cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Depressive Symptom Prevalence and Predictors in the First Half of Pregnancy.

Abstract Introduction: Major depression during the peripartum (MDP) period carries significant public health impact due to the potential adverse effects on maternal, infant, and family outcomes. Methods: As part of a larger longitudinal study, this cross-sectional observational study sought to build upon the current literature on the prevalence and predictors of depression in the early second trimester of pregnancy, as related to generally accepted risk factors and other less explored risk factors. Results: The findings from this study suggest that in this sample of 230 black and white women at ∼14 weeks gestation, ∼19% endorsed depressive symptoms and that the most important predictors of depression in pregnancy were a preconception history of a mental health issue (e.g., lifetime depressive episode) and perceived stress. Other relevant predictors were pregnancy-related anxiety, income, and stressful life events. Conclusion/Clinical Relevance: It is important for clinicians not only to screen for MDP dur...
Economic implications for emissions' reductions with European low-cost carriers using various fuelling strategies and operations

Commercial aircraft produce significant amounts of CO2 emissions every time they fly and heavier take-off weights yield greater emissions produced. Engine manufacturers have tried to reduce CO2 emissions to meet targets but also to reduce operational costs. Modern aircraft engines are now more reliable and efficient; however, measuring efficiency is not an easy task. Classically, efficiency is measured during in level flight at cruising altitude while journey times are considerably longer than the take-off and landing. In this paper, the economic implications for low cost carriers (LCC), that fly short routes is investigated. A qualitative comparison is made between flying with the minimum fuel with flights that refuel fully when at airports with lower fuel costs. The results show that changes will likely increase the turn-around times and add operating cost while decreasing emissions. A balanced approach is suggested that will assist in reducing emissions while not adding unreasonable costs.
Class, gender, and space: The case of affluent golf clubs in contemporary Mexico City:

This article examines how class and gender hierarchies are reproduced through spatial dynamics among affluent golfers in contemporary Mexico City, using the concepts of collective visibility and in...
Systematic review and meta-analysis of adjunctive corticosteroids in the treatment of tuberculous pericarditis

Setting Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common cause of pericarditis worldwide and carries a high mortality, even with effective anti-tuberculosis treatment. In the light of a randomized control trial in 2014, the American Thoracic Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Infectious Diseases Society of America recently revised their recommendations against the routine use of adjunctive corticosteroids. Objective To evaluate the strength of evidence that resulted in this reversal of the guideline recommendations on the use of adjunctive corticosteroids in TB pericarditis by a meta-analysis, followed by a sensitivity analysis. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized control trials. Results We identified five randomized control trials that met the eligibility criteria. Combining the results of the included trials, there was no overall mortality benefit from adjunctive corticosteroids (a random-effects model yielded a non-significant relative risk of 0.66 and 95%CI of 0.35-1.27). A sensitivity analysis further confirmed that the results of the meta-analysis were robust. Conclusion Routine addition of oral corticosteroids to standard anti-tuberculosis treatment does not reduce mortality among patients with TB pericarditis.
Glial Cells and Their Functions

Despite the central role of neurons for information processing, there are about tenfold more glial cells in the CNS than there are neurons. Glial cells (or just glia) are close cousins to neurons; both arise from a common ancestral population of progenitor (or stem) cells at the earliest stages of CNS development. Stem cells give rise to neuroblasts and glioblasts that are committed by genetic programming to become, respectively, neurons and glia. The glia of the CNS arise from stem cells in the ventricular zone of the neural tube, and the glia of the PNS arise from progenitors in the neural crest (see Chapter 7). How do glia differ from neurons? Structurally, glia have smaller cell bodies (5 to 10 micrometers in diameter) than most neurons, and they extend only one kind of process rather than two. We can also draw three functional distinctions. First, glia retain the ability to proliferate under certain conditions, whereas neurons are postmitotic. The second and third distinctions are closely related: glia do not conduct action potentials and do not form chemical synapses with other cells. In other words, the glia do not directly participate in the conduction or transmission of information. However, the glia assist the signaling capacity of neurons in many essential ways.
A Miniature Fiber Optic Absorbance Sensor for 99m Tc Imaging Agents

Publisher Summary This chapter demonstrates a miniature fiber optic absorbance sensor for 99mTc imaging agents. Extensive development and application of radiopharmaceuticals for use as organ imaging agents in nuclear medicine has occurred during the past two decades. These procedures are based on the tendency of the body to concentrate some chemical form of a particular gamma ray emitting isotope in the organ of interest. Subsequent scanning of the organ with a gamma ray camera provides an image from which diagnostic information can be obtained. Human organs such as the heart, skeleton, brain, kidneys, liver, lungs, and thyroid have been successfully imaged. In most instances, important diagnostic information is obtained, which cannot be obtained by other techniques. These properties greatly diminish the absorbed radiation dose that a patient receives during, and subsequent to, a scanning procedure. In turn, this allows the use of a larger quantity of imaging agent to obtain a better quality image.
The Parker Instability in the Interstellar Medium

We review the elementary formalism and basic physics of the instability in a galactic disk first in two dimensions (defined by the vertical component of the galactic gravitational field and by the essentially horizontal interstellar magnetic field). Then we discuss how the nature of the instability changes by the presence of three-dimensional perturbations and by a spatially varying gravitational field. “Final” equilibrium states are obtained in two dimensions, reachable from Parker’s stratified initial state through continuous deformations of the field lines. in the process the inherently open system of magnetohydrostatic equations is closed in a self-consistent fashion. The equilibrium states represent giant clouds (or cloud complexes) in valleys of the field lines. The variation of the calculated column density along spiral arms is in agreement with observations. An energy integral for an isothermal plasma is also discussed. Finally we review calculations which have recently followed numerically the nonlinear evolution of the instability. Work which questions the significance of the instability for the interstellar medium or attributes to the instability unattainable consequences is also reviewed critically.
Data-driven modulation filter design under adverse acoustic conditions and using phonetic and syllabic units.

Constructing speech feature extraction methods that are robust to many types of corrupting acoustic environments remains a daunting task and it is instructive to investigate which properties of the speech carry the discriminative information for recognition under a variety of conditions. In this paper we describe results for generating RASTA-style modulation filters under a number of acoustic environments. We utilize Linear Discriminant Analysis in a manner previously described by van Vuuren and Hermansky to automatically generate discriminant filters for speech with artificially added background noise and reverberation. We also generate the filters using both phonetic and syllabic classification targets. Trends in the responses of the discriminant filters lend support to feature extraction design decisions employed by RASTA-PLP and Modulation-filtered Spectrogram features. Further, tests with added reverberation corroborate views on the perceptual stability of syllabic rates.
Warthin’s Tumor

Warthin’s tumor affects primarily adults and presents at a mean age of approximately 60 years. Women are involved less than men. The majority of cases involve the parotid gland, presenting as single or multiple masses. Warthin’s tumor may be well-circumscribed or multinodular, comprised of multiple cell types (columnar and cuboidal), and exhibit a variety of architectural patterns (solid, cystic, and papillary) (Figs. 28.1, 28.2, 28.3, 28.4, 28.5, 28.6, 28.7, 28.8, 28.9, 28.10, 28.11, 28.12, 28.13, 28.14, 28.15, 28.16, 28.17, 28.18 and 28.19).
Serum amyloid P component binds fungal surface amyloid and decreases human macrophage phagocytosis and secretion of inflammatory cytokines

In patients with invasive fungal diseases, there is often little cellular inflammatory response. We tested the idea that binding of the human constitutive plasma protein serum amyloid P component (SAP) (also called PTX2) to Candida albicans dampens the innate immune response to this fungus. Many pathogenic fungi have cell surface amyloid-like structures important for adhesion and biofilm formation. Human SAP bound to fungi that expressed functional cell surface amyloid, but SAP had minimal binding to fungi with reduced expression of cell surface amyloid. In the absence of SAP, phagocytosis of fungi by human macrophages was potentiated by expression of amyloid on the fungi. SAP binding to fungi inhibited their phagocytosis by macrophages. Macrophages pretreated with SAP displayed reduced fungal phagocytosis, reduced secretion of inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-6, and TNF-α), and increased secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. SAP bound to fungi or added to the medium upregulated the expression of the anti-inflammatory receptor CD206 on macrophages. These findings suggest that SAP bound to amyloid-like structures on fungal cells dampens the host cellular immune response in fungal diseases such as invasive candidiasis.IMPORTANCE Macrophages are a key part of our innate immune system and are responsible for recognizing invading microbes, ingesting them, and sending appropriate signals to other immune cells. We have found that human macrophages can recognize invading yeast pathogens that have a specific molecular pattern of proteins on their surfaces: these proteins have structures similar to the structures of amyloid aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease. However, this surface pattern also causes the fungi to bind a serum protein called serum amyloid P component (SAP). In turn, the SAP-coated yeasts are poorly recognized and seldom ingested by the macrophages, and the macrophages have a more tolerant and less inflammatory response in the presence of SAP. Therefore, we find that surface structures on the yeast can alter how the macrophages react to invading microbes.
Transmission pathways of multidrug-resistant organisms in the hospital setting: a scoping review.

Background:Prevalence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDROs) continues to increase, while infection control gaps in healthcare settings facilitate their transmission between patients. In this setting, 5 distinct yet interlinked pathways are responsible for transmission. The complete transmission process is still not well understood. Designing and conducting a single research study capable of investigating all 5 complex and multifaceted pathways of hospital transmission would be costly and logistically burdensome. Therefore, this scoping review aims to synthesize the highest-quality published literature describing each of the 5 individual potential transmission pathways of MDROs in the healthcare setting and their overall contribution to patient-to-patient transmission.Methods:In 3 databases, we performed 2 separate systematic searches for original research published during the last decade. The first search focused on MDRO transmission via the HCW or the environment to identify publications studying 5 specific transmission pathways: (1) patient to HCW, (2) patient to environment, (3) HCW to patient, (4) environment to patient, and (5) environment to HCW. The second search focused on overall patient-to-patient transmission regardless of the transmission pathway. Both searches were limited to transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. After abstract screening of 5,026 manuscripts, researchers independently reviewed and rated the remaining papers using objective predefined criteria to identify the highest quality and most influential manuscripts.Results:High-quality manuscripts were identified for all 5 routes of transmission. Findings from these studies were consistent for all pathways; however, results describing the routes from the environment/HCW to a noncolonized patient were more limited and variable. Additionally, most research focused on MRSA, instead of other MDROs. The second search yielded 10 manuscripts (8 cohort studies) that demonstrated the overall contribution of patient-to-patient transmission in hospitals regardless of the transmission route. For MRSA, the reported cross-transmission was as high as 40%.Conclusions:This scoping review brings together evidence supporting all 5 possible transmission pathways and illustrates the complex nature of patient-to-patient transmission of MDROs in hospitals. Our findings also confirm that transmission of MDROs in hospitals occurs frequently, suggesting that ongoing efforts are necessary to strengthen infection prevention and control to prevent the spread of MDROs.
Comparison of College Student Hypertension Prevalence between the JNC7 and ACC/AHA Diagnostic Criteria.

Hypertension is highly prevalent and associated with non-communicable diseases and increased premature mortality risk. However, the impact of the new hypertension diagnostic criteria on the prevalence of hypertension diagnoses has yet to be examined among college students. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of hypertension between the JNC7 and the ACC/AHA hypertension diagnostic criteria among college students. The blood pressure of 5,945 college students was assessed, and chi-square tests for independence examined differences between JNC7 and ACC/AHA criteria. The mean age of participants was 21.30 ± 1.05 years, and the majority identified as men (60.5%). Men were found to have significantly higher systolic (p < .001, η2 = .10) and diastolic (p < .001, η2 = .04) blood pressure, so all analyses were separated by sex. Hypertension guideline changes resulted in significant changes in hypertension categorization of both men, χ2 = 7,178, p < .001, Φc = .816 and women, χ2 = 4,670, p < .001, Φc = .816. Under the JNC7 guidelines, 292 (8.2%) men and 67 (2.8%) women were hypertensive. Using the ACC/AHA guidelines, 1455 (40.5%) men and 521 (22.3%) women were hypertensive. Hypertension guideline changes resulted in a significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension among college students, highlighting the potential demand for targeted prevention programs focused on fostering healthy lifestyle behaviors, i.e. physical activity and healthy eating, among students.
Cosmic perturbations, baryon asymmetry, and dark matter from the minimal supersymmetric standard model

Scalar fields in the minimal supersymmetric standard model may have large field values during inflation. Because of approximate global symmetry, it is plausible that the phase directions of them are nearly massless during inflation and obtain quantum fluctuations, which may be the origin of the cosmic perturbations. If perturbations are produced through Q-ball formation, baryon asymmetry and dark matter can be consistently generated. Significant baryon and dark matter isocurvature perturbations are produced, but they are predicted to nearly compensate each other. The lepton asymmetry is much larger than the baryon asymmetry. The scenario predicts local non-Gaussianity of ${f}_{\mathrm{NL}}=5/3$. The implication to the mass spectrum of supersymmetric particles is discussed.
Geophysical turbulence dominated by inertia-gravity waves

Recent evidence from both oceanic observations and global-scale ocean model simulations indicate the existence of regions where low-mode internal tidal energy dominates over that of the geostrophic balanced flow. Inspired by these findings, we examine the effect of the first vertical mode inertia–gravity waves on the dynamics of balanced flow using an idealized model obtained by truncating the hydrostatic Boussinesq equations on to the barotropic and the first baroclinic mode. On investigating the wave–balance turbulence phenomenology using freely evolving numerical simulations, we find that the waves continuously transfer energy to the balanced flow in regimes where the balanced-to-wave energy ratio is small, thereby generating small-scale features in the balanced fields. We examine the detailed energy transfer pathways in wave-dominated flows and thereby develop a generalized small Rossby number geophysical turbulence phenomenology, with the two-mode (barotropic and one baroclinic mode) quasi-geostrophic turbulence phenomenology being a subset of it. The present work therefore shows that inertia–gravity waves would form an integral part of the geophysical turbulence phenomenology in regions where balanced flow is weaker than gravity waves.
A Comparison of Machine versus Free-Weight Squats for the Enhancement of Lower-Body Power, Speed, and Change-of-Direction Ability during an Initial Training Phase of Recreationally-Active Women.

The purpose of this study was to examine differences between a free-weight squat (FWS) and machine squat (MS) during an initial resistance training phase for augmentation of performance tests in recreationally active women. Twenty-seven women (22.7 ± 3.5 years) were block-randomized to three groups: FWS, MS, or control (CON) and completed pre- and post-testing sessions consisting of the squat one-repetition maximum (1-RM), vertical jump, pro-agility test, zig-zag change-of-direction (COD) test, and 30-meter sprint. Participants trained two sessions per week for six weeks by performing jumping, sprinting, and COD drills followed by FWS, MS, or no squats (CON). Peak jump power increased for CON (p = 0.03) and MS (p 0.05). Machine squat training maximized jumping power compared with FWS training and CON. Both resistance training groups and the CON group improved equally in the pro-agility, 30-meter sprint, and zig-zag COD tests. Machine squat training may provide performance-enhancing benefits of equal or superior value to those obtained with free-weight squat training in recreationally active women during an initial training mesocycle. These findings also stress the importance of task-specific training in this population of untrained women, as the control group improved in terms of performance to the same degree as both resistance training groups.
Real-time Measurements of the Particle Geometric Surface Area by the Weighted-sum Method on a University Campus

ABSTRACT This study conducted field measurements of the particle geometric surface area (GSA) and number concentrations on a university campus via two real-time approaches: applying the weighted-sum (WS) method and using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS). The measurements were conducted on 4 subjects: laser printing, 3D printing, machining (waterjet cutting, sanding, and welding), and environmental aerosols. The highest emissions were found with 3D printing and welding; these concentrations were measured in the printer’s enclosure and when the local exhaust ventilation was on, respectively. In general, the two methods agreed well with each other, with an overall Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.85, although the concentrations constantly fluctuated over a wide range, from 20 to 4 × 104 μm2 cm–3. Since the GSA concentrations reported in this study are the first measurements for some scenarios, our results can serve as a reference for further research as well as for individuals in the vicinity of these emissions.
A Framework to Improve Evaluation of Novel Decision Support Tools

Organizations that introduce new technology into an operational environment seek to improve some aspect of task conduct through technology use. Many organizations rely on user acceptance measures to gauge technology viability, though misinterpretation of user feedback can lead organizations to accept non-beneficial technology or reject potentially beneficial technology. Additionally, teams that misinterpret user feedback can spend time and effort on tasks that do not improve either user acceptance or operational task conduct. This paper presents a framework developed through efforts to transition technology to the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). The framework formalizes aspects of user experience with technology to guide organization and development team research and assessments. The case study is examined through the lens of the framework to illustrate how user-focused methodologies can be employed by development teams to systematically improve development of new technology, user acceptance of new technology, and assessments of technology viability.
Five Maxims for Practicing OD Consulting in China

The author, a native Chinese practitioner, presents the Five Maxims for OD consulting in China grounded in Taoist and Confucian wisdom based on her experiences working with multinational corporations.
Targeted adenovirus-mediated gene delivery to T cells via CD3.

T cells are primary targets in numerous gene therapy protocols. However, the use of subgroup C adenovirus serotype 2 or 5 (Ad2 or Ad5) as a vector to transduce T cells is limited by its poor transduction efficiency for these cells. In this report we show that poor T-cell transduction results from these cells lacking both the primary Ad2-Ad5 receptor, used in attachment, and the secondary Ad receptor, which mediates entry of most adenovirus serotypes. These deficiencies were overcome by using a bispecific antibody (bsAb) with specificities for human CD3 and for a FLAG epitope genetically introduced into Ad5 (Ad.FLAG) to redirect the virus to human T cells. The anti-FLAG 3 anti-CD3 bsAb increased Ad.FLAG binding 30-fold, induced the efficient uptake of Ad.FLAG into the cells, and led to a 100- to 500-fold increase in the transduction of resting T cells. Moreover, fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis showed that 25 to 90% of the T cells were transduced by the bsAb-complexed Ad.FLAG at multiplicities of infection between 20 and 100 active particles per cell. These results demonstrate that bsAbs can target Ad to non-Ad receptors on cells that are normally resistant to Ad, resulting in their efficient and specific transduction.
To Keep an Incessant Watch

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:545–548 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Medical residency is an educational enterprise directed toward producing clinicians who recognize and correctly manage disease. While formal graduate medical education provides didactics and bedside teaching to improve knowledge, individual learning efforts are essential to the educational experience. Keeping track of patient outcomes after disposition from the emergency department (ED) is a useful exercise in reviewing gaps in knowledge of the individual and deficiencies in systems-based care. In reviewing the agreement between admission and discharge diagnoses of a single resident over 4 years of residency, significant improvement in diagnostic accuracy was observed. This method of self-correction has potential to supplement formal residency education in emergency medicine.
Weak interactions of leptons and quarks using radioactive atomic beams

A major theme in Eugene Commins’ career has been the use of atomic beam machines on radioactive isotopes, predominantly to study the Weak Interaction.
Europe in the Neolithic: The Creation of New Worlds

Europe in the Neolithic: The Creation of New Worlds. Alasdair Whittle. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. 443 pp.
Long-term prevalence and predictors of urinary incontinence among women in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study

Objectives This study examined the long-term prevalence and predictors of ≥ weekly urinary incontinence (UI) in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS).
Excitotoxic injury stimulates pro-drug-induced 7-chlorokynurenate formation in the rat striatum in vivo.

Abstract Peripheral administration of L-4-chlorokynurenine (4-Cl-KYN), which is enzymatically converted in astrocytes to form the glycineB receptor antagonist 7-chlorokynurenic acid (7-Cl-KYNA), has been shown to provide neuroprotection against excitotoxic damage. The present study was designed to examine the metabolic fate of 4-Cl-KYN after systemic injection, and to study its brain uptake and subsequent transamination during the acute phase following an excitotoxic insult. To this end, adult rats received intrastriatal injections of vehicle (1 μl) or quinolinic acid (QUIN) (240 nmol/1 μl), and were administered 50 mg/kg 4-Cl-KYN (intraperitoneally) immediately after surgery. After 90 and 180 min, 7-Cl-KYNA concentrations in the vehicle-injected striatum were 54±13 and 16±2 nM, respectively. The contralateral, QUIN-injected striatum contained 212±39 and 97±27 nM 7-Cl-KYNA, respectively. This injury-induced increase was accompanied by slightly higher 4-Cl-KYN levels in the QUIN-treated striatum, indicating that better pro-drug availability in part accounts for the enhanced 7-Cl-KYNA formation. These data demonstrate that systemic 4-Cl-KYN application, by targeting reactive glial cells during the early, reversible stage of excitotoxic neurodegeneration, produces disproportionately large amounts of the neuroprotectant 7-Cl-KYNA at the site of the emerging lesion.
Force Transmissibility of Heavy Truck Tires

Abstract A laboratory study of force transmission in radial truck tires is described. The experiments are conducted with the tire‐wheel assembly attached to a fixed, nonrotating axle. Contact with the tire is provided by a flat surface. Single frequency displacement cycles are applied to the loaded tire footprint, and the dynamic force transmitted through the tire is measured at the fixed axle. Fourier transform signal analysis is used to extract the cyclic displacement and force amplitudes. The amplitude ratio force/displacement is defined as the force transmissibility. The experiments show inflation pressure and tire load to have little effect on force transmissibility. A single degree of freedom tire model for force transmissibility is described. The model uses easily measured tire parameters and is intended for use in vehicle models to include the effect of tire dynamics.
On the Dynamics of Demand for Leisure and the Production of Health

Our article develops and estimates a structural model of household health production that jointly determines the demand for leisure and the demand for consumption for elderly males. We use a stochastic dynamic programming framework based on the assumption that an individual maximizes lifetime utility subject to budget and time constraints and a health-production function by choosing hours of leisure and levels of consumption of health-related and health-neutral goods and services. Moreover, we use a very comprehensive health index that combines four scales measuring a variety of dimensions in the quality of life. The Euler equations derived from our model are estimated using data from six biennial panels of the Retirement History Survey.
Ethanol-induced caspase-3 activation in the in vivo developing mouse brain.

Recently several methods have been described for triggering extensive apoptotic neurodegeneration in the developing in vivo mammalian brain. These methods include treatment with drugs that block NMDA glutamate receptors, drugs that promote GABA(A) neurotransmission, or treatment with ethanol, which has both NMDA antagonist and GABAmimetic properties. A single intoxication episode induced by any of these agents is sufficient to cause widespread neurodegeneration throughout many brain regions. The cell death process transpires rapidly from early to late stages within several hours. As the neurons die, they become TUNEL positive and show, by both light and electron microscopy, all of the classical morphological characteristics of apoptosis. In the present study, using immunocytochemical methods, we document that ethanol intoxication of 7-day-old infant mice causes a widespread pattern of caspase-3 activation corresponding to the pattern of apoptotic neurodegeneration that is occurring simultaneously.
Cerebral asymmetry and emotion: Conceptual and methodological conundrums

Abstract A diversity of methods have been used to study cerebral asymmetries associated with emotion. Many different conceptual schemes have also been invoked to guide research on this topic. The purpose of this article is to survey the critical methodological and conceptual issues in this area of research. Research in this area must acknowledge the multi-componential nature of emotion. Asymmetries associated with the perception of emotional information and the posing of emotional expressions are not necessarily the same as those that accompany the actual production of emotion. Asymmetries vary along the rostral/caudal plane both in their magnitude and direction, as well as in their functional significance. Research in this area must explicitly take this variable into account. Different measures of asymmetry do not reflect the same underlying process and so cannot be used interchangeably. In particular, behavioural measures which lack extensive localising validation, must be used with caution. Finally, th...
Fracture pattern characteristics and associated injuries of high-energy, large fragment, partial articular radial head fractures: a preliminary imaging analysis.

Background High-energy radial head injuries often present with a large partial articular displaced fragment with any number of surrounding injuries. The objective of the study was to determine the characteristics of large fragment, partial articular radial head fractures and determine any significant correlation with specific injury patterns.
Deconstructing a Narrative Hierarchy: Leila Leong’s “I” in Fae Myenne Ng’s Bone

Bone (1993) is Fae Myenne Ng's first novel, set largely in San Francisco's Chinatown. Its central plot concerns how the members of the Leong family, Mah, Leon, Nina, the narrator Leila, and her boyfriend Mason Louie, seek to understand why Ona, the Leong's middle daughter, is driven to commit suicide. We are informed of the suicide from the first page, then the oldest sister, Leila, recounts events leading to and following the family's tragedy. The framework is circular. The novel ends at a point in time close to where it begins as Leila explores each distinct possibility, no matter how small, that might have caused the loss of her sister. What I wish to argue, however, is not a single reason for Ona's suicide, or how the characters do or do not reach an understanding of it, but how Leila's central character, as the "I" narrator creates a distinguishable hierarchy based on her attempt to find a center that is neither too Chinese nor too American, thus informing us of the complexity of her Chinese American consciousness. This narrative process can be examined using Jacques Derrida's criticism, in particular by applying his fundamental poststructuralist essay, "Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences." Ng's narrator, Leila's "I," can therefore be viewed as the central personality that governs how particular characters and events appear, consequently establishing the hierarchy. Characters and events are linked to one another through this same organizing principle.
Transport mechanism of a bacterial homologue of glutamate transporters

Glutamate transporters are integral membrane proteins that catalyse a thermodynamically uphill uptake of the neurotransmitter glutamate from the synaptic cleft into the cytoplasm of glia and neuronal cells by harnessing the energy of pre-existing electrochemical gradients of ions. Crucial to the reaction is the conformational transition of the transporters between outward and inward facing states, in which the substrate binding sites are accessible from the extracellular space and the cytoplasm, respectively. Here we describe the crystal structure of a double cysteine mutant of a glutamate transporter homologue from Pyrococcus horikoshii, GltPh, which is trapped in the inward facing state by cysteine crosslinking. Together with the previously determined crystal structures of GltPh in the outward facing state, the structure of the crosslinked mutant allows us to propose a molecular mechanism by which GltPh and, by analogy, mammalian glutamate transporters mediate sodium-coupled substrate uptake. Glutamate is the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, accumulating in neurons via the transmembrane glutamate transporter. The crystal structures of a bacterial homologue of glutamate transporters, GltPh, have provided a model of substrate and sodium ion binding to the transporters on the extracellular side of membranes. Now the structure of a double cysteine mutant of GltPh — trapped in its 'inward facing' state by cysteine cross-linking — has been determined. Comparisons with published structures of the protein in the outward facing state lead the authors to propose a molecular mechanism for the sodium-coupled uptake of glutamate. The thermodynamically uphill uptake of glutamate from the synaptic cleft into the cytoplasm of glia and neuronal cells is carried out by glutamate transporters. The conformational transition of the transporters between outward and inward facing states is crucial for this process to occur. Here, the crystal structure of a double cysteine mutant of a bacterial homologue of glutamate transporters, trapped in the inward facing state by cysteine crosslinking, is described.
Neoaortoiliac System (NAIS) procedure for the treatment of the infected aortic graft.

We aim to provide a thorough and current summary highlighting the use of autologous vein grafts during reconstruction of infected aortic grafts. Aortic graft infections, while rare, remain one of the most difficult problems that a vascular surgeon can encounter. Optimal management of patients with aortic graft infections requires a full understanding of all potential therapeutic interventions available. Reconstruction with autologous vein grafts is a technique that has evolved and has been refined during the past 2 decades, representing a major advance in the treatment of aortic graft infections. Thirty-day operative mortality is ≤10%, with 5-year mortality rates of 30% to 50%. Thirty-day major amputation rates range from 2% to 7.4%, with 5-year limb-salvage rates ranging between 89% and 96%. Early occlusion of the grafts are rare, with
Split-pole exciters: Their design and application on diesel-electric locomotives

The development of the diesel-electric locomotive posed the problem of utilizing full engine horsepower over a wide range of locomotive operating conditions. One means devised to solve this problem was the use of a split-pole exciter, so designed as to give a generator load characteristic closely matching the constant horsepower output of the diesel engine over most of its range. Since the regulation results from the inherent exciter characteristics, this system employs a minimum of control equipment.
Cognitive deficits as treatment targets in schizophrenia

Cognitive impairment has emerged as an important new target in schizophrenia therapeutics in light of evidence that cognitive deficits are critically related to the functional of disability that is characteristic of the illness. Evidence is briefly reviewed supporting the idea that the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention including: (1) there is a characteristic pattern of cognitive deficits that occur with very high frequency; (2) the deficits are relatively stable over time; and (3) cognitive deficits are relatively independent of the symptomatic manifestations of the illness. Thus, cognitive impairment appears to be a well-defined, reliable and distinct dimension of the illness.
Genomic analysis to define molecular basis of aggressiveness in a mouse model of oral cancer

To investigate the molecular basis underlying aggressive behavior in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), our laboratory developed a carcinogen-induced mouse oral cancer (MOC) cell line model that encompasses the growth and metastasis spectrum of its human counterpart. We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) and gene expression microarray profiles to explore the genomic and transcriptional backgrounds of the differential MOC line phenotypes, as well as, the cross-species relevance of the model. Here we describe the comparative analysis of NGS (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/biosample?LinkName=bioproject_biosample_all&from_uid=247825) and expression microarray (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE50041) data from the MOC lines and corresponding human data, as described in our recent publication [1].
Exploiting unconscious user signals in multimodal human-computer interaction

This article presents the idea of empathic stimulation that relies on the power and potential of unconsciously conveyed attentive and emotional information to facilitate human-machine interaction. Starting from a historical review of related work presented at past ACM Multimedia conferences, we discuss challenges that arise when exploiting unconscious human signals for empathic stimulation, such as the real-time analysis of psychological user states and the smooth adaptation of the human-machine interface based on this analysis. A classical application field that might benefit from the idea of unconscious human-computer interaction is the exploration of massive datasets.
Study of the valence level electron structure of Mo02−4, WO2−4, Re02−4 and Os02−4 by xps

Abstract We have studied the X-ray photoelectron spectra of Mo02−4, W02−4,Re0−4 and Os02−4 in various of their salts. We find a reasonably good agreement between our results and the predictions of calculations, both as to the position and the composition of the levels. The agreement can be improved substantially by supposing that the levels which have considerable d amplitude are subject to larger rearrangement effects that are the levels which are localized on oxygen atoms. This supposition finds support in various other lines of evidence.
"Conditioned" Alpha Desynchronization

Results casting doubt on the reported findings of Wells and Wolff on conditioned alpha desynchronization are presented. The experimental findings indicate that these authors were most likely dealing with the phenomenon of adaptation to a complex stimulus. These results are compared to similar phenomena in the conditioning of the galvanic skin response.
Magnetic Hetero-flocculation of Paramagnetic Colloidal Particles

The feasibility of a high-gradient magnetic separation process, utilizing magnetite as the energizable element in lieu of stainless steel wool, is evaluated by means of an equilibrium, two-particle, magnetic hetero-flocculation model. The model calculates the net force, defined as the sum of the magnetic, electrostatic, and van der Waals forces, exerted on a paramagnetic nanoparticle that is in the proximity of a fixed magnetite particle. Since the nanoparticle-magnetite system is assumed to be in direct contact with the moving fluid, the influence of the hydrodynamic force on the magnetic attractive force between the two particles is also explored. This model clearly reveals the ranges and conditions over which each of these various forces contributes to the net force relative to Brownian (thermal) motion. The model also reveals the feasibility of using magnetite particles instead of stainless steel as the energizable element for high-gradient magnetic separation. Important variables investigated include the size and surface charge of the particles, the magnetic field, the flow velocity, the electrolyte concentration, and the magnetic susceptibility of the nanoparticle.
Serum calcium concentration and the average evoked response.

Abstract The effect of serum calcium concentration on the visual average evoked response (AER) was studied in twenty-four patients with disorders of calcium metabolism and in six normal volunteers given parathyroid extract. Low serum calcium concentrations (below 8 mg/100 ml) were associated with greater amplitude and shorter latency evoked responses that were high serum calcium concentrations (above 12 mg/100 ml). Administration of parathyroid extract in doses that affected the serum calcium minimally had no effect on the AER latency or amplitude. AER latency and amplitude changes were correlated with serum calcium concentration rather than with the patient's diagnostic category.
Bone mineral density in children and young adults with Crohn's disease

Reduced bone mineral density (BMD) has been reported in adults with Crohn's disease (CD). Less is known about abnormal BMD in children and young adults with CD. The aims of this study are to determine the prevalence of low BMD and to evaluate the effect of growth and pubertal development on BMD in children and young adults with CD. One hundred-nineteen patients with CD underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to determine BMD. Anthropometry and pubertal development were measured. Bone age was measured only in patients older than 8 years of age and who had not grown in height during the last year. One hundred-nineteen patients (72 male, 47 female) were evaluated. Seventy percent of patients had BMD z-scores < or = -1.0 and 32% had z-scores < or = -2.0. Weight and height z-scores were significantly associated with BMD z-scores. BMD z-scores based on bone age and on chronological age were highly correlated, except when the chronological age BMD z-score was < or = -2.0. BMD z-score was significantly different between males and females for the group (-1.75 +/- 1.06 vs. -1.08 +/- 1.00), respectively. Children and young adults with CD have a high prevalence of low BMD and routine evaluation by DXA is indicated. In patients with a chronological age-based BMD z-score < or = -2.0, a bone age-based BMD should be considered.
Expression of functional papain precursor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: rapid screening of mutants

A microbial expression system for the study of the cysteine protease papain has been developed as a more useful alternative to the insect cell/baculovirus expression system we have previously used. A synthetic papain precursor (propapain) gene was expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the alpha-factor promoter. Efficient expression required fusion of the propapain sequence with the yeast alpha-factor prepro region and a yeast host cell defective in the synthesis of vacuolar proteases. Surprisingly, the glycosylated form of the inactive papain precursor is not secreted, but accumulates within the yeast cell. Complete conversion of the intracellular zymogen into active mature papain could be achieved in vitro. Purified recombinant papain produced by the yeast system has kinetic characteristics similar to those of the natural enzyme. An advantage of the yeast expression system over the baculovirus/insect cell system is that we can perform mutagenesis and screening of papain mutants very efficiently. We have set up a 'one-tube' screening procedure for the simultaneous characterization of numerous mutants of the papain precursor. Yeast cells are grown and lysed in microtiter plate wells and the released papain precursor is then activated to mature papain. This assay allows easy discrimination between proteins with close to wild type properties and proteins that are not functional. We have applied this assay to investigate the spectrum of amino acids which are tolerated at Asn175 of papain using two independently derived libraries of mutants at this position. Many amino acid substitutions at this position are not accepted; only the reintroduction of Asn restored normal function.
Fiber fracture during the consolidation of metal matrix composites

Abstract A detailed study of conditions leading to fiber fracture during the consolidation of Ti14wt%Al21wt%Nb/SiC (SCS-6) composite monotapes has been conducted. For this continuous fiber reinforced composite system, the incidence of fracture increases with consolidation rate at higher process temperatures. Increasing consolidation temperature at a fixed pressure reduces the number of breaks per unit length of fiber. Examination of partially densified compacts has revealed the existence of significant fiber bending and ultimately fracture due to monotape surface roughness (asperities) which places the fibers in three point bending. A representative volume element has been defined for the consolidating lay-up and its response analyzed to predict the fiber deflection (and hence probability of failure) when the surface asperities deform either by plasticity or by steady state creep. The relationships between fiber fracture and process conditions predicted using the volume element are similar to those observed experimentally. The cell analysis suggests that fiber fracture is decreased by increases in fiber stiffness, strength, and diameter and by decreases in matrix yield and creep strength and monotape surface roughness.
Patency rates of femorofemoral bypasses associated with endovascular aneurysm repair surpass those performed for occlusive disease.

PURPOSE To evaluate the patency rates of femorofemoral grafts performed in conjunction with aortomonoiliac or aortomonofemoral (AMI/F) endografts. METHODS Over the past 8 years, 110 patients (98 men; mean age 77+/-7 years, range 57-90) underwent aortoiliac aneurysm repair with an AMI/F endograft. Follow-up data in these patients were prospectively collected for a mean 2.3 years (range 1-68 months). RESULTS There were 2 early (<7 days) AMI/F endograft thromboses with secondary femorofemoral graft occlusion. In both patients, patency of all grafts was restored by thrombectomy plus stenting of the endograft. Three late (4, 5, and 10 months) AMI/F endograft thromboses led to femorofemoral graft failure; 2 were successfully treated, but the third patient refused further intervention. No femorofemoral bypass failed in the absence of AMI/F endograft thrombosis. There were no femorofemoral graft infections. Four-year life-table primary and secondary patency rates were 95% and 99%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Femorofemoral bypasses with AMI/F endografts for aneurysmal disease are durable procedures and have better patency than femorofemoral grafts used to treat occlusive disease. Femorofemoral bypass patency rates alone are not a disadvantage of aortomonoiliac endografts.