cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationships of clinical, psychologic, and individual factors with the functional status of neck pain patients.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to use both generic and disease-specific functional measures examining relationships of clinical, psychologic, and individual factors with the functional status of neck pain patients. Methods Patients who visited a university-based spine clinic and reported neck pain were included in this study. A comprehensive computerized survey questionnaire was used to collect the information related to this study. The questionnaire also contained a generic measure, short form 12-item survey (SF-12), and a disease-specific measure, neck disability index (NDI). Correlation and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationships. Results A range of clinical, psychologic, and individual factors emerged to be significant predictors of the NDI or physical component of the SF-12 (PCS). The predictors of higher NDI included higher levels of neck pain, higher levels of back pain, higher levels of pain in arm or shoulder areas, not working, lower education, higher stress, the presence of depression or anxiety, and smoking. The predictors of lower PCS included not working, higher levels of back pain, higher levels of neck pain, lower education, female sex, the presence of cardiovascular disorders, the absence of cervical disk disorders, and older age. Conclusions The predictors of the NDI or PCS appear to be multidimensional. Interventions designed to maximally improve the functional status of neck pain patients should be multifaceted and involve multidisciplinary teams. Selection of the most appropriate functional measures for an intervention study should consider differences between the generic and disease-specific measures in terms of their respective relationships with targeted factors. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the relationships observed in this study.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis supports protein tyrosine phosphorylation

Reversible protein phosphorylation determines growth and adaptive decisions in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). At least 11 two-component systems and 11 Ser/Thr protein kinases (STPKs) mediate phosphorylation on Asp, His, Ser, and Thr. In contrast, protein phosphorylation on Tyr has not been described previously in Mtb. Here, using a combination of phospho-enrichment and highly sensitive mass spectrometry, we show extensive protein Tyr phosphorylation of diverse Mtb proteins, including STPKs. Several STPKs function as dual-specificity kinases that phosphorylate Tyr in cis and in trans, suggesting that dual-specificity kinases have a major role in bacterial phospho-signaling. Mutation of a phosphotyrosine site of the essential STPK PknB reduces its activity in vitro and in live Mtb, indicating that Tyr phosphorylation has a functional role in bacterial growth. These data identify a previously unrecognized phosphorylation system in a human pathogen that claims ∼1.4 million lives every year.
Conducting airway geometry as a function of age

Information on airway geometry (lengths, diameters and branching and gravity angles) is required to perform dosimetry calculations. Data on the dimensions of the conducting airways of the tracheobronchial region of the lung are generally obtained from measurements made on solid casts. Such measurements are timeconsuming and because of the large number of conducting airways in humans (between approximately 30 000 and 60 000), only limited measurements on a few casts have been made and reported in the literature (Weibel, 1963; Horsfield and Gumming, 1968; Raabe et al., 1976). More recently, Mortensen et al. (1983a, 1983b, 1988) have made measurements in a number of children aged from a few months to 21 years of age. For use in dosimetry methods, the airway data must be summarized in a geometry model that may be either deterministic (Weibel, 1963; Horsfield and Cumming, 1968; Yeh and Schum, 1980; Phalen et al, 1985) or stochastic (Koblinger and Hofmann, 1985). Although the Weibel (1963) geometry is widely used in dosimetry models, the cast was only described as comparing well with an average adult human lung. Horsfield and Cumming (1968) based their model on measurements made in a 25 year old male. The data of Raabe et al. (1976) are for two males, aged 50 and 60 years. The data of Mortensen et al. (1983a) provide a number of additional casts that extend the age range down to infants, include females as well as males and allow limited examination of intersubject variability. In this paper, selected descriptive statistics for 11 Mortensen casts are discussed and comparisons of diameters among the adult lung models of Weibel and Yeh and Schum with two adult (18 and 21 years) males in the Mortensen database are made.
Power semiconductor devices: design and manufacturing for improved field reliability (invited)

In the information age, power electronic systems need to demonstrate, "nine 9's" of field reliability. The current reliability performance of most power converters is at best is in the range of "six 9's." A dramatic improvement in device robustness is needed to successfully address the emerging market demand. In this paper, we discuss a new "top-down" system-level approach to identify and correct excessive field failures in compact high-frequency computer and telecom power supplies. We outline approaches to design and manufacture robust power semiconductor switches that guarantee "built-in" field reliability.
Mechanisms underlying hemispatial neglect

If patients with left-sided hemispatial neglect bisect lines incorrectly because hemianopia or sensory hemiinattention prevents them from seeing how far the line extends to the left, a strategy that ensures their seeing the left side of the line in their normal field should improve performance. If patients have hemispatial hypokinesia, moving the line toward the normal half of body space should improve performance. Six patients with left-sided neglect from right hemisphere infarctions were required to identify a letter at either the right or the left end of a line before bisecting that line. The task was given with the lines placed at either the right, the center, or the left of the body midline. Performance in trials when subjects were required to look to the left before bisecting a line did not differ from when they were required to look right. Performance was significantly better when the line was placed to the right side of the body than to the left. These observations support the hypothesis that patients with hemispatial neglect have hemispatial hypokinesia. An alternative hypothesis is that these subjects had a hemispatial memory defect. Although they saw the left side of the line in their normal field, they were incapable of forming a stable trace and performed as if they did not see the left side of the line.
The Effect of Test Translation on the Performance of Second Grade English Learners on the KeyMath‐3

This study was conducted to determine whether Spanish-enhanced administration of a standardized math assessment would result in improved scores for English Learners who used Spanish as a heritage language. Twenty-one typically developing second-graders (English Learners) were administered the traditional KeyMath-3. If the child made an error on an item, a Spanish version of the item was presented. Difference scores were calculated to determine whether the Spanish-enhanced version resulted in improved scores. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and simple regression. The data results showed that all children significantly benefited from the Spanish-enhanced administration of items answered incorrectly in English. The amount of benefit was predicted by a child's degree of Spanish dominance. It was concluded that standardized math tests that do not accommodate second-language learners may be inadvertently testing language skills in addition to math skills. Implications for assessment and interpretations of assessments are discussed.
Spontaneous formation of nonspherical water ice grains in a plasma environment

Saturn's rings, terrestrial polar mesospheric clouds, and astrophysical molecular clouds are all dusty plasma environments where tiny grains of water ice are an important constituent. Existing models typically assume that the ice grains are spherical and then invoke various arguments about the normal distribution or the power law dependence of grain number density on grain radius. Using a laboratory plasma in which water ice grains spontaneously form, we investigated the validity of the traditional assumption that these grains are spherical. We found that in certain cases at low ambient pressures, water ice grains in the laboratory dusty plasma are not spherical but instead are highly elongated, i.e., ellipsoidal. Preliminary analysis suggests that electrical forces associated with the dusty plasma environment are responsible for the nonspherical shape.
Modeling the progression and treatment of HIV

Current treatment of HIV patients is based on various guidelines that have changed with the advent of newer antiretroviral therapies and the emergence of resistance to them. However, there remains uncertainty over the best time to initiate HIV therapy or when to switch. Observational cohort studies or clinical trials are limited in the number of scenarios they can examine, whereas simulation modeling is well suited for considering various treatment policies. We describe a Monte Carlo simulation of a cohort of HIV positive patients that explicitly models two key components of HIV progression: adherence and the acquisition of resistance. Simulation results closely match cohort statistics such as survival time and length of time on the first three treatment regimens. We also describe sensitivity analyses and experiments such as testing the effects of starting therapy at different levels.
Datapoints: Trends in ADHD and Stimulant Use Among Adults: 1995-2002

1497 T dramatic rise in the number of children given a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a prescription for stimulant pharmacotherapy for its treatment has been well established (1). Follow-up studies have documented the persistence of ADHD into adulthood, with estimates that oneto two-thirds of individuals who were given a diagnosis in childhood continue to manifest symptoms into adulthood. We used data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) to evaluate whether there has been an increase among adults in the number of office visits in which a diagnosis of ADHD was recorded. The NAMCS is an ongoing annual survey of a representative sample of U.S. office-based physician practices. We extracted all records with a recorded diagnosis of ADHD for patients aged 20 years or older for the years 1995 through 2002. We combined the data into two-year intervals to enhance sample size and derived annualized mean visits (1). Unweighted sample sizes for visits in which a diagnosis of ADHD was recorded were 99 in 1995–1996, 64 in 1997–1998, 106 in 1999–2000, and 142 in 2001–2002. As shown in Figure 1, over this time frame weighted national estimates of the number of these annualized office-based physician visits increased 2.5-fold (p<.05), from 583,000 in 1995–1996 (95 percent confidence interval [CI]=329,000 to 837,000), to 1,462,000 in 2001–2002 (CI=994,000 to 1,930,000). After adjustment for population growth, the rate per year of officebased visits per 1,000 U.S. population aged 20 years or older that resulted in a diagnosis of ADHD Trends in ADHD and Stimulant Use Among Adults: 1995–2002
Headaches from aneurysms.

The clinical features and differential diagnosis of aneurysmal rupture of the cerebral vessels are reviewed with special emphasis on the headaches associated with this disorder.
Fungal endophthalmitis in a tertiary care cancer center : a review of 23 cases

Few data exist on the etiology, presentation, prognosis, and management of fungal endophthalmitis (FE) in cancer patients. FE cases were identified by reviewing the ophthalmology reports and microbiology cultures of patients at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and obtained information related to malignancy, fungal infection and its management, visual outcome, and mortality. We compared FE caused by Candida spp. (CE) to FE caused by molds (ME). Of the 102 cancer patients with a fungal infection for whom an ophthalmology consult was requested, 23 met the criteria for definite (N = 6) or probable (N = 17) FE (8 with CE, 15 with ME). All of the patients with ME had hematologic malignancies, whereas half of the patients with CE had solid tumor (P = .008). Only patients with CE had a history of surgery within 30 days of FE diagnosis (38%, P = .03). Fungal pneumonia [17 (74%)] and disseminated infection [14, (61%)] were common. The most common presenting symptoms were decreased vision [16 (70%)] and ocular pain [14 (61%)]. All treated patients received systemic antifungals (combination therapy in 72% of the cases). Seven patients (30%) underwent vitrectomy. Only one patient received intraocular injection of amphotericin B along with systemic antifungals. Four-week mortality was high [13 (57%)], especially in ME (73%, P = .04). Among the eight surviving patients where visual acuity could be assessed, visual outcome improved or remained stable in five (63%). FE in cancer patients occurs in the setting of severe, frequently disseminated opportunistic mycoses, is caused predominantly by hyalohyphomycetes, and is a marker for high 4-week mortality.
Use of Fungal Derived Polysaccharide-Conjugated Particles to Probe Dectin-1 Responses in Innate Immunity

The number of life-threatening fungal infections has risen in immunocompromised patients, and identification of the rules that govern an appropriate immune response is essential to develop better diagnostics and targeted therapeutics. The outer cell wall component on pathogenic fungi consists of β-1,3-glucan, and Dectin-1, a pattern recognition receptor present on the cell surface of innate immune cells, binds specifically to this carbohydrate. A barrier in understanding the exact immunological response to pathogen-derived carbohydrate epitopes is the presence of multiple types of carbohydrate moieties on fungal cell walls. To dissect the immunological mechanisms used to recognize pathogens, a system of "fungal like particles" was developed that consisted of polystyrene beads, which mimicked the three dimensional shape of the fungus, coated covalently with purified β-1,3-glucan derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The morphology of the β-1,3-glucan layer was examined by immunofluorescence, flow cytometery, and immuno-transmission electron microscopy. The covalent linkages of the β-1,3-glucan to the polystyrene surface were stable after subjecting the beads to detergents. By pre-treating β-1,3-glucan beads with laminarinase, a specific β-1,3-gluconase, the reactivity of the anti-β-1,3-glucan antibody was abrogated in comparison to treatment with proteinase K indicating that the coating of these beads was predominantly β-1,3-glucan. TNF-α was also measured by stimulating bone-marrow derived macrophages with the β-1,3-glucan beads, and showed a dose dependent response compared to soluble β-glucan, insoluble β-1,3-glucan, uncoated beads, and soluble β-1,3-glucan mixed with uncoated beads. Finally, β-1,3-glucan beads were incubated with GFP-Dectin-1 expressing macrophages and imaged using confocal microscopy. β-1,3-beads were taken up within minutes and retained Dectin-1 recruitment to the phagosome as compared to uncoated beads. These data describe a unique fungal-like particle system that will permit immunologists to probe the critical steps in early recognition of pathogen-derived fungal carbohydrate antigens by innate immune cells.
The role of creative innovation in economic growth: Some international comparisons

For many countries, export-driven policies have thus far produced dramatic increases in real per capita income. At the same time, sustainable growth requires that technological innovation proceed at comparable rates if mutual gains from globalization are to be realized. In this paper, we derive a measure of innovation and test the extent to which institutional policy choices enhance or delay its diffusion. To do so we use a panel regression model, with data on a sample of 103 countries in different geographic regions for the 1980–2005 period. Our findings provide empirical evidence of the positive role of creative innovation in economic growth, and from which we derive several basic policy conclusions.
Are suicide terrorists suicidal? A critical assessment of the evidence.

OBJECTIVE: Most of the research on suicide terrorism is conducted in the political science and international relations fields. The prevailing wisdom within this literature is that suicide terrorists are not suicidal. But how good is the evidence for this assumption? Knowing whether suicide terrorists are suicidal has implications for prevention, rehabilitation, and the "softer" side of counterterrorism designed to win minds and hearts. In addition it may deepen our understanding of suicide itself. DESIGN: This article uses a review of existing literature to examine the arguments and evidence for and against the possibility that suicide terrorists could be suicidal in the context of a broad range of explanations for suicide terrorism. RESULTS: Much of the evidence against the possibility that suicide terrorists are suicidal is based on anecdote or faulty assumptions about suicide. Relatively few formal systematic studies of suicidality in suicide terrorists have been conducted. Nonetheless, there is emerging evidence that suicidality may play a role in a significant number of cases. CONCLUSION: The field needs a more multidimensional approach, more systematic data at the individual level, and greater international cross-disciplinary collaboration. Would-be suicide terrorists (intercepted and arrested on their way to an attack) should be routinely interviewed using standard internationally accepted psychiatric diagnostic interviews as well as suicidality and homicidality rating scales. Psychological autopsies should also be routinely conducted worldwide. Since no one research site can collect all of the information that is needed, the creation of an internationally shared database that focuses on suicide terrorists rather than simply incidents is encouraged. Language: en
Matrix Metalloproteinase-12 Induces Blood–Brain Barrier Damage After Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Background and Purpose— Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have a central role in compromising the integrity of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). The role of MMP-12 in brain damage after ischemic stroke remains unknown. The main objective of the current study is to investigate the effect of MMP-12 suppression at an early time point before reperfusion on the BBB damage in rats. Methods— Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion. MMP-12 shRNA–expressing plasmids formulated as nanoparticles were administered at a dose of 1 mg/kg body weight. The involvement of MMP-12 on BBB damage was assessed by performing various techniques, including Evans blue dye extravasation, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, immunoblot, gelatin zymography, and immunofluorescence analysis. Results— MMP-12 is upregulated ≈31-, 47-, and 66-fold in rats subjected 1–, 2-, or 4-hour ischemia, respectively, followed by 1-day reperfusion. MMP-12 suppression protected the BBB integrity by inhibiting the degradation of tight-junction proteins. Either intravenous or intra-arterial delivery of MMP-12 shRNA-expressing plasmid significantly reduced the percent Evans blue dye extravasation and infarct size. Furthermore, MMP-12 suppression reduced the endogenous levels of other proteases, such as tissue-type plasminogen activator and MMP-9, which are also known to be the key players involved in BBB damage. Conclusions— These results demonstrate the adverse role of MMP-12 in acute brain damage that occurs after ischemic stroke and, thereby, suggesting that MMP-12 suppression could be a promising therapeutic target for cerebral ischemia.
The archaeology of fish and fishing on the central coast of California: The case for an under-exploited resource

Abstract Decades of systematic archaeological investigations highlight the importance of fish and fishing for prehistoric people along the central coast of California, but to date temporal and spatial trends remain unsynthesized. An evaluation of 202,177 fish remains from 86 sites on the central coast of California yielded a sample of 75,532 NISP from temporally and methodologically controlled contexts. Seventy-nine temporal components demonstrate a 10,000-year history of fishing within estuaries, along the open rocky coast, and on the Monterey Peninsula. Fishes within six taxa dominate the record throughout including New World silversides, small surfperches, and members of the herring family which almost certainly were caught with nets, and rockfish and cabezon which were amenable to individual hook and line capture. The persistent dominance of these fishes suggests that nets and hooks/gorges were employed throughout the sequence along with watercraft. Only very modest changes are apparent between 10,000 and 300 years ago, suggesting continuous harvest of a relatively productive, stable resource that was too abundant to be seriously impacted by pre-European harvesting practices. There is no evidence for gradual or incremental intensification in fishing, rather there are three intervals of change in fish remains and inferred fishing practices that reflect changes in human population and/or environment. There is no compelling evidence for depression of the prehistoric fishery and the record seems to reflect epiphenomenal sustainability related to low human populations and a highly productive, upwelling-fueled, under-exploited fishery. Comparison of the prehistoric record with enormous yields recorded historically further supports this conclusion.
How Law and Economics was Marketed in a Hostile World: A Very Personal History

This somewhat autobiographical essay surveys the legal background and the institutional development of modern law and economics scholarship. This field began to gain momentum only after the invention of new analytical tools by economists such as Ronald Coase, Armen Alchian, and Harold Demsetz and the careful interdisciplinary efforts of legal-economic scholars such as Richard Posner and Guido Calabresi. The author's personal contributions to the substantive scholarship, though earlier in time, were somewhat tangential to the academic success of law and economics for many years, since corporate law and securities regulation were considered marginal fields of importance in legal academia in the 1960s. The author's more important contributions to the development of law and economics as a field lie in his entrepreneurial work in founding the first academic center specializing in law and economics, conducting numerous early conferences bringing lawyers and economists together, and offering economics courses for law professors and federal judges. These efforts culminated with his deanship of the George Mason University School of Law, where he established the first law school exclusively emphasizing one interdisciplinary approach to legal education. This essay also examines the intellectual and ideological resistance to the development of law and economics, as encountered generally in the field and personally by the author.
Detection of Density Variations in Flowing Two-Phase Hydrogen

Liquid hydrogen is heated by a nuclear reactor and expelled as a hot gas to provide thrust in the Kiwi nuclear engine. The possibility of liquid hydrogen reaching the reactor core during start-up was of interest to design engineers. Since thermodynamic equilibrium is not probable during this period, pressure and temperature measurements are not adequate and direct measurement of density is necessary. Requirements included the following: 1. The sensor had to fit into spaces available in the reactor without excessive disturbance of flow patterns. 2. Frequency response of about 2000 cps was required to detect small droplets since a well-dispersed two-phase condition was anticipated. 3. Reactor design required the connection of the sensor to the associated electronics with from 8 to 10 ft of coaxial cable. 4. The system had to be capable of remote operation and provide a signal compatible with available recording facilities.
RESPONDING TO COMMUNITY-IDENTIFIED SUICIDE CLUSTERS: STATISTICAL VERIFICATION OF THE CLUSTER IS NOT THE PRIMARY ISSUE

Establishing the presence of an epidemic is traditionally a first step in any outbreak investigation. For two reasons, however, this has not been a fruitful approach for suicide cluster investigations. First, the data necessary to statistically verify an excess number of suicidal incidents are often lacking or of poor quality. Second, and more important, when a community perceives that it is experiencing a suicide cluster, it is not immediately relevant whether the cluster is statistically significant. The perception of suicide clustering, and the highly charged emotional atmosphere associated with that perception, may dramatically heighten the potentially "contagious" effect of suicide. That the perception of clustering may itself be a risk factor for suicide distinguishes suicide clusters from all other clusters of fatal disease or illness. A community response plan should, therefore, be implemented to identify and refer persons who may be at high risk of suicide, regardless of whether the community-identified suicide cluster is statistically significant. Statistical techniques may be useful at several stages in the investigation and control of apparent suicide clusters, but statistical verification of a community-identified suicide cluster is not appropriate as a starting point for response to the cluster.
A Silicon Nanopore Device for On-Chip Patch Clamp Measurements of Single Ion Channel Activity

Here we present a novel silicon nanopore planar patch clamp chip for single ion channel screening. We fabricate our devices using a combination of KOH and metal-assisted etching. Electrical characterization shows that the shunt capacitance and access resistance are within the accepted ranges for single channel recordings. In order to test our devices, we cultured and differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells on chip. We reliably obtained a high resistance seal to the cell membrane and report single ion channel activity recordings.
Link Resolvers: An Overview for Reference Librarians

When a library subscribes to multiple databases and full-text resources, it can be a challenge to determine if the full-text of an article cited in one database is available in another resource. Link resolving software makes this task easier by acting as a bridge between databases; patrons easily go from a journal citation in one database to the full-text of the journal in another database. In an attempt to help reference librarians understand the technology and issues, this paper gives a brief overview of link resolver implementation and terminology. It also explores the data problems and issues encountered during and after implementation of Innovative Interfaces' link software, WebBridge.
Learning From Philadelphia: Topographies of HIV/AIDS Media Assemblages

For this contribution to the special issue on "Mapping Queer Bioethics," the author employs an array of public health and popular media texts (especially Jonathan Demme's film Philadelphia) to challenge the construction and reconstruction of HIV-positive bodies as sites of bioethical concern. In outlining notions of "digital restoration," the author argues that there has been of late a remapping of the first decade of the HIV/AIDS pandemic through media projects assembled from archived materials. Accordingly, the author suggests that in the first decades of the 2000s, we have witnessed a media-archaeological turn, whereby old materials have been reassembled for commemorative purposes that oftentimes perform a reshaping of the topography of the first decade of the AIDS pandemic.
A Role for Poly(ADP-Ribose) in Radiogenic and Chemically-Induced Malignant Transformation and Mutagenesis

3-aminobenzamide (3AB) is a nicotinamide analog which was first introduced as an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis [29]. 3AB has a multitude of effects on cells previously exposed to DNA damaging agents, which have been taken to indicate a role for poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis in DNA repair [1–3, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15–17, 22–27, 31–33]. Other side effects suggest, however, that 3AB may not be as specific as supposed [9, 10, 14, 18, 21]. 3AB also inhibits malignant transformation by radiation and methylating agents in human, mouse, and hamster cells [5–7, 19]. We have now compared the effects of low concentrations of 3AB on mutagenesis and transformation, in view of the supposed similarities in these processes.
Does Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Matter for Children’s Health Status? Insights from Northern Ghana

Given that women in rural communities in developing countries are responsible for the nutrition and health-related decisions affecting children in their care, their empowerment may influence the health status of their children. The association between women’s empowerment, measured by using a recently developed Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index, and children’s health status is examined for a sample of households in Northern Ghana applying a Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model. The MIMIC approach is used to link multiple indicator variables with multiple independent variables through a “single underlying” latent variable. Height-for-age and weight-for-height z-scores are used as indicators of the underlying children’s health status and women’s empowerment in agriculture and control variables are used as the multiple independent variables. Our results show that neither the composite empowerment score used to capture women’s empowerment in agriculture nor its decomposed components are statistically significant in their association with the latent children’s health status. However, the associations between children’s health status and control variables such as mother’s education, child’s age, household’s hunger scale and residence locale are statistically significant. Results also confirm the existence of the ‘single underlying’ common latent variable. Of the two health status indicators, height-for-age scores and weight-for- height scores, the former exhibited a relatively stronger association with the latent health status. While promoting women’s empowerment to enhance their ability to make strategic life choices, it is important to carefully consider how the achievement of these objectives will impact the women’s well-being and the well-being of the children in their care.
Bilateral marginal sterile infiltrates and diffuse lamellar keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis.

Purpose To report cases of acute bilateral catarrhal infiltrates in the early postoperative period after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Methods Retrospective review of both eyes of two patients. Results Two patients developed acute bilateral, marginal, catarrhal infiltrates in the early postoperative period after LASIK. Both patients had moderate to severe chronic meibomian gland dysfunction preoperatively. One patient (both eyes) developed grade 3 diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) that required both flaps to be lifted for irrigation and cleaning on postoperative day 5. Fungal and bacterial cultures were negative in both eyes of both patients. The condition resolved with intensive topical corticosteroids and fortified antibiotics. Regression of refractive error and the need for enhancement was encountered in all eyes. There was mild recurrence in one eye of each patient with pretreatment with topical corticosteroids prior to enhancement. Conclusions Endogenous factors such as chronic blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction may trigger inflammation resulting in sporadic cases of catarrhal infiltrates after LASIK. These patients may have chronic inflammatory milieus that can trigger sporadic cases of catarrhal infiltrates after LASIK, with accompanying diffuse lamellar keratitis.
A solution for broadband

Broadband has been much talked about in terms of its impact on industry and the home. We know that the government believes broadband is important to the prosperity of the country through the push for a Broadband Britain. But it is far from a simple subject and there is much that has been said either to make a particular point or simply in error There are many players in the story, and the range of products offered is very broad. This chapter provides a worked example of the introduction of DSL-based broadband services. It starts by looking at the definition of broadband, correcting some of the myths that have been circulated, and discusses the range of technologies available to deliver broadband. It then focuses in on the DSL story so far with a look at the technology and a short history of the evolution of broadband. It looks at the players in the broadband business model before outlining the broadband products offered by BT and the design of the solution that supports those products. The chapter concludes by commenting on the early experience, drawing comparisons with others and considering some of the possible evolutions of the DSL broadband story.
Childhood Trauma and Play Therapy Intervention for Traumatized Children

Play therapy is examined as an intervention for traumatized children. Difficulties in assessing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children according to the existing criteria are described, a...
Climatic Sensitivity of a Mixed Forest Association of White Spruce and Trembling Aspen at Their Southern Range Limit

Climatic sensitivity of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) was examined growing in association with trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) at their southern limit of distribution in a transitional ecotone between the southern boreal forest and northern prairie region. The study was carried out in the Spruce Woods Provincial Park (SWPP) located in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. The dry regional climate restricted trembling aspen growth during the growing season via moisture deficiency and temperature induced drought stress. Warm, mild winters also negatively affected radial growth of trembling aspen. Growth of white spruce was moderated by conditions within the aspen stands as radial growth patterns showed low variability from year to year, a low common growth signal, and a stronger response to temperature than to precipitation. Nonetheless, the dry regional climate still restricted growth of white spruce during the growing season via temperature induced drought stress. The findings of the study for white spruce support the stress gradient hypothesis in which facilitative interactions between tree species are expected under harsher environmental conditions.
Approximation by Polynomials with Integral Coefficients and Digital Filter Design

First the notion of a digital filter is briefly introduced. Next the part of the design process for such filters where approximation by polynomials with integral coefficients enters is outlined. Finally a result is stated and proved, which reduces the determination of the error involved in approximating a function by a polynomial whose coefficients are integers to a finite number of calculations.
Neglect as a Violation of Species-Expectant Experience: Neurodevelopmental Consequences

The human brain requires a wide variety of experiences and environmental inputs in order to develop normally. Children who are neglected by caregivers or raised in institutional environments are deprived of numerous types of species-expectant environmental experiences. In this review, we articulate a model of how the absence of cognitive stimulation and sensory, motor, linguistic, and social experiences common among children raised in deprived early environments constrains early forms of learning, producing long-term deficits in complex cognitive function and associative learning. Building on evidence from animal models, we propose that deprivation accelerates the neurodevelopmental process of synaptic pruning and limits myelination, resulting in age-specific reductions in cortical thickness and white matter integrity among children raised in deprived early environments. We review evidence linking early experiences of psychosocial deprivation to reductions in cognitive ability, associative and implicit learning, language skills, and executive functions as well as atypical patterns of cortical and white matter development-domains that should be profoundly influenced by deprivation through the learning and neural mechanisms we propose. These patterns of atypical development are difficult to explain with existing models that emphasize stress pathways and accelerated limbic system development. A learning account of how deprived early environments influence cognitive and neural development provides a complementary perspective to stress models and highlights novel pathways through which deprivation might confer risk for internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. We end by reviewing evidence for plasticity in cognitive and neural development among children raised in deprived environments following interventions that improve caregiving quality.
Shoulder arthroplasty for locked anterior shoulder dislocation: a role for the reversed design.

Locked anterior shoulder dislocation (LASD) is an uncommon condition associated with bone, articular cartilage, and soft tissue damage. In selected cases, shoulder arthroplasty (SA) may be the best treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess outcomes of SA for LASD. Between 1976 and 2013, 19 SAs [three hemiarthroplasties (HA), seven total shoulder arthroplasties (TSA), and nine reverse shoulder arthroplasties (RSA), mean age 62 years] were performed for LASD. Shoulders were followed for at least two years (range, 2-30 years, mean 7.1). Clinical and radiographic outcomes were studied. Three SAs required re-operation, two TSAs for early redislocation and one HA for late, painful glenoid arthrosis. Four additional shoulders (two TSA, two HA) were unstable at most recent follow-up. Pain improved from 4.7 to 2.2 (p < 0.0001) out of 5, elevation from 51 to 94 degrees (p = 0.004), and external rotation from 1 to 34 degrees (p = 0.01). There were two excellent, seven satisfactory, and ten unsatisfactory modified Neer ratings. Compared to TSA/HA, RSA experienced fewer re-operations (0 vs. 3, hazard ratio, 2.03*10^-9, p = 0.0844) and instability (0 vs. 6, p = 0.0108). Similar post-operative pain (p = 0.2192), range of motion (p = 0.2432-0.5299), strength (p = 0.2099), satisfaction (p = 0.6563), outcomes scores (p = 0.0683-0.0933), and complication rate (p = 0.3698) were seen with RSA vs. TSA/HA. RSA for the treatment of chronic LASD provides greater pain relief, and improvement in range of motion (ROM) compared to TSA/HA. Anatomic SA is associated with a high rate of instability not seen with RSA. Therefore, anatomic SA (TSA/HA) is likely not indicated in these difficult circumstances. Level of Evidence: IV
Comic Agonism in the 2016 Campaign: A Study of Iowa Caucus Rallies:

In this study, we assess the extent to which attending a candidate rally was associated with distrust of democratic institutions, epistemic rigidity, attribution of malevolent intentions to the pol...
Monitoring Pressure Augmentation in Patients With Ischemic Penumbra Using Continuous Electroencephalogram: Three Cases and a Review of the Literature.

Background:Continuous electroencephalography (CEEG) is a sensitive, noninvasive surrogate monitor of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Changes in CBF can be seen as changes in the frequencies on the CEEG. This case series suggests that increase in CEEG frequencies may be used to detect improved CBF following pressure augmentation such as with treatment of vasospasm from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or acute thrombosis from ischemic stroke. The application of this observation to clinical decision-making has not been clearly defined and requires further study.Methods:Case series and imaging.Results:We present 3 patients with ischemic penumbras either from vasospasm from SAH or thrombosis from acute ischemic stroke. All patients were monitored on CEEG and found to have lateralized slowing. During pressure augmentation, the lateralized slowing improved in frequency, which corresponded with improvement in the patients’ neurological examinations.Conclusion:Continuous electroencephalography may be used as a noninvasiv...
Effects of social reorganization on dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability and cocaine self-administration in male cynomolgus monkeys.

Studies have demonstrated that brain dopamine D2/D3 receptors (D2/D3R) and the reinforcing effects of cocaine can be influenced by a monkey’s position in the social dominance hierarchy. In this study, we manipulated the social ranks of monkeys by reorganizing social groups and assessed effects on D2/D3R availability and cocaine self-administration. Male cynomolgus monkeys (N = 12) had been trained to self-administer cocaine under a concurrent cocaine-food reinforcement schedule. Previously, PET measures of D2/D3R availability in the caudate nucleus and putamen had been obtained with [18F]fluoroclebopride during cocaine abstinence, while monkeys lived in stable social groups of four monkeys/pen. For this study, monkeys were reorganized into groups that consisted of (1) four previously dominant, (2) four previously subordinate, and (3) a mix of previously dominant and subordinate monkeys. After 3 months, D2/D3R availability was redetermined and cocaine self-administration was reexamined. D2/D3R availability significantly increased after reorganization in monkeys who were formerly subordinate, with the greatest increases observed in those that became dominant. No consistent changes in D2/D3R availability were observed in formerly dominant monkeys. Cocaine self-administration did not vary according to rank after reorganization of social groups. However, when compared to their previous cocaine self-administration data, the potency of cocaine as a reinforcer decreased in 9 of 11 monkeys. These results indicate that changing the social conditions can alter D2/D3R availability in subordinate monkeys in a manner suggestive of environmental enrichment. In most monkeys, social reorganization shifted the cocaine dose-response curve to the right, also consistent with environmental enrichment.
Light emission from silicon quantum dots

Inducing efficient visible light emission from silicon (Si) and understanding the underlying physics have long defined fascinating scientific and technological challenges. We present a comprehensive study on the origin and nature of red to ultraviolet (UV) light emission from Si quantum dots (QDs). We report the strongest quantum confinement (QC) effects to date and find that: (i) light emission can be stable in ambient and continuously tunable from the red to the UV through a single mechanism, i.e., QC, (ii) the energy gap increases from QC with decreasing size (Eg(d)- 1.14 ∝1/41.4) to energies significantly greater than previously observed (3.80 eV), (iii) the lowest optical transition remains predominantly indirect despite strong QC in small QDs (~14 A diameter), and (iv) these properties can apply to QDs with and without a surface oxide layer. These results agree well with calculations that go beyond effective mass approximations. Visible light emission can also result from localized traps and may be mistaken for quantum confined emission.
On local design and execution of a distributed input and state estimation architecture for heterogeneous sensor networks

In this paper, we focus on a new distributed input and state estimation architecture, where nodes of a given sensor network are allowed to have heterogeneous information roles in the sense that a subset of nodes can be active (that is, subject to observations of a process of interest) and the rest can be passive (that is, subject to no observations). Moreover, these nodes are allowed to have nonidentical sensor modalities under the common underlying assumption that they have complimentary properties distributed over the sensor network to achieve collective observability. The key feature of our framework is that it utilizes local information not only during the execution of the proposed distributed input and state estimation architecture but also in its design; that is, global stability is guaranteed once each node satisfies given local stability conditions (independent from the graph topology and neighboring information of these nodes). Several examples are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.
Genotyping Natural Killer Immune Checkpoints to Discover Biomarkers of Response.

Immune checkpoints have been a focus of immunotherapy in the recent decade. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and their cognate human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands have evolved as checkpoints to ensure self-tolerance of natural killer cells. Both KIR and HLA genetic profiles are potential biomarkers of immunotherapy outcome. Clin Cancer Res; 24(1); 3–5. ©2017 AACR. See related article by Erbe et al., p. 189
Warburgian Maxims for Visual Rhetoric

Aby Warburg (1866–1929) has been a tremendously influential thinker in the history and theory of art. Parts of his project have implications for the history, theory, and criticism of rhetoric. For the most part, however, rhetoricians have not engaged with his work. This article seeks to persuade rhetoricians to engage with Warburg’s thought and legacy. In particular, it seeks to articulate his Mnemosyne image atlas as a theory and practice of visual topics. Discovered as part of a historical investigation and expressed in a theoretical register, Warburg’s account of visual topics is then exemplified in reference to the gestural politics of “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” in the twin contexts of contemporary media ecology and contemporary racial politics in the United States.
Epidural compared with non-epidural analgesia and cardiopulmonary complications after colectomy: A retrospective cohort study of 20,880 patients using a national quality database

Abstract Study objective Epidural analgesia may be associated with fewer postoperative complications and is associated with improved survival after colon cancer resection. This study used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to assess any association between epidural analgesia (versus non-epidural) and complications after colectomy. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting 603 hospitals in the United States reporting data to NSQIP. Patients From 2014–15 data, 4176 patients undergoing colectomy with records indicating epidural analgesia were matched 1:4 via propensity scores to 16,704 patients without. Interventions None (observational study). Measurements Primarily, we assessed the association between epidural analgesia and a composite of cardiopulmonary complications using an average relative effect generalized estimating equations model. Secondary outcomes included neurologic, renal, and surgical complications and length of hospitalization. Sensitivity analyses repeated the analyses on a subgroup of only open colectomies. Main results We found no association between epidural analgesia and the primary outcome: average relative effect (95% CI) 0.87 (0.68, 1.11); P = 0.25. We found no significant associations with any secondary outcomes. In the 8005 open colectomies, however, there was a significant association between epidural analgesia and fewer cardiopulmonary complications (average relative effect odds ratio [95% CI] of 0.58 [0.35, 0.95]; P = 0.03) and shortened hospital stay (HR for time to discharge [98.75% CI] of 1.10 [1.02, 1.18]; P Conclusions We found no overall association between epidural analgesia and reduced complications after colectomy. In open colectomies, however, epidural analgesia was associated with fewer cardiopulmonary complications and shorter hospitalization. This may inform analgesic choice when planning open colectomy.