cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zika Virus and Pregnancy

Recent outbreaks of Zika virus and reports linking infection in pregnant women with microcephaly in newborns have caused concern worldwide. Information has been evolving rapidly. Nurses and other clinicians, especially those who work with women of childbearing age, play a pivotal role in disseminating accurate information and identifying potential cases of Zika virus infection.
Transitional Care: Hospital to Home

Contemporary acute hospital care of older adults must include special attention to the transitional, or peridischarge, phase of hospitalization. This article reviews the evidence from outcomes data and economic factors that demonstrate that precise transitional planning is a critical element in the care of older hospitalized adults. Some of the promising initiatives being explored around the country are reviewed.
The quest for moral leaders : essays on leadership ethics

Introduction Part I: The Hearts of Leaders: Virtues, Feelings, and Faith 1. The Shape of Freedom: Democratic Leadership in the Ancient World 2. Emotional Leadership, Emotional Integrity 3. Ethical Diversity and the Leader's Religious Commitments Part II: The Minds of Leaders: Responsibility, Necessary Sin, and Fairness 4. Abuse, Privilege, and the Conditions of Responsibility for Leaders 5. Oh Lord, Won't You Buy Me a Mercedes-Benz: How Executive Compensation Practices Are Undermining the Credibility of Executive Leaders.
Frailty measure is more predictive of outcomes after curative therapy for endometrial cancer than traditional risk factors in women 60 and older.

Objectives To determine if readily obtainable markers of frailty predict disease-free survival (DFS) in elderly women with endometrial cancer treated with curative intent.
Going Without: An Exploration of Food and Housing Insecurity Among Undergraduates:

The rising price of higher education and its implications for equity and accessibility have been extensively documented, but the material conditions of students’ lives are often overlooked. Data fr...
Some Reminiscences of My Thesis Advisor, Max Schiffer

Analytic functions were my first real passion in mathematics. As an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, I think I first encountered the name “M. M. Schiffer” early in 1968 in connection with a research project that I was pursuing aimed at trying to explicate a somewhat nonstandard type of kernel function associated with multiply connected plane domains and circular slit mappings.
Titanium hardware extrusion following pediatric cranioplasty

Abstract Aging pediatric cranioplasty patients with titanium implants are a population at risk for scalp breakdown and implant extrusion. Complications from titanium use in adult cranioplasty patients are well documented in the medical literature. Reports of complications focused on pediatric populations are sparse. In this case series, we report two examples of negative sequelae associated with titanium utilization in infant cranioplasty and discuss our treatment strategy for each case.
Solitary Structures in Nonlinear Fields

An overview of recent work in nonlinear fields is presented, with intent to provide a pedagogical introduction to the recent literature. The ideas reach into many branches of physics, chemistry, and continuum mechanics. The significant feature of strong nonlinearity is that spatially extended waves interact and organize into well-characterized, localized objects. The result is that objects like domain walls, dislocations, and such may be found. These structures rely on the nonlinearity inherent in the problem to such an extent that they can not be generated by a perturbation theory starting with a plane-wave basis. Most important, they have static and dynamic stability in a wide number of cases, and play a significant role in both the statistical and quantum mechanical descriptions of many physical systems.
Formulas for Special Coordinate Systems

In the following formulas, i, j, k are a reference frame of unit vectors in the directions of cartesian coordinates x, y, z. All components not explicitly listed and not connected by a symmetry relation to a listed one are zero. Where convenient, the habitual notations for coordinates have been used instead of x1,x2, x3. On the right-hand side of the formulas, letter superscripts indicate contravariant components, but numbers are exponents of powers.
Lonely Men, Loose Women: Rethinking the Demographics of a Multiethnic Mining Camp, Kanaka Flat, Oregon

The historiography of the Western gold rushes is punctuated with rhetoric of the American Wild West. The mining camp in particular has become an institution of the traditional frontier narrative, biasing interpretations of the composition of early mining settlements. Historical and modern accounts of Kanaka Flat describe a lack of women, yet archaeological data and documentary evidence indicated women were present and integrated into the community. Low-status Indian or Hawaiian women on Kanaka Flat were disregarded and not seen as legitimate partners or wives, suggesting that the idea of “women” often referenced more than sex or gender, but also ethnicity and class. Archaeological investigations challenge dated frontier archetypes, allowing recognition of the diversity of experiences on the American frontier. The “invisible wives” of Kanaka Flat illustrate that the camp was not a haven of single men and sinful women, but a complex community comprised of both bachelors and families.
Is Man a “Sabbatical Animal”? Agamben, Rosenzweig, Heschel, Arendt

Giorgio Agamben lists the Jewish Sabbath as an example of “inoperatvity.” This essay explores both how Sabbath fits into and puts pressure on Agamben’s account, by working through readings of the S...
Inpatient Neuropsychological Assessment in Older Adults

An inpatient neuropsychology exam is not simply an abbreviated outpatient exam—there are important differences in the nature, setting, and approach. Inpatient exams often present challenges for standardized assessment, but, if the examiner can adjust the approach and expectations, the exam can provide useful information. In fact, an exam that provides insight into how a patient responds to the inpatient environment can provide important behavioral information that would not be elicited by a traditional outpatient exam. Moreover, some of the questions that emerge during hospitalization are best addressed prior to discharge. This chapter will provide a brief introduction of measures commonly used in inpatient settings, recommendations for adapting the exam to the challenges of the inpatient environment, and case examples for demonstration. The approaches described here may be used across the age spectrum but are particularly well suited to assessments of hospitalized elderly patients.
Testosterone in Men With Chronic Hepatitis C Infection and After Hepatitis C Viral Clearance

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatic dysfunction are associated with low total and free testosterone (TT and FT) and high sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). However, little is known about changes in testosterone following successful HCV treatment. METHODS We evaluated testosterone levels and the prevalence of low testosterone in a cohort of 327 men with chronic HCV infection (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] coinfection = 150) and in a subset of 85 men with testosterone levels obtained pre-HCV treatment and after sustained virologic response (SVR). Median follow-up was 36 months. RESULTS Participants with active HCV at baseline had higher TT (P < .0001) and SHBG (P < .0001) compared with participants who had achieved SVR, whereas FT did not differ. Low TT (<10.4 nmol/L) was more prevalent in participants with SVR compared with active HCV (P = .002); however, low FT (<0.1735 nmol/L) was common (50% active HCV, 43% SVR) and did not different between groups. For participants with longitudinal determinations, TT and SHBG decreased significantly (P < .0001) while FT remained unchanged post-SVR. Low FT persisted after SVR (pre-treatment 58%, post-SVR 54%, P = .72). HIV status and change in aspartate aminotrasferase-to-platelet ratio were significant independent predictors of change in FT following SVR. CONCLUSIONS During active HCV infection, testosterone deficiency may be masked due to elevated SHBG. Despite improvements in SHBG following SVR, low FT was common and persisted after HCV clearance, indicating the need for enhanced awareness and screening using estimates of FT following successful treatment of chronic HCV. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT01350648.
Metabolic-hypoxic modulation of cytokine induction of intestinal endothelial adhesion molecules: Relevance to ischemic injury mediated necrotizing enterocolitis?

Abstract Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) triggers an intense inflammatory response in the neonatal gut associated with cytokine activation, altered nutrient status and intracellular O2-deprivation. Endothelial cell adhesion molecules (ECAMs) play critical roles in driving immune cell infiltration into inflamed gut. Currently, relationships between inflammation, metabolism and ECAM expression remain poorly understood in NEC. We studied the effects of metabolic depletion (aglycemia/ hypoxia) on TNF-α mediated ECAM expression including ICAM-1, MAdCAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin, in vitro in intestinal microvascular endothelial cells (IMEC). Methods To study the effects of TNF-α, aglycemia and hypoxia (alone or in combination) IMECs expression of adhesion molecules was studied using cell surface ELISA and immunoblotting. Results Total VCAM-1 expression was induced TNF-α and by hypoxia + TNF-α, cell surface expression was induced by hypoxia, TNF-α, TNF- α+hypoxia, and TNF- α+hypoxia and aglycemia. Total ICAM-1 increased following TNF- α, TNF- α+hypoxia, hypoxia + aglycemia, and TNF- α+hypoxia + aglycemia. Total MAdCAM-1 protein expression was significantly induced by a combination of TNF-α+hypoxia + aglycemia and cell surface expression induced by TNF- α+hypoxia. Surface expression of E-selectin was induced by TNF- α+aglycemia and TNF- α+hypoxia + aglycemia. Conclusion Energy metabolism influences inflammation induced injury through mobilization of intestinal ECAMs, and may represent an important mechanism in NEC pathology.
The growth-maximizing level of regulation: Evidence from a panel of international data

Abstract Existing evidence suggests that regulation diminishes economic growth. In theory, however, regulation may be either growth-enhancing or diminishing. We therefore empirically revisit the relation between regulation and growth, allowing for both positive and negative effects. In an unbalanced panel of 132 countries over eight time periods, we find evidence of a hump-shape relation between regulation and growth. The estimates imply that for more than 95% of the sample the total effect of regulation on growth is positive. The estimates also imply that about 60% of the sample observations are associated with over-regulation, relative to the growth-maximizing level. Similar findings apply to the (majority) subsample of non-OECD nations in the dataset. However, for the (minority) subsample of OECD nations, both the total and marginal effects of regulation on growth are negative.
Delayed delivery of endothelial progenitor cell-derived extracellular vesicles via shear thinning gel improves postinfarct hemodynamics.

Abstract Background Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising therapeutics for cardiovascular disease, but poorly-timed delivery might hinder efficacy. We characterized the time-dependent response to endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)-EVs within an injectable shear-thinning hydrogel (STG+EV) post-myocardial infarction (MI) to identify when an optimal response is achieved. Methods The angiogenic effects of prolonged hypoxia on cell response to EPC-EV therapy and EV uptake affinity were tested in vitro. A rat model of acute MI via left anterior descending artery ligation was created and STG+EV was delivered via intramyocardial injections into the infarct border zone at time points corresponding to phases of post-MI inflammation: 0 hours (immediate), 3 hours (acute inflammation), 4 days (proliferative), and 2 weeks (fibrosis). Hemodynamics 4 weeks post-treatment were compared across treatment and control groups (phosphate buffered saline [PBS], shear-thinning gel). Scar thickness and ventricular diameter were assessed histologically. The primary hemodynamic end point was end systolic elastance. The secondary end point was scar thickness. Results EPC-EVs incubated with chronically versus acutely hypoxic human umbilical vein endothelial cells resulted in a 2.56 ± 0.53 versus 1.65 ± 0.15-fold increase (P = .05) in a number of vascular meshes and higher uptake of EVs over 14 hours. End systolic elastance improved with STG+EV therapy at 4 days (0.54 ± 0.08) versus PBS or shear-thinning gel (0.26 ± 0.03 [P = .02]; 0.23 ± 0.02 [P = .01]). Preservation of ventricular diameter (6.20 ± 0.73 mm vs 8.58 ± 0.38 mm [P = .04]; 9.13 ± 0.25 mm [P = .01]) and scar thickness (0.89 ± 0.05 mm vs 0.62 ± 0.03 mm [P Conclusions Delivery of STG+EV 4 days post-MI improved left ventricular contractility and preserved global ventricular geometry, compared with controls and immediate therapy post-MI. These findings suggest other cell-derived therapies can be optimized by strategic timing of therapeutic intervention.
Genetic targeting of astrocytes to combat neurodegenerative disease.

Astrocytes, glial cells that interact extensively with neurons and other support cells throughout the central nervous system, have recently come under the spotlight for their potential contribution to, or potential regenerative role in a host of neurodegenerative disorders. It is becoming increasingly clear that astrocytes, in concert with microglial cells, activate intrinsic immunological pathways in the setting of neurodegenerative injury, although the direct and indirect consequences of such activation are still largely unknown. We review the current literature on the astrocyte’s role in several neurodegenerative diseases, as well as highlighting recent advances in genetic manipulation of astrocytes that may prove critical to modulating their response to neurological injury, potentially combatting neurodegenerative damage.
Pathological Implications of Swallow-Associated Transient Lower Esophageal Sphincter Elevation

The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) overlaps the crural diaphragm (CD) in patients without hiatal hernia (HH). Swallowing induces esophageal peristalsis with longitudinal esophageal shortening, causing transient elevation of the LES above the CD. This phenomenon, visible on high-resolution manometry (HRM), is called swallow-induced transient HH (tHH). We assessed pathological implications of swallow-induced LES elevation. We included patients who underwent 24-h pH monitoring and HRM between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. Patients with manometric HH were excluded. Patients were divided into 3 groups: persistent tHH, which indicated significant LES–CD separation (i.e., ≥ 1cm in ≥ 30% swallows, or ≥ 2cm in ≥ 10% swallows) at the second inspiration after the conclusion of swallow-induced esophageal peristalsis; incidental tHH, which indicated significant LES–CD separation at the first inspiration after peristalsis without meeting persistent tHH criterion; and non-tHH. In total, 107 patients were included. There were 18 patients in the persistent tHH group, 54 in the incidental tHH group, and 35 in the non-tHH group. No differences were observed in esophageal body motility or LES antireflux barrier parameters among groups. However, patients with persistent tHH had significantly higher DeMeester scores, longer acid exposure time, and poorer acid clearance. Prevalence of pathological reflux was 83.3% in the persistent tHH cohort. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed that 76.9% of patients with persistent tHH had no HH. Endoscopic findings of the esophagogastric junction were similar among groups. Persistent tHH seems to be a pathological finding associated with pathological reflux.
MXD3 antisense oligonucleotide with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: A new targeted approach for neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. The outcomes for aggressive forms of NB remain poor. The aim of this study was to develop a new molecular-targeted therapy for NB using an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles (NPs), as a delivery vehicle, targeting the transcription regulator MAX dimerization protein 3 (MXD3). We previously discovered that MXD3 was highly expressed in high-risk NB, acting as an anti-apoptotic factor; therefore, it can be a good therapeutic target. In this study, we developed two ASO-NP complexes using electrostatic conjugation to polyethylenimine-coated SPIO NPs and chemical conjugation to amphiphilic polymers on amine-functionalized SPIO NPs. Both ASO-NP complexes demonstrated MXD3 knockdown, which resulted in apoptosis in NB cells. ASO chemically-conjugated NP complexes have the potential to be used in the clinic as they showed great efficacy with minimum NP-associated cytotoxicity.
Why Moral Theories Matter: A Review of Ethics and Adoption Literature

This study argues that moral theory is an important aspect of our use of self in adoption practice. Within this context, the authors examined the extent to which ethical theories were explicitly in...
Model-driven Deception for Control System Environments

Deception techniques are a useful defensive mechanism that could be very valuable in control systems where updates and patches can be difficult. However, to deceive a motivated and targeted attacker it is necessary to enhance deception platforms with capabilities to model and simulate physical processes to achieve necessary fidelity. In this paper, attributes of cyber-physical decoys are discussed and a design of a system with these attributes is presented. A boiler model use case is provided to demonstrate how this novel deception capability can be integrated into and used to defend a system.
Gang affiliation, restrictive housing, and institutional misconduct: does disciplinary segregation suppress or intensify gang member rule violations?

Prison officials often place gang affiliates in restrictive housing, yet little is known about what effect this experience has on their subsequent behavior. Two competing hypotheses on the impact o...
A 'Cell-Nucleus Segmentation' Script for Non-Invasive Nuclear Dry Mass Measurement

Abstract The nucleus is the largest organelle in cells carrying genetic materials that support genetic replication and transcription. It is likely that such genetic activities can influence the nuclear dry mass, but there is a lack of analytical tools enabling us to monitor dynamic changes in this quantity. To this end, this study demonstrates an image analysis script that allows us to quantify these changes in the nuclear dry mass. The script runs the cell-nuclei segmentation using Matlab. By using the fluorescent image as a template for the boundaries of cell nuclei and quantitative phase images for retrieving the dry mass density, the script recognizes nuclei of all cells in an image at a time and quantifies the nuclear dry mass. Using the “the cell-nucleus segmentation” script, this study reveals an interesting correlation between the nuclear dry mass and the filopodia protrusion of cervical epithelial cells. As the filopodia density and protrusion length increase, the nuclear dry mass increases. On the other hand, whenever the nuclear dry mass decreases, cells filopodia retract significantly. Taken together, the imaging script developed here will be useful to quantifying dynamic nuclear activities of a broad array of cells non-invasively.
Comparison of three neutralizing broths for environmental sampling of low levels of Listeria monocytogenes desiccated on stainless steel surfaces and exposed to quaternary ammonium compounds

An effective environmental sampling method involves the use of a transport/neutralizing broth with the ability to neutralize sanitizer residues that are collected during sampling and to maintain viability of stressed Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) cells. We applied Lm onto stainless steel surfaces and then subjected Lm to desiccation stress for 16–18 h at room temperature (RT, 21–24 °C). This was followed by the subsequent application of Whisper™ V, a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC)-based sanitizer, diluted to 400 ppm and 8000 ppm of active quat, for 6 h. We then sampled Lm with sponges pre-moistened in three transport broths, Dey/Engley (D/E) broth, Letheen broth and HiCap™ broth, to generate environmental samples that contained sanitizer residues and low levels of stressed Lm, which were subsequently analyzed by an enrichment-based method. This scheme conformed with validation guidelines of AOAC International by using 20 environmental test portions per broth that contained low levels of Lm such that not all test portions were positive (i.e., fractional positive). We showed that D/E broth, Letheen broth and HiCap™ broth performed similarly when no quat or 400 ppm of quat was applied to the Lm contaminating stainless steel surfaces. However, when 8000 ppm of quat was applied, Letheen broth did not effectively neutralize the QAC in the samples. These comparisons were performed on samples stored under three conditions after collection to replicate scenarios of sample transport, RT for 2 h, 4 °C for 24 h and 4 °C for 72 h. Comparisons under the three different scenarios generally reached the same conclusions. In addition, we further demonstrated that storing Letheen and HiCap™ broths at RT for two months before sampling did not reduce their capacity to neutralize sanitizers. We developed a scheme to evaluate the ability of transport broths to neutralize QAC sanitizers. The three transport broths performed similarly with a commonly used concentration of quat, but Letheen broth could not effectively neutralize a very high concentration of QAC. The performance of transport broths was not significantly affected under the assessed pre-sampling and post-sampling storage conditions.
Younger, but not older, brains are poised at a critical point of functional activity

Aging is associated with significant changes in communication between brain regions, yet the principles governing these changes are poorly understood. Here, we examined the role of age-related glucose hypometabolism by adapting functional MRI data to the Ising model. We found that younger, but not older, brains are poised at a critical point, facilitating switching between specific patterns of integrated and segregated activity, and consistent with decreased energy availability.
Splanchnic nerve modulation in heart failure: mechanistic overview, initial clinical experience, and safety considerations.

Volume recruitment from the splanchnic compartment is an important physiological response to stressors such as physical activity and blood loss. In the setting of heart failure (HF), excess fluid redistribution from this compartment leads to increased cardiac filling pressures with limitation in exercise capacity. Recent evidence suggests that blocking neural activity of the greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) could have significant benefits in some patients with heart failure (HF) by reducing cardiac filling pressures and improvement in exercise capacity. However, to date the long-term safety of splanchnic nerve modulation (SNM) in the setting of HF is unknown. SNM is currently used in clinical practice to alleviate some forms of chronic abdominal pain. A systematic review of series where permanent SNM was used as a treatment for chronic abdominal pain indicates that permanent SNM is well tolerated, with side-effects limited to transient diarrhea or abdominal colic and transient hypotension. The pathophysiological role of the GSN in volume redistribution, the encouraging findings of acute and chronic pilot SNM studies and the safety profile from permanent SNM for pain provides a strong basis for continued efforts to study this therapeutic target in HF.
Predicting exoplanet mass from radius and incident flux: a Bayesian mixture model

The relationship between mass and radius (M-R relation) is the key for inferring the planetary compositions and thus valuable for the studies of formation and migration models. However, the M-R relation alone is not enough for planetary characterization due to the dependence of it on other confounding variables. This paper provides a non-trivial extension of the M-R relation by including the incident flux as an additional variable. By using Bayesian hierarchical modeling (BHM) that leverages the flexibility of finite mixture models, a probabilistic mass-radius-flux relationship (M-R-F relation) is obtained based on a sample of 319 exoplanets. We find that the flux has nonnegligible impact on the M-R relation, while such impact is strongest for hot-Jupiters. On the population level, the planets with higher level of flux tend to be denser, and high flux could trigger significant mass loss for plants with radii larger than $13R_{\oplus}$. As a result, failing to account for the flux in mass prediction would cause systematic over or under-estimation. With the recent advent of computing power, although a lot of complex statistical models can be fitted using Monte Carlo methods, it has largely remain illusive how to validate these complex models when the data are observed with large measurement errors. We present two novel methods to examine model assumptions, which can be used not only for the models we present in this paper but can also be adapted for other statistical models.
School sites and the haunting of history: unmasking the past in field-based research

In field-based research, masking practices, as well as the general practice of relegating historical context to abstracted ‘site descriptions’ in a paper’s methodology section, can produce a tacit ...
An examination of motor unit firing rates during steady torque of maximal efforts with either an explosive or slower rate of torque development

NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? The aim was to explore agonist and antagonist motor unit firing rates during maximal efforts performed with either an explosive or a slower rate of torque development. What is the main finding and its importance? The antagonist muscle presented a motor unit firing rate relationship similar to the agonist muscle. Additionally, the motor units of both muscles exhibited higher firing rates during explosive maximal contractions than during maximal contractions performed at a slower rate of torque development. These results could prove useful to future research analysing the effects of age, disease, resistance training and/or fatigue-related alterations to motor unit firing rates. ABSTRACT The primary purpose of the present study was to examine motor unit (MU) firing rates in agonist and antagonist muscles during periods of steady, maximal efforts using explosive and slower rates of torque development. A secondary purpose was to analyse the MU firing rate versus action potential amplitude relationships of the agonist and antagonist muscles during maximal efforts. Thirteen subjects (mean ± SD; age, 21.2 ± 3.6 years; mass 81.1 ± 21.3 kg; and stature, 177.1±9.9 cm) performed two maximal isometric trapezoid muscle actions of the elbow flexors that included either an explosive or a slower, linearly increasing rate (ramp) of torque development. Surface EMG signals of the biceps brachii (BB) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles were collected and decomposed into their constituent MU action potential trains. The MU firing rate versus action potential amplitude relationships of the BB (agonist) and TB (antagonist) muscles were analysed. Moderate to strong relationships (|r| ≥ 0.65) were present for the explosive and ramp contractions in the agonist and antagonist muscles. Firing rates of smaller and larger MUs were higher during the explosive [mean ± SD; agonist = 18.1 ± 6.9 pulses per second (pps), antagonist = 22.0±3.9 pps] than the ramp (agonist = 14.0 ± 5.1 pps, antagonist = 18.3 ± 4.4 pps) contractions for the agonist (P = 0.013) and antagonist muscles (P = 0.007). The antagonist muscle exhibits a similar MU firing rate versus action potential amplitude relationship to the agonist muscle at maximal efforts. Future research should investigate the effects of short-term resistance training on antagonist firing rates and the involvement of peripheral feedback on firing rates during maximal efforts performed at various rates of torque development.
Association of PNPLA3 with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a minority cohort: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family Study.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent condition, particularly among Hispanic Americans. A genetic variant in PNPLA3 (rs738409) has been identified as a strong predictor of hepatic fat content. Aims: To confirm the association of this variant with NAFLD in two minority cohorts, Hispanic Americans and African Americans, in whom liver density was quantified by computed tomography (CT). Methods: This analysis was conducted in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis (IRAS) Family Study. Participants were recruited from the general community and included 843 Hispanic American and 371 African American adults aged 18–81 years. A single variant in PNPLA3 (rs738409) was genotyped. Liver density was calculated in Hounsfield Units from abdominal CT scans. Results: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs738409 was strongly associated with reduced liver density (i.e. NAFLD) in Hispanic Americans (1.18 × 10−9) and in African Americans (P=4.99 × 10−6). The association followed an additive genetic model with the G allele conferring risk. The allele was two times more common in Hispanic Americans than in African Americans (40 vs 19%), consistent with the greater prevalence of NAFLD in Hispanic Americans (24 vs 9%). The SNP explained 4.4 and 5.6% of the variance of the adjusted liver density outcome in Hispanic Americans and African Americans, respectively. Conclusions: We confirmed the association of a PNPLA3 variant with NAFLD in Hispanic Americans and African Americans, suggesting that PNPLA3 contributes to the variation in NAFLD across multiple ethnicities. This study adds to the growing evidence that some of the ethnic variation in NAFLD is genetic.
Cardiac dysfunction following brain death after severe pediatric traumatic brain injury: A preliminary study of 32 children.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac dysfunction after brain death has been described in a variety of brain injury paradigms but is not well understood after severe pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Cardiac dysfunction may have implications for organ donation in this patient population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients with severe TBI, both with and without a diagnosis of brain death, who underwent echocardiography during the first 2 weeks after TBI, between the period of 2003-2011. We examined cardiac dysfunction in patients with and without a diagnosis of brain death. RESULTS: In all, 32 (2.3%) of 1,413 severe pediatric TBI patients underwent echocardiogram evaluation. Most patients had head abbreviated injury score 5 (range 2-6) and subdural hematoma (34.4%). Ten patients with TBI had brain death compared with 22 severe TBI patients who did not have brain death. Four (40%) of 10 pediatric TBI patients with brain death had a low ejection fraction (EF) compared with 1 (4.5%) of 22 pediatric TBI patients without brain death who had low EF (OR = 14, P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of cardiac dysfunction is higher among pediatric severe TBI patients with a diagnosis of brain death, as compared to patients without brain death. This finding may have implications for cardiac organ donation from this population and deserves further study. Language: en
A row removal theorem for the Ext^1 quiver of symmetric groups and Schur algebras

In 1981, G. D. James proved two theorems about the decomposition matrices of Schur algebras involving the removal of the first row or column from a Young diagram. He established corresponding results for the symmetric group using the Schur functor. We apply James' techniques to prove that row removal induces an injection on the corresponding Ext 1 between simple modules for the Schur algebra. We then give a new proof of James' symmetric group result for partitions with the first part less than p. This proof lets us demonstrate that first-row removal induces an injection on Ext 1 spaces between these simple modules for the symmetric group. We conjecture that our theorem holds for arbitrary partitions. This conjecture implies the Kleshchev-Martin conjecture that Ext1 Σr (D λ , D λ ) = 0 for any simple module D λ in characteristic p ¬= 2. The proof makes use of an interesting fixed-point functor from Σ r -modules to Σ r-m -modules about which little seems to be known.
Identifying and overcoming the potential barriers to the adoption of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is an emerging innovative approach to performing minimally invasive surgical procedures. In its full potential, the concept of incisionless surgery will have mass appeal to patients. However, the barriers to adopting NOTES will have to be overcome before widespread acceptance of these techniques can occur. These potential barriers include infection, visceral leakage, difficulties in tissue manipulation, and increased cost. The history of surgical innovation has continuously overcome similar problems in other settings, and all of these potential obstacles are likely solvable. Training surgeons will be an additional barrier that will need to be overcome, but this obstacle will need to be approached differently than when laparoscopy was introduced, as standards are higher today for privileging and credentialing in most hospitals than 20 years ago. Alternative technologies that were not adopted prior to the introduction of NOTES may now appear more viable making the competitive environment more complex. Increased funding for comparative effectiveness studies and training for competency in innovation will also need original solutions, but are clearly in our patients' best interest.
The ovarian hyperemia reaction: Its use in qualitative and quantitative tests for urinary chorionic gonaotropin

Abstract 1. 1. In 703 qualitative tests performed on urine for the presence of chorionic gonadotropin, a definite diagnosis was made in 603 instances. Of the 603 diagnoses made, 595 (98.7 per cent) were correct. 2. 2. Of the 100 tests for which no diagnosis was made, 50 were reported as “equivocal” and tested again later; 50 were reported because the urine specimen was toxic to the animals. 3. 3. Of the 50 tests reported as “equivocal,” 28 (56 per cent) were submitted by patients who were later found to have been pregnant. Twenty-two (44 per cent) were from patients who were later found not to have been pregnant. The incidence of abortion was 21 per cent in the patients who submitted a specimen reported as “equivocal,” whereas only 8 per cent of the patients having a test reported as “positive” subsequently aborted. 4. 4. By a simple procedure involving serial dilutions, a roughly quantitative estimation of gonadotropin excretion can be made. 5. 5. During normal pregnancy, a high peak of gonadotropin excretion is reached during the first trimester, with a decline of excretion to a relatively low level by the end of the third month. This low level is continued throughout the last months of pregnancy. 6. 6. In threatened abortion, the excretion of gonadotropin is lower than for the normal patient at a comparable stage of pregnancy. A rapidly falling rate of excretion is an indication for more vigorous therapy. Death of chirionic tissue should be suspected in the absence of gonadotropin in the urine. 7. 7. A high gonadotropin excretion late in pregnancy may be associated with toxemia. 8. 8. A patient suffering from a chorionepithelioma with metastasis had a very high excretion of gonadotropin before death.
Combinatorial characterization of polymer adhesion

Based on the experience of the pharmaceutical industry, a new trend in research which relies upon combinatorial methodologies is being used to characterize the complexities of polymer adhesion. In this article, we begin the discussion with a brief background description of conventional techniques that are used for characterizing polymer interfaces. This background description not only highlights the key quantities that are used to describe interfacial strength, but it also demonstrates the challenges of developing high-throughput screening methods for this field. Next, we introduce three novel methods that use combinatorial design to increase the throughput in knowledge discovery for polymer adhesion. This introduction discusses the experimental protocol as well as the main features of analysis and informatics for these techniques.
Microsoft's IP Ventures

Microsoft's IP Ventures program, through which Microsoft spun out promising but unused technologies into new companies, is a new approach to corporate venture capital. The program provides "IP for equity" and has proven very successful in achieving its main goals-improved morale among researchers who like knowing their technology is being used, improved relationships with the venture capital community particularly in Silicon Valley, and good PR. Many of the eight companies launched so far are doing well. Yet how can the program be scaled beyond its current size, and how can it structure its investments to reduce the dilution that Microsoft invariably faces, given that it does not invest beyond the technology that seeds the company initially? Learning Objective: To introduce the concept of corporate venture capital.
A model calculation for vibrational propagation in a chain of nonlinear oscillators

We analyze a chain of nonlinear oscillators and calculate transport quantities relevant to the propagation of vibrational excitations in the chain. We obtain explicit expressions for oscillator displacements as well as for the mean-square-displacements of the vibrational excitation for several different initial conditions including a “localized” and a ”grating” initial condition, and study with their help the effects of nonlinearity on vibrational propagation.
Robert Lowell in the twenty-first century

A brilliant new Selected Poems, a moving and absorbing new volume of Letters, and several innovative critical studies have again restored Robert Lowell's reputation. In the poems and letters, as Lo...
“Spontaneous” remissions in dementia praecox

The following observations regarding the year during which insulin therapy was begun at Hudson River State Hospital, in contrast to those of preceding years, may be worthy of note:
Proton transfer in the mechanism of polyadenylate polymerase.

PAP (polyadenylate polymerase) is the template-independent RNA polymerase responsible for synthesis of the 3' poly(A) tails of mRNA. To investigate the role of proton transfer in the catalytic mechanism of PAP, the pH dependence of the steady-state kinetic parameters of yeast PAP were determined for the forward (adenyl transfer) and reverse (pyrophosphorolysis) reactions. The results indicate that productive formation of an enzyme―RNA―MgATP complex is pH independent over a broad pH range, but that formation of an active enzyme―RNA―MgPP i complex is strongly pH dependent, consistent with the production of a proton on the enzyme in the forward reaction. The pH dependence of the maximum velocity of the forward reaction suggests two protonic species are involved in enzyme catalysis. Optimal enzyme activity requires one species to be protonated and the other deprotonated. The deuterium solvent isotope effect on V max is also consistent with proton transfer involved in catalysis of a rate-determining step. Finally, pK a calculations of PAP were performed by the MCCE (multiconformational continuum electrostatic) method. Together, the data support that the protonation of residues Lys 215 and Tyr 224 exhibit co-operativity that is important for MgATP 2― and MgPP i 2― binding/dissociation, and suggest these residues function in electrostatic, but not in general acid, catalysis.
The Big Bang as scientific fact.

: In the year 1900, humanity had barely a notion of our place on the cosmic stage, and no inkling at all of how we got here. The one hundred short years of the twentieth century sufficed to unravel 14 billion years of cosmic history and how those grand events, after 9 billions of years or so, set the stage for the birth of our own home, the Solar System. The key events in this history are not hard to comprehend; they can be sketched in a few brief pages. This precious knowledge is part of our shared heritage as human beings and is fundamental to the future prospects of our species. Without it, we are ignorant of the powerful forces that have shaped our past and that will shape our destiny in the future. Read here the cosmic history of humanity, beginning with the Big Bang.
Gender and Computers: The Beneficial Effects of Experience on Attitudes

This study examines gender differences in computer attitudes and experiences of adolescents. A sample of students from five Bay Area high schools was surveyed for their uses of computers before and...
Factors involved in the inhibition of drug metabolism by (-)-emetine.

Abstract The oxidative N -demethylation of aminopyrine and of N -ethyl morphine as well as the S -demethylation of 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside in vitro is inhibited by about 50 per cent in liver microsomal preparations from rats pretreated for 24 hr with (—)-emetine dihydrochloride (18 μmoles/kg). Under these conditions, the azo-reduction of neoprontosil is also inhibited, although NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and neotretrazolium diaphorase activities are unaffected. The inhibition of drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in vitro appears to be related to a lowering of the liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b 5 content. When emetine is added directly to control liver microsomal incubations for the assay of N - or S -demethylation of substrates as above, and aromatic ring hydroxylation of aniline in vitro , drug-metabolizing enzyme activities are also inhibited under those circumstances. Emetine appears to be a competitive inhibitor of the N -demethylation of aminopyrine. The interaction of emetine and liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 is associated with spectral changes more closely resembling those of aniline (type II) than those of 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside (type I).
The relationship of risk, needs, and personality classification systems and prison adjustment.

This study compares different inmate classification systems—risk assessment, Megargee's MMPI typology, and Toch's Prison Preference Inventory—to determine which best distinguishes inmates who experience adjustment problems. Findings indicated that none of the three schemes is clearly superior. Each possesses its own advantages and disadvantages. Interestingly, risk assessment distinguished inmates who receive institutional recognition as experiencing some problem. It differentiated inmates cited for aggressive disciplinary infractions and those who report to sick call. The Megargee and Toch systems distinguish inmates who reported they experienced adjustment problems.
Cloning of rat cytochrome P450RAI (CYP26) cDNA and regulation of its gene expression by all-trans-retinoic acid in vivo

Abstract A novel retinoic acid (RA)-inducible cytochrome P450 (P450 RAI or CYP26), previously cloned from human, zebra fish, and mouse, functions in the metabolism of all- trans -RA to polar metabolites including 4-hydroxy-RA and 4-oxo-RA. To further study CYP26 in the rat model, we first cloned rat CYP26 cDNA. The nucleotide sequence predicts a 497-amino-acid protein whose sequence is 95% identical to mouse and 91% homologous to human CYP26. Animal studies showed that CYP26 mRNA expression is very low (0.01±0.008; P ∼100 μg of all- trans -RA and liver was collected after 3–72 h for analysis of CYP26 mRNA by quantitative real-time PCR. Liver CYP26 mRNA increased to nearly 10-fold above control after 3 h ( P P R 2 =0.9638). Additionally, significant regulation of CYP26 gene expression was observed in the vitamin-A-deficient, control, and RA-treated condition in lung, testis, and small intestine. We conclude that CYP26 mRNA expression is dynamically regulated in vivo by diet and RA in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues. The long-term down-regulation of CYP26 in retinoid deficiency may be critical for conserving RA, while the acute up-regulation of CYP26 may be important for preventing a deleterious overshoot of RA derived from either dietary or exogenous sources.
Becoming “Real Men” Adolescent Masculinity Challenges and Sexual Violence

Previous studies of adolescent male sexual violence have ignored—among other issues—offender agency and gender. The life-history method offers a means to explore both. In this article, the life his...
Correction: Wide Complex Tachycardia

Excerpt To the editor: In the June issue, Dr. Wellens (1) succinctly describes the various steps to be followed when evaluating a patient with wide QRS tachycardia. In Step 4 of Table 1 in that edi...
Potato variety identification by use of electrophoretic patterns of tuber proteins and enzymes

Forty-five potato varieties were analysed for three biochemical systems obtained from tuber extracts. The systems employed were esterase and peroxidase isozymes and soluble-proteins patterns; separation was accomplished by disc electrophoresis. Five esterase isozymes, a group of eight peroxidase isozymes and more than 20 proteins were present in unique combinations specific for each variety. This is an effective and efficient procedure for variety identification.
Influence of Choice Context on Consumer Decision Making in Electronic Commerce

One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it - you have no certainty, until you try. (Sopholes 400 BC)
Vesicle and granule content of sympathetic ganglion cells during limb regeneration of the newt Triturus.

Fine structural observations were made on the vesicle and granule content of ganglion cells in the posterior subclavian ganglion and peripheral nerve fibers of the upper forelimb of the newt Triturus. The populations of vesicles and granules in normal ganglion cells and nerve fibers were compared with those observed after limb transection. In normal neurons, clear vesicles range in size from 250 to 1000 A in diameter, but are most frequently 400–500 A. Vesicles with dense contents (granules) also vary greatly in size, but most are 450–550 A in diameter and correspond to dense-core vesicles. Large granules that contain acid phosphatase activity are thought to be lysosomes. During limb regeneration, in both the ganglion cells and peripheral nerves, the ratio of dense vesicles to clear vesicles increases. There is a large increase in number of dense granules with a diameter over 800 A, particularly in the peripheral regenerating fibers. This study shows that regenerating neurons differ from normal in their content of vesicular structures, especially large, membrane-bounded granules.
TIM-4, expressed by medullary macrophages, regulates respiratory tolerance by mediating phagocytosis of antigen-specific T cells.

Respiratory exposure to antigen induces T cell tolerance via several overlapping mechanisms that limit the immune response. While the mechanisms involved in the development of Treg cells have received much attention, those that result in T cell deletion are largely unknown. Herein, we show that F4/80+ lymph node medullary macrophages expressing TIM-4, a phosphatidylserine receptor, remove antigen-specific T cells during respiratory tolerance, thereby reducing secondary T cell responses. Blockade of TIM-4 inhibited the phagocytosis of antigen-specific T cells by TIM-4 expressing lymph node medullary macrophages, resulting in an increase in the number of antigen-specific T cells and the abrogation of respiratory tolerance. Moreover, specific depletion of medullary macrophages inhibited the induction of respiratory tolerance, highlighting the key role of TIM-4 and medullary macrophages in tolerance. Therefore, TIM-4-mediated clearance of antigen specific T cells represents an important previously unrecognized mechanism regulating respiratory tolerance.