cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Btk dosage determines sensitivity to B cell antigen receptor cross-linking

Mutations in Btk result in the B cell immunodeficiencies X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) in humans and X-linked immunodeficiency (xid) in mice. Btk is a critical component of signaling pathways regulating B cell development and function. We used a genetic approach to determine whether Btk is also limiting for these processes. One allele of a murine Btk transgene expressed a dosage of Btk (25% of endogenous levels in splenic B cells) sufficient to restore normal numbers of phenotypically mature conventional B cells in xid mice. 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl–Ficoll response, anti-IgM-induced proliferation, B1 cell development, and serum IgM and IgG3 levels remained significantly impaired in these animals. B cells from Btk −/− transgenic mice also responded poorly to anti-IgM, indicating that the xid mutation does not create a dominant negative form of Btk. Response to 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl–Ficoll and B cell receptor cross-linking were increased 3- to 4-fold in xid mice homozygous for the transgene. These results demonstrate that Btk is a limiting component of B cell antigen receptor signaling pathways and suggest that B cell development and response to antigen may require different levels of Btk activity.
Teachers' Language: L1 Attrition in Russian–English Bilinguals

The present study reports on the evidence of first language (L1) attrition in a population that may appear to be the most resistant to L1 changes. Russian monolinguals (n= 3) and Russian–English bilinguals (n= 10) participated in the study. The bilinguals were graduate students teaching Russian as a foreign language at a U.S. university. The data were obtained through semispontaneous discourse on assigned interview topics and a grammaticality judgment task. Numerous instances of lexical and grammatical deviations registered in the data suggest that an extensive exposure to the L1 in the second language (L2) environment and motivation to keep it intact due to a high professional demand may still diminish the speaker's control over his or her L1 skills. Implications for L2 acquisition and foreign language teaching (FLT) are offered in the article.
Concept-based optimization

Production compilers' optimizers typically operate at low abstraction levels, transformation rules enacting on operations on built-in types only. Transformations at higher levels of abstraction, on operations of types defined in libraries or by the user, are typically not supported. Such high-level optimizations could, however, yield greater benefits than first lowering the abstractions and subjecting the result to low-level transformations. Built-in compiler optimizations can in principle apply to user-defined types, if those types possess properties that guarantee that the optimizing transformations preserve the meaning of the program. The problem is conveying this information to the compiler in a non-disruptive manner.This article describes a framework for specifying and implementing generic "concept-based optimizations." The framework is based on careful categorization, applying the generic programming paradigm, of the algebraic properties that justify particular optimizing transformations. Our framework is built on top of ConceptGCC, a compiler implementing the new language features concept and concept map of the forthcoming standard C++. Concepts describe the syntactic and semantic properties of classes of types, for which generic semantics-preserving transformations can be defined. Concept maps establish memberships to these classes, enabling the generic optimizations for specific user-defined types.
Phase I Study of Bevacizumab Added to Fluorouracil- and Hydroxyurea-Based Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy for Poor-Prognosis Head and Neck Cancer

Purpose We conducted a phase I dose escalation study to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of bevacizumab, when added to the standard FHX (fluorouracil [FU], hydroxyurea [HU], radiation) chemoradiotherapy platform in poor-prognosis head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Patients and Methods Patients with recurrent, previously radiated or poor-prognosis, treatment-naive HNC were eligible. Treatment was repeated every 14 days for seven cycles: Bevacizumab was escalated 2.5 to 10 mg/kg, FU 600 to 800 mg/m2 (120 hours continuous infusion), and hydroxyurea from 500 to 1,000 mg (twice daily for 5 days), starting day 1. At the MTD, the cohort was expanded. Results Forty-three patients were treated. DLT was reached at level 3 (bevacizumab 5 mg/kg, FU 800 mg/m2, HU 1,000 mg) with two grade 3 transaminase elevations and one grade 4 neutropenia, attributed to the combination of chemotherapy with bevacizumab. For level 4, chemotherapy doses were reduced (FU 600 mg/2, HU 500 mg),...
The Economic Effect of a Tertiary Hospital-Based Heart Failure Program

Objectives This study was designed to determine the economic effect of a tertiary heart failure (HF) program at an academic medical center. Background Most hospitals use cross-sectional financial models to analyze the economic contribution of clinical programs for a budget period. We estimated the incremental value of a tertiary hospital HF program on the basis of the longitudinal utilization of a sample of HF patients. Methods The primary data source was a sample of 82 HF patients referred for cardiac transplant evaluation at an academic medical center during calendar years 2000 to 2001. Cumulative recurrent rates of utilization, cost, and reimbursement for hospital services were computed as functions of time using reliability models. The economic contribution of patients transplanted was contrasted with those not transplanted. Results Mean hospitalizations and outpatient encounters per patient at the end of the first year of follow-up for those transplanted were 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6 to 2.7) and 11.9 (95% CI 9.2 to 15.4), compared with 1.1 (95% CI 0.8 to 1.6) and 6.0 (95% CI 4.8 to 7.6), respectively, for those not transplanted. Mean revenue and direct cost per patient were $194,470 (95% CI $136,683 to $276,689) and $146,623 (95% CI $96,377 to $233,065), respectively, for transplanted patients and $43,587 (95% CI $28,149 to $67,503) and $33,424 (95% CI $21,584 to $51,760), respectively, for non-transplanted patients. The point estimates of first-year contribution margins per patient for transplanted and non-transplanted patients were $47,847 and $10,163, respectively. Conclusions Newly evaluated patients for cardiac transplantation at an academic medical center generated substantial incident demands for inpatient and outpatient services over a two-year follow-up period. The estimated contribution margin associated with these services was positive. Hospitals without cardiac transplantation that serve high-acuity HF patients may generate favorable long-term contribution margins, on the basis of the results for the non-transplant group.
Searching the Genomes of Inbred Mouse Strains for Incompatibilities That Reproductively Isolate Their Wild Relatives

Identification of the genes that underlie reproductive isolation provides important insights into the process of speciation. According to the Dobzhansky-Muller model, these genes suffer disrupted interactions in hybrids due to independent divergence in separate populations. In hybrid populations, natural selection acts to remove the deleterious heterospecific combinations that cause these functional disruptions. When selection is strong, this process can maintain multilocus associations, primarily between conspecific alleles, providing a signature that can be used to locate incompatibilities. We applied this logic to populations of house mice that were formed by hybridization involving two species that show partial reproductive isolation, Mus domesticus and Mus musculus. Using molecular markers likely to be informative about species ancestry, we scanned the genomes of 1) classical inbred strains and 2) recombinant inbred lines for pairs of loci that showed extreme linkage disequilibria. By using the same set of markers, we identified a list of locus pairs that displayed similar patterns in both scans. These genomic regions may contain genes that contribute to reproductive isolation between M. domesticus and M. musculus. This hypothesis can now be tested using laboratory crosses and surveys of introgression in the wild.
The distribution of strain within crack tip plastic zones

Abstract Strains ahead of cracks both growing due to cyclic loading and loaded only in tension, as experimentally determined using the stereoimaging technique, have been used to derive equations for the strain distribution. Both logarithmic and power function relations were fitted to the strains and the logarithmic function was found to be the best fit to most data. Materials examined were 7075 and 7091 aluminum alloys, Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy and austenitic 304 stainless steel.
Cell surface expression of biologically active influenza C virus HEF glycoprotein expressed from cDNA

The hemagglutinin, esterase, and fusion (HEF) glycoprotein of influenza C virus possesses receptor binding, receptor destroying, and membrane fusion activities. The HEF cDNAs from influenza C/Ann Arbor/1/50 (HEF-AA) and influenza C/Taylor/1223/47 (HEF-Tay) viruses were cloned and expressed, and transport of HEF to the cell surface was monitored by susceptibility to cleavage by exogenous trypsin, indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, and flow cytometry. Previously it has been found in studies with the C/Johannesburg/1/66 strain of influenza C virus (HEF-JHB) that transport of HEF to the cell surface is severely inhibited, and it is thought that the short cytoplasmic tail, Arg-Thr-Lys, is involved in blocking HEF cell surface expression (F. Oeffner, H.-D. Klenk, and G. Herrler, J. Gen. Virol. 80:363–369, 1999). As the cytoplasmic tail amino acid sequences of HEF-AA and HEF-Tay are identical to that of HEF-JHB, the data indicate that cell surface expression of HEF-AA and HEF-Tay is not inhibited by this amino acid sequence. Furthermore, the abundant cell surface transport of HEF-AA and HEF-Tay indicates that their cell surface expression does not require coexpression of another viral protein. The HEF-AA and HEF-Tay HEF glycoproteins bound human erythrocytes, promoted membrane fusion in a low-pH and trypsin-dependent manner, and displayed esterase activity, indicating that the HEF glycoprotein alone mediates all three known functions at the cell surface.
A Contextual Analysis of Drinking Events

Previous studies have related the level of alcohol consumption to several context variables. The present study investigates the relationship between context variables and drinking levels. A household survey of 794 adults in metropolitan Boston found that among men, mean alcohol consumption was significantly higher in bars than in other settings and significantly higher with friends than with spouse and relatives. Among women, drinking location interacted significantly with type of companions. Mean consumption with friends was significantly higher in bars than in other settings. Mean consumption with relatives was significantly lower in home contexts than in other settings.
Theory and experimental analysis of cognitive processes in early learning

This paper presents an algorithm of unsupervised learning for applications in robotics and a knowledge structure which supports the behaviour generation (BG) module of the RCS/NASREM architecture designed at NIST. Minimum initial knowledge is presumed ("bootstrap knowledge"). The learning system uses the newly arrived information to extract rules of motion and construct a multiresolutional world model (WM). It evolves as a structure of knowledge representation which allows the BG to create and execute plans at each level of resolution. The concept of recursive generalization is explored as the main tool of rule extraction and knowledge organization. The experiment in learning is described based upon simulation of a 2D and a 3D mobile system.
Ontogenetic Changes in the Coloration of the Northern Watersnake, Nerodia sipedon sipedon

Juvenile Nerodia sipedon sipedon possess a striking dorsal pattern, whereas adults often have a more uniform dorsal coloration. Past researchers have hypothesized that this color shift occurs through a darkening of the ground color, but this hypothesis has never been tested quantitatively. Analysis of digital images of the dorsum and venter of N. s. sipedon individuals of all sizes from islands in Lake Michigan indicated that as snakes increase in length, the dorsal ground color darkens, but the coloration of dorsal blotches and ventral pattern does not change. Potential costs and benefits of a change in dorsal coloration while ventral pattern remains relatively constant are discussed in relation to variation in size.
Abundance of Hydrothermal Mineral Deposits on Seamounts Inferred From Seamounts Petrologic Characteristics and Abundances

In this short paper we attempt to make crude estimates of the amounts of sulfide mineral precipitates on off-ridge seamounts relative to the amounts precipitated from ridge crest hydrothermal systems. While adequate data for such an estimate are largely lacking at present, seamount sulfide deposits probably represent about 10% of the amount generated at the mid ocean ridges on a global basis. This estimate is based on known characteristics of seamounts, their sulfide deposits and petrology but requires using several untested assumptions. The probable variety of hydrothermal and metallogenetic phenomena associated with off-ridge volcanism is scientifically very interesting and the generally shallower depths of seamount sulfide deposits may make them attractive as a resource.
Semiparametric odds ratio model for case–control and matched case–control designs

We propose a semiparametric odds ratio model that extends Umbach and Weinberg's approach to exploiting gene-environment association model for efficiency gains in case-control designs to both discrete and continuous data. We directly model the gene-environment association in the control population to avoid estimating the intercept in the disease risk model, which is inherently difficult because of the scarcity of information on the parameter with the sampling designs. We propose a novel permutation-based approach to eliminate the high-dimensional nuisance parameters in the matched case-control design. The proposed approach reduces to the conditional logistic regression when the model for the gene-environment association is unrestricted. Simulation studies demonstrate good performance of the proposed approach. We apply the proposed approach to a study of gene-environment interaction on coronary artery disease.
Video-taped coding of working model of the child interviews: a viable and useful alternative to verbatim transcripts?

Examined inter-rater reliability in scoring a semi-structured representational interview, the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI), using coders who scored either verbatim transcripts or video. Results indicated high levels of inter-rater agreement across methods. Direct coding of attachment-based interviews is an economical alternative to transcripts.
Finite-range DWBA calculations for (d, 6Li) reactions

Abstract Exact finite-range DWBA calculations are carried out for the 32S(d, 6Li)28Si reaction employing optical model parameters obtained from appropriate elastic scattering analyses. The results are in poor agreement with experimental 21 MeV angular distributions. They show a significant dependence on the form of the d-α potential, and they demonstrate the necessity for including the V d - 28 Si- U d - 32 S interaction term in the transition amplitude in addition to the Vdα interaction.
Harmful algal blooms and eutrophication: “strategies” for nutrient uptake and growth outside the Redfield comfort zone

While many harmful algal blooms have been associated with increasing eutrophication, not all species respond similarly and the increasing challenge, especially for resource managers, is to determine which blooms are related to eutrophication and to understand why particular species proliferate under specific nutrient conditions. The overall goal of this brief review is to describe why nutrient loads are not changing in stoichiometric proportion to the “Redfield ratio”, and why this has important consequences for algal growth. Many types of harmful algae appear to be able to thrive, and/or increase their production of toxins, when nutrient loads are not in proportion classically identified as Redfield ratios. Here we also describe some of the physiological mechanisms of different species to take up nutrients and to thrive under conditions of nutrient imbalance.
Discrete-time Markov-reward models: random rewards

Considers the discrete-time version of performability modeling, when the Markov rewards are random. The discrete-time approach is well-suited for the performance studies of automated manufacturing systems (AMS) in the presence of failures, repairs and reconfigurations. AMS exist in various configuration states and this transitional behavior is modeled using discrete-time Markov chains. In addition, the performance in each configuration state is modeled by a Markov reward structure. The random reward structure used resembles closely the behavior of actual systems than the deterministic models used in earlier literature. In this paper, the authors derive recursive expressions for the conditional densities and moments of the cumulative performance function, when the underlying Markov chain describing the evolution of the configuration states is homogenous. An example is used to illustrate the methods obtained in the paper. >
Metaphors be with you! (Metaphor System)

The original formulation of XP promoted metaphor to the status of essential practice. XP was the only agile method that made the use of metaphor this explicit and essential - unique. Unique: and immediately controversial. Few practitioners claimed to understand the intent of metaphor as a practice, how to devise and evaluate metaphors, or the relationship of metaphor to design and the other XP practices. As XP evolved metaphor was demoted and is no longer a separate practice. Most agile proponents mention metaphor and acknowledge minor uses. This paper argues that XP was wrong to abandon metaphor and advocates a more systematic discussion of how metaphor informs development.
Use of antiserums for blood group antigens S and K in studies of parentage.

The commonly accepted blood groups ABO, MN, and Rh-Hr are approximately 50% effective in proving nonparentage. Statistics are available at present to establish the Kell and S factors as distinct and reliable genetic markers, thus making them similarly useful. The additional effectiveness provided by the tests for these factors may be crucial in certain cases. In addition, the experience in the application of other blood group antigens such as Duffy, Kidd, and Lutheran to problems of parentage indicates that the determination of filial relationship by blood tests will be a more accurate procedure in the near future. The total effectiveness of all of these available tests in proving nonpaternity is approximately 63 %. Statistics and typical family studies with actual case records are presented to support these figures.
Effect of epinephrine in decreasing number of circulating mononuclear leucocytes in the rat.

ConclusionsThe administration of epinephrine to normal or adreno-demedullated rats produced within 2 hours a definite fall in the number of circulating mononuclear leucocytes. The number of mononuclears did not decrease after administering epinephrine to adrenalectomized rats. This indicates that the presence of the adrenal cortex is necessary for epinephrine to cause these effects. After administering epinephrine to hypophysectomized rats, the number of mononuclears decreased as in the epinephrine treated normal rats although the percentage decrease was less. This would seem to indicate that at least one effect of epinephrine is to act directly on the adrenal cortex, releasing substances which lower the level of circulating mononuclear leucocytes.Since this paper was submitted for publication, Gellhorn and Frank15 have reported that epinephrine causes a reduction in the number of circulating lymphocytes in normal but not in adrenalectomized rats.
Surveillance on resistance of anopheles sinensis to deltamethrin in Jianghan plain

Objective To understand the resistance of Anopheles sinensis to deltamethrin,and provide a basis for the reasonable use of pesticides. Methods The filter paper contact method for adult mosquitoes,as recommended by WHO,was used to determine the initial knockdown time,knockdown rate,and mortality rate of mosquitoes,and the level of dose to determine the resistance grade,and evaluate the Kdr resistance by the initial knockdown time and knockdown rate.Results For the anopheles in Jianghan Plain,the initial knockdown time by deltamethrin was 6- 25 min,the 60-minutecontact knock down rate was 1. 00%- 9. 62%,the KT50 was 1 003. 5- 24 099. 78 min,the resistance index was 4. 41-105. 79,the 24-hour mortality rate was 2. 00%- 8. 65%. Results showed it was a high resistance group. Conclusion The anopheles was of high resistance to deltamethrin in Jianghan Plain,and it is necessary to use different types of insecticide alternatively,to ensure the control effects and postpone the upgrade of mosquito resistance.
The effect of freezing on sperm-associated immunoglobulin G (IgG) * †

Previously frozen and fresh sperm from infertile and fertile men were assayed for sperm-associated immunoglobulin G (IgG) to determine the effect of a simple freezing technique on the assay results. A direct radiolabeled antiglobulin assay (DRAA) and a direct fluorescein-labeled antiglobulin assay (DFAA) utilizing a fluorescein-activated flow cytometer were employed. The amount of IgG detected by the DRAA and the percentage of sperm that fluoresced in the DFAA generally declined when frozen sperm were used, but only the DFAA showed a statistically significant decrease. However, the degree of decline was predictable ( r = 0.91 in both assays), and whether the test remained positive or negative when frozen sperm were used was not significantly affected.
Incidence and Clinical Predictors of Nonresponse to Hepatitis B Vaccination among Patients Receiving Hemodialysis: Importance of Obesity.

OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to quantify the incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine nonresponse and identify clinical characteristics associated with vaccine nonresponse. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) receiving the HBV vaccine. Study inclusion criteria were age 18 years and older, receipt of HD treatment for ≥ 1 month, receipt of ≥ 1 dose of HBV vaccine, availability of anti-HB surface antibody (anti-HBs) laboratory values ≥ 2 weeks after last HBV vaccine, and prevaccine anti-HBs value <10 mIU/mL. Clinical data were abstracted from patients' medical records. The outcome of interest was vaccine nonresponse, defined as anti-HBs values <10 IU/mL. Multivariate regression was used to determine variables independently associated with vaccine nonresponse. Kaplan-Meier estimates were constructed for determining HBV vaccine response retention. RESULTS Of the 119 patients evaluated, nonresponse was observed in 58%. Mean age at first vaccination for vaccine responders and nonresponders was 58.8 ± 16.5 and 65.9 ± 14.1 (P = 0.01), respectively. Variables independently associated with nonresponse were age 58 years and older (adjusted relative risk, 95% confidence interval 1.62, 1.06-2.46; P = 0.02) and body mass index ≥ 36.4 kg/m(2) (adjusted relative risk, 95% confidence interval 1.66, 1.34-2.07; P < 0.01). Among the 50 patients who achieved an initial vaccine response, 26% were not able to maintain vaccine response upon subsequent anti-HBs measurement. The probability of retaining vaccine response over time was significantly modified by body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2). CONCLUSIONS The frequency of nonresponse to the HBV vaccine was high among patients undergoing HD. The clinical covariates most predictive of vaccine nonresponse were advanced age at the time of vaccination and excess body weight.
Subjects and topics

Introduction One of the most difficult aspects of the study and use of Japanese grammar involves the distinction between ga and wa . Textbooks commonly explain that the primary function of ga is to mark the subject, although, as seen in Chapter 7, ga -marked NPs do not always qualify conceptually as subjects. On the other hand, wa is said to mark a topic . In ordinary language, both subject and topic can be loosely defined as the focal point of discussion. Therefore, subject and topic do overlap in function – that is, many subjects are also topics, and many topics are commonly expressed as subjects. In linguistics, however, subject and topic refer to drastically different concepts. Subject is a grammatical relation held between a given constituent, typically an NP, and the predicate. That is, the scope of a subject is limited to a clause, or to a sentence if the sentence is mono-clausal. Topic, on the other hand, references a much broader notion. It is normal to consider the topic of a paragraph, the topic of a chapter, or even the topic of an entire book. In other words, the scope of a topic is a discourse (or a text ) ; that is, a sequence of sentences organized by a specific purpose. This difference in scope between subject and topic makes elucidation of ga and wa a challenge because they do not necessarily contrast on the same bases. When a sentence is examined in isolation, ga and wa can often be used interchangeably; however, when that same sentence is embedded in a discourse, either ga or wa might not be usable. Another reason for difficulty is that the selection criteria for these particles are not mutually exclusive. In the same sentences, ga might be appropriate according to one criterion, but wa preferable according to another. To put it differently, the distinction between ga and wa is primarily a matter of information packaging , i.e. how the message is sent, rather than the content of the message itself (Chafe 1976: 28).
Spatial statistics for spatial pyramid matching based image recognition

This paper presents an image feature extraction algorithm that enhances the object classification accuracy in the spatial pyramid matching (SPM) framework. The proposed method considers the spatial statistics of the feature vectors by calculating the moment vectors. While the original SPM algorithm captures the spatial distribution of the image feature descriptors, the proposed algorithm describes how such spatial distribution is variant. The experiments are conducted using two state-of-the-art SPM-based methods for two commonly used datasets. The results demonstrates the validity of our proposed algorithm. The cases where the proposed algorithm works well are also investigated. In addition, it is demonstrated that the proposed feature and adding more layers improve the classification accuracy in different situations.
Arrays of 128x32 InP-Based Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photodiodes

Arrays of InP-based avalanche photodiodes operating at 1.06-μm wavelength in the Geiger mode have been fabricated in the 128x32 format. The arrays have been hermetically packaged with precision-aligned lenslet arrays, bump-bonded read-out integrated circuits, and thermoelectric coolers. With the array cooled to -20C and voltage biased so that optical cross-talk is small, the median photon detection efficiency is 23-25% and the median dark count rate is 2 kHz. With slightly higher voltage overbias, optical cross-talk increases but the photon detection efficiency increases to almost 30%. These values of photon detection efficiency include the optical coupling losses of the microlens array and package window.
Biocompatibility assessments for medical devices - evolving regulatory considerations.

Introduction: Biocompatibility assessment provides key data supporting medical device development and marketing. Although regional and international guidance is available, differences in proposed b...
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

Routine follow-up recommended for patients with small PDA without evidence of left-sided heart volume overload; recommended every 3–5 years for patients with small PDA without evidence of left heart volume overload
Neurologic complications of cardiac and vascular surgery

This chapter will provide an overview of the major neurologic complications of common cardiac and vascular surgeries, such as coronary artery bypass grafting and carotid endarterectomy. Neurologic complications after cardiac and vascular surgeries can cause significant morbidity and mortality, which can negate the beneficial effects of the intervention. Some of the complications to be discussed include ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, seizures, delirium, cognitive dysfunction, cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome, cranial nerve injuries, and peripheral neuropathies. The severity of these complications can range from mild to lethal. The etiology of complications can include a variety of mechanisms, which can differ based on the type of cardiac or vascular surgery that is performed. Our knowledge about neuropathology, prevention, and management of surgical complications is growing and will be discussed in this chapter. It is imperative for clinicians to be familiar with these complications in order to narrow the differential diagnosis, start early management, anticipate the natural history, and improve outcomes.
Evaluation of the Informational Content, Readability and Comprehensibility of Online Health Information on Monogenic Diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to assess the informational content, readability, suitability and comprehensibility of websites offering educational information about monogenic diabetes available to patients. The top 20 results from 15 queries in four search engines were screened. Content analysis was performed by two independent coders. Readability was determined using Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL) and Simplified Measure of Goobledygook (SMOG). The Comprehensibility Assessment of Materials (SAM + CAM) scale was utilized to evaluate website suitability and comprehensibility. Only 2% (N = 29) of 1200 screened websites met inclusion criteria. Content analysis showed that 16 websites presented information on at least the most common forms of MODY (1, 2 and 3), four addressed the utility of genetic counseling, and none included support resources for patients. All websites exceeded the consensus readability level (6th grade) as assessed by FKGL (10.1 grade) and SMOG (12.8 ± 1.5 grades). Although the majority (N = 20) of websites had an overall “adequate” to “superior” quality score (SAM + CAM score > = 40%), more than one-third scored “not suitable” in categories of content, literacy demand, graphics, and learning motivation. The online educational resources for monogenic diabetes have a high readability level and require improvement in ease of use and comprehensibility for patients with diabetes.
A large-scale soil-mixing process for reclamation of heavily disturbed soils

Abstract Soil excavation associated with energy production or mineral extraction results in heavily disturbed landscapes that must be reclaimed to avoid long-term economic and environmental losses. A common practice in reclamation of these sites is topsoil replacement across the disturbed area. In some instances, this process requires importing topsoil from another location, known as topsoil transfer, which can be expensive and introduce a new seedbank, insect community, or plant pathogens. This research describes a soil-mixing process for disturbed soils that may be used to reduce costs associated with topsoil transfer and accelerate the recovery of soil function following a large excavation. This process was applied to two disturbed soils: i) crude-oil contaminated subsoil material; and ii) crude-oil contaminated subsoil material that was remediated using ex-situ thermal desorption. These soils were separately mixed with native, non-contaminated agricultural topsoil at 1:1 ratio (by volume). The native, disturbed, and mixed soils were characterized for soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and statistics indicated that the mixtures were homogenous both spatially and with depth. However, the mixtures were significantly different from both the disturbed materials and native topsoil, primarily driven by changes in soil organic carbon, plant available nutrients, and biological activity. These results suggest that this mixing process can be used for soil reclamation at large-scale excavation sites to both reduce project costs and enhance recovery of soil parameters.
Chemistry of Detergentless Microemulsions

On the basis of conductivity, interfacial tension, gas-liquid chromatography and centrifugation data, a pseudo-phase diagram for ternary compositions of n-hexane, water and 2-propanol has been prepared. Ternary compositions that are unstable with respect to phase separation have been characterized and tie lines constructed. Some ternary compositions exhibit the physical properties of a water/oil microemulsion even though a detergent is not present. The presence of “bulk” water in microemulsified compositions is indicated by ultra-centrifugation and 1H NMR studies. Added KOH and NaCl produce significant, though not major, changes in the ternary diagram. Initial efforts to test the suitability of these ternary solutions as solvents for simple chemical reactions and for extracting fossil fuels from tar sands are described. This article is primarily an overview of investigations conducted by the authors and their associates.
Endoscopic Management of Primary Obstructive Megaureter: A Systematic Review.

Abstract Background: The gold standard treatment for primary obstructive megaureter (POM) with declining renal function, worsening obstruction, or recurrent infections is ureteral reimplantation wi...
A Place for Undergraduate Public Administration Education

This paper argues that the focus on graduate-level study in the field of public administration is largely due to the timing of the field’s development and the state of American higher education aft...
Identification of pigment epithelium-derived factor receptor (PEDF-R) antibody epitopes.

Pigment epithelium-derived factor receptor (PEDF-R) is a patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 2 (PNPLA2) protein recently identified in the retina. It has high affinity for pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a protein that acts on the neural and vascular retina. PEDF-R is a membrane-linked phospholipase and PEDF binding stimulates its enzymatic phospholipase A2 activity, which catalyzes the cleavage of fatty acids from membrane phospholipids. In this study, we mapped the epitope of an antibody for PEDF-R using recombinant PEDF-R polypeptides fragments and synthetic peptides. In addition to mapping the recognition site of the antibody on PEDF-R, we have identified peptides that specifically block its immunoreactivity and will prove to be useful tools for PEDF-R research.
Distal radioulnar joint dysfunction.

SUMMARY Dislocations of the DRUJ, when diagnosed promptly, may be successfully treated by closed reduction and immobilization. Symptomatic tears of the TFCC may be decompressed by ulnar shortening with or without debridement of the tear. Several operations are available for the treatment of derangements of the DRUJ. The Lauenstein procedure maintains TFCC function and restores stable painful forearm rotation.
Loud Messengers — P Values and Effect Size

Part of the application process for medical school admissions includes an interview with several faculty at the institution. While visiting one medical school that was considering me as a candidate, I was interviewed by a basic scientist— a neurophysiologist. During our conversation, the topic eventually turned to research. The interviewer finally commented that he was lamenting over a failed manuscript submission. Indulging my request for additional information, he related that his manuscript had been rejected by a prestigious journal, apparently for lack of statistical significance. Since I had some exposure to p values, we discussed their meaning and nonmeaning, jointly groping toward some inner truth, and finally realized together that “statistical significance” does not go hand in hand with clinical significance. We together broke some of the bonds with which p values had tied us so tightly. The purpose of this chapter is to break some more.
6. Into Academia

When my Ph.D. advisor Larry Payne heard I was leaving Minnesota to go to Colorado, he told me, “Sure, I understand, you want to go home…but you know, that Math Department out there has always messed things up. Almost always, they do.” Larry seldom said anything bad about anybody. But his words would turn out to be prophetic indeed.
Penile Prosthesis Infection: Myths and Realities

Penile prosthesis infection is the most significant complication following prosthesis implant surgery leading to postoperative morbidity, increased health care costs, and psychological stress for the patient. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with increased postoperative penile prosthesis infection. A review of the literature was performed via PubMed using search terms including inflatable penile prosthesis, penile implant, and infection. Articles were given a level of evidence score using the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Guidelines. Multiple factors were associated with increased risk of post-prosthesis placement infection (Level of Evidence Rating) including smoking tobacco (Level 1), CD4 T-cell count 8.5 (Level 2). Factors with no effect on infection rate include: preoperative cleansing with antiseptic (Level 4), history of prior radiation (Level 3), history of urinary diversion (Level 4), obesity (Level 3), concomitant circumcision (Level 3), immunosuppression (Level 4), age >75 (Level 4), type of hand cleansing (Level 1), post-surgical drain placement (Level 3), and surgical approach (Level 4). Factors associated with decreased rates of infection included: surgeon experience (Level 2), "No Touch" technique (Level 3), preoperative parenteral antibiotics (Level 2), antibiotic coated devices (Level 2), and operative field hair removal with clippers (Level 1). Optimization of pre-surgical and intraoperative risk factors is imperative to reduce the rate of postoperative penile prosthesis infection. Additional research is needed to elucidate risk factors and maximize benefit.
Influence of Weather Severity and Other Risk Factors on the Incidence of Nonaccidental Trauma

Purpose: To identify the demographic, situational, socioeconomic, and meteorological factors that characterize patients presenting to the ER with suspected NAT. Furthermore, to utilize this data to develop a standardized intake assessment tool to identify at risk families and facilitate focused intervention/prevention. Methods: Data on patient demographics, situational factors, socio-economic factors and weather patterns at the time of injury were gathered from medical records of 277 patients evaluated for possible NAT from 2007 to 2014. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test were used to examine possible associations between these …
Solving the Problem in Italy and Much of Western Europe

What are the deep, structural problems in Italy—the problems that preclude a “good economy”—even if everything else goes right? Much of the problems have to do with innovation, “indigenous” and “imported.” Innovation is generally necessary if people are to have gratifying working lives and rising living standards, though some kinds of innovation create a problem. How has Italy fared in this dimension?
Augmented Hyper-CVAD in Adult ALL Salvage Therapy: The MDACC Experience of Hyper-CVAD Using Dose-Intense Vincristine, Dexamethasone, and Pegaspargase.

Abstract Abstract 2031 Poster Board II-8 Adult patients (pts) with ALL have inferior outcome compared children with a higher relapse rate and shorter disease-free survival. The prognosis remains especially poor for adults with relapsed or refractory disease. Recent studies in adolescents and young adults demonstrated better outcome when postremission therapies were intensified. Following this lead and based on our experience with hyper-CVAD (up to 8 cycles of fractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone alternating with high-dose methotrexate and cytarabine followed by maintenance therapy) we designed an augmented version of hyper-CVAD including intensified doses of vincristine, dexamethasone, and asparaginase. We have previously reported experience in 55 pts treated with augmented hyper-CVAD using L-asparaginase (Faderl et al. Blood 2007; 110: 149b). In the current extension of the trial we replaced L-asparaginase with pegaspargase, a long-acting formulation of asparaginase, which has been reported to be at least as effective and less immunogenic than L-asparaginase. With each course of hyper-CVAD and methotrexate/cytarabine, pts received vincristine 2 mg iv x 3, dexamethasone 80 mg iv/po on days 1-4 and 15-18, and pegaspargase 2,500 units/m2 iv x 1. From September 2008 until July 1009, 24 pts with relapsed/refractory ALL have been enrolled. Median age was 31 yrs (range 20-61). Nineteen pts (79%) had pre-B ALL, 4 (17%) pre-T ALL, and one pt had biphenotypic leukemia. Median number of prior regimens was 1 (range 1-4). Two pts relapsed from prior stem cell transplant (SCT). Two pts had primary refractory disease. Median remission duration to the initial induction regimen of the remainder of the pts was 37 months (range 2-78). Cytogenetics were diploid in 9 pts (38%), abnormal in 7 (29%), and not available in 8. Twenty pts are evaluable for response. Nine (45%) pts achieved CR and 7 (35%) CRp for an OR rate of 80%. Median time to CR was 34 days (range 20-80). Among the 9 CR pts, median CR duration is 3.4 months (0.4+-6.7+), CR is ongoing in 5 patients, and 6 were referred to SCT. Three pts (15%) died while on study from sepsis and myelosuppression-related complications. Neutropenic fever was common. Common non-hematologic adverse events included elevations of bilirubin and transaminases. Pegaspargase was well tolerated and had to be omitted in only 2 pts due to elevation of transaminases. No anaphylactic reactions occurred. Augmented hyper-CVAD has activity in adult patients with relapsed ALL. Pegaspargase appears to have comparable activity and less toxicity than L-asparaginase. Further studies in an adult frontline population should be considered. Disclosures: Faderl: Enzon: Research Funding.
All Talk: How Increasing Interpersonal Communication on Wikis May Not Enhance Productivity

Prior research suggests that facilitating easier communication in social computing systems will increase both interpersonal interactions as well as group productivity. This study tests these claims by examining the impact of a new communication feature called "message walls" that allows for faster and more intuitive interpersonal communication in wikis. Using panel data from a sample of 275 wiki communities that migrated to message walls and a method inspired by regression discontinuity designs, we analyze these transitions and estimate the impact of the system's introduction. Although the adoption of message walls was associated with increased communication among all editors and newcomers, it had little effect on productivity, and was further associated with a decrease in article contributions from new editors. Our results imply that design changes that make communication easier in a social computing system may not translate to increased participation along other dimensions.
Persistent genital arousal disorder: a special sense neuropathy

Introduction Persistent genital arousal (PGAD) is a syndrome of unprovoked sexual arousal/orgasm of uncertain cause primarily reported in female patients. Most patients are referred for mental-health treatment, but as research suggests associations with neurological symptoms and conditions, there is need to analyze cases comprehensively evaluated by neurologists. Methods The IRB waived consent requirements for this retrospective university-hospital study. We extracted and analyzed neurological symptoms, test, and treatment results from all qualifying participants' records and recontacted some for details. Results All 10 participants were female; their PGAD symptoms began between ages 11 to 70 years. Two patterns emerged: 80% reported daily out-of-context sexual arousal episodes (≤30/day) that usually included orgasm and 40% reported lesser, often longer-lasting, nonorgasmic arousals. Most also had symptoms consistent with sacral neuropathy-70% had urologic complaints and 60% had neuropathic perineal or buttock pain. In 90% of patients, diagnostic testing identified anatomically appropriate and plausibly causal neurological lesions. Sacral dorsal-root Tarlov cysts were most common (in 4), then sensory polyneuropathy (2). One had spina bifida occulta and another drug-withdrawal effect as apparently causal; lumbosacral disc herniation was suspected in another. Neurological treatments cured or significantly improved PGAD symptoms in 4/5 patients, including 2 cures. Conclusions Although limited by small size and referral bias to neurologists, this series strengthens associations with Tarlov cysts and sensory polyneuropathy and suggests new ones. We hypothesize that many cases of PGAD are caused by unprovoked firing of C-fibers in the regional special sensory neurons that subserve sexual arousal. Some PGAD symptoms may share pathophysiologic mechanisms with neuropathic pain and itch.
We need to talk about the Warburg effect

We are approaching the 100th anniversary of Otto Warburg’s first description of the metabolic phenotype bearing his name—a propensity for tumours to metabolize glucose anaerobically rather than aerobically, even when oxygen is available. Generations of scientists have studied the Warburg effect, yet misconceptions persist about its causes and relationship to oxidative metabolism in the mitochondria. Here, we review the definition of the Warburg effect and discuss its place within a modern understanding of cancer biology.