cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of drug intoxicated donors for lung transplant: Impact on survival outcomes.

INTRODUCTION The number of increasing deaths due to the opioid epidemic has led to a potential greater supply of organ donors. There is hesitancy to use drug intoxicated donors, and we evaluated their impact on post-transplant survival. BACKGROUND Patients ≥18 years of age undergoing lung transplantation and donors from whom at least one organ was donated between January 2005 and March 2015 were selected from the United Network of Organ Sharing database. Baseline characteristics and post-transplant survival were compared between drug intoxicated and all other donors. RESULTS The utilization of drug intoxicated donors increased from 1.86% in 2005 to 6.23% in 2014. The 2 study groups had similar characteristics including age, gender, and Lung Allocation Score. As compared to all other donors, drug intoxicated donors were younger (29.1 ± 9.4 vs 34.6 ± 13.4 years, P < .0001), less likely to be male (52% vs 61%, P < .0001), and had a greater smoking history (14% vs 11%, P .04). There was no difference in post-lung transplant survival at 1, 3, and 5 years between drug intoxicated donors (85%, 64%, and 47%) and non-drug intoxicated donors (83%, 65%, and 51%). CONCLUSION Transplantation utilizing drug intoxicated donor lungs has significantly increased over the past decade without significantly impacting post-transplant survival.
Peace and Beyond: Women's Activist Alliances under Turkey's “Regime of Emergency”

This essay begins with the formation of solidarities among women’s movements in Turkey during the period of the peace process. It focuses on events that took place between March 8, 2013, the beginning of the peace process, and March 8, 2017, when women activists in Turkey joined the International Women’s Strike. Despite the collapse of the peace process and the resumption of war in the summer of 2015, women activists continued to struggle under the Turkish government’s emergency regime. This essay addresses the ways in which the peace process and its termination affected relations among activist women, both Kurdish and non-Kurdish, as they have sought to confront Turkey’s “new” emergency regime. Many women’s groups lost their institutional footing due to the emergency regime’s forced closure of women’s organizations and its arrest of numerous activists, parliamentarians, and co-mayors. In this context, the essay demonstrates, women are left with no choice but to strengthen their alliances and to radicalize their movements against the state’s authoritarian regime.
The Decline of Treaties? Obama, Trump, and the Politics of International Agreements

The use of Article II treaties declined significantly during the Obama presidency, as Obama submitted far fewer treaties to the Senate for approval than his predecessors. In 2015, Secretary of State Kerry remarked, “You can’t pass a treaty anymore.” Obama hardly even tried. Trump entered office clearly hostile toward treaties for different reasons, ordering a reassessment of all multilateral agreements. Trump has yet to submit a treaty, suggesting a continuation of Obama’s use of other unilateral devices, including executive and political agreements. Trump’s hostility extends to other forms of agreements that Obama managed to complete, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Iran Nuclear Agreement, as well as trade agreements. I assess the broader historical record of international agreements, including treaties, executive agreements, and political agreements, to evaluate the current state of these various diplomatic instruments. I examine several key international agreements is some detail. Clear evidence supports the notion that Obama’s unilateralism on international agreements has solidified under Trump, though Trump’s efforts are more focused on undoing Obama’s diplomacy rather than expanding American participation in international law. The implications of these changes for US foreign policy and shared power are discussed.
Synthesis and Degradation of Liver Metallothionein

The function of metallothionein has been debated for years. However, now it is clear that at least one of its roles is in hepatic zinc metabolism. In the liver, metallothionein appears to be related to the mechanism of zinc uptake into hepatocytes and may function as a binding ligand to help regulate the intracellular concentration of free zinc ions (1). Therefore, since the dietary intake of zinc is variable and zinc metabolism at the cellular level is dynamic, it is reasonable to assume that metallothionein is subject to changes in synthesis and degradation in response to zinc status.
Online Astronomy for Formal and Informal Learners

An increasing amount of formal and informal education is being delivered online. A majority of college students in the U.S. are now taking one or more courses online or flipped (video lectures online, hands-on activities or labs in the classroom). Meanwhile, massive open online classes, or MOOCs, are transforming the landscape of informal science learning. In contrast to university classes, MOOCs have low completion rates and involve “free choice” learners who are typically adults with jobs, rather than full time students. Based on several years of experience of teaching astronomy online, lessons have been learned on how to engage students in the asynchronous and “disembodied” environment. For non-science students taking an introductory astronomy course, flipped models optimize interactions by putting the lectures online and allowing classroom time to be used entirely for labs, discussion, and small group activities. Research has shown that normalized learning gains are greatest in such learner-centered classes. We have enrolled over 110,000 learners from 150 countries in two astronomy MOOCs: a Udemy course called “Astronomy: State of the Art” and a Coursera offering called “Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space.” The core content is a set of video lectures, augmented by quizzes, activities, and peer writing assignments. We have a large amount of research data on learner demographics and motivations, and on the types of engagement that correlate with completing the courses. In a peer writing assignment, the learners comment on recent discoveries in astronomy. A rubric and a model answer are provided, and each person grades writing of three other learners. Learners who complete either the first activity or the first peer writing assignment are highly engaged in online discussions and social media, completing the course at a rate ten times higher than average.
The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium For PTSD: Integration of Multi-System Markers of Risk And Resilience

Overall Abstract The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium for PTSD (PGC-PTSD) is the largest international effort focused on understanding the genomic and epigenomic architecture of PTSD. We have now aggregated genomic data from over 50 studies, including ~20,000 PTSD cases and over 50,000 trauma-exposed controls of diverse ancestries and traumatic events to conduct well-powered genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of PTSD. By expanding on this initial effort, we have leveraged our organizational structure to move beyond SNP-based associations with closely connected working groups centered on CNV analyses, epigenetics, gene expression, and intermediate phenotypes such as neuroimaging, psychophysiology, and physical health. An overarching theme across working groups includes sex-specific differences in PTSD risk and vulnerability. This symposium will first present our current GWAS results from the PGC-PTSD freeze 2 that highlight the genetic vulnerability for developing PTSD following trauma exposure, including SNP-based heritability and genetic correlation across psychiatric disorders and other phenotypes / traits of interest. Next, we will present epigenome-wide effects on risk of developing PTSD across civilian and military cohorts. The second half of the symposium will focus on findings from intermediate phenotypes and anthropometric traits. Our third talk will present neuroimaging data that reveals smaller amygdala and hippocampal volume in PTSD, particularly when exposed to childhood trauma. Lastly, we will present analyses investigating the genetic overlap of PTSD with anthropometric traits and reproductive behaviors and functions in women, suggesting a putative causal relationship between genetically determined female body shape and PTSD. We will discuss our future strategies with a focus on harmonizing predictive variables such as trauma type, trauma severity, chronicity of exposure as well as outcome variables such as PTSD diagnoses, illness severity, and comorbid psychopathologies.
The Role of Pain-Related Anxiety Reduction in the Outcome of Multidisciplinary Treatment for Chronic Low Back Pain: Preliminary Results

The success of multidisciplinary treatments for chronic pain in helping patients suffer less and function better is well documented. However, this success has occurred despite a lack of understanding of the process of change that produces positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of pain-related anxiety reduction in the outcome of treatment for chronic pain. Seventy-nine persons with chronic pain completed measures of pain, pain-related interference with activity, affective distress, general daily activity, and pain-related anxiety at admission and immediately following a 3-week multidisciplinary treatment program focusing on functional restoration. Patients significantly improved on all outcome measures. Reductions in pain-related anxiety predicted improved functioning on each measure. Additional analyses showed that change in pain-related anxiety remained a significant predictor of outcome independent of change in depression.
Heisenberg's Equality of Inequivalents Problem

In his book `Physics and Philosophy', Heisenberg suggested that the quantum world is one of ``potentialities or possibilities'' and that the classical realm is one of ``things or facts''. After ascertaining that his categories most naturally have the structure of ontological equivalence classes, we show that they cannot be seriously introduced into the quantum formalism without rendering it incoherent, as under some circumstances the formalism permits an equality between members of distinct equivalence classes. This is labeled the `equality of inequivalents problem'. Three possible reactions are discussed: First, one could deny the problem by challenging some of the assumptions that underlie its formulation; second, one could accept the problem and take it to be grounds for dismissing Heisenberg's or similar distinctions altogether; third, one could accept the problem but take its source to be not Heisenberg's distinction but the quantum formalism. A plausibility argument in support of the third reaction is given by analogy: it is shown that axiomatic probability suffers from a similar problem if one wishes to seriously distinguish between things which are possibilities and things which are not. An enriched axiomatization of probability is proposed which captures the concept of probability as a measure over possibilities and thereby overcomes the equality of inequivalents problem in axiomatic probability.
Enterocutaneous Fistula: A Simplified Clinical Approach.

A “fistula” is an abnormal connection between two epithelial surfaces. Fistulae are named based on the two surfaces or lumens they connect to. Fistulae form due to loss of wall integrity from an underlying insult, leading to the penetrance of an adjacent organ or epithelized surface. Common causes of small bowel fistulae include sequelae of surgical intervention, foreign body, bowel diverticula, Crohn's disease, malignancy, radiation, and infection. A histopathological analysis displays acute and/or chronic inflammation due to the underlying pathology. A thorough history and physical examination are important components of patient evaluation. Generally, patients will present with non-specific constitutional symptoms in addition to local symptoms attributed to the fistula. In rare instances, symptoms may be severe and life-threatening. Initial laboratory workup includes complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, and lactate level. Radiologic imaging is useful for definitive diagnosis and helps delineate anatomy. In practice, computed tomography (CT) is the initial imaging modality. The addition of intravenous or enteric contrast may be helpful in certain situations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may also be used in special circumstances. Invasive procedures, such as endoscopy, can assist in the evaluation of mucosal surfaces to diagnose pathology such as inflammatory processes. Appropriate management should include optimizing nutritional status, delineating fistulous tract anatomy, skincare, and managing the underlying disease. A non-operative approach is generally accepted as the initial approach especially in the acute/subacute setting. However, operative intervention is indicated in the setting of failed non-operative management. Successful management of small bowel fistulae requires a multidisciplinary team approach. To conclude, a small bowel fistula is a complex clinical disease, with surgical intervention being the most common cause in developed countries. The non-operative approach should be trialed before an operative approach is considered.
Chemicals: cosmetics and other consumer products

Abstract Consumer products are ubiquitous within commerce due to their extensive use. In a typical day, people are exposed to numerous consumer products.. For example a standard morning hygiene routine includes products such as toothpaste, soap, hair products, and lotions. Over the course of a day, people could use or be exposed to other products such as air fresheners, ammonia, antifreeze, antiperspirants and deodorants, bleach, cosmetics, detergents, disinfectants, drain cleaners, glues, insecticides and pesticides, oven cleaners, paints, and toys. Some products solely contain several hundred chemicals, many of which (e.g., fragrance and flavor ingredients) might not be listed individually on product labels. Because of the breadth of cosmetic and consumer products, there are a number of valuable resources within the literature and international organizations. This chapter houses select resources for professionals or the general consumers to investigate information about the safety of various cosmetics and consumer products.
Ethics and the Media: Free press and deliberative democracy

In late 2010, the web site WikiLeaks provided online access to hundreds of confidential cables sent by American diplomats abroad to the US government, obtained from an unnamed source. They contained candid observations about world leaders and an analysis of the political motivations of countries from North Korea to Iran. Major news organizations used the cables as the basis of news stories. The web site’s actions caused a worldwide debate on whether journalists, news media, and web sites should publish secret documents. Julian Assange, the director of the web site, argued that the release of the embarrassing and sensitive documents was the proper work of a free press. Journalists, he noted, have long exercised their freedom to publish confidential documents so that they can fulfil their obligation to inform the public about what their governments are doing in secret.
Human Ecology as an Interdisciplinary Concept: A Critical Inquiry

Publisher Summary In this chapter, the formal history of human ecology is reviewed with the idea of trying to clarify its meaning as developed in the various disciplines, with the ultimate goal being the isolation of those elements common to all. An ecological approach is well developed in the more “social” of the social sciences: sociology and anthropology. If the proponents of an ecological approach to psychology are correct, then there is a beginning of a revolution, that takes place in that discipline: an accelerating movement out of the laboratory with its controlled experiments on human behavior, and into the field for direct observation of behavior under uncontrolled, field conditions: observation of behavior in an unconditioned environment. The tradition of humanistic ecology in philosophy and the arts is discussed. The present situation in human ecology is, then, best described simply: it is a fragmented field, far from interdisciplinary, though many of the concepts are shared. Every human society creates adaptive institutions in one form or another: structures helping to provide the means for subsistence, reproduction, education or belief systems, and bodily protection.
Myopic channel identification: identifying unknown channels based on known pulse shapes

Blind channel identification has become a popular research subject. In this paper, we present the concept of myopic channel identification: blind channel identification based on known parts of the overall channel. By relying on known information such as pulse shaping filter and the anti-aliasing filter responses, the performance of channel identification and equalization can be significantly enhanced for digital communication systems. We present simple methods designed for time-domain and frequency domain implementations. Our simulation results demonstrate the performance of these approaches.
Preservation of femoral bone thickness in middle age predicts survival in genetically heterogeneous mice

To see if age-related changes in bone could predict subsequent lifespan, we measured multiple aspects of femur size and shape at 4, 15 and 24 months of age in genetically heterogeneous mice. Mice whose cortical bone became thicker from 4 to 15 months, associated with preservation of the endosteal perimeter, survived longer than mice whose endosteal cavity expanded, at the expense of cortical bone, over this age range. Femur size at age 4 months was also associated with a difference in life expectancy: mice with larger bones (measured by length, cortical thickness, or periosteal perimeter) had shorter lifespans. Femur length, midlife change in cortical bone thickness, and midlife values of CD8 T memory cells each added significant power for longevity prediction. Mice in the upper half of the population for each of these three endpoints lived, on average, 103 days (12%) longer than mice with the opposite characteristics. Thus measures of young adult bone dimensions, changes as a result of bone remodeling in middle age, and immunological maturation provide partially independent indices of aging processes that together help to determine lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice.
Sequence conservation in field and experimental isolates of Borna disease virus.

Abstract Coding and noncoding sequences were analyzed from field and experimental isolates of Borna disease virus. For a 24-kDa protein, maximum divergence was 1.5% at the predicted amino acid level and 3.1% at the nucleotide level. For a 40-kDa protein, maximum divergence was 1.1% at the predicted amino acid level and 4.1% at the nucleotide level. The highest variability in sequence (10%) was found in a 40-nucleotide stretch of genomic RNA between coding sequences for the 40- and 24-kDa proteins. The degree of sequence conservation in these isolates, passaged in various host species in vivo and in vitro over a period of 64 years, is unusual for negative-strand RNA viruses.
Nucleation of Solid Helium from Liquid Under High Pressure

We consider the homogenous nucleation of solid helium from the liquid phase at pressures above the normal freezing pressure. We find that if the liquid-solid surface energy α is assumed to be independent of pressure, then at 1 K nucleation should occur at a liquid pressure in the range 60 to 70 bars. Allowance for the variation of α with pressure is found to result in a very large reduction in the nucleation rate.
Discovery of Novel Isoforms of Huntingtin Reveals a New Hominid-Specific Exon

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a devastating neurological disorder that is caused by an expansion of the poly-Q tract in exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene (HTT). HTT is an evolutionarily conserved and ubiquitously expressed protein that has been linked to a variety of functions including transcriptional regulation, mitochondrial function, and vesicle transport. This large protein has numerous caspase and calpain cleavage sites and can be decorated with several post-translational modifications such as phosphorylations, acetylations, sumoylations, and palmitoylations. However, the exact function of HTT and the role played by its modifications in the cell are still not well understood. Scrutiny of HTT function has been focused on a single, full length mRNA. In this study, we report the discovery of 5 novel HTT mRNA splice isoforms that are expressed in normal and HTT-expanded human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines as well as in cortical neurons differentiated from hESCs. Interestingly, none of the novel isoforms generates a truncated protein. Instead, 4 of the 5 new isoforms specifically eliminate domains and modifications to generate smaller HTT proteins. The fifth novel isoform incorporates a previously unreported additional exon, dubbed 41b, which is hominid-specific and introduces a potential phosphorylation site in the protein. The discovery of this hominid-specific isoform may shed light on human-specific pathogenic mechanisms of HTT, which could not be investigated with current mouse models of the disease.
A PARAMETER‐DRIVEN LOGIT REGRESSION MODEL FOR BINARY TIME SERIES

We consider a parameter-driven regression model for binary time series, where serial dependence is introduced by an autocorrelated latent process incorporated into the logit link function. Unlike in the case of parameter-driven Poisson log-linear or negative binomial logit regression model studied in the literature for time series of counts, generalized linear model (GLM) estimation of the regression coefficient vector, which suppresses the latent process and maximizes the corresponding pseudo-likelihood, cannot produce a consistent estimator. As a remedial measure, in this article, we propose a modified GLM estimation procedure and show that the resulting estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal. Moreover, we develop two procedures for estimating the asymptotic covariance matrix of the estimator and establish their consistency property. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the finite-sample performance of the proposed procedures. An empirical example is also presented.
Formal reasoning about intrusion detection systems

Intrusion detection is an appealing approach to improving the security of systems. The goal of intrusion detection is to detect attacks with low false positive rate and low false negative rate. New approach is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intrusion detection systems (IDSs). In this dissertation, we present a formal framework for the analysis of intrusion detection systems that employ declarative rules for attack recognition. Our approach allows reasoning about the effectiveness of an IDS by formalizing and proving security properties of the IDS. Detection rules of IDSs and security requirements of the system are formalized and properties about the IDSs are proved within the framework. To illustrate the validation of our approach, we formalize and proved properties about three typical IDSs. SHIM (System Health and Intrusion Monitoring) is used as an exemplary host-based IDS to validate our approach. We formalized all specifications of SHIM which together with a trusted file policy enabled us to reason about the soundness and completeness of the specifications by proving that the specifications satisfy the policy under various assumptions. DRCP (Dynamic Registration and Configuration Protocol) is an auto configuration protocol in mobile Ad Hoc networks. With respect to this protocol, our approach defines a global security requirement for a network that characterizes the "good" behavior of individual nodes to assure the global property. We formally prove that the local detection rules (identifying activity that is monitored) imply the global security requirement. OLSR (Optimized Link State Routing) protocol is a proactive, table-driven routing protocol in MANETs. We analyze a specification-based intrusion detection mechanism to detect insider attacks in the OLSR protocol. We proved that the intrusion detection approach, which focuses on monitoring of local behavior, achieves a global integrity of network routing information. Our approach, novel to the field of intrusion detection, can, in principle, yield an intrusion detection system that detects any attack, even unknown attacks, that can imperil the security requirements of the system. The originality of our formal analysis is that it is completely based on analytical methods and does not rely on simulation or experimental evaluation.
Automatic Segmentation of Method Code into Meaningful Blocks: Design and Evaluation

SUMMARY Good programming practice and guidelines suggest that programmers use both vertical and horizontal spacing to visibly delineate between code segments that represent different algorithmic steps or high-level actions. Unfortunately, programmers do not always follow these guidelines. Editors and integrated development environments (IDEs) can easily indent codes based on syntax, but they do not currently support automatic blank line insertion, which presents more significant challenges involving the semantics. This paper presents and evaluates a heuristic solution to the automatic blank line insertion problem by leveraging both program structure and naming information to identify ‘meaningful blocks’, consecutive statements that logically implement a high-level action. Our tool, SEGMENT, takes as input a Java method and outputs a segmented version that separates meaningful blocks by vertical spacing. We report on several studies involving human judgments to evaluate the effectiveness of the automatic blank line insertion algorithm, for different size methods and for different levels of programmer expertise. The results indicate strong positive overall opinion of SEGMENT's effectiveness in comparison with both developer-written blank lines and blank lines inserted by newcomers to the code. The results vary only slightly among short and long methods, and among novice and advanced programmers. SEGMENT assists in making users obtain an overall picture of a method's actions and comprehend it quicker as well as provides hints for internal documentation placement. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical research helps elucidate the role of tumor necrosis factor-αin the pathogenesis of T1-mediated immune disorders: use of targeted immunotherapeutics as pathogenic probes

Psoriasis is a life-disabling disorder in which 8-10% of patients aged 18-54 actively contemplate suicide because of their disease. Owing to the toxicity and=or inconvenience of current, FDA-approved treatments far moderate-to-severe psoriasis, they are generally used intermittently so that patients experience cycles of remission-flare-remission-flare, etc. The challenge to drug development for moderate-to-severe psoriasis is to provide safe and effective long-term management. Immunobiologics offer the hope for safe, long-term control of psoriasis because they lack targeted organ toxicity. Thus the treatment paradigm may shift from one of intermittent treatment limited by toxicity with resultant flares of disease, to one similar to that seen in diabetesor hypertension in which disease is controlled continuously.Additionally, immunobiologics may alter the natural history of psoriasis. Etanercept, which targets TNF-, controls signs and symptoms and halts joint destruction in patients with psoriatic arthriti...
Discrete element modeling with dilated particles

A new contact detection technique for discrete element modeling is described. This technique is suitable for a large family of particle shapes that are based on the dilation process from mathematical morphology. In the dilation process an arbitrary shape is dilated by placing the center of a sphere of fixed diameter at every point in the basic shape. Defining a contact between two objects in this class is equivalent to determining which spheres amongst the infinite number that compose each object is in contact. The algorithm is derived for general ellipsoidal particles and demonstrated with a series of biaxial deformation simulations using a range of ellipsoidal particle shapes.
Nuclear quadrupole alignment of 180Hfm and 175Hf in hafnium metal

Abstract 180Hfm and 175Hf nuclei have been aligned in the electric field gradient of single-crystal hafnium metal at temperatures down to 3 mK. The temperature dependence of γ-ray anisotropies yielded the electric quadrupole interaction energies for 180Hfm, e2qQ(8−) = +(6.6±0.4) × 10−8 erg, and for 175 Hf, e 2 qQ( 5 2 − ) = +(4.0 ± 0.5) × 10 −18 erg , as well as the E 2 M 1 mixing ratio of the 343 keV γ-ray transition of 175Lu, δ343 = −0.27 ± 0.03.
Evaluating the Effects of Material Component and Design Feature on Heat Transfer in Firefighter Turnout Clothing by a Sweating Manikin

With a sweating manikin, the heat exchange efficiency through firefighter turnout clothing system from the wearer to the environment and the effects of material component and design feature on heat...
Children's Phonological Awareness: Confusions between Phonemes that Differ Only in Voicing

Abstract Given the role of phonemic awareness in learning to read and spell, it is important to examine the linguistic factors that influence children's performance on phonemic awareness tasks. We found that, contrary to some previous claims, children did not perform better with fricative consonants (e.g., /z/) than with stops (e.g., /d/) in a phoneme recognition task. However, preschoolers and kindergartners were more likely to mistakenly judge that a syllable began with a target phoneme when the initial phoneme of the syllable differed from the target only in voicing (e.g., /t/ for the target /d/) than when it differed in place of articulation (e.g., /b/–/d/) or in both place and voicing (e.g., /p/–/d/). These results shed light on the organization of children's phonological systems. They also have implications for the design and interpretation of phonemic awareness tasks.
Transmission of St. Louis Encephalitis to the Hamster.

SummaryThe Syrian hamster is highly susceptible to intracerebral and intranasal inoculation with the virus of St. Louis encephalitis.
Test of an Inverse Electrocardiographic Solution Based on Accurately Determined Model Data

Encouraging progress has been made recently with a multiple-dipole type of inverse electrocardiographic procedure. A vitally important feature of the procedure is constraint of equivalent dipole moments to nonnegative values by means of quadratic programming. Application of the method to data derived from purely clinical sources has great heuristic value, but suffers from the lack of undisputed baseline information against which to compare the results of inverse solution. Accordingly, in this paper we attempt to evaluate the dependability of fixed-dipole array inversion by applying the method to a series of accurately modeled situations. Generally acceptable results are obtained with the dipoles arrayed in ``favorable'' configurations, with considerably less acceptable outcome likely under ``unfavorable'' conditions. Superposition of signal noise or perturbation of equivalent dipole locations tends to degrade the quality of solution, but does not entirely vitiate it. Study of one unfavorable array shows how a competitive situation might occur which could cause ``crosstalk'' between the interventricular septum and the free wall of the right ventricle. Despite the quantitative deficiencies which become apparent when multiple-dipole inversion is essayed with accurately modeled data, the procedure continues to offer promise as a useful means of extracting intrinsic electrophysiologic information from electrocardiographic signals.
Variability of Tropical Cyclone Track Density in the North Atlantic: Observations and High-Resolution Simulations*

AbstractInterannual–decadal variability of tropical cyclone (TC) track density over the North Atlantic (NA) between 1979 and 2008 is studied using observations and simulations with a 25-km-resolution version of the High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) forced by observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The variability on decadal and interannual time scales is examined separately. On both time scales, a basinwide mode dominates, with the time series being related to variations in seasonal TC counts. On decadal time scales, this mode relates to SST contrasts between the tropical NA and the tropical northeast Pacific as well as the tropical South Atlantic, whereas on interannual time scales it is controlled by SSTs over the central–eastern equatorial Pacific and those over the tropical NA. The temporal evolution of the spatial distribution of track density is further investigated by normalizing the track density with seasonal TC counts. On decadal time scales, two modes emerge: one is an oscillation bet...
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Contemporary Revision Options

Rupture of the ACL is a common sports injury often managed with ligament reconstruction. Despite relatively high success rates, ACL graft failures do occur, providing frustration for the patient and presenting a challenge for the surgeon. Fortunately our understanding of ACL anatomy, biomechanics and reconstruction has increased dramatically in recent years. The challenge with revision ACL reconstruction begins with determining the reason for failure. Poor surgical technique with improper tunnel placement has been identified in a high proportion of failed reconstructions. Unlike primary reconstructions, additional variables including bone loss, retained hardware and concomitant meniscal, chondral and/or ligamentous injury are often present and must be addressed at the time of revision. This chapter provides an algorithm for the evaluation of patients with a failed ACL graft and guideline to revision ligament reconstruction.
Betacellulin induces increased retinal vascular permeability in mice.

Background Diabetic maculopathy, the leading cause of vision loss in patients with type 2 diabetes, is characterized by hyper-permeability of retinal blood vessels with subsequent formation of macular edema and hard exudates. The degree of hyperglycemia and duration of diabetes have been suggested to be good predictors of retinal complications. Intervention studies have determined that while intensive treatment of diabetes reduced the development of proliferative diabetic retinopathy it was associated with a two to three-fold increased risk of severe hypoglycemia. Thus we hypothesized the need to identify downstream glycemic targets, which induce retinal vascular permeability that could be targeted therapeutically without the additional risks associated with intensive treatment of the hyperglycemia. Betacellulin is a 32 kD member of the epidermal growth factor family with mitogenic properties for the retinal pigment epithelial cells. This led us to hypothesize a role for betacellulin in the retinal vascular complications associated with diabetes. Methods and Findings In this study, using a mouse model of diabetes, we demonstrate that diabetic mice have accentuated retinal vascular permeability with a concomitant increased expression of a cleaved soluble form of betacellulin (s-Btc) in the retina. Intravitreal injection of soluble betacellulin induced retinal vascular permeability in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic mice. Western blot analysis of retinas from patients with diabetic retinopathy showed an increase in the active soluble form of betacellulin. In addition, an increase in the levels of A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM)-10 which plays a role in the cleavage of betacellulin was seen in the retinas of diabetic mice and humans. Conclusions These results suggest that excessive amounts of betacellulin in the retina may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic macular edema.
Early corrosion-related failure of the rejuvenate modular total hip replacement.

Background: The Rejuvenate modular-neck stem implant (Stryker Orthopaedics, Mahwah, New Jersey) was recently recalled due to corrosion at the femoral neck-stem junction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of corrosion-related failure and survivorship of this implant and analyze the correlation of implant and patient factors with serum metal ion levels and revisions. Methods: From June 2009 to July 2012, 123 Rejuvenate total hip arthroplasty stems (ninety-seven modular and twenty-six non-modular) were implanted in 104 patients by a single surgeon. Serum cobalt (Co) and chromium (Cr) levels (micrograms per liter [μg/L]) were measured postoperatively for all patients. Patients with persistent hip pain or elevated metal ion levels underwent magnetic resonance imaging for assessment of osteolysis or adverse local tissue reactions. Correlation of implant factors (stem size, head size, head length, and femoral head-neck offset) and patient factors (age, sex, and body mass index) with serum metal ion levels and revisions were analyzed with use of logistic regression models. Results: The mean duration of follow-up (and standard deviation) was 2.7 ± 0.6 years. The mean Co and Cr levels were 5.4 ± 5.7 μg/L (range, 0.2 to 31 μg/L) and 2.1 ± 1.5 μg/L (range, 0.1 to 4.3 μg/L), respectively. The differences in Co and Cr levels between the two groups (modular and non-modular) were significant: 48% of the total hip arthroplasties in the modular group resulted in elevated metal ion levels (Co >4.0 μg/L and Cr >2.0 μg/L; p < 0.05). The metal ion levels in the non-modular group were normal. In the modular group, higher metal ion levels were significantly correlated with younger age and a higher femoral head-neck offset (p = 0.04). Pain and high Co serum levels were significant predictors of revision surgery (p = 0.006). The rate of revision at the time of this study was 28% in the modular group, with the majority of the revisions performed in the second year after surgery; the Kaplan-Meier survivorship was 40% at four years. Conclusions: The short-term high rate of corrosion-related revision with Rejuvenate modular-neck stems is striking. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Refractory films from spin-cast carbon

Abstract A method is described to produce thin films of carbon by the pyrolysis of spin-cast polyacrylonitrile. UV, IR, and Raman spectroscopies were employed to investigate the chemical structure of the films during pyrolysis. The electrical conductivity of films made in this way can be varied over several decades by changing the final temperature of carbonization. These films can also be photolithographically patterned and manipulated by wet and dry transfer techniques. As such, these films may have utility in microelectronic and hybrid microcircuit applications.
JMR at Ten

When I wrote my master's thesis in 1979, the hardest part was producing a literature review. Countless hours in the library turned up just one book, one journal article, and two unpublished dissert...
Flowers are Produced on Stems Shorter than One Meter in the Desert Shrub Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

Abstract The minimum length of stem required for production of flowers in the C3 desert shrub ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) has been widely accepted as 1 m since 1943. Long-term studies in the Chihuahuan Desert indicate that this threshold is no longer acceptable. During 2003–2006, 15 ocotillo stems shorter than 1 m produced 1–32 flowers each. The shortest stem on which flowers were produced was 62 cm long. Although fully capable of producing flowers, the contribution of stems <1 m long to overall production of flowers was small, accounting for only 0.49% of all flower-bearing stems. Stems <1 m long can no longer be excluded from studies of allocation to reproduction in ocotillo because of their assumed inability to produce flowers.
Report of Committee on Lakes, 1946–1947

There have been several changes in the membership of the Committee during the past year. At present the Committee in composed of the following: G. Benton, J. L. Hough, C. S. Howard, G. E. Hutchinson, N. A. Riley, Ralf R. Woolley, and P. E. Church (Chairman). Each of the above members has a definite field of interest in limnology as follows: Hydrometeorology, sediments, various features of artificial lakes, general chemical limnology, shore features and deposits, chemical changes of artificial and natural lakes, and thermal characteristics.
An electrical study of simox material by a quick-turn-around approach

Abstract Circuits built on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates, have different requirements for material quality, depending on the intended application. Thus, the need exists for a detailed characterization of the electrical properties of the silicon and buried oxide layers. In this paper, we study the effects of processing on the electrical characteristics of SOI wafers formed by the implantation of oxygen (SIMOX). To facilitate this investigation, we developed a quick-turn-around (QT) approach, based on C - V and C - t measurements on a capacitor formed with the buried oxide as the capacitor dielectric. A simple process is used to isolate silicon islands in the film layer, thus delineating the capacitor. The measurements allow one to determine the fixed oxide charge and interface trap densities of both buried oxide interfaces, and the minority carrier generation time of both the film and substrate. The QT approach is used to study the effects of changing the post-implant anneal time and temperature, and of using a screen oxide during the oxygen implant.
Experiences with MapReduce, an abstraction for large-scale computation

MapReduce is a programming model and an associated implementation for processing and generating large data sets. Users specify a Map function that processes a key/value pair to generate a set of intermediate key/value pairs, and a Reduce function that merges all intermediate values associated with the same intermediate key. Many real world tasks are expressible in this model. Programs written in this functional style are automatically parallelized and executed on a large cluster of commodity machines.The MapReduce run-time system takes care of the details of partitioning the input data, scheduling the program's execution across a set of machines, handling machine failures, and managing the required intermachine communication. This allows programmers without any experience with parallel and distributed systems to easily utilize the resources of a large distributed system.Our implementation of MapReduce runs on a large cluster of commodity machines and is highly scalable: a typical MapReduce computation processes many terabytes of data on thousands of machines. Programmers find the system easy to use: thousands of MapReduce programs have been implemented and several thousand thousand MapReduce jobs are executed on Google's clusters every day.In this talk I'll describe the basic programming model, discuss our experience using it in a variety of domains, and talk about the implications of programming models like MapReduce as one paradigm to simplify development of parallel software for multi-core microprocessors.
Mountaineering and rock-climbing injuries in US National Parks

Mountaineering and rock climbing have become increasingly popular in recent years and involve an estimated 100,000 participants; accordingly, the number of climbing-related injuries has also increased. We analyzed 127 climbing-related injuries reported to the US National Park Service in 1981 and 1982, 36 (28%) of which were fatal. Falls accounted for 75% of all climbing-related injuries; median length of fall was 91 m for fatal injuries and 9 m for nonfatal injuries. The majority of injuries (69%) occurred while ascending. Falls on snow or ice were longer than falls on rock, and injuries on snow or ice were more likely to be fatal. We discuss considerations and strategies for the prevention of climbing-related injuries. A new conceptual model suggests that the methods of traditional mountaineering safety programs may be of limited efficacy in further reducing the number of climbing-related injuries.
Immunization for Protection of the Reproductive Tract: A Review

PROBLEM: Local application of non-replicating antigens to the female reproductive tract is ineffective in stimulating the common mucosal immune system, and induces only weak genital antibody responses. Studies of immune responses to genital infections such as gonorrhea also support the concept that, lacking mucosal immune inductive sites, the reproductive tract is ill-equipped to mount effective immune responses. METHOD OF STUDY: Intranasal (i.n.) and intravaginal (i.vag.) routes of immunization of mice with a protein antigen coupled to cholera toxin (CT) B subunit, or genetically engineered as chimeric proteins with the A2/B sunbunits of CT or type II heat-labile enterotoxin, were compared for their ability to induce specific antibody responses in vaginal fluids, saliva, and serum. RESULTS: Mice immunized i.n. developed substantially stronger vaginal immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) and serum IgG and IgA antibodies, than those immunized i.vag. which also failed to develop salivary antibodies. Vaginal antibody responses induced i.n. persisted for at least 1 year, and were recallable by booster immunization after a prolonged period. CONCLUSIONS: Such alternative strategies for inducing potent genital antibody responses offer the prospect of prophylactic immunization against genital infections. Further studies are required to evaluate their applicability to humans, and to comprehend the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in delivering effective immune responses to the reproductive tracts.
Effects of α-blocker ‘add on’ treatment on blood pressure in symptomatic BPH with or without concomitant hypertension

We investigated the effects of 'add on' treatment of α-blocker (AB) on blood pressure (BP) and the safety of ABs in men with symptomatic BPH with or without hypertension. We retrospectively reviewed 2,924 BPH outpatients who took ABs at our institution between 2005 and 2009. BPH symptom severity, prostate volume and BP were determined for 953 patients with their baseline data. BP level and International Prostate Symptom Score were measured within 2 months after AB treatment. Patients were assigned to four groups: group 1 had 272 normotensive patients on concomitant hypertensive medication; group 2 had 293 normotensive patients not on the medication; group 3 had 216 hypertensive patients on concomitant medication; and group 4 had 172 hypertensive patients not on the medication. The addition of AB lowered the mean systolic BP by 16.6 mm Hg for group 3 and by 8.6 mm Hg for group 4, and diastolic BP by 18.0 mm Hg for group 3 (P<0.05). However, normotensive groups on entry, irrespective of antihypertensive medication, showed no significant BP changes from baseline after AB medication. In the hypertensive groups on entry, the doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) resulted in significant reductions in systolic BP from 142.2 to 134.9 mm Hg and in diastolic BP from 97.6 to 84.6 mm Hg. When analyzed by AB regimen, the incidence of BP-related adverse events was comparable. AB therapy for BPH can have an appropriate and beneficial effect on BP, especially in baseline hypertensive patients. Doxazosin GITS treatment resulted in optimal management of BP within the normal range, especially in pharmacologically or physiologically hypertensive patients.
Free tram or diep flap: Which to choose?

The deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap is an exciting new development in breast reconstruction that is becoming more and more popular. It does reduce abdominal wall donor-site morbidity significantly. Because the blood supply is reduced compared with the standard free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap, however, it is best limited to nonsmoking patients who do not need more than 65% of the flap to make an adequate breast unless the perforators found at surgery are especially large. For appropriately selected patients, however, the DIEP flap is an excellent choice.