cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A computational model of electrical stimulation of the retinal ganglion cell

Localized retinal electrical stimulation in blind volunteers results in discrete round visual percepts corresponding to the location of the stimulating electrode. The success of such an approach to provide useful vision depends on elucidating the neuronal target of surface electrical stimulation. To determine if electrodes preferentially stimulate ganglion cells directly below them or passing fibers from distant ganglion cells, the authors developed a compartmental model for electric field stimulation of the retinal ganglion cell (RGC). In this model a RGC is stimulated by extracellular electrical fields with active. Channels and realistic cell morphology derived directly from a neuronal tracing. Three membrane models were applied: a linear passive model, a Hodgkin-Huxley model with passive dendrites (HH), and a model composed of all active compartments (FCM) with five nonlinear ion channels. Idealized monopolar point and disk stimulating electrodes were positioned above the cell, For the HH and FCM models, the position of lowest cathodal threshold to propagate an action potential was over the soma. Brief (100 /spl mu/s) cathodic stimuli were 20% (HH with disk electrode) to 73% (FCM with point-source) more effective over the soma than over the axon. In the passive model, the axon is preferentially stimulated versus the soma. Although it may be possible to electrically stimulate RGC's near their cell body at lower thresholds than at their axon, these differences are relatively small. Alternative explanations should be sought to explain the focal perceptions observed in previously reported patient trials.
Irreducible Posterolateral Dislocation of the Knee

Traumatic knee dislocations are relatively rare, often associated with neurovascular injury, and almost always amenable to closed reduction. However, over the years, several authors have recognized that the rare knee dislocation not reducible by closed manipulation usually involves posterolateral dislocation of the tibia and button-holing of the medial femoral condyle through the medial retinaculum. These cases present with a dimple sign, a characteristic invagination of tissues at the medial joint line. Open reduction entails extraction of the soft-tissue collar that becomes incarcerated in the trochlea and intercondylar notch. We present an interesting case of irreducible posterolateral knee dislocation and review many of the salient points associated with this entity. Additionally, we include intraoperative video footage available on the Journal Web site to promote a better appreciation of the dramatic visual presentation and physical examination of this unusual injury.
How Do I Connect? Attachment Issues in Adolescence

Attachment formation is considered a developmental process that continues far beyond infancy and early childhood. Yet the research on adolescent attachment formation remains relatively modest. This article reviews the normative and pathological developmental trajectories of attachment during adolescence. Specific attention is focused on the assessment of attachment in adolescence and different classification systems developed to describe adaptive and maladaptive adolescent attachment. The review continues with an examination into the predictors associated with secure versus insecure attachment in adolescence. Finally, forensic considerations are explored.
Pregabalin influences insula and amygdala activation during anticipation of emotional images.

Pregabalin (PGB) has shown potential as an anxiolytic for treatment of generalized and social anxiety disorder. PGB binds to voltage-dependent calcium channels, leading to upregulation of GABA inhibitory activity and reduction in the release of various neurotransmitters. Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies indicate that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and benzodiazepines attenuate amygdala, insula, and medial prefrontal cortex activation during anticipation and emotional processing in healthy controls. The aim of this study was to examine whether acute PGB administration would attenuate activation in these regions during emotional anticipation. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover study, 16 healthy controls completed a paradigm involving anticipation of negative and positive affective images during fMRI approximately 1 h after administration of placebo, 50, or 200 mg PGB. Linear mixed model analysis revealed that PGB was associated with (1) decreases in left amygdala and anterior insula activation and (2) increases in anterior cingulate (ACC) activation, during anticipation of positive and negative stimuli. There was also a region of the anterior amygdala in which PGB dose was associated with increased activation during anticipation of negative and decreased activation during anticipation of positive stimuli. Attenuation of amygdala and insula activation during anticipatory or emotional processing may represent a common regional brain mechanism for anxiolytics across drug classes. PGB induced increases in ACC activation could be a unique effect related to top–down modulation of affective processing. These results provide further support for the viability of using pharmaco-fMRI to determine the anxiolytic potential of pharmacologic agents.
Melanoma at the periphery of a congenital melanocytic nevus.

the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. ing sources: None. licts of interest: None declared. int requests: Ashfaq A. Marghoob, MD, Memorial Sloanttering Skin Cancer Center: Hauppauge, 800 Veterans Memorial Hwy, 2nd fl, Hauppauge, NY 11788. E-mail: marghooa@mskcc.org. J Am Acad Dermatol 2013;69:e227-8. 0190-9622/$36.00 a 2013 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2013.03.044
An individual-animal-level prospective study of risk factors associated with the occurrence of lameness in the Michigan (USA) equine population

Abstract A prospective cohort study of lameness in Michigan equids was conducted using the Michigan Equine Monitoring System (MEMS) Phase-II data base. MEMS Phase II was an equine healthmonitoring study of 138 randomly-selected Michigan equine operations. Management and individual-animal health-related data were collected on operations for two consecutive 12-month periods. New cases of lameness were reported in 7.2% (284/3925) of the equids monitored during the 2-year study period. A multivariable logistic-binomial regression model for distinguishable data was developed to evaluate risk factors associated with the occurrence of lameness at the individual-animal level. Equids on larger operations were associated with a decreased risk of experiencing lameness (2nd Quartile (Q):Relative Risk (RR) = 0.42; 95% Confidence Interval (CO: 0.25-0.72, 3rd Q: RR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.35-0.95, and 4th Q: RR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.19-1.02). Equids participating in racing were at increased risk of experiencing lameness (RR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.03-2.99). Equids participating in showing also tended to be at increased risk of experiencing lameness (RR = 1.44; 95% CI: 0.95-2.20). Increasing exercise intensity, or the number of days exercised per days available to exercise, was also associated with an increase in the risk of experiencing lameness (Low intensity: RR = 2.32; 95% CI: 1.54-3.51 and High intensity RR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.58-3.90).
Appraisal Of Ethical Performance: A Theoretical Model

Ethical behavior of organizational members has been the subject of considerable interest during the past decade both among practitioners and academics. However, performance appraisal systems, for the most part, have exclusively concentrated on business performance to the exclusion of ethical dimensions of job performance. Given the increasing importance of ethical issues in organizations, there is a need to correct this aberration in the current approach to appraisal system development and include ethical dimensions in the performance appraisal domain. As a first step to the inclusion of ethical dimensions to the job performance, we propose a cognitive model for appraisal ethical performance in organizations. The performance appraisal literature based on the cognitive processing paradigm (e.g., Landy and Farr, 1980) provides a rich theoretical foundation for studying ethical judgment process. Specifically, the cognitive approach describes how the performance judgment process is influenced by schematic, attributional and affective influences when processing ratee performance information.
Humoral regulation of erythropoiesis. VI. Mechanism of action of erythropoietine in the irradiated animal.

Erythropoietine produces an increase in reticulocytes in transfused animals within 48-72 hours. In irradiated animals the response is delayed, length of delay being in part dose dependent. A change in reticulocytes is not observed until 96 hours when erythropoietine is given immediately after 200 r; after 400 r the effect is first noted at 6 days. A tentative hypothesis is proposed to explain these results. It is suggested that erythropoietine promotes differentiation of stem cells into erythroid elements and that depopulation of the stem cell compartment stimulates division within that compartment. (auth)
Global decline in suitable habitat for Angiostrongylus ( = Parastrongylus) cantonensis: the role of climate change.

Climate change is implicated in the alteration of the ranges of species worldwide. Such shifts in species distributions may introduce parasites/pathogens, hosts, and vectors associated with disease to new areas. The parasite Angiostrongylus ( = Parastrongylus) cantonensis is an invasive species that causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans and neurological abnormalities in domestic/wild animals. Although native to southeastern Asia, A. cantonensis has now been reported from more than 30 countries worldwide. Given the health risks, it is important to describe areas with potentially favorable climate for the establishment of A. cantonensis, as well as areas where this pathogen might become established in the future. We used the program Maxent to develop an ecological niche model for A. cantonensis based on 86 localities obtained from published literature. We then modeled areas of potential A. cantonensis distribution as well as areas projected to have suitable climatic conditions under four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios by the 2050s and the 2070s. The best model contained three bioclimatic variables: mean diurnal temperature range, minimum temperature of coldest month and precipitation of warmest quarter. Potentially suitable habitat for A. cantonensis was located worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions. Under all climate change RCP scenarios, the center of the projected distribution shifted away from the equator at a rate of 68–152 km per decade. However, the extent of areas with highly suitable habitat (>50%) declined by 10.66–15.66% by the 2050s and 13.11–16.11% by the 2070s. These results conflict with previous studies, which have generally found that the prevalence of tropical pathogens will increase during the 21st century. Moreover, it is likely that A. cantonensis will continue to expand its current range in the near future due to introductions and host expansion, whereas climate change will reduce the total geographic area of most suitable climatic conditions during the coming decades.
Molecular toxicity mechanism of nanosilver

Abstract Silver is an ancient antibiotic that has found many new uses due to its unique properties on the nanoscale. Due to its presence in many consumer products, the toxicity of nanosilver has become a hot topic. This review summarizes recent advances, particularly the molecular mechanism of nanosilver toxicity. The surface of nanosilver can easily be oxidized by O 2 and other molecules in the environmental and biological systems leading to the release of Ag + , a known toxic ion. Therefore, nanosilver toxicity is closely related to the release of Ag + . In fact, it is difficult to determine what portion of the toxicity is from the nano-form and what is from the ionic form. The surface oxidation rate is closely related to the nanosilver surface coating, coexisting molecules, especially thiol-containing compounds, lighting conditions, and the interaction of nanosilver with nucleic acids, lipid molecules, and proteins in a biological system. Nanosilver has been shown to penetrate the cell and become internalized. Thus, nanosilver often acts as a source of Ag + inside the cell. One of the main mechanisms of toxicity is that it causes oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species and causes damage to cellular components including DNA damage, activation of antioxidant enzymes, depletion of antioxidant molecules (e.g., glutathione), binding and disabling of proteins, and damage to the cell membrane. Several major questions remain to be answered: (1) the toxic contribution from the ionic form versus the nano-form; (2) key enzymes and signaling pathways responsible for the toxicity; and (3) effect of coexisting molecules on the toxicity and its relationship to surface coating.
Biological characteristics of chicken anemia virus regenerated from clinical specimen by PCR.

Abstract Our previous genetic characterization of chicken anemia virus (CAV) in commercial broiler chickens in Alabama revealed a previously undetected polymorphism: a glutamine codon at VP1 position 22, in 7 of the 14 sequences. The novel glutamine codon was always found in association with a VP1 “hypervariable region” identical to CAV field isolates that replicate poorly in culture. The complete genome of CAV73, representative of the sequences with the novel polymorphism, was generated from cloned polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fragments amplified directly from naturally infected tissues. CAV73 had been detected in 31-day-old broilers submitted for examination for reasons unrelated to anemia. After electroporation of the cloned genomes into MDCC-CU147 lymphoblastoid cells, the regenerated CAV caused the culture to fail within 9 days, and the medium contained 5 × 106 TCID50 CAV/ml. Use of MDCC-CU147 cells was essential, as identical electroporation of MDCC-MSB1 cells failed to generate CAV able to destr...
Effect of Synthesis Techniques on Crystallization and Optical Properties of Ag-Cu Bimetallic Nanoparticles

Silver (Ag)-copper (Cu) bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by the reduction of silver nitrate and copper (II) acetate monohydrate using ethylene glycol in a microwave (MW) heating system with controlled reaction times ranging from 5 min to 30 min. The molar ratio Ag/Cu was varied from 1:1 to 1:3. The effect of reaction conditions on the bimetallic NPs structures and compositions were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The average particle size was approximately 150 nm. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag-Cu bimetallic NPs was investigated by monitoring the SPR band peak behavior via UV/Vis spectrophotometry. The resonance peak positions and peak widths varied due to the different structures of the bimetallic NPs created under the synthesis conditions. In the MW heating method, the reduction of Cu was increased and Cu was inhomogeneously deposited over the Ag cores. As the composition of Cu becoming higher in the Ag-Cu bimetallic NPs, the absorption between 400 nm to 600 nm was greatly enhanced.
Service Delivery Experiences and Intervention Needs of Military Families with Children with ASD

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of military families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) specifically as it relates to relocation. Online survey methodology was used to gather information from military spouses with children with ASD. The finalized dataset included 189 cases. Descriptive statistics and frequency analyses were used to examine participant demographics and service delivery questions. Results indicated the larger sample of military spouses largely confirmed the experiences reported qualitatively in previous studies and contributed information that was previously unknown about variables associated with the access, availability, quality, and frequency of intervention services for military families with children with ASD.
Preparation and Gas Adsorption Characteristics of Zeolite MFI Crystals with Organic-Functionalized Interiors

We show that the selective gas adsorption properties of pure-silica MFI zeolite crystals are significantly altered by modifying their internal pore structure with molecules such as aliphatic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, amino-alcohols, and amines. NMR and TGA/DSC characterization indicates that the functional groups are chemisorbed to the internal pores, and the organic molecule loading is strongly dependent on the concentration of internal silanol sites. Adsorption isotherms of CO2, CH4, and N2 are measured for the functionalized samples up to 400 kPa. In the low pressure region (1–10 kPa), the organic-modified materials show gas adsorption behavior significantly different from that of the bare zeolite MFI, ranging from an enhancement in CO2/CH4 sorption selectivity in the amine-functionalized materials to an enhancement in CH4 adsorption in the aromatic-functionalized material. The CO2/N2 sorption selectivity decreases for all the modified materials compared to bare zeolite MFI. This investigation of or...
Legal Briefs: The Misfortune of Monochorionic Twins

Twins (31 3/7 weeks) were born to a 31-year-old healthy mother with a pregnancy remarkable for an accidental administration of epinephrine at 10 3/7 weeks. The mother was experiencing severe hyperemesis gravidarum for which her physician ordered intravenous (IV) dolasetron mesylate (Anzemet®, sanofi-aventis, Bridgewater, NJ), but the outpatient nurse unintentionally administered epinephrine instead. The nurse gave the mother 1 mL of the 1:1,000 concentration of IV epinephrine. In adults, the dose of epinephrine for anaphylaxis is 1 mL of 1:1,000 solution intramuscularly or subcutaneously, and for cardiac arrest, it is 1 mL of 1:10,000 intravenously. The plaintiff experts pointed out that this mother received a concentration of epinephrine 10-fold higher than that used for cardiac arrest; for the 10-week fetuses, they were likewise exposed to a mega-dose. The mother immediately became pale and dizzy and developed chest pain, shortness of breath, tachycardia, and hypertension. An electrocardiograph showed a subendocardial myocardial infarction. A perinatologist closely observed the twins before and subsequent to this event. The twins were diamniotic monochorionic (DiMo) males as a result of in vitro fertilization (IVF). A week after the epinephrine administration, the mother experienced vaginal bleeding and an ultrasound showed a “possible subchorionic hematoma.” At 14 5/7 weeks’ gestation, 30 days after the epinephrine mishap, discordance was noted in the twin size (121 g and 96 g). The larger twin had polyhydramnios, for which 220 mL of red-brown amniotic fluid was removed. Both bladders were visible. No further amnioreduction was needed for the remainder of the pregnancy. The twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) met the least severe grade of the Quintero grading system (I of V). At 30 4/7 weeks’ gestation, the mother experienced a mild brownish discharge. On external monitoring, regular uterine contractions were occurring. The mother was admitted for IV tocolysis and antenatal steroids, …
Seasonal Development and Emergence of Two Species of Gall-Forming Aphids, Pemphigus bursarius and P. nortoni, Associated with Poplar Trees in California

Several phases of the biology of Pemphigus bursarius (L.), on the primary host, Populus nigra italica, and Pemphigus nortoni Maxson on Populus fremonti were studied at Davis, California. Seasonal development within the galls, formed on leaf petioles, was determined by periodic dissections of the galls, and periods of emergence of the aphids, and numbers emerging were determined by caging galls. Fundatrigeniae of Pemphigus bursarius began to emerge in early May, approximately 1–2 weeks before P. nortoni. Emergence of P. bursarius continued until the end of June. A maximum number of 341 alates emerged from a single gall. August 26 was the latest date of emergence of P. nortoni from a gall. It yielded 1091 alates. The numbers of aphids emerging from the galls of both species were considerably less than the numbers of first instars produced. Physical factors may have contributed to this mortality, but biological agents, such as a fungus and several kinds of predators, were most important. Alienicolae of P. bursarius colonized several species of secondary hosts in the family Compositae. The alienicolae were offspring of fundatrigeniae collected from the caged poplar galls. Attempts to establish colonies of P. nortoni on potential secondary hosts were unsuccessful.
Dope Fiends and Degenerates: The Gendering of Addiction in the Early Twentieth Century

As historian David Courtwright describes in Dark Paradise: Opiate Addiction in America Before 1940, the typical addict of the late nineteenth century was an older middle-class woman who first started taking drugs for medical reasons, while the typical twentieth-century addict was a young man ofthe urban lower classes who had originally experimented with drugs for pleasure.1 This demographic shift was dramatic, and Courtwright convincingly argues that the contrast be? tween the ailing matron and the hustling junkie was significant in shaping our national narcotics policy.2 But in the face of these undeniable demographic dif? ferences, important cultural continuities remained. These cultural continuities bridged the demographic shift and connected the medical addicts of the 1880s and 1890s to the dope fiends ofthe 1910s and 1920s. The most important cultural continuity was the perceived femininity of ad? diction. Starting in the 1870s, doctors injected women with morphine to numb the pain of "female troubles," or to turn the willful hysteric into a manageable invalid. Up through the turn ofthe century, morphine was a literal prescription for bourgeois femininity.3 Thus, by the 1890s, when the first drug epidemic peaked, approximately two-thirds of the medical addicts were women, making women medical addicts almost half of all addicts in the United States. As a result of this thirty-year association of women with addiction, both users and observers saw drug addiction as something feminine as late as the 1930s, long after men had become the majority of users.4 To show how the femininity of addiction connected the older medical addicts to the nascent urban drug culture ofthe early twentieth century, this article will focus on drug use among the sporting class in the urban red-light district. I have two reasons for analyzing drugs in the vice district. First, the urban tenderloin was the location of cities* disreputable leisure, and as such it was the site of the new addiction.5 Second, the new addicts either came from the sporting class, which was comprised of prostitutes, pimps, thieves, gamblers, gangsters, entertainers, fairies, and johns; or, they were youths who admired the sporting men and women. In their efforts to join the ranks of the sporting class, the new addicts emulated the sporting class's manners and mores?including their drug use. By focusing on drug use by prostitutes, pimps, and the gay men known as fairies, I will demonstrate how the continued cultural association of addiction with femininity shaped the perception of addiction throughout society, and influenced the decision of men to incorporate drug use into their rejection of conventional male gender roles.7 This article is divided into four parts, including a theoretical intermission. The first section is a brief description of drugs in the vice district. In the second section, I focus on opiate use by pimps and prostitutes, paying particular attention
Magnetic properties of Ni-Co-Cr-base Elgiloy.

The Ni-Co-Cr-base Elgiloy is one of the commonly used engineering materials. Most applications rely on its high strength, ductility, corrosion resistance and excellent fatigue life over a wide temperature range. However, in the medical application of cerebral aneurysm clips, the alloy is often subjected to strong magnetic fields associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Its paramagnetic behavior meets MRI safety requirements, but is the source of relatively large artifacts and thus less MRI-compatible for MRI procedure involving the brain. This article reports superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements on the magnetic properties of a series of Elgiloy wires in either as-drawn or heat-treated conditions. Furthermore, low-temperature calorimetry was employed to reveal the existence of submicroscopic clusters containing ferromagnetic elements such as Ni or Co in the macroscopically paramagnetic matrix.
Long-Term Administration of Oxandrolone Improves Lung Function in Pediatric Burned Patients.

Pulmonary dysfunction is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in the pediatric burned population. We have previously reported that the administration of a synthetic testosterone derivative, oxandrolone, significantly reduced hypermetabolism, and significantly increased height percentile, bone mineral content, lean body mass, and strength in pediatric burned patients. We hypothesize that the administration of oxandrolone will improve pulmonary function in burned pediatric subjects. A subset of severely burned pediatric subjects from a prospective clinical trial (n = 222) were included in our study (n = 54, 7-18 years, ≥30% TBSA burn). The subjects were previously randomized to either the control arm (n = 35) or the oxandrolone arm (0.1 mg/kg twice/day for 12 months, n = 19). Maximum voluntary ventilation, the ratio between forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity, and diffusion capacity were measured 6 months following burn injury, and results were compared between burned subjects with and without oxandrolone administration. Maximum expired ventilation (VEmax) was also measured in a subset of burned subjects. Subjects treated with oxandrolone had a significantly higher maximum voluntary ventilation (98 ± 53 L/min vs 115 ± 56 with treatment, P = .03). During maximal exercise, subjects treated with oxandrolone had a significantly higher VEmax compared with untreated subjects (32.0 ± 8.7 L/min vs 43.7 ± 13.6 with treatment, P = .02). The administration of oxandrolone was associated with improved lung function in pediatric burned patients.
Process intensification in the catalytic conversion of natural gas to fuels and chemicals

Abstract This paper explores alternative technologies for the conversion of natural gas to higher-value products. Because of methane’s chemical stability, all practical processes require elevated temperature (e.g., T > 700°C) and catalysts to activate the methane. Some approaches are mature and widely practiced at the commercial scale (e.g., steam reforming and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis). Others are emerging, based on laboratory-scale experimentation (e.g., oxidative coupling of methane). In all cases, the present paper is concerned with aspects of process intensification, seeking chemical methods and reactor implementations that can improve overall performance. Performance metrics include reactor size, energy efficiency, conversion rates, and product selectivity. Process intensification approaches include integrated microchannel reactors and heat exchangers as well as a range of permselective membranes.
Joyce as “Lord and Giver” of Language: Form and Metaphor in Ulysses

I begin from the premise that literary criticism must first pose the necessary questions about a work and that each work generates its own line of inquiry. The major questions to ask when teaching or writing about Ulysses are what does it signify and how does it signify? Can we reconcile its symbolic implications and its vast historical and literary scope with its nominalistic texture of experience — experience that often has its origin in the life of Joyce? How can a novel that takes its significance from the author’s biography be discussed? Does it have aesthetic autonomy? Can we discover something about its form that tells us what kind of novel we are reading and helps us define its approach to representation? Is the naturalistic novel of the experience of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus on one ordinary if possibly important day at odds both with the novel’s pretensions as the modern epic and its insistence that the experiences of Stephen and Bloom reiterate those of major figures of the past? How does Joyce’s obsession with the scheme of the novel — with each chapter’s organs, colours, techniques, symbols, and correspondences to mythic and historical figures — reinforce, but also at times undermine both the metaphorical implications and the basic story and characterization?
Asset-Based Well-Being: Use Versus Exchange Value

The role of housing has undergone significant change in recent years. While there has always been an investment imperative – a means of saving for the long term, there has been a significant shift from the value in use – the extent to which the owners draw practical and emotional benefits of shelter and home, to exchange value. Housing has become a potential resource accessible throughout the life course, which can be used to purchase other goods and services. Innovative mortgage products have made housing wealth increasingly available to homeowners through the mechanism of mortgage equity withdrawal (MEW). While this has been viewed as providing a positive boost to national economies and households’ spending power, it brings with it new concerns for the future maintenance of the housing stock and sustainability of an asset base for welfare. The ability to access housing wealth earlier in the life course is also impacting on attitudes towards inheritance. While older homeowners may still have a bequest motive, middle-aged owners are more likely to spend some if not all of their wealth before they retire. As this generation grows older and household formation becomes more complex, intergenerational issues may become increasingly important in understanding motivations for equity borrowing, and the extent to which the inheritance of wealth is replaced by debt. Furthermore, this newly available wealth has placed new risks on homeowners, who increasingly look towards housing wealth as a financial safety net – a resource from which to fund a range of consumption and welfare needs. Using housing wealth in this way enables households to manage their household budgets through difficult financial periods; however, depending on how the funds are used, this may have positive or negative implications for homeowners’ welfare and well-being.
The implementation of a rapid response team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: A preliminary report

6627 Background: The implementation of a rapid response team (RRT) has become a popular patient safety initiative at many health care institutions during the past decade. To date, there are no studies evaluating the utilization or impact of a rapid response team in a population of cancer patients. We report on our experience implementing such a team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Methods: A consecutive cohort of all consults performed by the RRT between July 1st and December 31th, 2006 had the following variables recorded: primary cancer diagnosis, reason for consult, RRT intervention. Outcomes measured were survival to discharge and 30 day survival. Hospital mortality and hospital codes were compared to historical data from 2005 and were adjusted for hospital census. Results: There were 195 consults requested between July 1st and December 31st, 2006. The majority of these patients were on the medical service (124 vs 66 on surgical service). The most common primary malignancies for which the R...
The two-incision minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty: Technique and results

The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the two-incision total hip arthroplasty technique. This surgical technique relies on a true muscle sparing surgical interval which allow placement of the cup and liner through a modified Smith-Peterson interval. The second incision is a posterior approach between the gluteus maximus and medius which allows for placement of the femoral stem. The surgical technique is well described with surgical and radiographic illustrations of the procedure. Preliminary results of the procedure are presented, with complications and advantages of the technique. No total hip precautions were implemented and the patients were allowed weight bearing as tolerated. This procedure has proven effective and safe in the authors' centers and has resulted in a dramatic decrease in hospital stay utilizing a defined total hip critical pathway.
Growth process and crystallographic properties of ammonia-induced vaterite

Metastable vaterite crystals were produced by increasing the pH of Ca2+- and CO3 2--containing solutions through diffusing ammonia gas. The SEM and TEM studies indicate that this ammonia-induced vaterite is polycrystalline with a 6-fold symmetry of the crystal aggregate. The morphology and crystallographic properties of this assemblage change druing crystallization. One hour after nucleation starts, vaterite grains display a spherical structure composed of nano-particles (5-10 nm) with random crystallographic orientations. After that, horizontal layers begin to develop at the edge of the sphere and gradually tilt toward the center as they grow vertically, which results in a three-dimensional morphology with a dent in the center. The vaterite grains mature fully 16 hours after nucleation. TEM analysis indicates the grown vaterite grain (50-60 μm) consists of numerous hexagonal pieces of single crystals (1-2 μm) of similar crystallographic orientations. High-resolution TEM demonstrates that these single crystals grow along (001) with {110} hexagonal boundaries.
Negotiating privacy and intimacy on social media: Review and recommendations.

Social media pose a privacy paradox: Most users indicate that they are concerned about their privacy, yet they share personal information widely on social media platforms. The affordances of social media (connectivity, visibility, social feedback, persistence, and accessibility) and their ability to enhance social communication and interpersonal relationships help to explain their attraction for users. At the same time, the risks to privacy are real and serious. We review privacy issues in a variety of domains of social media use including friendships, romantic relationships, parental, workplace/professional, and therapist/client. Resolving the privacy paradox and fully protecting privacy will likely require changes in laws, technology, and individual and social practices. These changes are worth pursuing so that people can reap the benefits of social media use without losing the many benefits of privacy.
Effects of freeze-dried 5% black raspberry diet on early molecular events in N-Nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced cytotoxicity of rat esophagus

B1 Our recent report (Reen RK, et al. Cancer Res 2007;67:6484-92) described 2261 changes in gene expressions in esophagi from rats that received a short-term exposure to the carcinogen, N-Nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA). We also identified 1323 genes that were differentially modulated to near-normal levels of expression by co-treatment of rats with phenylethylisothiocyanate (PEITC). Herein we report a companion study wherein the rats were fed AIN-76A diet or AIN-76A diet containing 5% freeze-dried black raspberries (BRB) for three weeks. During the third week one-half of the diet-only animals and one-half of the BRB-diet animals received three s.c. doses of NMBA (0.5 mg/kg b.w.). All animals were sacrificed 24h after the last dose of NMBA. Esophagi were rapidly excised and both processed for histological grading and extracted for RNA for microarray profiling. Histopathological analysis showed that treatment of rats with BRB had a protective effect on NMBA-induced lesions in the rat esophagus. We identified 24 genes that were up-regulated by BRB alone, and although the specimens were carefully stripped of the submucosal and muscularis layers before extracting their RNA, 10 of these are associated with muscle and/or contraction processes. Twelve genes were down-regulated by the BRB diet only, and two of these, Rbbp6 and RGD1564921_predicted, were also down-regulated by PEITC alone. We found that 259 of the 2261 genes affected by NMBA were expressed at near control levels (± 33%) in the esophagi of rats treated with both 5% BRB and NMBA. Fifty of these genes were also restored to control levels of transcription by PEITC. Overall, the results of our study indicate that BRB-treatment had a genome-wide modulating effect on NMBA-caused dysregulation of gene expression, including genes involved in phase I and phase II metabolism, oxidative damage, apoptosis, cell-cycling, and angiogenesis. >Supported by NCI grants CA096130 and CA103180 to GDS.
Urologic Issues in the Renal Transplant Patient

Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) or a history of renal transplantation frequently suffer from or are at risk for a variety of urological illnesses. Urologists are frequently involved in the preoperative evaluation for renal transplantation as well as management of postoperative complications. Many urological issues that affect the general population including erectile dysfunction, bladder, prostate, and renal malignancy, calculi, and hydronephrosis require special consideration in the ESRD and renal transplant populations. Having an understanding of the urological issues faced by this population allows for a more effective multidisciplinary approach to the transplant patient. This chapter focuses on common urological illnesses and aspects of their management that are specific to the ESRD or renal transplant patient.
How to Choose My Treatment

Determining treatment for nail psoriasis is as much an art as science. All patients with nail psoriasis benefit from education about psoriatic nail disease, the timeline for nail improvement, strategies to protect nails from exacerbating factors, and the overall treatment landscape for psoriatic nail disease. Factors such as nail disease severity, impact on quality of life, risk versus benefit ratio, the severity of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and cost should be considered when choosing treatment. In general, topical medications, intralesional, and device- based therapy are early steps on the therapeutic ladder, and systemic medications including biologics are used in moderate to severe psoriatic disease and when the nail psoriasis does not respond to local therapy.
Cost-effectiveness of lobectomy versus genetic testing (Afirma®) for indeterminate thyroid nodules: Considering the costs of surveillance.

Abstract Background We evaluated whether diagnostic thyroidectomy for indeterminate thyroid nodules would be more cost-effective than genetic testing after including the costs of long-term surveillance. Methods We used a Markov decision model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of thyroid lobectomy versus genetic testing (Afirma®) for evaluation of indeterminate (Bethesda 3–4) thyroid nodules. The base case was a 40-year-old woman with a 1-cm indeterminate nodule. Probabilities and estimates of utilities were obtained from the literature. Cost estimates were based on Medicare reimbursements with a 3% discount rate for costs and quality-adjusted life-years. Results During a 5-year period after the diagnosis of indeterminate thyroid nodules, lobectomy was less costly and more effective than Afirma® (lobectomy: $6,100; 4.50 quality-adjusted life- years vs Afirma®: $9,400; 4.47 quality-adjusted life-years). Only in 253 of 10,000 simulations (2.5%) did Afirma® show a net benefit at a cost-effectiveness threshold of $100,000 per quality- adjusted life-years. There was only a 0.3% probability of Afirma® being cost saving and a 14.9% probability of improving quality-adjusted life-years. Conclusions Our base case estimate suggests that diagnostic lobectomy dominates genetic testing as a strategy for ruling out malignancy of indeterminate thyroid nodules. These results, however, were highly sensitive to estimates of utilities after lobectomy and living under surveillance after Afirma®.
Lymphokine Induced Macrophage Proliferation: Purification and Characterization of Antigen Induced MGF/CSF

ABSTRACT Mature peritoneal and alveolar macrophages of the guinea pig as well as non adherent bone marrow cells can be induced to undergo mitosis when cultured in the presence of lymphokine containing supernatants. The factor responsible for induction of proliferation is macrophage growth factor/colony stimulating factor (MGF/CSF). This report details the isolation, purification and characterization of the antigen-induced lymphokine MGF/CSF. Its properties are similar to the macrophage specific CSF-1 found in human urine and produced by mouse L cells. It is proposed that the lymphokine MGF/CSF is responsible for the macrophage proliferation observed during inflammation and infection.
Preparing facilitators to use and adapt mathematics professional development materials productively

Determining whether a professional development program can be enacted with integrity in different settings and by different facilitators is critical to understanding efficacy. In this paper, we describe the two-stage preparation process of a facilitator as she prepared to use and adapt the highly specified Learning and Teaching Geometry video-based professional development materials with fidelity. The latter stage of the preparation process involved a rehearsal, during which the research team used two instruments to measure fidelity. Two existing instruments were used to explore fidelity through different lenses, including timing and modification of activities and learning goals. Results from both fidelity instruments indicate that the facilitator used the materials as intended by the developers. However, these instruments did not capture important information regarding modifications the facilitator made, including timing and content-focused adaptations. Suggestions are made with respect to measuring fidelity, preparing facilitators, and supporting productive adaptations.
Training children aged 5–10 years in compliance control: tracing smaller figures yields better learning not specific to the scale of drawn figures

Previously we developed a method that supports active movement generation to allow practice with improvement of good compliance control in tracing and drawing. We showed that the method allowed children with motor impairments to improve at a 3D tracing task to become as proficient as typically developing children and that the training improved 2D figure copying. In this study, we expanded the training protocol to include a wider variety of ages (5-10-year-olds) and we made the figures traced in training the same as in figure copying, but varied the scale of training and copying figures to assess the generality of learning. Forty-eight children were assigned to groups trained using large or small figures. All were tested before training with a tracing task and a copying task. Then, the children trained over five sessions in the tracing task with either small or large figures. Finally, the tracing and copying tasks were tested again following training. A mean speed measure was used to control for path length variations in the timed task. Performance on both tasks at both baseline and posttest varied as a function of the size of the figure and age. In addition, tracing performance also varied with the level of support. In particular, speeds were higher with more support, larger figures and older children. After training, performance improved. Speeds increased. In tracing, performance improved more for large figures traced by children who trained on large figures. In copying, however, performance only improved significantly for children who had trained on small figures and it improved equally for large and small figures. In conclusion, training by tracing smaller figures yielded better learning that was not, however, specific to the scale of drawn figures. Small figures exhibit greater mean curvature. We infer that it yielded better general improvement.
Geographic and demographic features of the AIDS epidemic in New York City.

Extensive surveillance and epidemiologic investigations of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have enabled the New York City (NYC) Department of Health (DOH) to plan and focus prevention and education efforts. While the DOH manages a number of support and counseling services, many such programs are administered by local community groups. In order to provide appropriate services and keep their communities properly informed, agencies require epidemiologic information specific to their geographic areas. Using surveillance and vital record data, this report analyzes basic epidemiologic features of AIDS in NYC, stressing racial/ethnic and geographic patterns. Borough-specific incidence rates indicate that Manhattan has been affected most severely, with a rate more than 2.5 times that of the borough with the next highest rate, the Bronx. Manhattan is the only borough in which whites have the highest incidence of AIDS; rates in blacks and Hispanics are higher in every other borough and citywide. The disproportionate racial/ethnic impact of AIDS is also evident in mortality rates.Compared to whites,blacks and Hispanics,particularly women,are at a considerably increased risk of dying of AIDS.Mortality rates in small geographic units are also presented in order to provide a more detailed picture of AIDS in NYC.
Convexity and Complete Monotonicity in Queueing Distributions and Associated Limit Behavior

Congestion theory is often called upon for insight into the behavior of a random system for which governing distribution forms and parameters are unavailable, and the fidelity of any simple mathematical model subject to question. Indeed, most applied problems have this character. To be helpful, the guidance offered should be simple and substantially insensitive to missing structural detail, i.e., should be “robust”. Such robustness may be hoped for when the system behavior of interest is in the limit-theoretic domain. e.g., is associated with the law of large numbers, or the central limit theorem, or the limit theorem for rare events. When limit theorems are of interest, one must know how valid the limit theorem is and how close one is to normality or exponentiality. Inequalities and bounds obtained from underlying structural features of the system may be needed. For such objectives, an awareness of convexity present and exploitation of this convexity is often useful.
Charlotte Dacre’s Zofloya: The Gothic Demonization of the Jew

In 1769, an odd little chapbook made its appearance in Hull, entitled The Wandering Jew, or, The Shoemaker of Jerusalem: Who Lived When Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Was Crucified, and By Him Appointed to Wander Until He Comes Again: With His Discourse With Some Clergymen About the End of the World. 1 This anonymous pamphlet was typical of much millenarian propaganda floating around at the time. But in this work, the Wandering Jew informs the Protestant clergymen that “before the End of the World the Jews shall be gathered together from all Parts of the World, and returned to Jerusalem, and live there, and it shall flourish as much as ever, and that they, and all others, shall become Christians, and that Wars shall cease, and the whole World live in Unity with one another” (7–8). The need to believe that the Other, the Jew, would become “one of us” was indeed strong across Europe, and the thinking was that if they could not be converted, then they could always be killed—for their own good, of course.