cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Navigating Professional Norms in an Interprofessional Environment: The 'Practice' of Healthcare Ethics Committees

One of the hallmarks of a profession is the ability to set boundaries and exclude others from practicing in the field; however in an increasingly interprofessional world, these boundaries can be difficult to navigate. Recently, the Supreme Court case, North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission, reminded us that jurisdictional debates are alive and well across a variety of disciplines. In this case, the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners (the Board) sent cease and desist letters to non-dentist teeth whiteners demanding that they stop the unlicensed practice of dentistry. The Federal Trade Commission argued that this violated unfair trade practices under anti-trust law. Amici curiae briefs were filed by a variety of professional groups — from physicians and lawyers to nurses and radiologists — illustrating the wide-reaching concerns regarding the ability to define and enforce professional boundaries across many fields. This paper examines health care ethics committees, groups within hospitals or other health care settings that are called upon to assist with difficult ethical dilemmas that arise in patient care, to see how the multi-disciplinary composition of the committees can lead to conflict between emerging norms of the ‘ethics professional’ and the long-standing norms of members’ disciplines. We find that the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission decision provides an illustrative and provocative framework to explore how the interdisciplinary nature, and increasing professionalization, of health care ethics consultations may affect both individuals and the field. As the burgeoning field of ethics consultations continues to professionalize, there is an imperative for further guidance for consultants regarding how the practice of ethics consultations may intersect with the practice of law.
Alternate Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Devices and Techniques

The standard technique of external chest compression in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has changed little since the landmark paper of Kouwenhoven et al. in 1960 (1). The rhythmic application of force to the body of the patient is fundamental to the process of generating blood flow in CPR, but there is little agreement regarding the optimal technique for applying that force. There is a great need for improved external chest compression techniques, because only an average of 15% of patients treated with standard CPR survive cardiac arrest (CA [2,3]), and it is widely agreed that increasing the blood flow generated by chest compression will improve survival. Given the potential importance of newer devices and techniques that may augment blood flow, this chapter will explore several alternate devices and techniques that have been studied.
Analysis for Science Librarians of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics: Making the Invisible Visible

ABSTRACTThe 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Rainer Weiss, Kip S. Thorne, and Barry C. Barish. Each scientist played a critical role in the creation of the gravitational wave observatory that would eventually detect the first binary black hole merger on September 14, 2015. This paper provides a short overview of the history of gravitational wave searches, the LIGO team, and the discovery, followed by profiles of each scientist, with an emphasis on bibliometrics.
Covering a Ball by Smaller Balls

We prove that, for any covering of a unit d-dimensional Euclidean ball by smaller balls, the sum of radii of the balls from the covering is greater than d. We also investigate the problem of finding lower and upper bounds for the sum of powers of radii of the balls covering a unit ball.
Style Studies: Fashioning a Blogger in a Collaborative Design Challenge

The purpose of this project is to facilitate online learning by providing students with a design challenge that engages them with a preselected fashion blogger on the social media platform, Instagram.
Subject Position, Object Positions, and Case

In chapter 3, it was proposed that Kashmiri is hierarchically structured. Central to that proposal was the existence of three functional projections MP, TP, AGRP on top of the verb phrase, as shown in (1) below.
Pharmacogenomics and Children

Pharmacogenomic research promises to permit the development and delivery of safer and more effective drugs. If children are to receive these benefits, as justice would demand that they should, children must be included in trials that assess the impact of genetic variation, changing patterns of gene expression over time, and the effects of administering drugs. The ethical and legal challenges to conducting the necessary research include concerns about vulnerability and issues of consent, the scientific validity of the studies and the larger policy question of priority setting. Proposed strategies for ensuring the appropriate conduct of this research include analysis of the ethics based on risks and harms rather than presence or absence of a disorder, the development of model substrates to conduct physiological testing more safely, and the consideration of the disposition and impact of individual study results. With appropriate study, ultimately the use of pharmacogenomic testing can become available for children in the clinical setting.
Single stage en bloc resection of a recurrent metastatic osteosarcoma of the pediatric lumbar spine through multiple exposures - a novel approach.

To obtain a wide resection and safe margins in recurrent spine osteosarcoma, the surgical approach can include – posterior only, combined posterior and anterior, and combined posterior and anterior with a return to posterior in multiple stages. In our case, we used a novel approach of multiple extensile exposures circumferentially in a single stage with a single surgical prep. We present the case of a 9-year-old female with a history of metastatic osteosarcoma, who previously underwent an attempted en bloc resection with an L3 corpectomy and left below knee amputation. At 1 year follow-up, she developed a recurrent solitary spine lesion at the previous surgical resection site. An additional attempt at complete surgical resection was performed with a complex en bloc L2, L3, L4 corpectomy with removal of deep spinal implants and anterior and posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation and revision decompressive laminectomy. The patient had a good functional outcome without neurological deficits, except those resulting from resection of involved lumbar nerve roots. At last follow-up of 5 months, there was no local recurrence or distant metastasis. This approach for revision resection of recurrent spinal osteosarcoma can be performed successfully with clean margins in a safe manner.
What Do Providers Want from a Pain Screening Measure Used in Daily Practice

Objectives We aimed to understand providers' experiences and preferences regarding several brief pain screening measures. Methods We collected two waves of data for this analysis. Wave one: We conducted nine focus groups with multidisciplinary Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providers. Wave two: To understand an emergent theme in wave one, we conducted 15 telephone interviews with prescribing providers where we used a semistructured guide comparing screening measures currently used in VA practices. Using content analysis of the wave two interviews, we evaluated providers' perceptions of important aspects of brief pain screening measures and reported emergent themes. Results Five emergent themes underlie providers' perceptions of the utility of brief pain screening measures: 1) item abstractness: how bounded and concrete a patient's interpretation of an individual item is; 2) item distinctness: belief in the patient's ability to differentiate between the meaning of various items in a pain measure; 3) item anchoring: presence of a description under each response option making the meaning explicit; 4) item look-back period: the period of time over which patients are asked to remember and comment on their pain; 5) parsimony: identifying the shortest and simplest approach possible to acquire desired information. Conclusions Overly complex or adaptive screening tools may include information that is ultimately not used by providers. Conversely, overly simplistic pain screening tools may omit information that helps providers understand the impact of pain on patients' lives. As pain is nuanced, complex, and subjective, all screening measures exhibit some limitations. No single pain measure serves all chronic pain patients, and specific contexts or settings may warrant additional specific items.
Liver Transplant Recipients Older Than 60 Years Show Executive and Memory Function Improvement Comparable to Younger Recipients

Background Increasing numbers of patients over the age of 60 are undergoing liver transplantation. Objective We sought to determine whether age or clinical morbidities were associated with pre- and post-transplant executive and memory performance using the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT). Methods Participants included 36 recipients with n = 20 in the older group (>60 y) and n = 16 in the younger group (≤60 years). The BTACT was administered an average of 3 months before transplant, and at follow-up post-transplant intervals of 3, 6, and 9 months. BTACT composite scores for memory and executive function with age and education norms were obtained. Results Older recipients were more likely to have hepatocellular carcinoma, a lower biological MELD score at transplant, less cellular rejection, and fewer post-operative hospital days. Older and younger recipients showed comparable pre-transplant executive and memory function and comparable post-transplant improvement. Both older and younger patients showed statistically significant improvement in executive function scores at 3 months post-transplant and maintained improvement at 6 and 9 months. Memory function improved significantly in older patients by 6 months post-transplant but did not improve significantly in the younger group. Conclusion Older liver transplant recipients were more likely to have hepatocellular carcinoma and a lower biological MELD score than younger recipients, but both age groups showed comparable pre-transplant cognitive performance and post-transplant cognitive improvement. Additionally, a normed telephone test can be used to effectively screen and track executive and memory function post-transplant.
Verification of separate measurement procedures where analytical determinations influence the clinical interpretation of GFR: Iohexol quantitation by HPLC and LC-MS/MS

BACKGROUND The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is monitored clinically to follow renal function of a patient. This is commonly performed using endogenous compounds, which estimate GFR (eGFR). However, several conditions exists which may confound or render the eGFR inaccurate. In such cases, it is appropriate to perform a procedure to directly measure GFR (mGFR). Iohexol plasma disappearance is a procedure to determine mGFR and is typically performed using bolus injection of contrast media followed by timed plasma collections. The iohexol plasma concentrations are referenced to the dose given and the elimination rate of iohexol is reflective of the mGFR. Therefore, analytical bias or interference in the iohexol analytical measurement procedure will directly impact the mGFR result. METHODS Plasma sample iohexol concentrations were measured using both high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) measurement procedures. Results were compared on 50 patients where the mGFR was calculated from the iohexol plasma disappearance on two collection time points. RESULTS Bland-Altman analysis illustrated <1% mean bias when comparing iohexol concentration determinations from the measurement procedures. Passing-Bablok regression revealed y = 1.028x - 0.9420 (slope 95% CI: 1.011, 1.041; Y-intercept 95% CI: -1.606, -0.1638) when comparing LC-MS/MS to HPLC-UV. CONCLUSIONS Comparison studies of the LC-MS/MS and HPLC-UV measurement procedures displayed a mean bias of <1% by Bland Altman analysis. Measurement of iohexol by LC-MS/MS and HPLC-UV produced similar results and suggests there should be minimal bias in concentration or computed mGFR solely due to the measurement procedure employed.
Intraoperative Management of Left Ventricular Assist Device Explantation: Complications and Lessons Learned.

Abstract Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) are increasingly being used in patients with advanced heart failure as a bridge to transplant, destination therapy, and even as a bridge to recovery1-3. Current LVADs, in particular the HeartMate 2 and the newer generation HeartMate 3 and HeartWare, have evolved to be valveless which have markedly improved their durability, miniaturization, and reliability4. However, an underappreciated consequence of the valveless design is that they can lead to marked left ventricular (LV) dilatation and irreversible cardiac injury when they are turned off in emergencies such as injury to the outflow graft during sternotomy. This unintended consequence was the case in our patient who presented to the operating room for LVAD explantation after full recovery from her post-partum cardiomyopathy that ultimately culminated in her receiving a heart transplant. It is important that cardiac anesthesiologists, surgeons, and perfusionists understand the potential catastrophic consequences of turning off LVADs in emergent situations and mitigation strategies to avoid potentially irreversible cardiac and pulmonary injury.
Impact of age at onset on the phenomenology of depression in treatment-seeking adults in the STAR*D trial.

Abstract Background — Adolescence is characterized by biological, emotional, and behavioral changes. The onset of depression during this vulnerable time may confer specific risks. This study examined whether symptoms of depression were associated with age at onset (AAO), and whether AAO impacted depression symptom networks in adulthood. Methods — Data were from the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) trial. 3,184 depressed participants were included in analyses. A series of multiple regressions examined whether pretreatment differences in depression item-level symptom severity varied by AAO. Participants were divided into four groups based on AAO; GLASSO networks of depressive symptoms were estimated in each group and tests of differences between networks were performed. Results — Earlier AAO was associated with more severe symptom levels, with the exception of sleep—which increased with AAO, and loss of libido, psychomotor disturbance, and appetite-weight disturbance, which were invariant with AAO. In network analyses, the adolescent AAO symptom network significantly differed from the young adult and middle age AAO networks in structure and strength. In contrast, the child AAO network differed from the middle age AAO network in strength only. Limitations — Age at onset was recalled retrospectively and may be subject to bias. Future prospective studies should be conducted to address this limitation. Conclusions — Adolescence stands out as a time when onset of depression is associated with specific network characteristics. The unique severity of symptoms and network strength and structure caused by onset of depression during adolescence highlights the long-lasting impact of depression on the developing brain.
The Dictator Dilemma: The United States and Paraguay in the Cold War: by Kirk Tyvela, Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2019, 272 pp., US$45.00 (cloth), ISBN 9780822965732

During his May 1958 “goodwill mission” tour of eight South American republics, then-Vice President Richard Nixon received a cavalcade of less than warm receptions. University students demonstrated ...
Spinal Screening MRI Trends in Patients with Multiple Hereditary Exostoses: National Survey.

Background Multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE) is a rare disease characterized by multiple osteochondromas. Osteochondromas growing into the spinal canal can produce devastating consequences, including permanent neurologic deficits and even death. Routine screening of the entire spinal canal with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a controversial topic lacking a clear consensus or recommendation to guide decision-making. This study presents a case of an intracanal osteochondroma at C1 identified by routine screening and a survey describing current practices of MHE experts. Methods MHE experts were surveyed. Survey questions addressed multiple aspects of care, including the type of practice center, the volume of patients with MHE, and current screening practices. Results A total of 104 experts were contacted, with a total of 26 experts participating in the survey and 23 completing the entire survey. Seventy-two percent of respondents do not perform a routine MRI screen of the spine. For experts that routinely screen, screening is performed across a wide/variable age range (4-18 years). Conclusion Screening protocols for MHE patients to identify osteochondromas within the spinal canal has struggled to reach consensus due to the rarity of the disease. Recent literature provides conflicting advice for patients without neurological symptoms. Our study demonstrates that even experts who are leading the field demonstrate wide practice variability. Most respondents do not routinely perform screening spinal MRI. Due to the wide variability, a national guideline is needed to help guide physician and parental decision-making for patients with MHE. Our case illustrates the potential benefit of identifying an osteochondroma within the spinal canal at a location where further growth could have devastating neurological sequelae.
Longitudinal follow-up with VIM thalamic deep brain stimulation for dystonic or essential tremor.

Objective To assess longitudinal tremor outcomes with ventral intermediate nucleus deep brain stimulation (VIM DBS) in patients with dystonic tremor (DT) and to compare with DBS outcomes in essential tremor (ET). Methods We retrospectively investigated VIM DBS outcomes for 163 patients followed at our center diagnosed with either DT or ET. The Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor rating scale (TRS) was used to assess change in tremor and activities of daily living (ADL) at 6 months, 1 year, 2–3 years, 4–5 years, and ≥6 years after surgery. Results Twenty-six patients with DT and 97 patients with ET were analyzed. Compared to preoperative baseline, there were significant improvements in TRS motor up to 4–5 years (52.2%; p = 0.032) but this did not reach statistical significance at ≥6 years (46.0%, p = 0.063) in DT, which was comparable to the outcomes in ET. While the improvements in the upper extremity tremor, head tremor, and axial tremor were also comparable between DT and ET throughout the follow-up, the ADL improvements in DT were lost at 2–3 years follow-up. Conclusion Overall, tremor control with VIM DBS in DT and ET was comparable and remained sustained at long term likely related to intervention at the final common node in the pathologic tremor network. However, the long-term ADL improvements in DT were not sustained, possibly due to inadequate control of concomitant dystonia symptoms. These findings from a large cohort of DT indicate that VIM targeting is reasonable if the tremor is considerably more disabling than the dystonic features. Classification of evidence This study provides Class IV evidence that VIM DBS improves tremor in patients with DT or ET.
Apartment Building of Romantic Love/ipartment : Young Urbanites’ Love

This chapter serves as a summary of the previous chapters. It examines how the sitcom Apartment Building of Romantic Love, to a certain degree, sets up a “new” definition of romantic love and deconstructs the romantic love that features so heavily in mainstream media, challenging traditional opinions on lifestyle, success, and gender roles in relationships. At the same time, it achieves its “new” definitions by reinforcing heterosexual romantic love as the most important value in young people’s lives and glorifying romantic love as the most attainable way to solve conflicts and create harmony among the young urbanites from different backgrounds who face difficult challenges in metropolitan cities.
Quantization Noise in A/D Converters

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Uniform Quantization Additive White-Noise Approximation Characteristic Function Method Pulse Code Modulation Quantization Noise Dithered PCM Single-Loop ?> ?> Modulation Two-Stage (Cascade or MASH) ?> ?> Modulation Second-Order ?> ?> Modulation Some Extensions Conclusion This chapter contains sections titled: Acknowledgments References
Clinical Hypnosis in Pediatric Crohn's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Objective The aim of this study was to implement clinical hypnosis (CH) as an adjunctive therapy for adolescents with Crohn's disease (CD) and to assess the impact of CH on quality of life (QoL), abdominal pain, psychosocial measures, and disease activity compared with standard care. Methods Forty adolescents with CD were randomized to a hypnosis intervention (HI) or waitlist control (WC) group. The intervention consisted of 1 in-person CH session, self-hypnosis education, and recordings for home practice. Data was collected at baseline, after the 8-week intervention, and at week 16. The primary outcome was patient- and parent-reported QoL; secondary outcomes were patient-reported abdominal pain, depression, anxiety, and sleep; school absences; and disease activity by Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index. Paired and independent t-tests were used to compare differences from baseline to postintervention within and between groups. Results Forty patients (50% girls, mean 15.8 years) were enrolled from February to May 2019. Seventy-eight percent had inactive disease, and 55% had abdominal pain. Post intervention, significant improvements were noted in HI parent-reported QoL compared with WC in total score (P = 0.05), social functioning (P = 0.01), and school functioning (P = 0.04) but patient-reported QoL was unchanged. Abdominal pain severity significantly improved in HI compared with WC (P = 0.03). School absences decreased in significantly more intervention than control patients (P = 0.01). Patients who practiced self-hypnosis consistently showed a trend toward greater QoL improvement than those who did not (P = 0.1). Conclusions CH is an acceptable and feasible adjunct in CD and may improve psychosocial QoL and abdominal pain. Further research is warranted.
Explaining income disparities in young children’s development: The role of community contexts and family processes✰

Abstract Growing economic disparities and the increased sorting of families into economically segregated communities have heightened the need to clearly delineate pathways through which family income promotes children’s development. Combining hypotheses from investment and stress theories, we developed and tested a multi-context and cross-domain conceptual model assessing how community and family contexts mediate links between family income and children’s cognitive and behavioral skills at kindergarten entry. We drew data on family income, parenting processes, and child functioning from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study– Birth Cohort (ECLS-B; N ≈ 10,650), following children from infancy through age 5. We used Geographic Information Systems technology to create and validate community measures using administrative data from the Economic Census, Decennial Census, National Center of Education Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Environmental Protection Agency, which were then linked to each child in the ECLS-B. Using structural equation modeling, our analyses revealed three primary lessons. First, lower-income children have limited access to community educational and cultural resources and heightened exposure to community stressors including concentrated disadvantage and violent crime. Second, these community characteristics are associated with lower cognitive stimulation and emotional support and with higher harsh discipline from parents. And third, community and family contexts together mediate connections between family income and children’s cognitive and behavioral functioning. Results, albeit showing small effect sizes, provide a more complex, multi-contextual view than prior research, delineating the role of both resources and stressors at community and family levels in explaining income disparities in young children’s developmental success.
Innate immune signaling in trophoblast and decidua organoids defines differential antiviral defenses at the maternal-fetal interface

Abstract Infections at the maternal-fetal interface can directly harm the fetus and induce additional complications that adversely impact pregnancy outcomes. Innate immune signaling by both fetal-derived placental trophoblasts and the maternal decidua must provide antimicrobial defenses at this critical interface without compromising its integrity. Here, we developed matched trophoblast and decidua organoids from human placentas to define their relative contributions to innate immune antiviral defenses at the maternal-fetal interface. We show that trophoblast and decidua organoids recapitulate some, but not all, of the basal cytokine release observed in matched tissue explants. We further show that trophoblast organoids constitutively release antiviral type III interferons (IFNs) and that fetal and maternal organoids differentially respond to viral infections through the induction of organoid-specific cytokines. These findings define key differences in innate immune signaling generated by fetal-derived trophoblasts and the maternal decidua, which together must protect the fetus from viral infections.
Inverse Sampling of Degenerate Datasets from a Linear Regression Line

When linear regression generates a relationship between a (dependent) scalar response and one or multiple independent variables, various datasets providing distinct graphical trends can develop resembling relationships based on the same statistical properties. Advanced statistical approaches, such as neural networks and machine learning methods, are of great necessity to process, characterize, and analyze these degenerate datasets. On the other hand, the accurate creation of purposedly degenerate datasets is essential to test new models in the research and education of applied statistics. In this light, the present study characterizes the famous Anscombe datasets and provides a general algorithm for creating multiple paired datasets of identical statistical properties.
Dialect and Accent Recognition using Phonetic-Segmentation Supervectors

We describe a new approach to automatic dialect and accent recognition which exceeds state-of-the-art performance in three recognition tasks. This approach improves the accuracy and substantially lower the time complexity of our earlier phoneticbased kernel approach for dialect recognition. In contrast to state-of-the-art acoustic-based systems, our approach employs phone labels and segmentation to constrain the acoustic models. Given a speaker’s utterance, we first obtain phone hypotheses using a phone recognizer and then extract GMM-supervectors for each phone type, effectively summarizing the speaker’s phonetic characteristics in a single vector of phone-type supervectors. Using these vectors, we design a kernel function that computes the phonetic similarities between pairs of utterances to train SVM classifiers to identify dialects. Comparing this approach to the state-of-the-art, we obtain a 12.9% relative improvement in EER on Arabic dialects, and a 17.9% relative improvement for American vs. Indian English dialects. We also see a 53.5% relative improvement over a GMM-UBM on American Southern vs. Non-Southern English.
Complex Lipids of Rhodomicrobium vannielii

Eight components, seven of which contained phosphorus, were found in the phospholipid fraction of Rhodomicrobium vannielii. The major components were lipoamino acid (o-ornithine ester of phosphatidyl glycerol, 46.5%) and phosphatidyl choline (26.5%). The other six components were phosphatidyl glycerol (9.7%), bisphosphatidic acid (6.7%), phosphatidyl ethanolamine (4.5%), phosphatidic acid (1.8%), lysophosphatidyl glycerol-o-ornithine ester (3.2%), and N,N-ornithine amide of unidentified fatty acid (0.95%). Total phospholipid accounted for 4.2% of cell dry weight. The major fatty acid was vaccenic acid, C18:1, which accounted for approximately 90% of the total fatty acids of the complex lipid fraction. The other four fatty acids were C16:0 (6.25%), C18:0 (3.8%), C14:0 (0.7%), and C16:1 (0.35%). The sulfolipid content was 0.01% of the cell dry weight or 0.14 μmoles per g of dried cells, assuming that its fatty acid component is vaccenic acid. No steroids were detected.
Einstein's Special Relativity: The Hyperbolic Geometric Viewpoint

The analytic hyperbolic geometric viewpoint of Einstein's special theory of relativity is presented. Owing to the introductio n of vectors into hyperbolic geometry, where they are called gyrovectors, the use of analytic hyperbolic geometry extends Einstein's unfinished symphony significantly, elev ating it to the status of a mathematical theory that could be emulated to the benefit of t he entire mathematical and physical community. The resulting theory involves a gyrovector space approach to hyperbolic geometry and relativistic mechanics, and could be studied with profit by anyone with a sufficient background in the common vector spac e approach to Euclidean geometry and classical mechanics. Einstein noted in his 1905 paper that founded the special theory of relativity that his velocity addition law satisfies the law of velocity parallelogram only to a first approximation. Within our hype rbolic geometric viewpoint of special relativity it becomes clear that Einstein's velo city addition law leads to a hyperbolic parallelogram addition law of Einsteinian velocities, which is supported experimentally by the cosmological effect known as stellar aberration and its relativistic interpretation. The latter, in turn, is supported experime ntally by the "GP-B" gyroscope experiment developed by NASA and Stanford University. Furthermore, the hyperbolic viewpoint of special relativity meshes extraordinarily well with the Minkowskian four- vector formalism of special relativity, revealing that the seemingly notorious relativistic mass meshes up with the four-vector formalism as well, owing to the natural emergence of dark matter. It is therefore hoped that both special relativity and its u nderlying analytic hyperbolic geometry will become part of the lore learned by all undergraduate and graduate mathematics and physics students.
Chapter 15 – Demyelinating disorders

Publisher Summary Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of a large number of diseases of varied pathogenesis in which white matter of the central nervous system is focally or diffusely the main target. Its epidemiologic and genetic factors are rarely relevant in a forensic setting, which are discussed in this chapter. Clinical manifestations are quite variable in space and time, and virtually the entire spectrum of neurologic symptoms and signs can occur at different times. A clinical course of relapses and remissions with stepwise incremental progression is also a characteristic occurrence. The cerebrospinal fluid profile of mild elevation of lymphocyte count and presence of oligoclonal bands on electrophoresis is supportive, but not diagnostic of MS. Magnetic resonance imaging is an increasingly important tool in the diagnosis because of its ability to detect plaques. Plaques are rarely detected by the naked eye on the surface of the cerebral cortex, but they can be demonstrated in cortex on stained sections. Clinical manifestations are quite variable in space and time, and virtually the entire spectrum of neurologic symptoms and signs can occur at different times.
Geometric multi-resolution analysis and data-driven convolutions

We introduce a procedure for learning discrete convolutional operators for generic datasets which recovers the standard block convolutional operators when applied to sets of natural images. They key observation is that the standard block convolutional operators on images are intuitive because humans naturally understand the grid structure of the self-evident functions over images spaces (pixels). This procedure first constructs a Geometric Multi-Resolution Analysis (GMRA) on the set of variables giving rise to a dataset, and then leverages the details of this data structure to identify subsets of variables upon which convolutional operators are supported, as well as a space of functions that can be shared coherently amongst these supports.
The longitudinal matching of current population surveys: A proposed algorithm

This paper proposes an algorithm to match Current Population Survey (CPS) respondents based on Bayes’ rule. For each naive match, Bayes’ rule is used to calculate conditional probability of being correct or not, given certain characteristics of the respondent. This conditional probability is then used to validate or invalidate the match. In an example to match CPS March supplements, Type I and Type II errors are derived for the proposed algorithm and the one by Madrian and Lefgren. The proposed algorithm is more efficient in that it tends to reject less correct matches. The paper also uncovers the recycling pattern of CPS household identifiers. Based on this recycling pattern, the proposed algorithm is also extended to the matching of CPS basic monthly data sets.
Performance evaluation of certain ARMA models in power spectral density estimation

For an autoregressive moving average (p, q) process the performance measures considered are the asymptotic variance of the spectral estimator and the resolution of two closely spaced sinusoids in white noise. Though the AR parameters are mainly responsible for good resolution, it is shown that proper MA parameters are also necessary in some methods. Cadzow's (Indirect) method and the singular value decomposition (SVD) method are considered for comparison. It is found that both methods have approximately the same variance of the PSD estimates in the neighborhood of the frequencies of interest. The SVD method yields a much lower model order than Cadzow's method in which the MA parameters have greater influence on resolution. >
The usefulness of the Lifshitz–van der Waals/acid–base approach for surface tension components and interfacial tensions

Abstract The Lifshitz–van der Waals/acid-base approach proposed by van Oss et al. is found to yield inconsistent solid surface tensions and components from contact angles, for fluorocarbon, polystyrene, and poly(methyl methacrylate) solid surfaces. It is also shown that the approach cannot predict the correct interfacial tensions of all liquid–liquid pairs in question: the predicted interfacial tensions range from 34% lower to 112% higher than the experimental values. Thus, the usefulness of the approach for surface tension components and interfacial tensions is open to question. The liquid surface tension components postulated since 1986 are also summarized.
Neurons in the rat subiculum with transient postmamillary collaterals during development maintain projections to the mamillary complex.

We recently found that in developing rats large numbers of fibers extending through the fornix initially grow well past the mamillary bodies and into the mesencephalic and pontine tegmentum (Stanfield et al. 1987). This postmamillary component of the fornix is essentially completely eliminated during the first few postnatal weeks, although the cells of origin of this projection within the subicular complex of the hippocampal region persist. To determine if the subicular neurons which transiently extend postmamillary axons maintain a projection to the mamillary complex after the elimination of the postmamillary component of the fornix, we employed a delayed, double-retrograde labeling paradigm. The cells of origin of the postmamillary component of the fornix in rat pups were labeled with an injection of fast blue (FB) into the mesencephalic/pontine tegmentum, and, in the same animals, but at a stage after the elimination of the postmamillary component of the fornix, the cells of origin of the definitive fornix were labeled with an injection of diamidino yellow (DY) aimed at the mamillary complex. In these cases the FB labeled neurons within the subicular complex can be DY labeled as well, indicating that subicular neurons which transiently extend postmamillary axons maintain projections to the definitive targets of the fornix within the caudal hypothalamus.
Genómica de la regulación del peso corporal: mecanismos moleculares que predisponen a la obesidad

Obesity has become a worldwide public health problem which affects millions of people. Substantial progress has been made in elucidating the pathogenesis of energy homeostasis over the past few years. The fact that obesity is under strong genetic control has been well established. Twin, adoption and family studies have shown that genetic factors play a significant role in the pathogenesis of obesity. Human monogenic obesity is rare in large populations. The most common form of obesity is considered to be a polygenic disorder. New treatments are currently required for this common metabolic disease and type 2 diabetes. The identification of physiological and biochemical factors that underlie the metabolic disturbances observed in obesity is a key step in developing better therapeutic outcomes. The discovery of new genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of such a disease is critical to this process. However, identification of genes that contribute to the risk of developing the disease represents a significant challenge since obesity is a complex disease with many genetic and environmental causes. A number of diverse approaches have been used to discover and validate potential new genes for obesity. To date, DNA-based approaches using candidate genes and genome-wide linkage analysis have not had a great success in identifying genomic regions or genes involved in the development of these diseases. Recent advances in the ability to evaluate linkage analysis data from large family pedigrees (using variance components-based linkage analysis) show great promise in robustly identifying genomic regions associated with the development of obesity. Studying rare mutations in humans and animal models has provided fundamental insight into a complex physiological process, and has complemented population-based studies that seek to reveal primary causes. Remarkable progress has been made in both fronts and the pace of advance is likely to accelerate as functional genomics and the human genome project expand and mature. Approaches based on Mendelian and quantitative genetics may well converge, and ultimately lead to more rational and selective therapies.
Improving the testability and reliability of sequential circuits with invariant logic

In this paper, we propose the use of logic implications to enhance online error detection capabilities and to improve the testing efficiency of an integrated circuit. These logic implications are implemented in hardware and help to verify that expected invariant circuit relationships are satisfied during field operation. Thus, any implication violation will indicate the presence of an error due to some faulty circuit behavior. In addition, checking these logic implications in hardware will create additional circuit outputs, which may be useful for compacting $n$-detect test sets. Our results show that logic implications can provide significant error detection and test pattern count reduction with very limited hardware overhead.
Intragraft selection of the T cell receptor repertoire by class I MHC sequences in tolerant recipients.

Author(s): Liu, Dahai; Shen, Xiu-Da; Zhai, Yuan; Lam, Wengsi; Liao, Jingying; Busuttil, Ronald W; Ghobrial, Rafik M | Abstract: BackgroundAllograft tolerance of ACI (RT1(a)) recipients to WF (RT1(u)) hearts can be induced by allochimeric class I MHC molecules containing donor-type (RT1A(u)) immunogenic epitopes displayed on recipient-type (RT1A(a)) sequences. Here, we sought the mechanisms by which allochimeric sequences may affect responding T cells through T cell receptor (TCA) repertoire restriction.Methodology/principal findingsThe soluble [alpha(1h) (u)]-RT1.A(a) allochimeric molecule was delivered into ACI recipients of WF hearts in the presence of sub-therapeutic dose of cyclosporine (CsA). The TCR Vbeta spectrotyping of the splenocytes and cardiac allografts showed that the Vbeta gene families were differentially expressed within the TCR repertoire in allochimeric- or high-dose CsA-treated tolerant recipients at day +5 and +7 of post-transplantation. However, at day 30 of post-transplantation the allochimeric molecule-treated rats showed the restriction of TCR repertoire with altered dominant size peaks representing preferential clonal expansion of Vbeta7, Vbeta11, Vbeta13, Vbeta 14, and Vbeta15 genes. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between the alteration of Vbeta profile, restriction of TCR repertoire, and the establishment of allograft tolerance.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that presentation of allochimeric MHC class I sequences that partially mimic donor and recipient epitopes may induce unique tolerant state by selecting alloresponsive Vbeta genes.
Management of non-united four-corner fusions.

Purpose Wrist degeneration, resulting from scaphoid nonunion or scapholunate ligamentous disruption, is widely managed with scaphoid excision with four-corner fusion. There are no specific details in the literature regarding “salvage” of nonunion after attempted “four-corner fusions” or the patient outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of patients who underwent treatment for nonunion after four-corner fusion, the subsequent surgeries done for wrist salvage and the functional results.
The Incidence of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy after Photorefractive Keratectomy and Laser In Situ Keratomileusis

Purpose. To assess the incidence of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) following laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Methods. A chart review was performed to identify all patients with CSCR and a previous history of LASIK or PRK. Results. Over the 6-year study period, 1 of 4,876 eyes which had LASIK or PRK at the Moran Eye Center was diagnosed with CSCR. One other patient was referred from an outside center, developed CSCR symptoms one month after PRK. Both patients were managed conservatively with a final visual acuity of 20/20 or better. All other patients presented 4 or more years after refractive surgery. Conclusions. We report the first 2 CSCR cases developing within one month after PRK. The low incidence argues against a causal association. Topical corticosteroids or anxiety may elevate cortisol levels presenting therapeutic challenges for the management of CSCR after PRK or LASIK.
Neuroendocrine Cell Distribution and Frequency Distinguish Neuroendocrine Cell Hyperplasia of Infancy From Other Pulmonary Disorders

Background The diagnostic gold standard for neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is demonstration of increased numbers of neuroendocrine cells (NECs) amid otherwise near-normal lung histology. Typical clinical and radiographic features often are present. However, NECs are also increased after lung injury and in other disorders, which can complicate biopsy specimen interpretation and diagnosis of suspected NEHI. Our objective was to determine whether NEC prominence is specific for the diagnosis of NEHI. Methods Bombesin immunoreactivity was quantified in lung biopsy specimens from 13 children with characteristic clinical presentation and imaging appearance of NEHI. The primary comparison group was 13 age-matched patients selected from children with lung disorders that are known to be associated with NEC prominence. Results Bombesin-immunopositive epithelial area was significantly increased in NEHI compared with other diseases. Patchy bronchiolar inflammation or fibrosis was frequently observed in NEHI, with no direct association between airway histopathology and bombesin-immunopositive area. NEC prominence correlated with severity of small airway obstruction demonstrated on infant pulmonary function testing. Immunohistochemical colocalization of bombesin with Ki67 did not reveal active NEC proliferation. There was wide intra- and intersubject variability in NEC number, which did not relate to radiographic appearance of the region biopsied. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that NEC prominence is a distinguishing feature of NEHI independent of airway injury. The extent of intrasubject variability and potential for overlap with control subjects suggest that clinical-radiologic-pathologic correlation is required for diagnosis and that the abundance of NECs may not fully explain the disease pathogenesis.
Nerve conduction and aldose reductase inhibition during 5 years of diabetes or galactosaemia in dogs

To evaluate the role of excessive polyol pathway activity in the pathogenesis of nerve disorders in diabetes mellitus, nerve conduction velocity was measured in motor nerves of diabetic dogs given an aldose reductase inhibitor (Sorbinil) or placebo, and also in non-diabetic dogs made experimentally galactosaemic. The nerve conduction velocity slowly declined in the diabetic placebo group, becoming significantly less than normal by the fifth year of the study, and the decline was prevented by administration of the aldose reductase inhibitor. Non-diabetic dogs made galactosaemic by consuming a 30 % galactose diet developed erythrocyte and nerve polyol concentrations many times greater than that of diabetic or normal animals, but the nerve conduction velocity remained normal throughout 5 years of study. These results in dogs suggest that aldose reductase inhibitors may prevent defective nerve conduction in long-term diabetes, and raise the possibility that excessive accumulation of polyol itself is not sufficient to produce the nerve defect in the absence of excessive polyol utilization.
Relationships between soldiers' PTSD symptoms and spousal communication during deployment

Social support, including support from spouses, may buffer against posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The current study assessed whether the frequency of spousal communication during a recent deployment, a potentially important source of support for soldiers, was related to postdeployment PTSD symptoms. Data came from 193 married male Army soldiers who returned from military deployment within the past year. For communication modalities conceptualized as delayed (i.e., letters, care packages, and e-mails), greater spousal communication frequency during deployment was associated with lower postdeployment PTSD symptom scores, but only at higher levels of marital satisfaction (p = .009). At lower marital satisfaction, more delayed spousal communication during deployment was associated with more PTSD symptoms (p = .042). For communication modalities conceptualized as interactive (i.e., phone calls, instant messaging, instant messaging with video), the same general direction of effects was seen, but the interaction between communication frequency and marital satisfaction predicting PTSD symptoms did not reach significance.