cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rise in Chronic Defibrillation Energy Requirements Necessitating Implantable Defibrillator Lead System Revision

The chronic defibrillation energy requirement (DER) is believed to remain clinically stable in patients with defibrillators. Six patients (two with an epicardial and four with a nonthoracotomy system) were identified with a rise in their chronic DER, which eliminated a 10-J safety margin, thus necessitating a defibrillator lead system revision. The mean increase in DER was 14.7 +/- 4 J and was discovered at a mean of 16.0 +/- 18 months (range 2-41) following implantation. Management included placement of a defibrillator with a biphasic waveform, placement of an additional defibrillation electrode, or both. At 2 months following revision of the defibrillation system, a 10-J DER safety margin was present in each patient. In some patients, there is a progressive increase in the chronic DER with elimination of a 10-J safety margin necessitating revision of the defibrillation system. Routine reevaluation of the chronic DER, therefore, is necessary to identify these patients.
Treatment of Comorbid Pain and PTSD in Returning Veterans: A Collaborative Approach Utilizing Behavioral Activation

Objective We explore preliminary clinical effectiveness and feasibility of an intervention utilizing collaborative care components and behavioral activation (BA) to treat comorbid chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Design Descriptive, including pre- and posttreatment assessment results. Setting Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Participants Fifty-eight Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with chronic pain and PTSD symptoms. Interventions Veterans participated in a biopsychosocial evaluation and up to eight BA sessions using a collaborative approach involving primary care, mental health, and other clinicians. A physiatrist assisted the psychologist in providing recommendations to primary care providers. Outcome Measures Participants were administered pre- and posttreatment measures of PTSD, pain severity, pain interference, mental health, quality of life, satisfaction, and global ratings of change with the purpose of assessing progress and improving quality. Results Of the 58 participants, 30 completed treatment. Common recommendations included physical therapy and exercise programs, pain medication or pain medication adjustments, and additional diagnostic workups, such as imaging. Participants who completed the program showed significant improvements on measures of PTSD, pain severity, and pain interference. Improvements were also evident on measures of mental health and quality of life. Overall, participants were satisfied with the program, and on average reported feeling “somewhat better.” Conclusions These findings suggest that a collaborative approach that includes BA is feasible and a potentially effective treatment for comorbid chronic pain and PTSD.
Pain attenuation by contralateral cold stimulation

Twenty Ss reported cold induced discomfort and pain thresholds for their right hand which was immersed in an ice water mixture, in trials with and without the left hand also immersed in ice water. The contralateral cold stimulation resulted in a significant elevation in both discomfort threshold and pain threshold.
SURGICAL APPROACH IN SUPRACONDYLAR "T" FRACTURES OF THE HUMERUS REQUIRING OPEN REDUCTION

1. Most supracondylar "T" fractures of the humerus do not require open reduction. 2. When open reduction is required, the posterior operative approach which has been illustrated is considered to be the best. 3. No other approach known to the writer affords so adequate an exposure of the fracture area, allows so great a freedom in the selection of fixation materials, does so little harm to important anatomical structures, or offers such an excellent view of the articulating surfaces. 4. The so-called "split-triceps approach" is not considered by the writer adequate for this type of fracture and should not be confused with the approach which he has described. 5. Operative treatment of these fractures is a serious major procedure, not without danger, and preliminary planning and preparation of fixation materials are essential for success. 6. Eight cases of supracondylar "T" fractures of the humerus have been treated by the operative procedure described, and their end results are illustrated. No cases have been omitted. 7. Of these eight cases, the end results may be considered as excellent in five; as a complete failure in one; and as poor in two. With proper care, the "poor" results in the latter two cases could have been avoided.
Error Diffusion for Color Halftoning Using Three-Dimensional Neural Interconnects

We have previously developed a two-dimensional monochromatic halftoning with error diffusion neural networks (EDNs). We showed that EDNs find local minima of frequency-weighted error between a binary halftone output and corresponding smoothly varying input, an ideal framework for solving halftone problems. The advantage of the neural algorithm is that all pixel quantization decisions are computed in parallel and therefore the error diffusion process becomes un-directional and symmetric. Thus eliminates the artifacts caused by the traditional error diffusion method. This paper casts color halftoning as four related sub-problems: the first three are to compute good binary halftones for each primary color and the fourth is to simultaneously minimize frequency-weighted error in the luminosity of the composite result. We show that an EDN with a three-dimensional interconnect scheme can solve all four problems in parallel with user-adjustable emphasis on the relative importance of weighted error in luminosity. Our results show that the three-dimensional EDN matrix not only shapes the error to frequencies that human visual system (HVS) is least sensitive but also shapes the error in colors to which the HVS is least sensitive - namely it satisfies the minimum brightness variation criterion.
Articulation rate across dialect, age, and gender

The understanding of sociolinguistic variation is growing rapidly, but basic gaps still remain. Whether some languages or dialects are spoken faster or slower than others constitutes such a gap. Speech tempo is interconnected with social, physical and psychological markings of speech. This study examines regional variation in articulation rate and its manifestations across speaker age, gender and speaking situations (reading vs. free conversation). The results of an experimental investigation show that articulation rate differs significantly between two regional varieties of American English examined here. A group of Northern speakers (from Wisconsin) spoke significantly faster than a group of Southern speakers (from North Carolina). With regard to age and gender, young adults read faster than older adults in both regions; in free speech, only Northern young adults spoke faster than older adults. Effects of gender were smaller and less consistent; men generally spoke slightly faster than women. As the body of work on the sociophonetics of American English continues to grow in scope and depth, we argue that it is important to include fundamental phonetic information as part of our catalog of regional differences and patterns of change in American English.
Influence of automatic level control on micromechanical resonator oscillator phase noise

Clear differences in the phase noise performance of a 10 MHz MEMS-based micromechanical resonator oscillator have been measured using sustaining circuits with and without automatic-level control (ALC), and with differing mechanisms for ALC. In particular, low output power oscillators referenced to high-Q clamped-clamped beam /spl mu/mechanical resonators exhibit an unexpected 1/f/sup 3/ phase noise component without ALC, a 1/f/sup 5/ phase noise component when an ALC circuit based on resonator dc-bias adjustment is used, and finally, removal of these components when an ALC circuit based on sustaining amplifier gain control is used, in which case the expected 1/f/sup 2/ phase noise component is all that remains. That ALC is able to remove the 1/f/sup 3/ phase noise seen in non-ALC'ed oscillators suggests that this noise component emanates primarily from nonlinearity in the voltage-to-force capacitive transducer, either through direct aliasing of amplifier 1/f noise, or through instabilities introduced by spring softening (i.e., Duffing) phenomena.
Bright-exciton fine structure and anisotropic exchange in CdSe nanocrystal quantum dots

We report on polarization-resolved resonant photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy of bright (spin-1) and dark (spin-2) excitons in colloidal CdSe nanocrystal quantum dots. Using high magnetic fields to 33 T, we resonantly excite (and selectively analyze PL from) spin-up or spin-down excitons. At low temperatures (<4K) and above ~10 T, the spectra develop a narrow, circularly polarized peak due to spin-flipped bright excitons. Its evolution with magnetic field directly reveals a large (1-2 meV), intrinsic fine structure splitting of bright excitons, due to anisotropic exchange. These findings are supported by time-resolved PL studies and polarization-resolved PL from single nanocrystals.
Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Gold Nanoplates in Aqueous Solutions through Biomineralization by Serum Albumin Protein

In this work, single-crystalline gold nanoplates were produced by reacting an aqueous solution of chloroauric acid with one serum albumin protein (BSA) at the physiological temperature, where BSA provided the dual function of Au(III) reduction and directing the anisotropic growth of Au(0) into plate-like structures. Structural characterizations by FESEM, TEM, HRTEM, and SAED showed that the nanoplates were oriented with {111} planes as their basal planes. The effects of environmental factors such as temperature and pH were investigated, which showed low temperature and acidic pH favoring the anisotropic growth of gold nanoparticles. More interestingly, the kinetics of chloroauric acid reduction in BSA solutions could be manipulated through the addition of a trace amount of Ag+ ions, and plates with lateral size ranging from a few micrometers to tens of nanometers could be produced. The growth of gold nanoplates in BSA solution with time was monitored by electron microscopy, allowing the detection of sever...
Influence of charge repulsion on binding strengths: experimental and computational characterization of mixed alkali metal complexes of decamethylcucurbit[5]uril in the gas phase

Theory and experiment demonstrate that Coulombic repulsion plays a dominant role in the strength of binding a second cation to a rigid, ditopic host.
The 72-Hour Medicare Mandate After Total Joint Arthroplasty: Is This Medically Necessary?

Abstract Introduction Currently, Medicare total joint arthroplasty patients are required to stay postoperatively 3 days in the hospital before discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). We evaluated Medicare’s mandated 3-night hospital stay rule to find out how many total joint arthroplastic patients are safe for discharge to SNFs on postoperative day 2 (POD2). Methods This is a retrospective case series analyzing Medicare primary total hip or total knee arthroplastic patients at a single hospital over 1 year. Patients meeting 15 separate criteria by POD2 were considered safe for discharge home rather than to a SNF. Results Of 259 patients, 47.88% met discharge criteria to SNF POD2. 31.66% did not meet 1, 13.13% did not meet 2, and 6.95% did not meet ≥3 criteria on POD2. Common criteria delaying discharge were blood pressure abnormalities, increasing or elevated white blood cell count, cardiac abnormalities, and fever. Thirty-day readmission rate for patients in the group safe for discharge POD2 was 1.75%. Conclusion Of the total, 47.88% of patients required to stay by the Medicare 3-night stay rule were safe for discharge to SNF on POD2 without an increase in readmission rate at 30 days when compared to our institutional mean.
Arbitrary source models and Bayesian codebooks in rate-distortion theory

We characterize the best achievable performance of lossy compression algorithms operating on arbitrary random sources, and with respect to general distortion measures. Direct and converse coding theorems are given for variable-rate codes operating at a fixed distortion level, emphasizing: (a) nonasymptotic results, (b) optimal or near-optimal redundancy bounds, and (c) results with probability one. This development is based in part on the observation that there is a precise correspondence between compression algorithms and probability measures on the reproduction alphabet. This is analogous to the Kraft inequality in lossless data compression. In the case of stationary ergodic sources our results reduce to the classical coding theorems. As an application of these general results, we examine the performance of codes based on mixture codebooks for discrete memoryless sources. A mixture codebook (or Bayesian codebook) is a random codebook generated from a mixture over some class of reproduction distributions. We demonstrate the existence of universal mixture codebooks, and show that it is possible to universally encode memoryless sources with redundancy of approximately (d/2) log n bits, where d is the dimension of the simplex of probability distributions on the reproduction alphabet.
Increased expression of tumor-associated antigens in pediatric and adult ependymomas: implication for vaccine therapy

Despite surgery and radiotherapy, as many as 50 % of children with ependymomas will suffer from tumor recurrences that will ultimately lead to death. Our group's initial peptide-based glioma vaccine targeting EphA2, IL- 13Ra2, and Survivin, which are overexpressed in pediatric gliomas, has shown promise in its initial phase of testing. We therefore investigated whether EphA2, IL-13Ra2, Survivin, and, additionally, Wilms' Tumor 1 (WT1), are overexpres- sed in pediatric ependymomas to determine if a similar immunotherapy approach could be applicable. Immunohis- tochemistry was performed using antibodies specific for EphA2, IL-13Ra2, Survivin, and WT1 on paraffin-embed- ded specimens from 19 pediatric and 13 adult ependymomas. Normal brain and ependyma were used for background staining controls. Negative staining was defined as no staining or staining equaling the background intensity in normal brain tissues. In the 19 pediatric cases, 18 (95 %) demonstrated positive staining for EphA2, 16 (84 %) for IL- 13Ra2, 18 (95 %) for Survivin, and only 7 (37 %) for WT1. Only 3 of 19 cases were positive for two or fewer tumor- associated antigens (TAAs); 16 of 19 cases were positive for three or more TAAs. In the 13 adult cases, all 13 demon- strated positive staining for EphA2, IL-13Ra2, and Survivin. Only 2 of 13 cases (15 %) demonstrated positive staining for WT1. All adult specimens were positive for three or more TAAs. Some ependymomas showed patchy variability in intensity. Pediatric and adult ependymomas frequently express EphA2, IL-13Ra2, and Survivin. This provides the basis for the utilization of an established multiple peptide vaccine for ependymoma in a clinical trial setting.
Wide area ocean networks: architecture and system design considerations

Wide area ocean networks for monitoring and scientific exploratory purposes are in various stages of design; small-scale networks are already in various stages of deployment and testing. Clearly, cost-effective coverage is a primary underlying principle; arguably, such networks must therefore employ low-cost, energy-efficient mobile nodes. The first objective of this work is to broadly describe the architecture and system design considerations of such wide-area networks with mobile nodes; secondly, we introduce the APL/UW Seaglider capabilities and provide energy estimates for propulsion and data communications. We also discuss tradeoffs, and applications in ocean coverage, and optimization of sensor coverage within constraints of a power-efficient network.
The Use of Stable Isotope Labeling and Liquid Chromatography—Tandem Mass Spectrometry Techniques To Simultaneously Determine the Oral and Ophthalmic Bioavailability of Timolol in Dogs

Assays have been established for the quantitation of timolol and its 13C3- and 2H9-stable-isotope-labeled analogs in plasma and urine using liquid chromatography with atmospheric-pressure chemical-ionization tandem mass spectrometry. For the analysis of urine, underivatized timolol and its labeled analogs are monitored while timolol in plasma is assayed down to concentrations of 0.2 ng/mL after derivatization with phosgene. The great power of this technique is illustrated by simultaneously assaying three different species of timolol in plasma and urine obtained from dogs receiving simultaneous ophthalmic, oral, and intravenous doses of unlabeled and [2H9]- and [13C3]-labeled timolol. Thus, the ophthalmic and oral bioavailabilities of timolol are measured in a single experiment rather than as a three-phase crossover experiment. This approach yields accurate and precise analytical data, obviates intrasubject variability, and saves both analytical and animal resources.
Effects of Hypoxia–Reoxygenation on Microvascular Endothelial Function in the Rat Hippocampal Slice

BACKGROUND Cerebral ischemia and hypoxia may cause injury to both neuronal and vascular tissue. The direct effects of hypoxia on endothelial function in intraparenchymal cerebral arterioles are unknown. Using a modification of the rat brain slice preparation, allowing continuous imaging of these previously inaccessible vessels, microvessel dilation was evaluated before and after a brief hypoxic episode. METHODS Rat brain slices were superfused with oxygenated artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Hippocampal arterioles were visualized using computerized videomicroscopy, and their diameters (range, 12-27 microm) were measured using image analysis. After preconstriction with prostaglandin F2alpha and controlled pH and carbon dioxide tension, graded concentrations of either acetylcholine (endothelium-dependent vasodilation) or sodium nitroprusside (endothelium-independent vasodilation) were given before and after a 10-min period of hypoxia. RESULTS Sodium nitroprusside (100 microM) caused similar dilation before and after hypoxia (mean +/- SEM: 9.6 +/- 0.6% vs. 13.0 +/- 0.9%). Acetylcholine (100 microM) caused significantly less dilation (P < 0.05) after hypoxia (mean +/- SEM: 9.3 +/- 1.8% vs. 3.6 +/- 1.2%). The decreased acetylcholine-induced dilation after hypoxia was not reversed by pretreatment with L-arginine (1 mM), the precursor of nitric oxide (mean +/- SEM: 8.8 +/- 1.3% vs. 4.4 +/- 0.7%). CONCLUSIONS Even brief periods of hypoxia may cause endothelial dysfunction in intraparenchymal cerebral arterioles. This does not seem to be related to a deficiency of the nitric oxide substrate, L-arginine. Endothelial dysfunction and impaired endothelium-dependent dilation of microvessels may decrease oxygen delivery and increase neuronal injury during cerebral hypoxia-reoxygenation.
A Personal FAQ on the Financial Crisis of 2008

This FAQ provides an analysis of the causes and of some remedies of the financial crisis of 2008. Subprime and Alt-A mortgage losses were just a trigger - they could not possibly be responsible alone for the steep drop in the value of banks, financial institutions, and companies. The FAQ decomposes causes into those that are shallow (e.g., defaulting bonds), mid-level (e.g., fall in real estate values) and deep (e.g., poor corporate governance and tax systems).
Habenula cholinergic neurons regulate anxiety during nicotine withdrawal via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Cholinergic neurons in the medial habenula (MHb) modulate anxiety during nicotine withdrawal although the molecular neuroadaptation(s) within the MHb that induce affective behaviors during nicotine cessation is largely unknown. MHb cholinergic neurons are unique in that they robustly express neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), although their behavioral role as autoreceptors in these neurons has not been described. To test the hypothesis that nAChR signaling in MHb cholinergic neurons could modulate anxiety, we expressed novel "gain of function" nAChR subunits selectively in MHb cholinergic neurons of adult mice. Mice expressing these mutant nAChRs exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior that was alleviated by blockade with a nAChR antagonist. To test the hypothesis that anxiety induced by nicotine withdrawal may be mediated by increased MHb nicotinic receptor signaling, we infused nAChR subtype selective antagonists into the MHb of nicotine naive and withdrawn mice. While antagonists had little effect on nicotine naive mice, blocking α4β2 or α6β2, but not α3β4 nAChRs in the MHb alleviated anxiety in mice undergoing nicotine withdrawal. Consistent with behavioral results, there was increased functional expression of nAChRs containing the α6 subunit in MHb neurons that also expressed the α4 subunit. Together, these data indicate that MHb cholinergic neurons regulate nicotine withdrawal-induced anxiety via increased signaling through nicotinic receptors containing the α6 subunit and point toward nAChRs in MHb cholinergic neurons as molecular targets for smoking cessation therapeutics.
The effects of L2 proficiency differences in pairs on idea units in a collaborative text reconstruction task

Collaborative text reconstruction tasks such as dictogloss have been suggested as effective second language (L2) learning tasks that promote meaningful interaction between learners and their awareness of L2 target grammatical structures. However, it should be noted that the effect of pair interaction on the final product may differ depending on co-participant characteristics and particularly on proficiency disparities between partners. To date, most studies conducted on the effect of the different L2 proficiency of learners on paired performance have focused on the ways in which language learners interact, and the quantity and quality of language-related episodes (LREs) produced (Kim & McDonough, 2008; Leeser, 2004), often sidelining learners’ actual task performance. This study thus aims to investigate the extent to which partner L2 proficiency levels affect tangible language performance, particularly in terms of content accuracy in a dictogloss task. Results show large gains in idea units reproduced bet...
Quantity of reinforcement and fixed-interval performance

Two groups (N = 5) of hybrid-strain rats were conditioned to press a lever on a fixed-interval 3 min schedule of food reinforcement. For the Ss in one group, reinforcement was three 45 mg food pellets, and for Ss in the other group, reinforcement was one 45 mg food pellet. Both groups showed an accelerated response rate during successive quarters of the interreinforcement interval, but the rate of acceleration was greater for the 3-pellet group. The mean percentage of total responses in an interval quarter was, however, the same for both groups, indicating that an increase in reinforcement quantity multiplies response rate during the interreinforcement interval by a constant factor.
The Effect of Various Drug Additives on the Vitamin B6 Requirement of Chicks

Abstract THE requirement of chicks for vitamin B6 was shown by Fuller and Kifer (1959) to be approximately 1.5 mg. per pound of diet under laboratory conditions with purified diets, yet with practical type broiler rations containing 2.5 mg. per pound, slight increases in growth and feed efficiency were obtained when pyridoxine HCl was added to the diet. A feature of the practical diets was the inclusion of arsanilic acid and a coccidiostat containing nitrofurazone and furazolidone. White-Stevens et al. (1957) found a negative interaction between nitrofurazone and 3-nitro 4-hydroxyphenyl arsonic acid but no interaction between nitrofurazone and arsanilic acid. Nitrofurazone fed continuously at 0.02% of the diet was shown by Peterson and Hymas (1950) to depress the growth of chicks. This drug was also shown by Harwood and Stunz (1950) to increase both the frequency and severity of a riboflavin deficiency. Newberne and McEuen (1957) did not obtain a growth …
Optimizing perioperative pain management

Abstract The importance of mitigating pain in patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty is extremely relevant for purposes of being able to initiate early functional rehabilitation and activities of daily living. The process, however, does not commence after surgery, but rather before surgery. Careful patient education and instruction, including preoperative exercises to maximize mobility, strength, and endurance within a limited range of motion is quite helpful. Intraoperatively, careful surgical technique providing adequate soft tissue releases, removal of potential pain generators such as the long tendon of the biceps and an arthritic acromia clavicular joint, contributes to decreasing postoperative pain. Adjunctive therapy includes preemptive ultrasound-guided intrascalene regional anesthesia, immediate postoperative peri-incisional injection of liposomalbupivicain, postoperative use of a waterproof dressing to allow warm showers early on in the rehabilitation period, perioperative use of COX-2 inhibitors, and a gentle, therapist-guided passive exercise program focusing on relaxation techniques. This in combination with early patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) pumps, transition to modest oral analgesics, on post op day 1 all add to the patient’s parenteral narcotics in the first 24 ho, and oral narcotics within the first 7–10 days postoperatively.
Panobinostat for the management of multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common blood cancer following non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. While the treatments for MM have improved over the past decade, for the most part, it remains an incurable disease. For this reason newer therapeutic agents are needed to combat this malignancy. Panobinostat is a pan-deacetylase inhibitor that impedes protein destruction by disturbing the enzymatic activity of deacetylases. It was US FDA approved in February 2015 for the management of relapsed/refractory MM in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone. Several trials are ongoing, exploring the utility of panobinostat in various other settings for the management of MM. This review will detail the biology, clinical efficacy and potential future applications of panobinostat in the treatment of MM.
Treating Dehydration at Home Avoids Healthcare Costs Associated With Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Readmissions for Adult Patients Receiving Home Parenteral Support.

Background: Administration of home parenteral support (HPS) has proven to be cost-effective over hospital care. Avoiding hospital readmissions became more of a focus for healthcare institutions in 2012 with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. In 2010, our service developed a protocol to treat dehydration at home for HPS patients by ordering additional intravenous fluids to be kept on hand and to focus patient education on the symptoms of dehydration. Methods: A retrospective analysis was completed through a clinical management database to identify HPS patients with dehydration. The hospital finance department and homecare pharmacy were utilized to determine potential cost avoidance. Results: In 2009, 64 episodes (77%) of dehydration were successfully treated at home versus 6 emergency department (ED) visits (7.5%) and 13 readmissions (15.5%). In 2010, we successfully treated 170 episodes (84.5%) at home, with 9 episodes (4.5%) requiring ED visits and 22 hospital readmissions (11%). The number o...
Ikaros: Exploiting and targeting the hematopoietic stem cell niche in B-progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Genetic alterations of IKZF1 encoding the lymphoid transcription factor IKAROS are a hallmark of high-risk B-progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), such as BCR-ABL1-positive (Ph+) and Ph-like ALL, and are associated with poor outcome even in the era of contemporary chemotherapy incorporating tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Recent experimental mouse modeling of B-progenitor ALL has shown that IKZF1 alterations have multiple effects, including arresting differentiation, skewing lineage of leukemia from myeloid to lymphoid, and, in Ph+ leukemia, conferring resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy without abrogating ABL1 inhibition. These effects are in part mediated by acquisition of an aberrant hematopoietic stem cell-like program accompanied by induction of cell surface expression of stem cell and adhesion molecules that mediate extravascular invasion and residence in the niche and activation of integrin signaling pathways. These effects can be exploited therapeutically using several approaches. IKZF1 alterations also result in upregulation of RXRA that encodes part of the heterodimeric retinoic acid X receptor. Rexinoids, a synthetic class of retinoids that bind specifically to retinoid "X" receptors such as bexarotene potently reverse aberrant adhesion and niche mislocalization in vivo and induce differentiation and cell cycle arrest. Focal adhesion kinase inhibitors block the downstream integrin-mediated signaling, reverse adhesion, and niche mislocalization. Both agents act synergistically with TKIs to prolong survival of Ph+ ALL in mouse and human xenograft model, with long-term remission induced by focal adhesion kinase inhibitors. Therefore, these findings provide important new conceptual insights into the mechanisms by which IKZF1 alterations result in drug resistance and indicate that therapeutic strategies directed against the pathways deregulated by mutation, rather than attempting to restore IKZF1 expression directly, represent promising therapeutic approaches in this disease.
The Theory of the Function of the Gothic Preverb ga

(1964). The Theory of the Function of the Gothic Preverb ga-. WORD: Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 222-245.
Actual (ABW) or Ideal (IBW) Body Weight to Calculate CD34+ Cell Dose in Patients Undergoing Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Myeloma?

CD34+ cell dose calculations for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are usually based on actual body weight (ABW). We have shown that ideal body weight (IBW) provides a better basis for this in a small population of patients with hematologic malignancies (Ali et al. Bone Marrow Transplant2003;31:861–4). However, a concern has been raised that this may not be applicable in myeloma because of underestimation of IBW as a result of disease-related height loss (Maclean et al. Bone Marrow Transplant2007;40:665–9). We studied this relationship further in 514 myeloma autografts conditioned with 140 or 200 mg/m 2 melphalan. The CD34+ cell doses (10 6 /kg) by IBW and ABW were 1.37–39.36 (median 6.03) and 1.15–29.67 (median 4.84) respectively. The difference between ABW and IBW was −25 to +124% (median +26%). The analysis was performed for the entire group as well as after excluding outliers (engraftment before 8 or after 16 days). As Table 1 shows, IBW-based cell doses correlated better with engraftment than ABW-based (higher r 2 and F): Table 1: Correlation between the CD34+ cell dose by IBW or ABW and various engraftment endpoints As Table 2 shows, CD34+ cell doses based on IBW as well as ABW significantly affected engraftment when analyzed separately as continuous variables. However, when analyzed together, only the dose based upon IBW retained significance: Table 2: Relationship between engraftment and the CD34+ cell dose analyzed as a continuous variable (risk ratio and P value) This observation is important in practice to avoid subjecting a patient to additional mobilization and apheresis procedures if the target cell dose has been met based on IBW. With increasing obesity (half the patients were >25% overweight), accounting for the correct weight is an important practical consideration. Infusion of an appropriate number of cells also allows for extra cells to be retained for possible future use. In this group, if every patient’s height was underestimated by 1 inch (i.e. was increased by 1 inch for the purpose of calculations – assuming an element of kyphosis), IBW of men would have increased by 2.4–6.0% (median 3.2%) and IBW of women by 9.3–17.6% (median 12.4%). This suggests that implications of a height difference for calculating IBW in men are minimal but could be significant in women. We conclude that a CD34+ cell dose based on IBW is a better predictor of engraftment speed than one based on ABW, and IBW should be used as the basis for cell dose calculations in autologous HSCT. Any height loss, especially in myeloma patients, should be taken into account while calculating IBW for this purpose.
Clinical and Serologic Features in Patients With Incomplete Lupus Classification Versus Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients and Controls.

Objective Incomplete lupus erythematosus (ILE) involves clinical and/or serologic manifestations consistent with but insufficient for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) classification. Because the nature of ILE is poorly understood and no treatment recommendations exist, we examined the clinical manifestations, medication history, and immunologic features in a diverse collection of ILE and SLE patients. Methods Medical records of subjects enrolled in the Lupus Family Registry and Repository were reviewed for medication history and American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria to identify ILE patients (3 ACR criteria; n = 440) and SLE patients (≥4 ACR criteria; n = 3,397). Participants completed the Connective Tissue Disease Screening Questionnaire. Anticardiolipin and plasma B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) by indirect immunofluorescence, and 13 autoantibodies by bead-based assays. Results On average, ILE patients were older than SLE patients (46.2 years versus 42.0 years; P < 0.0001), and fewer ILE patients were African American (23.9% versus 32.2%; P < 0.001). ILE patients exhibited fewer autoantibody specificities than SLE patients (1.3 versus 2.6; P < 0.0001) and were less likely to have ANA titers ≥1:1,080 (10.5% versus 19.5%; P < 0.0001). BLyS levels were intermediate in ILE patients (controls < ILE; P = 0.016; ILE < SLE; P = 0.008). Pericarditis, renal, or neurologic manifestations occurred in 12.5% of ILE patients and were associated with non–European American race/ethnicity (P = 0.012). Hydroxychloroquine use increased over time, but was less frequent in ILE than SLE patients (65.2% versus 83.1%; P < 0.0001). Conclusion Although usually characterized by milder symptoms, ILE manifestations may require immunomodulatory treatments. Longitudinal studies are necessary to understand how ILE affects organ damage and future SLE risk, and to delineate molecular pathways unique to ILE.
Inflammatory responses to secondary organic aerosols (SOA) generated from biogenic and anthropogenic precursors

Abstract. Cardiopulmonary health implications resulting from exposure to secondary organic aerosols (SOA), which comprise a significant fraction of ambient particulate matter (PM), have received increasing interest in recent years. In this study, alveolar macrophages were exposed to SOA generated from the photooxidation of biogenic and anthropogenic precursors (isoprene, α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, pentadecane, m-xylene, and naphthalene) under different formation conditions (RO2 + HO2 vs. RO2 + NO dominant, dry vs. humid). Various cellular responses were measured, including reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) production and secreted levels of cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). SOA precursor identity and formation condition affected all measured responses in a hydrocarbon-specific manner. With the exception of naphthalene SOA, cellular responses followed a trend where TNF-α levels reached a plateau with increasing IL-6 levels. ROS/RNS levels were consistent with relative levels of TNF-α and IL-6, due to their respective inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Exposure to naphthalene SOA, whose aromatic-ring-containing products may trigger different cellular pathways, induced higher levels of TNF-α and ROS/RNS than suggested by the trend. Distinct cellular response patterns were identified for hydrocarbons whose photooxidation products shared similar chemical functionalities and structures, which suggests that the chemical structure (carbon chain length and functionalities) of photooxidation products may be important for determining cellular effects. A positive nonlinear correlation was also detected between ROS/RNS levels and previously measured DTT (dithiothreitol) activities for SOA samples. In the context of ambient samples collected during summer and winter in the greater Atlanta area, all laboratory-generated SOA produced similar or higher levels of ROS/RNS and DTT activities. These results suggest that the health effects of SOA are important considerations for understanding the health implications of ambient aerosols.
What Is Being Measured? A Comparison of Two Depressive Symptom Severity Instruments with a Depression Diagnosis in Low-Income High-Risk Mothers.

Abstract Background: Adequate assessment of depressive symptomatology is a necessary step toward decreasing income-related mental health treatment inequity. No studies have focused on comparing instruments used to detect depression in women from low-income backgrounds who are mothers of young children—a period of increased risk for depressive symptoms. Methods: To address this gap, two commonly used instruments (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [Hamilton]) were compared with a depression diagnosis (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition [DSM-V]) in a sample (n = 251) of mothers from low-income backgrounds with children ranging from 1 to 54 months old. Diagnostic utility was examined in light of contextual factors associated with maternal depressive symptoms. Results: In this sample, CES-D had better screening sensitivity and specificity than Hamilton. Our results suggest that Hamilton may underdiagnose cases of...
Literature and the Authority of Technology

Whitman, who is the starting point for modern American literature in so many ways, took it upon himself in Democratic Vistas (1871) to define the character of American culture in a way that has had continuing relevance throughout the twentieth century: “America demands a poetry that is bold, modern, and all-surrounding and kosmical, as she is herself. It must in no respect ignore science or the modern, but inspire itself with science and the modern. It must bend its vision toward the future, more than the past”. Starting with the close observation of nature, the poet works by analogies, by indirections; his genius lies in the “image-making faculty, coping with material creation, and rivaling, almost triumphing over it” (pp. 503 and 510). Thus, as Whitman describes it, the poet or artist is making a kind of facsimile world, a world that rivals the creation, and indeed — in a curious phrase — almost triumphs over it; inspired by “science or the modern”, Whitman posits an analogy between artistic creation and the technological process that situates him at a particular juncture in American culture, the beginning of the modern vision.
Knee Tendon Rupture (Patellar and Quadriceps Tendons)

The extensor mechanism consists of the quadriceps muscle and tendon, the patella and the patella tendon. The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body, which is why the patella tendon is not considered a ligament. The patella tendon tends to rupture in patients younger than 40 years old, while the quadriceps tendon tends to tear in patients older than 40. Men are more likely to have an extensor mechanism disruption than women. Complete tears involving the extensor mechanism should be repaired acutely. Complications of these injuries include knee stiffness and quadriceps weakness.
Insomnia, Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a multicomponent treatment approach aimed at changing sleep habits and sleep scheduling, as well as misconceptions and beliefs about sleep, which perpetuate sleep difficulties. The main strategies that comprise CBT-I include stimulus control, sleep restriction, education about sleep, sleep hygiene, cognitive therapy, and relaxation training. CBT-I has been proven to be an effective and safe means of managing chronic insomnia.
Response and place learning in crayfish spatial behavior

Previous studies have demonstrated that animals use both environmental cues and egocentric information when orienting in mazes or nature. These two strategies have been examined separately in some species, yielding information on the specific properties associated with each. We examined spatial learning in crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) using an apparatus that required animals to orient under four different conditions: using egocentric (response) cues alone, response cues with inconsistent external (place) cues present, place cues with inconsistent response cues present, and place cues with consistent response cues present. Results demonstrated that crayfish could successfully learn a maze task using response cues alone and when external visual and tactile cues provided inconsistent information. Animals were markedly less successful at learning the task using place cues while disregarding inconsistent response information. We also found that more animals learned successfully when response and external cues were presented in a redundant format where both cues indicated the correct turn. Finally, we found that some crayfish were able to learn a single reversal when trained using response information alone and when response and external cues were presented in the redundant format. We consider these results in the light of findings from other species, and ideas on learning strategy properties, ecological relevance of strategies, and the possible role of stress coping style in crayfish learning.
Proof Without Words: Abel’s Transformation

Theorem. Let (a1, a2, a3, …) and (b1, b2, b3, …) be sequences of positive real numbers and let . If Bi ≔ b1 + b2 + ⋅⋅⋅ + bi, then Proof. (e.g. for n = 5) Exercise. Use a = (1, 2, 3, 4, …) and a′ = ...
Electronic Life Histories: At Home with E-waste Waste Materialities and Meaning

The interdisciplinary Electronic Life Histories Project integrates behavioral archaeology, engineering, anthropology, art, material culture, and science and technology studies to employ a life history model, community-based research and creative engagement to address the making of electronic waste. Focused in the Greater Lafayette area of Indiana, which is home to a major university, this project examines the entanglements among people, electronics and waste-making. Specifically, this paper focuses on a significant interstitial stage between reuse and discard. We consider the stories and meanings affixed to electronic objects once they have entered people’s homes, and the complex lives they have before they are discarded, reused, or repurposed. We find ‘closet fill’ or junk drawers of electronic devices, bits, bytes and peripherals are often unintentional collections that are situationally valued through a constellation of factors that include emotional attachments, technological obsolescence, imagined use-value, as well as discrepancies between perceived value and market value. While the problem of closet fill has been discussed by scholars, how electronics enter this interstitial stage, why they remain and what motivates movement out of this part of the life history of objects have not been closely examined. We suggest a life history approach can make these interstitial phases visible in a way that illuminates the key factors in keeping electronics versus discarding. As opposed to descriptions of waste as disorderly, abject, or disgusting, our work shows that objects at the interstices of wasting practices embody, represent, and express many meanings to participants socially, spatially, and structurally.
Role of Simulation in Healthcare Quality Assurance

The current estimate of preventable harm is 440,000 lives harmed per year (James J Patient Saf 9:122–8, 2013). One can’t help but wonder why despite the multiple strategies devised for preventing adverse events, healthcare has not succeeded at achieving a sustainable patient safety platform that reduces adverse events. In fact by one estimate, healthcare is the third leading cause of death in the United States (US) (Makary et al. BMJ 353:i2139, 2016). It is in this landscape that a new immersive learning tool—namely simulation—is making an impact on improving the quality and safety of healthcare delivery. Simulation is an educational technique that replaces or amplifies real experiences with guided experiences in order to create a situation or environment to allow persons to experience a representation of a real event for the purpose of practice, learning, evaluation, testing, or to gain understanding of systems or human actions (Healthcare Simulation Dictionary. 1st ed. 2016. p. 33. www.ssih.org/dictionary). Simulation has been used by system engineers and human factor experts in industries outside of healthcare to better understand and improve service delivery by individuals, teams, and systems (Deutsch et al. Hum Factors 58:1082–95, 2016). This immersive learning strategy has particular relevance in high-stake industries, such as healthcare, which is challenged by a constant influx of trainees, high rates of staff turnover, and the need for continuing medical education to maintain skills (IOM. Redesigning continuing education in the health professions. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press; 2010). Simulation offers healthcare a strategy to improve the quality and safety of patient care.
Measurements of the Singly Ionized Oxygen Auroral Doublet Lines λλ7320, 7330 Using High-Resolution Sky Spectra

The wavelengths of the individual [O II] 2s22p3 2D-2s22p3 2P λ7320 and [O II] 2s22p3 2D-2s22p3 2P λ7330 auroral doublet component lines have been measured directly in the nightglow for the first time, from high-resolution spectra obtained with the High Resolution Echelle Spectrophotometer (HIRES) spectrograph on the Keck I telescope at the W. M. Keck Observatory. Specifically, we find doublet splittings of 1.077±0.003 A and 1.080±0.003 A at λ7320 and λ7330, respectively, with the former significantly larger than the often quoted and utilized value of 0.8 A from Moore and in line with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (1.07 A) as well as more recent astrophysical observations of the lines in planetary nebulae, including 1.07 A from De Robertis, Osterbrock, & McKee and 1.09 A from Barnett & McKeith. Our results suggest, however, that adjustments of +0.124 A and +0.131 A should be made to current NIST wavelengths for the blue and red components of the λ7320 doublet respectively, while our wavelengths of the λ7330 doublet components are little changed from current NIST values. The observed intensity ratio of λ7320/λ7330 from these measurements agrees with the theoretical value calculated under conditions of thermally populated 2Po levels.