Survival of Deaf Jewish People during the Holocaust

This project uses academic and personal research to explore the experiences of Deaf Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. The author is a member of the Deaf community and a Deaf Interpreter, as well as the daughter of a Deaf Jewish Holocaust survivor. She examines the construction of Deafness in the eugenics era and chronicles the stories of Deaf Jewish survivors. A recurring theme in these narratives is Deaf survivors’ strategic use of silence to facilitate survival

The associations of adipokines with selected markers of the renin-angiotensinogen-aldosterone system: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Among obese individuals, increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity results in increased renin and aldosterone production, as well as renal tubular sodium reabsorption. This study determined the associations between adipokines and selected measures of the renin-angiotensinogen-aldosterone system (RAAS). The sample consisted of 1970 men and women from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline and had blood assayed for adiponectin, leptin, plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone. The mean age was 64.7 years and 50% were female. The mean (s.d.) PRA and aldosterone were 1.45 (0.56) ng ml(-1) and 150.1 (130.5) pg ml(-1), respectively. After multivariable adjustment, a 1-s.d. increment of leptin was associated with a 0.55 ng ml(-1) higher PRA and 8.4 pg ml(-1) higher aldosterone (P<0.01 for both). Although adiponectin was not significantly associated with PRA levels, the same increment in this adipokine was associated with lower aldosterone levels (-5.5 pg ml(-1), P=0.01). Notably, the associations between aldosterone and both leptin and adiponectin were not materially changed with additional adjustment for PRA. Exclusion of those taking antihypertensive medications modestly attenuated the associations. The associations between leptin and both PRA and aldosterone were not different by gender but were significantly stronger among non-Hispanic Whites and Chinese Americans than African and Hispanic Americans (P<0.01). The findings suggest that both adiponectin and leptin may be relevant to blood pressure regulation via the RAAS, in that the associations appear to be robust to antihypertension medication use and that the associations are likely different by ethnicity

Improving Multiclass Text Classification with the Support Vector Machine

We compare Naive Bayes and Support Vector Machines on the task of multiclass text classification. Using a variety of approaches to combine the underlying binary classifiers, we find that SVMs substantially outperform Naive Bayes. We present full multiclass results on two well-known text data sets, including the lowest error to date on both data sets. We develop a new indicator of binary performance to show that the SVM's lower multiclass error is a result of its improved binary performance. Furthermore, we demonstrate and explore the surprising result that one-vs-all classification performs favorably compared to other approaches even though it has no error-correcting properties

An Alternative Isovelocity Surface Model for Quantitation of Effective Regurgitant Orifice Area in Mitral Regurgitation With an Elongated Orifice Application to Functional Mitral Regurgitation

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to develop and test a simple, clinically practical alternative isovelocity surface (ISVS) model for calculating effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) in mitral regurgitation (MR) when the regurgitant orifice is elongated, such as in functional MR.BackgroundClinical experience and 3-dimensional imaging suggest that the traditional hemispheric ISVS model used in the conventional proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) calculation is invalid in certain MR cases and can cause erroneous EROA values.MethodsOur ISVS model consisted of 3 sections of equal radius (R): a cylindrical midsection of length (L) positioned between 2 hemispheroidal end sections. Total ISVS area (TS) is equal to 2πR2 + πLR and EROA is equal to (VN/VCW)TS, where VN is the flow velocity crossing perpendicular to the ISVS, and VCW is the peak MR jet velocity by continuous-wave Doppler. This EROA was corrected for any obtuse angle, θ formed by tented leaflets, by multiplying TS by a planar factor, (θ/180) or a combination of this planar factor for the cylindrical midsection and the solid-angle factor, 1−cos(θ/2), for the 2 spheroidal end sections. In 24 cases of severe or 3+ functional MR, we calculated EROA using 3 traditional hemispheric surfaces and 3 alternative ISVS models that differed in the leaflet angle correction applied. Results were compared with continuity-based EROA using the standard mitral valve − aortic valve stroke volume method and with predictions based upon theoretical geometric considerations.ResultsThe mean differences between continuity EROA and ISVS area–based EROA for no angle correction, planar correction, or combined angle correction were, respectively, 0.38, 0.32, and 0.28 cm2 for the 3 spherical surface models and 0.17, 0.018, and −0.012 cm2 for the 3 alternative 3-section ISVS models. The empiric EROA results with both the traditional spherical and alternative ISVS models agreed well with theoretical geometric predictions.ConclusionsThe traditional spherical PISA model underestimates EROA in functional MR. For elongated MR orifices, an ISVS model that mirrors orifice shape yields more accurate EROA values. Correction to the ISVS area for obtuse leaflet angulation improves accuracy of EROA estimation

Comparison of proximal isovelocity surface area method with pressure half-time and planimetry in evaluation of mitral stenosis

AbstractObjectives. This study sought to 1) compare the accuracy of the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) and Doppler pressure half-time methods and planimetry for echocardiographic estimation of mitral valve area; 2) evaluate the effect of atrial fibrillation on the accuracy of the PISA method; and 3) assess factors used to correct PISA area estimates for leaflet angulation.Background. Despite recognized limitations of traditional echocardiographic methods for estimating mitral valve area, there has been no systematic comparison with the PISA method in a single cohort.Methods. Area estimates were obtained in patients with mitral stenosis by the Gorlin hydraulic formula, PISA and pressure half-time method in 48 patients and by planimetry in 36. Two different factors were used to correct PISA estimates for leaflet angle (θ): 1) plane-angle factor (θ/180 [θ in degrees]); and 2) solid-angle factor [1 — cos(θ/2)].Results. After exclusion of patients with significant mitral regurgitation, the correlation between Gorlin and PISA areas (0.88) was significantly greater (p < 0.04) than that between Gorlin and pressure half-time (0.78) or Gorlin and planimetry (0.72). The correlation between Gorlin and PISA area estimates was lower in atrial fibrillation than sinus rhythm (0.69 vs. 0.93), but the standard error of the estimate was only slightly greater (0.24 vs. 0.19 cm2). The average ratio of the solid- to the plane-angle correction factors was approximately equal to previously reported values of the orifice contraction coefficient for tapering stenosis.Conclusions. 1) The accuracy of PISA area estimates in mitral stenosis is at least comparable to those of planimetry and pressure half-time. 2) Reasonable accuracy of the PISA method is possible in irregular rhythms. 3) A simple leaflet angle correction factor, θ/180 (θ in degrees), yields the physical orifice area because it overestimates the vena contracta area by a factor approximately equal to the contraction coefficient for a tapering stenosis

Puromycin Sensitivity of Ribosomal Label after Incorporation of 14C-Labelled Amino Acids into Isolated Mitochondria from Neurospora crassa

Radioactive amino acids were incorporated into isolated mitochondria from Neurospora crassa. Then the mitochondrial ribosomes were isolated and submitted to density gradient centrifugation. A preferential labelling of polysomes was observed. However, when the mitochondrial suspension was treated with puromycin after amino acid incorporation, no radioactivity could be detected in either the monosomes or the polysomes. The conclusion is drawn that isolated mitochondria under these conditions do not incorporate significant amounts of amino acids into proteins of their ribosomes