cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Persistent conductive or mixed hearing loss after the placement of tympanostomy tubes

Abstract Objective Described is a case series of clinical findings in children with persistent conductive or mixed hearing loss following tympanostomy tube placement for serous otitis media. Study design Retrospective chart review. Setting Tertiary pediatric hospital. Subjects/methods Medical records of thirty-nine children who were referred for either conductive or mixed hearing loss post-tympanostomy tube placement were reviewed for clinical histories, physical examinations, audiological evaluations, diagnostic studies, consultations, and surgical findings. Approval was obtained from the Boston Children's Hospital Institutional Review Board. Results Causes of hearing loss included ossicular abnormalities, cochlear abnormalities, ‘third window’ effects, cholesteatomas, genetic syndromes, and unknown causes. In four patients with isolated mild low-frequency conductive hearing loss, the cause was the presence of functional tubes. All patients diagnosed with a genetic syndrome had bilateral hearing loss. Patients with mixed hearing loss were diagnosed with cochlear abnormalities, ‘third window’ effects, or genetic syndromes. Computed tomography led to diagnosis in sixteen of twenty-five patients. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potential testing suggested a diagnosis in three of four patients. Conclusion In children with persistent hearing loss following tympanostomy tube placement, identifying the laterality and type of hearing loss appears to be of importance in diagnosis. Patients with bilateral hearing loss should be considered for genetic testing, given the possibility of a syndrome. Patients identified with a mixed hearing loss should be evaluated for inner ear anomalies. Patients with mild, low-frequency hearing losses should be monitored audiologically and investigated further only if the hearing loss progresses and/or there is no resolution following tube extrusion.
Host and exacerbation factors related to influenza susceptibility

The host factor of susceptibility to influenza are divided with two ones. First is HI titer (more than 40 or not) in each host according to the age groups to the prevalent influenza virus type. Second is the host conditions which mean high risk factors in influenza patients, especially CPE, lung fibrosis, the decreased lung-function patients and heart failure. I divided those patients with 5 groups from normal persons to high risk patients, and described the vaccine policy and the treatment procedures.
Effect of electrical stimulation of the lower esophageal sphincter in gastroesophageal reflux disease patients refractory to proton pump inhibitors.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of lower esophageal sphincter (LES)-electrical stimulation therapy (EST) in a subgroup of patients that reported only partial response to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) therapy, compared to a group of patient with complete response. METHODS: Bipolar stitch electrodes were laparoscopically placed in the LES and connected to an implantable pulse generator (EndoStim BV, the Hague, the Netherlands), placed subcutaneously in the anterior abdominal wall. Stimulation at 20 Hz, 215 μsec, 3-8 mAmp in 30 min sessions was delivered starting on day 1 post-implant. Patients were evaluated using gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-HRQL, symptom diaries; esophageal pH and esophageal manometry before and up to 24 mo after therapy and results were compared between partial and complete responders. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients with GERD on LES-EST were enrolled and received continuous per-protocol stimulation through 12 mo and 21 patients completed 24 mo of therapy. Of the 23 patients, 16 (8 male, mean age 52.1 ± 12 years) had incomplete response to PPIs prior to LES-EST, while 7 patients (5 male, mean age 52.7 ± 4.7) had complete response to PPIs. In the sub-group with incomplete response to PPIs, median (IQR) composite GERD-HRQL score improved significantly from 9.5 (9.0-10.0) at baseline on-PPI and 24.0 (20.8-26.3) at baseline off-PPI to 2.5 (0.0-4.0) at 12-mo and 0.0 (0.0-2.5) at 24-mo follow-up (P < 0.05 compared to on-and off-PPI at baseline). Median (IQR) % 24-h esophageal pH < 4.0 at baseline in this sub-group improved significantly from 9.8% (7.8-11.5) at baseline to 3.0% (1.9-6.3) at 12 mo (P < 0.001) and 4.6% (2.0-5.8) at 24 mo follow-up (P < 0.01). At their 24-mo follow-up, 9/11 patients in this sub-group were completely free of PPI use. These results were comparable to the sub-group that reported complete response to PPI therapy at baseline. No unanticipated implantation or stimulation-related adverse events, or any untoward sensation due to stimulation were reported in either group and LES-EST was safely tolerated by both groups. CONCLUSION: LES-EST is safe and effective in controlling symptoms and esophageal acid exposure in GERD patients with incomplete response to PPIs. These results were comparable to those observed PPI responders.
Expression of the recombinant nucleocapsid protein of SARS coronavirus and its induction of immune responses

To express and purify the recombinant nucleocapsid protein(N-protein) of SARS coronavirus and to analyze its induction of immune responses induced by this protein,the right gene fragment encoding the nucleocapsid protein in the recombinant clone pMD18-N was digested with restrictive endonucleases and was subcloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET-2a(+).The recombinant plasmid pET-N was then transformed into E.coli BL21,and the recombinant clone was characterized by PCR,and digested with restriction endonucleases;meanwhile the positive clone was induced with IPTG to express the target protein,this protein was characterized by SDS-PAGE;the recombinant protein was purified from E.coli cell lysate by metal-chelating chromatography,and the immunological activities of this protein were analyzed by immunoblotting and the immune responses induced in mice.It was demonstrated that the pET-N was constructed through subcloning the right insert of N-protein into pET-23a(+),and the recombinant protein could be expressed in clone containing pET-N when induced with IPTG and the expressed protein was purified with metal-chelating chromatograpjhy.The purified protein reacted with sera of mice immunized GST-N and could induce a moderate degree of immune responses in mice.It is concluded that the prokaryotic expression plasmid pET-N has been successfully constructed,and the purified recombinant protein shows good antigenicity.
Analysis of the Position and Function of College's Laboratory Management Organigation

The position and function of laboratories in universities were expatiated, and the management pattern, characteristic and experience of the laboratories in Northwestern Polytechnical University were introduced particularly.
Success and Challenge in Demographic Studies of the Life Course

Beginning in the early 1970s social science research was transformed by new subfields in sociology, anthropology, developmental psychology, social history, and demography that emphasized the scientific study of personal lives. This refocus revolutionized demographic studies by enabling researchers to go beyond the description of populations and aggregate population groups to the behavioral modeling of the individual decisions and actions that constitute population dynamics.
6 Nutrient control of dimorphic growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In response to an abundant fermentable carbon source and limiting nitrogen, diploid yeast cells differentiate to form pseudohyphae that consist of chains of elongated cells. The G-protein coupled receptor Gpr1 senses extracellular glucose and signals via the coupled Gα subunit Gpa2. Gpa2 then stimulates cAMP production by adenylyl cyclase and activates the cAMP signaling pathway to promote pseudohyphal differentiation in diploid cells. Recently, the kelch repeat proteins Gpb1 and Gpb2 were identified as effectors and Gssubunit mimics for Gpa2. The Gpr1- Gpa2-Gpb1/2-cAMP signaling cascade also controls a related cellular differentiation process, involving invasive growth that occurs in haploid cells grown on rich medium. Multiple signaling pathways function coordinately with the cAMP signaling pathway to govern both diploid pseudohyphal differentiation and haploid invasive growth. In this chapter, we review the current state of knowledge about the signaling cascades that sense nutrients and effect these alternative developmental cell fates.
Federal Collection of State Individual Income Taxes

The federal government and many state governments collect individual income taxes. In this paper, I ask whether the federal government should offer to collect individual income taxes for the states and then distribute the collected taxes. I begin by making advances to the theory of joint collection and use these advances to establish a framework to analyze joint collection. I then consider the United States’ failed attempt to create a program for joint collection in 1972 and compare today’s conditions to those of 1972. I conclude by highlighting the features a new joint collection program would need to avoid the shortcomings of the 1972 attempt.
The Interaction of Platelet GPIB with the VWF-A1 Domain in Solution or Immobilized Is Regulated by the D3 Domain (A.A. 1238–1260) and the A2A3 Domains

We have used recombinant von Willebrand factor (VWF) fragments to investigate the influence of the flanking regions of the A1 domain on the interaction with platelet glycoprotein (GP)Ibα. One fragment, the r 1261–1874, represented mainly the A1A2A3 domains and the other, r 1238–1874, included the C-terminal region of the D3 domain. When immobilized onto a surface, the two fragments tethered platelets similarly at high shear rates. The two fragments bound identically to immobilized fixed platelets in a ristocetin-dependent and saturable manner. In the absence of ristocetin, the r 1261–1874 had a 50% of its GPIb-binding activity with the modulator while the r 1238–1874 only had < 5% binding activity. The r 1261–1874 fragment effectively inhibited both ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination and shear-induced platelet aggregation. In contrast, the r 1238–1874 failed to show an inhibitory capacity in the two assays, indicating a limited interaction with platelet GPIbα in solution. We also analyzed the single bond lifetimes in a range of constant forces of GPIbα with either the single A1 domain (a.a. 1238–1471) or the A1A2A3 fragment using atomic force microscopy (AFM). When the protein was directly adsorbed on a Petri dish, the GPIbα bound with longer lifetimes to the A1A2A3 than the isolated A1 domain, suggesting that a conformational change in the A1 is influenced by the A2A3 domains. In conclusion, the C-terminal region of D3 domain (a.a.1238–1260) and the A2A3 domains negatively regulate the binding of the A1 domain to platelet GPIbα in suspension. On the other hand, the A2A3 domains may have a positive influence on the bond formed between the GPIbα and a surface-bound A1 domain.
Making Black Lives Matter Today

This chapter establishes a clear lacuna in our dialog on race that has diminished and forgotten the arguable architect of American civil rights: James Farmer Jr. More recently, we are experiencing a regression on the question of race that is rooted in a false and pathological history of civil rights that reifies the militancy and not the tenets of Farmer or Martin Luther King. The Black Lives Matter movement is infused with a reified and romanticized notion of the early Malcolm X with calls for more militancy and separatism. Our young people are actively misled in the education about racial history in America about what worked and what did not work; about what hurt and what helped; and about what the difference between love and hate really is.
Nonlinear trend stationarity in global and hemispheric temperatures

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the issue of whether our Earth’s surface temperature exhibits a stochastic trend. Using state-of-the-art econometrics, we analyse the latest available temperature anomaly data. Our results indicate that both global and hemispheric temperatures may appear to have a stochastic trend when in fact they are stationary around a nonlinear deterministic trend and structural breaks are responsible. Furthermore, the nonlinearity found in the temperature trend is more complex than what has been reported in previous studies.
Antimalarials inhibit hematin crystallization by unique drug–surface site interactions

In malaria pathophysiology, divergent hypotheses on the inhibition of hematin crystallization posit that drugs act either by the sequestration of soluble hematin or their interaction with crystal surfaces. We use physiologically relevant, time-resolved in situ surface observations and show that quinoline antimalarials inhibit β-hematin crystal surfaces by three distinct modes of action: step pinning, kink blocking, and step bunch induction. Detailed experimental evidence of kink blocking validates classical theory and demonstrates that this mechanism is not the most effective inhibition pathway. Quinolines also form various complexes with soluble hematin, but complexation is insufficient to suppress heme detoxification and is a poor indicator of drug specificity. Collectively, our findings reveal the significance of drug–crystal interactions and open avenues for rationally designing antimalarial compounds.
Urinary Metabolite Levels of Flame Retardants in Electronic Cigarette Users: A Study Using the Data from NHANES 2013–2014

Evaluating the safety of e-cigarettes and making informed judgement about developing potential standards require sufficient scientific evidence. Since e-cigarettes are highly engineered products containing plastic, glass and metal parts, and e-liquids are largely different matrices, many toxic compounds which are not typical hazards for the users of combustible tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes), could exist in e-liquids, and consequently, posing potential health risk to e-cigarette users. We combined the measurements of urinary metabolites of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) with questionnaire data collected in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 2013 to 2014, and we compared adjusted geometric means (GM) for each biomarker in e-cigarette users with levels in non-users and users of various tobacco products using multiple regression analyses to adjust for potential confounders. We found diphenyl phosphate (DPhP), bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCPP), bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), and dibutyl phosphate (DBUP) were detected in all e-cigarette users. The adjusted GM of BCEP, the metabolite of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), was 81% higher than nonusers (p = 0.0124) and significantly higher than those for both cigarette and cigar users (p < 0.05). The findings in this pilot study suggest that certain OPFRs may present in e-cigarettes as contaminants, and consequently, resulting in higher exposure levels in e-cigarette users compared to nonusers. As we only identified 14 e-cigarette users in the survey, the findings in this study need to be confirmed in future study at a larger scale. A better examination of the types and levels of FRs and their potential contamination sources in e-cigarettes is also needed.
A HEAT PIPE DECAY HEAT REJECTION SYSTEM FOR THE SLOWPOKE REACTOR

SLOWPOKE is an acronym for Safe LOW POwer Critical (k) Experiment. It is a small nuclear reactor designed tor safety, simplicity and low cost. When she fission chair reaction in a reactor stops, there is still some heat production in the core. Many of the fission products In the fuel elements are about 1% of the previous power output. This paper describes the development of a system for removing the decay heat in an emergency, using one or more heat pipes. The heat pipe is very suitable for a safety system because of its reliability; it does not require electric power and the oniy moving part is the fluid. Also, it can be designed to that heat Is rejected only when the reactor exceeds its normal operating temperature. The original aim was to produce a system capable of refecting 10 KW of heat. By laboratory testing the capacity of the final design was shown to be 15kW. The possible operating problems are discussed, together with monitoring techniques that can check that the system is always ready to opera...
Managing institutional barriers to entrepreneurship

Abstract Universities and society benefit from academic entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, policies and procedures often have the effect of discouraging entrepreneurship by academics. While the culture of entrepreneurship is changing in university leadership and among faculty and students there are many administration policies which hamper entrepreneurial engagement with society. This chapter examines how academic entrepreneurship can be better managed by universities.
PSA screening, prostate biopsy, and treatment of prostate cancer in the years surrounding the USPSTF recommendation against prostate cancer screening.

BACKGROUND The 2012 United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against screening for prostate cancer has impacted rates of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening and appears to be associated with declining prostate cancer incidence. Our objective was to characterize health care utilization that may explain these observed trends. METHODS MarketScan claims, which capture >30 million privately insured patients in the United States, were queried for all men aged 40-64 years for the years 2008-2014. PSA testing, prostate biopsy, prostate cancer diagnosis, and definitive local treatment were determined using associated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology, Fourth Edition codes. RESULTS There were approximately 6 million qualifying men with a full year of data. PSA testing, prostate biopsy, and prostate cancer detection declined significantly between 2009 and 2014, most notably after 2011. The prostate biopsy rate per 100 patients with a PSA test decreased over the study period from 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.92-1.97) to 1.52 (95% CI, 1.50-1.54). Prostate cancer incidence per prostate biopsy increased over the study period from 0.36 (95% CI, 0.35-0.36) to 0.39 (95% CI, 0.39-0.40). Of new prostate cancer diagnoses, the proportion managed with definitive local treatment decreased from 69% (95% CI, 69%-70%) to 54% (95% CI, 53%-55%). Both PSA testing and prostate cancer incidence decreased significantly after 2011 (P < .001). CONCLUSION In a large cohort of privately insured men, PSA testing, prostate biopsy, prostate cancer incidence, and local definitive treatment for prostate cancer decreased between 2008 and 2014, most notably after 2011. This decrease may be driven by differential referral patterns from primary care providers to urologists. Cancer 2018;124:2733-2739. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Taxol and related taxanes. I. Taxanes of Taxus brevifolia bark.

The published procedures for the isolation of taxol from the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) and other species of Taxus are cumbersome, and the yields of taxol are in the range of 0.0075–0.01%. This paper describes a simple and efficient procedure for the isolation of taxol and its major natural analogues from the bark of T. brevifolia consisting of a single chromatographic column (using silica gel, Florisil, or a reverse-phase C18-silica), followed by crystallization. Isolated yields of taxol from five “pooled” bark samples (blended from many different batches by the supplier) were in the range of 0.02–0.04%, and from bark collected from a more restricted locale, yields reached 0.06%. The procedure also yielded taxol analogues, such as 10-deacetylbaccatin III (0.02–0.04%), 10-deacetyltaxol-7-xyloside (0.06-0.1%), taxol-7-xyloside (0.005–0.01%), 10-deacetyltaxol (0.01–0.02%), 10-deacetylcephalomannine-7-xyloside (0.006–0.01%), and cephalomannine (0.005–0.007%). Of these, 10-deacetyltaxol-7-xyloside is the most abundant taxane in the Pacific yew bark.
Approaches to Assessment of Very Young Children in Africa in the Context of HIV

Despite major advances in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, there remains a significant impact on children living with the disease as well as the many more children secondarily affected by the disease in Africa. Clearly, there are many risk factors influencing the overall development of these children including known neurodevelopmental deficits associated with the disease and environmental factors that impact multiple areas of functioning. Given these complex issues, there is undoubtedly a need to effectively disentangle causes and create effective interventions as early as possible. Although assessment methodologies and interventions are relatively well developed in Western countries, these do not necessarily directly translate to appropriate use in other countries/cultures. This chapter reviews the current status of assessment of very young children in Africa focusing on the impact of exposure to HIV. Specific tests that have been either developed in and/or adapted for use in Africa are reviewed as are adaptation guidelines, considerations regarding the adaptation of tests, practical constraints that exist when choosing assessment appropriate assessment instruments, and other assessment considerations.
Timing a Millisecond Pulsar Array

Pulse arrival times for millisecond pulsars show remarkable predictability over periods of years; in particular, dominant sources of long-term deviation from timing models for PSR1937+21 seem to be uncertainties in the terrestrial time, as established by atomic clocks, and small departures from the expected ephemerides of earth motion. It is shown that present limits on additional sources of perturbations, such as those generated by a background of gravitational waves, can be improved by timing an ensemble of pulsars in concord. Such analyses would also provide measurements of the clock and ephemeris corrections and could be used to characterize any gravity wave perturbations.
Effect of thermal stress on wellbore integrity during CO2 injection

Abstract Wellbore integrity is a critical component of long-term carbon storage. Depleted reservoirs that are potential CO2 storage sites, typically contain several wells. Due to years of operations and abandonment, these wells can have cracks in the cement, cement-casing interface, and/or cement-formation interface. During CO2 injection, changes in temperature may result in stress variations that can further damage the well, threatening its integrity. The temperature difference between the cold injected CO2 and warm reservoir, and different thermal properties for the wellbore casing, cement, and the lithology, will stress the near wellbore environment, potentially extending pre-existing defects creating leakage pathways from the storage reservoir to the overlying strata. We have conducted a systematic numerical study to explore the role of CO2 injection temperature, downhole effective in-situ horizontal stress, and the thermo-mechanical properties by coupling a linear elastic stress model with heat conduction. We consider conditions in non-perforated casing above the injection zone where conductive heating is dominant. The injection temperatures considered covers current industrial practice as well as sub-zero temperatures. The latter represents direct injection following ship transport, without pre-heating. In this study, we consider the connection between damage risk and the temperature difference between the injected CO2 and the formation and downhole effective in-situ horizontal stress. The study found that the negative impacts of thermal stress in the wellbore environment are mitigated by the presence of effective in-situ horizontal stresses. Stresses normal to the well have the potential to reduce the tensile stress and stress intensity factor. In the absence of sufficient effective in-situ horizontal stress, thermal stress may cause the fracture to propagate due to high stress concentration near the fracture edges. In general, formations with large effective in-situ horizontal stress can prevent leakage paths from growing even when large temperature difference exists between the formation and the injected CO2. Our simulations suggest that CO2 can be injected at sub-zero temperatures, suitable for ship transport, when the downhole effective in-situ horizontal stress is greater than 10 or 12 MPa, depending on the location of the pre-existing cracks. For onshore transportation, injection of liquid CO2 results in minimal damage, provided there is ample in-situ horizontal stress.
Optimal resection margin for head and neck cutaneous melanoma.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS The objective of this study was to examine the difference between a narrow (between 1 and 2 cm) and a wide (>2 cm) margin in the surgical resection of head and neck cutaneous melanoma. STUDY DESIGN Population-based cohort analysis. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was employed to identify patients who had cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck from 2004 to 2014. Outcome measures were overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). RESULTS Among the total of 3,583 cases of cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck with known resection margins, 2,641 individuals had narrow resection margins, and 942 patients had wide margins. Most of the tumors presented in the skin of the scalp and neck, followed by the face, external ear, and other areas. The 5-year and 10-year Kaplan-Meier OS probabilities for narrow and wide margins were 65% and 66%, respectively, compared with 49% and 48%, respectively. The DSS probabilities exhibited similar trends between the two groups at these time points. In the Cox regression model, the patients who received narrow margins had similar OS (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.918-1.217) and DSS (95% CI: 0.856-1.352) compared with the wide resection margin group, even when controlled for age, sex, T stage, and histology. CONCLUSIONS The survival of patients with cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck depends on age, depth of tumor invasion, and histology. Within the head and neck, a wider resection margin of >2 cm does not confer any additional survival benefit compared with a narrower margin. Future studies should examine whether wider surgical margins would confer survival benefit in local or recurrent melanoma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 129:1386-1394, 2019.
A latent growth curve analysis of precursor cognitive abilities and academic achievement.

Background Language-based cognitive fitness describes the ability to carry out cognitive tasks with vigour and alertness, to learn, and to adapt. Aims The purpose of this research was to test the efficacy of a brain fitness training programme to better understand the role played by three precursor abilities for language-based cognitive development-verbal reasoning, visual synthesis, and active analysis-and their impact on academic achievement. Sample The sample included 92 children from a private school designed to deliver a prescriptive educational model for the spectrum of challenged, average, and gifted students. Method Students completed cognitive tests at entry to the program and at the end of each academic year. Students completed daily brain-based exercises. Associative latent variable growth curve modelling using Mplus was used to test growth in all variables. Bayesian estimation analysis was used for missing data imputation. Age and baseline cognitive ability were included as covariates. Results Model fit was excellent, χ2 (104) = 115.98, p = .20, (χ2 /df) = 1.11, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.04, SRMR = 0.05. Students who started with the lowest ability levels initially grew faster than those students with higher initial two-wave performance levels consistent with a closing of an ability gap. This had a lagged effect on achievement that accelerated in growth after the first 2 years. Conclusions Results provide evidence for the importance of interventions that focus on strengthening precursor cognitive abilities directly involved with language and mathematics achievement.
Propagation of Rhamnus alnifolia and Rhamnus lanceolata by Seeds and Cuttings

Abstract Rhamnus alnifolia L'Her (Alderleaf Buckthorn) and Rhamnus lanceolata Pursh ssp. lanceolata (Lanceleaf Buckthorn) are native shrubs that are uncommon in the wild. Seed germination of both s...
Optimizing the vertical position of the brace thoracic pad: Apical rib or apical vertebra?

Abstract Introduction The vertical position of the thoracic pad is a subject of controversy in brace design. Traditional recommendations dictate a maximal force applied at the level of the apical rib, about 2 levels below the apical vertebra. We sought to evaluate the optimal vertical position of the brace thoracic pad using fulcrum bending radiographs. Hypothesis A lateral force applied at the apical vertebra of a thoracic curve is more efficient at correcting coronal deformity than a force placed the apical rib. Patients and methods In this prospective study, we recruited patients presenting with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and Risser stage 0-2 over a period of 12 months. Patients with a history of spine or thoracic surgery were excluded. Two fulcrum bending radiographs were performed for each patient: one with the center of the fulcrum placed under the most lateral part of the apical rib and another with the fulcrum centered below the apical vertebra. Cobb angles were measured on each fulcrum radiograph and compared using a paired t test. Results Fifty-two patients were included, with a mean age of 12.4 years and mean thoracic Cobb angle of 39.4˚. Placing a fulcrum under the apical vertebra reduced the Cobb angle to a mean of 11.5˚, which was significantly lower than a fulcrum placed under the apical rib (14.3˚, p = 0.001). This corresponded to a 20% relative loss in the absolute correction angle when placing the fulcrum under the apical rib. The difference between the 2 Cobb angles was not significantly correlated to patient age (p = 0.896) or curve apex (p = 0.813). Discussion This is the first clinical study addressing the vertical position of the thoracic pad in braces for AIS. A lateral force applied at the level of the apical vertebra was significantly more efficient at reducing thoracic curve deformities than one applied at the apical rib. Our results provide clinical support to finite element studies that refute traditional recommendations of brace design, advocating for a revision of these guidelines to optimize non-operative treatment of AIS. Level of evidence II, prospective comparative study.
Lawrence H. Keeley's contributions to the use of microwear analysis in reconstructions of past human behavior (1972–2017)

Abstract While a doctoral student at Oxford University in the early 1970s, Lawrence H. Keeley refined the high powered technique for microwear analysis. When the results of his “blind test” with Mark Newcomer were published, even skeptical researchers realized that it was possible to determine the function of ancient stone implements from microscopic examination of use wear traces. Beginning with his first student, Patricia Anderson, his Lithic Analysis Workshop in 1980, and until his death, Keeley's influence on microwear analysis extended to the far corners of the world. Keeley's contributions are outlined, and a few highlights of his distinguished career are summarized here. In his research on Lower Paleolithic assemblages and collaborations with numerous colleagues and students, Keeley engaged in cutting-edge research that combined rigorous experimental replication, refitting, residue analyses, and microscopic examination of ancient artifacts. His results provided remarkable new details and insights about the lives of ancient people, from ancient hominins at Koobi Fora, Kenya to foragers and farmers in the Old and New Worlds. In 1995, he received the Society for American Archaeology's Award for Excellence in Lithic Studies, however his real legacy is the outstanding research conducted by the new generation of scholars that he inspired.
Quasi-static and Fatigue Delamination at Tape/Fabric Interfaces

The relationship between quasi-static and fatigue delamination of a fabric/tape interface is examined experimentally and numerically.Mixed-mode bending tests were conducted using specimens in which a mid-plane delamination is bound between a ply of 0-degree unidirectional tape and a 0-degree fabric ply of the same material system. The experimental results indicate that delaminations tend to migrate towards the constraining ply that is on the compressive side of the laminate in bending, and that the fracture toughness for a fabric-constrained delamination is almost twice that of a tape-constrained delamination. A cohesive model based on superposition of bilinear laws was used to account for these differences in measured properties. Fatigue analyses were conducted with a cohesive damage model that uses an idealization of stress-life diagrams used in engineering design. The fatigue model is shown to be capable of predicting the steady-state rate of delamination propagation described by the Paris law, as well as the initial transients that depend on the quasi-static R-curve effects. The analysis results help quantify the effects of fracture toughness and R-curves on the rates of delamination propagation in fatigue.
Clustering of dispersal corridors in metapopulations leads to higher rates of recovery following subpopulation extinction

Abstract Understanding how spatially divided populations are affected by the physical characteristics of the landscapes they occupy is critical to their conservation. While some metapopulations have dispersal corridors spread relatively evenly through space in a homogeneous arrangement such that most subpopulations are connected to a few neighbors, others may have corridors clustered in a heterogeneous arrangement, creating a few highly connected subpopulations and leaving most subpopulations with only one or two neighbors. Graph theory and empirical data from other biological and non-biological networks suggest that heterogeneous metapopulations should be the most robust to subpopulation extinction. Here, I used Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a in metapopulation microcosms to compare the recovery of metapopulations with homogeneous and heterogeneous corridor arrangements following small, medium, and large subpopulation extinction events. I found that while metapopulations with heterogeneous corridor arrangements had the fastest rates of recovery following extinction events of all sizes and had the shortest absolute time to recovery following medium-sized extinction events, metapopulations with homogeneous corridor arrangements had the shortest time to recovery following the smallest extinction events.
Classification of interacting Floquet phases with U ( 1 ) symmetry in two dimensions

We derive a complete classification of Floquet phases of interacting bosons and fermions with $U(1)$ symmetry in two spatial dimensions. According to our classification, there is a one-to-one correspondence between these Floquet phases and rational functions $\ensuremath{\pi}(z)=a(z)/b(z)$, where $a(z)$ and $b(z)$ are polynomials obeying certain conditions and $z$ is a formal parameter. The physical meaning of $\ensuremath{\pi}(z)$ involves the stroboscopic edge dynamics of the corresponding Floquet system: in the case of bosonic systems, $\ensuremath{\pi}(z)=\frac{p}{q}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}(z)$, where $\frac{p}{q}$ is a rational number that characterizes the flow of quantum information at the edge during each driving period and $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}(z)$ is a rational function which characterizes the flow of $U(1)$ charge at the edge. A similar decomposition exists in the fermionic case. We also show that $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}(z)$ is directly related to the time-averaged $U(1)$ current that flows in a particular geometry. This $U(1)$ current is a generalization of the quantized current and quantized magnetization density found in previous studies of noninteracting fermionic Floquet phases.
Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes After Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion—Early Experience Using a Biplanar Expandable Cage for Lumbar Spondylolisthesis

ABSTRACT Background: Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF) is a surgical technique frequently used to treat symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis. We aim to investigate the safety and efficacy of using a biplanar expandable cage in the treatment of symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis using a MIS TLIF approach. Methods: A retrospective review of patient records was performed on patients who underwent MIS TLIF for symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis using the FlareHawk cage over a 12-month period. Patient demographics, as well as preoperative and postoperative clinical and radiographic outcome measures were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 13 consecutive patients underwent MIS TLIF for symptomatic spondylolisthesis during the study period. The mean age was 60.2 ± 13.9 years, and 61.5% were female. The mean preoperative and postoperative slippage was 7.0 ± 3.0 mm and 1.0 ± 1.9 mm, respectively. The preoperative mean segmental lordosis was 5.1° ± 6.0°, mean anterior, posterior disc, and foraminal height were 9.1 ± 3.9 mm, 5.7 ± 1.5 mm, and 11.0 ± 2.0 mm, respectively. The postoperative mean segmental lordosis was 6.8° ± 4.7°, and mean anterior, posterior disc, and foraminal height were 11.4 ± 2.2 mm, 7.8 ± 1.0 mm, and 12.3 ± 1.3 mm. There was improvement in all radiographic parameters postoperatively. The mean Visual Analog Scale (VAS) back pain, VAS leg pain improved from 7.0 ± 2.9 and 5.1 ± 3.0 preoperatively to 3.1 ± 2.9 and 1.1 ± 1.7 at the latest clinic follow-up visit, respectively (P = .0081). The mean EuroQol-Five Dimensions (EQ5D) score improved from 0.37 ± 1.7 to 0.66 ± 0.23 after surgery. There was no subsidence, endplate violation, cage migration, or other implant-related complications. No patient required reoperation. Conclusions: The biplanar expandable cage is both safe and efficacious in treating symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis using the MIS TLIF approach. Spine surgeons should be familiar with the biplanar expandable cage technology and keep it in their armamentarium in surgical treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. Level of Evidence: 4.
On the sensitivity of a class of finite-deformation high strainrate ballistic models to constitutive parameter uncertainty

There exist numerous constitutive parameters in models used for the prediction of high strain-rate responses of metallic materials in the finite-deformation regime. Each of these parameters can possess various degrees of uncertainty, possibly due to (a) error in experimental measurements (b) a lack of consistent production methods or (c) the acquisition of data from different manufacturers. This communication investigates the overall system sensitivity that results, due to constitutive parameter uncertainty, when employing the commonly used Johnson-Cook class of high strain-rate ballistic models.
Identifying Bilingual Children at Risk for Language Impairment: The Implication of Children’s Response Speed in Narrative Contexts

The purpose of the study was to examine whether monolingual adults can identify the bilingual children with LI on the basis of children’s response speed to the examiner. Participants were 37 monolingual English-speaking young adults. Stimuli were 48 audio clips from six sequential bilingual children (48 months) who were predominately exposed to Cantonese (L1) at home from birth and started to learn English (L2) in preschool settings. The audio clips for each child were selected from an interactive story-retell task in both Cantonese and English. Three of the children were typically developing, and three were identified as having a language impairment. The monolingual adult participants were asked to judge children’s response times for each clip. Interrater reliability was high (Kalpha = 0.82 for L1; Kalpha = 0.75 for L2). Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to examine the diagnostic accuracy of the task. Results showed that monolingual participants were able to identify bilingual children with LI based on children’s response speed. Sensitivity and specificity were higher in Cantonese conditions compared to English conditions. The results added to the literature that children’s response speed can potentially be used, along with other measures, to identify bilingual children who are at risk for language impairment.
Creating a Tool to Assess Interpretive Services Perceptions at a Hospital System Level

The importance of using professional interpretive services (IS) when communicating with patients and families with limited English proficiency (LEP) is well described in the literature. There is no standardized tool to reliably evaluate IS from the point of view of bedside care providers. Collected local qualitative data and literature review informed an anonymous electronic survey that was distributed to physicians and nursing staff at a tertiary care children's hospital. Authors then used exploratory factor analysis to analyze results. Survey response rate was 27%. Seven key factors were identified; the original survey was revised using the two most impactful questions contributing to each factor. Re-analysis showed Pearson correlation coefficients at or above 0.9. Using this simplified 14 question questionnaire, hospital systems can assess the knowledge, attitudes, self-reported utilization and perceived barriers around IS, allowing for targeted interventions to improve the care of LEP patients.
A proximal-distal difference in bat wing muscle thermal sensitivity parallels a difference in operating temperatures along the wing.

Flight is a demanding form of locomotion, requiring fast activation and relaxation in wing muscles to produce the necessary wingbeat frequencies. Bats maintain high body temperatures during flight,...
Psoriasis: a brief overview

Psoriasis is a clinically heterogeneous lifelong skin disease that presents in multiple forms such as plaque, flexural, guttate, pustular or erythrodermic. An estimated 60 million people have psoriasis worldwide, with 1.52% of the general population affected in the UK. An immune-mediated inflammatory disease, psoriasis has a major genetic component. Its association with psoriatic arthritis and increased rates of cardiometabolic, hepatic and psychological comorbidity requires a holistic and multidisciplinary care approach. Psoriasis treatments include topical agents (vitamin D analogues and corticosteroids), phototherapy (narrowband ultraviolet B radiation (NB-UVB) and psoralen and ultraviolet A radiation (PUVA)), standard systemic (methotrexate, ciclosporin and acitretin), biologic (tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23 inhibitors) or small molecule inhibitor (dimethyl fumarate and apremilast) therapies. Advances in the understanding of its pathophysiology have led to development of highly effective and targeted treatments.
Breast Cancer and Body Image: Feminist Therapy Principles and Interventions

A breast cancer diagnosis can lead to life-altering biopsychosocial changes and challenges for breast cancer survivors (BCS). Particularly salient is body image perception and its associated biopsy...
An application of virtual reality in rehabilitation

Virtual reality (VR) has been applied in developing systems for vehicle simulation, robot control, decision support and analysis, virtual interfaces to complex systems, entertainment, electronic art, medical science, and education. As an off-spin of virtual reality, a number of sensory hardware components have been developed. One of the greatest potentials of VR exists in medicine and surgery. The author discusses some of the sensory devices developed for VR systems, and then suggests an application in evaluating the performance of impaired hand. The proposed system can be used to monitor patient's progress in therapy and to devise better treatment strategies. The author finally concludes with a discussion on some of the challenges and issues facing the existing technology. >
Parental occupational exposures and risk of neuroblastoma: a case–control study (United States)

Background: A case–control study was conducted with 183 histologically confirmed neuroblastoma cases aged 0–14 years diagnosed among residents of New York State, excluding New York City, between 1976 and 1987. Three hundred seventy-two controls were selected from the New York State live birth certificate registry and were matched to cases on year of birth. Methods: Parental occupational exposures at the time of each child's birth were obtained from maternal telephone interviews, successfully completed for 85% of cases and 87% of controls. Results: Odds ratios were significantly elevated for maternal occupation in the service (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.0–4.1) and retail (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.1–3.7) industries and paternal occupation in materials handling (OR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.1–14.6). Odds ratios were also significantly elevated for maternal report of occupational exposure to acetone (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.7–5.6), insecticides (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.4–3.7), lead (OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.3–18.2) and petroleum (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.5–6.1) and paternal exposure to creosote (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.1–4.3), dioxin (OR = 6.9, 95% CI = 1.3–68.4), lead (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.2–4.8), and petroleum (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.1–2.8). Conclusions: Due to the uncertainty of the biologic plausibility of these associations and the possibility of alternative explanations, these results should be interpreted cautiously.
Serotonin Receptor Binding Sites Affected Differentially by Guanine Nucleotides

Guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and diphosphate (GDP) decrease the binding of the agonist [3H]serotonin (5-HT) to serotonin receptors in mammalian brain membranes. Binding of the antagonist [3H]spiroperidol is not affected by guanine nucleotides while the mixed agonist-antagonist [3H]lysergic acid diethylamide ([3H]LSD) is affected in an intermediate manner. GTP lowers the apparent affinity of [3H]5-HT for its receptors without changing the number of binding sites. Both the association and dissociation rates of [3H]5-HT are increased by GTP. The potency of 5-HT agonists in competing for [3H]5-HT but not [3H]LSD or [3H]spiroperidol binding sites is decreased by GTP. Competition by partial agonists and antagonists for [3H]5-HT binding sites is not affected by GTP.
Affiliation among females in wild Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas)

Previous researchers of hamadryas baboons have described a star-shaped sociogram, whereby the strongest social bonds within hamadryas one-male units are between a leader male and his females and bonds among females are weak by comparison. This type of social organization is also known as cross-bonding to distinguish it from the female-bonding found in most papionin monkeys. Models of female primate socioecology suggest that hamadryas baboons lack female bonding due to their reliance on scarce, widely-dispersed food resources. Here, I report observational data from a wild population of hamadryas baboons in Ethiopia indicating that, while females varied widely in their frequency of social interaction with other females, most females spent about as much social time with other females as they did with the leader male and some females even crossed unit boundaries to interact with one another. The size of a unit was positively correlated with the tendency of its females to interact with other females and was negatively correlated with the tendency of its females to interact with the leader male. Females were equally likely to spend social time with other females whether or not the leader male was available for social interaction at the time. Overall, this study suggests that a star-shaped sociogram does not characterize all hamadryas baboons and that female hamadryas may be, to some extent, female-bonded as well as cross-bonded. The lack of more pronounced female bonding in hamadryas is probably due to the behavior of males rather than to ecological factors.