cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathophysiology of the Enterotoxic and Viral Diarrheas

As amply documented in other papers in this volume, there is no doubt that diarrheal diseases are the world’s biggest health problem. They constitute the commonest cause of death among young children in the most populous developing countries (Tables I–III).1,2 Although more difficult to quantify, even greater is the impact of 3 to 12 severe, dehydrating illnesses per year on the physical and mental development of those children who survive. Also alarming is the recent “modernization” trend toward reduced breast-feeding in areas where very poor socioeconomic conditions result in a significant lag in the development of adequate water supply and sanitation facilities. The findings in northeastern Brazil of Nations-Shields suggest that the striking mortality of 15 to 25% in the first 5 years of life will likely increase even further as this trend proceeds (M. Nations-Shields, personal communication, 1981).
The Impact of Diversity on Optimal Control Policies for Heterogeneous Robot Swarms

We consider the problem of distributing a large group of heterogeneous robots among a set of tasks that require specialized capabilities in order to be completed. We model the system of heterogeneous robots as a community of species, in which each species (robot type) is defined by the traits (capabilities) that it owns. In order to solve the distribution problem, we develop centralized as well as decentralized methods to efficiently control the heterogeneous swarm of robots. Our methods assume knowledge of the underlying task topology and are based on a continuous model of the system that defines transition rates to and from tasks, for each robot species. Our optimization of the transition rates is fully scalable with respect to the number of robots, number of species, and number of traits. Building on this result, we propose a real-time optimization method that enables an online adaptation of transition rates as a function of the state of the current robot distribution. We also show how the robot distribution can be approximated based on local information only, consequently enabling the development of a decentralized controller. We evaluate our methods by means of microscopic simulations and show how the performance of the latter is well predicted by the macroscopic equations. Importantly, our framework also includes a diversity metric that enables an evaluation of the impact of swarm heterogeneity on performance. The metric defines the notion of minspecies , i.e., the minimum set of species that are required to achieve a given goal. We show that two distinct goal functions lead to two specializations of minspecies, which we term as eigenspecies and coverspecies . Quantitative results show the relation between diversity and performance.
Delta Opioid Receptor and Peptide: A Dynamic Therapy for Stroke and Other Neurological Disorders

Research of the opioid system and its composite receptors and ligands has revealed its promise as a potential therapy for neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke and Parkinson’s Disease. In particular, delta opioid receptors (DORs) have been elucidated as a therapeutically distinguished subset of opioid receptors and a compelling target for novel intervention techniques. Research is progressively shedding light on the underlying mechanism of DORs and has revealed two mechanisms of DOR neuroprotection; DORs function to maintain ionic homeostasis and also to trigger endogenous neuroprotective pathways. Delta opioid agonists such as (D-Ala2, D-Leu5) enkephalin (DADLE) have been shown to promote neuronal survival and decrease apoptosis, resulting in a substantial amount of research for its application as a neurological therapeutic. Most notably, DADLE has demonstrated significant potential to reduce cell death following ischemic events. Current research is working to reveal the complex mechanisms of DADLE’s neuroprotective properties. Ultimately, our knowledge of the DOR receptors and agonists has made the opioid system a promising target for therapeutic intervention in many neurological disorders.
Effect of oxidant demand on the release and degradation of microcystin-LR from Microcystis aeruginosa during oxidation.

In this research, the release and degradation of intracellular microcystin-LR (MC-LR) due to oxidation of Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) was examined kinetically. Brief exposure to free chlorine with no measureable oxidant exposure was demonstrated to be sufficient to induce rapid release of intracellular MC-LR from M. aeruginosa. Thus, in a water treatment plant, there is currently no level of prechlorination that can be assumed to be safe, since very low preoxidation prior to filtration and no measureable free chlorine residual may still observe the release and buildup of extracellular MC-LR. Higher chlorine dosages resulting in a measureable exposure or CT (concentration times contact time) cause more rapid release and oxidation of the intracellular toxins. Further, the rate of release of MC-LR with intermediate oxidant dosages were shown to be initially rapid, but then slowed to a lower release rate due to an as yet undetermined mechanism. While free chlorine was reactive with the extracellular MC-LR, the monochloramine resulting from the consumption of the free chlorine by ammonia was not. Consideration of the ammonia concentration and the chlorine dosage relative to the chlorination breakpoint dosages is important for utilities assessing the impact of prechlorination of water containing cyanobacteria. MC-LR, once released, was rapidly oxidized by permanganate resulting in only negligible buildup of extracellular toxins.
Report of Increasing Overdose Deaths that include Acetyl Fentanyl in Multiple Counties of the Southwestern Region of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2015–2016

Acetyl fentanyl is a Schedule I controlled synthetic opioid that is becoming an increasingly detected "designer drug." Routine drug screening procedures in local forensic toxicology laboratories identified a total of 41 overdose deaths associated with acetyl fentanyl within multiple counties of the southwestern region of the state of Pennsylvania. The range, median, mean, and standard deviation of blood acetyl fentanyl concentrations for these 41 cases were 0.13-2100 ng/mL, 11 ng/mL, 169.3 ng/mL, and 405.3 ng/mL, respectively. Thirty-six individuals (88%) had a confirmed history of substance abuse, and all but one case (96%) were ruled multiple drug toxicities. This report characterizes this localized trend of overdose deaths associated with acetyl fentanyl and provides further evidence supporting an alarmingly concentrated opiate and opioid epidemic of both traditional and novel drugs within this region of the United States.
UbMES and UbFluor: Novel probes for ring-between-ring (RBR) E3 ubiquitin ligase PARKIN

Ring-between-ring (RBR) E3 ligases have been implicated in autoimmune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The functions of many RBR E3s are poorly defined, and their regulation is complex, involving post-translational modifications and allosteric regulation with other protein partners. The functional complexity of RBRs, coupled with the complexity of the native ubiquitination reaction that requires ATP and E1 and E2 enzymes, makes it difficult to study these ligases for basic research and therapeutic purposes. To address this challenge, we developed novel chemical probes, ubiquitin C-terminal fluorescein thioesters UbMES and UbFluor, to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the activity of the RBR E3 ligase PARKIN in a simple experimental setup and in real time using fluorescence polarization. First, we confirmed that PARKIN does not require an E2 enzyme for substrate ubiquitination, lysine selection, and polyubiquitin chain formation. Second, we confirmed that UbFluor quantitatively detects naturally occurring activation states of PARKIN caused by Ser65 phosphorylation (pPARKIN) and phosphorylated ubiquitin (pUb). Third, we showed that both pUb and the ubiquitin-accepting substrate contribute to maximal pPARKIN ubiquitin conjugation turnover. pUb enhances the transthiolation step, whereas the substrate clears the pPARKIN∼Ub thioester intermediate. Finally, we established that UbFluor can quantify activation or inhibition of PARKIN by structural mutations. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using UbFluor for quantitative studies of the biochemistry of RBR E3s and for high-throughput screening of small-molecule activators or inhibitors of PARKIN and other RBR E3 ligases.
Fuel consumption assessment of an electrified powertrain with a multi-mode high-efficiency engine in various levels of hybridization

Abstract Powertrain electrification including hybridizing advanced combustion engines is a viable cost-effective solution to improve fuel economy of vehicles. This will provide opportunity for narrow-range high-efficiency combustion regimes to be able to operate and consequently improve vehicle’s fuel conversion efficiency, compared to conventional hybrid electric vehicles. Low temperature combustion (LTC) engines offer the highest peak brake thermal efficiency (BTE) reported in literature, but these engines have narrow operating ranges. In addition, LTC engines have ultra-low soot and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, compared to conventional compression ignition and spark ignition (SI) engines. In this study, an experimentally developed multi-mode LTC-SI engine is integrated into a parallel hybrid electric configuration, where the engine operation modes include homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI), and conventional SI. The powertrain controller is designed to enable switching among different modes, with minimum fuel penalty for transient engine operations. A pontryagin’s minimum principal (PMP) methodology is used in the energy management supervisory controller to study a multi-mode LTC engine in parallel HEV architecture with various hybridization levels. The amount of torque assist by the e-motor can change the LTC mode operating time, which leads to variation in the vehicle’s fuel consumption. The results for the urban dynamometer driving schedule (UDDS) driving cycle show the maximum benefit of the multi-mode LTC-SI engine is realized in the mild electrification level, where the LTC mode operating time increases dramatically from 5.0% in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to 20.5% in a mild HEV.
Working with Stephen

The banquet for the July 2017 conference in Cambridge, UK celebrating Stephen Hawking's 75th birthday was held in Trinity College on July 3rd. The organizers asked the author, among others, to give a 10 minute after dinner talk on what it was like to work with Stephen. The following is an edited version of the author's speaking text.
From Zero to Nowhere: Tight Space and the Topophilia of Violence

The previous chapter closed with the assertion that the unifying feature in the experiences of Macon Dead, Joe Trace, and Son Green was that each grew up having to contend with dead or absent mothers. I discussed Joe Trace’s effort to retaliate against what he comes to believe is his mother’s malicious act of abandonment. Scanning Tar Baby , we find only a scant reference to Son’s mother; for him home is the space occupied by “Old Man,” his father, who otherwise lives alone.
Automation in the Public Sector: Efficiency at the Expense of Equity?

Automation promises to reshape a variety of work contexts in the coming years and the public sector will not be immune. While technology broadly—and automation in particular—offers a range of poten...
Chemistry of colchicine.

Abstract Chemical structures of colchicine and related analogs, including allo-compounds with a six-membered ring, are presented here with correct absolute configualtions, showing the natural repersentatives as a S-atropisomers. Spectral data, syntheiss, biosynthesis, and metabolism of colchicine are discussed. Structural requirements required for these compounds to inhibit polymerization of tubulin and binding of radiolabeled colchicine in vitro are presented.
Philadelphia Chromosome and Monosomy 7 in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Pediatric Oncology Group Study

During an 8-year period, 3,638 children from institutions of the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Fifty-seven patients had Philadelphia chromosome- positive (Ph1) ALL. Blast cells obtained at diagnosis from 13 of these 57 cases (23%) were also found to have partial or complete monosomy 7 (- 7). This subgroup of children with Ph1/-7 ALL was comprised primarily of older males with early B-lineage ALL. Bone marrow specimens from six Ph1/-7 patients were studied further using the polymerase chain reaction and primers that flank the ALL, and chronic myelogenous leukemia breakpoints to determine the molecular characteristic of the 9;22 translocation. Rearrangements were detected in RNA from bone marrow and/or peripheral blood cells of six patients, although four were in hematologic remission at the time of the analysis. Five cases showed the ALL breakpoint, while one child with Ph1/-7 showed the chronic myelogenous leukemia breakpoint. The induction failure rate was much higher in this subgroup (31%) as compared with Ph1-negative cases, and the projected duration of event-free survival reflected the aggressive nature of this subgroup because no children are projected to remain in remission at 2 years. ALL with both the 9;22 translocation and -7 appears to represent a unique and previously undescribed subgroup of childhood ALL associated with a particularly adverse outcome. Leukemic transformation in such patients may involve the interaction of a dominant oncogene (Ph1) and a tumor suppressor gene (- 7).
Immigrant Perceptions of U.S.-Born Receptivity and the Shaping of American Identity

Despite ideals grounding American identity in principles and ideas, most U.S. citizens continue to believe that they are rooted at least in part in ascriptive characteristics such as religion, race, or language. Research suggests that these views shape attitudes toward immigrants, and that nonwhite and non-Christian immigrants may therefore be less likely to feel American. Drawing on survey and interview data, this article examines the ways ascriptive characteristics shape immigrants’ identification as American. Our results confirm the importance of particularly skin tone and language in shaping identification as well as the role of perceived welcome in tempering their negative impact. Such identification and perceptions have important consequences, increasing immigrants’ likelihood of naturalization and decreasing their desire to return to their countries of origin.
Spending on antineoplastic agents in the United States: 2011-2016.

6618Background: Novel antineoplastic therapies confer advantages in efficacy and safety over traditional cytotoxic agents, but they are costly. There is little information on recent trends in actua...
Ethics in Human Biology: A Historical Perspective on Present Challenges

The practice of human biology requires the negotiation of a range of ethical issues, including the politics of race and indigeneity, the appropriate use of research materials, and the relationship ...
Landsats 1–5 Multispectral Scanner System Sensors Radiometric Calibration Update

First launched in 1972, the Landsat satellite sensors have provided the longest continuous record of high-quality images of the earth’s surface that are used in both civilian and military applications. The Landsat Multispectral Scanner System (MSS) sensor was onboard Landsat-1 through Landsat-5. In fact, the MSS sensors provide the only systematic global multispectral space-based imagery of the earth’s surface from 1972 to 1982. This paper focuses on the radiometric calibration update of the Landsats 1–5 MSS sensors. The radiometric calibration was performed in both radiance- and reflectance-based scales through the cross-calibration approach. Simultaneous or near-simultaneous image collections were available for MSS sensor pairs and used for the cross-calibration. The estimated uncertainties for this calibration update exhibit progressively decreasing calibration accuracy, ranging from 5.1% for MSS-5 to 8.8% for MSS-1 in the green spectral band, for example. Finally, the new radiometric calibration coefficients were validated through the use of pseudo-invariant calibration sites (PICS). The temporal Top of the Atmosphere (TOA) radiance and TOA reflectance over the Sonoran Desert were plotted with the purpose of verifying the lifetime radiometric stability of MSS sensors. With the previous calibration, the agreement between the measurements of TOA reflectance over the Sonoran Desert was around 7.5% for all spectral bands. With the calibration update implemented in this study, the agreement between MSS sensors is 3.6%, 2.9%, 3.5%, and 5.9% for the green, red, near-infrared response (NIR-1), and NIR-2 spectral bands, respectively. This study ties all the Landsat legacy instruments from Landsat-1 MSS through Landsat-8 OLI to a consistent radiometric scale.
Impact of task-specific training on saccadic eye movement performance.

This is the first systematic examination of whether training of prosaccades and antisaccades is task specific or instead transfers to the other saccade type. It finds that training tends to improve...
Detection of razor shear force differences in broiler breast meat due to the woody breast condition depends on measurement technique and meat state

ABSTRACT Broiler breast meat with the woody breast (WB) myopathy exhibits abnormal tissue hardness and muscle rigidity in the raw state. The effectiveness of using instrumental shear measurements to characterize texture in WB fillets before and after cooking is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of WB on razor shear force measurements in fresh never-frozen and frozen-thawed broiler breast fillets in both the raw and cooked state. Deboned breast fillets (n=234) were collected from a commercial processing plant and categorized as normal (n = 78), moderate WB (n = 86), or severe WB (n = 70). At 24h postmortem fillets were either used for texture analysis directly or frozen-thawed prior to analysis. Each fillet was measured before and after cooking using either the blunt blade (BMORS) or sharpened blade (MORS) versions of the Meullenet-Owens razor shear test. The ability of BMORS to distinguish between normal and WB fillets was different between raw and cooked fillets. In both fresh and frozen-thawed fillets, raw BMORS shear values (peak shear force and shear energy) increased (P
Data Analytics, Innovation, and Firm Productivity

We examine the relationship between data analytics capabilities and innovation using detailed firm-level data. To measure innovation, we first utilize a survey to capture two types of firm practice...
Coordinating Clinical Teams: Using Robots to Empower Nurses to Stop the Line

Patient safety errors account for over 400,000 preventable deaths annually in US in hospitals alone, 70% of which are caused by team communication breakdowns, stemming from hierarchical structures and asymmetrical power dynamics between physicians, nurses, patients, and others. Nurses are uniquely positioned to identify and prevent these errors, but they are often penalized for speaking up, particularly when physicians are responsible. Nevertheless, empowering nurses and building strong interdisciplinary teams can lead to improved patient safety and outcomes. Thus, our group has been developing a series of intelligent systems that support teaming in safety critical settings, Robot-Centric Team Support System (RoboTSS), and recently developed a group detection and tracking system for collaborative robots. In this paper, we explore how RoboTSS can be used to empower nurses in interprofessional team settings, through a three month long, collaborative design process with nurses across five US-based hospitals. The main findings and contributions of this paper are as follows. First, we found that participants envisioned using a robotic crash cart to guide resuscitation procedures to improve efficiency and reduce errors. Second, nurses discussed how RoboTSS can generate choreography for efficient spatial reconfigurations in co-located clinical teams, which is particularly important in time-sensitive situations such as resuscitation. Third, we found that nurses want to use RoboTSS to "stop the line," and disrupt power dynamics by policing unsafe physician behavior, such as avoiding safety protocols using a robotic crash cart. Fourth, nurses envisioned using our system to support real-time error identification, such as breaking the sterile field, and then communicating those errors to physicians, to relieve them of responsibility. Finally, based on our findings, we propose robot design implications that capture how nurses envision utilizing RoboTSS. We hope this work promotes further exploration in how to design technology to challenge authority in asymmetrical power relationships, particularly in healthcare, as strong teams save lives.
Respiratory illness, hospital visits, and health costs: Is it air pollution or pollen?

Abstract Background Both air pollution and airborne pollen can cause respiratory health problems. Since both are often jointly present in ambient air, it is important to control for one while estimating the effect of the other when considering pollution-abating policies. To date only a limited number of studies have considered the health effects of both irritants jointly for a general population, and for a sufficiently long time period to allow for variation in seasonal concentrations of both components. The primary goal of this study is to determine the causal impact of fine particulate matter ( P M 2.5 ) on hospital visits and related treatment costs, while controlling for potentially confounding pollen effects. Our study area is the metropolitan hub of Reno/Sparks in Northern Nevada. Methods Taking advantage of a rare sample of daily pollen counts over a prolonged period of time (2009–2015), we model the effects of P M 2.5 and pollen on respiratory-related hospital admissions for the population at large, plus specific age groups. Pollen data are provided by a local allergy clinic. Data on P M 2.5 and other air pollutants are obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's air quality data web site. We collect daily meteorological data from the National Centers for Environmental Information's data repository. Data on hospital admissions are given by the Nevada Center for Surveys, Evaluations, and Statistics. Our econometric approach centers on a fully robust count data (Poisson) model, estimated via Quasi-Maximum Likelihood. Results We find that for our sample P M 2.5 effects are largely robust to the inclusion of both pollen counts and temporal indicators. In contrast, pollen effects vanish when time fixed effects are added, pointing at their correlation with unobserved temporal confounders. At the same time, model fit improves with the inclusion of temporal indicators. Based on our preferred specification, we find a significant P M 2.5 effect of approximately 0.5% additional hospital visits per day due to a one μ g / m 3 increase in P M 2.5 . This translates into expected augmented treatment costs of $2700 per day for the same unit-change in P M 2.5 . These figures can mount quickly when more pronounced and/or longer episodes of particulate matter pollution are considered, perhaps due to wildfire smoke. For instance, the expected increase in patients and costs due to a month-long 10-unit-jump of P M 2.5 over the long-run annual average would amount to an extra 70 patients and approximately $680,000 in additional treatment costs.
The use of Matrigel combined with encapsulated cell technology to deliver a complement inhibitor in a mouse model of choroidal neovascularization.

Purpose Risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a slowly progressing, complex disease, is tied to an overactive complement system. Efforts are under way to develop an anticomplement-based treatment to be delivered locally or systemically. We developed an alternative pathway (AP) inhibitor fusion protein consisting of a complement receptor-2 fragment linked to the inhibitory domain of factor H (CR2-fH), which reduces the size of mouse choroidal neovascularization (CNV) when delivered locally or systemically. Specifically, we confirmed that ARPE-19 cells genetically engineered to produce CR2-fH reduce CNV lesion size when encapsulated and placed intravitreally. We extend this observation by delivering the encapsulated cells systemically in Matrigel. Methods ARPE-19 cells were generated to stably express CR2 or CR2-fH, microencapsulated using sodium alginate, and injected subcutaneously in Matrigel into 2-month-old C57BL/6J mice. Four weeks after implantation, CNV was induced using argon laser photocoagulation. Progression of CNV was analyzed using optical coherence tomography. Bioavailability of CR2-fH was evaluated in Matrigel plugs with immunohistochemistry, as well as in ocular tissue with dot blots. Efficacy as an AP inhibitor was confirmed with protein chemistry. Results An efficacious number of implanted capsules to reduce CNV was identified. Expression of the fusion protein systemically did not elicit an immune response. Bioavailability studies showed that CR2-fH was present in the RPE/choroid fractions of the treated mice, and reduced CNV-associated ocular complement activation. Conclusions These findings indicate that systemic production of the AP inhibitor CR2-fH can reduce CNV in the mouse model.
Amplifying RNA Vaccine Development

A New Twist on RNA Vaccines There are several strategies to elicit immunity with an RNA vaccine; they all involve coaxing the host cell to replicate and translate an exogenous RNA encoding the vacc...
National utilization and inpatient safety measures of lumbar spinal fusion methods by race/ethnicity.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND CONTEXT Degenerative lumbar conditions are prevalent, disabling, and frequently managed with decompression and fusion. Black patients have lower spinal fusion rates than White patients. PURPOSE Determine whether specific lumbar fusion procedure utilization differs by race/ethnicity and whether length of stay (LOS) or inpatient complications differ by race/ethnicity after accounting for procedure performed. STUDY DESIGN Large database retrospective cohort study PATIENT SAMPLE Lumbar fusion recipients at least age 50 in the 2016 National Inpatient Sample with diagnoses of degenerative lumbar conditions. OUTCOME MEASURES Type of fusion procedure used and inpatient safety measures including LOS, prolonged LOS, inpatient medical and surgical complications, mortality, and cost. METHODS We examined the association between race/ethnicity and the safety measures above. Covariates included several patient and hospital factors. We used multiple linear or logistic regression to determine the association between race and fusion type (PLF, P/TLIF, ALIF, PLF + P/TLIF, and PLF + ALIF [anterior-posterior fusion]) and to determine whether race was associated independently with inpatient safety measures, after adjustment for patient and hospital factors. RESULTS Fusion method use did not differ among racial/ethnic groups, except for somewhat lower anterior-posterior fusion utilization in Black patients compared to White patients (crude odds ratio [OR]: 0.81 [0.67–0.97]). Inpatient safety measures differed by race/ethnicity for rates of prolonged LOS (Blacks 18.1%, Hispanics 14.5%, and Whites 11.7%), medical complications (Blacks 9.9%, Hispanics 8.7%, and Whites 7.7%), and surgical complications (Blacks 5.2%, Hispanics 6.9%, and Whites 5.4%). Differences persisted after adjustment for procedure type as well as patient and hospital factors. Blacks and Hispanics had higher risk for prolonged LOS compared to Whites (adjusted OR Blacks 1.39 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.22–1.59]; Hispanics 1.24 [95% CI 1.02–1.52]). Blacks had higher risk for inpatient medical complications compared to Whites (adjusted OR 1.24 [95% CI 1.05–1.48]), and Hispanics had higher risk for inpatient surgical complications compared to Whites (adjusted OR 1.34 [95% CI 1.06–1.68]). CONCLUSIONS Fusion method use was generally similar between racial/ethnic groups. Inpatient safety measures, adjusted for procedure type, patient and hospital factors, were worse for Blacks and Hispanics.
An Empirical Study of the Corporate Choice Among Common Stock, Convertible Bonds and Straight Debt: A Cash Flow Interpretation

This study develops the rationale that links a firm's financial health, measured by its cash flow components, to the type of security it offers when raising external capital. Based on the literature associated with the pecking order hypothesis, five empirical hypotheses are presented. The findings show that cash flow components provide fresh insights to the explanation as to why firms choose to offer debt, convertible bonds or common stock. The findings are consistent with the implications of the financial health/pecking order hypothesis. That is, financially healthy firms choose more senior securities in their external financing decisions.
Reliability of the Tuck Jump Assessment Using Standardized Rater Training.

# BACKGROUND The Tuck Jump Assessment (TJA) is a test used to assess technique flaws during a 10-second, high intensity, jumping bout. Although the TJA has broad clinical applicability, there is no standardized training to maximize the TJA measurement properties. # HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE To determine the reliability of the TJA using varied healthcare professionals following an online standardized training program. The authors hypothesized that the total score will have moderate to excellent levels of intra- and interrater reliability. # STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional reliability. # METHODS A website was created by a physical therapist (PT) with videos, written descriptors of the 10 TJA technique flaws, and examples of what constituted no flaw, minor flaw, or major flaw (0,1,2) using published standards. The website was then validated (both face and content) by four experts. Three raters of different professions: a PT, an AT, and a Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) were selected due to their expertise with injury and movement. Raters used the online standardized training, scored 41 videos of participants' TJAs, then scored them again two weeks later. Reliability estimates were determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for total scores of 10 technique flaws and Krippendorff α (K α) for the individual technique flaws (ordinal). # RESULTS Eleven of 50 individual technique flaws were above the acceptable level (K α = 0.80). The total score had moderate interrater reliability in both sessions (Session 1: ICC~2,2~ = 0.64; 95% CI (Confidence Interval) (0.34-0.81); Standard Error Measurement (SEM) = 0.66 technique flaws and Session 2: ICC~2,2~ = 0.56; 95% CI (0.04-0.79); SEM = 1.30). Rater 1had a good reliability (ICC~2,2~ = 0.76; 95% CI (0.54-0.87); SEM = 0.26), rater 2 had a moderate reliability (ICC~2,2~ = 0.62; 95% CI (0.24-0.80); SEM =0.41) and rater 3 had excellent reliability (ICC~2,2~ = 0.98; 95% CI (0.97-0.99); SEM =0.01). # CONCLUSION All raters had at least good reliability estimates for the total score. The same level of consistency was not seen when evaluating each technique flaw. These findings suggest that the total score may not be as accurate when compared to individual technique flaws and should be used with caution. # LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3b
Total hemoglobin changes in the breast tumors volume of patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a longitudinal analysis

Optical imaging techniques have emerged as a possible alternative to predict pathological complete response (pCR) in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Our team developed a so-called diffuse optical tomographic breast imaging system (DOTBIS) which does not require the use of contrast agents or compression and enables imaging of the whole breast volume using low intensity near infrared light capable to measure tissue concentration of total hemoglobin (ctTHb). In this retrospective study, we evaluated 55 stage II-III BC patients in the neoadjuvant setting who received weekly paclitaxel x 12, followed by dose-dense adriamycin/cyclophosphamide every 2 weeks x 4. DOTBIS images were acquired from the patient whole breast volume at 6 different time points: at baseline (TP0); two weeks after the first taxane infusion (TP1); after four infusions of taxane (TP2); at the end of the taxane regimen and before starting AC cycle (TP3); after two AC infusions (TP4); and at the end of NAC and before surgery (TP5). In order to evaluate whether pCR status influences the change of ctTHb over time, we designed a multilevel mixed-effect model. pCR was defined as no invasive tumor cells from the breast and axillary tissue at surgery (ypT0 ypN0). Changes in ctTHb levels compared to baseline (TP0) values were statistically significant different between pCR (n = 20) and non-pCR (n=35) at all time points except at TP1 and at the end of the taxane cycle (TP3).
Effects of Application of Benzyladenine to Seedlings of Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra

Abstract Greenhouse grown seedlings of Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) and Pinus nigra Arnold. (Austrian pine) were treated with plant growth regulators in a 1% solution of dimethyl sulfoxide. Ben...
Active Filtering by Hair Cells

Receptor cells in many organs of the acoustico-lateralis system use active filtering mechanisms to detect sensory stimuli. The mechanisms appear to differ, but in each case feedback theory can be used to describe the filtering process. Changes in membrane potential appear to regulate electrical and/or electrical-mechanical changes in the receptor cell which lead to band-pass filtering of the sensory stimulus. An important feature of all these filtering processes appears to be a delay in the feedback loop which leads to a highly underdamped system.
Error Terms in Regression

The estimated coefficients from a linear regression will be the best linear unbiased estimators (BLUE) when the error terms in the regression have certain properties. Keywords: linear regression; heteroskedasticity; multicollinearity
PUMPED STORAGE HYDROLECTRIC PLANTS WITH UNDERGROUND LOWER RESERVOIRS

Underground Pumped Hydroelectric Storage (UPHS) is a technique for supplying electric power to meet peak load requirements of electric-utility systems. It will incorporate reversible pump/turbines (or tandem pumps and turbines) and an underground reservoir mined within hard rock. During off-peak periods, low-cost power would be used to pump water stored in the underground reservoir to a surface reservoir, providing a head of 1000 to 2000 m. During the subsequent daytime peak-load periods the surface water would supply hydroelectric power over an 8- to 10-hour period, refilling the lower reservoir after passing through the turbines. The design of a UPHS plant and its equipment, site selection criteria, UPHS economics, and environmental concerns are discussed. Considering the fuel conservation potential of UPHS, the following five efforts are recommended to accelerate UPHS implementation: acquisition of applicable construction and operating experience from surface pumped storage; subsurface stability and design evaluation, especially with respect to penstock and powerhouse; equipment design, development and testing; in-depth economic analysis, and study of influences upon the environment.
Secondary Analytic Indices

We define real-valued characteristic classes of flat complex vector bundles, and flat real vector bundles with a duality structure. We construct pushforwards of such vector bundles with vanishing characteristic classes. These pushforwards involve the analytic torsion form in the first case and the eta form of the signature operator in the second case. We show that the pushforwards are independent of the geometric choices made in the constructions and hence are topological in nature. We give evidence that in the first case, the pushforwards are given topologically by the Becker-Gottlieb-Dold transfer.
Partial purification and properties of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase of Alaska pea (Pisum sativum L. cultivar Alaska). Purification and general properties

1. Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase was purified up to 45-fold from Alaska pea seedling (Pisum sativum L. cultivar Alaska). 2. The enzyme was most active with and had the lowest Km for l-glutamine as compared with NH4+. 3. The purest preparations utilized very poorly or not at all l-asparagine and urea as nitrogen donors. 4. At saturating concentrations of components of the reaction, the Km for l-glutamine was 1·2×10−4m, and the Km for ATP was approx. 3·9×10−4m. 5. Although the enzyme was very labile, stability was improved by glutamine, asparagine, ammonium sulphate, dithiothreitol and especially l-ornithine. 6. Free ATP was markedly inhibitory, and MgATP2− and Mg2+ appeared to be the actual substrates utilized. 7. Fe2+ and Mn2+ were also utilized, but not as readily as Mg2+ except at low concentrations. K+ increased activity significantly. 8. Of the four nucleotides tested (ITP, ATP, GTP and UTP) only ATP served as an effective phosphate donor.
Recipes for baking black forest databases: building and querying black hole merger trees from cosmological simulations

Large-scale N-body simulations play an important role in advancing our understanding of the formation and evolution of large structures in the universe. These computations require a large number of particles, in the order of 10-100 of billions, to realistically model phenomena such as the formation of galaxies. Among these particles, black holes play a dominant role on the formation of these structure. The properties of the black holes need to be assembled in merger tree histories to model the process where two or more black holes merge to form a larger one. In the past, these analyses have been carried out with custom approaches that no longer scale to the size of black hole datasets produced by current cosmological simulations. We present algorithms and strategies to store, in relational databases (RDBMS), a forest of black hole merger trees. We implemented this approach and present results with datasets containing 0.5 billion time series records belonging to over 2 million black holes. We demonstrate that this is a feasible approach to support interactive analysis and enables flexible exploration of black hole forest datasets.
Product design for recyclability: a cost benefit analysis model and its application

The authors develop a method and introduce a computer-based analysis tool that can be used to analyze design changes. A cost-benefit analysis model is presented as a tool for assessing the economics of designing for recyclability. By taking a cost-benefit approach, the authors emphasize the need to consider design for environment in terms of its economic viability. To demonstrate the applicability of the model, a simple example based on the disassembly of an automobile dashboard is presented. The results show that, with the current material recycling technology and market prices, complete disassembly is not profitable because the costs far outweigh revenues from the materials and parts that are recovered. >
Ethnographic Methods in Criminological Research: Rationale, Reprise, and Warning

Use in criminological research of observation, semi-structured interviewing, and analysis of personal documents has been commonplace for more than a century. These research techniques can be employed to develop and test theoretical explanations and to examine the process of policy implementation. This paper briefly explicates how they were used in studies of the decision making and criminal careers of street-level thieves and hustlers, to test theoretical notions about the delegitimantion effects of white-collar crime, and to examine the implementation of a crackdown campaign by Australian tax authorities direct at crash transactions in the small building and construction industry. Investigations may profit, however, from awareness of recurrent challenges in the use of ethnographic methods before launching research of this type.
Detection of the 3.4- and 2.8-μm emission features in Comet Bradfield (1987s)

Comet Bradfield's 3.4-micron C-H emission feature at 3.4 microns, as well as the emission feature near 2.8 microns, exhibit spectral shapes similar to those noted in Comets Halley and Wilson; the derived abundances of the C-H bonds in all three comets are also comparable (within water production rate uncertainties). These data support the hypothesis that the species responsible for the 3.4- and 2.8-micron features may be common to all comets. Beyond this, the widely differing ages of the three comets suggest that the 3.4-micron feature-emitting organics are not the product of surface irradiation processes after the comets' formation.
Impact of race and socioeconomic status on presentation and management of ventral hernias.

Objective To assess for disparity in presentation and management of ventral hernias. Design Retrospective review. Setting Academic center. Patients Three hundred twenty-one patients who underwent ventral hernia repair from 2005 to 2008. Main Outcome Measures Disparity in ventral hernia presentation, management, and outcome. Univariate analysis was conducted by unpaired t test and χ 2 test. Results Black individuals were more likely than white individuals to present with acute hernia complications requiring emergent surgery (11% vs 4%; P P P P Conclusions Our study demonstrates the existence of disparity in patient presentation with complicated ventral hernia. Despite clear disparity by race and SES, at our institution, disparate presentation did not equate to disparate treatment or postoperative complications. No difference was demonstrated by use of operative technique, perioperative outcome, or 12-month recurrence rate. This study illustrates the need for long-term measures directed at reevaluation of organizational and institutional factors that perpetuate inequality.
Progress in 3-D treatment planning for photon beam therapy

The purpose of this report is to study the feasibility of improving dose distributions using non-coplanar photon beams from a linear accelerator. Non-coplanar beams may enter the patient in any arbitrary configuration. This type of treatment technique requires a three-dimensional (3-D) planning system. Clinical examples are used to illustrate the general problems in 3-D treatment planning, and the potential improvement over coplanar beam treatments. Features of a treatment planning system for 3-D planning are discussed.
Association of Retinoic Acid Receptor Genes with Meningomyelocele

BACKGROUND Neural tube defects (NTDs) occur in as many as 0.5–2 per 1000 live births in the United ‘States. One of the most common and severe neural tube defects is meningomyelocele (MM) resulting from failed closure of the caudal end of the neural tube. MM has been induced by retinoic acid teratogenicity in rodent models. We hypothesized that genetic variants influencing retinoic acid (RA) induction via retinoic acid receptors (RARs) may be associated with risk for MM.
Stone (1932) revisited: What does his finding of superior maze learning in halt-wild rats mean?

Hybrid offspring of wild and albino parents outperformed both types of parent stocks of rats in shuttlebox avoidance, thus replicating Stone (1932). But this is not necessarily a demonstration of behavioral heterosis, or hybrid vigor, as has been popularly assumed. Demonstration of depression of learning ability in either parent strain awaits research with carefully inbred strains of both wild and domestic rats.
Bone morphogenetic protein 7 increases chick photoreceptor outer segment initiation.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulation of photoreceptor differentiation and outer segment elongation by the growth factor BMP7. Methods Dissociated low-density embryonic day 6 (E6) chick retinal cultures were grown for 6 days in the presence of BMP7, other members of the TGF-beta family of growth factors, or control vehicle. Cultured cells were characterized using microscopy, immunocytochemistry, and RT-PCR. Antibodies against visinin and GABA were used to distinguish photoreceptors from nonphotoreceptor cells, and monoclonal antibodies rhodopsin (rho) 4D2, OS-2, and COS-1 were used to distinguish subpopulations of cones and rods. RT-PCR was used to investigate mRNAs encoding visual pigments. Results Photoreceptors treated with BMP7 initiated outer segment elongation more frequently than photoreceptors in control cultures. The effect on outer segment initiation was confined to rods and to green opsin-expressing cones and appeared not to involve an increase in outer segment length. BMP7 did not appear to affect the survival, proliferation, or differentiation of progenitors or the fate of photoreceptors or amacrine cells in vitro. BMP5 and GDF5 showed weaker stimulatory effects than BMP7 on outer segment formation, whereas activin, BMP2, and BMP4 inhibited visual pigment expression and outer segment formation, and BMP6 had no detectable effects. Conclusions BMP7 must be added to the list of candidate molecules capable of stimulating outer segment formation.
Extrinsic Euler characteristic of a non-immersed hypersurface (focal surfaces, pedal images, and extrinsic Morse indices)

Abstract We use elementary descriptive methods to extend the Boy–Izumiya–Marar (extrinsic) Euler characteristic formula for the image of a compact 2-manifold mapped into a 3-manifold subject to regularity conditions at the singular points of the mapping. In addition to Boy's “terminating double points” and triple points we allow stable conical singularities which occur generically in focal surfaces (i.e., Lagrangian critical images) and in pedal surfaces in Euclidean 3-space. As a consequence we derive a Morse theoretic formula for this extrinsic Euler characteristic in terms of a height function, and its extrinsic Morse indices.
Immunology 101 at poxvirus U: immune evasion genes.

Poxviruses, unlike some other large DNA viruses, do not undergo a latent stage but rely on the expression of viral proteins to evade host immune responses. Of the many poxviral evasion genes identified, most target cytokines or other innate immune defenses. Resistance to interferons appears to be a priority as there are viral proteins that prevent their induction, receptor binding, and action. Additional poxviral proteins inhibit complement activation, chemokines, IL-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor. The identification of viral immune evasion genes and the determination of their roles in virus survival and spread contribute to our understanding of immunology and microbiology.
Think women, think warm: Stereotype content activation in women with a salient gender identity, using a modified stroop task

We examined whether a salient gender identity activates gender stereotypes along the dimensions of sociability and ability (Fiske et al. 2002). A sample of US undergraduates (40 men, 38 women) instructed to think about women subsequently took longer to name the colors of words associated with sociability than ability on a modified Stroop task. Solo women in another sample of US undergraduates (45 women) showed the same response pattern. Women in a third sample of US adults (20 men, 16 women) showed a similar pattern. Meta-analysis of the three samples suggests women with a salient gender identity experience relative activation of only the positive dimension of a stereotype (e.g. “woman” equals warm).