cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of isoproterenol on peripheral airway pressure-diameter behavior

I radiographically evaluated the pressure-diameter relationships of peripheral airways (average diameter approximately 2 mm at total lung capacity) in a collaterally ventilating lung segment in 22 caudal dog lung lobes. Eleven lobes were studied when freshly excised, and 11 lobes were studied after being rinsed with 0.5% isoproterenol. Airways within the segment (intrasegmental) and a control region of similarly sized airways external to the segment were studied. Radiographs were taken when airway opening pressure (Pao) equaled pressure in the segment (Ps) (homogeneous case) and when Pao was 5, 10, or 15 cmH2O greater than Ps (nonhomogeneous case). Airway diameter was calculated as a fraction of the diameter at Pao = Ps = 25 cmH2O. The response of intrasegmental airways to increases in pressure in the homogeneous case (Ps = Pao) and nonhomogeneous case (Ps > Pao) differed between freshly excised and isoproterenol-rinsed lobes. I conclude that dilating peripheral airways by decreasing bronchomotor tone limits the extent to which they can respond to a regional increase in alveolar pressure.
Narrative and Mathematics

This collection of fifteen articles on mathematics and/or narrative originated in a conversation between the two editors, during a vacation on a Greek island owned by one of them. The “circles dist...
New mixed-valence MnII4MnIV clusters from an unusual ligand transformation

Abstract The syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties are reported of two new and unusual mixed-valence Mn clusters [MnII4MnIVO(mpko)5(MeO-hmp)(mpko-hmp)(H2O)](ClO4)3 (1) and [MnII4MnIVO(ppko)5(MeO-hmp)(ppko-hmp)(H2O)](ClO4)3 (2). They were obtained from the reaction of mpkoH or ppkoH and hmpH with Mn(ClO4)2 in the presence of NaOMe, where mpkoH is methyl(pyridin-2-yl)ketone oxime, ppkoH is phenyl(pyridin-2-yl)ketone oxime, and hmpH is 2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridine. Complex 1 possesses a distorted MnII4 cubane core attached to an external MnIV by the O2− ion. The peripheral ligation includes two unprecedented hemiacetal ligands formed in situ from the reaction of hmpH with MeOH or mpkoH/ppkoH. Solid-state dc and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements established that both 1 and 2 possess an S = 7/2 ground state, which was confirmed by ac in-phase susceptibility data. Simulations of the χMT versus T data established the presence of dominant antiferromagnetic exchange interactions, rationalizing the observed ground state.
Host-Derived Artificial MicroRNA as an Alternative Method to Improve Soybean Resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is one of the most important pests limiting soybean production worldwide. Novel approaches to managing this pest have focused on gene silencing of target nematode sequences using RNA interference (RNAi). With the discovery of endogenous microRNAs as a mode of gene regulation in plants, artificial microRNA (amiRNA) methods have become an alternative method for gene silencing, with the advantage that they can lead to more specific silencing of target genes than traditional RNAi vectors. To explore the application of amiRNAs for improving soybean resistance to SCN, three nematode genes (designated as J15, J20, and J23) were targeted using amiRNA vectors. The transgenic soybean hairy roots, transformed independently with these three amiRNA vectors, showed significant reductions in SCN population densities in bioassays. Expression of the targeted genes within SCN eggs were downregulated in populations feeding on transgenic hairy roots. Our results provide evidence that host-derived amiRNA methods have great potential to improve soybean resistance to SCN. This approach should also limit undesirable phenotypes associated with off-target effects, which is an important consideration for commercialization of transgenic crops.
Aggressive Real Earnings Management and the Value of Firm Cash Holdings

I examine whether aggressive income-increasing real earnings management (REM) influences the value of firm cash holdings. Motivated by agency problems of REM and free cash flows, I predict that aggressive cuts in discretionary expenditures have a negative effect on the marginal value of cash holdings. Using an abnormal returns model, my analysis documents that investors place a lower value on cash holdings of aggressive income-increasing REM firms. Economically, these results indicate that the marginal value of cash holdings is 16 cents lower in aggressive REM firms relative to non-aggressive REM firms. I also examine subsamples with positive abnormal cash holdings, higher incentives for REM, and different investment environments and find evidence consistent with my main results. Findings in my study contribute to two lines of research by documenting that REM influences the value that investors place on firm cash holdings.
Membranous Glomerulonephritis and Nephrotic Syndrome as a Late Manifestation of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Reaction Following Allogeneic Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancy.

Chronic GVHD is an immunologically mediated complication of allogeneic transplantation with multi-organ involvement and the presence of antibodies against host cell antigens, often requiring long-term immunosuppression for control of symptoms and disease. Although multiple organs can be involved, the major targets generally include skin, liver, GI tract, lung, bone marrow and oral mucosa associated with immunodeficiency independent of treatment. Renal manifestations of chronic GVHD are very unusual and generally caused by nephrotoxic medications used to treat the disease. Membranous glomerulonephritis is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in the adult, characterized by a thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, deposits of antibody and complement, and is associated with either infections, systemic autoimmune disease and medications. Although chronic GVHD is not generally associated with this syndrome, we have seen and evaluated eight patients who developed nephrotic syndrome as a late manifestation of chronic GVHD. Eight patients (three males and five females), ages 44–60, presented with nephrotic syndrome (24 hour urine protein 7–18 grams/day) in the setting of pre-existing chronic GVHD with other manifestations, including skin, liver, oral mucosa and conjunctiva. One patient received an unrelated donor transplant and seven had related donors as treatment for hematologic malignancy (AML 3, MDS 3, CML 1, malignant histiocytosis 1). All patients underwent kidney biopsy which showed changes consistent with membranous glomerulonephritis with immunologic characterization consistent with this diagnosis. At the time of diagnosis all patients had 100% chimerism for T and B cells. In seven of eight cases the development of glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome followed, sometimes by several years (range four months to eight years), other manifestations of chronic GVHD and in seven/eight patients it occurred while patients were on chronic immunosuppressive therapy. Treatment included the combination therapy of Prednisone and Cyclosporin, Prednisone, Cellcept and Cyclosporin or, in two cases, Rituxan targeted to the B cell component of the immunopathology. The overall response rate to treatment was 100% with all patients showing reduction in urine protein excretion (normal to 1.6 grams/day) with preservation of renal function. An evaluation for other causes, including systemic autoimmune disease, recurrent malignancy and infection, were negative and all patients remain alive and in remission. We conclude: Nephrotic syndrome following allogeneic transplantation can be caused by membranous glomerulonephritis as a manifestation of chronic GVHD. The syndrome generally occurs in the setting of existing well controlled chronic GVHD and can occur late in the course of the disease. Membranous glomerulonephritis can be successfully treated with immunosuppressive therapy used in the treatment of other manifestations of GVHD, including Rituxan.
Cities of Clarified Energy: Houston and Palo Alto

With double the energy of our first generation battery, Powerwall 2 can power an average two-bedroom home for a full day.Introduced in October 2016, Powerwall 2 is a rechargeable lithium-ion batter...
Novel Use of Active Leptospermum Honey for Ringed Fixator Pin Site Care in Diabetic Charcot Deformity Patients.

Introduction. Open reduction with external fixation (OREF) utilizing fine wire ringed fixators for correction of Charcot deformity has gained popularity over the past decade. Pin site infections ar...
High pressure liquid chromatographic assay for prednisone in bulk drug substances and tablets

A high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for the assay of prednisone in bulk drug substances and tablets. The sample was dissolved in water-methanol and an aliquot was analyzed by using HPLC. The average recovery of prednisone added to a prednisone tablet composite was 99.5% with a coefficient of variation of 1.07%. Prednisone was determined in 46 tablets (1-50 mg prednisone/tablet) formulated by 22 manufacturers, using the HPLC method and the USP blue tetrazolium assay. The results show that the HPLC method is more specific and faster than the USP method.
Effects of maternal investment, temperament, and cognition on guide dog success.

A continuing debate in studies of social development in both humans and other animals is the extent to which early life experiences affect adult behavior. Also unclear are the relative contributions of cognitive skills (“intelligence”) and temperament for successful outcomes. Guide dogs are particularly suited to research on these questions. To succeed as a guide dog, individuals must accomplish complex navigation and decision making without succumbing to distractions and unforeseen obstacles. Faced with these rigorous demands, only ∼70% of dogs that enter training ultimately achieve success. What predicts success as a guide dog? To address these questions, we followed 98 puppies from birth to adulthood. We found that high levels of overall maternal behavior were linked with a higher likelihood of program failure. Furthermore, mothers whose nursing style required greater effort by puppies were more likely to produce successful offspring, whereas mothers whose nursing style required less effort were more likely to produce offspring that failed. In young adults, an inability to solve a multistep task quickly, compounded with high levels of perseveration during the task, was associated with failure. Young adults that were released from the program also appeared more anxious, as indicated by a short latency to vocalize when faced with a novel object task. Our results suggest that both maternal nursing behavior and individual traits of cognition and temperament are associated with guide dog success.
Rotavirus Infection in Pediatric Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients: Clinical Course and Experience Using Nitazoxanide and Enterally Administered Immunoglobulins.

Background:Rotaviruses may produce prolonged and severe disease in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. Nitazoxanide and enterally administered human immunoglobulins are potential therapeutic options. This retrospective study describes the clinical course of rotavirus infection
Academic Underachievement and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The Negative Impact of Symptom Severity on School Performance.

Abstract Many children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) achieve academically at a lower level than would be predicted given their intellectual abilities. However, the extent to which this is due to behavioral problems versus cognitive deficits associated with the disorder is unclear. In the present study, a group of children with ADHD (with average intellectual abilities) performed significantly below prediction in reading, writing, and mathematics skills and demonstrated a greater discrepancy between actual and predicted achievement than did a group of non-ADHD children. Even when controlling for performance on a measure of executive functioning, severity of ADHD symptoms, based on parent report, significantly predicted academic underachievement in reading, writing, and mathematics. These results indicate that the more severe the behavioral symptomatology of children with ADHD is, the more negatively impacted their school performance may be. Results are discussed in terms of diagnostic and intervention implications.
Viruses and Psychiatric Disorders

Over the last two decades it has become clear that most neuropsychiatric disorders have heterogeneous and multifactorial causes, involving genetic and environmental components. Neurotropic viruses are well established in inducing brain damage that can result in a variety of mental alterations. Moreover, the immune response to a pathogen represents a classic example of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors determining individual variation in the characteristics of diverse symptom types, including those involving the nervous system. Nonetheless, the role of viruses in most mental illnesses has not been established, and this chapter discusses the putative role of viral infections in the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, major depression, and schizophrenia.
Probabilistic Methods for Rotordynamics Analysis

This paper summarizes the development of the methods and a computer program to compute the probability of instability of dynamic systems that can be represented by a system of second-order ordinary linear differential equations. Two instability criteria based upon the eigenvalues or Routh-Hurwitz test functions are investigated. Computational methods based on a fast probability integration concept and an efficient adaptive importance sampling method are proposed to perform efficient probabilistic analysis. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the methods.
Contesting Citizenship in Latin America: The Rise of Indigenous Movements and the Postliberal Challenge

Part I. Theoretical Framing: 1. Questions, approaches, and cases 2. Citizenship regimes, the state, and ethnic cleavages 3. The argument: indigenous mobilization in Latin America Part II. The Cases: 4. Ecuador: Latin America's strongest indigenous movement 5. The Ecuadorian Andes and ECUARUNARI 6. The Ecuadorian Amazon and CONFENAIE 7. Forming the National Confederation, CONAIE 8. Bolivia: strong regional movements 9. The Bolivian Andes: the Kataristas and their legacy 10. The Bolivian Amazon 11. Peru: weak national movements and subnational variation 12. Peru. Ecuador, and Bolivia: most similar cases 13. No national indigenous movement: explaining the Peruvian anomaly 14. Explaining subnational variation 15. Conclusion: 16. Democracy and the postliberal challenge in Latin America.
Endoscopic Diagnosis and Treatment of Bleeding Mallory-Weiss Tears

This article focuses on the endoscopic diagnosis and management of patients with Mallory-Weiss tears. Specific emphasis is placed on the applicability of newer endoscopic hemostasis techniques. Also, a high-risk subset of patients with Mallory-Weiss syndrome—those with underlying portal hypertension—are described and appropriate treatment is discussed.
Abstract 489: Up-regulation of miR-130b is involved in prostate cancer racial disparity through FHIT pathway inactivation

Purpose: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common cancer in men. African-American (AfA) men have higher incidence and significantly higher prostate cancer mortality rates than Caucasian-American (CaA) men. In this study, we investigated the biochemical role of miR-130b in this disparity. Methods: We used meta-analyses and data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). PCa cell lines from CaA (DU145, LNCaP, PC3), AfA (MDA-PCa-2b, E006AA-hT) and a normal epithelial cell line (PWR1E) were used for examining miR-130b expression levels and/or establishing stable miR-130b knock-down clones. Total RNA was extracted from clinical samples and cell lines. miR-130b and mRNA levels of its target genes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). qPCR based gene expression arrays were used to identify miR-130b target genes. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle were monitored after stable miR-130b knock down. Western blotting was performed to detect miR-130b target protein expression levels. Results: TCGA data showed up-regulation of miR-130b in AfA PCa tissue samples compared with CaA samples. miR-130b was significantly up-regulated in AfA prostate cancer tissues and cell lines compared to CaA cells and tissues. Utilizing SFVAMC and NDRI patient cohorts, we confirmed that miR-130b expression was linked to a racial difference between AfA/CaA PCa patients. Knock down of miR-130b showed decreased growth and cell cycle arrest, though the effect was less in CaA compared to AfA cells. We found unique changes in biological pathways associated with miR-130b knock down in AfA cells by qPCR array. Evaluation of the altered pathways showed that Fragile Histidine Triad (FHIT) was markedly changed in the AfA compared with CaA cells. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that miR-130b may be a central regulator of key events that contribute racial differences in prostate cancer. FHIT may also be a new AfA specific tumor-suppressive pathway that may be of therapeutic importance in AfA prostate cancer patients. Citation Format: Yutaka Hashimoto, Masrisa Shiina, Taku Kato, Soichiro Yamamura, Yuichiro Tanaka, Shahana Majid, Sharanjot Saini, Varahram Shahryari, Priyanka Kulkarni, Pritha Dasgupta, Divya Bhagiratha, Nadeem Bhat, Guoren Deng, Laura Tabatabai, Deepak Kumar, Rajvir Dahiya. Up-regulation of miR-130b is involved in prostate cancer racial disparity through FHIT pathway inactivation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 489.
Prenatal exposure to phthalates and autism spectrum disorder in the MARBLES study

Evidence from experimental and observational studies suggests that prenatal phthalate exposures may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We examined whether prenatal phthalate exposures were associated with an increased risk of ASD. We quantified 14 metabolites of eight phthalates in 636 multiple maternal urine samples collected during 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy from 201 mother-child pairs in MARBLES (Markers of Autism Risk in Babies – Learning Early Signs), a high-risk ASD longitudinal cohort. At 3 years old, children were clinically assessed for ASD and classified into three diagnostic categories: ASD (n = 46), non-typical development (Non-TD, n = 55), and typical development (TD, n = 100). We used multinomial logistic regression to evaluate the association of phthalate metabolite concentrations with ASD and Non-TD. Most associations of phthalate biomarkers with both ASD and Non-TD were null, with the exception that monoethyl phthalate (MEP) was significantly associated with an increased risk of Non-TD (per 2.72-fold relative increase in concentration: Relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.38; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.90). When stratified by prenatal vitamin use during the first month of pregnancy, among mothers who took vitamins, ASD risk was inversely associated with mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP, RRR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.88), mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP, RRR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.83) and mono-carboxyisooctyl phthalate (MCOP, RRR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.88), but among mothers who did not take prenatal vitamins, Non-TD risk was positively associated with MCPP (RRR = 5.09; 95% CI: 2.05, 12.6), MCOP (RRR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.39), and mono-carboxyisononyl phthalate (MCNP, RRR = 3.67; 95% CI: 1.80, 7.48). When stratified by sex, among boys, MEP, monobenzyl phthalate, MCPP, MCNP, and sum of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites (ΣDEHP) were positively associated with Non-TD risk, but associations with ASD were null. Among girls, associations with both ASD and Non-TD were null. Our study showed that phthalate exposures in mid- to late pregnancy were not associated with ASD in children from this high-risk ASD cohort. Further studies should be conducted in the general population without high-risk genes to confirm our findings.
Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Hypolipidemic Effects of Mixed Nuts in Atherogenic Diet-Fed Rats

Nut consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Because most studies have administered single nut varieties, it is unknown whether mixed nuts will also reduce CVD risk. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of mixed nut and pistachio consumption on lipid profiles, glucose, inflammation, oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacity in rats fed an atherogenic diet. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats (21 days old) were assigned into three groups (n = 10) based on initial body weight and fed either an isocaloric control diet (no nuts), 8.1% pistachio diet (single nut), or 7.5% mixed nut diet (almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts) for 8 weeks. Both pistachios and mixed nuts significantly decreased triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol (p < 0.05) compared with controls. Both nut groups exhibited reductions in C-reactive protein (p = 0.045) and oxidative stress (p = 0.004). The mixed nut group had greater superoxide dismutase (p = 0.004) and catalase (p = 0.044) and lower aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.048) activities. Gene expression for Fas, Hmgcr, and Cox2 was downregulated for both nut groups compared to controls (p < 0.05). In conclusion, mixed nuts and individual nut varieties have comparable effects on CVD risk factors in rats.
MeDEStrand: an improved method to infer genome-wide absolute methylation levels from DNA enrichment data.

DNA methylation of CpG dinucleotides is an essential epigenetic modification that plays a key role in transcription. Widely used DNA enrichment-based methods offer high coverage for measuring methylated CpG dinucleotides, with the lowest cost per CpG covered genome-wide. However, these methods measure the DNA enrichment of methyl-CpG binding, and thus do not provide information on absolute methylation levels. Further, the enrichment is influenced by various confounding factors in addition to methylation status, for example, CpG density. Computational models that can accurately derive absolute methylation levels from DNA enrichment data are needed. We developed “MeDEStrand,” a method that uses a sigmoid function to estimate and correct the CpG bias from enrichment results to infer absolute DNA methylation levels. Unlike previous methods, which estimate CpG bias based on reads mapped at the same genomic loci, MeDEStrand processes the reads for the positive and negative DNA strands separately. We compared the performance of MeDEStrand to that of three other state-of-the-art methods “MEDIPS,” “BayMeth,” and “QSEA” on four independent datasets generated using immortalized cell lines (GM12878 and K562) and human primary cells (foreskin fibroblasts and mammary epithelial cells). Based on the comparison of the inferred absolute methylation levels from MeDIP-seq data and the corresponding reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing data from each method, MeDEStrand showed the best performance at high resolution of 25, 50, and 100 base pairs. The MeDEStrand tool can be used to infer whole-genome absolute DNA methylation levels at the same cost of enrichment-based methods with adequate accuracy and resolution. R package MeDEStrand and its tutorial is freely available for download at https://github.com/jxu1234/MeDEStrand.git .
Steady-state double-angle method for rapid B 1 mapping.

Purpose To introduce an accurate, rapid, and practical method for active B1 field mapping based on the double-angle method (DAM) in the steady-state (SS) signal regime. Methods We introduced and evaluated the performance of the SS-DAM approach to map the B1 field and compared the results to those calculated from the conventional DAM approach. Similar to DAM, SS-DAM uses the signal intensity ratio of 2 magnitude images acquired with different flip angles using the spoiled gradient recalled echo sequence. However, unlike DAM, in SS-DAM, these 2 spoiled gradient recalled echo images are acquired with very short TR, which allows substantially reduced acquisition time. Numerical, phantom, and in vivo brain imaging analyses, representing a wide range of T1 s and large B1 variation, were conducted. Methods for further accelerating acquisition were also investigated. Results Our results demonstrate the potential of the SS-DAM approach to be applied widely in the clinical setting. B1 maps derived from SS-DAM were demonstrated to be quantitatively comparable to those derived from DAM but were derived much more rapidly. Large-volume B1 maps were obtained at a field strength of 3 tesla within clinically acceptable acquisition times. Conclusion SS-DAM permits accurate B1 mapping in the clinical setting, with whole-brain coverage in less than 1 min.
Virtual Reality (VR): Is This New Technology Viable for Fashion Retailers?

The retail landscape is constantly changing, and retailers are seeking new ways to reach customers. Consumers are no longer willing to wait for new products to appear in brick-and-mortar stores. Although VR is widely discussed in sports and gaming situations, the topic has received limited academic study in fashion retail disciplines. This two part study uses management theory on innovation adoption and firm performance to examine the use of VR in fashion retail. The study included online research of VR implementation as well as survey of VR users. Findings may be useful to retailers who wish to implement VR as a marketing and product offering tool.
COMBINATION THERAPY WITH DOFETILIDE AND MEXILETINE FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: INCREASED EFFICACY AND DECREASED QT INTERVAL PROLONGATION

Dofetilide, a class III antiarrhythmic is indicated for conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm and maintenance of sinus rhythm. Dofetilide works by blocking the repolarizing potassium currents and hence prolongs QT interval. QT prolongation can predispose to serious ventricular
Infective Endocarditis: A Contemporary Review.

Abstract Infective endocarditis (IE), initially described more than 350 years ago, involves infection of the endocardial surface of the heart. The clinical manifestations of IE can involve every organ system, and the cardiac manifestations can include valvular vegetation, abscess, periannular extension of infection, and myopericarditis. Echocardiography is crucial in the diagnosis of IE, but alternative imaging modalities are playing an increasing role in the diagnosis and management of IE. Multidisciplinary care is imperative to the management of IE, often requiring the expertise of cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, infectious diseases specialists, radiologists, and neurologists. We performed a literature search of the PubMed database from January 1st, 2000, to September 30th, 2019, using the terms infective endocarditis, diagnosis, and management to find the most pertinent and highest-quality evidence. This review summarizes key aspects of IE, with a focus on emerging advances in diagnosis. We also highlight growing patient populations at risk for IE, including patients with intracardiac devices and congenital heart disease.
Durability of posterior wall isolation after catheter ablation among patients with recurrent atrial fibrillation.

Background Electrical posterior wall isolation (PWI) is increasingly being used for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Few data exist on the durability of PWI using current technology. Objective The purpose of this study was to characterize the frequency and location of posterior wall reconnection at the time of repeat catheter ablation for AF. Methods We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of 50 patients undergoing repeat AF ablation after previous PWI. Durability of PWI was assessed at the time of repeat ablation based on posterior wall entrance and exit block. Sites of posterior wall reconnection were characterized based on review of recorded electrical signals and electroanatomic maps. Results At the time of repeat ablation, mean age was 67 ± 10 years, 31 of 50 patients had persistent AF, and mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.0 ± 1.8. Of the 50 patients, 30 had durable PWI at repeat ablation, 1.4 ± 1.6 years after the index procedure. Patients with posterior wall reconnection required repeat ablation earlier (0.9 ± 0.6 years vs1.8 ± 1.9 years from index PWI; P = .048) and were more likely to have atypical atrial flutter (55% vs 27%; P = .043). Among patients with posterior wall reconnection, the roof was the most common site of reconnection (14/20), and 12 patients had multiple regions of reconnection noted. Conclusion Posterior wall reconnection is noted in 40% of patients undergoing repeat ablation after an index PWI. The roof of the left atrium is the most common site of posterior wall reconnection.
TOXOPLASMOSIS RETINOCHOROIDITIS MASQUERADING AS ENDOGENOUS ENDOPHTHALMITIS IN A CASE OF CONGENITAL LONG QT SYNDROME.

Purpose To describe the diagnostic and treatment challenges of a case of presumed acquired macula-involving toxoplasmosis retinochoroiditis. Methods Case report of a female with congenital long QT syndrome (CLQTS) presenting with retinochoroiditis after undergoing a cardiac procedure. Laboratory analysis, ocular fluid biopsy, and multimodal imaging were obtained. Results Ophthalmic exam was significant for decreased vision and a macula-involving chorioretinal lesion concerning for endogenous endophthalmitis (EE). Multimodal imaging showed a focal, full thickness necrotizing process associated with vitritis, retinal edema, and choroidal thickening. Analysis of peripheral blood revealed elevated serum toxoplasma IgG titers. Blood cultures and a transesophageal echocardiogram were negative for endocarditis. Aqueous and vitreous specimens were negative for an infectious PCR panel including toxoplasmosis and negative bacterial and fungal cultures. A diagnosis of presumed acquired toxoplasmosis retinochoroiditis was made and treated with a combination of oral and intravitreal anti-parasitic medications resulting in healing of the retinochoroiditis. Conclusion To the author's knowledge, this is the first reported case of acquired toxoplasmosis retinochoroiditis in an immunocompetent patient with CLQTS masquerading as EE. The association of CLQTS and recent cardiac procedure with risk for EE complicated the diagnosis, clinical course, and treatment options. Our case emphasizes the importance of a thorough patient history, comprehensive clinical exam, and supportive multimodal imaging which were utilized to characterize the infectious process and guide empirical treatment. Additionally, laboratory analysis, co-management with other specialists, and evaluating the response to anti-toxoplasma therapy were all instrumental in the eventual diagnosis and treatment of ocular toxoplasmosis in this atypical case.
Osteosarcoma: History of Therapy

Successful treatment for osteosarcoma (OS) requires the combination of effective systemic chemotherapy and surgical resection of all sites of clinically detectable disease. Prior to the introduction of systemic chemotherapy, patients who presented with OS of the extremity without clinically detectable metastatic disease underwent immediate surgical resection of the primary tumor. Five-year survival rates using this approach ranged from 11 to 25% (Anninga et al. 2011). In the early 1970s, trials evaluated OS response to single agents including high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) with leucovorin rescue, cisplatin (CDDP), and doxorubicin (DOX) (Table 7.1) (Anninga et al. 2011; Pratt and Shanks 1974). Several studies reported that single agent or combination chemotherapy administered to patients with OS after primary tumor resection resulted in improved survival compared to historical controls (Anninga et al. 2011). Other reports suggested that the apparent improvement in outcome was related to improvement in diagnosis and surgery rather than a benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (Carter 1984; Taylor et al. 1985). Two randomized prospective trials subsequently confirmed the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of primary OS (Eilber et al. 1987; Link et al. 1986). Trials evaluating regimens including doxorubicin and high-dose methotrexate or doxorubicin and cisplatin following resection of the primary tumor reported 3- to 5-year event-free survival ranging from 50 to 60% or more in patients who presented without clinically detectable metastases (Anninga et al. 2011; Ettinger et al. 1981; Goorin et al. 1987; Pratt et al. 1990). In the 1980s, several investigations established the activity of ifosfamide or ifosfamide and etoposide in recurrent and metastatic OS (Harris et al. 1995; Miser et al. 1987).
Upper-Body Strength Endurance and Power Norms in Healthy Collegiate Dancers: A 10-year Prospective Study.

Dance is physically demanding and requires dancers to have adequate upper body (UB), core, and lower-body fitness to perform successfully. 50-85% of dancers suffer injury during a performance season. Although a large number of dancer's injuries are to the lower body, several dance genres (e.g., modern, hip hop, and salsa) use UB motions such as partner lifts and holds, which may result in a higher risk for UB injury. Health care practitioners often use baseline physical performance normative values to determine their clients' fitness levels and when planning training programs to prevent or rehabilitate postinjury. Still, little information exists regarding UB fitness norms among collegiate dancers. Thus, our purpose was to determine UB strength endurance and power norms in healthy collegiate dancers. We recorded UB muscular fitness in 214 healthy collegiate dancers (males: n = 26, 174.0 +/- 6.7 cm, 71.3 +/- 9.2 kg and females: n = 188, 163.0 +/- 6.1 cm, 59.3 +/- 6.8 kg) prospectively over a 10-year period (2008-2018) in a dance program that emphasizes modern and ballet dance. For UB strength endurance, we recorded the number of push-ups a dancer was able to perform without forcibly straining or losing form for 2 consecutive repetitions. For UB power, dancers sat with legs outstretched, backs flat against a wall, and threw a 3-kg ball horizontally from their chest as far as possible (distance thrown normalized to body height, *BH). The best attempt of 3 trials was used for statistical analyses. We report descriptive statistics, interquartile ranges (IQRs), and percentiles for both outcome measures. Dancers performed 20.4 +/- 10.6 (range: 2-70, IQR: 12-24; males: 32.5 +/- 14.4; females: 18.4 +/- 8.4) push-ups and threw the medicine ball 1.8 +/- 0.5 *BH (range: 45-3.9, IQR: 1.4-2.1; females: 1.7 +/- 0.5; males: 2.3 +/- 0.7). Overall, in this long-term prospective study, we developed UB fitness norms for dancers. The push-up test and medicine ball throw test are simple, low-tech, and inexpensive to test dancers UB fitness. Although dancers' UB muscular fitness was lower than previous reports among traditional sport athletes, these values may not necessarily indicate problems, as subjects were all healthy collegiate-level dancers. Rather, our findings reinforce the need to develop dance-specific norms so that practitioners can use these values to assess dancers' UB fitness and devise interventions appropriately. These results provide baseline UB muscular fitness norms among collegiate modern and ballet dancers, and further support the notion that differing norms are needed for different sports and dance genres. Specifically, future researchers should similarly develop norms across different dance genres for preprofessional and professional dancers and also examine whether these norms can predict dancers' injury risk or performance.
A Mathematical Treatment of Multiple Intermittent Intravenous Infusions in a One-Compartment Model.

ABSTRACT Background and Objective Compartment models in pharmacokinetics are generally described for a single dose and can only simulate drug concentration as a function of the first dosing interval. Our objective was to create a one-compartment model for constant rate repetitive intravenous intermittent infusions where drug concentration can be simulated as a function of real time. Methods The analytical solutions to differential equations that were set for the time periods of drug infusion and elimination after an intermittent intravenous infusion were used to derive sequences patterns and determine the partial sums of mathematical series for multiple intermittent infusion doses. Results The model's original theory was supplemented with explicit solutions to the concentration and AUC, at non steady state conditions, with and without a loading dose, for both the infusion and elimination time periods after repetitive intermittent intravenous infusions. The validity and accuracy of these formulas in calculating drug concentration and AUC was verified by mathematical proofs, numerical methods and the principle of superposition. Conclusions Drug concentration and AUC can be simulated using the newly described one-compartment pharmacokinetic model in the entire time-domain of therapy after multiple and repetitive intermittent intravenous infusions and not just within the first dosing interval.
Life with FASEB for three decades

As APS President-elect, I participated in the Williamsburg Retreat in 1989 to address the issue of keeping member societies in FASEB. The Retreat led to focusing on public affairs and reducing society dues. As APS President, I met with leadership of ASBMB to convince them to remain in the restructured FASEB. As the first elected President of the new FASEB in 1992, I organized member societies to participate in NIH Strategic Plan meeting to maintain the priority of funding of unsolicited investigator-initiated research instead of a top-down approach. A new Office for Policy Analysis and Research was established to pursue proactive public affairs activities and strategic thinking. In response to qualitative and quantitative threats to biomedical research funding, I worked with FASEB member societies and the Public Affairs office to mobilize letter-writing and a petition drive to the President and Members of US Congress, resulting in >20,000 signatures. This led to a 6.1% increase of FY94 funding, instead of a cut. When FASEB's annual meeting was changed to Experimental Biology (EB), I worked with EB to ensure the smooth transition. I organized Tang Prize Lectures which became the highly successful EB plenary lectures. My involvement with FASEB was helpful in the formation of NIBIB in 2001 and recruitment of BMES as a member society in 2008.
Analyzing Expert Criteria for Authentic Resident Communication Skills.

Phenomenon: Training and assessing communication skills requires flexible and holistic approaches, including feedback practices. Historically, assessing communication skills has predominantly relied on itemized scoring, which is less useful for providing meaningful feedback to learners. Even more troublesome, theoretical scoring criteria tend to become a refractive lens allowing observation of only the conduct that aligns with the theory. Few skills assessment efforts have embraced a holistic understanding of how physician-patient communication skills are enacted in real patient care. Therefore, this study focused on what experts refer to when they speak about physicians' communication skills and what they treat as important when evaluating these skills enacted during real patient encounters.Approach: This qualitative study was based on observations and grounded theory. Residents' encounters with real patients were recorded as part of a formative communication skills assessment program from July 2015 to June 2016. Evaluation panels with diverse backgrounds (e.g., medicine, education, communication, conversation analysis, and layperson) listened to these recordings and jointly developed feedback comments for the resident from January 2016 to July 2017. For this study, we recorded forty-one panel discussions to observe their consensus evaluation. We conducted open and axial coding using a constant comparison approach to generate themes from the data.Findings: Elements of communication skills were connected and interdependent around the concepts of thoroughness and natural flow, which were not addressed by formative assessment criteria. Themes included (1) thoroughness within a boundary via agenda-setting; (2) natural yet, controlled flow: authentic conversation by active listening and questioning; (3) making agenda setting explicit to all parties in the beginning; (4) designing questions using both open-ended and closed questions; (5) pre-/post-conditions for patient education: patient contextual factors and teach-back; (6) preconditions for shared decision-making: patient education and patient contextual factors; and (7) multifaceted empathy demonstrated in multiple ways.Insights: The main message of the study findings is that communication skills criteria should be treated as organically interrelated and connected in assessing physicians' communication skills. Current communication skills assessment practice should be revisited as it itemizes physicians' communication skills as distinct and separate constructs rather than mutually affecting dynamics. Rather than imposing a theoretical rubric, assessment criteria should evolve through naturalistic observations of physician-patient communication.
Optically-Controlled "Living Electrodes" with Long-Projecting Axon Tracts for a Synaptic Brain-Machine Interface

Achievements in intracortical brain-machine interfaces are compromised by limitations in long-term performance and information transfer rate. A biological intermediary between devices and the brain based on synaptic integration may offer a specificity and permanence that has eluded neural interfaces to date. Accordingly, we have developed the first “living electrodes” comprised of implantable axonal tracts protected within soft hydrogel cylinders to enable biologically-mediated monitoring and modulation of brain activity. Here we demonstrate the controlled fabrication, rapid axonal outgrowth, reproducible cytoarchitecture, and axonal conduction of these engineered constructs in vitro. We also present simultaneous optical stimulation and recording of neuronal activity in vitro, transplantation in rat cortex, and their survival, integration, and activity over time in vivo as a proof-of-concept for this neural interface paradigm. The creation and functional validation of living electrodes is a critical step towards developing a new class of neural interfaces using targeted, synaptic-based integration with native circuitry.
Congenital cervical incompetence in primigravidas.

Abstract Moderate or severe congenital cervical incompetence occurred in 14 of the 716 primigravidas in this study; none had any history of prior cervical trauma. Sixteen other primigravidas showed a mild, but demonstrable, tendency toward incompetence. The cervices were congenitally eroded, patulous, thin walled, and infantile. Younger primigravidas seem to be more severely affected. Congenital cervical incompetence may be hereditary. The major treatment in this series was thorough cautery of cervical erosions and patulous canals. All posttreatment pregnancies have been longer than pretreatment pregnancies and all posttreatment babies have been larger than earlier siblings.
Differential expression of members of a cyanobacterial psbA gene family in response to light.

Abstract The genome of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942 contains three psbA genes encoding two forms of the D1 protein: form I, the product of psbAI, differs from form II, the product of both psbAII and psbAIII, at 25 of 360 residues. D1 is essential for photosynthesis as a core component of the photosystem II reaction center. Translational gene fusions between each of the Synechococcus psbA genes and the Escherichia coli lacZ gene were inserted into the chromosome of wild-type Synechococcus sp. at the respective psbA loci to serve as in vivo reporters of psbA expression. beta-Galactosidase activities indicated differential expression of the psbA-lacZ gene fusions related to light availability. Expression of psbAI was 500-fold greater than expression of psbAII and 50-fold greater than psbAIII under similar conditions. As light intensity decreased from 600 microE.m-2.s-1 to 2 microE.m-2.s-1, expression of the psbAI reporter increased eightfold while expression of the psbAII and psbAIII reporters decreased 10-fold, suggesting differential production of the two forms of D1 in photosystem II in response to light availability. Relative levels of psbA-lacZ fusion transcripts directly reflected beta-galactosidase activities in the transformants, although the fusion transcripts were less stable than native psbA messages.
Analytical modeling of MAC protocol in ad hoc networks: Research Articles

In ad hoc networks, CSMA/CA is a widely used MAC layer protocol. There has been considerable work on the performance evaluation of this protocol. But most work is confined to saturation performance of single-hop ad hoc networks. In this paper, we employ a linear feedback model to evaluate the performance for CSMA/CA according to the Poisson distributed traffic in both single-hop and multi-hop ad hoc networks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to analytically evaluate the performance for CSMA/CA protocol under a general assumption about the traffic. This paper also gives analytical results, showing the impact of RTS/CTS. Although RTS/CTS do add the overhead to the system, they become essential when either the hidden terminal problem is dominant, or the traffic is heavy, or the packet length is very large. This paper also shows that the performance degrades dramatically in multi-hop ad hoc networks when the number of competing nodes increases, which implies that the scalability is still a major problem in ad hoc networks. To validate our analytical results, we have done extensive simulations, and it is observed that the simulation results match the analytical results very well. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chapter 20 Epithelial Sodium Channels in Cystic Fibrosis

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses a study on epithelial sodium channels in cystic fibrosis (CF). The chapter describes a discussion on the mechanisms that could account for the observations made in the experimental systems, and their relevance to transport of Na+ in normal and the CF airway epithelia. The chapter includes a summary of findings of different investigators studying the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-induced inhibition of epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs) in different cell expression systems. CF is an example of the ways in which the understanding of one illness can benefit from the knowledge gained in studies of other diseases. Although many questions about the pathogenesis of CF are yet to be answered, the new knowledge of the mechanism of Na+ transport in general and in the pathophysiology of human genetic hypertension and pseudohypoaldostronism, perceived because cloning of ENaCs will help to understand the mechanism of Na+ hyperabsorption in CF airways, and vice versa. The first, and essentially the most unequivocal, evidence for involvement of amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels in the pathogenesis of mucoviscidosis came from direct measurements of transepithelial electric potential difference (PD) in both upper and lower airways, and in the microperfused ducts of sweat glands of the patients affected with this disease.