cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visual Function in Carriers of X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa

Purpose To determine the frequency and severity of visual function loss in female carriers of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP). Design Case series. Participants Two hundred seventy-six XLRP carriers with cross-sectional data (n = 242) and longitudinal data (n = 34; median follow-up, 16 years; follow-up range, 3–37 years). Half of the carriers were from RPGR - or RP2 -genotyped families. Methods Retrospective medical records review. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuities, visual field areas, final dark adaptation thresholds, and full-field electroretinography (ERG) responses to 0.5-Hz and 30-Hz flashes. Results In genotyped families, 40% of carriers showed a baseline abnormality on at least 1 of 3 psychophysical tests. There was a wide range of function among carriers. For example, 3 of 121 (2%) genotyped carriers were legally blind because of poor visual acuity, some as young as 35 years. Visual fields were less affected than visual acuity. In all carriers, the average ERG amplitude to 30-Hz flashes was approximately 50% of normal, and the average exponential rate of amplitude loss over time was half that of XLRP males (3.7%/year vs. 7.4%/year, respectively). Among obligate carriers with affected fathers, sons, or both, 53 of 55 (96%) had abnormal baseline ERG results. Some carriers who initially had completely normal fundi in both eyes went on to experience moderately decreased vision, although not legal blindness. Among carriers with RPGR mutations, those with mutations in ORF15, compared with those in exons 1–14, had worse final dark adaptation thresholds and lower 0.5-Hz and 30-Hz ERG amplitudes. Conclusions Most carriers of XLRP had mildly or moderately reduced visual function but rarely became legally blind. In most cases, obligate carriers could be identified by ERG testing. Carriers of RPGR ORF15 mutations tended to have worse visual function than carriers of RPGR exon 1 through 14 mutations. Because XLRP carrier ERG amplitudes and decay rates over time were on average half of those of affected men, these observations were consistent with the Lyon hypothesis of random X-inactivation.
Graph Signatures for Visual Analytics

We present a visual analytics technique to explore graphs using the concept of a data signature. A data signature, in our context, is a multidimensional vector that captures the local topology information surrounding each graph node. Signature vectors extracted from a graph are projected onto a low-dimensional scatterplot through the use of scaling. The resultant scatterplot, which reflects the similarities of the vectors, allows analysts to examine the graph structures and their corresponding real-life interpretations through repeated use of brushing and linking between the two visualizations. The interpretation of the graph structures is based on the outcomes of multiple participatory analysis sessions with intelligence analysts conducted by the authors at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The paper first uses three public domain data sets with either well-known or obvious features to explain the rationale of our design and illustrate its results. More advanced examples are then used in a customized usability study to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach. The study results reveal not only the limitations and weaknesses of the traditional approach based solely on graph visualization, but also the advantages and strengths of our signature-guided approach presented in the paper
Hooper visual organization test: Effects of object naming ability

Abstract The influence of confrontation naming on Hooper Visual Organization Test (HVOT) performance was evaluated. Fifty patients consecutively referred for neuropsychological assessment were administered the HVOT, WAIS-R, and Multilingual Aphasia Examination Visual Naming Test (VNT). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that a perceptual organization factor accounted for 48% of the variance in HVOT performance, with confrontation naming accounting for an additional 11%. A naming test composed of the assembled HVOT figures was administered to another 50 patients. Results again indicated that perceptual organization accounted for a significant amount of HVOT variance (44%), but confrontation naming ability for HVOT objects was not significantly related to HVOT performance. The findings suggest that the HVOT is a valid measure of perceptual organization and not significantly affected by naming ability.
Current status of antisense DNA methods in behavioral studies.

The antisense DNA method has been used successfully to block the expression of specific genes in vivo in neuronal systems. An increasing number of studies in the last few years have shown that antisense DNA administered directly into the brain can modify various kinds of behaviors. These findings strongly suggest that the antisense DNA method can be used as a powerful tool to study causal relationships between molecular processes in the brain and behavior. In this article we review the current status of the antisense method in behavioral studies and discuss its potentials and problems by focusing on the following four aspects: (i) optimal application paradigms of antisense DNA methods in behavioral studies; (ii) efficiencies of different administration methods of antisense DNA used in behavioral studies; (iii) determination of specificity of behavioral effects of antisense DNA; and (iv) discrepancies between antisense DNA effects on behaviors and those on protein levels of the targeted gene.
Chlamydial Infection of the Gastric Mucosa in Twelve Cats

Twelve cats, all from research or commercial breeding colonies, had unidentified, intracellular organisms in the gastric mucosa. Histochemical staining and ultrastructural features provided the basis for identification of the organism as a Chlamydia sp. Ultrastructural observations were restricted to one of the 12 infected cats. There was no consistent association of gastric chlamydial infection and clinical disease. The infection was present in apparently healthy cats as well as those with a variety of clinical signs and lesions, especially weight loss of undetermined origin. None of the cats with gastric chlamydial infection had lesions compatible with feline pneumonitis. The significance of gastric chlamydial infection has yet to be established.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in cigarette smoke cause endothelial cell apoptosis by a phospholipase A2-dependent mechanism

Smoking is a major risk factor for endothelial cell injury and subsequent coronary artery disease. Epidemiological studies implicate the phospholipase A2/arachidonic acid cascade in the mechanism by which smoking causes heart disease. However, specific components of cigarette smoke that activate this pathway have not been identified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contained in cigarette smoke on phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity and apoptosis of human coronary artery endothelial cells. 1-methylanthracene (1-MA), phenanthrene (PA), and benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) caused significant release of 3H-arachidonate from endothelial cells. 1-MA and PA, but not B(a)P, also caused significant release of 3H-linoleic acid. Release of fatty acids from membrane phospholipids preceded the onset of apoptosis. 3H-arachidonate release and apoptosis induced by 1-MA, B(a)P, and PA were inhibited by methylarachidonoyl-fluorophosphonate, an inhibitor of Groups IV and VI PLA2s. Bromoenol lactone, an inhibitor of Group VI enzymes, inhibited both 3H-arachidonate release and apoptosis induced by 1-MA and PA, but not B(a)P. MJ33, an inhibitor of the acidic calcium-independent PLA2, attenuated 3H-arachidonate release and apoptosis by PA, but not 1-MA or B(a)P. The presence of Groups IV and VI and the acidic iPLA2 in endothelial cells was demonstrated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western analysis. These data suggest that 1-MA, B(a)P and PA induce apoptosis of endothelial cells by a mechanism that involves activation of these three distinct isoforms of PLA2.
Differential effects of age on neuromuscular transmission in partially denervated mouse muscle

The response of the neuromuscular junction to expansion of the motor unit after partial denervation (section of L5 root) was compared in soleus muscles from young (5-8 month) and old (25-30 month) mice. The object was to determine the relative capacity of young and old motor neurons to adapt to an enlarged functional field of innervation, and to delineate physiological parameters that are compromised under these conditions. Neuromuscular function was studied at 30, 60, and 120 d after partial denervation. The initial (18-23) and postoperative number (5-8) of motor units was the same in both age groups. Twitch strength declined in proportion to loss of motor units at 30 d but returned completely (young) or nearly completely (old) by 60 d. In old but not young muscle, the safety factor (assayed by twitch depression in low calcium) was decreased even before functional sprouting had occurred, indicating a reduced safety factor in nondenervated junctions. The proportion of fibers with "long" latencies (delay between stimulation and endplate potential) increased transiently (at 30 d) in young muscle but persisted without recovery at 120 d in regenerated junctions in old muscle. After partial denervation, decline in miniature endplate potential (mepp) amplitude, in mepp frequency, and in estimated quantal content of evoked release was relatively more pronounced in old than in young mice, and in the case of mepp amplitude and frequency, more persistent. Mepp amplitude was also decreased in presumed nondenervated junctions of old muscles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Knowledge-based Collaborative Engineering of Pipe Networks in the Upstream and Downstream Petroleum Industry

This paper describes an approach to the development of a framework for automation of the detailed engineering cycle based on the integration of concurrent and collaborative engineering model with knowledge-based engineering. The framework is illustrated by example of pipe networks design and stress and flexibility analysis in the upstream or downstream petroleum industry. Engineering tools are integrated with a multi-agent system for helping stress analysis engineers to identify whether a given pipe arrangement can cope with weight, thermal and pressure stress at safe operation levels and suggesting available solutions on pipeline layout and support distribution based on historical cases. Overall, the system architecture is discussed and implementation details are provided.
VOLAR WEDGE GRAFTING OF THE HUMPBACK SCAPHOID

The so-called "humpback" scaphoid refers to an apex dorsal angulated scaphoid fracture or a similarly angulated nonunion (usually with volar bone resorption) associated with carpal collapse. When the scaphoid loses its "slider crank" or strut function between the carpal rows due to a displaced fracture, the distal pole flexes and the proximal pole follows the lunate into a position of dorsiflexion. If left uncorrected, volar and radial bony resorption of the scaphoid may occur, resulting in increasing scaphoid deformity and carpal collapse. Unlike nondisplaced or unangulated nonunions without bony resorption, humpback scaphoids require re-establishment of length and correction of carpal collapse. The volar wedge graft is designed for this problem. A Russe-type bone graft is not appropriate because it does not correct the carpal malalignment.
Stable Isotopes of Cr and Se as Tracers of Redox Processes in Earth Surface Environments

Redox reactions play a central role in the environmental geochemistry of chromium (Cr) and selenium (Se). A small but growing body of research shows that the stable isotope abundances of both elements are altered by these redox reactions. As is observed with nitrate and sulfate, reduction of the higher valence oxoanions to lower valence forms induces isotopic fractionation, with the reaction product enriched in lighter isotopes. The magnitudes of isotope ratio shifts range up to 4.5‰ for 53Cr/52Cr during Cr(VI) reduction, and up to 18‰ for 82Se/76Se during Se(VI) or Se(IV) reduction, but they vary with reaction mechanism and can be much smaller for environmentally relevant conditions. Other chemical processes generally produce lesser fractionation. Accordingly, Cr and Se isotope ratios have potential as indicators of reduction. Application of Cr isotope data as a quantitative indicator of natural reduction of hexavalent Cr in groundwater appears to be successful. Application of Se isotope data to constrain selenate reduction in wetlands has not been successful because effective fractionations induced by redox reactions are small, but recent studies suggest that reduction in groundwater produces significant fractionation and may be detected using Se isotope measurements.
Moving people and minds: Dance as a vehicle of democratic education:

Engaging today’s youth in civil discussions of contentious issues remains both a crucial element in democratically oriented education and extremely challenging to facilitate. The purpose of this article, which documents and presents pilot study findings from a dance workshop that engaged practicing teachers surrounding the issue of immigration, is to understand how dance can be integrated into the curriculum to prepare students to engage in democratic deliberation. Data collection consisted of pre- and post-workshop interviews with participants and was analyzed based on common principles of democracy and democratic education found in the literature. Findings point to the important role that dance could have in developing the trust, empathy, and reflectiveness necessary to engage in civil dialogue that is the essential foundation of a democratic society.
Applications of Generalized Linear Models in Reliability Studies for Composite Materials

In this paper, the applications of generalized linear models for studying the stochastic behavior of the fatigue life of a composite material are discussed. The composite materials are used in many engineering structures such as aircraft. The physical parameters of different composite materials are estimated using experimental data. The generalized linear models, in general, provide a wide class of probability models that are useful for modeling the collected data. In particular, the concept of link function, is useful for modeling the physical parameters of composite materials. To illustrate the methodology developed in this paper we have included the analysis of fatigue data reported in Kim and Park (1980).
Parts, Transmission, and Remains: How Blood Makes and Is Made Into Life

In Blood: The Stuff of Life (Anansi Press, 2013), an extremely ambitious, yet partial, history of blood in human life and imagination, Lawrence Hill interweaves biological facts, medical histories,...
Semiclassical Model for Vibrational Dynamics in Polyatomic Molecules: Investigation of Internal Vibrational Relaxation†

We propose a semiclassical model describing vibrational relaxation and intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) in polyatomic molecules. Transition rates between different harmonic st...
Context Matters A Critical Consideration of Latina/o Student Success Outcomes Within Different Institutional Contexts

This article examined the effect of elements within Latina/o students’ institutional context on Latina/o student success outcomes. Findings highlight the significant role institutional contexts pla...
Agreement between Rheumatologist and Patient-reported Adherence to Methotrexate in a US Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry

Objective. Rheumatologists have limited tools to assess medication adherence. The extent to which methotrexate (MTX) adherence is overestimated by rheumatologists is unknown. Methods. We deployed an Internet survey to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) participating in a US registry. Patient self-report was the gold standard compared to MTX recorded in the registry. Results. Response rate to the survey was 44%. Of 228 patients whose rheumatologist reported current MTX at the time of the most recent registry visit, 45 (19.7%) had discontinued (n = 19, 8.3%) or missed ≥ 1 dose in the last month (n = 26, 11.4%). For the subgroup whose rheumatologist also confirmed at the next visit that they were still taking MTX (n = 149), only 2.6% reported not taking it, and 10.7% had missed at least 1 dose. Conclusion. MTX use was misclassified for 13%–20% of patients, mainly because of 1 or more missed doses rather than overt discontinuation. Clinicians should be aware of suboptimal adherence when assessing MTX response.
Alkylation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase with haloacetylphosphonates. An unusual pH-dependence.

Two new alkylating reagents, chloro- and bromo-acetylphosphonate, were found to be very effective thiol-blocking reagents. The pH-dependence of the reaction of BAP with 2,4-dinitrothiophenol (25 degrees C, I 0.5) shows a tailing bell-shaped curve (with a plateau at high pH) characteristic of two ionizing groups: the thiol group (pKa 3.2) and the phosphonate group (pKa2 4.6). The rate constant for the reaction of the monoanionic inhibitor with dinitrothiophenolate (k2 = 7 M-1.s-1) is 120 times larger than that of the dianionic species. The haloacetylphosphonates were found to be irreversible inhibitors of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from a variety of sources. They react with the active-site thiol group (Cys-149) and are half-site reagents with yeast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Thus, when two of the identical four subunits are modified the enzyme is catalytically inactive. The effects of pH (7-10), 2H2O and NAD+ on the reaction with the yeast enzyme were examined in detail. NAD+ enhances the alkylation rates. The second-order rate constant does not show a simple sigmoidal dependence on pH but rather a tailing bell-shaped curve (pKa 7.0 and 8.4) qualitatively similar to that obtained with dinitrothiophenol. There is no significant solvent isotope effect on the limiting rate constants and a normal isotope effect on the two pKa values. The results are consistent with the more reactive enzyme species containing a thiolate and an acidic group that may either donate a proton to the dianionic haloacetylphosphonate or orient the inhibitor.
Immune Responses and the Central Nervous System

The central nervous system (CNS) is relatively isolated from systemic immune responses in the absence of disease. Within the normal CNS, there is no mechanism for antibody production, no lymphatic system, and few if any phagocytic cells. The CNS has been described as an “immunologically privileged site” because of the paucity of normal immune surveillance. Consequently, when a virus penetrates the blood—brain barriers that exclude most infectious agents, the same barriers may deter viral clearance.
Abstract 3766: Targeting promoter regions of c-Myc and Bcl-2 in AML cells using G-quadruplex interacting drugs

Cancer is a disease that can be characterized by overexpression of key oncogenic drivers that support tumor development and maintenance. In many instances, these oncogenic drivers are ‘undruggable’ because of structural challenges, the inability to effectively inhibit high concentrations of overexpressed proteins, and the development of drug resistance mutations. An alternative therapeutic approach is to directly inhibit gene transcription by targeting unique secondary DNA structures, called G-quadruplexes, that are associated with subsets of promoters. We investigated the activity of a class of compounds termed G-quadruplex Interacting Drugs (GQIDs) that are able to shut down the expression of specific oncogenic drivers, such as c-Myc and Bcl-2, used by tumor cells for growth and survival. We tested the activity of two GQIDs, GQC-05 and GSA-1103, on cell growth of a panel of eight pediatric and eight adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines. Drug dose response analysis showed IC50 values ranging from approximately 10 nM to 1 μM for GQC-05 and from 40 nM to 2 μM for GSA-1103. The AML cell lines had different sensitivities to each GQID indicating a different mechanism of action for each compound. Three AML cell lines that were highly resistant to cytarabine were among the more sensitive to GQC-05. Four cell lines sensitive to GQC-05 had high expression of either c-Myc and/or Bcl-2, both of which are potential targets of these two GQIDs. Furthermore, treatment of the highly sensitive line MV-4-11 with GQC-05 showed a 3-4 fold decrease in expression of c-Myc and Bcl-2 mRNA. Furthermore, GQC-05 treatment resulted in decreased levels of both c-Myc and Bcl-2 proteins. These studies will help define a novel approach of repressing key drivers of leukemia by targeting selective promoter structures. Citation Format: Megan Turnidge, Justin J. Montoya, Apurvi Patel, David W. Lee, Eiman Aleem, Daniel H. Wai, Laurence H. Hurley, Vijay Gokhale, Robert J. Arceci, David O. Azorsa. Targeting promoter regions of c-Myc and Bcl-2 in AML cells using G-quadruplex interacting drugs. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3766.
2001: Information Technology and the U.S. Productivity Revival: a Review of the Evidence

The US productivity revival is by now well known, and because US firms have invested trillions of dollars in information technology (IT), there is considerable interest among the business community, policy-makers, and academics in the role of IT. However, it is quite difficult simply to measure IT accurately; and quantifying the impact on productivity is even more difficult. Nonetheless, a substantial body of evidence is accumulating that suggests IT has played an important role in the US productivity revival.
Structure Reactions and Properties of Sugars

From the nutritional point of view, sugars are the primary source of energy for life processes. The sugars also taste purely sweet, and their structures serve as models for the derivation of stereochemical principles. When it was found that the molecular formula for most monosaccharides was C6H12O6, it was also recognized that the formula was sterically inadequate. Some of those substances were sweet, others were very sweet, and still others were devoid of sweetness. The monosaccharides, composed of the hexose sugars alone, are made up of 16 configurational isomers that may have either 5-membered or 6-membered ring forms. The 16 configurational isomers also belong to one enantiomeric class, and 16 others belong to another enantiomeric class. The monosaccharides form a complete set of configurational isomers, ring isomers of different size, antipodal forms, and variable conformations. As such, they form an ideal set of substances to explore the role of structure and stereoisomerism in sweetness (Chapter 9).
Coal retrieval: Underwriting reclamation costs in the British coalfields

ABSTRACT An assessment of the costs and profits incurred from retrieval of the coal bearing content of tips in the South Wales Coalfield of the United Kingdom is offered as an example of the enterprising coupling of energy profits to reclamation costs. As a necessary element of environmental stewardship, the British government has undertaken an ambitious derelict land reclamation program throughout its coalfields, where a legacy of 200 years of active coal mining has left millions of tons of coal extraction wastes in the form of sterile, obtrusive tips or slag piles. Profits from the sale of small size coal salvaged from these tips are used to underwrite the cost of moving, regrading, and initiating a vegetal cover on the remaining tip discard. Since industrial dereliction is a subject of concern to all industrial societies, this functional approach to insuring landscape costs can apply to reclamation efforts underway in coal mining areas in the United States, Western Europe and elsewhere.
Cu bonding development & challenges on NiPd bond pad

Cu bonding continues to gain its popularity due to cheaper cost & better product performances. However, conventional bond pad structure such as Al, AlCu or AlSiCu pose higher risk of pad crater or lifted metal, as Cu bonded ball is 30% harder than Au bonded ball. Hence, this limits the progress of Cu bonding conversion for <1µm pad thickness & sensitive BPOA (Bond Pad Over Active) devices. With the plan of speed up Cu bonding conversion, harder bond pad structure that made of NiPd stack was introduced to overcome such risks that encountered on conventional bond pad structure. This paper will discuss the development work to establish 1.0 mils Cu bonding process for NiPd bond pad on QFN package. Feasibility study stage includes NiPd stack plating thickness evaluation; CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) bond pad topography impact on bondability; plasma cleaning evaluation on NiPd pad. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used as design of experiment (DOE) tools to analyze critical bonding characteristics & determine process window through prediction profiler & contour plot. Look Ahead Reliability (LAR) units were built to assess the reliability performances of Cu bonding on NiPd bond pad with standard stress tests such as MSL1, Autoclave, TMCL & HTOL. Zero reliability failure was reported on Cu bonding to NiPd pad upon completion of LAR. However ground bond broken weld was observed at TMCL. Existing ground bond loop distance from die edge was too short, causing steep looping profile & it was broken under thermo-mechanical stress. New design rule for loop distance from die edge will be studied to understand the shortest distance allowable for Cu wire. With all the thorough process assessments & design rule limitation understanding, qualification build could be arranged to qualify NiPd bond pad with Cu bonding. More products would be converted to NiPd bond pad for Cu bonding conversion once the new technology has been qualified.
A smartphone-based diagnostic platform for rapid detection of Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses.

Current multiplexed diagnostics for Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses are situated outside the intersection of affordability, high performance, and suitability for use at the point-of-care in resource-limited settings. Consequently, insufficient diagnostic capabilities are a key limitation facing current Zika outbreak management strategies. Here we demonstrate highly sensitive and specific detection of Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses by coupling reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) with our recently developed quenching of unincorporated amplification signal reporters (QUASR) technique. We conduct reactions in a simple, inexpensive and portable “LAMP box” supplemented with a consumer class smartphone. The entire assembly can be powered by a 5 V USB source such as a USB power bank or solar panel. Our smartphone employs a novel algorithm utilizing chromaticity to analyze fluorescence signals, which improves the discrimination of positive/negative signals by 5-fold when compared to detection with traditional RGB intensity sensors or the naked eye. The ability to detect ZIKV directly from crude human sample matrices (blood, urine, and saliva) demonstrates our device’s utility for widespread clinical deployment. Together, these advances enable our system to host the key components necessary to expand the use of nucleic acid amplification-based detection assays towards point-of-care settings where they are needed most.
Axillary management in early breast cancer: Surgeon attitudes in a population-based study.

561Background: The ACOSOG Z0011 trial established the safety of omitting axillary dissection (ALND) for patients with 1‒2 sentinel node (SN) metastases having breast-conserving therapy (BCT) to red...
Eliminating Irregularities of Protein Sequence Search on Multicore Architectures

Finding regions of local similarity between biological sequences is a fundamental task in computational biology. BLAST is the most widely-used tool for this purpose, but it suffers from irregularities due to its heuristic nature. To achieve fast search, recent approaches construct the index from the database instead of the input query. However, database indexing introduces more challenges in the design of index structure and algorithm, especially for data access through the memory hierarchy on modern multicore processors. In this paper, based on existing heuristic algorithms, we design and develop a database indexed BLAST with the identical sensitivity as query indexed BLAST (i.e., NCBI-BLAST). Then, we identify that existing heuristic algorithms of BLAST can result in serious irregularities in database indexed search. To eliminate irregularities in BLAST algorithm, we propose muBLASTP, that uses multiple optimizations to improve data locality and parallel efficiency for multicore architectures and multi-node systems. Experiments on a single node demonstrate up to a 5.1-fold speedup over the multi-threaded NCBI BLAST. For the inter-node parallelism, we achieve nearly linear scaling on up to 128 nodes and gain up to 8.9-fold speedup over mpiBLAST.
Sterile subdural empyema: an unusual presentation.

A 66-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 6-week history of progressively worsening generalised weakness and gait instability. Physical examinations revealed a low-grade fever of 37.7°C. In addition, the patient was found to have very poor dentition and bilateral sensorineural hearing reduction with no other focal neurological deficit. Laboratory investigations showed a white cell count of 25.8 109/L (Ref: 4–10.8 109/L), predominately neutrophils at 84% (Ref: 36%–75%). A CT of the head was negative for any acute processes and a subsequent MRI of the head with and without contrast was consistent with bilateral …
Trends and Variation in the Utilization and Diagnostic Yield of Chest Imaging for Medicare Patients With Suspected Pulmonary Embolism in the Emergency Department

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to assess trends and variation in chest CT utilization in the emergency department (ED) and its diagnostic yield for suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) among a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries. The relationship between hospital and provider characteristics is also discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We conducted an observational analysis of Medicare beneficiaries evaluated in the ED for suspected PE from 2000 to 2009. Standard Medicare analytic files representing a 20% sample of fee-for-service beneficiaries were linked to the American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals, American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, Medicare Physician Identification and Eligibility Registry, and Dartmouth Atlas Project to calculate geographic- and physician-level chest CT utilization (i.e., the proportion of ED visits involving chest CT examination for suspected PE) and diagnostic yield (i.e., the proportion of chest CT examinations with a positive PE diagnos...
DISINTEGRATING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN CORPORATE DIVESTITURES : IMPLICATIONS FOR REGULATORY COMPLIANCE RISKS AND COSTS

Prior research has paid very little attention, if at all, to the risks and costs entailed in IT disintegration processes. In this study, we begin addressing this gap by studying how IT disintegration challenges posed by corporate divestitures affect the regulatory compliance risks and costs of divesting firms in the context of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). We hypothesize that firms with higher corporate divestiture intensities are more likely to have material weaknesses in their IT controls, more likely to become incompliant with SOX, and more likely to incur higher auditor fees during SOX audits. We also hypothesize that superior IT capabilities could reduce the probability and magnitude of the regulatory compliance risks and costs during divestitures. We find empirical support for these hypotheses in a sample of 252 publicly traded U.S firms that were audited independently for SOX compliance between 2004 and 2008.
Failure to Detect Coronavirus SK Antigen in Multiple Sclerosis Brain Tissue by Autoradiography

Illnesses such as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) are known to be induced by a virus which is present in a non-infectious state. Measles virus antigen and IgG are present in the brains of SSPE patients as shown by immunofluorescent techniques (1). Autoradiography techniques using I125 have been useful in demonstrating viral antigen and IgG in the brain and spinal cords of coronavirus SD infected mice in areas of demyelination when infectious virus cannot be recovered (2). Autoradiography is more sensitive than immunofluorescence in this coronavirus system.
The Growth of Tumor Cells Under Normal and Fasting Conditions

The growth rate of a tumor depends upon a number of kinetic factors that can be grouped under three headings: 1. the length of the cell cycle, that is, the interval between completion of mitosis and completion of the subsequent mitosis in one or both daughter cells; 2. the growth fraction (14), that is, the fraction of cells that participate in the proliferating process; and 3. cell loss, that is, the number of tumor cells that are lost through death, exfoliation or metastasis. The last parameter, whose importance has been discussed by Steel et al. (20), has thus far received little attention, and the available quantitative data are too few for a critical analysis. The first two parameters have been studied extensively, and have already been adequately reviewed in previous studies (13, 2, 10, 5). Some of the conclusions offered by these studies can be summarized here very briefly: 1. the length of the cell cycle of tumor cells is not necessarily shorter than the cell cycle of some normal adult tissues (4). This is true both in laboratory animals and in man (2); 2. when a tumor is compared to its tissue of origin, the length of the cell cycle is usually, but not always, shorter in tumors than in their normal counterparts (see review by Baserga and Wiebel (5). However, this does not solve the problem of selective antitumor therapy, at least not in those situations in which the therapeutic target is the cell machinery that synthesizes DNA.
Structure and Evolution of the Serum Albumin Gene Family

Abstract The serum albumin gene family is comprised of three known members: serum albumin, α-fetoprotein, and a vitamin D-binding α-globulin, also known as the group-specific component (Gc) protein. In humans, the three genes map within q11-22 of chromosome 4. Despite their close linkage and great similarity in structure, their mode and tempo of evolution appears to be distinctly different. The rate of evolutionary change of α-fetoprotein approaches that of pseudogenes. Albumin evolves at a slower rate, although still faster than hemoglobin. At some time after the mammalian radiation, the introns of the human albumin gene were invaded by Alu repetitive DNA sequences.
Muon-helium sticking probability in the fusion reaction (ddμ) + -->μ 3 He+n

A variational calculation for the (dd..mu..)/sup +/ muon molecular ion has been carried out. Muon-helium sticking probabilities are obtained for the (J = 1, ..nu.. = 0) and (J = 1, ..nu.. = 1) states. Despite the very different method used for the three-body wave-function calculation, the present sticking probabilities agree within 2.5% with a previous calculation which uses the adiabatic representation three-body wave function.
Assessment of a Single Intra-Articular Stifle Injection of Pure Platelet Rich Plasma on Symmetry Indices in Dogs with Unilateral or Bilateral Stifle Osteoarthritis from Long-Term Medically Managed Cranial Cruciate Ligament Disease.

Purpose The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to treat canine osteoarthritis has gained support within the scientific community. PRP effects on pain control for degenerative joint disease induced by naturally occurring cranial cruciate ligament instability are limited, particularly in a cohort of dogs with chronic instability and osteoarthritis (>12 months), representing a commonly encountered clinical population that often defaults to medical management. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of a single intra-articular PRP injection into an effected stifle in this cohort, to assess response to treatment, quantitative kinetic data as it relates to percent body weight for peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) were collected, and symmetry indices related to PVF were determined. Methods Twelve dogs with unilateral or bilateral osteoarthritis with ruptured, non-stabilized cranial cruciate ligaments over 12 months duration were identified. Unilateral injections of 2.5 mL of a PRP preparation into the most severely affected stifle based on kinetic analysis was performed. Repeat pressure-sensitive walkway analysis was conducted monthly for 3 months. Peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) were normalized to body weight and identified in all four limbs. Previously published symmetry indices regarding PVF were calculated, comparing the treated limb with the contralateral limb, ipsilateral forelimb, and contralateral forelimb. Results After treatment, hind limb symmetry index (SI) regarding PVF showed improved symmetry, suggesting more weight placement at all-time points after injection of the most affected limb (p < 0.01). Further, PVF asymmetry indices assessing contralateral fore (CFL) and hind limb (CHL) as well as ipsilateral forelimb (IFL) revealing a significant decrease from baseline for CHL at week 4 (p = 0.02), but not weeks 8 and 12. The CFL showed decreased differences in symmetry from baseline at each time point (p = 0.03). There were no statistically significant changes in PVF or VI over time in treated dogs. Conclusion A single injection of PRP improved kinetics for minimally 4 weeks with some data suggesting an effect for up to 12 weeks. Therefore, PRP might be a viable therapeutic option for instability and inflammation associated with chronic osteoarthritis due to cranial cruciate ligament disease in the non-surgical patient.
Not “dust” any neural stimulator

An untethered, ultrasound-powered milliscale device can stimulate peripheral nerves in rats.
Utilizing Surgical Bootcamps to Teach Core Entrustable Professional Activities to Senior Medical Students.

To promote residency preparedness, the Association of American Medical Colleges defined 13 core entrustable professional activities for entering residency (CEPAERs), which represent tasks that stud...
Soft x-ray spectrum unfold of K-edge filtered x-ray diode arrays using cubic splines

Cubic spline interpolation is able to recover temporally and spectrally resolved soft x-ray fluxes from an array of K-edge filtered x-ray diodes without the need for a priori assumptions about the spectrum or the geometry of the emitting volume. The mathematics of the cubic spline interpolation is discussed in detail. The analytic nature of the cubic spline solution allows for analytical error propagation, and the method of calculating the error for radiation temperature, spectral power, and confidence intervals of the unfolded spectrally resolved flux is explained. An unfold of a blackbody model demonstrates the accuracy of the cubic spline unfold. Tests of cubic spline performance using spectrally convolved detailed atomic model simulation results have been performed to measure the method's ability to conserve spectral power to within a factor of 2 or better in line-dominated regimes. The unfold is also demonstrated to work when information from the x-ray diode array is limited due to high signal-to-noise ratios or the lack of signal due to over-attenuation or over-filtration of the x-ray diode signal. The robustness of the unfold with respect to background subtraction and raw signal processing, signal alignment between diode traces, limited signal information, and initial conditions is discussed. Results from an example analysis of a halfraum drive are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the unfold in comparison with previously established methods.
Pyometra Management Practices in the High Quality, High Volume Spay-Neuter Environment.

Abstract Pyometra management in the high quality, high volume spay-neuter (HQHVSN) environment is not well documented. The goal of this study was to identify pyometra management practices and patient outcomes in the HQHVSN environment. An electronic survey was piloted and distributed to HQHVSN clinics using Survey Monkey via email lists and social media. A total of 118 responses were received from June to July 2020. Respondents were distributed across the United States with the majority of clinics associated with a shelter (75%). Clinics performed a median of 25 spays and neuters per day and 5000 per year. Most clinics (86%) were willing to treat nonincidental pyometras at least sometimes, and nearly all of these clinics (97%) were willing to accept pyometra referrals. Of these clinics, nearly all (95%) felt they had the necessary resources to treat most pyometras that presented and that a pyometra case was only modestly disruptive to their surgery flow. Most clinics (70%) charged a fee for treatment, charging a median of $200 for dogs and $125 for cats. This is much lower as compared to the estimated ranges for private practice ($600-$2500) and emergency hospitals ($1500-$3579). The majority of patients that HQHVSN clinics accepted for treatment were seen the same day (50%) or next day (42%). These clinics estimated that of the animals who presented, 76% were BAR or QAR, 20% were depressed or nonambulatory, and 4% were obtunded and lateral. Estimated survival for these treated groups were 98%, 80%, and 38%, respectively. HQHVSN clinics may represent a resource for treating pyometras when treatment is disruptive to the schedule of a private practice or clients present with financial limitations. There is an opportunity for HQHVSN and private practice to form a partnership to leverage the strengths of both models and improve access to care for pets.
Transboundary marine protected areas

Abstract Countries exploiting transboundary natural resources face strong incentives to over-exploit. This basic economic insight has been validated empirically where numerous resources such as water, forests, game, and fisheries are found to be in worse condition than those completely contained in single nations. Attempts to solve this challenge through cross-country cooperation have been largely unsuccessful because competitive extraction is often more attractive than adhering to cooperative agreements. Focusing on the fishery, we explore the game-theoretic economics of an alternative to cooperative arrangements, called a transboundary marine protected area (TMPA), which straddles both countries’ waters. We derive the conditions under which it can improve profits and stock biomass, even in the presence of individually-rational non-cooperation across countries. Strikingly, we find that well-designed TMPAs have the potential to completely overcome non-cooperation across countries; this result is strongest for low growth rate species. A TMPA can earn higher harvest benefits for both countries, increase stocks in both countries, and in many cases, can even reproduce the fully cooperative outcome.
Share the Data: Overcoming Trade-Offs in Tech Regulation

This report summarizes the recent key regulatory changes in the US, Europe, and China. It shows these jurisdictions have different regulatory approaches while being confronted with similar challenges. They all seek the right regulatory balance between: • promoting market efficiency while minimizing antitrust issues, • strengthening financial inclusion while ensuring financial stability, and • improving consumers’ welfare while limiting data usage misconduct. But can these approaches be reconciled under the umbrella of an inclusive and flexible global framework? While global coordination seems unlikely on many policy issues such as antitrust or government access to data, it works for technical standards. The coherence they bring to the regulatory landscape will benefit all countries, consumers, and firms. We identify data sharing as a necessary technical standard to restore consumer choice and strengthen competition in tech companies’ different economic sectors. We define data sharing as the combination of (i) data portability, (ii) platforms’ interoperability, and (iii) data reciprocity. In highly innovative markets such as those in the digital space, these requirements ensure low entry barriers. They also provide convenient and cost-effective alternatives to customers, allowing them to sanction firms’ poor behavior or quality of services by switching to another. Ultimately these requirements will favor competition, innovation, and consumers’ privacy. An interactive Tech Regulation tracker can be found here https://miresearch.github.io/Tech-Regulation/
From Chahine’s al-Iskandariyya … leh to Salata baladi and ʿAn Yahud Misr: Rethinking Egyptian Jews’ Cosmopolitanism, Belonging and Nostalgia in Cinema

This study examines the discursive trajectories of the cosmopolitan Egyptian Jew in the documentaries Salata baladi (Nadia Kamel, 2007) and ‘An Yahud Misr (Amir Ramses, 2012) in light of Youssef Chahine’s classic al-Iskandariyya … leh (1978). Undoubtedly, each of these films provides a complex story of Jewish life in Egypt and, taken together, these creative works offer an alternative to formulaic representations of Jews in Egyptian cinema and television. Yet, a close analysis of the three films reveals an underlying problematic rendering of cosmopolitanism in the context of the Egyptian Jewish community. Arguably, the filmmakers’ main interest in attending to the Jewish question relates more to nostalgic views of Egyptianness (of the pre-1952 Revolution era) as a cosmopolitan, multiethnic and multi-religious identity, than to a genuine interest in Jewish life, history and religion. In other words, the limited and skewed view of the Jewish community, with its near exclusion of the poor, uneducated, monolingual and religiously traditional Jewish residents of Egypt, is driven primarily by anxieties about Egyptian identity in which cosmopolitan Jews are assigned a supporting role in the play of an idealized Egypt of the past and in challenging xenophobic sentiments in the present.
Tumorigenesis in Mlh1 and Mlh1/Apc1638N mutant mice.

MutL homologue 1 (MLH1) is a member of the family of proteins required for DNA mismatch repair. Germ-line mutations in MLH1 lead to the cancer susceptibility syndrome hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). We generated mice carrying a null mutation in the Mlh1 gene. We showed that mice heterozygous and homozygous for the Mlh1 gene are predisposed to developing tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, lymphomas, and a number of other tumor types. We also examined the role of adenomatous polyposis coli gene (Apc) gene mutations in the GI tumors of Mlh1 mutant mice by different methods and showed that the GI tumors in Mlh1 mice express little or no adenomatous polyposis coli protein. When an Apc gene mutation was bred into the Mlh1 mutant mice, the GI tumor incidence increased 40–100-fold. The wild-type Apc allele in these tumors was found to contain mutations. Together, these results show that we have developed two mouse models for human HNPCC and that the mechanisms of tumor development in the GI tract of these mice involve loss of Apc gene function in a manner very similar to that seen in the GI tumors of HNPCC.