it remains difficult to compare their flexibility and ability to reason. Part of the difficulty is the need of a good definition of flexibility. This chapter is dedicated to defining and evaluating flexibility in recognition.
I8 Marine natural products as starting points for drug discovery and development

Natural products from marine cyanobacteria cover therapeutically relevant chemical space. This is underscored by the approval of brentuximab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate with a cytotoxic payload that is derived from dolastatin 10 which is produced by the marine cyanobacterium Caldora penicillata. In addition to dolastatin 10, we have discovered novel cytotoxins with different mechanisms of action, including apratoxins. We characterized the targets and mechanisms of action of prioritized cytotoxins to identify biomarkers for preclinical studies, performed structure–activity relationship studies to modulate activity and selectivity profiles, and investigated their efficacy using tumor xenograft models to assess their potential as anticancer drug leads.
TALK-1 reduces delta-cell endoplasmic reticulum and cytoplasmic calcium levels limiting somatostatin secretion.

Abstract Objective Single-cell RNA sequencing studies have revealed that the type-2 diabetes associated two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channel TALK-1 is abundantly expressed in somatostatin-secreting δ-cells. However, a physiological role for TALK-1 in δ-cells remains unknown. We previously determined that in β-cells, K+ flux through endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized TALK-1 channels enhances ER Ca2+ leak, modulating Ca2+ handling and insulin secretion. As glucose amplification of islet somatostatin release relies on Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) from the δ-cell ER, we investigated whether TALK-1 modulates δ-cell Ca2+ handling and somatostatin secretion. Methods To define the functions of islet δ-cell TALK-1 channels, we generated control and TALK-1 channel-deficient (TALK-1 KO) mice expressing fluorescent reporters specifically in δ- and α-cells to facilitate cell type identification. Using immunofluorescence, patch clamp electrophysiology, Ca2+ imaging, and hormone secretion assays, we assessed how TALK-1 channel activity impacts δ- and α-cell function. Results TALK-1 channels are expressed in both mouse and human δ-cells, where they modulate glucose-stimulated changes in cytosolic Ca2+ and somatostatin secretion. Measurement of cytosolic Ca2+ levels in response to membrane potential depolarization revealed enhanced CICR in TALK-1 KO δ-cells that could be abolished by depleting ER Ca2+ with sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) inhibitors. Consistent with elevated somatostatin inhibitory tone, we observed significantly reduced glucagon secretion and α-cell Ca2+ oscillations in TALK-1 KO islets, and found that blockade of α-cell somatostatin signaling with a somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) antagonist restored glucagon secretion in TALK-1 KO islets. Conclusions These data indicate that TALK-1 reduces δ-cell cytosolic Ca2+ elevations and somatostatin release by limiting δ-cell CICR, modulating the intraislet paracrine signaling mechanisms that control glucagon secretion.
Phytates in Legumes and Cereals

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that the knowledge of phytic acid had its beginning in the discovery by Hartig, who isolated small particles or grains (which were not starch grains) from the seeds of various plants. Phytic acid has been generally regarded as the primary storage form of both phosphate and inositol in almost all seeds. The amount of phytic acid varies from 0.50% to 1.89% in cereals (except polished rice), from 0.40% to 2.06% in legumes, from 2.00% to 5.20% in oil seeds except soybeans and peanuts (grouped under legumes), and from 0.40% to 7.50% in protein products. Many foods and seeds contain myo-inositol hexaphosphate as an important source of phosphorus, and accurate methods for its determination are needed. Phytase (meso-inositol hexaphosphate phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.8) is widely distributed in plants, animals, and fungi. In mature cereal grains, legumes, and oil seeds, the major portion of the total phosphorus is present in the form of phytic acid (phytate). Experiments with animals have suggested that phytic acid in plant foods complexes with dietary essential minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium and makes them biologically unavailable for absorption. The correlation of phytate with the cooking quality of peas was first suggested by Mattson. Phytic acid, myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis dihydrogen phosphate serves as the main phosphorus store in mature seeds and grains. In cereals and legumes, phytic acid content ranges from 0.14% to 2.05%, which accounts for 18 to 88% of the total phosphorus.
The Role and Effect of Parenteral Nutrition on the Liver and Its Use in Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Childhood

At the present time, specific and clear-cut clinical indications for the use of intravenous nutrition in the infant, child or adolescent with hepatobiliary disease do not exist. The indications for the implementation of such a life-support system on a temporary basis in children undergoing extensive operative procedures on the liver or biliary tract is similar to that found in any child undergoing radical surgery. The use of intravenous nutrition in such situations is, however, primarily if not solely, related to the need to nutritionally sustain such children during prolonged periods when they cannot tolerate oral feedings. There does not appear to be any specific advantage to this group of postoperative pediatric surgical patients as opposed to any other group of poorly nourished children following extensive surgery of the cardiovascular, neuromuscular or genito-urinary systems.
Resource Recommendation in Social Annotation Systems Based on User Partitioning

Social annotation systems have become a staple of the World Wide Web, enabling users to organize their favorite resources with tags. Resource recommenders that exploit these tags to model users and resources have proven to be effective in assisting users navigate complex information spaces, particularly when combined with other approaches. In previous work, we demonstrated the power of a linear weighted hybrid that combines the weighted results of simple component recommenders. While this hybrid was able to learn how to weigh each of the components, it treated all users the same. In this work, we present a framework to automatically discover partitions of users and learn optimal weights for each partition. The experimental results on three real world data sets not only demonstrates an improvement in the accuracy of the algorithm, but also offers unique insights into how social annotation systems are used by various groups of users.
High-spin states in odd-mass Sb 1 1 3 − 1 1 9 : Δ J = 1 bands on 9 2 + proton-hole states

Properties of high-spin states in $^{113,115,117,119}\mathrm{Sb}$ have been studied via the $^{A}\mathrm{Cd}(^{6}\mathrm{Li},3n)^{A+3}\mathrm{Sb}$ reactions. Using Ge(Li) and Si(Li) detectors, in-beam measurements of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray excitation functions, $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidences, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray angular distributions, and pulsed beam-$\ensuremath{\gamma}$ timing spectra were made to determine level energies, decay schemes, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray multipolarities, ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}$ assignments, isomeric lifetimes, and a $g$ factor. Systematic $\ensuremath{\Delta}J=1$ bands built on low-lying $\frac{9}{{2}^{+}}$ proton-hole (2p-1h) states were observed in these nuclei. The bandheads that involve the excitation of a $1{g}_{\frac{9}{2}}$ proton across the $Z=50$ shell achieve an energy minimum near the middle of the neutron shell. The observed properties of these bands are consistent with significant prolate deformations; the band spacings imply a deformation asymmetry of $\ensuremath{\gamma}=20$ in a triaxial rotor model. In addition, single-particle and single-particle plus core-excitation states were observed in these Sb nuclei. Two isomers were identified, a $\frac{19}{{2}^{(\ensuremath{-})}}$ state at 2796 keV in $^{115}\mathrm{Sb}$ ($\ensuremath{\tau}=230\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4$ ns and $g=+0.290\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005$) and a ($\frac{27}{{2}^{+}}$) state in $^{119}\mathrm{Sb}$ ($\ensuremath{\tau}=1.23\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.13$ s).NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{110\ensuremath{-}116}\mathrm{Cd}$ ($^{6}\mathrm{Li}$,$3n$)$^{113\ensuremath{-}119}\mathrm{Sb}$; measured $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidences, $\ensuremath{\gamma}(E,\ensuremath{\theta},t)$, spin rotation in $B=10.3$ kG; deduced level schemes in odd-mass $^{113\ensuremath{-}119}\mathrm{Sb}$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ multipolarities, ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}$, ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, $g$-factor. Enriched targets, Ge(Li) detectors.
Access control with delegation for smart home applications

With the emergence of smart home applications, it is important to have flexible access control so that users can create/transfer their permissions in a convenient way. We propose a lightweight authorization protocol with support of a delegation chain in which a user can easily transfer (part of) his/her access rights to smart appliances in the form of a Bloom filter. The security of our protocol is based on the false positive rate of a Bloom filter. A prototype has been built for evaluation.
Bipolar disorder, depression, and arousal

Abstract Disorders like bipolar disorder and major depression have similar reticular activating system (RAS)–related dysfunction in (a) wake-sleep disturbances, reflex hyperactivity, and decreased P50 potential habituation and (b) decreased or interrupted gamma band activity. Comorbid symptoms and genetic factors overlap greatly. Treatment of these symptoms and determining therapeutic success are available with some care. However, bipolar disorder and major depression differ significantly in their etiology and mechanisms involved. These differences are evident in the treatments that have been developed to alleviate the symptoms of these disorders. For example, the prototypical treatment for bipolar disorder is lithium, which we found may have at least some of its beneficial effects by blocking or reducing the effects of overexpressed neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) protein that can inhibit gamma band activity. On the other hand, major depression patients do not overexpress NCS-1, but appear to suffer from decreased serotonin release from the raphe nuclei in the mesopontine midline, a condition addressed by serotonin reuptake inhibitors to compensate for the decrease in serotonin.
RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis

Abstract RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) studies have become the gold standard for high-throughput transcriptome analysis. The amount of data produced by RNA-Seq is unparalleled, providing the opportunity to analyze gene expression with great precision and detail. This includes the ability to examine expression at the isoform level, determine alternate splice sites, investigate low-expressing genes, and even identify novel genes. While much of this information was initially overlooked, the computational analysis of RNA-Seq data has begun to catch up with the advances in data production abilities. RNA-Seq studies have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of the eye, and in identifying genes that play a role in visual dystrophies. RNA-Seq data holds great potential, and when the computational analysis of RNA-Seq data allows scientists to uncover its full potential, the possibilities are limitless.
The Evolution of a Neolithic Tell on the Great Hungarian Plain: Site Formation and Use at Szeghalom-Kovácshalom

This article explores the development and evolution of a Neolithic tell on the Great Hungarian Plain, with a particular focus on the depositional and functional changes over time. Recent, multi-dis...
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Abdominal Pain and Disability at 1-Year Follow-up After an Attack of Acute Pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to report the prevalence and predictors of abdominal pain and disability 1 year after an acute pancreatitis (AP) attack. METHODS Patients were prospectively enrolled between December 2012 and April 2016. Enrolled subjects were contacted at a median of 13 months after enrollment. Multivariable regression models were used to determine factors independently associated with abdominal pain at follow-up. RESULTS Response rate was 71% (110/155). Of respondents, median age was 51 years, 58% were female, and 14% had severe AP. At follow-up, 24% of patients reported abdominal pain (65% intermittent, 35% constant), 10% used analgesics regularly, and 6% had regular opioids use. Furthermore, 41% of patients experienced pain-related interference with work or daily activities, and 8% developed disability. On regression analysis, idiopathic etiology (odds ratio [OR], 3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-13.6) persistent organ failure (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.1-7.9), and recurrent AP (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1-10.6) were independently associated with abdominal pain at follow-up. Disability at follow-up was associated with younger age, current smoking, and intensive care unit admission (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Abdominal pain and disability are potential long-term sequelae of AP. Certain pre-existing factors and pancreatitis features are associated with these outcomes at one-year follow-up of AP.
Acute delayed onset hemodynamic and respiratory compromise due to thoracic translocation of hemourinoma after percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) despite its minimally invasive approach has an high complication rate, with the most common complications being extravasation of urine and perioperative bleeding requiring transfusion. While most of these complications are minor, many serious and life-threatening complications do occur. One such complication is the development of hemothorax or hydrothorax which usually develops in the early postoperative period with blood or urine passing from the surgical site through a newly established pleural-peritoneal fistula. Here we describe an unusual presentation and clinical management of delayed onset acute urohemothorax and hemodynamic collapse several days following PCNL.
What Does It Mean for a Voice to Sound “Normal”?

It is rather unclear what is meant by “normal” voice quality, just as it is often unclear what is meant by “voice quality” in general. To shed light on this matter, listeners heard 1-sec sustained vowels produced by 100 female speakers, half of whom were recorded as part of a clinical voice evaluation and half of whom were undergraduate students who reported no vocal disorder. Listeners compared 20 voices at a time in a series of sort-and-rate trials, ordering the samples on a line according to the severity of perceived pathology. Any voices perceived as normal were placed in a box at one end of the line. Judgments of “normal” versus “not-normal” status were at chance. Listeners were relatively self-consistent, but disagreed with one another, especially about what counts as normal. Agreement was better, but still limited, about what counts as “not normal.” Strategies for separating “normal” from “not normal” differed widely across individual listeners, as did strategies for determining how much a given voice deviated from normal. However, acoustic modeling of listeners’ responses showed that several acoustic measures—F0, F1 and F2, and F0 coefficient of variation—appeared more often than others as significant predictors of both categorical judgments and of scalar normalness ratings. These variables did not account for most of the variance in these analyses, and did not appear together in the perceptual models for even half of the listeners, but they did appear individually in most analyses, suggesting that in practice the concept of “normal” may have some small core of meaning based on F0 and vowel quality. Thus, the answer to our initial question of what it means for a voice to sound normal is a complex one that depends on the listener, the context, the purpose of the judgment, and other factors as well as on the voice.
Retaining Control Over the Instruments we Created

The citizenry can apply a myriad of tools to hold government accountable and transparent, including through the law and freedom of information audits, as demonstrated in two articles published in this issue's Journal of Civic Information. More must be done, however, including public education and government employee training to make clear the importance and relevance of civic information in a well-functioning democracy.
Minimal surfaces in ℍ2 × ℝ: Non-fillable curves

In this paper, we study the asymptotic Plateau problem in ℍ2 × ℝ. We construct the first examples of non-fillable finite curves with no thin tail in S∞1 × ℝ.
Comment on "Patent Grant Rates at the United States Patent and Trademark Office "

In recent patent reform proposals made by the Federal Trade Commission [FTC] and the National Academy of Sciences [NAS], there has been discussion that the United States Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO] might have a high grant rate of patents compared to rates of other industrialized countries, including Japan and European countries. This discussion began with papers of Quillen and Webster that suggested that the grant rate might be as high as 97% and more reasonably is at least 85%. Clarke suggested that the issue rate is closer to 75%. While Quillen and Webster based grant rate on applications "allowed," Clarke based his studies on applications "issued." In this paper, we use data from the USPTO to show that the difference between "allowed" and "issued" applications is not the reason for the divergence in grant rates. Instead, we suggest that Quillen and Webster's elevated grant rates arise from a flawed numerical approach.
Gold Rush Legacy: American Minerals and the Knowledge Economy

This paper argues that the discovery of gold in California and a federal policy that gave all of the rents in minerals on federal land to private parties led to two important, and closely related, outcomes. The first outcome was the development of a private-order property rights regime in the gold mining region, key elements of which would later be adopted as federal law. This regime, often considered a canonical example of the emergence of private-order property rights, protected the rights of active users of goldbearing land. As Umbeck (1981) documented, the rights and responsibilities of miners in a particular area were memorialized in a mining district code, which defined who could hold rights, what the rights were, and procedures for transferring rights. These codes and associated norms were successful at controlling violence and so allowed miners to focus the bulk of their energies on mining. Mining district codes also included provisions for the reallocation of rights of inactive users, through claim jumping. In Clay and Wright (2005), we argue that mining claims were not secure property rights as that concept is conventionally understood. This insecurity was in a sense built into the system, in that district codes gave considerable attention to the rights of claim jumpers, individuals who took over a claim deemed to be abandoned. Far from being a violation, ―claim jumping‖ brought productive land into use and was the most common method of acquiring a claim. Thus, codes both protected production on existing claims and regulated access to mining sites in a competitive race for high-value deposits.
Integrated Radiation Transport and Nuclear Fuel Performance for Assembly-Level Simulations

The Advanced Multi-Physics (AMP) Nuclear Fuel Performance code (AMPFuel) is focused on predicting the temperature and strain within a nuclear fuel assembly to evaluate the performance and safety of existing and advanced nuclear fuel bundles within existing and advanced nuclear reactors. AMPFuel was extended to include an integrated nuclear fuel assembly capability for (one-way) coupled radiation transport and nuclear fuel assembly thermo-mechanics. This capability is the initial step toward incorporating an improved predictive nuclear fuel assembly modeling capability to accurately account for source-terms and boundary conditions of traditional (single-pin) nuclear fuel performance simulation, such as the neutron flux distribution, coolant conditions, and assembly mechanical stresses. A novel scheme is introduced for transferring the power distribution from the Scale/Denovo (Denovo) radiation transport code (structured, Cartesian mesh with smeared materials within each cell) to AMPFuel (unstructured, hexagonal mesh with a single material within each cell), allowing the use of a relatively coarse spatial mesh (10 million elements) for the radiation transport and a fine spatial mesh (3.3 billion elements) for thermo-mechanics with very little loss of accuracy. In addition, a new nuclear fuel-specific preconditioner was developed to account for the high aspect ratio of each fuel pin (12 feet axially, but 1more » 4 inches in diameter) with many individual fuel regions (pellets). With this novel capability, AMPFuel was used to model an entire 17 17 pressurized water reactor fuel assembly with many of the features resolved in three dimensions (for thermo-mechanics and/or neutronics), including the fuel, gap, and cladding of each of the 264 fuel pins; the 25 guide tubes; the top and bottom structural regions; and the upper and lower (neutron) reflector regions. The final, full assembly calculation was executed on Jaguar using 40,000 cores in under 10 hours to model over 162 billion degrees of freedom for 10 loading steps. The single radiation transport calculation required about 50% of the time required to solve the thermo-mechanics with a single loading step, which demonstrates that it is feasible to incorporate, in a single code, a high-fidelity radiation transport capability with a high-fidelity nuclear fuel thermo-mechanics capability and anticipate acceptable computational requirements. The results of the full assembly simulation clearly show the axial, radial, and azimuthal variation of the neutron flux, power, temperature, and deformation of the assembly, highlighting behavior that is neglected in traditional axisymmetric fuel performance codes that do not account for assembly features, such as guide tubes and control rods.« less
Minimally invasive image‐guided cochlear implantation surgery: First report of clinical implementation

OBJECTIVE Minimally-invasive image-guided approach to cochlear implantation (CI) involves drilling a narrow, linear tunnel to the cochlea. Reported herein is the first clinical implementation of this approach.
The effect of gender on course evaluations in mass communications: a pilot study

This pilot study utilized a male and a female instructor from a midwestern US university, using a production course and traditional lecture course from each. The instructor was not present during the administration. The study found a correlation between gender of instructor and gender of student in the mass communication courses studied. Although none of the study's hypotheses was supported, significant findings and the high correlation found suggest a relationship between instructors and students of the same gender.
Correlation of the Biologic Effects and Binding of Cytochalasins to Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Treatment of human PMNs with cytochalasins (CE, CD, CB, and H2CB) results in alteration of cell morphology and inhibition of cell motility. Morphological changes are similar to those reported for nonamoeboid fibroblasts--rounding, zeiosis, and arborization. Mean cell velocity of PMNs, as measured by quantitative analysis of time-lapse videotape recordings, was reduced to 0.1 micron/min (control, 7.3 +/- 4.2 micron/min). Phagocytosis by PMNs, as measured by phagocytosis of latex beads, was inhibited by 75%. The relative potency of the cytochalasins for inducing morphological change or for inhibiting locomotion and phagocytosis is similar to their relative potencies for affecting non-amoeboid cells: CE greater than CD greater than CB greater than or equal to H2CB. Quantitative binding of 3H-CB to purified PMNs under equilibrium conditions reveal two types of specific CB binding sites: high-affinity sites (KD approximately 3 x 10(-7) M, 3 x 10(6) sites/cell) and low affinity sites (KD approximately 2 x 10(-6) M). The relative affinities of the cytochalasins for the high-affinity and low-affinity CB binding sites parallel their relative potencies for inducing biologic effects (i.e. CE greater than CD greater than CB greater than or equal to H2CB).
Living with Serious Mental Illness: The Role of Personal Loss in Recovery and Quality of Life

Catherine Stein, Ph.D., Advisor As the mental health field is moving towards a recovery based model of serious mental illness for both conceptualization and treatment, further research into the factors which may impact recovery and quality of life are needed. Currently, there are no studies which examine how personal loss due to mental illness or cognitive insight relate to factors such as quality of life and recovery. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relative contribution of demographic factors, self-reports of psychiatric symptoms, and individual factors of cognitive insight and personal loss in describing variation in reports of quality of life and recovery from mental illness. It was hypothesized that cognitive insight and personal loss would each predict a significant portion of the variance in scores of quality of life and recovery from mental illness. A sample of 65 veterans with serious mental illness from the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center completed structured interviews regarding psychiatric symptomotology and quality of life and completed questionnaires related to demographics, cognitive insight, personal loss due to mental illness, and recovery. Thirteen significant hierarchical regression models emerged. Results indicate that personal loss is the strongest predictor of facets of quality of life and recovery from serious mental illness, explaining incremental variance in ten of the regression models. Cognitive insight, however, was found to only explain incremental variance in one aspect of quality of life. Additionally, psychiatric symptoms and demographic variables such as diagnosis and living arrangement were also found to be significant predictors of aspects of quality of life and recovery. These findings highlight the importance of personal loss due to mental illness as a construct for further investigation and which has powerful implications for clinical intervention. Additionally, these results suggest the need for further examination of
Ketamine as an adjunct to fentanyl improves postoperative analgesia and hastens discharge in children following tonsillectomy - a prospective, double-blinded, randomized study.

Summary Objective: To evaluate the effect of ketamine, as an adjunct to fentanyl, on postoperative analgesia and duration of Postoperative Care Unit (PACU) stay, in children undergoing tonsillectomy. Background: Ketamine, as an N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonist, has been recognized to have an opioid sparing effect. In addition, it does not depress respiration or affect airway tone. Hence, addition of ketamine could be potentially beneficial in children undergoing tonsillectomy, due to the high incidence of sleep apnea in these patients. Methods: In a double blinded, randomized trial, 60 ASA status I and II children between 2 and 7 years of age, scheduled to undergo elective tonsillectomy were recruited. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups to receive fentanyl 1 mcg·kg−1 (F1 group), fentanyl 2 mcg·kg−1 (F2 group), ketamine 0.5 mg·kg−1 (K group), or fentanyl 1 mcg·kg−1 plus ketamine 0.5 mg·kg−1 (FK group) pre-incision. Postoperative pain was scored on arrival to the PACU and at 30, 60, and 90 min thereafter. Any incidence of nausea/vomiting and time to discharge from the PACU were also recorded. Results: Important predictors found for postoperative pain on arrival to the recovery room are the group (P = 0.02) and duration of surgery (P = 0.02). Least square means and standard errors of pain scores on PACU arrival were 4.87±0.69, 3.04±0.68, 2.10±0.68 and 2.03±0.69 for F1, F2, K and FK groups, respectively. On group-wise comparison adjusted for surgical time, significant difference was detected between F1 and K (P = 0.02), and F1 and FK (P = 0.0048) groups. Marginal significance was detected in duration of PACU stay among groups (P = 0.08); F2 and FK group had a shorter PACU stay than F1 (P = 0.05 and 0.04 respectively). No significant difference was detected in the need for supplemental analgesia. Conclusion: We conclude that the administration of ketamine 0.5 mg·kg−1 with 1 mcg·kg−1 fentanyl in children undergoing tonsillectomy may improve postoperative pain control without delaying home discharge.
ICP4, the major transcriptional regulatory protein of herpes simplex virus type 1, forms a tripartite complex with TATA-binding protein and TFIIB.

Abstract The ICP4 protein of herpes simplex virus can either increase or decrease the rate of transcription mediated by RNA polymerase II, depending on the target promoter. The interplay of DNA-protein and protein-protein contacts determining ICP4 function has yet to be characterized, and consequently the molecular mechanism by which the protein acts remains unclear. ICP4 can transactivate minimal promoters containing only TATA homologies, and therefore it is reasonable to hypothesize that ICP4 works by influencing the TATA-dependent assembly of general transcription factors via specific protein-protein interactions. This study directly addresses this hypothesis by determining whether ICP4 affects the assembly of general transcription factors on templates bearing a TATA box and an ICP4-binding site. Using gel retardation and footprinting assays, we found that ICP4 forms a tripartite complex with TFIIB and either the TATA-binding protein (TBP) or TFIID. The formation of this complex was not the result of simple tripartite occupancy of the DNA but the consequence of protein-protein interactions. In the presence of all three proteins, the affinity of ICP4 and TBP for their respective binding sites was substantially increased. Using mutant derivatives of ICP4 and defective versions of promoters, we also demonstrated that the ability of ICP4 to regulate gene expression correlated with its ability to form a tripartite complex with TFIIB and TBP in vitro.
Cyclic Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate Responses to Parathyroid Hormone, Prostaglandin E2, and Isoproterenol in Dermal Fibroblasts from Patients with Familial Benign Hypercalcemia*

Plasma concentrations of PTH are much lower for a given calcium or phosphorus level in patients with familial benign hypercalcemia (FBH, or familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia) than in those with primary hyperparathyroidism; these and other data suggest that there might be tissue hypersensitivity to PTH in FBH. To test this hypothesis, we have used cultured dermal fibroblasts from abdominal skin biopsies of six patients with FBH and six age- and sex-matched controls as surrogate PTH-responsive tissues. Cells in 24-well plastic plates were exposed to vehicle, human PTH-(1-34) (10(-10)-10(-7) M), prostaglandin E2 (10(-6) M), or isoproterenol (10(-4) M) for 10 min in the presence of isobutylmethylxanthine, and cellular cAMP was determined by RIA. All cells responded to PTH with dose-dependent increases in cAMP, and all responded strongly to prostaglandin E2 and isoproterenol. There were no consistent or significant differences between control and FBH fibroblasts in maximal responses to the three agonists, and half-maximal stimulation was achieved with about 10(-9) M PTH in both normal and FBH cells. These data are not consistent with increased tissue sensitivity to PTH in FBH.
Cloud Shading Retrieval and Assimilation in a Satellite-Model Coupled Mesoscale Analysis System

Abstract A retrieval-assimilation method has been developed as a quantitative means to exploit the information in satellite imagery regarding shading of the ground by clouds, as applied to mesoscale weather analysis. Cloud radiative parameters are retrieved from satellite visible image data and used, along with parameters computed by a numerical model, to control the model's computation of downward tadiative fluxes at the ground. These fluxes, in turn, influence the analysis of ground surface temperatures under clouds. The method is part of a satellite-model coupled four-dimensional analysis system that merges information from visible image data in cloudy areas with infrared sounder data in clear areas, where retrievals of surface temperatures and water vapor concentrations are assimilated. The substantial impact of shading on boundary-layer development and mesoscale circulations was demonstrated in simulations, and the value of assimilating shading retrievals was demonstrated with a case study and with a...
Studies of stimulus parameters for seizure disruption using neural network simulations

A large scale neural network simulation with realistic cortical architecture has been undertaken to investigate the effects of external electrical stimulation on the propagation and evolution of ongoing seizure activity. This is an effort to explore the parameter space of stimulation variables to uncover promising avenues of research for this therapeutic modality. The model consists of an approximately 800 μm × 800 μm region of simulated cortex, and includes seven neuron classes organized by cortical layer, inhibitory or excitatory properties, and electrophysiological characteristics. The cell dynamics are governed by a modified version of the Hodgkin–Huxley equations in single compartment format. Axonal connections are patterned after histological data and published models of local cortical wiring. Stimulation induced action potentials take place at the axon initial segments, according to threshold requirements on the applied electric field distribution. Stimulation induced action potentials in horizontal axonal branches are also separately simulated. The calculations are performed on a 16 node distributed 32-bit processor system. Clear differences in seizure evolution are presented for stimulated versus the undisturbed rhythmic activity. Data is provided for frequency dependent stimulation effects demonstrating a plateau effect of stimulation efficacy as the applied frequency is increased from 60 to 200 Hz. Timing of the stimulation with respect to the underlying rhythmic activity demonstrates a phase dependent sensitivity. Electrode height and position effects are also presented. Using a dipole stimulation electrode arrangement, clear orientation effects of the dipole with respect to the model connectivity is also demonstrated. A sensitivity analysis of these results as a function of the stimulation threshold is also provided.
Approaches to resource recovery in controlled ecological life support systems

Recovery of resources from waste streams in a space habitat is essential to minimize the resupply burden and achieve self sufficiency. The ultimate goal of a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) is to achieve the greatest practical level of mass recycle and provide self sufficiency and safety for humans. Several mission scenarios leading to the ultimate application could employ CELSS component technologies or subsystems with initial emphasis on recycle of the largest mass components of the waste stream. Candidate physical/chemical and biological processes for resource recovery from liquid and solid waste streams are discussed and the current fundamental recovery potentials are estimated.
Spectrophotometric determination of hydrazine, hydrazides, and their mixtures with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid

A method has been developed to measure hydrazine, hydrazides, and their mixtures using a modification of the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid method [T. Okuyama and K. Satake (1960) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 47, 654-660]. After incubation of the sample containing hydrazine and hydrazide with trinitrobenzenesulfonate at pH 8.5 at room temperature for 40 min, the reaction mixture was diluted with a Na2CO3-NaHCO3 buffer (0.1 M, pH 10.8) rather than with 0.5 M HCl. Different chromogens were produced from the reaction of hydrazine (lambda max = 570 nm) and hydrazides (lambda max = 385 and 500 nm) with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. The method allowed simultaneous determination of hydrazine (5 to 60 nmol) with hydrazide (10 to 120 nmol) in a mixture with a standard deviation of less than 5%. The presence of amino compounds (except for amino sugars) did not interfere with the measurement of hydrazine or hydrazides. Interference by amino sugars in the determination of hydrazine or hydrazides was eliminated by pretreatment of the sample with NaBH4 to reduce the amino sugars to 2-amino-2-deoxy-hexitols.