cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caudal vertebral body fractures following lateral interbody fusion in nonosteoporotic patients.

Background: The minimally invasive lateral transpsoas approach for lumbar fusions has become increasingly popular. However, vertebral body fractures have been reported after this procedure, particularly in patients with osteoporosis and patients undergoing multilevel fusions. We evaluated the risk factors for caudal vertebral body fractures in 2 nonosteoporotic patients with single-level disease. Case Reports: Two patients presented with several years’ history of incapacitating chronic low back pain and intermittent radicular pain. Diagnostic imaging in both cases demonstrated grade 1 degenerative spondylolisthesis. The patients underwent a lateral transpsoas interbody fusion, with lateral plate fixation in 1 patient and standalone lateral fusion in the other. The operations were performed without any incidents and both patients experienced immediate symptom relief. Both patients returned several weeks later with excruciating low back pain, without any postoperative history of trauma or heavy lifting. Diagnostic imaging in both patients showed a coronal fracture of the inferior vertebral body. The patients underwent urgent revision surgery involving posterior supplementation with pedicle screw and rod constructs and posterolateral fusion. Conclusion: Caudal vertebral body fracture in patients with normal bone quality is a major potential complication after the minimally invasive lateral approach for lumbar fusions. Risk factors may include placement of a lateral plate, the size of the smaller anteroposterior cage, endplate violation, and oblique placement of the interbody cage.
Tris(trimethylsilyl) Phosphite

[1795-31-9] C9H27O3PSi3 (MW 298.60) InChI = 1S/C9H27O3PSi3/c1-14(2,3)10-13(11-15(4,5)6)12-16(7,8)9/h1-9H3 InChIKey = VMZOBROUFBEGAR-UHFFFAOYSA-N (preparation of bis(trimethylsilyl) phosphonate esters by the Arbuzov reaction with halogen-containing compounds or by the Abramov reaction with carbonyl compounds, followed by facile hydrolysis to the corresponding phosphonic acids, RP(O)(OH)2) Physical Data: bp 84 °C/5 mmHg,2 86.5 °C/18 mmHg,3 83–84 °C/16 mmHg,4 90–92 °C/16 mmHg,4 78–81 °C/8 mmHg; d 0.893 g cm−3. Form Supplied in: liquid; commercially available. Preparative Method: by silylation of anhydrous phosphorous acid (dried by repeated azeotropic evaporation of a solution in THF with dry benzene) with excess Chlorotrimethylsilane and excess Triethylamine in dimethoxyethane,2 toluene,3 or Et2O–THF,5 followed by evaporation of the solvent and vacuum distillation of the residue. The residue, which contains a mixture of tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite and bis(trimethylsilyl) phosphonate [HP(O)(OTMS)2], can also be heated with sodium (140 °C, 13–22 h), followed by vacuum distillation to obtain pure tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite.4 Purification: vacuum distill before use. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: extremely hygroscopic; use in a fume hood.
Evaluation criteria for pharmacoeconomic and health economic Internet resources.

The purpose of this paper is to present criteria for evaluating Internet sites and supply a selective sample of sites that may be useful in improving the transfer of information and diffusion of innovation in pharmacoeconomics and health economics. The nine criteria deal with the following: 1) Expertise – Qualified individuals should generate the information2) Confidentiality – All patient data should be confidential and protected3) Referencing – Information should be supported with proper citations4) Justification – Rigorous evidence should support the claims relating to benefits, risks and costs of any intervention or service5) Authorship – provided in the clearest manner with contact addresses6) Sponsorship – Support for sites should be clearly identified7) Advertising & Editorial Policy – Advertising should be distinguishable from other informational content8) Study Evaluation – should comply with the standard economic evaluation checklists 9) Generalizability – Sites should define their target countr...
Areal changes in mouse cortical barrels following vibrissal damage at different postnatal ages.

The normal cytoarchitectonic pattern of barrels in layer IV of mouse SmI face cortex is altered by early damage to the mystacial vibrissae (Van der Loos and Woolsey, '73). In the present study, the middle row of vibrissae (row-C) on one side of the face in groups of Swiss mice was cauterized on the day of birth (postnatal day [PND] – 1) or on PND's – 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 30; littermates in each group served as controls. All animals were perfused on PND-60 and the brains sectioned parallel to SmI layer IV. For each specimen, the posteromedial barrel subfields (PMBSF) of the two hemispheres were reconstructed with a camera lucida and the cross-sectional areas of individual barrels measured using a small computer. The findings are: (1) The hemispheres ipsilateral to the vibrissal damage are quantitatively indistinguishable from the littermate controls indicating that the ipsilateral hemispheres in lesioned animals can serve as controls for observations of the type reported in this paper. (2) There are no consistent differences in the cross-sectional areas of the PMBSF's as a whole in the hemispheres ipsi- and contralateral to the peripheral damage, suggesting that there is no net loss of cortex as a result of the lesions. (3) The contralateral row-C barrels are reduced in size. Expressed as a percentage of normal values; row-C is reduced to 17% for animals lesioned on PND-1, 16% on PND-2, 38% on PND-3, 52% on PND-4, and 79% on PND-5; on PND-7 and later the cross-sectional areas of row-C barrels are normal. This implies that the barrel field of the SmI face cortex becomes progressively refractory to the effects of peripheral damage during the first postnatal week and in the period prior to PND-6, an intact periphery is necessary for normal cortical development. (4) In every case, the decreased cross-sectional area of row-C is accompanied by precisely increased cross-sectional areas of the barrels in adjacent rows-B and D. In the case of the restricted peripheral damage which we produced, there is a “compensation” in the contralateral hemisphere, which can be correlated with patterns of the specific thalamocortical projections.
The impacts of Hurricane Wilma on the epiphytes of El Edén Ecological Reserve, Quintana Roo, Mexico1

Abstract Small and large-scale perturbations can have important impacts on a wide range of biota. Hurricanes are a dominant perturbation in tropical ecosystems. A 1500 ha seasonally dry tropical forest reserve in Quintana Roo, Mexico, was analyzed for epiphyte composition across different seral stages and forest types, including mature forest, tintal wetland area, and secondary vegetation. One-kilometer belt transects (6000 m2) were sampled in each forest type before and after Hurricane Wilma. The surveys revealed twenty three species of vascular epiphytes, primarily from the Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae families. Immediately following Wilma, fewer than half of previously recorded individuals were observed, while overall species composition differed little. The wetland area sustained losses of 64%, and the mature forest lost 28% of epiphyte individuals. However, the epiphyte communities in the wetland area contained greater than 50% of all observed individuals both before and after the hurricane, thus rep...
Visual Search Remains Efficient when Visual Working Memory is Full

Many theories of attention have proposed that visual working memory plays an important role in visual search tasks. The present study examined the involvement of visual working memory in search using a dual-task paradigm in which participants performed a visual search task while maintaining no, two, or four objects in visual working memory. The presence of a working memory load added a constant delay to the visual search reaction times, irrespective of the number of items in the visual search array. That is, there was no change in the slope of the function relating reaction time to the number of items in the search array, indicating that the search process itself was not slowed by the memory load. Moreover, the search task did not substantially impair the maintenance of information in visual working memory. These results suggest that visual search requires minimal visual working memory resources, a conclusion that is inconsistent with theories that propose a close link between attention and working memory.
The etiology of criminal onset: The enduring salience of nature and nurture

Based on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the current study was the first to use measures of genetic polymorphisms (DRD2 and DRD4) to empirically examine the onset of crime. Net of the effects of race, age, gender, and low self-control, genetic polymorphisms explained variation in police contacts and arrest, but only among youths in low risk family environments. Moreover, youths with genetic risk factors experienced a later onset than youths without these risk factors. Borrowing from the behavioral and molecular genetics literatures, various interpretations of the findings are discussed as well as a call for increasingly interdisciplinary perspectives in criminology that encompass both sociological and biosocial frameworks.
Utility of rapid intraoperative parathyroid hormone assay to predict severe postoperative hypocalcemia after reoperation for hyperparathyroidism

Background. Patients undergoing reoperative parathyroidectomy may develop severe transient or permanent hypoparathyroidism. This study's purpose was to determine the utility of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IO-PTH) values in predicting the development of severe hypocalcemia for patients undergoing reoperation for primary hyperparathyroidism. Methods. Between March 1999 and October 2001, 68 patients with persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism underwent reoperation using IO-PTH measurements. The maximum percent decrease and lowest actual PTH value obtained at surgery were compared to determine any correlation with the development of postoperative hypocalcemia requiring supplementation. Results. Of 68 patients, 25 required calcium and calcitriol postoperatively and 43 did not. There was a significant difference between the 2 groups with respect to lowest IO-PTH value (18.4 ± 2.6 vs 28.0 ± 3.9 pg/mL; P =.02), percent decrease in IO-PTH (89% ± 1% vs 80% ± 3%; P =.03), and lowest postoperative ionized calcium (1.06 ± 0.01 vs 1.19 ± 0.01 mmol/L; P <.001). A percent decrease in IO-PTH of 84% or greater was found to be predictive of patients experiencing hypocalcemia requiring supplementation with a positive predictive value of 46% and a negative predictive value of 82%. Conclusions. Although a maximum percent decrease in IO-PTH of 84% or greater was associated with an increased incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia requiring supplementation in the 68-patient cohort, on further analysis the association was significant only for patients with multiglandular disease and not those with single adenomas. This value may be useful for identifying patients who will need closer postoperative monitoring or prophylactic supplementation. (Surgery 2002;132:1028-34.)
Diversity and Becoming: Implications of Human Existence as Coexistence

Better ways of understanding and working with human diversity are needed in the healthcare and human service disciplines. Nursing, as the discipline that cares for whole persons throughout their lives and meets people where they are, is ideally suited to provide leadership to this effort. In this column, the author explores human diversity by explicating human existence as coexistence, with implications for nursing. The author locates his worldview within the human becoming school of thought. Human diversity and human existence as coexistence are explored within this context, with implications for nursing as a discipline identified. Ideas that are crucial in the explication of human existence as coexistence are difference, imagination, creativity, and wholeness.
Rating Verbal Communication Impairment in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders

Audio recordings of interviews with 42 psychiatric patients (10 schizophrenic, 11 manic, 11 schizoaffective, and 10 depressive patients) and 10 hospitalized orthopedic patients were rated for the presence of verbal communication impairment using the system developed by Andreasen. The definitions of some categories required additional qualifying statements before agreement could be reached on their meaning and applicability in specific circumstances. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the scales can be used reliably by carefully trained, nonprofessional raters. Significant differences were found between diagnostic groups with regard to the frequency and severity of some categories of communication impairment, but the general pattern of results supports previous suggestions that these problems are not pathognomonic of schizophrenia. Based on our experience, we suggest a few changes that might be helpful to other investigators, both in the procedures used for obtaining samples of speech and the definitions of subcategories of verbal communication impairment.
Cross-Cultural Research: Are Researchers Better Served by Knowing Respondents’ Country of Birth, Residence, or Citizenship?

With the continued growth in global tourism, an increasing number of scholars are incorporating national culture as a key variable in their research. However, researchers confront a fundamental methodological issue: Should they be concerned with their respondents’ national culture of birth, residence, or citizenship? Drawing from a database composed of 847 international travelers whose country of birth, place of residence, and national citizenship differed, this study replicated two recent studies to ascertain which measure best explained traveler attitudes and behaviors. Results indicate that assigning participants’ national culture measures based on their country of residence provides researchers a more robust means to account for cultural differences than does either country of birth or country of citizenship.
Collection of aerosol particles by a conducting sphere in an external electric field—continuum regime approximation

The collection of charged aerosol particles by a charged conducting sphere in a uniform electric field is theoretically investigated. Continuum regime is considered and particle concentration is assumed to be described by the convective diffusion equation. Analytical solutions satisfying boundary conditions for different regions are obtained. These solutions include the simultaneous effects of Brownian motion, static charges, and external electric field. Some numerical results are presented. It is also shown that these solutions can be reduced to various limiting cases where some effects are absent.
Validation of stochastic traffic flow model with microscopic traffic simulation

Traffic congestion in urban areas is posing many challenges, and a traffic flow model that accurately predicts traffic conditions can be useful in responding to them. With the limitation of infrastructure and the difficulty for real world experiment, traffic simulation is a good tool for the validation and future potential applications of the traffic flow model. This research presents a stochastic traffic flow model which uses a stochastic partial differential equation to describe the evolution of traffic flow on the highway. The stochastic model is calibrated and validated by real traffic data on a highway and is proved to have better predictive power than the deterministic model. Also, a microscopic traffic simulation is built and calibrated by the same highway data, and the validation result shows that the simulation is capable of representing the real traffic. By using traffic simulation to further explore the capability of the stochastic model, the validation demonstrated that the prediction works well at most locations, and the interpolation error may be improved by considering the influence of ramps and the change in the number of lanes.
Does Timing of Colon Procedures Affect Outcomes in D-IBS Trials?

Background: Sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy is usually performed prior to enrollment into clinical trials of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Two main reasons are to rule out alternative diagnoses and to ensure that colitis is not present. However, the possible impact of a recent versus remote colon procedure on symptoms in IBS trials has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of timing of colon procedures on symptoms in IBS trials. Methods: Post hoc analyses were conducted using placebo patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS in a phase 2 trial. Pain, frequency, consistency, and urgency were analyzed using repeated measures models during the first 7 days of treatment and over the entire 12-week treatment period. Results: Fifty-two placebo patients were grouped by whether they had a colon exam performed between screening and randomization (Group 1) or had a normal colon procedure during the 3 years prior to screening for this trial (Group 2). Average screening symptom scores were comparable between the two groups. Evaluation of various symptoms showed that there were no consistent significant differences between the two groups in pain, frequency, consistency, or urgency. Conclusions: After the required 3-day post-procedure recovery period, there was no evidence that colonoscopy timing affected subsequent IBS symptoms. doi:10.4021/gr238e
The Effectiveness of the ASOS, MMTS, Gill, and CRS Air Temperature Radiation Shields

Abstract Periodic upgrades of air temperature measurement systems in surface weather station networks cause data discontinuities. From a climatological viewpoint, it is necessary to evaluate the air temperature data discontinuities when air temperature radiation shields are upgraded. This study was undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of four common air temperature radiation shields including the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), the Maximum–Minimum Temperature System (MMTS), the Gill, and the Cotton Region Shelter (CRS) shields. The solar radiation shielding effectiveness for each shield under typical grass ground surface and different artificial surfaces (black, white, and aluminum) were investigated. The shield effectiveness was evaluated by measuring the interior solar irradiance and the inner surface temperatures of radiation shields. Parabolic curves describe the fraction of solar radiation entering shields, which increased as the solar reflectivity of the underlying surface increase...
Organ shape in the Drosophila salivary gland is controlled by regulated, sequential internalization of the primordia

During Drosophila development, the salivary primordia are internalized to form the salivary gland tubes. By analyzing immuno-stained histological sections and scanning electron micrographs of multiple stages of salivary gland development, we show that internalization occurs in a defined series of steps, involves coordinated cell shape changes and begins with the dorsal-posterior cells of the primordia. The ordered pattern of internalization is critical for the final shape of the salivary gland. In embryos mutant for huckebein (hkb), which encodes a transcription factor, or faint sausage (fas), which encodes a cell adhesion molecule, internalization begins in the center of the primordia, and completely aberrant tubes are formed. The sequential expression of hkb in selected cells of the primordia presages the sequence of cell movements. We propose that hkb dictates the initial site of internalization, the order in which invagination progresses and, consequently, the final shape of the organ. We propose that fas is required for hkb-dependent signaling events that coordinate internalization.
The cost of alcohol and its corresponding taxes in the U.S.: a massive public subsidy of excessive drinking and alcohol industries.

n an invaluable update using a standard cost-of- illness approach, Bouchery et al. 1 estimated the fi- nancial impact of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S. for 2006, the most recent year for which data were available. The results ($223.5 billion or $746 per capita that year) are staggering and exceed the costs of the other leading preventable causes of death in the U.S., including cigarette smoking and physical inactivity. This is partly because excessive alcohol consumption involves many second-hand or external costs (i.e., costs that are incurred by those other than the consumers, sellers, or producers of alcohol) and because many alcohol-related outcomes begin at relatively young ages, which results in large future productivity losses and prolonged or recur- rent expenditures related to health care and the criminal justice system. Although this method is not the only way to estimate the cost of public health problems, it is commonly used and generally accepted. The method is conservative in that it does not include costs related to pain and suffering, which can account for more than half of the costs in studies where this is valued using a willingness-to-pay
Developmental effect of polyamine depletion in Caenorhabditis elegans

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) catalyses the conversion of ornithine to putrescine, an obligate precursor to the polyamines spermidine and spermine. We reported previously that homozygous odc-1 (pc13) worms have no detectable ODC activity. Despite their inability to make polyamines, these mutant worms appear normal, but with a slight reduction in total brood size, when grown in complex medium that presumably contains polyamines. We now show that when ODC-deficient worms are transferred to polyamine-free medium, they show a strong phenotype. odc-1 worms have two different fates, depending upon the developmental stage at which polyamines are removed. If the polyamines are removed at the L1 larval stage, the mutant animals develop into adult hermaphrodites that produce very few or no eggs. In contrast, if mutant larvae at the later L4 stage of development are transferred to polyamine-deficient medium, they develop and lay eggs normally. However, approx. 90% of the eggs yield embryos that, although well differentiated, arrest at early stage 3. Either maternal or zygotic expression of ODC provides partial rescue of embryonic lethality. Supplementing deficient medium with the polyamine spermidine allows ODC-deficient worms to develop as on complex medium. Together, these findings suggest that ODC activity is most critically required during oogenesis and embryogenesis and, furthermore, that exogenous polyamines can override the requirement for ODC activity.
Effect of vocal fold asymmetries on glottal flow

Objectives/Hypothesis Voice disorders, such as unilateral vocal fold paralysis or paresis, and vocal fold scarring feature structural asymmetries of the vocal folds. Studies on how structural asymmetries affect voice has mostly been limited to computational simulations and experiments on mechanical models. The purpose of the current study is to examine the effects of asymmetries in left–right position, height, and length of the vocal folds on the intraglottal flow characteristics, as well as acoustics in the canine larynx model. Study Design Basic science. Methods Measurements of intraglottal flow velocity fields were taken in excised canine larynges using particle image velocimetry. Asymmetries of the vocal folds are induced by translating the vocal processes in space using a prong apparatus connected to a micrometer. Results Asymmetries in length height and abduction produced a reduction in the intraglottal vortices strength and subsequently the glottal efficiency. Conclusion Current findings can affect future recommendations for surgical interventions that are used to treat unilateral vocal fold paralysis. Level of Evidence N/A. Laryngoscope, 2016
STUDIES ON ANTIGENICITY. THE EFFECT OF SUCCINYLATION OF EPSILON-AMINO GROUPS ON ANTIGENICITY OF BENZYLPENICILLOYL-POLY-L-LYSINE CONJUGATES IN RANDOM-BRED AND IN STRAIN 2 GUINEA PIGS.

SummaryThe antigenicities of various benzylpenicilloyl-poly-L-lysine (B PO-PLL) conjugates were compared in random bred and in strain 2 guinea pigs. Lightly coupled BPO-PLL conjugates were antigeni...
Solventless fabrication of porous-on-porous materials.

Here we fabricate patterned porous polymer membranes on porous substrates by a combination of physical masking and chemical vapor deposition. This all-dry technique eliminates solvent-related issues and allows for the fabrication of hierarchical porous-on-porous structures with a wide range of chemical compositions and shapes. The porous polymer membranes are made by operating at unconventional processing conditions to simultaneously deposit and polymerize monomer. The solid monomer serves as a porogen and creates microstructures around which polymer forms. Membranes with thicknesses ranging from a few hundred micrometers to a millimeter are fabricated on porous paper substrates. The resolution of the patterning process and the structure of the resulting membranes are analyzed as a function of the deposition time. It was found that the patterned membranes exhibit a tapered structure and the dimensions are in good agreement with the dimensions of the mask. One potential application of these patterned polym...
Short answer question case series: noisy breathing in an adult.

A 55-year-old male with a history of hypertension and peripheral vascular disease presents to the emergency department with a complaint of ‘noisy breathing.’ Two days prior to presentation, he began experiencing cough, subjective fever and a sore throat. His symptoms gradually worsened, developing into difficulty tolerating oral secretions and increased work of breathing. He is able to speak with a muffled voice and denies rash or recent changes in medication. He is currently taking amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, aspirin and simvastatin. His vaccination status is unknown. On examination, the patient is in moderate respiratory distress. His vitals signs show a heart rate of 111 beats/min, blood pressure of 111/71 mm Hg, respiratory rate of 17 breaths/min, temperature of 37.4 C and a pulse oximetry of 100%. Examination reveals notable stridor, a hoarse voice and tenderness over the anterior neck. His oral pharynx is clear. A lateral soft tissue neck x-ray is obtained (figure 1). Figure 1 Lateral neck x-ray. 1. Before looking at the x-ray, what is your differential diagnosis? 2. What does the x-ray demonstrate? 3. After looking at …
Preparation and Properties of Magnetic Sensitive PVA/Fe_2O_3 Hydrogel

A series of Fe2O3 magnetic-sensitive polyvinly-alcohol(PVA) hydrogels were fabricated using freezing-thawing method,focusing on the mechanical properties,swelling characteristics and magnetic sensibility.The results showed that 1% Fe2O3/PVA hydrogel had the best mechanical properties,swelling rate and loss rate of the poly(vinly alcohol) hydrogel were decreased with the increasing of the magnetic particles content,the change tendency was similar,cross-linking was increased with swelling performance decreasing.PVA and Fe2O3 had better compatibility from the SEM image.Under the 3000 Oe magnetic field strength,water hydrogel reached saturation,showing a strong paramagnetism,and hydrogel had more hysteresis loss,showing that its magnetic susceptibility was better.
Partial Life History of Chrysodeixis includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Summer Hosts.

The soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major defoliating pest of soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in Louisiana. However, other alternate host crops in the agroecosystem have the potential to impact C. includens populations. Life table statistics of C. includens on four host plants were evaluated. C. includens larvae were fed leaves of three cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. cultivars 'DP 143 B2RF,' 'DP 174 RF,' and 'PHY 485 WRF'; cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers 'California Blackeye'; three soybean cultivars 'Lyon,' 'PI 227687,' and 'RC 4955'; and sweetpotato Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lamarck 'Evangeline.' All C. includens larvae reared on cotton cultivars DP 143 B2RF and PHY 485 WRF experienced 100% mortality during the first instar. Total developmental period of preadult C. includens was significantly shorter on cotton DP 174 RF and cowpea California Blackeye but longer on sweetpotato Evangeline. Sweetpotato Evangeline had the highest amount of leaf tissue consumed and soybean Lyon had the least. Pupal weight was highest when insects fed on cotton DP 174 RF and lowest on soybean PI 227687. Life table statistics showed that the highest intrinsic rate of increase and net reproductive rate were attained when insects were reared on cotton DP 174 RF and cowpea California Blackeye whilst the lowest were recorded on soybean PI 227687. This study provides valuable information on the role of alternative host crops on the partial life history of C. includens in Louisiana agroecosystems.
Management of Acute Migraine in Children

The management of acute pediatric migraine headaches in the pediatric emergency department (ED) and in a mixed pediatric and adult ED was compared at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Oxcarbazepine Adjunctive Therapy for Partial Seizures

The safety and efficacy of oxcarbazepine (OXC) as adjunctive therapy for refractory partial seizures were evaluated in 267 patients in a multicenter (47 centers in 8 countries; Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, and the USA), randomized, placebo-controlled trial, and reported from the Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH.
Geographic Distribution of Temnothorax allardycei (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

ABSTRACT Temnothorax allardycei (Mann) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a rarely encountered ant known only from the Bahamas and South Florida. I found a total of only 24 site records of T. allardycei, six in the Bahamas and 22 in South Florida. Temnothorax allardycei nests in plant cavities, notably in dead vines and dead stems of sawgrass, Cladium jamaicense (Cranz). All records of T. allardycei for which I have habitat data came from relatively intact natural areas, a pattern that suggests that this species is native to both the Bahamas and South Florida.
Circulating Tumor DNA: Measurement and Clinical Utility

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a component of the "naked" DNA found in blood. It can be isolated from plasma and represents combined genetic material from the primary tumor and metastases. Quantitative and qualitative information about a cancer, including mutations, can be derived using digital polymerase chain reaction and other technologies. This "liquid biopsy" is quicker and more easily repeated than tissue biopsy, yields real-time information about the cancer, and may suggest therapeutic options. All stages of cancer therapy have the ability to benefit from ctDNA, starting with screening for cancer before it is clinically apparent. During treatment of metastatic disease, it is useful to predict response and monitor disease progression. Currently, ctDNA is used in the clinic to select patients who may benefit from epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer. In the future, ctDNA technology promises useful applications in every part of clinical oncology care.
Parasite Polyamines as Pharmaceutical Targets

There is an urgent need for the identification and validation of new therapeutic targets in protozoan parasites because currently available drugs are limited in number and usefulness, and no vaccines are available. The discovery that alpha-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis, is an efficacious treatment for African Sleeping Sickness caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, has validated the polyamine pathway as a target in protozoan parasites. Polyamines are ubiquitous organic cations that play critical roles in key cellular processes such as growth, differentiation, and macromolecular biosynthesis. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the characterization of the polyamine pathway in a variety of protozoan parasites and this review will highlight surprising and unique features that could lead to new therapeutic strategies.
Loss Functions for Predicted Click-Through Rates in Auctions for Online Advertising

Summary We characterize the optimal loss functions for predicted click-through rates in auctions for online advertising. Whereas standard loss functions such as mean squared error or log likelihood severely penalize large mispredictions while imposing little penalty on smaller mistakes, a loss function reflecting the true economic loss from mispredictions imposes significant penalties for small mispredictions and only slightly larger penalties on large mispredictions. We illustrate that when the model is misspecified using such a loss function can improve economic efficiency, but the efficiency gain is likely to be small.
Abstract #2504: G\#945;15/16, promotes cellular invasion and migration via the small GTP-binding protein, Rho C

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO Heterotrimeric G-proteins play diverse roles in cellular signaling and have recently been shown to regulate cellular motility and invasion via activation of the Rho GTPases, specifically through G\#945;12/13 and Gq subunits. The Rho GTPases comprise a subfamily of the Ras Superfamily of monomeric G-proteins, which act as molecular switches to regulate reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. One member of the Rho subfamily, RhoC GTPase, is overexpressed and specifically implicated in metastasis of many tumor types. However, the molecular mechanisms by which RhoC is activated during metastasis have not been demonstrated. During a cDNA microarray screen of laser capture microdissected patient samples, normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cells were compared with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Expression of the Gq class heterotrimeric G-protein, G\#945;15/16, was found to be expressed 13- and 3-fold over normal and pancreatitis, respectively in the adenocarcinomas. In the current study we examined whether this unique Gq protein could activate RhoC GTPase. As proof-of-principal we transfected NIH3T3 cells with constitutively active or dominant negative G\#945;15/16, either alone or with a wild-type RhoC GTPase. We observed changes in cell morphology and a significant increase in RhoC-mediated invasion and migration in the cells expressing constitutively active G\#945;15/16. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 2504.
Immune profiling of oral pre-malignant lesions (OPLs): An Erlotinib Prevention of Oral Cancer (EPOC) study biobank analysis.

1545Background: We previously demonstrated that high-risk loss of heterozygosity (LOH) profiles (i.e., 3p14/9p21 LOH) and EGFR gene copy number gain (CNG) in OPLs were associated with inferior oral...
Modern Nuclear Fuel Cycles

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle describes the entire process followed to convert uranium or thorium ore to its useful state in nuclear power reactors, and its ultimate and current disposal. The cycle has been followed since the 1960s to produce electrical power safely, and without emissions of environmentally endangering carbon gases.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Current Concepts and Treatment Options

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) refers to a chronic pain condition that is characterized by progressively worsening spontaneous regional pain without dermatomal distribution. The symptomatology includes pain out of proportion in time and severity to the inciting event. The purpose of this review is to present the most current information concerning epidemiology, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and therapy for CRPS. In recent years, discovery of pathophysiologic mechanisms of CRPS has led to significant strides in the understanding of the disease process. Continued elucidation of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms will allow for the development of more targeted and effective evidence-based therapy protocols. Further large clinical trials are needed to investigate mechanisms and treatment of the disorder.
Author response: Visual discrimination training improves Humphrey perimetry in chronic cortically induced blindness

We thank Drs. Wall and Schiefer for the comment on our article.1 While we agree that Humphrey visual fields (HVFs) are not perfect tests, they remain the clinical gold standard for measuring visual defects in hemianopia. There are several problems with Drs. Wall and Schiefer's statements. First, a shift in attention does not automatically cause a shift in fixation, as addressed in the extensive literature on covert visual attention,2 and whose manipulation we are pursuing actively in NIH-funded work to enhance visual recovery in hemianopic fields. Second, while 24-2 HVFs have a resolution of 6°, the 10-2 HVFs have a resolution of 2°. As stated in our article,1 we combined and interpolated these 2 tests and the 2 eyes algorithmically, creating maps with a resolution of 0.1° squared. Because these maps were formed from the averaging and interpolation of 4 separate fields, any small spontaneous fixation shift would have had to occur consistently 4 separate times for locations within the inner 10°, and twice for locations greater than 10° from fixation. Moreover, we excluded patients with abnormal false-positive, false-negative, and fixation loss rates and our 10-2 short-term fluctuations were approximately 2 dB.1 Ultimately, our inclusion of untrained patients provided the best evidence that recovery seen in trained patients was not due to test-retest variability or learning to perform better on the test. Only participants with improved HVFs had improved psychophysical performance under strict fixation-controlled conditions enforced binocularly using an Eyelink1000 eye tracker with superior spatial and temporal resolution.1 It was precisely to address the types of criticisms raised by Drs. Wall and Schiefer that we proposed a new approach to collecting and analyzing HVFs, while rigorously controlling for drifts in fixation, whether attention-induced or otherwise.
Relaxed support vector regression

Datasets with outliers pose a serious challenge in regression analysis. In this paper, a new regression method called relaxed support vector regression (RSVR) is proposed for such datasets. RSVR is based on the concept of constraint relaxation which leads to increased robustness in datasets with outliers. RSVR is formulated using both linear and quadratic loss functions. Numerical experiments on benchmark datasets and computational comparisons with other popular regression methods depict the behavior of our proposed method. RSVR achieves better overall performance than support vector regression (SVR) in measures such as RMSE and $$R^2_{adj}$$ while being on par with other state-of-the-art regression methods such as robust regression (RR). Additionally, RSVR provides robustness for higher dimensional datasets which is a limitation of RR, the robust equivalent of ordinary least squares regression. Moreover, RSVR can be used on datasets that contain varying levels of noise.
Spatial and Temporal Confined Photothermolysis of Cancer Cells Mediated by Hollow Gold Nanospheres Targeted to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors

To date, a few studies have investigated the potential use of a short-pulsed laser in selective tumor cell destruction or its mechanism of cell killing. Computer simulation of the spatial and temporal profiles of temperature elevation after pulsed laser irradiation on an infinitesimal point source estimated that the temperature reached its highest point at ∼35 ns after a single 15 ns laser pulse. Moreover, temperature elevation was confined to a radius of sub-micrometer and returned to baseline within 100 ns. To investigate the effect of 15 ns laser pulses on A431 tumor cells, we conjugated hollow gold nanospheres (HAuNSs) to an antibody (C225) directed at the epithelial growth factor receptor. The resulting nanoparticles, C225-HAuNSs, bound to the cell membrane, internalized, and distributed throughout the cytoplasm, with some nanoparticles transported to the vicinity of the nuclear membrane. On using an optical microscope mounted to a tunable pulsed Ti:sapphire laser, rapid and extensive damage of live ...
Transplantation of Myelinating Cells into the Central Nervous System

Transplantation of myelinating cells into the central nervous system (CNS) has two major applications, firstly as an experimental approach to study the development and cellular interactions of these cells following their transplantation, and secondly to test their ability to myelinate axons in the recipient animal. As Bjorklund1 stated, neural transplantation is an experimental tool with clinical possibilities. Using transplantation strategies, it is possible to test the abilities of different glial cell preparations to migrate, divide, mature, and finally myelinate axons. Such strategies are also being used to test the ability of transplanted oligodendrocytes or Schwann cells to repair focal or multi-focal areas of loss of myelin, or achieve global repair in dysmyelinating states. Current data documenting extensive myelin formation following transplantation of glial cells, 2–5 suggests that such an approach may have an important future therapeutic role in human myelin disorders. The recent functional successes with transplantation of human fetal dopaminergic neurons into the brains of patients with spontaneous and drug-induced Parkinson’s disease,6,7 and similar rodent tissue into experimental models of Parkinson’s,8 augurs well for the potential use of glia, although the scale of repair required in multi-focal or diffuse myelin disease, provides additional challenges.
Recovery from Numerical Instability during Basis Reinversion

Most of the preassigned pivot agenda algorithms that extend the Hellerman-Rarick P3 algorithm assume that the input matrix is nonsingular. Due to numerical instability, this assumption may be violated and these algorithms fail. We present a modification of the P3 algorithm which includes a procedure to recover from this type of numerical instability. The recovery procedure is integrated into P3 in such a way that all previous work can be maintained and it reduces the likelihood that additional recovery will be required.
Expanding the Capabilities of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Scanning probe microscopes allow unprecedented views of surfaces and the site-specific interactions and dynamics of adsorbates. Our efforts to identify and to characterize atoms and molecules on surfaces and how it is that the scanning tunneling microscope images these surfaces and adsorbates will be discussed. We have extended the capabilities of scanning probe microscopes in several ways; two in particular will be highlighted. In the first section, recent advances in tunable microwave frequency scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) allow dopant profiling at unprecedented resolution will be presented. We apply nonlinear tunable microwave frequency scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to profiling dopants at ultrahigh resolution in semiconductors that is sensitive to both dopant type and density. We are then able to use a spectroscopic imaging mode to map the dopant density at the atomic scale. In the second part of this chapter, advanced image processing techniques that extend the scientific capabilities of STM will be presented. A digital image tracking algorithm based on Fourier-transform crosscorrelation has been developed to correct for instrumental drift in scanning tunneling microscope images. This tracking algorithm was used to monitor conductance changes associated with different conformations in conjugated switching molecules and to trace the diffusion of individual benzene molecules on silver.
Conversation and Collective Belief

This article proposes that paradigmatic conversations involve the development of a collective cognitive profile of the parties. This occurs through the negotiation of a series of collective beliefs. Collective beliefs are constituted by commitments that are joint in a sense that is explained. The parties to any joint commitment have associated rights and obligations. This helps to entrench a given collective belief once established. Even when interlocutors do not manage to negotiate a collective belief whose content has explicitly been specified, they are likely to establish one or more associated implicit collective beliefs. This supports the idea of a conversation as a collective activity whose stages are marked by the development of a relatively stable collective cognitive profile of the parties. This idea is briefly related to some of the existing literature on conversation, including classic articles by Stalnaker and Lewis on presupposition and conversational score.
An introduction to operator algebras

An Introduction to Operator Algebras is a concise text/reference that focuses on the fundamental results in operator algebras. Results discussed include Gelfand's representation of commutative C*-algebras, the GNS construction, the spectral theorem, polar decomposition, von Neumann's double commutant theorem, Kaplansky's density theorem, the (continuous, Borel, and L8) functional calculus for normal operators, and type decomposition for von Neumann algebras. Exercises are provided after each chapter.
Confusion and frustration as catalysts for change: ‘rich points’ in multicultural education

ABSTRACTDespite compelling need for transformational approaches to multiculturalism, the measures in place at many schools may be works in progress. Based on twelve months of fieldwork at the secon...
Development and Characterization of a Rabbit Model of Compromised Maxillofacial Wound Healing.

Background: Tissue engineering technologies aiming to enhance maxillofacial wound healing are often tested in vivo in preclinical models that do not necessarily reflect the complexity of the clinic...
Disposition toward privacy and information disclosure in the context of emerging health technologies.

Author(s): Schairer, Cynthia E; Cheung, Cynthia; Kseniya Rubanovich, Caryn; Cho, Mildred; Cranor, Lorrie Faith; Bloss, Cinnamon S | Abstract: ObjectiveWe sought to present a model of privacy disposition and its development based on qualitative research on privacy considerations in the context of emerging health technologies.Materials and methodsWe spoke to 108 participants across 44 interviews and 9 focus groups to understand the range of ways in which individuals value (or do not value) control over their health information. Transcripts of interviews and focus groups were systematically coded and analyzed in ATLAS.ti for privacy considerations expressed by respondents.ResultsThree key findings from the qualitative data suggest a model of privacy disposition. First, participants described privacy related behavior as both contextual and habitual. Second, there are motivations for and deterrents to sharing personal information that do not fit into the analytical categories of risks and benefits. Third, philosophies of privacy, often described as attitudes toward privacy, should be classified as a subtype of motivation or deterrent.DiscussionThis qualitative analysis suggests a simple but potentially powerful conceptual model of privacy disposition, or what makes a person more or less private. Components of privacy disposition are identifiable and measurable through self-report and therefore amenable to operationalization and further quantitative inquiry.ConclusionsWe propose this model as the basis for a psychometric instrument that can be used to identify types of privacy dispositions, with potential applications in research, clinical practice, system design, and policy.
Timely, Transcendent, and Alive: Trinity in Jenson’s Understanding of the God–World Relation:

Robert W. Jenson conceives of the God-world relation through a temporally inclusive idea of God that many critics find objectionable. Central to Jenson’s proposal is that God precedes the history t...
The Timing of Corticosteroid Injections following Knee Arthroscopy Influence Infection Risk

Objectives:Although some surgeons will offer an intra-articular corticosteroid injection to accelerate post-operative recovery and decrease inflammation and swelling following knee arthroscopy, the...