cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HCN1 Channels as Targets for Anesthetic and Nonanesthetic Propofol Analogs in the Amelioration of Mechanical and Thermal Hyperalgesia in a Mouse Model of Neuropathic Pain

Chronic pain after peripheral nerve injury is associated with afferent hyperexcitability and upregulation of hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-regulated (HCN)–mediated IH pacemaker currents in sensory neurons. HCN channels thus constitute an attractive target for treating chronic pain. HCN channels are ubiquitously expressed; analgesics targeting HCN1-rich cells in the peripheral nervous system must spare the cardiac pacemaker current (carried mostly by HCN2 and HCN4) and the central nervous system (where all four isoforms are expressed). The alkylphenol general anesthetic propofol (2,6-di-iso-propylphenol) selectively inhibits HCN1 channels versus HCN2–HCN4 and exhibits a modest pharmacokinetic preference for the periphery. Consequently, we hypothesized that propofol, and congeners, should be antihyperalgesic. Alkyl-substituted propofol analogs have different rank-order potencies with respect to HCN1 inhibition, GABAA receptor (GABAA-R) potentiation, and general anesthesia. Thus, 2,6- and 2,4-di-tertbutylphenol (2,6- and 2,4-DTBP, respectively) are more potent HCN1 antagonists than propofol, whereas 2,6- and 2,4-di-sec-butylphenol (2,6- and 2,4-DSBP, respectively) are less potent. In contrast, DSBPs, but not DTBPs, enhance GABAA-R function and are general anesthetics. 2,6-DTBP retained propofol’s selectivity for HCN1 over HCN2–HCN4. In a peripheral nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain, 2,6-DTBP and subhypnotic propofol are antihyperalgesic. The findings are consistent with these alkylphenols exerting analgesia via non-GABAA-R targets and suggest that antagonism of central HCN1 channels may be of limited importance to general anesthesia. Alkylphenols are hydrophobic, and thus potential modifiers of lipid bilayers, but their effects on HCN channels are due to direct drug-channel interactions because they have little bilayer-modifying effect at therapeutic concentrations. The alkylphenol antihyperalgesic target may be HCN1 channels in the damaged peripheral nervous system.
G97(P) 5 Year Follow up of Post-Infectious Obliterative Bronchiolitis

Introduction Post–infectious Obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) has multiple aetiologies with adenovirus the most common cause in the UK. Children with OB usually present with respiratory symptoms and features of small airway obstruction. High resolution CT may show variable small airway obstruction and paucity of vascular markings to support the diagnosis. Treatment is supportive. No published studies have reported the medium term prognosis of OB in UK children. Methods We describe the clinical course of OB in 19 patients followed for up to 5 years after diagnosis. Data on symptoms, lung function, microbiology, imaging and treatment were collected. Results Median age at diagnosis was 4 years (range 1–11 years, 8 boys). Productive cough was common in up to 70% and wheeze occurred in 20%. Adenovirus was the most common cause identified (9 patients), followed by idiopathic (7 patients). CT confirmed diagnosis and repeat showed no change in 3, improvement in 2 and worsening in 2. Seven children had repeat FEV 1 measurements, of those 4 had an improvement (increase in% predicted FEV 1 4–25%). 69% of the cohort received prophylactic winter antibiotics and on average had an additional 2 treatment courses /year. Chest physiotherapy was used in all children, mainly during exacerbations. 3 patients required supplementary oxygen and BIPAP which we were able to discontinue by year 5. 1 teenage boy received a lung transplant. Conclusion Our cohort has been defined. This is a heterogeneous group with a variable course in disease. An improvement in disease outcome may be possible in some patients with effective treatment. However a national multicentre follow- up longer term study would help to define characteristics and prognosis on a population level.
Does routine use of ultrasound result in additional thyroid procedures in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism

Background Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism depends on accurate preoperative imaging. Cervical ultrasound is commonly used to localize parathyroid adenomas, but can lead to discovery of concomitant thyroid gland pathology requiring modification of the operative approach. How the identification of incidental thyroid lesions affects patient management is unclear. Study Design A prospective database of patients undergoing parathyroidectomy was analyzed for thyroid pathology discovered by ultrasound. Lesions were biopsied if indicated, and operative management was adjusted accordingly. Clinical data were correlated with operative decision-making. Results Between July 2002 and November 2009, 310 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism underwent ultrasound. Concomitant thyroid pathology was noted in 89 (29%) patients. Thirty-seven patients (42% of pathology) underwent fine-needle aspiration of a thyroid nodule. Thirteen patients (4% of all patients) underwent a thyroid operation not related to parathyroid disease: 9 thyroid lobectomies for presumably benign nodules and 4 total thyroidectomies for malignancy. Two were for confirmed papillary thyroid cancer, and the other 2 were for an indeterminate biopsy that later proved to be papillary thyroid cancer. One lobectomy discovered microscopic papillary thyroid cancer independent of the biopsied nodule. In total, 5 (2% of all patients) malignancies were discovered. Conclusions Twenty-nine percent of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism had concomitant thyroid pathology on ultrasound. Forty-two percent of these patients underwent biopsy, and 2% had malignant pathology. Routine use of ultrasound in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism leads to discovery of unrecognized thyroid pathology and cancer.
Empirical reliability modeling for 0.18-μm MOS devices

Abstract This paper presents a simple yet effective approach to modeling empirically the 0.18-μm MOS reliability. Short-term stress data are first measured, and the well-known power law is used to project the MOS long-term degradation and lifetime. These results are then used as the basis for the development of an empirical model to predict the MOS lifetime as a function of drain voltage and channel length. Our study focuses on the worst-case stress condition, and both the linear and saturation operations are considered in the modeling. Very good agreement between the measurements and model calculations has been demonstrated.
Design and Verification of Seamless Intake Acoustic Liners for Business Jet Class Turbofan Engines

This paper describes recent research activities carried out by GKN Aerospace and Honeywell Aerospace to design, fabricate and test zero-splice intake acoustic liners. A comparative assessment of the performance of two different zero-splice intake acoustic liner concepts is presented. Demonstrators for a Seamless Single-Degree of Freedom (SDOF) Linear liner and a Seamless Double-Layer Liner were designed and manufactured at GKN Aerospace. Far field static engine noise tests were conducted at Honeywell's Acoustic Test Facility in San Tan, Arizona, to evaluate the effectiveness of the liners and their benefit to aircraft community noise reduction.
Ovine Scrapie: New Tools for Control of an Old Disease

Ovine scrapie was described nearly 300 years ago and is endemic in many parts of the world. The recent emergence of a related bovine disease in the United Kingdom and Europe, with probable transmission to humans, has lent urgency to scrapie surveillance and control programs. The biology, genetics, diagnosis, and proposed routes of transmission can be understood in the context of the presumed causative agent, the prion protein. An integrated program of management and husbandry to reduce introduction and spread of the disease within a flock, diagnosis of preclinically infected sheep in both live animal and postmortem settings, and identification of breeding stock of low risk of scrapie are reviewed as the basis for scrapie eradication programs.
Does the Use of Fairness Opinions Impair the Acquirers' Abnormal Returns? The Litigation Risk Effect

We examine the effect of the use of fairness opinions by acquirers on acquirers' short-term market performance. Our paper is the first to examine the effect of using fairness opinions on acquirers' abnormal returns around merger announcements. We hypothesize that acquirers purchase fairness opinions to reduce their potential litigation risk. Our results are consistent with this view that acquirers with fairness opinions underperform those without fairness opinions. The effect is more pronounced in the groups with higher litigation risk. Moreover, acquirers with higher litigation risk are more likely to purchase fairness opinions from investment bankers. Our paper raises the concern over the value of fairness opinions in mergers and acquisitions.
The correlation between body mass index, limb circumferences and blood pressure cuff fit in bariatric surgical patients.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and upper and lower arm as well as lower leg circumferences and the frequency of correct blood pressure (BP) cuff fit. We explored recommendations for the most likely BP cuff size and location for the three BMI categories. Materials and Methods: Following IRB approval we retrospectively analyzed a research database of bariatric surgical patients with a BMI of ≥40 kg/m 2 . Data included patients' characteristics, upper and lower arm as well as lower leg circumferences. Patients were divided into three groups based on BMI (kg/m 2 , Group I: 55). Appropriate cuff fit using a standard or large adult BP cuff (CRITIKON ® , GE Healthcare, Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA) on the upper and lower arm, and lower leg was determined. We analyzed the percent proportion of proper cuff fit for cuff sizes and locations between groups using appropriate nonparametric testing. Results: Limb circumference correlated significantly with BMI (P = 0.01), and the upper arm correlated most closely (r = 0.76). A standard adult BP cuff on the lower arm fit properly in >90% and >80% and in Groups I and II, respectively. A large cuff on the lower arm was appropriate in 87% of Group III. In two participants, a large cuff fit properly on the lower leg. Discussion: Limb circumference significantly correlated with BMI. Recommendations for proper cuff fit in different BMI categories can be made.
Fast-Rate–Constant-Rate Oxidation Kinetics Model for Asphalt Binders

Asphalt oxidative aging at constant temperature is characterized by a declining fast-rate period and a constant-rate period. While constant-rate reaction kinetics are known for many asphalt materia...
Salvage radical prostatectomy for radiorecurrent adenocarcinoma of the prostate

AbstractA total of 16 patients with persistent or recurrent prostate cancer 1 to 10 years after definitive treatment with radiotherapy underwent salvage radical prostatectomy. Patients considered to be candidates for the procedure were in excellent health, with a life expectancy of at least 10 years and with no evidence of extension of tumor beyond the prostate. There was no operative mortality but major complications included rectal injury in 3 patients (19 per cent, 1 requiring colostomy), ureteral transection in 1 (6 per cent), anastomotic stricture in 4 (25 per cent), ureterovesical junction stricture in 1 (6 per cent) and persistent urinary incontinence in 4. Whole organ step-section of the surgical specimen revealed positive surgical margins in 6 patients (37.5 per cent). Margins usually were positive at the apex and not at the bladder neck, so that cystoprostatectomy would not have altered the positive margin rate. Although the followup is too short for analysis of tumor recurrence or patient survi...
Capturing Experiences of Youth With ASD via Photo Exploration: Challenges and Resources Becoming an Adult:

Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience significant challenges transitioning to adulthood, but we have few firsthand accounts of these issues due to youth’s limited participation in research. In this study, we utilized a qualitative methodology, Photovoice, to understand youth’s perspectives on becoming adults. We recruited 11 youth with ASD, aged 18 to 25, from urban and rural counties in Missouri. Youth described their experiences of becoming adults with pictures; attended group, individual, and discussion photo-sharing sessions; and exhibited their work publicly. This methodology facilitated dialogue and the collection of an array of data including 201 transcription pages and 184 pictures. Thematic analysis identified important topics and patterns. Youth’s discussions and photos captured difficulties transitioning out of school, socialization challenges, and their connection with animals. Five themes emerged: (a) difficulty transitioning into adulthood, (b) desires for and problems with re...
Alcohol and Body Damage

From the beginning of time man has been plagued by famine, disease, and pestilence. Thus, life has always been difficult, and any mood-altering drug found by our ancestors was absorbed into the ritual of subsequent cultures. This was particularly so with substances that could lessen stress and anxiety and induce a jovial, exaggerated “all’s well with the world” feeling.
The role of hydroxyl radical as a messenger in the activation of nuclear transcription factor NF-κB

Although it is generally believed that reactive oxygen species activate NF-κB, a primary oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor, it is unclear which one among these species causes NF-κB activation. Our hypothesis is that hydroxyl radical (·OH) functions as a messenger for the activation of NF-κB. Jurkat cells, macrophages and JB6 cells were used to test this hypothesis. Cr(VI), silica and ZnO were used as sources of ·OH radicals. None of these ·OH generating systems involves exogenous H2O2. Cr(VI) expressed enhanced activity in induction of NF-κB in Jurkat cells. This activation of NF-κB was decreased by a metal chelator, diethylene triaminepentaacetic acid or a H2O2 scavenger, catalase, but was increased by superoxide dismutase. Mn(II), which reacts with Cr(IV) to inhibit this metal ion-mediated ·OH generation, decreased the NF-κB activation. Sodium formate, an ·OH radical scavenger, also inhibited the NF-κB activation. Electron spin resonance measurements show that Cr(VI) was reduced by Jurket cells to Cr(IV) and Cr(V). During the reduction process, molecular oxygen was reduced to O2- and then to H2O2, which reacted with Cr(IV) and Cr(V) to generate ·OH radical. The ·OH generation correlated with the Cr(VI)-induced NF-κB activation. Similarly, silica caused NF-κB activation in macrophages via the ·OH radical-mediated reaction. This radical was generated via metal mediated reaction from H2O2, which was generated by the reduction of molecular oxygen via O2- as an intermediate during the silica-stimulated ‘respirable burst’. Silica particles did not cause ·OH generation either in Jurket or in JB6 cells and thus did not cause any observable NF-κB activation in these cells. ZnO induced NF-κB activation in JB6 cells through the generation of ·OH resulting from light irradiation of ZnO which was measured by electron spin resonance. The results thus show that ·OH radical functions as a messenger for NF-κB activation. Antioxidants, which scavenge ·OH radical or its precursors, inhibit NF-κB activation. Metal chelators, which make metal ions incapable of generating ·OH from H2O2, inhibit activation of this transcription factor.
Malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in children

The spectrum of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) that occurs in children differs markedly from that in adults. This is probably a consequence of differences in the proportions of precursor and mature lymphoid cells in the immune systems of children and adults, and the greater emphasis on the development of an immunologic repertoire in the child. Childhood NHL can be classified into three main types based on histology, all of them diffuse: lymphoblastic, small noncleaved cell, and large cell. The majority of lymphoblastic lymphomas are of immature T cell (thymocyte) origin, although a few have a B cell precursor phenotype. All express the enzyme terminal transferase. Small noncleaved lymphomas express B cell characteristics, as do the majority do the majority of large cell lymphomas, although a small proportion of the latter express T cell characteristics. Very few are of true histiocytic origin. Little is known of the epidemiology of lymphoblastic and large cell lymphomas. However, using histology as a diagnostic criterion, both occur throughout the world and occur primarily, as do all childhood NHL, in the first two decades of life. There appear to be at least two types of small noncleaved cell lymphomas, both of which are associated with specific chromosomal translocations. An endemic form occurs at high frequency in equatorial Africa, and a sporadic form occurs at low frequency throughout the world. The endemic tumor is associated with the Epstein-Barr virus, it has a high incidence of jaw tumors, and has a breakpoint on chromosome 8 that is usually some distance upstream of the c-myc oncogene. The sporadic tumor is only occasionally associated with EBV, it often involves the bone marrow, particularly at relapse, and has a breakpoint on chromosome 8 that is usually very close to or within the c-myc oncogene. Childhood NHL is rarely truly localized, and treatment regimens are always based on chemotherapy. There is no evidence that radiation is beneficial when modern combination drug regimens are employed as the primary therapeutic modality. Prophylactic treatment to the central nervous system is recommended in nearly all patients, and intrathecal drugs, usually supplemented by some form of high-dose or intermediate-dose methotrexate, appear to represent adequate prophylaxis to the CNS. The most effective regimens result in cure in almost all patients who have limited overt disease, and in a high proportion (50 to 75 per cent) of patients with extensive disease, although patients with bone marrow involvement do poorly with most regimens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The Clinical Utility of the Conners' Continuous Performance Test-II in Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVE: The Conners' Continuous Performance Test Second Edition (CPT-II) is a measure commonly used in persons with suspected attentional deficits. Our study examined the utility of the CPT-II as a measure of attention in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) of varying severity. METHOD: As part of a larger investigation, several measures of cognitive functioning, including the CPT-II, were administered to 30 healthy control participants (HCP), 30 mild TBI participants (M-TBI), and 30 moderate to severe TBI participants (MS-TBI). Multivariate and correlational analyses compared group performances and examined convergent and divergent relationships between the CPT-II and various measures, including other tests of attention and neuropsychological function. RESULTS: Group differences were found for four of six CPT-II variables, with the MS-TBI group exhibiting greater impairment, relative to M-TBI and HCP. In addition, the CPT-II commission and detectability variables were found to correlate significantly with TBI severity. The CPT-II variables also demonstrated correlations of varying magnitude between commonly used neuropsychological measures. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the utility of the CPT-II for assessing attentional abilities in persons with TBI of varying severity, particularly those with moderate to severe status. Moreover, the current study also demonstrates relationships that are consistent with convergent validity but inconsistent findings with regard to divergent validity. As a result, the CPT-II measures components of attention that is unique to other commonly used neuropsychological measures of attentive functioning. Further research examining CPT-II performance in TBI populations is recommended.© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. Language: en
Looking beyond the mean for equity analysis: Examining distributional impacts of transportation improvements

Abstract Activity-based travel demand models can be useful tools for understanding the individual level equity impacts of transportation plans, because of their ability to generate disaggregate transportation measures. However, these capabilities have yet to be fully explored in public practice. In this paper we first discuss a general framework for performing transportation equity analysis using activity-based travel demand models, distributional comparisons, and incorporating equity standards. In addition, we demonstrate the advantages of distributional comparisons, relative to average measures. This demonstration uses the 2000 Bay Area Travel Survey and (activity-based) mode choice model. The findings show that distributional comparisons are capable of clearly revealing the winners and losers that result from transportation improvements, in comparison with average measures. The use of these results will likely result in different conclusions on transportation investments.
Middle fossa approach for resection of vestibular schwannoma.

Surgical approaches for removal of vestibular schwannoma are done through retrosigmoid, translabyrinthine, or middle fossa approaches, depending on the tumor size, preoperative hearing status, surgical team experience, and patient preference. The middle fossa approach (MFA) for the vestibular schwannoma (VS) route preserves hearing and can be done with minimal morbidity and mortality. The authors discuss the surgical anatomy of the middle fossa, internal auditory canal localization techniques, MFA indications and the procedure for VS removal, and outcome. Unlike otolaryngologists, who use the MFA to treat various pathological processes that involve the inner or middle ear, many neurosurgeons are unfamiliar with the MFA. Nevertheless, learning the technical nuances of the MFA adds to the neurosurgeon’s armamentarium, especially for treatment of small intracanalicular VSs in young patients who wish to preserve hearing.
Small Circular Satellite RNAs

Small circular satellite RNAs (sc-satRNAs) assume compact conformations, display catalytic activity mediated by hammerhead or hairpin ribozymes, and, in most cases, do not code for proteins, thus resembling viroids in several structural and functional features. However, in contrast to viroids, and similarly to other viral satellites, sc-satRNAs rely on a helper virus for replication and transmission. sc-satRNAs may modulate helper virus accumulation and symptomatology through unknown molecular mechanisms including RNA silencing.
More Thermodynamic Relations

The state of a system may be described using any three of eight variables: p, v, T, u, h, s, a, and g.* Recall that two of the three variables are independent and one is dependent. Of these, p, v, and T are the most familiar because they are measurable. As you know, there are other measurable properties of materials; for example c p , α, and κ. As a continuation of the procedures introduced in Chapter 5, for determining internal energy and enthalpy, and in Chapter 7, for determining entropy, we will interrelate all of these various properties and parameters and derive some of the important property relations based on the measurable properties. As you will see, these relations will be presented as partial derivatives (the relative change of one variable with respect to another with all other properties constant). There are two conditions of validity for these relations: the end conditions must be in equilibrium and there must be two independent properties to uniquely determine the thermodynamic state. Note that these are conditions we have been using all along. Also, we have eliminated from consideration situations involving chemical reactions and various exotic effects like magnetism, and the like.
On the Non-Equivalence of Trade-ins and Upgrades in the Presence of Framing Effect: Experimental Evidence and Implications for Theory

Manufacturers of durable goods often buy back older versions of their products from customers to encourage them to switch to improved versions and to create control over product return streams in their closed‐loop systems. Classical models and conventional wisdom have long ignored that the framing of these buyback schemes, whether through trade‐ins or upgrades, can matter for theory. Using the reference‐point shift mechanism, we provide experimental evidence that the alternative frames are not equivalent and that the framing effect induces customers to change which prices they anchor to as their reference points for the price for their current version. We then use the experimental findings to extend a reference‐dependence version of the classical model of trade‐ins and upgrades and show how the behavioral extension modifies key predictions of the classical model and provides predictions more in line with today's durable goods markets.
Equal treatment for belief

This paper proposes that the question “What should I believe?” is to be answered in the same way as the question “What should I do?,” a view I call Equal Treatment. After clarifying the relevant sense of “should,” I point out advantages that Equal Treatment has over both simple and subtle evidentialist alternatives, including versions that distinguish what one should believe from what one should get oneself to believe. I then discuss views on which there is a distinctively epistemic sense of should. Next I reply to an objection which alleges that non-evidential considerations cannot serve as reasons for which one believes. I then situate Equal Treatment in a broader theoretical framework, discussing connections to rationality, justification, knowledge, and theoretical versus practical reasoning. Finally, I show how Equal Treatment has important implications for a wide variety of issues, including the status of religious belief, philosophical skepticism, racial profiling and gender stereotyping, and certain issues in psychology, such as depressive realism and positive illusions.
Rnd proteins: a new family of Rho-related proteins that interfere with the assembly of filamentous actin structures and cell adhesion.

Rho family proteins control actin organization. The Rnd proteins form a distinct branch of the Rho family: Rnd1 is expressed mostly in brain and liver, Rnd2 is highly expressed in testis and Rnd3 shows a ubiquitous, very low expression. In brain, Rnd1 is found in specialized neurons, mainly in the cortex, hippocampus and substantia nigra. Rnd1 exchanges GTP rapidly, has a low affinity for GDP, and lacks intrinsic GTPase activity, suggesting that in the cell it is constitutively in the GTP-bound form. Expression of Rnd1 in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts inhibits the formation of actin stress fibers and induces a loss of focal adhesions and cell/cell contacts, leading to cell rounding (hence Rnd for “round”). In Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts and MDCK cells, Rnd1 localizes to adherens junctions. Thus, Rnd proteins are involved in rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton and changes in cell adhesion that might play essential roles in cell migration and tumor invasion.
The uptake of Ca2+ and Sr2+ by fractions from lobster muscle

Abstract 1. 1. Vesicles isolated by the differential centrifugation of homogenates of lobster muscle can accumulate Ca 2+ , lowering the Ca 2+ concentrations in the external solution to below 10 −7 M. 2. 2. The uptake of Ca 2+ by the vesicles requires an energy source, like ATP, and is potentiated by oxylate—just like the preparations from mammalian muscle. 3. 3. Vesicles isolated from lobster muscle can accumulate Sr 2+ . 4. 4. A model is proposed to account for the kinetics of divalent cation accumulation. Uptake at 0°C is by a first-order transport mechanism with a rate constant of about 0·6/min mg protein at 0°C. The divalent cation accumulated in the vesicles diffuses back to the external solution with a rate constant of about 1·2×10 3 /min mg protein. 5. 5. The results are discussed with regard to the role of divalent cations in the production of action potentials in crustacean muscle fibers and the part played by the sarcoplasmic reticulum in excitation-contraction coupling.
Nutrient Enrichment Studies

The purpose of a nutrient enrichment study is to determine the actual or incipient limitation of phytoplankton by specific nutrients. The literature on nutrient enrichment contains a wide variety of experimental designs and methods for such studies. This variation in methodology is in part explained by differences in the exact purpose of the studies. In general, nutrient enrichment studies can involve enrichment of standard algal cultures, or enrichment of natural assemblages over a few hours, a few days, or many days.
Dolor de pecho.

I mages in E mergency M edicine Dolor de Pecho Anthony F. Arguija, DO Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, California Supervising Section Editor: Sean Henderson MD Submission history: Submitted July 6 2010; Revision Received July 27 2010; Accepted August 9 2010 Reprints available through open access at http://escholarship.org/uc/uciem_westjem [West J Emerg Med. 2010; 11(5):514-515.] A 44-year-old Hispanic male with a history of Wolff- Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW) presented with chest pain and palpitations that had been constant for three hours. He denied any other complaints. He reported drinking one cup of coffee daily and stated he had used cocaine about one month earlier, but denied any recent drug use. On physical exam he was sitting comfortably with a heart rate between 230 - 250 and a blood pressure of 129/58mmHg. Cardiac monitor showed a wide-complex tachycardia. The rest of his physical exam was unremarkable. Initial electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed an irregular wide-complex tachycardia, consistent with atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response. The patient was started on intravenous procainamide. He remained normotensive with no QRS prolongation. After approximately 30 minutes of infusion, a repeat ECG showed resolution of his wide-complex tachycardia. The patient was admitted and taken to the electrophysiology lab, where he underwent successful radiofrequency catheter ablation of his right posterior septal accessory pathway. No further antegrade or retrograde pre-excitation was documented afterwards. WPW is a pre-excitation syndrome resulting from a structural abnormality of the heart in the form of an accessory pathway that conducts current along this aberrant path in a reentry mechanism which can lead to ventricular dysrhythmias. All cases of wide-complex tachycardias should be presumed to be ventricular tachycardia until proven otherwise. In the case of hemodynamic compromise, cardioversion is the treatment of choice. 1,2 If the patient is stable, medical management may be considered. Procainamide is the initial drug of choice. 1,2 Care must be taken to monitor for potential side effects such as hypotension and QRS prolongation. Volume XI, no . 5 : December 2010 Western Journal of Emergency Medicine
Surgery for Apical Vaginal Prolapse After Hysterectomy: Abdominal Sacrocolpopexy

The number of surgeries for pelvic organ prolapse in the United States is increasing. Abdominal sacrocolpopexy has become the gold standard for women desiring a restorative repair of their apical pelvic organ prolapse. Despite the associated morbidity of abdominal sacrocolpopexy, advances in minimally invasive approaches have safely increased the number of these surgeries performed, especially among urologists. Moreover, a number of studies have demonstrated superior objective outcomes after abdominal sacrocolpopexy when compared with vaginal approaches. Variations in the technique are described, but no consensus exists on a standard approach.
The Drosophila Hedgehog receptor component Interference hedgehog (Ihog) mediates cell-cell interactions through trans-homophilic binding

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is crucial for establishing complex cellular patterns in embryonic tissues and maintaining homeostasis in adult organs. In Drosophila, Interference hedgehog (Ihog) or its close paralogue Brother of Ihog (Boi) forms a receptor complex with Patched to mediate intracellular Hh signaling. Ihog proteins (Ihog and Boi) also contribute to cell segregation in wing imaginal discs through an unknown mechanism independent of their role in transducing the Hh signal. Here, we report a molecular mechanism by which the Ihog proteins mediate cell-cell interactions. We found that Ihog proteins are enriched at the site of cell-cell contacts and engage in trans-homophilic interactions in a calcium-independent manner. The region that we identified as mediating the trans-Ihog-Ihog interaction overlaps with the Ihog-Hh interface on the first fibronectin repeat of the extracellular domain of Ihog. We further demonstrate that Hh interferes with Ihog-mediated homophilic interactions by competing for Ihog binding. These results, thus, not only reveal a mechanism for Ihog-mediated cell-cell interactions but also suggest a direct Hh-mediated regulation of both intracellular signaling and cell adhesion through Ihog.
Γ(ψ-->φπ + π - )Γ(ψ-->ωπ + π - ) and the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka rule

We report the results of a detailed study of mixing effects in the 0/sup + +/ nonet and their influence on a softening of the Okubo--Zweig--Iizuka (OZI) suppression in the ratio GAMMA(psi ..-->.. phi..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/)/GAMMA(psi ..-->.. ..omega pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/). We conclude that the experimental data for these rates are consistent with the scale of OZI violation as determined from psi' ..-->.. psi..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/. (AIP)
Porno chic and the sex wars: American sexual representation in the 1970s

For the porn studies scholar, the phrases ‘porno chic’ and ‘sex wars’ likely conjure up a flurry of all-too-familiar events and narratives, roughly dating from the 1970 report of the President's Co...
Performance Analysis of Signal Pattern Reducing Techniques for Low Probability of Detection

Ad-hoc flexibly deployable networks destined for tactical military or civilian applications often suffer from poor synchronization which may lead to unreliable communication. Quasi-Synchronous (QS) CDMA employing Loosely Synchronous (LS) codes allows weak synchronization due to the Zero-Correlation Zone of the code's correlation functions. Apart from reliability, an essential characteristic of military networks is having low probability of detection (LPD) in the presence of adversaries employing sophisticated detection techniques. Such techniques are based on the fact that manmade signals are cyclostationary, meaning that they have some periodic structure (e.g. spreading sequence repetition) that can be exploited for improved detection. Disturbing those recurring patterns can reduce the probability of detection measured in terms of the Degree of Cyclostationarity (DCS). We aim to achieve that by employing some techniques that will perturb the signal structure by randomly selecting spreading sequences, random time dithering or a combination of the two. We study the trade-off between the communication performance and DCS reduction of such a system under these different techniques and compare the results.
Asymptomatic adults in a single family with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy and TSPAN12 variant

ABSTRACTBackground: Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a disorder of retinal angiogenesis associated with mutations in multiple genes related to the Wnt pathway. The disease is characte...
Localization and Microsurgical Resection of Left Postcentral Gyrus Spetzler-Martin Grade 3 Arteriovenous Malformation by Intraoperative Neuronavigation and Tracing of Subcortical Draining Vein: 3-Dimensional Operative Video.

This 42-yr-old man presented with a history of sudden right-sided facial and right arm weakness and dysarthria. Head computed tomography showed a left frontal-parietal blood clot. An intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography demonstrated a left subcortical postcentral, Spetzler-Martin Grade 3 arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with a diffuse nidus, measuring 2.1 × 1.5 cm, supplied by branches of the left MCA, and draining into a cortical vein and a deep vein, which was going toward the ventricle. Preoperative embolization was not possible. The patient underwent left frontal-parietal craniotomy with intraoperative motor and sensory mapping. No arterialized veins were visible on the cortical surface. Neuronavigation localized the AVM in the subcortical postcentral gyrus. Through an incision in the postcentral sulcus, microdissection led to a yellowish gliotic plane. The large cortical vein was in the gliotic area and traced to the AVM. Circumferential microdissection was performed around the AVM. It had a very diffuse nidus; the arterial feeders were cauterized and divided, and the superior superficial and inferior deep draining veins were finally occluded, and AVM was removed. Postoperative angiogram showed total removal of the AVM. At discharge, his right arm weakness had improved (power 5/5), and facial weakness and dysarthria were improving (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 2). At 1-yr follow-up, facial weakness and dysarthria had improved considerably, and patient returned to work (mRS 1). This video shows microsurgical resection of an AVM by neuronavigation and tracing of the subcortical draining vein. The technique of cauterizing the perforating arteries after temporary clipping with flow arrest is shown in the video. Informed consent was obtained from the patient prior to the surgery that included videotaping of the procedure and its distribution for educational purposes. All relevant patient identifiers have also been removed from the video and accompanying radiology slides.
Atypical Repetition in Daily Conversation on Different Days for Detecting Alzheimer Disease: Evaluation of Phone-Call Data From Regular Monitoring Service.

Background: Identifying signs of Alzheimer disease (AD) through longitudinal and passive monitoring techniques has become increasingly important. Previous studies have succeeded in quantifying language dysfunctions and identifying AD from speech data collected during neuropsychological tests. However, whether and how we can quantify language dysfunction in daily conversation remains unexplored. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the linguistic features that can be used for differentiating AD patients from daily conversations. Methods: We analyzed daily conversational data of seniors with and without AD obtained from longitudinal follow-up in a regular monitoring service (from n=15 individuals including 2 AD patients at an average follow-up period of 16.1 months; 1032 conversational data items obtained during phone calls and approximately 221 person-hours). In addition to the standard linguistic features used in previous studies on connected speech data during neuropsychological tests, we extracted novel features related to atypical repetition of words and topics reported by previous observational and descriptive studies as one of the prominent characteristics in everyday conversations of AD patients. Results: When we compared the discriminative power of AD, we found that atypical repetition in two conversations on different days outperformed other linguistic features used in previous studies on speech data during neuropsychological tests. It was also a better indicator than atypical repetition in single conversations as well as that in two conversations separated by a specific number of conversations. Conclusions: Our results show how linguistic features related to atypical repetition across days could be used for detecting AD from daily conversations in a passive manner by taking advantage of longitudinal data.
8q24 clear cell renal cell carcinoma germline variant is associated with VHL mutation status and clinical aggressiveness

The four most commonly-mutated genes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) tumors are BAP1, PBRM1, SETD2 and VHL. And, there are currently 14 known RCC germline variants that have been reproducibly shown to be associated with RCC risk. However, the association of germline genetics with tumor genetics and clinical aggressiveness are unknown. We analyzed 420 ccRCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Molecular subtype was determined based on acquired mutations in BAP1, PBRM1, SETD2 and VHL. Aggressive subtype was defined clinically using Mayo SSIGN score and molecularly using the ccA/ccB gene expression subtype. Publically-available Hi-C data were used to link germline risk variants with candidate target genes. The 8q24 variant rs35252396 was significantly associated with VHL mutation status (OR = 1.6, p = 0.0037) and SSIGN score (OR = 1.9, p = 0.00094), after adjusting for multiple comparisons. We observed that, while some germline variants have interactions with nearby genes, some variants demonstrate long-range interactions with target genes. These data further demonstrate the link between rs35252396, HIF pathway and ccRCC clinical aggressiveness, providing a more comprehensive picture of how germline genetics and tumor genetics interact with respect to tumor development and progression.
Preventing lead leakage with built-in resin layers for sustainable perovskite solar cells

Lead leakage from damaged perovskite solar modules during rainfall poses a serious threat to the environment and human health. Strategies to replace lead have seen little success to date, while the encapsulation approaches tend to compromise the low-cost advantage of perovskites. Coating lead-adsorbing layers on glass surfaces may help to reduce the risk; however, these layers are vulnerable to either saturation or contamination by rain or dust. Here we report a new device structure that incorporates a low-cost mesoporous sulfonic acid-based lead-adsorbing resin into perovskites as a scaffold, which immobilizes lead ions inside the scaffold even if perovskites are exposed to rainwater. Introducing the insulating scaffold not only does not decrease the device efficiency, but also can be scaled up to large-area modules (60.8 cm2) with an aperture efficiency of 16.3%. This structure proves more effective in preventing lead leakage than the configuration with the coating on the glass surface and is able to reduce the lead contamination of rainwater from damaged perovskite modules to 11.9 parts per billion. This solution addresses the toxicity concern of lead-based perovskites for solar cells and other applications and represents an important step towards sustainability. The presence and leaching of toxic lead in perovskite solar cells form a major environmental concern. Here the authors embed low-cost lead-absorbing resins into the perovskite layers, which reduces the lead leakage to the level of safety without compromising the device performance.
Predicting Pavement Roughness Using Deep Learning Algorithms

Transportation agencies should measure pavement performance to appropriately strategize road preservation, maintenance, and rehabilitation activities. The international roughness index (IRI), which...
The Proximal ID Algorithm

Unobserved confounding is a fundamental obstacle to establishing valid causal conclusions from observational data. Two complementary types of approaches have been developed to address this obstacle. An extensive line of work is based on taking advantage of fortuitous external aids (such as the presence of an instrumental variable or other proxy), along with additional assumptions to ensure identification. A recent line of work of proximal causal inference (Miao et al., 2018a) has aimed to provide a novel approach to using proxies to deal with unobserved confounding without relying on stringent parametric assumptions. On the other hand, a complete characterization of identifiability of a large class of causal parameters in arbitrary causal models with hidden variables has been developed using the language of graphical models, resulting in the ID algorithm and related extensions (Tian and Pearl, 2002; Shpitser and Pearl, 2006a,b). Celebrated special cases of this approach, such as the front-door model, are able to obtain non-parametric identification in seemingly counter-intuitive situations when a treatment and an outcome share an arbitrarily complicated unobserved common cause. In this paper we aim to develop a synthesis of the proximal and graphical approaches to identification in causal inference to yield the most general identification algorithm in multi- variate systems currently known - the proximal ID algorithm. In addition to being able to obtain non-parametric identification in all cases where the ID algorithm succeeds, our approach allows us to systematically exploit proxies to adjust for the presence of unobserved confounders that would have otherwise prevented identification. In addition, we outline a class of estimation strategies for causal parameters identified by our method in an important special case. We illustration our approach by simulation studies.
Entropy and Black Holes in the Very Early Universe

Model independent arguments following from the Covariant Entropy Principle imply that causal diamonds in the very early universe were entirely filled with a single equilibrated system with finite entropy. A universe where this condition persists forever has no localized excitations. Our own universe appears to be headed toward such a state. Within a few hundred times its current age it will approach a state where our local group of galaxies sit in empty de Sitter space. Eventually, the local group collapse into a black hole, which evaporates. Localized excitations in de Sitter space are low entropy constrained states of the vacuum ensemble. The origin of these constraints must be in the early universe: the apparent horizon must expand after some initial period, in a constrained state that is the origin of all localized excitations in the universe. We argue that in global FRW coordinates, this corresponds to slow roll inflation that ends in a dilute gas of tiny black holes, with mass determined by the inflationary scale. We then review arguments that these black holes can account for the Hot Big Bang, baryogenesis, a distinctive pattern of CMB fluctuations, and possibly primordial black hole dark matter consisting of larger black holes that survive until the matter dominated era. The more complicated question of whether these small black holes can evolve in a way that is consistent with all observational constraints requires computer simulations that have not yet been done.
Evaluation of a Healthy Checkout Lane "Nudge" on Grocery and Convenience Store Sales of a Price-Promoted Nutritious Food.

Grocery store intervention trials, including trials testing behavioral economics “nudges,” may change food-purchasing behaviors and improve diet quality. This study aimed to design and evaluate a g...