cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic variation in a member of the laminin gene family affects variation in body composition in Drosophila and humans

The objective of the present study was to map candidate loci influencing naturally occurring variation in triacylglycerol (TAG) storage using quantitative complementation procedures in Drosophila melanogaster. Based on our results from Drosophila, we performed a human population-based association study to investigate the effect of natural variation in LAMA5 gene on body composition in humans. We identified four candidate genes that contributed to differences in TAG storage between two strains of D. melanogaster, including Laminin A (LanA), which is a member of the α subfamily of laminin chains. We confirmed the effects of this gene using a viable LanA mutant and showed that female flies homozygous for the mutation had significantly lower TAG storage, body weight, and total protein content than control flies. Drosophila LanA is closely related to human LAMA5 gene, which maps to the well-replicated obesity-linkage region on chromosome 20q13.2-q13.3. We tested for association between three common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human LAMA5 gene and variation in body composition and lipid profile traits in a cohort of unrelated women of European American (EA) and African American (AA) descent. In both ethnic groups, we found that SNP rs659822 was associated with weight (EA: P = 0.008; AA: P = 0.05) and lean mass (EA: P= 0.003; AA: P = 0.03). We also found this SNP to be associated with height (P = 0.01), total fat mass (P = 0.01), and HDL-cholesterol (P = 0.003) but only in EA women. Finally, significant associations of SNP rs944895 with serum TAG levels (P = 0.02) and HDL-cholesterol (P = 0.03) were observed in AA women. Our results suggest an evolutionarily conserved role of a member of the laminin gene family in contributing to variation in weight and body composition.
Disproportionate representation of minority students in special education: Academic, demographic, and economic predictors.

Research on variables that predict disproportionate representation of minority students in special education has often ignored an important variable—academic achievement. This study examined the prediction of representation of students from various minority racial/ethnic groups using district-level academic, demographic, and economic blocks of variables. The relative strength of these blocks was tested using weighted multiple least squares regression. The results show that academic achievement added significantly to predictive models for various racial/ethnic groups and disability categories. Implications and directions for future research are also discussed.
Adhesive interface interactions between primary aliphatic amine surface conditioners and polyamic ester/polyimide resins

The interface reactions of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane treated surfaces, with a polyamic alkyl ester/polyimide resin formed from pyromellitic dianhydride and oxydianiline, were defined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis on the surface layers of germanium internal reflection plates. Adhesion between these interfacial layers is the result of chemical bonding, which apparently proceeds through initial amide formation between the amino function of the silylated surface and the alkyl ester group present in the polyamic ester. Heating results in diamide formation by a second alkyl, surface-bound amine displacing the aromatic polymer amine. Heating the more stable dialkyldiamide to 300°C imidizes both the polymer and the interfacial region, producing a strong laminate composite. Polymer scission at the aromatic amide linkages occurs in this adhesion process, bonding surface-bound alkyl amines to one end of a shortened polymer chain.
Effects of Stocking on Genetics of Wild Brook Trout Populations

Abstract The study was undertaken to evaluate the long-term genetic impact of maintenance stocking upon wild brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations in Wisconsin. Trout were collected from streams of the Wolf and Fox River drainages and from the Osceola State Trout Hatchery. The stocking histories of the streams ranged from unstocked to heavily stocked for many years. The planted fish consisted primarily of fingerling and catchable brook and brown trout (Salmo trutta). Blood plasma and whole-eye homogenate samples were analyzed electrophoretically for transferrin (Tf) and lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh-B2) systems. Esterase was monomorphic in all samples, but Tf and LDH displayed genetic polymorphism. The occurrence of several Tf A/A phenotypes among wild fish is notable because previous genetic studies considered the combination to be lethal. The hatchery stock was genetically distinct from most wild populations at both loci. Variation of Tf allelic frequencies among wild populations suggested an und...
A kinetic study of the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of procainamide.

The degradation of procainamide in highly acidic aqueous media has been shown to occur virtually entirely through hydrolytic cleavage of the amide function. The reaction is first order with respect to procainamide and directly dependent upon hydrogen ion concentration. The temperature dependency of the hydrolytic reaction has been determined and the catalytic constants evaluated. Although the activation energy is apparently much too low in view of the expected effect of the p -ammonium substituent on the acid moiety, the apparent difficulty is resolved by showing that, under the conditions employed, procainamide may respond like an ester rather than an amide.
Reconciling the influence of task-set switching and motor inhibition processes on stop signal after-effects

Executive response functions can be affected by preceding events, even if they are no longer associated with the current task at hand. For example, studies utilizing the stop signal task have reported slower response times to ‘GO’ stimuli when the preceding trial involved the presentation of a ‘STOP’ signal. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie this behavioral after-effect are unclear. To address this, behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) measures were examined in 18 young adults (18-30yrs) on 'GO' trials following a previously ‘Successful Inhibition’ trial (pSI), a previously ‘Failed Inhibition’ trial (pFI), and a previous ‘GO’ trial (pGO). Like previous research, slower response times were observed during both pSI and pFI trials (i.e., ‘GO’ trials that were preceded by a successful and unsuccessful inhibition trial, respectively) compared to pGO trials (i.e., ‘GO’ trials that were preceded by another ‘GO’ trial). Interestingly, response time slowing was greater during pSI trials compared to pFI trials, suggesting executive control is influenced by both task set switching and persisting motor inhibition processes. Follow-up behavioral analyses indicated that these effects resulted from between-trial control adjustments rather than repetition priming effects. Analyses of inter-electrode coherence (IEC) and inter-trial coherence (ITC) indicated that both pSI and pFI trials showed greater phase synchrony during the inter-trial interval compared to pGO trials. Unlike the IEC findings, differential ITC was present within the beta and alpha frequency bands in line with the observed behavior (pSI > pFI > pGO), suggestive of more consistent phase synchrony involving motor inhibition processes during the ITI at a regional level. These findings suggest that between-trial control adjustments involved with task-set switching and motor inhibition processes influence subsequent performance, providing new insights into the dynamic nature of executive control.
Growth Failure and Outcome in Rett Syndrome

Researchers at the Miami Children’s Hospital and other centers in the US studied growth patterns among children with Rett syndrome compared to unaffected children.
SINGLE BOOK REVIEWS

Afro-Cuban Theology: Religion, Race, Culture, and Identity. Michelle A. Gonzalez. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2006. 191 pp.
Energy Resilient Urban Form: A Design Perspective

Abstract The paper introduces a design perspective of making energy resilient urban form, an approach to promoting energy performance through changing urban physical form. Existing urban energy research is often limited to performance analysis based on a positive question such as: “how urban systems function in energy efficiency”. The paper raises a normative question: “how urban form should be designed or changed to achieve better energy performance and system resiliency”. A research framework is suggested, including 1) energy flows in Euclidean geometry, 2) Gibson and Lynch's perceptual environment, 3) material flows and embodied energy, and 4) cross-scale dynamics. A test case of urban district is conducted, which demonstrates how performance analysis and design are connected. The paper concludes that urban design can be conceived as a forward-looking modeling method for synthesizing complex and uncertain energy problems in cities. It contributes to the agenda of creating a “normal science of urban energy modeling”.
The Achievement Gap among Newcomer Immigrant Adolescents: Life Stressors Hinder Latina/o Academic Success.

ABSTRACTThis study compares life stressors and school outcomes among newcomer immigrant adolescents from Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean. Participants attended a predominantly low-income, urban international public high school in the northeast. The Latina/o students were exposed to more life stressors and had lower attendance and achievement than non-Latina/o students. Life stressors mediated the relationship between ethnicity and academic outcomes. Results deepen experts’ understanding of the achievement gap, suggesting that newcomer immigrant adolescents from Latin America face unique risks and deserve intervention efforts focused on sociocontextual stressors that may prevent these students from achieving their full academic potential.
Azotaemic Inhibition of Organic Anion Transport in the Kidney of the Rat: Mechanisms and Characteristics

1. While azotaemic sera depressed the in-vitro Na-iodohippurate transport of rat kidney slices at any concentration, normal sera excited transport at low concentrations and depressed transport at high concentrations. The depression of transport by azotaemic sera was partially overcome by neomycin feeding in contrast to the depression by normal sera, which was not altered by neomycin feeding. 2. Plotting the reciprocal of sodium-iodohippurate accumulated by slices against the reciprocal of the media concentrations of sodium iodohippurate suggested that the depression of hippurate transport produced by normal and azotaemic sera was competitive in nature. 3. Normal sera slowed the efflux of Na-iodohippurate from kidney slices while azotaemic sera affected it very little. 4. The depression produced by normal and azotaemic sera and the stimulation produced by low concentrations of normal sera were seen with serum ultrafiltrates and dialysates, and after passage through cation exchange columns, but not anion exchange columns. 5. The effects on Na-iodohippurate accumulation by normal and azotaemic sera could be reproduced with metabolizable (lactate), and nonmetabolizable (hippurate) organic anions as well as combinations of these. 6. The implications of these observations on the altered renal transport of Na-iodohippurate produced by azotaemic and normal sera are discussed.
Concept identification of auditory dimensions as a function of age and sex

Auditory concept identification task was presented to 200 male and female Ss between the ages of 6 and 18. Auditory dimensions of number, intensity, laterality, frequency and duration were tested for their saliency. Intensity was the most difficult dimension. Performance improved with age, although Ss in the 12–13–14 yr. old group in intensity condition made greater number of errors than both the younger and older groups. Males performed at significantly higher rate, with no difference in errors between the sex groups. Explanation of decrement in performance by the adolescent Ss was attempted.
Design and Calibration of a Six Degree-of-Freedom Thrust Sensor for a Lab-Scale Hybrid Rocket

A six degree-of-freedom thrust sensor was designed, constructed, calibrated, and tested using the lab-scale hybrid rocket at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). The system consisted of six independent legs: one parallel to the axis of symmetry of the rocket for main thrust measurement, two vertical legs near the nozzle end of the rocket, one vertical leg near the oxygen input end of the rocket, and two separated horizontal legs near the nozzle end. Each leg was composed of a rotational bearing, a load cell, and a universal joint above and below the load cell. The leg was designed to create point contact along only one direction and minimize the non-axial forces applied to the load cell. With this system, force in each direction and moments for roll, pitch, and yaw can be measured. Each load cell was individually calibrated using a dead-weight test bed. The six-load-cell system was calibrated with the rocket in place by applying known forces in each direction and mechanically applied roll, pitch, and yaw motions. Calibration curves show linear load cell reaction in the direction of applied force and isolation in all other directions. The system was tested using a lab-scale hybrid rocket using gaseous oxygen and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) solid fuel. The thrust stand proved to be stable during initial firing tests.
Coevolution of Cassia (Leguminosae) and Its Seed Beetle Predators (Bruchidae)

Most of the bruchid species feeding on Cassia are in the genus Sennius . The beetles are divided into 2 groups, the specialists that feed on 1–3 species of host plants and the generalists that feed on seeds of 5–10 species of host plants. The generalist species are: all continuous breeders; most feed on many of the same host plant species; all have a broad geographic distribution; all attack a greater percentage of seeds than do the specialist species; all feed in a broader range of seed volumes than the specialist species; all tend to range in length from 2.0 to 2.3 mm. Four of the generalist species demonstrate competition: each species usually destroys a greater percentage of seeds when other bruchid species are not attacking the same seeds at the same time. The hypothesis is forwarded that species of Cassia that harbor 5–7 bruchid species in their seeds have few or no toxins in their seeds while the other species of Cassia that have 1–3 bruchid species in their seeds are very toxic. We suggest that a limited-resource competition strategy is used by some species of plants with non-toxic seeds to reduce predator levels. In this scheme plants that mature fruits at different times provide a limited resource (seeds) for which bruchid species compete. Subsequent generations of bruchids are reduced due to production of fewer offspring resulting from competition with other bruchid species. Each seed produced as a result of cross pollination is potentially different from every other seed in the same fruit. Thus every new seed, as a new individual, potentially has different protective mechanisms against seed predators than its parents.
The Academic Elite in Sociology, 1982–1995

The universities with the 11 top-ranked doctoral programs in sociology in 1982, as rated by the National Academy of Sciences, were listed in Changing Times (3). Bair and Thompson (2) stated that 71.4% of the faculty members in these 11 "elite" programs had obtained their doctoral degrees from one of these same 11 top-ranked schools and suggested that these programs had maintained and enhanced their reputations by hiring their own and one another's graduates. Doctoral programs in soc~ologv were ranked more than one decade later by the National Research Council (4). The present study investigated (a) the extent to whch the 11 sociology programs that ranked highest in 1982 retained their high ranlungs in 1995 and (b) the extent to which these programs persisted in hiring their own and one another's graduates. The universities with these 11 programs and their respective ranks in 1982 and 1995 are: Wisconsin 1 and 2; Michigan 2 and 4; Chicago 3 and 1; North Caroha at Chapel Hill 4 and 6; California at Berkeley 5 and 3; Harvard 6.5 and 7; Stanford 6.5 and 8; Washington at Seattle 8 and 10; Columbia 10 and 15; Indiana 10 and 12; California at Los Angeles 10 and 5. Each of the 11 programs that ranked highest in 1982 was ranked among the top 15 programs in 1995. Further, five schools with the very highest rankings in 1982 continued to rank among the top six schools in 1995. The Pearson correlation for these 11 pairs of rankings is .78 (p<.01). The names and alma maters of the full-time faculty members in these 11 programs in 1982 and 1995 were obtained from he Guide to Groduofe Departments of Sociology (1). The median percentage of faculty members who had obtained their doctoral degrees from their own school or from one of the other 10 top-ranked schools in 1995 was 68.8% (range, 52.2%-100.0%); this is nearly identical to the 71.4% (range, 61.3%-84.2%) in 1982.
13C NMR Chemical Shifts of Oriented Cesium-Graphite Intercalation Compounds

The 13C NMR lines of the stage I cesium graphite compound are broad (ca. 600 Hz) at all orientations, reflecting immobile Cs intercalation; in terms of an axial pattern the principal values are δ∥ = 95 ± 5 and δ⟂ = 130 ± 6 ppm. For third and fourth stage compounds the bounding layers give a relatively sharp (60–100 Hz) pair of lines at all orientations, thus demonstrating axially symmetric shift tensors: δ∥ = 66 and 56 ppm; δ⟂ = 159 and 149 ppm, respectively. These well defined axial tensors reflect atomic motions in the incommensurate Cs layer; the pair of lines may arise from the two classes of carbons - those above carbons in a subsequent layer and those above hexagon centers. Lines of inner layers are sharpest for special orientations $\overrightarrow {\rm c} \parallel \overrightarrow {{{\rm B}_{\rm o}}}$ and $\overrightarrow {\rm c} \bot \overrightarrow {{{\rm B}_{\rm o}}}$ .
Evidence of aluminum loading in infants receiving intravenous therapy.

To investigate the possibility that premature infants may be vulnerable to aluminum toxicity acquired through intravenous feeding, we prospectively studied plasma and urinary aluminum concentrations in 18 premature infants receiving intravenous therapy and in 8 term infants receiving no intravenous therapy. We also measured bone aluminum concentrations in autopsy specimens from 23 infants, including 6 who had received at least three weeks of intravenous therapy. Premature infants who received intravenous therapy had high plasma and urinary aluminum concentrations, as compared with normal controls: plasma aluminum, 36.78 +/- 45.30 vs. 5.17 +/- 3.1 micrograms per liter (mean +/- S.D., P less than 0.0001); urinary aluminum:creatinine ratio, 5.4 +/- 4.6 vs. 0.64 +/- 0.75 (P less than 0.01). The bone aluminum concentration was 10 times higher in infants who had received at least three weeks of intravenous therapy than in those who had received limited intravenous therapy: 20.16 +/- 13.4 vs. 1.98 +/- 1.44 mg per kilogram of dry weight (P less than 0.0001). Creatinine clearances corrected for weight did not reach expected adult values until 34 weeks of gestation. Many commonly used intravenous solutions are found to be highly contaminated with aluminum. We conclude that infants receiving intravenous therapy have aluminum loading, which is reflected in increased urinary excretion and elevated concentrations in plasma and bone. Such infants may be at high risk for aluminum intoxication secondary to increased parenteral exposure and poor renal clearance.
Mammography as screening for coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in American women. Screening mammograms are recommended for women starting at age 40 for the early detection of breast cancer. An additional benefit of this routine screening tool may be to detect breast arterial calcifications (BAC) as a possible sign of CAD. The purpose of this study was to determine further the relationship between mammographically detected BAC and CAD. The medical records of 44 women who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting at our institution over 5 years were reviewed. These mammograms were examined for evidence of BAC. For all women included in the study, 18 of 44 (41%) had evidence of BAC on screening mammogram. This was statistically significant (P < 0.0001) compared with the prevalence of BAC reported in the general population in previous studies. Most were also overweight (61.1%), had hypertension (88.8%), and hypercholesterolemia (55.5%). This is the first study to look at the direct correlation between patients with known CAD requiring revascularization and BAC. Perhaps women with BAC seen on screening mammography should undergo further workup for CAD, with the potential benefit of early intervention.
Evaluation of Bioinsecticides for Management of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and the Effect on the Whitefly Predator Delphastus catalinae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Organic Squash.

Organic zucchini squash is a high-value vegetable crop in Florida and potential exists to expand its production throughout the state. A lack of knowledge on the effectiveness of organic products and their integration with natural enemies is an important constraint to the regulation of pest populations in organic squash production in Florida. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of insecticides labeled for organic production that can be used for management of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B, on organically grown squash; and to determine the effects of the most efficient insecticides on a key natural enemy, Delphastus catalinae (Horn). Experiments were conducted in the greenhouse in exclusion cages. The first experiment compared the effects of four bioinsecticides on whitefly densities. Insecticides include 1) AzaSol (azadirachtin), 2) PyGanic EC 1.4 (pyrethrin), 3) M-Pede (insecticidal soap), and 4) Entrust (spinosad). The second experiment investigated the effects of bioinsecticides on D. catalinae Treatment effectiveness was evaluated 1, 3, and 5 d posttreatment. PyGanic and M-Pede were highly effective in controlling whitefly populations on organic squash, while moderate control was provided by AzaSol and there was no control provided by Entrust. PyGanic and M-Pede treatments reduced D. catalinae populations when adults were released 1 d post pesticide application. However, when adults were released 5 d post application, there was no reduction. The importance of using bioinsecticides in combination with natural enemies to regulate pest populations in organic cropping systems is discussed.
Educating Children in Rural Schools: Does Nutrition Really Matter?

Citation: Laub JD. Educating Children in Rural Schools: Does Nutrition Really Matter?. J Child Dev Disord. 2015, 1:1. Public education in America is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that is funded almost exclusively by tax dollars. As an emerging part of this picture, rural public schools have been an integral part of the American cultural landscape for over 200 years. Rural public school districts are defined as a school or district that is located in a place outside of a metropolitan statistical area and has a population of fewer than 2,500 persons (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2015).
Kaleidoscopic Edge Colorings

In this chapter, we consider an edge coloring problem in graphs that can be used to model certain situations, one of which we now describe. Suppose that a hard-line network of n computers is to be constructed. Each of these computers requires k different types of connections. There are r locations on the back of each computer at which ports can be placed. Each computer needs to have at least one connection of each type and, for security reasons, no two computers can have more than one connection between them. In order to maximize the number of fail-safe connections, every port is to be used. Furthermore, it is advantageous for a computer technician to be able to distinguish the computers based only on the number of types of connections they have. For which values of n, k and r is such a situation possible?
Role Responsibilities of Full-Time Faculty in a Pre-licensure Nursing Program

The purpose of this article it to describe the roles and responsibilities of a full-time faculty member in a prelicensure baccalaureate nursing program. The article will discuss the expectations of the faculty role to encourage RNs to pursue this role. The interview process, teaching, research and service responsibilities, and evaluations by students and peers will be addressed.
Excess of mutational jackpot events in expanding populations revealed by spatial Luria-Delbrück experiments.

Large mutant clones arising from early mutations in growing cell populations facilitate short-term evolution in microbes and in tumours. Here the authors analyse spatially expanding colonies, and show that large mutant clones can also arise late when they surf at expanding frontiers.
Towards modeling a complex geological simulation

Data motion is a significant factor affecting runtime performance. Data-intensive applications are subject to the effects of data motion more so than other applications. This research uses abstract machine models to calculate runtime performance expectations for a geological simulation program. The models are based on the time to execute double-precision floating-point instructions and the time to load operands and store results for those operations. Two extremes of cache memory are considered and provide expected bounds for the program's runtime performance. In one case, cache memory is unlimited; once a datum is read into cache, it is always available. In the other case, the cache is extremely limited and each datum is removed from cache memory after it is used once. A model for inter-process communication is also incorporated. This research shows that simple models can provide accurate expectations for runtime performance for some operations. For one operation studied herein the observed runtime performance only exceeded the expected upper bound in one case by 2%. The models can become less accurate if memory utilization is high. This may occur if only one core is used or if a change to an algorithm results in larger data structures.
New method of FIR comb filtering

Comb filters are used in several applications. For example, the CIC filter is often used in multi-rate signal processing. IIR comb filters are used to notch out harmonic interference. The FFT can also be used as a comb filter, but because of the computational complexity and other limitations, it is not usually used for this application. A new formulation of the FFT comb filtering is presented that eliminates all limitations of the FFT method and provides advantages over the IIR comb filter. In this paper, it is mathematically proven that the FFT comb filter can be transformed to a computationally efficient equivalent structure. It is further shown that this structure can also be implemented as a simple FIR filter.
Constant pulse width modulation strategy for direct three-level matrix converter

A conventional matrix converter (CMC) is a direct ac-ac converter without the need for a DC bus. This paper proposes a direct three level matrix converter (DTMC) topology which is advancement to the CMC in terms of considerable reduction in THD and lower switching stresses. As opposed to CMC which allows the output line voltage to be either input line voltage or zero, the DTMC provides an extra level — the input phase voltage, to be available by tapping into input filter neutral. A novel constant pulse width modulation (CPWM) strategy is proposed for the DTMC by decoupling it into a fictitious multi level converter and a conventional inverter. A comparative study between CMC and DTMC has been presented by means of numerical simulation results that have been verified on a laboratory hardware prototype.
2016 Southern Sociological Society Presidential Address: Are Millennials Cracking the Gender Structure?:

In this article, which grew from my presidential address at the 2016 Southern Sociological Society Meetings, I offer a revision of my theoretical argument that we should conceptualize gender as a s...
Age Change in Kinesthetic Aftereffect in Young Adults

Prior research indicated that young adults show larger kinesthetic aftereffect than do the elderly. The present study explored whether, within a young adult sample, kinesthetic aftereffects vary with age. A significant correlation was observed between kinesthetic aftereffect scores and age for both males and females: Larger aftereffects were observed with increase in age. This finding confirms informal observations reported by Koehler and Dinnerstein (1947), the pioneer researchers into kinesthetic aftereffects.
The Emotional Burden of Monotheism: Satan, Theodicy, and Relationship with God:

The thesis of this research was that belief in Satan helps Christian believers attenuate ambivalent feelings about God in the face of painful life events. Two questions were examined. First, are robust notions of Satan associated with more positive feelings toward God? Second, are robust notions of Satan associated with blaming God less for the pain and suffering inherent in human existence? In study 1 robust notions of Satan did predict more positive experiences with God. In study 2 robust notions of Satan were manifested by participants who were less likely to blame God for the pain and suffering in the world. These trends were consistent with the experimental predictions suggesting that belief in Satan may be functioning as an attributional category to reduce theodic blame toward God.
The Role of the Lumbar Drain in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis of 811 Cases.

Objective With increasing use of the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach, wider attention is being paid to treatment and prevention of its complications. The aim of this study was to determine whether lumbar drainage (LD) has been effective in preventing and treating postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (poCSF) leakage or in assisting in achieving tumor gross total removal (GTR). Methods Retrospective analysis of purely endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal cases at a single center between 2008 and 2017 was done. We studied intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (ioCSF) and poCSF leakage rates, duration of hospitalization, and GTR rate of the lesions, comparing patients with and without LD. Results Among 811 endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal procedures, LD was used in 38 cases. There was no statistically significant difference between patients with and without LD with regard to incidence of ioCSF leakage. A statistically significant difference was found in obese patients with LD, who had an apparently increased rate of poCSF leak. The length of stay of patients with LD was significantly longer than the control group without LD. The GTR rate was also higher in patients without LD. Conclusions Use of LD is correlated with longer immobilization and hospitalization without providing statistically significant advantages in terms of prevention or treatment of ioCSF and/or poCSF in low-risk and high-risk patients. Moreover, LD was not helpful in achieving GTR of tumors.
5 Nutrient signaling through mammalian GCN2

mGCN2 is the mammalian ortholog of the protein kinase Gcn2p that is activated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to nutrient starvation. In mammalian cells in culture, mGCN2 is also activated by deprivation of essential amino acids. However, in animals in vivo, mGCN2 is not activated by physiological changes in plasma amino acid concentrations such as occur in response to feeding. Instead, mGCN2 is activated in response to feeding a diet lacking single essential amino acids, suggesting that imbalanced plasma essential amino acid levels are involved in the response. The only known substrate for mGCN2 is the α-subunit of the translation initiation factor, eIF2. Hyperphosphorylation of eIF2α represses the translation of most mRNAs. However, in both yeast and mammals, amino acid deprivation results in only partial phosphorylation of eIF2α, such that the translation of most mRNAs is incompletely repressed. Moreover, the translation of a few mRNAs is enhanced by eIF2α phosphorylation, in particular translation of the mRNAs encoding the transcription factors Gcn4p and ATF4 is stimulated in yeast and mammals, respectively, in response to amino acid deprivation. In each case, the genes induced by the transcription factors provide a mechanism for relieving the stress induced by nutrient starvation.
Failure of a Unidirectional Barbed-Suture Device at the Arthrotomy Repair Site Following Total and Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

Case We report the failure of a routine arthrotomy repair following knee arthroplasty. Five additional cases of arthrotomy failure occurred within a 14-month period during which a specific unidirectional knotless barbed suture device had been used for arthrotomy closure. Conclusion Additional study on larger cohorts may be useful to understand the effectiveness of barbed suture for arthrotomy closure in knee arthroplasty.
Changing the Climate: Bioarchaeology Responds to Deterministic Thinking About Human-Environmental Interactions in the Past

As members of the global public become increasingly concerned about climate change, popular presses promote “scientific” narratives about the success or failure of past societies (e.g., Diamond, Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed. New York: Viking, 2005), human security literature perpetuates a narrative that violence is a “natural” outcome of increased competition in such circumstances (e.g., Barnett and Adger, Political Geography 26(6):639–655, 2007), and generally, neither the public nor policy-makers are exposed to information about the topic of human-environmental interactions from those who know it best, anthropologists. This chapter explores the development of the human security field and the development of pseudo-evolutionary, ahistorical, adaptationist narratives about human behavior in the face of changing climates. The chapter also demonstrates implications of these narratives as they have been adopted by policy-makers at the EPA and DoD. Finally, the chapter provides an example of a bioarchaeological approach to research on human-environmental relations in the past and the complex dynamics that shaped the human experience of climate, social, and economic changes in the first and second millennium BCE in South Asia. Human security literature is the basis for planning for a warmer world. Anthropological perspectives are the necessary antidote to narratives of competition and violence that promote a governmental agenda to prevail at all costs.
Firewall queries

Firewalls are crucial elements in network security, and have been widely deployed in most businesses and institutions for securing private networks. The function of a firewall is to examine each incoming and outgoing packet and decide whether to accept or to discard the packet based on a sequence of rules. Because a firewall may have a large number of rules and the rules often conflict, understanding and analyzing the function of a firewall have been known to be notoriously difficult. An effective way to assist humans in understanding and analyzing the function of a firewall is by issuing firewall queries. An example of a firewall query is “Which computers in the private network can receive packets from a known malicious host in the outside Internet?”. Two problems need to be solved in order to make firewall queries practically useful: how to describe a firewall query and how to process a firewall query. In this paper, we first introduce a simple and effective SQL-like query language, called the Structured Firewall Query Language (SFQL), for describing firewall queries. Second, we present a theorem, called the Firewall Query Theorem, as a foundation for developing firewall query processing algorithms. Third, we present an efficient firewall query processing algorithm, which uses firewall decision trees as its core data structure. Experimental results show that our firewall query processing algorithm is very efficient: it takes less than 10 milliseconds to process a query over a firewall that has up to 10,000 rules.
A Synthetic Model of Enzymatic [Fe4S4]-Alkyl Intermediates.

Although alkyl complexes of [Fe4S4] clusters have been invoked as intermediates in a number of enzymatic reactions, obtaining a detailed understanding of their reactivity patterns and electronic structures has been difficult owing to their transient nature. To address this challenge, we herein report the synthesis and characterization of a 3:1 site-differentiated [Fe4S4]2+–alkyl cluster. Whereas [Fe4S4]2+ clusters typically exhibit pairwise delocalized electronic structures in which each Fe has a formal valence of 2.5+, Mossbauer spectroscopic and computational studies suggest that the highly electron-releasing alkyl group partially localizes the charge distribution within the cubane, an effect that has not been previously observed in tetrahedrally coordinated [Fe4S4] clusters.
Variations in the Management of Claudication in a Tertiary Care Center.

Abstract Background Multiple societal guidelines recommend medical optimization and exercise therapy for patients with claudication prior to lower extremity revascularization (LER). However, the application of those guidelines in practice remains unknown. Our hypothesis is that vascular surgeons (VS) are more adherent to guidelines compared to non-vascular surgeons treating claudication. Methods The records of patients undergoing LER for claudication in a single center were reviewed, and adherence to guidelines prior to LER was assessed. Patients received conservative therapy if the impact of claudication on quality of life (QOL) was documented, ankle brachial index (ABI) was obtained, and patients were treated with at least 3 months of walking exercise and smoking cessation when indicated. Results There were 187 patients treated for claudication (VS=65, non-vascular surgeons=122). There were 161 patients who underwent endovascular intervention, 19 patients had an open revascularization, and 7 patients had a hybrid procedure. Patients treated by VS were younger and more likely to be African American. Patients treated by non-vascular surgeons were more likely to have hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, smoke, and be on antiplatelet and statin medications. VS were more likely to assess pattern of symptoms with claudication and obtain ABIs compared to non-vascular surgeons, although the mean ABIs were no different. VS were more likely to use walking exercises and smoking cessation when indicated before LER. Even though 70.8% and 31.1% of patients treated by VS and non-vascular surgeons respectively were recommended walking exercises, only 33.8% and 18.0% were given a period of three months to benefit from it prior to LER. Conservative therapy was significantly higher among VS compared to non-vascular surgeons but was overall low (VS=12.3%, non-vascular surgeons=3.3%, p=.016). After a mean follow up of 3.1 ± 1.3 years, there was no difference in mortality or major amputation. Conclusions Although adherence to guidelines in the medical management of vascular claudication prior to LER was higher among VS compared with non-vascular surgeons, overall rates of adherence were low. Stricter institutional protocols and oversight across specialties are needed to reinforce the application of the established standards of care.
A minimally invasive surgical approach for the treatment of piriformis syndrome: a case series

Piriformis syndrome accounts for approximately 6% of patients who present with sciatic pain. There are many treatment options ranging from physical therapy, to trigger point injections, to surgical intervention. We discuss a surgical method that represents a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of piriformis syndrome. We describe a novel operative approach and technique for release of the piriformis muscle in the treatment of piriformis syndrome. Described are the preoperative planning, incision and approach, and technique for identifying and releasing the piriformis muscle. Three patients were treated for piriformis syndrome using the described technique. Each patient displayed successful relief of their symptoms immediately following the surgical procedure and at delayed follow-up. Early experience with our method of piriformis release suggests that it is well suited for the treatment of piriformis syndrome. The novel integration of pre-operative trigger point localization coupled with intraoperative neuromonitoring allows effective pain relief with minimal morbidity.
Urgensi Pendidikan Orang Dewasa dalam Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Adat Kampung Naga

Penelitian ini akan membuktikan bahwa involusi budaya masyarakat adat disebabkan oleh desakan pembaharuan. Semakin konservatif, semakin menolak inovasi."Andragogi” berasal dari bahasa Yunani yaitu andr yang berarti orang dewasa dan agogos yang berarti memimpin atau membimbing", maka dengan demikian andragogi dirumuskan sebagai suatu ilmu dan seni dalam membantu orang dewasa belajar, Berdasarkan pengertian tersebut, bahwa pendidikan orang dewasa adalah suatu proses belajar yang sistematis dan berkelanjutan pada seseorang yang memiliki status dewasa (berdasarkan ciri utama peran sosialnya) dengan tujuan untuk mencapai perubahan pada pengetahuan, sikap, nilai dan keterampilannya. Dalam Al-Quran dan Hadith mengatakan bahwa "Agama Islam memberikan dorongan kuat agar pemeluknya senantiasa belajar", agama memberikan motivasi kepada masyarakat bahwa belajar itu merupakan kewajiban setiap pemeluk agama.Motivasi agama bagi manusia, untuk mengembangkan kemampuan berpikir dalam mengolah potensi alam, telah ditegaskan di dalam Al-Quran, sehingga pembelajaran keagamaan di dalam masyarakat memiliki posisi, agama secara sosiologis dapat digolongkan ke dalam tiga peran, peran suplementer, peran komplementer dan peran pionir. Sumber primer yang dipakai dalam penelitian ini adalah ketua dan anggota masyarakat adat Kampung Naga.Sedangkan sumber sekunder adalah literature yang relevan dengan fokus penelitian ini.Metode penelitian ini menggunakan participatory action research dengan pendekatan antropologi pendidikan.
Detection, Assessment, and Diagnosis of Alcoholism

The need for a continuing evolution in methods of detection, assessment, and diagnosis of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence disorders is emphasized as a necessary step toward altering the stagnating effects of several static and outdated constructs and practices which, despite their humanitarian benefits, may actually be impediments to progress in prevention and treatment. Distinctions are drawn among the purposes and techniques of detection, assessment, and diagnosis; although all three activities are vital, it is the last that must provide a logical basis for understanding causes, courses, and treatment for health problems. Thus far, there has been little genuine progress beyond simply naming the problems we attempt to treat. To illustrate the promising directions that progress might take and to recommend research advances, recent developments in detection, assessment, and diagnosis over the past 5 years are reviewed and critiqued. Special attention is paid to the NCA Diagnostic Criteria and its newest modifications, the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and its derivatives, the Mac-Andrew Scale, the Mortimer-Filkins test, the Essential-Reactive Alcoholism Interview Schedule, and the Alcohol Use Inventory. All of these approaches have demonstrated their utility, but none has yet fulfilled its potential. Their relative advantages are discussed, their flaws are identified, and suggestions are given as to how researchers and clinicians might better use the available tools.
From customer journeys to consumption journeys: a consumer culture approach to investigating value creation in practice-embedded consumption

Prior research on customer journeys chiefly focuses on identifying, from the firm perspective, firm-customer touchpoints. Importantly, the extant literature begins to maps aggregate firm-customer interactions over time to reveal how sequenced firm-controlled touchpoints contribute to customer experience. These customer journey maps tend to emphasize market actions, specifically purchases, over other, customer-centric touchpoints like use occasions, use experiences, storage and disposal. We extend the firm-centric customer journey framework to consider customer-centric touchpoints within a broader social and cultural context for value creation. We propose a consumer-centric consumption journey which considers consumption within progressive engagement with a practice or set of practices. We offer a culturally grounded consumption journey framework that highlights the importance of practices, communities, and institutions in value creation, and reveals various experiences and value outcomes. Future research regarding consumption journeys can advance understanding of customer experiences and journeys by investigating a variety of sociocultural influences and outcomes of value creation.
Discovery of novel pathways for carbohydrate metabolism.

Abstract Closing the gap between the increasing availability of complete genome sequences and the discovery of novel enzymes in novel metabolic pathways is a significant challenge. Here, we review recent examples of assignment of in vitro enzymatic activities and in vivo metabolic functions to uncharacterized proteins, with a focus on enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in the catabolism and biosynthesis of monosaccharides and polysaccharides. The most effective approaches are based on analyses of sequence-function space in protein families that provide clues for the predictions of the functions of the uncharacterized enzymes. As summarized in this Opinion, this approach allows the discovery of the catabolism of new molecules, new pathways for common molecules, and new enzymatic chemistries.
The Relationship Between Learning Mode and Student Performance in an Undergraduate Elementary Statistics Course in the United States

Faculty have conducted many studies on the relationship between learning mode and student performance but few researchers have evaluated final grades, grade distribution, and pass rates in a sophomore introductory statistics course with a non-traditional student population who self-selected the learning mode from among different course sections. Accordingly, we examined 307 end-of-course grades from four different modes of instruction: (a) online, (b) videosynchronous learning classroom, (c) videosynchronous learning home, and (d) traditional classroom in an introductory statistics course. All data on grades, which included pass rate and grade distribution, were collected from the nine-week January 2019 term. All learning modes used the same text, syllabus, assignments, quizzes, and tests. In this study, learning mode was not significantly related to end-of-course score, final grade distribution, or pass rate. Future researchers should explore the impacts of gender, instructor quality, different term lengths, and the standardized use of textbooks and syllabi on student performance when exploring the impact of learning mode on grades, grade distribution, and pass rates.