cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis infection mimicking pneumonia

Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal nematode. In an immunocompetent host, Strongyloides infections usually produce only mild gastrointestinal symptoms. However, in an immunocompromised host, widespread dissemination of larvae to the extra-intestinal organs may occur. If unrecognized, the mortality rate is high. Here we report a case of disseminated strongyloidiasis in a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subject whose chest radiograph demonstrated multiple pneumonic patches and interstitial infiltrates. Strongyloides larvae were found in stool, sputum, and urine, and embryonated eggs were also found in sputum. The patient was treated successfully with mebendazole and alben albendazole. In conclusion, although high mortality rate is noted in disseminated strongyloidiasis, it is still a curable disease when early diagnosis and treatment could be made.
Performance Comparison of Deep Learning Techniques for Recognizing Birds in Aerial Images

In computer vision, significant advances have been made in recent years on object recognition and detection with the rapid development of deep learning, especially deep convolutional neural networks (CNN). The majority of deep learning methods for object detection have been developed for large objects and their performances on small-object detection are not very good. This paper contributes to research in low-resolution small-object detection by evaluating the performances of leading deep learning methods for object detection using a common dataset, which is a new dataset for bird detection, called Little Birds in Aerial Imagery (LBAI), created from real-life aerial imagery data. LBAI contains birds with sizes ranging from 10px to 40px. In our experiments, some of the best deep learning architectures were implemented and applied to LBAI, which include object detection techniques such as YOLOv2, SSH, and Tiny Face, in addition to small instance segmentation techniques including U-Net and Mask R-CNN. Among the object detection methods, experimental results demonstrated that SSH performed the best for easy cases, whereas Tiny Face performed the best for hard cases, i.e. where a cluttered background makes detecting birds difficult. Among small instance segmentation methods, experimental results revealed U-Net achieved slightly better performance than Mask R-CNN.
Depomedroxyprogesterone therapy for hot flashes in survivors of ER-expressing breast cancer: Impact on recurrence and survival.

e22116Background: Survivors of ER-expressing operable breast cancer (ER+BC) generally do not receive hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms due to concern about provoking recurrence of...
Measles immune status in an inner city pediatric oncology patient cohort during the measles outbreak of 2015.

e18228Background: Survivors of pediatric cancer are at risk of long- term consequences of therapy one of which is loss of pre-existing protective antibodies predisposing them to illnesses such as M...
Enhancing Distribution System Resilience With Mobile Energy Storage and Microgrids

Electrochemical energy storage (ES) units ( e.g. , batteries) have been field-validated as an efficient back-up resource that enhances resilience of distribution systems. However, using these units for resilience is insufficient to justify their installation economically and, therefore, these units are often installed in locations where they yield the greatest economic value during normal operations. Motivated by the recent progress in mobile ES technologies, i.e. , ES units can be moved using public transportation routes, this paper proposes using this spatial flexibility to bridge the gap between the economically optimal locations during normal operations and the locations where extra back-up capacity is necessary during disasters. We propose a two-stage optimization model that optimizes investments in mobile ES units in the first stage and can re-route the installed mobile ES units in the second stage to form dynamic microgrids (MGs) and to avoid the expected load shedding caused by disasters. Since the proposed model cannot be solved efficiently with off-the-shelf solvers, even for relatively small instances, we apply the progressive hedging algorithm. The proposed model and algorithm are tested on a 15-bus radial distribution test system.
Computer Aided Diagnosis System of Skin Cancer using Artificial Neural Network

The skin is the largest organ of the body, with a total area of about 20 square feet. The skin protects us from microbes, helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat, and cold. Skin cancer is the deadliest form of cancers in humans. Skin cancer is commonly known as Melanoma. Melanoma is named after the cell from which it presumably arises, the melanocyte. Skin Cancers are of two types- Benign and Malignant Melanoma. Melanoma can be cured completely if it is detected early. Both benign and malignant melanoma resembles similar in appearance at the initial stages. So it is difficult to differentiate both. This is a main problem with the early skin cancer detection. Only an expert dermatologist can classify which one is benign and which one is malignant. The Artificial Neural Network based Classification methodology uses Image processing techniques and Artificial Intelligence for early diagnosis. Main advantage of this computer based classification is that patient does not need to go to hospitals and undergo various painful diagnosing techniques like Biopsy. In this Computer Aided Classification, dermoscopy image of skin cancer is taken and it is subjected to various pre-processing and image enhancement techniques. The cancer affected region is separated from the healthy skin using Segmentation. In order to reduce the complexity of classification, some unique features of malignant and benign melanoma are extracted. These features are given as the input to the Artificial Neural Network Classifier. It classifies the given data set into benign or malignant melanoma. The system successfully classified and differentiate between benign and malignant melanoma with accuracy 98.3% .
Founding Conditions, Promarket Transformation, and Firm Competitiveness in Emerging Economies

This study examines firm-level determinants of competitiveness for emerging economy enterprises (EEEs). We suggest that firm heterogeneity plays a critical role even when environmental pressures ar...
Stand and Move at Work sedentary behavior questionnaire: validity and sensitivity to change.

Abstract Purpose We evaluated the validity and sensitivity to change of a workplace questionnaire to assess sedentary behavior (SB) during and outside work. Methods Participants wore an activPAL and completed an SB questionnaire at two time points (baseline and 3-month follow-up). Ecological momentary assessments were used to assess workplace location (at desk vs. away from desk). Intraclass correlation coefficients, mean difference, root of mean square error, kappa agreement, and Bland-Altman plots assessed validity. Sensitivity to change after 3 months of intervention was assessed using the standardized effect size. Results Data from 546 participants (age = 45.1 ± 16.4 years, 24.9% males, 72.7% white) were analyzed. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.08 to 0.23. SB was overestimated d ¯ ( 95 % CI ) [] by 47.9 (39.2, 56.6) min during work hours but underestimated for both non–work hours and nonworkdays by −38.3 (−47.4, 29.1) and −106.7 (124.0, −89.5) min, respectively. Participants slightly underestimated SB by −3.4 (−12.6, 5.7)% when at their desk but overestimated SB by 2.8 (−2.4, 8.0)% when not at their desk. The questionnaire demonstrated similar standardized effect size (>0.6) to the activPAL for sedentary and standing time. Conclusions Agreement between the questionnaire and activPAL was on par with other self-report measures. The questionnaire yielded valid estimates of at/away from desk SB and was sensitive to change.
The Changing Governance of Thai Higher Education

This chapter situates the case of Thailand in relation to the broader conversation on the global convergence of higher education (HE) governance. While the definition of governance varies and encompasses a host of contested meanings and definitions, this chapter looks at one specific aspect of governance in HE: the rise of quality-related policy or quality policy for short. The term “quality policy” was coined by Ozga et al. (Fabricating quality: Data and governance in Europe. Routledge, Oxford, pp. 1–8, 2011) to connote the current discussion of differing policies: quality assessment/assurance, quality management, and quality audit. This ensemble of quality policies shares similar trends, which include a focus on measuring, quantitative indicators, and ranking between and within education systems. Quality becomes a generic goal in and of itself, travelling across public and private organizations, schools and universities (Ozga et al. in Fabricating quality: Data and governance in Europe. Routledge, Oxford, pp. 1–8, 2011).
Augmenting Stochastic Local Search with Heuristics

This paper proposes the use of heuristics to augment stochastic local search technique in speeding up search in complex environments. We model the problem as that of an instance of a single agent search problem. We provide improved formalization of the concept of state and neighborhood in three simulated environments, and enhance the performance of a proposed evaluation function using admissible heuristics. Results from our experiments suggest the effectiveness of our method. We achieve improvement of more than several hundred percent average speed up in time steps used by an agent that implements evaluation function with heuristics compared to that without heuristic.
Review of the measurement and management of 24-hour intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma.

Abstract Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major, and currently the only, modifiable risk factor that has been shown to reduce the risk of glaucoma onset and progression. Diurnal measurements of IOP, usually during office hours, are commonly used for the assessment of IOP variation and the relative success of medical, laser, or surgical IOP-lowering interventions. Such measurements, however, fail to capture variation in IOP over the day/night cycle, which may be influenced by factors such as body position. We examine current evidence in the field of IOP measurement and control—with a focus on 24-hour (circadian) study design and measurement techniques and the 24-hour efficacy of current treatments—in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension. We then provide our recommendations for the design of future studies of circadian IOP with the aim of improving the assessment, management, and treatment of patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
Ideological belief bias with political syllogisms

The belief bias in reasoning occurs when individuals are more willing to accept conclusions that are consistent with their beliefs than conclusions that are inconsistent. The present study examined...
Accountability and Empathy by Design: Encouraging Bystander Intervention to Cyberbullying on Social Media

Bystander intervention can reduce the amount of cyberbullying victimization on social media, but bystanders often fail to act. Limited accountability for their behavior and a lack of empathy for the victim are frequently cited as reasons for why bystanders do not act against cyberbullying. We developed design interventions that aimed to increase accountability and empathy among bystanders. In Study 1, participants were experimentally exposed to three social media posts with different types of empathy nudges. Empathy nudges embedded into social media posts displayed the potential to motivate empathy. In Study 2, participants took part in a 3-day experiment that simulated a social media experience. Results suggested that increased social transparency on social media promoted accountability through heightened self-presentation concerns, but empathy nudges did not encourage greater bystander empathy. Both accountability and empathy predicted bystander intervention, but the types of bystander actions promoted by each mechanism differed. We consider how these results contribute to theories of bystander behavior and designing social media to promote prosocial behaviors.
Precision prophylaxis: Identifying the optimal timing for risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy based on type of BRCA1 and BRCA2 cluster region mutations.

Abstract Objectives Current risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) guidelines for individuals with BRCA1/2 mutations do not account for risk variability due to BRCA1/2 cluster region mutations that are associated with varying risks for the development of breast and ovarian cancer. We assessed whether current recommendations are appropriate for individual patients considering mutation-specific risks. Methods Using a hypothetical cohort of patients with BRCA1/2 mutations, we constructed Markov models allowing for the estimation of mean life expectancy based upon BRCA1/2 mutation, the presence of a cluster region mutation (Ovarian Cancer Cluster Region (OCCR), Breast Cancer Cluster Region (BCCR), or non-BCCR/OCCR), age at time of BRCA1/2 diagnosis (20–65), and age at time of RRSO (21–80). Results For all BRCA1/2 mutation types, the optimal strategy was to undergo RRSO as early as possible. For BRCA1/2 carriers who delayed RRSO or who were identified with a mutation later in life, the OCCR mutation tended to be associated with lower life expectancy estimates than the BCCR and non-BCCR/OCCR mutations. Minimal delays in RRSO (i.e., neighboring 5-year intervals) were associated with minor losses in life expectancy. Variables associated with greatest impact on life expectancy included ovarian cancer risk after RRSO, breast cancer mortality rate, non-cancer mortality associated with RRSO, and breast cancer stage distribution. Conclusions BRCA1/2 cluster regions may provide more precise estimates of life expectancy in counselling and shared decision-making. The most appropriate timing for RRSO is a complex decision and must be individualized for each patient.
Efficacy and Safety of Carbon Dioxide Versus Air Insufflation for Colonoscopy in Deeply Sedated Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVES Studies have shown the advantages of carbon dioxide (CO2) over air insufflation in the adult population during colonoscopies. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of CO2 insufflation in deeply sedated children undergoing colonoscopy. METHODS This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. We recruited 100 consecutive pediatric patients who had colonoscopy under deep sedation for various indications. Patients were first randomized by history of abdominal pain and then randomly assigned to either CO2 or air insufflation. Postprocedural abdominal pain scores were registered on a 10-point visual analog rating scale and significant pain was defined as a score of 3 or higher. Abdominal circumferences and end tidal CO2 (ETCO2) levels were measured. Complications during and after the procedure were recorded. RESULTS We did not find statistically significant difference between CO2 and air insufflation on univariate analysis because of low number of children experiencing significant pain after colonoscopy. After adjusting for baseline pain, we found that pain was significantly lower in patients after CO2 versus air insufflation on multivariable analysis (P = 0.03). The significant factors related to pain were duration of the procedure (P = 0.006), history of abdominal pain (P = 0.002) and previous abdominal surgery (P = 0.02). CO2 insufflation was associated with decreased abdominal circumference after colonoscopy (P = 0.002). Girls were more likely to have pain regardless of intervention (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Most children tolerate endoscopic procedures without significant pain. Our study was underpowered to show significant difference between air and CO2 on univariate analysis. CO2 insufflation during colonoscopy, however, may reduce postprocedural abdominal pain. Significant factors for increased pain on multivariate analysis included colonoscopy length over 30 minutes, history of abdominal pain, and previous abdominal surgery.
Clinicians' Values and Preferences for Medication Adherence and Cost Clinical Decision Support in Primary Care: A Qualitative Study.

Background Medication nonadherence and unaffordability are prevalent, burdensome issues in primary care. In response, technology companies are capitalizing on clinical decision support (CDS) to deliver patient-specific information regarding medication adherence and costs to clinicians using electronic health records (EHRs). To maximize adoption and usability, these CDS tools should be designed with consideration of end users' values and preferences. Objective This article evaluates primary care clinicians' values and preferences for a medication adherence and cost CDS. Methods We conducted semistructured interviews with primary care clinicians with prescribing privileges and EHR access to identify clinicians' perceptions of and approaches to assessing medication adherence and costs, and to determine perceived values and preferences for medication adherence and cost CDS. Interviews were conducted until saturation of responses was reached. ATLAS.ti was used for thematic analysis. Results Among 26 clinicians interviewed, themes identified included a high value, but moderate need for a medication adherence CDS and high value and need for cost CDS. Clinicians expressed the cost CDS would provide actionable solutions and greatly impact patient care. Another theme identified was a desire for medication adherence and cost CDS to be separate tools yet integrated into workflow. The majority of clinicians preferred a medication adherence CDS that integrated claims data and actively displayed data using color-coded adherence categories within patients' medication lists in the EHR. For the cost CDS, clinicians preferred medication out-of-pocket costs and a list of cheaper or payor-preferred alternatives to display within the order queue of the EHR. Conclusion We identified valuable insights regarding clinician values and preferences for medication adherence and cost CDS. Overall, primary care clinicians feel CDS for medication adherence and cost are valuable and prefer them to be separate. These insights should be used to inform the design, implementation, and EHR integration of future medication and cost CDS tools.
Radiographic humeral head restoration after total shoulder arthroplasty: does the stem make a difference?

Background Humeral stem designs for total shoulder arthroplasty have varied over the years, with a recent trend toward shorter stems. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of humeral component stem length on the ability to restore the native humeral head anatomy. Methods We performed a retrospective review including patients who underwent total shoulder arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis between 2007 and 2017 with complete operative reports and adequate radiographs. Surgical data including stem design were collected. Preoperative and postoperative radiographic measurements of the center of rotation (COR), humeral head height (HH), and neck-shaft angle were performed. Restoration of the native humeral anatomy was deemed “acceptable” based on postoperative differences in the COR ≤ 3 mm, HH ≤ 5 mm, and neck-shaft angle > 130°. Deviations between preoperative and postoperative measurements were compared across stem types. All available 2-year stemless implant radiographs were also analyzed. Results In total, 261 patients were included, with 31 stemless, 43 short-stem, and 187 standard-stem implants. There was no significant difference in COR restoration in the x-axis direction (P = .060) or y-axis direction (P = .579). There was no significant difference in restoration of acceptable HH by stem type (P = .339). Stemless arthroplasty implants were more likely to be placed in varus (22.6%) compared with short-stem (7.0%) and standard-stem (3.7%) designs (P Conclusion Restoration of humeral anatomic parameters occurred significantly less with stemless implants than with short- and standard-stem implants. The stem of a shoulder arthroplasty implant aids surgeons in accurately restoring patient-specific anatomy.
Loss of polycystins suppresses deciliation via the activation of the centrosomal integrity pathway

The primary cilium is a microtubule-based, antenna-like organelle housing several signaling pathways. It follows a cyclic pattern of assembly and deciliation (disassembly and/or shedding), as cells exit and re-enter the cell cycle, respectively. In general, primary cilia loss leads to kidney cystogenesis. However, in animal models of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, a major disease caused by mutations in the polycystin genes (Pkd1 or Pkd2), primary cilia ablation or acceleration of deciliation suppresses cystic growth, whereas deceleration of deciliation enhances cystogenesis. Here, we show that deciliation is delayed in the cystic epithelium of a mouse model of postnatal deletion of Pkd1 and in Pkd1- or Pkd2-null cells in culture. Mechanistic experiments show that PKD1 depletion activates the centrosomal integrity/mitotic surveillance pathway involving 53BP1, USP28, and p53 leading to a delay in deciliation. Reduced deciliation rate causes prolonged activation of cilia-based signaling pathways that could promote cystic growth. Our study links polycystins to cilia dynamics, identifies cellular deciliation downstream of the centrosomal integrity pathway, and helps explain pro-cystic effects of primary cilia in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
RNA-binding protein RBM3 negatively regulates innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and lung inflammation

Abstract Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) promote lung inflammation through cytokine production in diseases such as asthma. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are critical post-transcriptional regulators of cellular function, including inflammatory responses, though the role of RBPs in innate lymphoid cells is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that RNA-binding motif 3 (RBM3) is one of the most highly expressed RBPs in Thy1.2+ lung ILCs after fungal allergen challenge and is further induced by epithelial cytokines TSLP and IL-33 in both human and mouse ILCs. Single (rbm3−/−) and double (rbm3−/−rag2−/−) knockout mice exposed via the airway to the asthma-associated fungal allergen Alternaria alternata displayed increases in eosinophilic lung inflammation and ILC activation compared to control mice. In addition to increased Th2 cytokine production, rbm3−/− ILCs produced elevated IL-17A. The negative regulation by RBM3 in ILC responses was direct as purified rbm3−/− ILCs were hyperinflammatory in vitro and in vivo after stimulation with IL-33. Transcriptomic analysis by RNA-sequencing of rbm3−/− lung ILCs showed increased type 2 and 17 cytokines as well as global expression differences in critical cytokines, receptors, transcription factors, and survival transcripts compared with WT ILCs. Intriguingly, these transcript changes did not correlate with the presence of AU-rich elements (AREs), which RBM3 is known to bind. Thus, regulation of ILC responses by RNA-binding proteins offers novel mechanistic insight into lung ILC biology and ILC-driven inflammatory diseases.
Disregarded solution spaces: A proposed approach to draw connections between computationally generated solution spaces and actual built case studies

Many computational studies generate an array of solutions for a design problem paired with their structural or daylighting performance. An enormous investment of effort and computational time is re...
Authentication and Authorization

This final chapter of the textbook explores the issues of security that impact the writing of data systems clients that must access data that is, in some form, protected at the data systems provider. The objective of the chapter is to understand the separation of the entities of the data system client application and the provider from the resource owner, to understand the security concepts of authentication and authorization, and to see how a client application can securely perform authorized operations on behalf of one or more resource owners.
Cystic biliary atresia masquerading as a choledochal cyst

Abstract Cystic biliary atresia is an uncommon form of biliary atresia that is often misdiagnosed as a choledochal cyst. Here we present a case of a neonate who presented with obstructive jaundice and an antenatally-detected abdominal cyst who was found to have cystic biliary atresia. The patient underwent a successful Kasai procedure for establishment of biliary flow. His initial post-operative course was complicated by three episodes of cholangitis requiring hospital admission. He is now two years out from Kasai portoenterostomy with normal bilirubin levels.
Severity of Inpatient Hospitalizations Among Undocumented Immigrants and Medi-Cal Patients in a Los Angeles, California, Hospital: 2019

Objectives. To compare the severity of inpatient hospitalizations between undocumented immigrants and Medi-Cal patients in a large safety-net hospital in Los Angeles, California. Methods. We conduc...
Circling back to epigenetic regulation in osteosarcoma: Comment on 'Hsa_circ_0088212-mediated miR-520h/APOA1 axis inhibits the osteosarcoma progression' by ' Hao Peng'.

Osteosarcoma is a genetically complex cancer, thus there are increasing efforts to identify biomarkers and regulators within the epigenome that can better predict patient outcomes and provide new therapeutic targets. In this commentary, we have evaluated the work of Peng and colleagues on the identification and function of the signaling axis circ_0088212/miR_520 h/APOA1 in osteosarcoma. We provide the context of how novel it is to demonstrate the anti-tumor functions of APOA1 and not just correlative gene expression with patient outcome. We further postulate why some studies involving circRNAs in osteosarcoma contradict one another. We conclude that the study performed by Peng and colleagues was performed with enough rigor to give confidence that circ_0088212 is a bona fide tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma.
Dworkin's Unfinished Task

For the appreciative reader of Ronald Dworkin's writings, his explicit recognition of the place of community in moral judgment should come as no surprise. That recognition was implicit in his powerful critique of legal positivism, where he emphasized the responsibility of judges to discover and make good the latent principles in a legal system-principles that are constitutive of the moral and legal order. And the relevance of community is fully explicit in his most recent book, Law's Empire. In "Liberal Community," Dworkin has made a case for the continuity of personal and collective identity, not only in regard to smallscale, local, or intermediate groups, but also in regard to the more general political communities to which we belong. Dworkin maintains that human well-being depends in part on the quality of our political communities. He thus disclaims a disaggregative, radically pluralist politics, and up to a point vindicates the good sense of striving to define the public interest.
Charged dust in the Earth's magnetosphere

We have considered the electrodynamic effects on small A12O3 spherules dumped into the Earth’s magnetosphere in large quantities during solid rocket propellant burns. The charges acquired by these grains in all regions of the terrestrial environment (plasmasphere, magnetosphere, and solar wind) are modest. Consequently electrodynamic effects are significant only at the lower end of the dust size spectrum (R g ≲ 0.1 µm). In that case, the electrodynamic forces conspire with solar radiation pressure to eliminate the grians from the magnetosphere in a comparatively short time. Although not studied here in detail, we anticipate a similar fate for fine micrometeoroids entering the Earth’s magnetosphere, with the electrodynamic effects playing an even more important role.
Regulation of argE-argH Expression with Arginine Derivatives in Escherichia coli: Extreme Non-uniformity of Repression and Conditional Repressive Action

In regulatory studies of the arginine biosynthetic system of Escherichia coli, alpha-N-acetyl-l-arginine (AcA) is a useful restrictive arginine source. In strain 39A-23R3 (argA(-)), at 25 mug/ml, AcA gives suboptimal growth rates and is fully derepressive for acetylornithinase (specified by argE) and approximately 50% derepressive for argininosuccinase (specified by argH). At 10 mug/ml, the growth rate decreases, whereas the extent of derepression is unchanged; at 500 mug/ml, full repression results. In strain 3670 (argB(-)argG(-)), AcA (25 mug/ml) leads to partial derepression of acetylornithinase but full repression of argininosuccinase. Thus, the repression patterns for both strains, although not identical, are nonuniform. AcA utilization is antagonized by alpha-N-acetyl-l-ornithine (AcO). In strain 3670 (blocked before and after acetylornithinase), the growth rate on AcA (25 mug/ml) is lowered by AcO (500 mug/ml); acetylornithinase is completely derepressed, whereas argininosuccinase is fully repressed. This difference in regulatory behavior represents extreme nonuniform repression. Unexpectedly, the effect of AcO is attributable to the conversion of AcO to citrulline (Cit). In strain 3670, mixtures of AcA (25 mug/ml) and Cit (300 mug/ml) permit complete derepression of acetylornithinase; there is evidence that Cit enters the cell. In contrast, in the arginine-limited chemostat, Cit represses acetylornithinase. These opposite regulatory effects of Cit appear to stem from the difference in arginine restriction. AcA enters the cell via AcO permease and is deacylated by acetylornithinase (K(m), 5.0 mM). AcA competitively inhibits AcO cleavage (K(i), 2.4 mM), but Cit is not inhibitory. The antagonism of AcA utilization by AcO or Cit is thought to be exerted at the AcO permease.
Cost Analysis of Conventional Facial Reconstruction Procedures Followed by Face Transplantation

For the first time, this study analyzes the cost of multiple conventional reconstructions and face transplantation in a single patient. This patient is a 46-year-old female victim of a shotgun blast resulting in loss of multiple functional and aesthetic subunits. For over 5 years, she underwent multiple conventional reconstructions with suboptimal results. In December 2008, she became the recipient of the first U.S. face transplant. This has provided the unique opportunity to present the cost of 23 separate conventional reconstructive procedures and the first face transplant in the United States. The combined cost of conventional reconstructive procedures and the first U.S. face transplant was calculated to be $353 480 and $349 959, respectively. The combined cost posttransplant totaled $115 463. The direct cost pretransplant was $206 646, $232 893 peritransplant and $74 236 posttransplant. The two largest areas of cost utilization were surgical ($79 625; 38.5%) and nursing ($55 860; 27%), followed by anesthesia ($24 808; 12%) and pharmacy ($16 581; 8%). This study demonstrates that the cost of the first U.S. face transplant is similar to multiple conventional reconstructions. Although the cost of facial transplantation is considerable, the alleviation of psychological and physiological suffering, exceptional functional recovery and fulfillment of long-lasting hope for social reintegration may be priceless.
Effect of Water Vapor on Lyophilized Serratia marcescens and Escherichia coli.

Abstract Dried Serratia marcescens ATTC 14014 and Escherichia coli ATTC 4157 cells were exposed to various partial pressures of purified water vapor. The colony-forming ability of the S. marcescens was unimpaired when the dried organisms were stored in water-vapor atmosphere such that P/P0 < 0.55 or P/P0 = 1.0 (where P is the pressure of the water vapor in contact with the organisms, and P0 is vapor pressure of pure water at 25 C). During storage under water-vapor atmospheres with P/P0 between 0.6 and 1.0, the colony-forming ability of the dried S. marcescens was destroyed. The inactivation by water vapor followed the expression — ln N/N0 = Kt1/2, where N0 and N are the number of viable organisms before and after exposure, respectively, t is time, and K is a pseudo constant which is dependent upon the partial pressure of the water vapor at 25 C. Similar results were obtained with dried E. coli. The addition of solutes to the suspending media before freeze-drying was found to influence the stability of the organisms during exposure to water vapor.
Emergence of order, self-organization and instabilities in a 1-D array of solitons

The paper reports on the generation of spatial solitons with carbon disulfide (CS2) as the nonlinear material, which has a critical power of 190 kW for the laser wavelength of 800 nm. A 150-femtosecond pulse with a maximum energy of 1 mJ is also used. Each pulse from the laser is split into pump and probe pulses. The pump pulse is focused into a line (using a cylindrical lens) at the entrance face of a 10 mm glass cell filled with CS2
Building strong research associations

T his essay explores efforts to establish interdisciplinary research associations by comparing two organizations that were founded in the early 1980s. One has focused on the field of politics and the life sciences and the other on health services research. Both are involved in securing recognition for a research area—or ‘‘field of research’’—that had not previously been conceptualized as a coherent academic or professional enterprise. The motivation for this paper is my interest in politics and the life sciences (the field), the organization—the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences that was established in 1980 to foster scholarly study of the field—and its journal Politics and the Life Sciences. (For the sake of clarity I adopt the convention of signifying a field entirely in lower-case orthography, beginning an organizational name with capital letters and naming the related journals in italics.) To this more than casual observer, the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences (APLS) and its journal, Politics and the Life Sciences, have mainly been involved in three academic enterprises over the past three decades: Constructing social science theory based in modern biological theory, contributing to strategic and security policy related to the life sciences, and participating in the lively debates over health and environmental policy, especially those involving ethical concerns. Each of these areas of activity is interdisciplinary or even multidisciplinary in nature. Academic disciplines and professional practitioners
Identification of Antigens of Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae by Protein Immunoblotting with Rabbit Immune and Human Sera

Prominent antigens of pathogenic and nonpathogenic free-living amoebae were identified by using polyclonal rabbit immune sera in immunoblot assays. The intent was to determine if prominent epitopes identified with rabbit immune sera could also be recognized by human sera. With rabbit sera, the development of immunoreactive bands was restricted to molecular masses of greater than 18.5 kDa for Naegleria, Hartmannella, and Vahlkampfia antigens. Two or more broad bands of less than 18.5 kDa were prominent features in three different Acanthamoeba species. Few cross-reactive antibodies could be detected between representative species of the three different subgroups of Acanthamoeba. Naegleria antigen was likewise serologically distinct, as were Hartmannella and Vahlkampfia antigens. The relative lack of cross-reacting antibodies between the pathogenic amoebae suggested that i would be desirable to use a panel of amoebic antigens to represent the range of serologically distinct antigens for assessing reactive antibodies in human sera. In pooled human sera (10 serum specimens per pool), the appearance of minimally reactive bands ranging from 32.5 to 106 kDa was a common feature of all six antigens. A prominent band of less than 18.5 kDa was identified in the Acanthamoeba culbertsoni antigen lane in 2 of the 10 human serum specimen pools. When sera from each of the two groups were tested individually by immunoblotting, the reaction with A. culbertsoni antigen could be associated with one individual. By using a panel of amoebic antigens, this method could prove useful in recognizing undiagnosed amoebic infections by revealing specific reactive antibodies.
A three-stage alcohol clamp procedure in human subjects

Background Multiple factors can influence blood alcohol levels (BALs) after oral ethanol intake. To minimize the variability in BALs, an alcohol “clamping” method in which alcohol is administered intravenously has been previously reported. We have modified this method and developed a multistage alcohol clamp procedure in humans. Methods Infusion of alcohol to achieve sequentially increasing steady-state BALs at 50, 100, and 150 mg/dl (e.g., an alcohol clamp procedure) was performed in five subjects. The method used intravenous infusion of 6% alcohol in saline and followed a protocol generated by a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for alcohol infusion. Real-time measurement of BALs was used to base decisions for necessary adjustments in the infusion rates on a negative feedback principle to achieve and maintain the desired BALs. Additionally, in three of these subjects, breath alcohol levels were determined simultaneously with BAL measurements. Results A three-stage alcohol clamp procedure was used to achieve BALs of 50, 100, and 150 mg/dl. The intra-assay and interassay variations for measurement of BALs were 1.6 and 2.1%, respectively. The coefficients of variation for the 50, 100, and 150 mg/dl alcohol clamps were 9.8, 5.6, and 4.6%, respectively. The deviation from target BALs for the three clamps were less than 5%. Breath alcohol levels were lower than BALs across all time points, with the mean ratio between the two being 0.84. Correlation analysis showed a very strong correlation between the two alcohol measurement methods (r= 0.96;p < 0.001). Conclusions A three-stage alcohol clamp procedure (50, 100, and 150 mg/dl) has been developed by following a protocol generated with a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for alcohol infusion in human subjects. This is a suitable procedure to examine the responses on cognitive measures and physiologic parameters under steady states of desired BALs.
Mycoplasmas (PPLO) and Human Neoplasms

One thousand five hundred and twenty five specimens from 582 malignant and 13 non-malignant surgical and autopsy patients were studied for mycoplasma. The malignancies included leukemias, lymphomas, carcinomas and sarcomas. The specimens included hematopoietic tissues such as bone marrow, spleen and lymph nodes, as well as organs such as liver, stomach, kidney, serous effusions and cardiac blood (whole blood, plasma and serum). Although mycoplasmas were occasionally isolated during the tissue culture studies with these specimens, no direct isolation of mycoplasma was encountered with exception of one surgical case (a carcinoma of the floor of the mouth). Reisolation studies from the frozen stored material from these cases were strongly suggestive of laboratory contamination. Histories of the patients including therapies such as radiation, antitumor or leukemic drugs and antibiotics were received.
Talar Positional Fault in Persons With Chronic Ankle Instability

Abstract Wikstrom EA, Hubbard TJ. Talar positional fault in persons with chronic ankle instability. Objective To determine whether sagittal plane talar position differs between uninjured controls and individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) using lateral ankle radiographs. Design Single-blind case control. Setting University-based sports medicine research laboratory. Participants University students (N=48) volunteered to participate. Twenty-four uninjured controls (12 men, 12 women; mean ± SD, 21.8±2.6y; 170±10cm; 73±16kg), and 24 adults with CAI (12 men, 12 women; 21.7±2.8y; 175±13cm; 71±13kg) participated. Intervention A single nonweight-bearing lateral radiograph was taken of each ankle. Subjects were positioned side lying with the hip and knee in a neutral position in the transverse plane and the ankle joint in a neutral position (90° of dorsiflexion, 0° of inversion/eversion). Main Outcome Measure The sagittal plane talar position was calculated as the distance between the most anterior margin of the inferior tibia and the most anterior margin of the talar dome in millimeters for each radiograph. Results Talar position was significantly more anterior in the involved CAI limb (3.69±1.37mm) than the uninvolved CAI limb (2.98±1.61mm; P =.03). Additionally, an anterior talar position was significantly greater in the involved CAI limb than the matched control limb (2.65±1.24cm; P P =.57) or between the limbs of the uninjured control group ( P =.75). Intratester reliability was found to be .90, while intertester reliability was .78. Conclusions An anterior talar positional fault is present in the involved limb of individuals with CAI relative to their uninvolved limb and compared with the matched limb of a control group. The talar position measurement technique has excellent intratester and intertester reliability.
Mapping and mining interictal pathological gamma (30-100Hz) oscillations with clinical intracranial EEG in patients with epilepsy

Localizing an epileptic network is essential for guiding neurosurgery and antiepileptic medical devices as well as elucidating mechanisms that may explain seizure-generation and epilepsy. There is increasing evidence that pathological oscillations may be specific to diseased networks in patients with epilepsy and that these oscillations may be a key biomarker for generating and indentifying epileptic networks. We present a semi-automated method that detects, maps, and mines pathological gamma (30-100Hz) oscillations (PGOs) in human epileptic brain to possibly localize epileptic networks. We apply the method to standard clinical iEEG (<100Hz) with interictal PGOs and seizures from six patients with medically refractory epilepsy. We demonstrate that electrodes with consistent PGO discharges do not always coincide with clinically determined seizure onset zone (SOZ) electrodes but at times PGO-dense electrodes include secondary seizure-areas (SS) or even areas without seizures (NS). In 4/5 patients with epilepsy surgery, we observe poor (Engel Class 4) postsurgical outcomes and identify more PGO-activity in SS or NS than in SOZ. Additional studies are needed to further clarify the role of PGOs in epileptic brain.
Evolution of macromolecules. I. Dual coding systems.

The evolution of proteins determined by two independently mutable coding mechanisms (e.g., one in which nucleic acids operate with unit coding ratio) has been analyzed kinetically in two ways. The first presumes a system of mutating and reproducing proteins; the dependent variables are the numbers of the various kinds of proteins—wild types, and mutants obtained by mutations in one or another of the two coding mechanisms. The second approach deals with kinds rather than numbers of proteins; the reproductive element in the evolving system is dealt with by assuming a specific rate of extinction for members of each protein class, due to the occurrence of lethal mutations in the proteins themselves or in other proteins in the organisms that carry them. If the two kinds of mutants occur at different rates, it is shown in both treatments that time will not necessarily extinguish the initial advantage of one of them—that is, the notion that the slower class will eventually occur often enough to produce a random distribution of the two classes after long periods of evolution is not in general true. The effects of mutation rate, reproduction rate, and extinction rate on the distribution of the various protein classes are analyzed.
Learning users' interests by unobtrusively observing their normal behavior

For intelligent interfaces attempting to learn a user's interests, the cost of obtaining labeled training instances is prohibitive because the user must directly label each training instance, and few users are willing to do so. We present an approach that circumvents the need for human-labeled pages. Instead, we learn “surrogate” tasks where the desired output is easily measured, such as the number of hyperlinks clicked on a page or the amount of scrolling performed. Our assumption is that these outputs will highly correlate with the user's interests. In other words, by unobtrusively “observing” the user's behavior we are able to learn functions of value. For example, an intelligent browser could silently observe the user's browsing behavior during the day, then use these training examples to learn such functions and gather, during the middle of the night, pages that are likely to be of interest to the user. Previous work has focused on learning a user profile by passively observing the hyperlinks clicked on and those passed over. We extend this approach by measuring user mouse and scrolling activity in addition to user browsing activity. We present empirical results that demonstrate our agent can accurately predict some easily measured aspects of one's use of his or her browser.
Evaluation of men's and women's gymnastics injuries: a 10-year observational study

Background:Injuries are common in collegiate gymnasts. Most descriptive studies of injury patterns in collegiate gymnasts are limited in duration or are only inclusive of women.Hypothesis:Injury pa...
Applying and developing receptor models to the 1990 El Paso air data: a look at receptor modeling with uncharacterized sources and graphical diagnostics

Abstract This paper represents an ongoing receptor modeling research of airborne species in El Paso, Texas. It represents a six month collaboration between the authors. It extends the case study reported by Spiegelman and Dattner in 1992. For completeness the background material is reviewed.
Ethnicity and Cardiovascular Disease: The Evans County Heart Study

ABSTRACT A long-term study of diversity between two ethnic groups was developed in Evans County, Georgia. The findings are predicated on the genotypic-phenotypic interactions, with the multitude of environmental factors. The genetic–environmental interaction ultimately determines the individual's state of health or disease. For example, coronary heart disease prevalence and incidence rates were extremely low for blacks in Africa and four times lower than whites in rural South Georgia in the 1960s. Excessive hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and greater cerebrovascular disease mortality in black men, is now well known. Blood pressure levels studied in rural Africa were normal and did not rise with age, whereas blacks, conversely, demonstrated twice as much hypertension in South Georgia as whites and demonstrated an inverse relation between education and blood pressure (ie, the lower the education the higher the blood pressure). Cultural adaptation has accelerated hypertensive disease and strokes in blacks, while there remains an excess of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease in white men. Secular trends suggest that coronary heart disease is decreasing among white men but may be increasing in black men. Studies of ethnicity and biracial populations provide important cardiovascular disease associations with clinical risk factor studies.