cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
VAGINAL BIRTH AFTER CESAREAN DELIVERY

Cesarean delivery (CD) sparks much controversy among health care providers, patients, and insurance carriers. The original definition of CD dates back to 1790. 11 The French obstetrician Baudelocque defined CD as "that operation by which any way is opened for the child than that destined for by nature." 11 The lower segment transverse incision was suggested by Wallace in his second edition of New Systems of Midwifery in 1786. 11 In 1882, Sanger described a conservative CD operation that revolutionized obstetrics. 11 He recommended that uterine incisions be sutured immediately after delivery, which greatly reduced the maternal mortality rate associated with the operation. 12 Cragin's much-quoted phrase, "once a cesarean, always a cesarean," from the article "Conservatism in Obstetrics," reflected the philosophy of the times. 6 In the early 1900s, CD generally used a classic uterine incision in the presence of a contracted bony pelvis. 28 The majority of uterine incisions today are made in the lower uterine segment. Kronig described the low-segment vertical incision in 1912, and in 1926 Kerr introduced and recommended the use of a low-transverse uterine incision for CD delivery. 10,12,33 The current CD rate in the United States has dramatically increased from 4.5% in 1965 to 30.0% (in some hospitals) in 1997. 29 A dramatic increase in the rate of CD occurred between 1970 and 1986, when the rate increased from 5.5% to 24.1%. 4 The rate stabilized between 1986 and 1993, when the rates were 24.1% and 22.8%, respectively. 4 In the United States since 1986, approximately 4 million births have occurred per year; 20% to 25% (1 million) per year are accomplished by CD. 4 Because of the increasing percentage of CDs, the Consensus Development Conference on Cesarean Childbirth in 1980 was convened at the National Institutes of Health and concluded that vaginal birth after a previous low-transverse CD was a safe and acceptable option. 18 A national health objective for the year 2000 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services was to reduce the overall rate of CD to 15%. 4,18 Because of the increased percentage of elective repeat CDs, a trial of labor after previous CD has been targeted to decrease the overall CD rate. 2 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Practice Bulletin regarding vaginal birth after previous CD (VBAC) from 1998 summarizes that "most women with one previous CD with a low-transverse incision are candidates for VBAC and should be counseled about VBAC and offered a trial of labor (p 5)." 2 VBAC is reported to be a safe and practical method to reduce the overall CD rate. 16 This article highlights the history, candidates, expanded indicators, patient preferences, success rates, factors influencing or predicting success rates, risks, and maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality of VBAC.
Rb-Sr Dating of Middle Precambrian Metasedimentary Rocks of Minnesota

Rb-Sr dating of middle Precambrian metasedimentary rocks of central and northern Minnesota indicates a loss of radiogenic strontium during regional metamorphism. Samples of the Mahnomen Formation yield two distinct isochrons of 1.75 and 1.46 b.y. Samples dated at 1.46 b.y. have undergone intensive alteration by migrating solutions probably at the time the associated iron formations were locally enriched to iron deposits. The 1.75-b.y. isochron defined by unaltered samples most likely dates the metamorphism associated with the Penokean orogeny. Lower grade metasedimentary rocks of the Virginia, Rove, and Thomson Formations yield an isochron age of 1.57 b.y.; these units were probably open systems during the waning phases of regional metamorphism. Comparison of initial Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratios suggests a northern source area for the Virginia and Thomson Formations and a southern one for the Mahnomen Formation.
Negotiating culture, performing identities: North African and Pied-Noir associations in France

The integration of minorities in France, particularly those with roots in North Africa, has been of national concern since the 1980s and remains so today. Official and public discussions about minorities, and social relations with them, are saturated with mutual distrust and misunderstandings. Despite structural and social impediments, these minorities are encouraged to integrate into the national mainstream and to avoid communitarian and community-building practices that might be interpreted as a rejection of the nation. Minority cultural associations are among the focal points of these negotiations, being places where communities can both strengthen internal bonds and create zones of intercultural contact, mutual education, and debate. In the following I analyse the activities undertaken by North African and Pied-Noir cultural associations in France as examples of boundary maintenance (Barth, F., 1969. Introduction. In: F. Barth, ed. Ethnic groups and boundaries: the social organization of culture diffe...
Differential Lymphocyte and Antibody Responses in Deer Mice Infected with Sin Nombre Hantavirus or Andes Hantavirus

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) is a rodent-borne disease with a high case-fatality rate that is caused by several New World hantaviruses. Each pathogenic hantavirus is naturally hosted by a principal rodent species without conspicuous disease and infection is persistent, perhaps for life. Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are the natural reservoirs of Sin Nombre virus (SNV), the etiologic agent of most HCPS cases in North America. Deer mice remain infected despite a helper T cell response that leads to high-titer neutralizing antibodies. Deer mice are also susceptible to Andes hantavirus (ANDV), which causes most HCPS cases in South America; however, deer mice clear ANDV. We infected deer mice with SNV or ANDV to identify differences in host responses that might account for this differential outcome. SNV RNA levels were higher in the lungs but not different in the heart, spleen, or kidneys. Most ANDV-infected deer mice had seroconverted 14 days after inoculation, but none of the SNV-infected deer mice had. Examination of lymph node cell antigen recall responses identified elevated immune gene expression in deer mice infected with ANDV and suggested maturation toward a Th2 or T follicular helper phenotype in some ANDV-infected deer mice, including activation of the interleukin 4 (IL-4) pathway in T cells and B cells. These data suggest that the rate of maturation of the immune response is substantially higher and of greater magnitude during ANDV infection, and these differences may account for clearance of ANDV and persistence of SNV. IMPORTANCE Hantaviruses persistently infect their reservoir rodent hosts without pathology. It is unknown how these viruses evade sterilizing immune responses in the reservoirs. We have determined that infection of the deer mouse with its homologous hantavirus, Sin Nombre virus, results in low levels of immune gene expression in antigen-stimulated lymph node cells and a poor antibody response. However, infection of deer mice with a heterologous hantavirus, Andes virus, results in a robust lymph node cell response, signatures of T and B cell maturation, and production of antibodies. These findings suggest that an early and aggressive immune response to hantaviruses may lead to clearance in a reservoir host and suggest that a modest immune response may be a component of hantavirus ecology.
Effects of water conductivity on electrocommunication in the weak-electric fish Brienomyrus niger (Mormyriformes)

Abstract A characteristic electric organ discharge display in social encounters between mormyrid fish is a temporary discharge cessation. Using this response, we have investigated the useful range of electrocommunication under different water conductivity conditions in the mormyrid Brienomyrus niger. An individual fish was confined to a porous ceramic shelter tube and moved from a starting distance of 380 cm toward a similarly confined conspecific until discharge, cessation occurred. The moved fish was subsequently returned to its original, position. Water conductivity affects the peak-to-peak source voltage of the electric organ and the sensitivity of the fish's electroreceptors. Within a range of 10 to 36 000 μS/cm, the peak-to-peak amplitude of the electric organ discharge declined as a power function. At 120 μS/cm, the amplitude was 50%, and at 300μS/cm, 30% of the 10 μS/cm value. The interfish distance at which discharge cessation occurred and the associated electric field gradients were dependent on water conductivity and upon the spatial orientation of the two fish (end-to-end or parallel orientations of their shelter tubes). The respective ranges were from 135 cm and 0.02 mV/cm at 52 μS/cm (parallel orientation) to 22 cm and 0.36 mV/cm at 678 μS/cm (end-to-end orientation). When the data for both tube orientations were combined, the relationship between water conductivity (x) and the distance at which discharge cessation occurred (y) could be expressed by a power function, y=K·xa (with K=102.97 and a=−0.56). When an electrically ‘silent’ fish was moved away from its conspecific, a discharge resumption in the form of a high-frequency rebound occasionally effected changes in the other fish's discharge activity at distances up to 157 cm (with an associated electric, field gradient of 0.01 mV/cm under the lowest conductivity condition).
The malonyl gramicidin channel: NMR-derived rate constants and comparison of calculated and experimental single-channel currents

Malonyl gramicidin is incorporated into lysolecithin micelles in a manner which satisfies a number of previously demonstrated criteria for the formation of the transmembrane channel structure. By means of sodium-23 nuclear magnetic resonance, two binding sites are observed: a tight site and a weak site with binding constants of approximately 100m −1 and 1m −1, respectively. In addition, off-rate constants from the two sites were estimated from NMR analyses to bek off ≃3×105/sec andk off ≃2×107/sec giving, with the binding constants, the on-rate constants,k on ≃3×107/msec andk on ≃2×107/m sec. Five different multiple occupancy models with NMR-restricted energy profiles were considered for the purpose of calculating single-channel currents as a function of voltage and concentration utilizing the four NMR-derived rate constants (and an NMR-limit placed on a fifth rate constant for intrachannel ion translocation) in combination with Eyring rate theory for the introduction of voltage dependence. Using the X-ray diffraction results of Koeppe et al. (1979) for limiting the positions of the tight sites, the two-site model and a three-site model in which the weak sites occur after the tight site is filled were found to satisfactorily calculate the experimental currents (also reported here) and to fit the experimental currents extraordinarily well when the experimentally derived values were allowed to vary to a least squares best fit. Surprisingly the “best fit” values differed by only about a factor of two from the NMR-derived values, a variation that is well within the estimated experimental error of the rate constants. These results demonstrate the utility of ion nuclear magnetic resonance to determine rate constants relevant to transport through the gramicidin channel and of the Eyring rate theory to introduce voltage dependence.
A Gravity Survey of the Chukchi Sea Region, and Its Bearing on Westward Extension of Structures in Northern Alaska

Gravity data are used to support the conclusion that the Brooks Range structure is continuous across the Chukchi Sea with the Chukchi-Anadyr fold belt. A morphological reconstruction of this section of the mobile belt that is consistent with known geologic and structural similarities, recorded sub-bottom seismic profiles and observed gravity follows: Moderate Tertiary folding produced a dry-land intercontinental connection that persisted until about a million years ago when erosion finally reduced the low mountain barrier to a near peneplain. Subsequently, the sea shelf has been modified by numerous changes in sea level and deposition of a thin, often patchy veneer of sediments. Scanty gravity data suggest that the Brooks Range structure is not continuous with the Franklin geosyncline to the east. The Chukchi Shelf is now in isostatic equilibrium. A Bouguer gravity low over Herald Island and Herald Reef suggests that they are formed by a single large granitic pluton. Small gravity highs off Lisburne Peninsula and south of Wrangel Island may be caused by basic or intermediate extrusives of Cretaceous to early Cenozoic age. The Tigara uplift produces a relative gravity high across the end of the Lisburne Peninsula.
Using Propagation of Distrust to Find Untrustworthy Web Neighborhoods

Web spamming, the practice of introducing artificial text and links into web pages to affect the results of searches, has been recognized as a major problem for search engines. But it is mainly a serious problem for web users because they tend to confuse trusting the search engine with trusting the results of a search. In this paper, we propose "backwards propagation of distrust,'' as an approach to finding spamming untrustworthy sites. Our approach is inspired by the social behavior associated with distrust. In society, recognition of an untrustworthy entity (person, institution, idea, etc) is a reason for questioning the trustworthiness of those that recommended its entity. People that are found to strongly support untrustworthy entities become untrustworthy themselves. So, in society distrust is propagated backwards. Our algorithm simulates this social behavior on the web graph with considerable success. Moreover, by respecting the user's perception of trust through the web graph, our algorithm makes it possible to resolve the moral question of who should be making the decision of weeding out web spammers in favor of the user, not the search engine or a higher authority. Our approach can lead to browser-level or personalized server-side web spam filters that work in synergy with the powerful search engines to deliver personalized, trusted web results.
An ℋ 2 -based linear-complexity solution of surface integral equations for 3-D impedance extraction

A new ℋ2-matrix based kernel-independent algorithm of linear complexity is developed for the surface integral equation based impedance extraction of arbitrarily shaped 3-D lossy conductors embedded in dielectric materials. The new algorithm greatly accelerates the iterative solution of a scalar-based surface integral equation for impedance extraction. It outperforms state-of-the-art iterative impedance solvers with fast CPU time, modest memory consumption, and without sacrificing accuracy, for both small and large number of unknowns.
Time-varying waveform selection and configuration for agile sensors in tracking applications

We present an algorithm for dynamic waveform selection and configuration for agile sensors in a target tracking application. The method selects and configures generalized frequency-modulated (FM) waveforms with time-varying signatures to minimize the predicted mean squared tracking error. We derive the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for these signals and use the CRLB in conjunction with the unscented transform to compute the predicted mean square error. The method is computationally feasible and applicable to nonlinear scenarios as demonstrated in our simulations.
Volterra series analysis of semiconductor laser diode

Theoretical models for laser nonlinearities are analyzed. Volterra transfer function G/sub n/ are calculated from the laser rate equations using an output-to-input approach. Nonlinear models for second-harmonic, third-harmonic, and two-tone third-order intermodulation distortions are calculated from G/sub n/. The transfer function-based models are simplified and a new equation for intermodulation distortion is developed. Comparisons with previous results are presented. It is suggested that this analytical technique offers a valuable tool for the performance analysis of future broadband optical communication systems. >
Kinetics of alpha-methylstyrene oligomerization by catalytic chain transfer

Alpha-methylstyrene (AMS) can be effectively dimerized by a free-radical mechanism mediated by the catalytic chain transfer (CCT). Above the ceiling temperature of AMS, 61 °C, the dimer may become almost an exclusive product with only a small percentage of impurity of AMS trimer and tetramer. Kinetics of the AMS oligomerization has two characteristic features. First, the rate of the oligomerization increases with concentration of the CCT catalyst. Second, conversion reaches a plateau at 60–70%. A kinetic scheme explained both effects. Besides AMS, para- and methasubstituted AMS can also be dimerized. Orthosubstituted AMS's do not oligomerize. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1366–1376, 2002
WAKE GENERATION COMPRESSIBILITY EFFECTS IN UNSTEADY LIFTING SURFACE THEORY

The role of compressibility during the initial stages of wake formation is investigated. It is shown that only the portion of the wake which is closest to the trailing edge is important with regard to compressibility. A simple approximation is derived which determines the relative magnitude of the compressible wake length that must be used in a calculation. The approximation is based on fundamental principles, and is relevant to compressible flow problems involving a separated wake of free vorticity. The approximation is demonstrated by a numerical example which substantiates the proposed theory and illustrates its application. The compressible wake phenomena discussed has implications on the fundamental understanding of the essential physics of unsteady aerodynamic wake generation in compressible flow.
Impact of separate versus en bloc pelvic lymph node dissection on the number of lymph nodes retrieved in cystectomy specimens.

Purpose: Pelvic lymphadenectomy during radical cystectomy yields a various number of lymph nodes depending on the extent of lymph node dissection and pathologist aggressiveness when searching the specimen. How the surgeon submits lymph nodes for pathological evaluation may also affect how many are retrieved.Materials and Methods: Bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection and radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder was performed in 32 patients. The extent of lymph node dissection involved standard and extended lymphadenectomy in 20 and 12 cases, respectively. In patients who underwent standard dissection unilateral en bloc submission of the lymph nodes was done with the contralateral lymph node dissection sent as an individual discrete packet. In those who underwent extended dissection all lymph nodes from each side were submitted en bloc or as 6 packets.Results: Standard lymphadenectomy en bloc specimens yielded a mean of 2.4 lymph nodes compared with 8.5 retrieved from individual l...
Chlorination of trimethylamine borane. Synthesis of trimethylamine dichloroborane

Abstract Trimethylamine borane can be chlorinated with a variety of halides and oxyhalides under mild conditions. Reactivity decreases in the order SbCl5∼ SO2Cl2 > SbCl3 > SOCl2 > HgCl2 > HCl > (CH3)3 NH . HCl, and correlates well with thermodynamic properties of the halogenating agents. Reactivity towards chlorination in the amine boranes decreases in the order (CH3)3NBH3>(CH3)3NBH2Cl>(CH3)3NBHCl2, and correlates well with B stretching frequencies and nmr shifts. Trimethylamine dichloroborane was synthesized and characterized for the first time. The weaker halogenating agents appear to react via a polar hydride transfer mechanism whereas the strongest ones are likely to halogenate by a free radical chain mechanism.
A self-stabilizing distributed algorithm for minimal total domination in an arbitrary system graph

In a graph G = (V, E), a set S /spl sube/ V is said to be total dominating if every v /spl isin/ V is adjacent to some member of S. When the graph represents a communication network, a total dominating set corresponds to a collection of servers having a certain desirable backup property, namely, that every server is adjacent to some other server. Self-stabilization, introduced by Dijkstra (1974, 1986), is the most inclusive approach to fault tolerance in distributed systems. We propose a new self-stabilizing distributed algorithm for finding a minimal total dominating set in an arbitrary graph. We also show how the basic ideas behind the proposed protocol can be generalized to solve other related problems.
Role of amphipathic α-helical structural elements in removing cellular cholesterol and protecting against cardiovascular disease

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) protect against cardiovascular disease by removing cholesterol from arterial macrophages. One important pathway involves HDL apolipoproteins, which remove cellular cholesterol and phospholipids by an active process mediated by a cell membrane protein termed ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC)A1. The interaction of apolipoproteins with ABCA1-expressing cells elicits several biological responses that coordinate removal of cellular lipids, including solubilizing membrane lipid domains, stabilizing ABCA1 protein and transducing signals. The apolipoprotein structural determinant responsible for all these activities is the amphipathic α-helix. Human and animal studies have shown that a reduced apolipoprotein supply and impaired macrophage ABCA1 activity are atherogenic. Metabolic factors associated with diabetes, the metabolic syndrome and inflammation can damage apolipoproteins and ABCA1, raising the possibility that impaired cholesterol removal from arterial cells contribut...
A Novel Power Saving Strategy for Greening IEEE 802.11 Based Wireless Networks

We propose a novel power saving strategy called Sleep during Neighbor-Addressed Frame (SNAF) for improving energy efficiency of IEEE 802.11 based wireless networks. IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) radios that employ SNAF mode can turn OFF their wireless transceivers (i.e., put radios in sleep mode) within specific periods of neighbor-addressed frames while they are being received. The sleep duration of transceivers is easy to determine with no loss of packet's critical control information. The proposed SNAF mode operation does not have any negative effect on network throughput and even complements Power Saving Mode (PSM) available in 802.11 standard. We further propose GreenFrame format for next generation wireless networks. In experiments conducted in wireless LAN scenarios, we observed savings as much as 57.8% when we implement SNAF mode in 802.11 standard and up to 49.5% when we implement SNAF mode in 802.11 PSM.
American Socialism and Social Biography

The past decade has seen renaissance of scholarship on the Socialist Party. Several important biographies have appeared or are in the works, while community and regional studies have provided a much clearer picture of the party in action at the local level. Scholars have also analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of social ism in the United States in relation to the issues of race and gender.1 Each of the books under review represents a different approach to the study of American social ism. Philip Foner and Sally Miller have assembled an important source book for students and scholars in their collection of Kate Richards O'Hare's speeches and writings. Bernard Brommel's work is a traditional biography published by the same venerable Chicago house that produced many of Debs's own works. Nick Salva tore's study of Debs, winner of Columbia University's prestigious Bancroft Award, is an example of a new hybrid species? "social biography"?a mixture of the new social history and scholarly biography. The Foner and Miller collection provides a valuable tool for teachers intro ducing students to the history of American radicalism. As a result of O'Hare's own broad interests and a judicious selection of documents, the book covers a broad range of issues from the point of view of an important woman leader of the Socialist Party.2 In their introduction Foner and Miller provide a brief overview of O'Hare's life and establish her ideological significance as an important link between the nineteenth century American reform tradition and the strong socialist movement of the early twentieth century. The documents are extensively annotated. The only flaw in the book's introduction is the curious assertion that the Socialist Party was based primarily on middle class, professional elements. While a comprehensive analysis of the party's social base is still badly needed, this generali
"Nursing as a way of thinking"--Heideggerian hermeneutical analysis of the lived experience of the returning RN.

Although RNs are returning for baccalaureate education in large numbers, little research has been conducted on their lived experience to identify what they deem significant about their schooling experiences. For this phenomenological study, returning RNs from three baccalaureate nursing programs (N = 15) participated in extended, nonstructured, audio-recorded interviews. Resulting verbatim transcripts were analyzed hermeneutically by a team of researchers using Heideggerian phenomenology as the philosophical background to identify common meanings, relational themes across texts, and finally, constitutive patterns expressing relationships between themes. The major finding of the research was the constitutive pattern “Nursing as a Way of Thinking.”
Holographically encoded microparticles - a flexible multiplex platform for bioassay applications

Glass filaments containing digital holographic codes are ideal substrates for multiplexed bioreactions. We describe a multiplex assay platform that provides for many hundreds of unique probes in a single well of a standard 96-well microplate.
Emerging adenosine receptor agonists -- an update

Adenosine receptors (ARs), the major targets of caffeine and theophylline, comprise four receptor subtypes designated as A(1), A(2A), A(2B) and A(3). Over a dozen AR agonists are currently in clinical trials for various conditions, including cardiac arrhythmias, neuropathic pain, myocardial perfusion imaging, cardiac ischemia, inflammatory diseases and cancer. Adenosine (nonselective), regadenoson (A(2A)) and dipyridamole (act indirectly via ARs) have received regulatory approval for clinical use. The present editorial will give a brief update on the current status of AR agonists in clinical trials.
No Shortcuts to the “End of History”

Going through a protracted period of transition since the end of the Cold War, the world order in the making is neither what was nor what it is yet to become. It is in “the middle of the future.” To get our bearings in this uncertain transition, we explore the two grand post-Cold War narratives—“The End of History” as posited by Francis Fukuyama and “The Clash of Civilizations” posited by the late Samuel Huntington. Mikhail Gorbachev looks back at his policies that brought the old order to collapse. The British philosopher John Gray critiques the supposed “universality” of liberalism and, with Homi Bhabha, sees a world of hybrid identities and localized cultures. The Singaporean theorist Kishore Mahbubani peels away the “veneer” of Western dominance. Amartya Sen, the economist and Nobel laureate, assesses whether democratic India or autocratic China is better at building “human capacity” in their societies.
Strain Echocardiographic Assessment of Ventricular Function after Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation

Introduction. Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is an emerging therapy for pulmonary valve dysfunction. Minimal data on the midterm effects of PPVI on ventricular function exist. We describe the effects of PPVI on right and left ventricular (RV, LV) function with speckle tracking echocardiography. Methods. Patients who met the inclusion criteria of the Food and Drug Administration Phase 1 Feasibility Clinical Trial PPVI were identified. Patients were studied with echocardiograms at baseline, post-PPVI (day of discharge), 3 months, and at 6 months. Patients were studied by cardiac magnetic resonance at baseline and at 6 months. Longitudinal strain was measured at the basal, mid, and apical portions of the RV, interventricular septum (IVS), and LV. Global RV and LV strain and strain rates were recorded. Paired t-tests were used for analysis. Results. Ten patients were analyzed: nine patients were a variant of tetralogy of Fallot and one patient had complex LV outflow obstruction requiring a Ross and RV-pulmonary atresia conduit. Mean age was 24.4 ± 7.6 years. Indication for PPVI was pulmonary regurgitation in six patients, stenosis in two patients, and stenosis/regurgitation in two patients. After PPVI, both RV systolic pressure and RV to pulmonary artery pressure gradient significantly decreased. Cardiac magnetic resonance RV end-diastolic volume significantly decreased. IVS-mid, IVS-apical, and LV-global strain significantly increased and RV-basal decreased immediately after PPVI. Global RV a' strain rate significantly increased immediately after PPVI. However, RV, IVS, and LV strain/strain rate values between baseline and the 6 month echocardiographic study were either similar or significantly decreased. Conclusion. Despite improvement in RV hemodynamics, there was a decrease or no improvement in RV and LV function as measured by strain echocardiographic values at midterm follow-up. Larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to determine if these results remain consistent.
Stimulation of Xenopus laevis Oocyte Maturation by Methyl-β-Cyclodextrin

The cholesterol-depleting drug methyl-b-cyclodextrin (Me-bCD) was tested for its effects on amphibian oocyte maturation, cholesterol depletion, and low-density membrane recovery. Progesterone-induced oocyte maturation was accelerated by pretreatment of cells with 5‐50 mM Me-b-CD in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of oocytes with 50 mM Me-b-CD alone was sufficient to induce germinal vesicle breakdown, stimulate formation of meiotic spindles, and stimulate phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase over time courses longer than those observed after progesterone treatment. After short-term (30 min) labeling of oocytes with [ 3 H]cholesterol, 30‐90 min of treatment with 5‐50 mM Me-b-CD removed 50%‐70% of cellassociated label, and cholesterol depletion was not observed with a-cyclodextrin. After long-term (20‐23 h) labeling of oocytes with [ 3 H]cholesterol, Me-b-CD treatment resulted in dosedependent cholesterol depletion in the 5‐50 mM range, and 50 mM Me-b-CD removed approximately 50% of cell-associated label after 9 h. Treatment of oocytes with 5‐50 mM Me-b-CD also decreased recovery of low-density membrane by detergentfree sucrose gradient centrifugation. These results implicate cholesterol and low-density membrane domains in the signaling mechanisms leading to germinal vesicle breakdown in amphibian oocytes. gametogenesis, meiosis, progesterone, signal transduction, steroid hormones
Authenticity matters more than intelligence and personality in predicting metacognition

Purpose – Metacognition – or learning how to learn – is an important competence in business and academic settings. The purpose of this paper is to examine individual difference predictors of metacognition, including two traditional (general mental ability (GMA), five-factor model (FFM) personality traits) ones, and a novel one, individual authenticity. Design/methodology/approach – Volunteers (n=243) were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with the respective statements on a seven-point Likert-type scale for GMA, FFM personality traits, and authenticity measures. Data were collected at different points in time to introduce psychological separation among the study measures. Findings – The authors found that while metacognition is not predicted by GMA, it is positively predicted by two of the five-factor model personality traits, conscientiousness, and extraversion. More importantly, the authors examined that individuals’ authenticity – in the form of (low) self-alienation – will enhance metacogn...
Uniaxial quasistatic and dynamic compressive response of foams made from hollow glass microspheres

This study investigates the effects of the size of hollow glass microspheres (20 μm vs. 40 μm) and composition on the energy absorption capacity of the silicate glass foams under both the quasistatic (∼10^(−3) s^(−1)) and high-strain rate (∼10^3 s^(−1)) loading conditions. These measurements revealed that while the size difference of the hollow glass microspheres and the foam composition have negligible effects on the uniaxial quasistatic response, their effects were significant under the dynamic loading conditions. The results suggest that the smaller glass microspheres (20 μm) dominated the dynamic behavior of the glass foams in comparison to the larger glass microspheres (40 μm), leading to a significant increase of the energy absorption capacity of the 20 μm-based glass foams at high-strain rates. Glass foams exhibited energy absorption capacity of about 54 kJ/kg under the dynamic loading that is greater in comparison to that of the typical metallic and syntactic foams.
Preoperative Stabilization of Infants With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Before Stage I Palliation

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a severe form of congenital heart disease that results in single-ventricle physiology. Although surgical palliation in infants with this syndrome is widely agreed on in practice, variation occurs in both surgical and medical management. Perinatal factors that affect preoperative management include the subtype of the syndrome and the patient's birth weight, gestational age, and genetic abnormalities. The general aspects of perioperative stabilization and management are monitoring, use of vasoactive infusions, ventilatory support, and nutrition. Management strategies for balancing single-ventricle physiology are aimed at addressing the 3 major causes of desaturation: diminished pulmonary blood flow, low mixed venous oxygen saturation, and pulmonary venous desaturation.
Abstract W P400: Headache at the Onset of Anterior versus Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke

Background: Past evidence suggests that there is a higher incidence of onset headache with posterior rather than anterior circulation stroke. We sought to further explore this connection in order to better understand the mechanisms underlying onset headache and to examine this symptom in relation to ischemic stroke. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 253 patients who presented to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2013 with ischemic stroke in either the anterior or posterior circulation. The significant difference between the incidence of onset headache in the anterior and posterior circulation territories was analyzed using a chi-squared test of independence. The frequency of onset headache was compared between the two groups, as well as between more specific locations within the posterior circulation and the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Results: A total of 48 (19%) of patients reported experiencing onset headache. Of those, 12 (25%) suffered a stroke in the anterior circulation...
Effect of rate of gland function on pH, viscosity, total solids, calcium, and magnesium in unstimulated parotid fluid.

SummaryParotid fluid was collected without exogenous stimulation from 309 healthy young adult males. Subjects with rates of flow less than 0.018 ml/min were excluded due to sample size requirements...
Predictors of asthma control: what can we modify?

Purpose of review One strategy to improve asthma control is to identify risk factors for uncontrolled asthma in epidemiologic studies and then consider those risk factors as potential targets for intervention. This article reviews predictors of impairment based on validated tools and predictors of severe asthma exacerbations. Recent findings Indirectly modifiable risk factors for poor asthma control include older age in adults, lower socioeconomic status, and poor perception of dyspnea. Modifiable risk factors for poor asthma control include allergy triggers, low adherence, comorbidities, absence of specialty care, and various aspects of asthma self-management education. Summary Intervention strategies are suggested for predictors that are directly or indirectly modifiable. It is hoped that attention to these factors will improve asthma control and reduce the burden of disease.
Characterization of soil/sediment micropores and their impacts on the sorption-desorption behavior of organic pollutants

Sorption to soils/sediments is an underlying process affecting the fate,transport,degradation and bioavailability of organic compounds in the environment.Soil/sediment micropores are an important factor influencing the slow sorption-desorption of these chemicals.As a result,it is essential to study and understand the soil pore structure and micropores.This article reviews recent research advances in the characterization of soil/sediment micropores and their impacts on the behavior of organic compounds,including the soil pore structure and existence forms of soil/sediment micropores,the characterization of soil/sediment micropores,the determination of pore size distribution,the dynamics and mechanisms of slow sorption-desorption,as well as the future research directions.This review will provide a valuable and fundamental basis for bioremediation of soils contaminated by organic compounds and for risk assessment.
The botulinum toxin LD50 potency assay - another chapter, another mystery.

Abstract Observers of the potency assay used for botulinum toxin were greeted last year with the news that one company had an alternative, non-animal alternative in place. But all was not as it seemed from the press release, and over a year later, information is still lacking.
Understanding migraine: Potential role of neurogenic inflammation

Neurogenic inflammation, a well-defined pathophysiologial process is characterized by the release of potent vasoactive neuropeptides, predominantly calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), and neurokinin A from activated peripheral nociceptive sensory nerve terminals (usually C and A delta-fibers). These peptides lead to a cascade of inflammatory tissue responses including arteriolar vasodilation, plasma protein extravasation, and degranulation of mast cells in their peripheral target tissue. Neurogenic inflammatory processes have long been implicated as a possible mechanism involved in the pathophysiology of various human diseases of the nervous system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, urogenital tract, and skin. The recent development of several innovative experimental migraine models has provided evidence suggestive of the involvement of neuropeptides (SP, neurokinin A, and CGRP) in migraine headache. Antidromic stimulation of nociceptive fibers of the trigeminal nerve resulted in a neurogenic inflammatory response with marked increase in plasma protein extravasation from dural blood vessels by the release of various sensory neuropeptides. Several clinically effective abortive antimigraine medications, such as ergots and triptans, have been shown to attenuate the release of neuropeptide and neurogenic plasma protein extravasation. These findings provide support for the validity of using animal models to investigate mechanisms of neurogenic inflammation in migraine. These also further strengthen the notion of migraine being a neuroinflammatory disease. In the clinical context, there is a paucity of knowledge and awareness among physicians regarding the role of neurogenic inflammation in migraine. Improved understanding of the molecular biology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology of neurogenic inflammation may provide the practitioner the context-specific feedback to identify the novel and most effective therapeutic approach to treatment. With this objective, the present review summarizes the evidence supporting the involvement of neurogenic inflammation and neuropeptides in the pathophysiology and pharmacology of migraine headache as well as its potential significance in better tailoring therapeutic interventions in migraine or other neurological disorders. In addition, we have briefly highlighted the pathophysiological role of neurogenic inflammation in various other neurological disorders.
How can careproviders most help patients during a disaster

This article reviews careproviders' most difficult emotional challenges during disasters and provides approaches for responding optimally to them. It describes key approaches that careproviders may pursue to best help patients and others during a catastrophe. It raises unanswered questions regarding when, if ever, careproviders should provide active euthanasia to patients who are incompetent, and when, if ever, careproviders should give their own food and water to patients or others who may otherwise soon die without them.
Parental care in the Cuatro Ciénegas cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi (Teleostei: Cichlidae)

Behavioral studies have often examined parental care by measuring phenotypic plasticity of behavior within a species. Phylogenetic studies have compared parental care among species, but only at broad categories (e.g., care vs. no care). Here we provide a detailed account that integrates phylogenetic analysis with quantitative behavioral data to better understand parental care behavior in the Cuatro Cienegas cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi. We found that H. minckleyi occurs in a clade of sexually monochromatic or weakly dichromatic monogamous species, but that male and female H. minckleyi have dramatically different reproductive coloration patterns, likely as a result of sexual selection. Furthermore, we found that males are polygynous; large males guard large territories, and smaller males may attempt alternative mating tactics (sneaking). Finally, compared to the closely related monogamous Rio Grande cichlid, H. cyanoguttatus, males of H. minckleyi were present at their nests less often and performed lower rates of aggressive offspring defense, and females compensated for the absence of their mates by performing higher levels of offspring defense. Body color, mating system, and parental care in H. minckleyi appear to have evolved after it colonized Cuatro Cienegas, and are likely a result of evolution in an isolated, stable environment.
Leveraging Propagation for Data Mining: Models, Algorithms and Applications

Can we infer if a user is sick from her tweet? How do opinions get formed in online forums? Which people should we immunize to prevent an epidemic as fast as possible? How do we quickly zoom out of a graph? Graphs---also known as networks---are powerful tools for modeling processes and situations of interest in real life domains of social systems, cyber-security, epidemiology, and biology. They are ubiquitous, from online social networks, gene-regulatory networks, to router graphs. This tutorial will cover recent and state-of-the-art research on how propagation-like processes can help big-data mining specifically involving large networks and time-series, algorithms behind network problems, and their practical applications in various diverse settings. Topics include diffusion and virus propagation in networks, anomaly and outbreak detection, event prediction and connections with work in public health, the web and online media, social sciences, humanities, and cyber-security.
Friends’ cultural orientation as a mediator between familial ethnic socialization and ethnic identity among Mexican-origin adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVES Research has indicated that ethnic identity protects ethnic minority youth on various indicators of adjustment, but there is a dearth of research pertaining to contextual influences on ethnic identity. Our study investigated how familial ethnic socialization and best friend's orientation toward Mexican culture influenced ethnic identity among Mexican-origin girls. METHOD Using a 3-wave longitudinal sample of 175 Mexican-origin adolescent girls (Mage = 13.75), the current study examined best friend's Mexican cultural orientation as a mediator between familial ethnic socialization and ethnic identity with structural equation modeling. Multigroup analyses were conducted to examine potential age and generational status differences within the model. RESULTS Analyses revealed that familial ethnic socialization promoted ethnic identity exploration and resolution 3.5 years later and that this effect was mediated by best friend's Mexican cultural orientation. No significant differences were found across age or generational status groups. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the contribution of peer context to ethnic identity and its role in the process by which familial ethnic socialization influences ethnic identity during adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record
A comparative experimental study of gas injection in shale plugs by flooding and huff-n-puff processes

Abstract The increase in U.S crude oil over the past decade have been primarily driven by tight and shale oil. With the high production decline rates in shale reservoirs, improved oil recovery techniques must be applied to maintain the oil recovery from existing wells. Gas injection has been investigated and demonstrated as the most effective solution to face such challenge. As gas can be injected into the subsurface by two modes: continuous injection (flooding) and cyclic injection (huff-n-puff), this study aims to compare the recovery efficiencies of such two processes in shale core plugs with ultra-low matrix permeability. Eagle Ford core samples were used in this study and saturated with shale oil. Using N2 as the gas source, gas injection tests were operated on the same plug orderly by both modes under the same operating conditions. The sensitivity of soaking time on the huff-n-puff performance was evaluated. Lab-scale numerical models were built to simulate flooding and huff-n-puff processes and to history match the experimental data. It was found that optimization design of huff-n-puff is important to achieve the maximum oil recovery. The results show that the huff-n-puff possess can achieve a higher oil recovery than the flooding process.
Descriptions of females (Emended), a male, and juveniles of Paralongidorus microlaimus (Nematoda: Longidoridae).

The male and juveniles of Paralongidorus microlaimus Siddiqi, 1964, are described and the female description emended. A key to the nominal species of the genus is given. Key Words: Taxonomy, Longidoridae.
Particle swarm based model exploitation for parameter estimation of wave realizations

Ocean wave energy farms are composed of several wave energy converter devices. The objective of each converter is to capture the potential and kinetic energy in rolling ocean waves and convert them into electricity. An important task in optimizing power delivery from ocean wave energy farms is short term prediction of incoming ocean waves. Accurate predictions enable predictive wave energy converter control, energy storage control, and condition monitoring. In a novel approach we estimate the parameters of regular ocean waves by exploiting the domain with particle swarm optimization. We estimate initial parameters, and use those as guides in the swarm to estimate better ones. Our approach yields highly accurate estimates of ocean wave parameters that are very close to the Cramer-Rao lower bound on estimating these parameters. Our approach of domain exploitation with particle swarm optimization is also superior to stand alone global optimization methods such as simulated annealing and genetic algorithm.
Compact, thermal-noise-limited reference cavity for ultra-low-noise microwave generation.

We demonstrate an easy-to-manufacture 25-mm-long ultra-stable optical reference cavity for transportable photonic microwave generation systems. Employing a rigid holding geometry that is first-order insensitive to the squeezing force and a cavity geometry that improves the thermal noise limit at room temperature, we observe a laser phase noise that is nearly thermal noise limited for three frequency decades (1 Hz to 1 kHz offset) and supports 10 GHz generation with phase noise near −100 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz offset and 600 Hz. The fractional frequency stability reaches 2×10−15 at 0.1 s of averaging.