cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Different Material Combinations on Wear of an Artificial Cervical Disc as Standalone vs. Placed in a Ligamentous Motion Segment

Earlier efforts in areas of hip and knee arthroplasties suggest that wear debris, especially from polymeric components, could initiate inflammatory responses leading to peri-prosthetic osteolysis and bone resorption at the implant-bone interface. Aseptic loosening of implants due to particle induced osteolysis is the primary cause of revision surgeries. Metal based implants are considered superior in terms of wear resistance.1–2 However metal-on-metal articulation leads to much smaller sized particulates in comparison to metal-on-polymers. Thus for an equal volume of wear debris from both polymer and metal, the number of metallic particulates can be up to 100 times greater3. Accumulation of metallic debris in the periprosthetic tissue leads to the formation of a fibrous membrane, which might act as a channel for polymeric particulates4. Bench top wear tests as well as bioreactivity studies have emerged as a powerful preclinical tool. However there is still a gap between the in vitro bench-top wear tests and the retrieval test cases. Additionally, these experiments are time consuming, expensive, and labor-intensive procedures. In spite of the fact that experimental data are indispensable, alternatives need to be explored. Predictive finite element modeling based on wear-laws serve as an excellent design tool for parametric analyses. In such models, the effect of individual variables can be judged independently leading to an understanding of the role of that parameter on the final outcome.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Long-term mortality of patients surviving firearm violence

Objective We aim to calculate the 5-year mortality after surviving to hospital discharge after a firearm injury and estimate the association of firearm injury with later mortality. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients from an urban emergency department (ED) and trauma centre in Oakland, California, USA, in 2007. We created three cohorts of patients presenting for (1) gunshot wound (GSW), (2) MVC and (3) assault without a firearm. Demographic and clinical information was obtained from the clinical chart, and the California Department of Public Health Vital Statistics and Social Security Death Master File (2007–2012) were queried to identify patients who died. Results We analysed 516 GSW patients, 992 MVC patients and 695 non-GSW assault patients. Of the GSW patients, 86.4% were alive at 5 years. All-cause 5-year mortality among GSW victims surviving to discharge after injury was 5.1%. Compared with MVC patients, both GSW and non-GSW assault patients have higher risk of death at 5 years (HR 2.54 (95% CI 1.41 to 4.59) and HR 1.64 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.68), respectively), adjusting for age, sex and race. Risk of death was higher in the first year for the GSW cohort (HR 6.14 (95% CI 2.35 to 16.08) and HR 5.06 (95% CI 1.88 to 13.63) as compared with MVC and non-GSW assault cohorts, respectively). Homicide was the cause of death in 79.2% of GSW patients who died after surviving the index injury. Conclusion Among individuals presenting to the ED after injury or assault and surviving to discharge, firearm injury exposure is an important predictor of death within 5 years and most pronounced in the first year after injury.
Techniques for Culturing and Mass Producing Parasites of the Potato Tuberworm

Techniques for the culture and mass production of parasites of Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) are described. The ovipositional requirements of 11 larval and 3 egg-larval parasites are given. Their developmental period ranged from 15 days for Apanteles dignus Muesebeck and Orgilus lepidus Mueseheck to 28 days for Chelonus blackburni Cameron; male:female sex ratio of their progeny from 1:1 for A. dignus and Copidosoma koehleri (Blanchard) to 5:1 for Diadegma stellenbochense (Cameron) and Temelucha sp.
Electrochemical Model for Ionic Liquid Electrolytes in Lithium Batteries

A mathematical model is developed for transport of ionic components to study the performance of ionic liquid based lithium batteries. The mathematical model is based on a univalent ternary electrolyte frequently encountered in ionic liquid electrolytes used for lithium batteries. Owing to the very high concentration of components in ionic liquid, the transport of lithium ions are described by the mutual diffusion phenomena using Maxwell-Stefan diffusivity. The model is used to study a lithium ion battery where the cations and anions of ionic liquid are mppy+ and TFSI-. The electric performance results predicted by the model are in good agreement with experimental data. We also studied the effect of load current density on the performance of lithium ion battery using this model. Numerical results indicate that low rate of lithium ion transport causes lithium depleted zone in the porous cathode regions as the load current density increases. This lithium depleted region is responsible for lower specific capacity in lithium-ion cells. The model presented in this study can be used for optimum design of ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium-ion and lithium-air batteries.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
A Review of Some Genera of Hesperiinae

A.W. Lindsey's paper in 1921 on the Hesperioidea of America north of Mexico (3) recorded in condensed form the results of the most inclusive study of these insects that had then been made, but left numerous relationships unsettled, especially among the commoner Hesperiinae. The six papers by Skinner and Williams in 1922–1924 (6), illustrating the genitalia of practically all North American species, went far towards solution of the remaining difficulties. Finally, in April, 1931, Lindsey, Bell and Williams published the latest and best comprehensive work (4), using the genitalia in combination with other taxonomic characters. But the obvious derivation of most of our genera from the rich neotropical fauna tends to weaken our native distinctions between small allied groups well represented southward. And even if necessity has largely justified our ignoring the tropical forms, there still appear to be more genera “recognized” than are easily definable.
Locally Weighted Score Estimation for Quantile Classification in Binary Regression Models

One common use of binary response regression methods is classification based on an arbitrary probability threshold dictated by the particular application. Since this is given to us a priori, it is sensible to incorporate the threshold into our estimation procedure. Specifically, for the linear logistic model, we solve a set of locally weighted score equations, using a kernel-like weight function centered at the threshold. The bandwidth for the weight function is selected by cross validation of a novel hybrid loss function that combines classification error and a continuous measure of divergence between observed and fitted values; other possible cross-validation functions based on more common binary classification metrics are also examined. This work has much in common with robust estimation, but differs from previous approaches in this area in its focus on prediction, specifically classification into high- and low-risk groups. Simulation results are given showing the reduction in error rates that can be obtained with this method when compared with maximum likelihood estimation, especially under certain forms of model misspecification. Analysis of a melanoma dataset is presented to illustrate the use of the method in practice.
Risk factors of brain injury in very low birth weight infants

Objective To investigate the incidence and high risk factors of brain injury in very low birth weight infants ( VLBWI) ,to reduce the morbidity of brain injury,and improve the developmental outcome of VLBWI.Methods Data of 181 VLBWI admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit ( NICU) between October 2008 and September 2009 were retrospectively analyzed.The difference in basic information,maternity diseases,treatment and complication were analyzed between two groups ( brain injury group and normal newborn group) ,and Logistic regression analysis was adopted to analyze the risk factors for brain injury.Results Seventy-eight of the 181 neonates (43.09% ) were found to have brain injury,including 67 neonates (37.01% ) with periventricular / intraventricular hemorrhage (43 with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) gradeⅠ,12 with IVH grade Ⅱ,10 with IVH grade Ⅲ,and 2 with IVH grade Ⅳ ) and 12 neonates ( 6.63% ,one complicated with IVH grade Ⅲ ) with periventricular leukomalacia.The younger the gestational age,the higher the brain injury rate was observed.Concerning the brain injury rate,there were no differences in gender,single birth / plural births,birth weight,the mode of delivery,fetal distress,premature rupture of membrane,hypertension during pregnancy,placenta abruption,and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) between these two groups (P 0.05).The difference in therapeutic measures such as pulmonary surfactant therapy,nasal continuous positive airway pressure ( nCPAP) ,conventional mechanical ventilation,and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation was significant (P 0.05),except aminophylline therapy (P 0.05).As to the complication,there were significant differences in the incidences of asphyxia,neonatal respiratory distress syndrome ( NRDS) ,hypercapnia,metabolic acidosis,hyperglycemia,anemia,and personal digital assistant ( PDA) ( P 0.05) .However,there was no difference in the incidences of hypoglycemia,sepsis,thrombocytopenia,apnea,pulmonary hemorrhage,and hyperbilirubinemia between these two groups ( P 0.05) .Further Logistic regression analysis showed that NRDS,high-frequency oscillatory ventilation,and PDA were the main risk factors for brain injury in VLBWI.Conclusions VLBWI is the high-risk population of brain injury.Pulmonary surfactant therapy,nCPAP,conventional mechanical ventilation,high-frequency oscillatory ventilation,asphyxia,NRDS,hypercapnia,metabolic acidosis,hyperglycemia,anemia,and PDA were confirmed to be the high-risk factors for brain injury in VLBWI.And,NRDS,high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and PDA were main risk factors.
Solar heating of GaAs nanowire solar cells

We use a coupled thermal-optical approach to model the operating temperature rise in GaAs nanowire solar cells. We find that despite more highly concentrated light absorption and lower thermal conductivity, the overall temperature rise in a nanowire structure is no higher than in a planar structure. Moreover, coating the nanowires with a transparent polymer can increase the radiative cooling power by 2.2 times, lowering the operating temperature by nearly 7 K.
ABO-compatible liver allograft antibody-mediated rejection: an update.

Purpose Liver allograft antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) studies have lagged behind parallel efforts in kidney and heart because of a comparative inherent hepatic resistance to AMR. Three developments, however, have increased interest: 1) solid phase antibody testing enabled more precise antibody characterization; 2) increased expectations for long-term, morbidity-free survival; and 3) immunosuppression minimization trials.
Measles virus nucleocapsid protein modulates the Signal Regulatory Protein-β1 (SIRPβ1) to enhance osteoclast differentiation in Paget's disease of bone ☆

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a chronic localized bone disorder in an elderly population. Environmental factors such as paramyxovirus are implicated in PDB and measles virus nucleocapsid protein (MVNP) has been shown to induce pagetic osteoclasts (OCLs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying MVNP stimulation of OCL differentiation in the PDB are unclear. We therefore determined the MVNP regulated gene expression profiling during OCL differentiation. Agilent microarray analysis of gene expression identified high levels of SIRPβ1 (353-fold) expression in MVNP transduced human bone marrow mononuclear cells stimulated with RANKL. Real-time PCR analysis further confirmed that MVNP alone upregulates SIRPβ1 mRNA expression in these cells. Also, bone marrow mononuclear cells derived from patients with PDB showed high levels of SIRPβ1 mRNA expression compared to normal subjects. We further show that MVNP increases SIRPβ1 interaction with DAP12 adaptor protein in the presence and absence of RANKL stimulation. shRNA knockdown of SIRPβ1 expression in normal human bone marrow monocytes decreased the levels of MVNP enhanced p-Syk and c-Fos expression. In addition, SIRPβ1 knockdown significantly decreased MVNP stimulated dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA expression during OCL differentiation. Furthermore, we demonstrated the contribution of SIRPβ1 in MVNP induced OCL formation and bone resorption. Thus, our results suggest that MVNP modulation of SIRPβ1 provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms which control high bone turnover in PDB.
Parks and golf course workers

Most of the work done by parks and golf course workers is performed outside, and they are subject to risks similar to those of other outdoor workers, such as temperature and weather-related problems, infectious diseases, and poisonous plants, snakes, and spiders. They are also exposed to physical hazards related to noise and operation of heavy equipment. Chemical hazards result from use of pesticides and solvents. This chapter reviews pertinent OSHA regulations, pre-placement strategies, and medical surveillance exams, and recommends preventive programs. More research is needed to determine specific hazards and work-related injury and illness rates for parks and golf course workers, so that effective preventive programs can be designed.
Immunohistochemical and Autoradiographic Investigations of High-Dose Fenfluramine Treatment on Monoamine Neurons in Rat Brain

Immunohistochemistry and in vitro receptor autoradiography were used to examine effects of high-dose fenfluramine treatment (24 mg/kg, s.c., b.i.d., 4 days) on serotonergic and catecholaminergic neurons in rat brain. At 18 h following fenfluramine treatment, striking decreases were observed in the density of fine-caliber serotonin (5HT)-like immunostained axons in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum and striatum when compared to saline-administered controls; lesser decreases were noted in septum, locus coeruleus and hypothalamus. Some persisting 5HT-like immunoreactive fibers displayed morphology reminiscent of degenerating axons (thickening, swollen varicosities and fragmentation). Of note, 5HT-like- immunoreactive cell bodies in midbrain raphe nuclei and fibers in spinal cord appeared unaffected by the treatment. Autoradiographic studies revealed that fenfluramine treatment reduced the density of 3H-paroxetine-labeled 5HT uptake sites, another index of structural integrity of 5HT axons, in parallel with decreases in density of 5HT-like immunostaining. Tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity, used to assess effects of fenfluramine treatment on catecholaminergic axons, was unaffected. These data suggest that, in rats, high s.c. doses of fenfluramine may have neurotoxic-like effects on some 5HT-like immunoreactive axons and terminals. The relevance of these observations to the continued therapeutic use, in humans, of smaller oral doses of fenfluramine remains to be determined.
Performing Feeling in Cultures of Memory by Bryoni Trezise (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014)

Bryoni Trezise has written a complex book on a difficult topic. Traumatic memory is always culturally fraught: painful, contested and politicised. Like its case studies, the methods of memory studies are also fraught, drawing on multiple disciplines that sometimes have competing methodologies. It is Trezise’s combination of performance studies, memory studies and affect theory that is both the book’s achievement and its challenge. While there may not be many readers with competences across all three fields that match Trezise’s own, the book nevertheless offers compelling insights into how memory sites ‘mobilise various histories of loss through the experiences and re-experiences of affect’ (4).
The Changing Patterns of Graft Failure in MPS1H, Hurler Syndrome: A Review of 30-Years Experience

Introduction: Hurler syndrome (HS), the most severe phenotype of mucopolysaccharidosis type I, is characterized by α-L-iduronidase (IDUA) deficiency. Without therapy, most affected children die of cardiac complications in the first decade. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the standard of care in children with HS as it is the only therapy that can arrest disease progression. One of the challenges in HSCT for HS is graft failure. Here, we examined the evolving pattern of graft failure over the past three decades. Methods: Retrospective review of all children with HS undergoing first HSCT at the Royal Manchester Children9s Hospital or the University of Minnesota Children9s Hospital over a thirty-four-year period (1983 - 2016). The diagnosis of HS was confirmed by an increase in urinary GAG excretion, a deficiency or absence of IDUA in peripheral blood leukocytes, and the clinical phenotype. A full-intensity Busulfan-based myeloablative conditioning regimen (MAC) with pharmacokinetic-guided dosing was started from 2004 (post Bu-pK era). Conditioning regimen used prior to Bu-pK era was variable. Graft failure was classified into 4 types: 1. Primary aplasia, (no neutrophil engraftment by Day +42) 2. Primary autologous reconstitution (neutrophil engrafted by Day +42 but with Results: A total of 240 children with HS were enrolled (131 pre-Bu-pK; 109 post-Bu-pK). The median age at HSCT was 16.3 months (range 4.9-72.2 months) in pre-Bu-pK era and 14.0 months (range 3.8-65.1 months) in post-Bu-pK era (p = 0.002) ). In pre-Bu-pK era, the graft source was predominately marrow/peripheral blood (n=109, 83.2%). The use of cord blood (CB) increased from 16.8% (n=22) in pre-Bu-pk era to 63.3% (n=69) in post-Bu-pK era (p Conclusions: The transplant outcomes have improved. All deaths due to infection, graft failure and pulmonary failure have significantly reduced a better transplant care. The pattern of graft failure has changed from primarily marrow reconstitution likely secondary to inadequate myelosuppression in pre-Bu-pk era, to graft rejection likely secondary to inadequate immunosuppression in post-Bu-pk era. Disclosures Jones:Genzyme: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BioMarin: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.
The systemic management of cutaneous dermatomyositis: Results of a stepwise strategy

Treatment of dermatomyositis (DM) is often achieved with a stepwise algorithm. However, the literature lacks quality evidence to support the use of this therapeutic strategy. The result of a stepwise therapeutic strategy in the management of skin-only DM is presented to better understand the clinical outcomes and allow for future studies. A cohort of 102 patients with DM, 41 of whom had skin-only disease, were seen between July 2009 and April 2013 at a referral-based connective tissue disease clinic. The Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index was used to prospectively assess disease severity and the outcomes in 41 adult patients with skin-only DM were analyzed. Of the 41 patients with skin-only DM, 23 patients (56.1%) received antimalarial medications alone and 18 patients (43.9%) received second- or third-line agents. Ten patients (24.4%) remained at the first level of the treatment algorithm and received only hydroxychloroquine. Prednisone was included in the treatment regimen for 11 patients with skin-only disease (26.8%). The results show that management of cutaneous DM often requires second-line agents because antimalarial medications alone are insufficient to treat most patients with skin-only disease.
The Monstrous New Art: Divided Forms in the Late Medieval Motet

Anna Zayaruznaya. The Monstrous New Art: Divided Forms in the Late Medieval Motet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2015. Pp. 234 + appendices. Broadly speaking, Zayaruznaya's The Monstrous New Art is about text-music relations in the ars nova motet with a focus on the period spanning 1315 to 1370. Zayaruznaya demonstrates with aplomb that late medieval motet composers were far more sensitive to the texts they were setting than has previously been realized, responding to their "matiere" (or subject matter) in myriad subtle ways. Her focus is, specifically, on texts concerning fragmentation and disjunction--themes especially frequent in representations of the monstrous, but also present in works on the Trinity (three in one), the stratified body politic, and the "two-faced" courtly lady. The book's introduction situates the analysis it precedes within ars nova scholarship. It also justifies its focus on monsters, which are characterized, in Zayaruznaya's reading, primarily by a lack of unity. Zayaruznaya rightly notes that her findings--even as they focus on the monstrous--point towards broader aesthetic strategies in ars nova composition and, consequently, that her methodology might productively be applied to other repertoires. Chapter 1, "Songs Alive," sets out to show that songs were not infrequently imagined as having bodies. Medieval theorists' zoomorphization and anthropomorphization ranged from the passing reference, such as the Summa musice's description of the cauda as a kind of tail, to full-blown metaphorical identification (e.g. Dante). Sometimes, Zayaruznaya shows, songs are treated as creatures that can both talk and travel. Such a conceit is common in the envois and tornadas of the grand chant. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Je voi/Fauvel in the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, MS. fr. 146 version of the Roman de Fauvel. Zayaruznaya convincingly reads this piece as a kind of monstrous birth of an embodied song. The final section of the chapter preemptively responds to the objection that medieval composers would not have conceived of their works as works, let alone works with shapes (instead, the argument goes, they would have conceived of them as sounding events). In response, Zayaruznaya proposes a "creature concept" of composition (p. 66). While not exclusively about ars nova motets, the chapter's analyses set up what is to follow in that they show the creative interrelations of songs and sundry creatures. The main strength of this chapter lies in its demonstration of the commonality--corporeality--underlying many theorists' discussion of song, envois, and pieces such as Machaut's famous Ma fin est mon commencement and Tout par compas, whose shapes are explicitly thematized. The second chapter, "How (not) to Write a Motet: The Exemplary In virtute/Decens," turns to Phillipe de Vitry's motet and its depiction of the monster evoked in Horace's Ars poetica via tale a and hocket. …
An azobenzene photoswitch sheds light on turn nucleation in amyloid-β self-assembly.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) self-assembly into cross-β amyloid fibrils is implicated in a causative role in Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Uncertainties persist regarding the mechanisms of amyloid self-assembly...
Frequent somatic mutations of the ATBF1 transcription factor in human prostate cancer

2882 Cancer is often a multistep disease resulting from the accumulation of multiple genetic alterations. Although most human malignancies arise sporadically rather than from genetic predisposition, only a rather small number of genes have been identified that are frequently mutated in sporadic cancers. The long arm of chromosome 16 is frequently deleted in many types of human cancers but the target gene of deletion has thus far not been identified (Dong JT, Cancer Metastasis Rev 20:173-93, 2002). Here we report that ATBF1, a transcription factor that negatively regulates alpha-fetoprotein and c-myb(Kaspar P, et al. J Biol Chem 274:14422-8, 1999; Ninomiya TK, et al. Hepatology 35:82-7, 2002) but transactivates the promoter activity of the p21 tumor suppressor gene( Kataoka HP, et al. Cancer Res 63:5785-92, 2003), is a strong candidate for the 16q22 tumor suppressor gene. Our deletion mapping studies narrowed the region of deletion at 16q22 to 861-Kb, which harbors the ATBF1 gene. ATBF1 mRNA was abundant in normal prostates but much less in about half of the cancer samples tested. In 24 of 66 (36%) prostate cancer cases examined, we identified 35 somatic mutations. Many of the mutations clearly impair the function of ATBF1, although the effect of others remains to be determined. In addition, loss of wild-type ATBF1 enhanced cell proliferation but gain of wild-type ATBF1 inhibited it. Hence, loss of wild-type ATBF1 through interruption of its regulation of downstream target gene(s) would be one mechanism that defines the absence of growth control in prostate cancer.
Test of a Conceptual Model to Explain Television Exposure of Head Start Children.

Excessive television (TV) viewing by children can lead to negative health and developmental outcomes. Using structural equation modeling, this study tests a conceptual model to understand social an...
APECTS Predicts Favorable CT Perfusion in Anterior Circulation Strokes (P06.248)

OBJECTIVE: To determine predictors of a favorable CT perfusion (CTP) scan in patients with acute ischemic stroke evaluated onset for possible endovascular recanalization. BACKGROUND: Some centers use CTP to triage stroke patients who might benefit from endovascular therapy. There are no studies to our knowledge that identify factors associated with a favorable CTP. Those may be helpful for patients evaluated in centers where CTP is unavailable. DESIGN/METHODS: We reviewed records of patients who underwent CTP between August 2010 and September 2012. We included patients with anterior circulation strokes due to large vessel occlusion 8 hours from symptom onset, who underwent a head CT and head and neck CTA as part of our protocol. Two examiners calculated the admission ASPECTS. We defined favorable CTP as a core infarct size rd of the middle cerebral artery territory distribution and a penumbra >20% of infarct size. We divided patients into two groups based on whether they had a favorable CTP or not. Risk factors, admission NIHSS, time parameters, laboratory and radiological data were compared between the groups. For statistical analysis, we used independent and Fisher9s exact tests and performed multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 75 patients evaluated for interventional treatment, 60 had anterior circulation large vessel occlusion; 27 had a favorable CTP. Patients with favorable CTP were more likely to be ≥80 years (33% vs. 9%,p=0.026), have ASPECTS >7 (81% vs. 21%,p≤0.001) and lower mean time from symptom onset to CTP in minutes (234 ± 91 vs. 305 ± 122, p=0.015). On multivariate analysis, ASPECTS was the only independent predictor of a favorable CTP (OR=16.2,CI: 4.3-62.2,p CONCLUSIONS: ASPECTS may be used as a tool to predict favorable CTP and select patients who may benefit from endovascular recanalization therapy in centers where CTP is unavailable. Larger studies are needed to confirm our findings. Disclosure: Dr. Hinduja has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bianchi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Amole has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yaghi has nothing to disclose.
The Promise and Perils of Wearable Physiological Sensors for Diabetes Management.

Development of truly useful wearable physiologic monitoring devices for use in diabetes management is still in its infancy. From wearable activity monitors such as fitness trackers and smart watches to contact lenses measuring glucose levels in tears, we are just at the threshold of their coming use in medicine. Ultimately, such devices could help to improve the performance of sense-and-respond insulin pumps, illuminate the impact of physical activity on blood glucose levels, and improve patient safety. This is a summary of our experience attempting to use such devices to enhance continuous glucose monitoring–augmented insulin pump therapy. We discuss the current status and present difficulties with available devices, and review the potential for future use.
Effects of integrated feedback and movement templates on discrete bimanual movements in simple reaction time.

Abstract The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether integrated visual feedback and movement templates could facilitate bimanual movements with different patterns of spatiotemporal coupling and decoupling. Knowing when Lissajous feedback and movement templates improve bimanual movements, and when they do not, will help determine the mechanisms of task conceptualisation. We tested two bimanual asymmetric conditions where different movement templates were used to encourage the movements to travel different paths to the same targets. The asymmetric straight condition was the same as Shea, Boyle, and Kovacs (2012), and we predicted that we would replicate their results and find no temporal coupling. The novel asymmetric diagonal condition required movements with a 2:1 movement ratio (relative spatiotemporal coupling). Longer movement time and larger root-mean-square deviation of the trajectories suggested that asymmetric straight movements were more difficult than symmetric movements. Even longer movement times and fewer target hits suggested that asymmetric diagonal movements were more difficult than asymmetric straight movements. Lissajous feedback and movement templates made the difficult asymmetric movements possible. However, movements with relative spatiotemporal coupling were the most difficult and movements without temporal coupling were still more difficult than symmetric movements. We suggest that Lissajous feedback and movement templates improved the task conceptualisation, which eliminated or reduced the high-level cognitive constraints. The low-level neuromuscular constraints, however, persisted and these caused the increased difficulty for asymmetric movements. Improving the task conceptualisation can facilitate asymmetric movements. These asymmetric movements still have different difficulties and they are not as easy as symmetric movements.
Ionized magnesium and calcium concentration and their ratio in equine plasma samples as determined by a regulatory laboratory compared to a clinical reference laboratory.

Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 ) was administered to calm competition horses. We evaluated the impact of regulatory requirements for the handling of blood samples on plasma ionized magnesium (iMg), ionized calcium (iCa), the iMg to iCa ratio, and pH. We hypothesized that iCa, iMg. and iMg/iCa would be similar among storage and collection methods. Four blood samples were collected from each of 50 horses on the same day: Group 1 - collection in a heparinized syringe and processed within hours in a clinical laboratory; Group 2 - collection into a plasma separator tube (PST) centrifuged just prior to analysis, and plasma processed as in (1); Group 3 - collection into a PST, refrigerated, shipped via overnight carrier to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Equine Drug Testing and Research laboratory, centrifuged just prior to analysis, and plasma processed; and Group 4 - as in Group 3, but stored frozen at -80°C for 90 days, thawed, and plasma processed as in Group 3. Results for iMg/iCa are unit-less, adjusted iMg for potential influence of plasma protein and iCa, and highly correlated with iMg pH (r = -.933; P < 0.01). Samples processed immediately in a clinical reference laboratory had the greatest iMg/iCa. Both iMg/iCa and pH predictably decreased after freezing (P < 0.001). These data suggest that the iMg/iCa mirrors alterations in iMg regardless of storage and collection methods. This understanding can facilitate the development of a regulatory threshold for the control of the nefarious use of magnesium sulfate in competing horses, and an understanding of potential changes to iMg/iCa with storage of B samples.
Image-Based Profiling of Patient-Derived Pancreatic Tumor-Stromal Cell Interactions Within a Micropatterned Tumor Model.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers with a 5-year patient survival rate of 8.2% and limited availability of therapeutic agents to target metastatic disease. Pancreatic cancer is...
Gamma Oscillations in the Basolateral Amygdala: Biophysical Mechanisms and Computational Consequences

Abstract The basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BL) is thought to support numerous emotional behaviors through specific microcircuits. These are often thought to be comprised of feedforward networks of principal cells (PNs) and interneurons. Neither well-understood nor often considered are recurrent and feedback connections, which likely engender oscillatory dynamics within BL. Indeed, oscillations in the gamma frequency range (40 − 100 Hz) are known to occur in the BL, and yet their origin and effect on local circuits remains unknown. To address this, we constructed a biophysically and anatomically detailed model of the rat BL and its local field potential (LFP) based on the physiological and anatomical literature, along with in vivo and in vitro data we collected on the activities of neurons within the rat BL. Remarkably, the model produced intermittent gamma oscillations (∼50 − 70 Hz) whose properties matched those recorded in vivo, including their entrainment of spiking. BL gamma-band oscillations were generated by the intrinsic circuitry, depending upon reciprocal interactions between PNs and fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs), while connections within these cell types affected the rhythm’s frequency. The model allowed us to conduct experimentally impossible tests to characterize the synaptic and spatial properties of gamma. The entrainment of individual neurons to gamma depended on the number of afferent connections they received, and gamma bursts were spatially restricted in the BL. Importantly, the gamma rhythm synchronized PNs and mediated competition between ensembles. Together, these results indicate that the recurrent connectivity of BL expands its computational and communication repertoire.
The Association of Intraventricular Hemorrhage and Acute Kidney Injury in Premature Infants from the Assessment of the Worldwide Acute Kidney Injury Epidemiology in Neonates (AWAKEN) Study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) are common in premature infants. We previously demonstrated that infants with AKI have a higher hazards ratio to develop grade ≥2 IVH when controlling for confounders. However, that single-center study was unable to show an overall association. Objectives: To test the hypothesis that infants diagnosed with AKI have an increased risk of IVH independent of variables associated with both AKI and IVH, we performed a study on 825 infants from the Assessment of Worldwide Acute Kidney Injury Epidemiology in Neonates (AWAKEN) study (a 24-center multinational retrospective cohort). Method: A neonatal modified KDIGO definition of AKI was used based on serum creatinine (SCr) and/or urine output criteria. Baseline SCr was defined as the lowest previous value. IVH was diagnosed with head ultrasounds. Results: AKI was documented in 22.2% (183/825) of infants and IVH in 14.3% (118/825). Infants with AKI (n = 183) were more likely to have IVH (26.8%, 49/183) than those without AKI (n= 642) who had IVH (10.7%, 69/642, p < 0.0001). After controlling for 5-min Apgar score, vasopressor support within the first week of age, and gestational age, infants with AKI had 1.6 times higher adjusted odds to develop any grade IVH (95% CI 1.04–2.56). Furthermore, infants of gestational age of 22–28 weeks had 1.9 times higher adjusted odds to develop IVH (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.08–3.23). Conclusions: We present the first multicenter evaluation of the association between AKI and IVH in premature infants showing a significant independent association between AKI and IVH. Development of strategies to reduce AKI may also reduce IVH.
Use of Nitric Oxide in an Unapproved Clinical Setting: A Single Center Experience

Purpose: The only FDA approved indication for inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is the treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) in the neonate to reduce the need for ECMO. However, numerous reports of usage including postoperative refractory pulmonary hypertension and hypoxemic respiratory failure have been reported with variable effect on mortality. These off-label uses have been associated with increased resource utilization without consistent evidence of benefit. The objective of this study is to …
Does distance decrease healthcare options for pregnant, incarcerated people? Mapping the distance between abortion providers and prisons.

Abstract Objectives Pregnant, incarcerated people retain the constitutional right to abortion, but evidence suggests that many cannot access abortion services. State and federal prisons are often located in remote areas and there is a known shortage of abortion providers across the U.S., particularly in remote areas. The goal of this study was to determine the proximity of state and federal prisons to the nearest abortion clinic. Study design We used publicly available information to identify and geocode abortion clinics in the U.S., as well as state and federal prisons that house at least 10 females. We then determined the shortest distance between each prison and the abortion clinics within that state using the Google distance matrix API. For each state, we identified the minimum distance from a state or federal prison to an abortion clinic. Results We georeferenced 643 abortion clinics, 75 state prisons and 20 federal prisons. The farthest minimum distance between a state prison and abortion clinic was 383 miles; the shortest was 2.2 miles. The farthest minimum distance between a federal prison and abortion clinic was 117 miles; the shortest was 0.49 miles. There were 8 states in which the minimum distance between any prison and an abortion clinic was above 75 miles. Conclusion State and federal prisons are not located in close proximity to abortion clinics. This may pose an additional barrier pregnant incarcerated people face when they need abortion care. Implications Distance between prisons and abortion clinics may contribute to the many barriers that incarcerated people face when seeking an abortion. Policies and laws that exacerbate the burden of distance further impair incarcerated people’s abilities to access abortion and prisons’ constitutional obligation to provide access to abortion.
Evaluation of exosome loading characteristics in their purification via a glycerol-assisted hydrophobic interaction chromatography method on a polyester, capillary-channeled polymer fiber phase.

Exosomes are membrane-secreted vesicles, with sizes ranging from 30 to 150 nm, which play key roles in intercellular communication. There is intense interest in developing methods to isolate and quantify exosomes toward clinical diagnostics, fundamental studies of intercellular processes, and use of exosomes as delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents. Current methods for exosomes isolation and quantification are time consuming and have operational high costs; few combine isolation and quantification into a singular operation unit. This report describes the use of hydrophobic interaction chromatography on a polyester capillary-channeled polymer fiber column, employing a step gradient for exosome elution, including use of glycerol as a solvent modifier. The entire procedure is completed in 8 min, while maintaining the structural integrity and biological activity of the isolated exosomes. Electron microscopy was used to verify the size and structural fidelity of single exosomes. Absorbance response curves for a commercial exosome sample were used for exosome quantification in the chromatographic separations. In order to determine the dynamic loading capacity for exosomes, different volumes of Dictyostelium discoideum cell culture milieu supernatant were loaded at different column lengths (5-30 cm) and loading flow rates (0.2-0.5 ml/min). A loading capacity of 5.4 × 1012 exosomes derived from D. discoideum milieu was obtained on a 0.8 × 300 mm column; yielding recoveries of over 80%. It is believed that this isolation and purification strategy holds many advantages toward the use of exosomes across a wide breadth of medical and biotechnology applications.
The deceptive nature of associative word pairs: the effects of associative direction on judgments of learning

The accuracy of judgments of learning (JOLs) in forecasting later recall of cue–target pairs is sensitive to associative direction. JOLs are generally well calibrated for forward associative pairs (e.g., credit-card), but recall accuracy is often overestimated for backward pairs (e.g., card-credit). The present study further examines the effect of associative direction on JOL accuracy by comparing forward and backward pairs to unrelated pairs and symmetrical associates (e.g., salt–pepper)—a novel comparison. The correspondence between initial JOLs and recall accuracy was examined when study was either self-paced with concurrent JOLs (Experiment 1), when study/JOL duration was equated across pair types (Experiment 2), when JOLs were made immediately following study (Experiment 3), and when JOLs were made after a delay (Experiment 4). Across experiments, JOLs accurately estimated correct recall for forward pairs, but overestimated recall for symmetrical, backward, and unrelated pairs—an overestimation that was particularly robust for backward pairs. Calibration plots depicting JOL ratings against their corresponding recall accuracy indicated overestimations occurred for all pair types, though overestimations only occurred at high JOL ratings for symmetrical and forward pairs, a qualitative difference that was not captured in standard analyses of mean JOL and recall rates.
Feminist Activism in the Context of Clinical Trials and Drug Roll-Out

In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gardasil, a Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, for the purposes of stopping the spread of HPV, a primary cause of cervical cancer. While its development and approval were largely seen as necessary steps forward for women’s health, feminist movements in both the United States and India took a critical posture toward the vaccine. Their reactions derived from a shared skepticism of how knowledge is produced and diffused by federal agencies and pharmaceutical companies about women’s bodies. Using the HPV vaccine as an example, this chapter examines the role of feminists in bioethical debates about the production of knowledge about women’s bodies and the politics of vaccine roll-out.
Deception and the Clinical Ethicist.

In this article, I defend a discomfiting thesis: The clinical ethicist should sometimes be an active participant in the deception of patients and families. The case for this conclusion builds off S...
Archaeology of San Francisco Jews: Themes for the Study of Jewish Domestic Life

This article shows how archaeology contributes to our understanding of life in the nineteenth-century Jewish diaspora. Using both qualitative and quantitative (statistical) methods, I compare several family-specific, archaeological artifact collections from San Francisco, California, to show how diaspora Jews adapted their traditional practices to modern life while retaining their ethnic identity. Themes include the development of diverse religious practices, consumerism and social mobility, urban geography, and materiality.
Proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) on blood pressure and electrolyte handling in the late pregnant rat.

NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? Pregnancy requires marked renal sodium and potassium retention and cumulative plasma volume expansion, in the setting of reduced blood pressure. Research in male rodents has shown that activation of PAR2 can produce peripheral vasodilatation, stimulate renal sodium chloride reabsorption and inhibit renal potassium secretion. Here, we investigate PAR2 activation in virgin and normal pregnant rats. What is the main finding and its importance? PAR2 expression and sensitivity to activation are increased in pregnancy. This implicates a possible role for PAR2 in supporting the renal/vascular adaptations of pregnancy required for normal maternal plasma volume expansion. ABSTRACT A healthy pregnancy involves renal and systemic haemodynamic adaptations, which allow renal sodium and potassium retention and cumulative plasma volume expansion, accompanied by a decline in blood pressure attributable to a reduction in the total peripheral vascular resistance. When these adaptations do not occur, pregnancy is compromised. The mechanisms permitting these opposing adaptations are largely unknown. Research in male rodents has shown that activation of PAR2 can produce peripheral vasodilatation, stimulate renal sodium chloride reabsorption and inhibit renal potassium secretion. Here, we investigate PAR2 activation in female virgin and normal late pregnant (LP) rats. We measured the mRNA expression of PAR2 in the renal cortex, outer medulla and inner medulla of virgin and LP rats using quantitative real-time PCR. We also measured in vivo blood pressure, natriuretic and kaliuretic responses to PAR2-activating peptide (SLIGRL-NH2 ) in anaesthetized virgin and LP rats. We found that PAR2 mRNA was increased in the inner medulla of LP rats. We also found that LP rats had larger decreases in blood pressure and increases in net sodium retention compared with virgin rats. These findings suggest that pregnancy enhances sensitivity to the blood pressure-lowering and sodium-retaining effects of PAR2.
Pump efficacy in a two-dimensional, fluid–structure interaction model of a chain of contracting lymphangions

The transport of lymph through the lymphatic vasculature is the mechanism for returning excess interstitial fluid to the circulatory system, and it is essential for fluid homeostasis. Collecting lymphatic vessels comprise a significant portion of the lymphatic vasculature and are divided by valves into contractile segments known as lymphangions. Despite its importance, lymphatic transport in collecting vessels is not well understood. We present a computational model to study lymph flow through chains of valved, contracting lymphangions. We used the Navier–Stokes equations to model the fluid flow and the immersed boundary method to handle the two-way, fluid–structure interaction in 2D, non-axisymmetric simulations. We used our model to evaluate the effects of chain length, contraction style, and adverse axial pressure difference (AAPD) on cycle-mean flow rates (CMFRs). In the model, longer lymphangion chains generally yield larger CMFRs, and they fail to generate positive CMFRs at higher AAPDs than shorter chains. Simultaneously contracting pumps generate the largest CMFRs at nearly every AAPD and for every chain length. Due to the contraction timing and valve dynamics, non-simultaneous pumps generate lower CMFRs than the simultaneous pumps; the discrepancy diminishes as the AAPD increases. Valve dynamics vary with the contraction style and exhibit hysteretic opening and closing behaviors. Our model provides insight into how contraction propagation affects flow rates and transport through a lymphangion chain.