cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alexander disease: a primary disease of astrocytes

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews that in the central nervous system (CNS) of higher vertebrates, astrocytes become reactive and respond in a typical manner following injury, termed astrogliosis, either as a result of aging, trauma, disease, neurodegenerative disorders, genetic disorders, mechanical insult, or chemical insult. It discusses that reactive astrogliosis is characterized by rapid synthesis of glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), the principal intermediate filament of mature astrocytes. The GFAP astrocytic response serves as a microsensor of the injured microenvironment at any location in the CNS. While GFAP is involved with almost any insult to the CNS, no convincing evidence of a primary astrocyte disease had been demonstrated until the development of the transgenic mouse model expressing a human GFAP transgene. The discovery that these mice formed abundant rosenthal fibers (RFs) suggested that mutations in the GFAP gene were a cause of Alexander disease. Only in rare cases and in Alexander disease, do reactive astrocytes contain RFs. The finding that GFAP mutation is found in many cases of Alexander disease offers the possibility of diagnosing Alexander disease through the analysis of patients with DNA samples. This non-invasive assay eliminates morphological autopsy and brain biopsy analyses.
A High-Dimensional Indexing Scheme for Scalable Fingerprint-Based Identification

This paper describes an application of the Flash algorithm [3] to scalable fingerprint-based identification (one-to-many searches). Flash is a high-dimensional indexing algorithm akin to Geometric Hashing [11] that has been used for similarity searching in a number of other domains, including model based object recognition [3], genomic sequences homology detection [4], and 3D flexible molecular matching and docking [16].
Mysticism, evil, and Cleanthes’ dilemma

Hume’s Dialogues give one of the most elegant presentations of the Problem of Evil ever written. But often overlooked is that Hume’s problematic takes the form of a dilemma, with the traditional Problem representing only one horn. The other is what Hume calls ‘mysticism,’ a position that avoids the Problem of Evil by maintaining that God is wholly other, and that God is therefore good in a fashion that mere humans simply cannot fathom. Mysticism is not the denial of God’s moral perfection defended by Philo’s positing of an indifferent deity. Nor is it an ad hoc final theistic entrenchment meant to stave off the Problem of Evil at any cost. Mysticism is, in fact, a position that Hume takes quite seriously and helped shape theism as it was practiced in Hume’s day. This paper studies Hume’s relationship with mysticism. First, it will recast the Problem of Evil as Hume intended, as only part of the larger theistic dilemma of choosing between anthropomorphism and mysticism. Once this polarization is understood...
Aristotle, On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse, George Kennedy

In addition to the need to correct a significant number of typographical errors, a few factual mistakes, and a few translation omissions, Kennedy explains in his “Prooemion” that the impetus for th...
Seeking diversity: the challenges of implementing a race-neutral student assignment plan in an urban school district

As US schools return to the levels of segregation that existed when many initial desegregation orders were established and concentrations of poverty are escalating, the judicial tools in place to achieve integrated schools have shifted. In its most recent ruling on school desegregation, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, the US Supreme Court required school districts to implement less race-conscious student assignment plans when attempting to achieve racial diversity throughout their schools. In this article, I explore the nexus between current race-neutral judicial preferences, racial integration, and the segregated realities that are present across many US school districts. Specifically, I examine the challenges of one urban school district, Omaha Public Schools, who utilizes a race-neutral student assignment policy in its integration efforts. I pay particular attention to the history around racialization in the Omaha metropolitan area and how it impacts the district...
CHARGED PARTICLE ACTIVATION OF MEDIUM Z ELEMENTS

Excitation functions for proton energies up to 20 MeV have been measured for65Cu(p, n)65Zn; Sn (p, xn)115Sb,116mSb,117Sb,118mSb; Mo (p, xn)94Tc; Te (p, xn)121I,123I,128I,130I; Pd (p, xn)104Ag; Cd (p, xn)109In,110mIn,113mIn; Cs (p, xn)133mBa. The precision of the measurements (overall error estimated at ≤20%) and the conditions for interference-free detection of these elements at trace levels are also discussed.
Characterization of the Biotin Transport System in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The characteristics of the biotin transport mechanism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated in nonproliferating cells. Microbiological and radioisotope assays were employed to measure biotin uptake. The vitamin existed intracellularly in both free and bound forms. Free biotin was extracted by boiling water. Chromatography of the free extract showed it to consist entirely of d-biotin. Cellular bound biotin was released by treating cells with 6 n H2SO4. The rate of biotin uptake was linear with time for 10 min, reaching a maximum at about 20 min followed by a gradual loss of accumulated free vitamin from the cells. Biotin was not degraded or converted to vitamers during uptake. Transport was temperature- and pH-dependent, optimum conditions for uptake being 30 C and pH 4.0. Glucose markedly stimulated biotin transport. In its presence, large intracellular free-biotin concentration gradients were established. Iodoacetate inhibited the glucose stimulation of biotin uptake. The rate of vitamin transport increased in a linear fashion with increasing cell mass. The transport system was saturated with increasing concentrations of the vitamin. The apparent Km for uptake was 3.23 × 10−7m. Uptake of radioactive biotin was inhibited by unlabeled biotin and a number of analogues including homobiotin, desthiobiotin, oxybiotin, norbiotin, and biotin sulfone. Proline, hydroxyproline, and 7,8-diaminopelargonic acid did not inhibit uptake. Unlabeled biotin and desthiobiotin exchanged with accumulated intracellular 14C-biotin, whereas hydroxyproline did not.
On a class of probabilistic conjoint measurement models: Some diagnostic properties☆

Abstract Let P ax , by be the probability of picking the two-dimensional object ax in the set { ax, by }. This paper investigates necessary and/or sufficient conditions for a number of representations for these probabilities: ( f , g , F , K , k , G , u , and v are functions) 1. 1. P ax,by ≤ 1 2 iff f ( a ) + g ( x ) ≤ f ( b ) + g ( y ), 2. 2. P ax , by = F [ f ( a ) + g ( x ), f ( b ) + g ( y )], 3. 3. P ax , by = K { k [ f ( a ) + g ( x )] − k [ f ( b ) + g ( y )]}, 4. 4. P ax , by = K [ u ( a ) v ( x ) − u ( b ) v ( y )], 5. 5. P ax,by = G[(f(a) + g(x)) (f(b) + g(y))] . The results concerning 1, 2, and 3 are essentially trivial consequences of known facts. The results concerning 4 and 5 are new, and amount to representation theorems for these equations. The cases in which k is a convex or concave function in 3 (of which 4 and 5 are special cases) are also analyzed.
Finite-time distributed averaging

This paper proposes a distributed averaging algorithm for multi-agent networks, in which each agent is with a real-valued measurement. Provided that the underlying graph of the network is a tree, the proposed algorithm enables each agent to compute the average of the values of all agents in the network in a finite number of steps. Different from most existing finite-time distributed averaging algorithms, the algorithm proposed in this paper does not require each agent to know any global information.
Mechanism of Lithium Insertion into Magnesium Silicide

The reaction mechanism for electrochemical lithium insertion into magnesium silicide was studies by in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). Lithium intercalation during the initial stages of insertion was indicated by a slight shift toward lower angles in the diffraction patterns. Upon further insertion, Li 2 MgSi was formed. This was indicated by the appearance of magnesium peaks, the disappearance of Mg 2 Si peaks, and the appearance of Li 2 MgSi peaks in the diffraction patterns. Magnesium XRD peaks that accumulated during cycling indicated that the formation of Mg 2 Si during lithium removal was not entirely reversible. Li 2 MgSi was synthesized by mechanical alloying. XRD patterns and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the mechanically alloyed and electrochemically produced phases are compared.
An inhibitor of protein synthesis prepared by protease treatment of mouse cerebral cortex cells

Abstract A substance was isolated from mouse brain cortical tissue that inhibits both cell division and protein synthesis by cells in culture. The inhibitor was released from cerebral cortex tissue by mild protease treatment. A single exposure of cells to as little as 1.25 μg of the isolated material was sufficient to inhibit BHK-21 cell protein synthesis by 20%. Higher concentrations and continual exposure resulted in 87% reduction in protein synthesis. The inhibition was shown to be independent of amino acid uptake and most effective against primary mouse embryo fibroblasts and neonatal mouse brain cell suspensions. Cells previously adapted to culture or transformed cells derived from the nervous system were less affected by, or refractory to, the inhibitor. The substance was shown to be nondialyzable, relatively resistant to thermal inactivation and the inhibitor activity was not removed by chloroform extraction. Two active fractions were identified by Bio-Gel P-100 chromatography and the protein synthetic inhibitor was removed by affinity chromatography with Ulex europus agglutinin.
Coexistent adenocarcinoma and microcystic adenoma of the pancreas

A case with coexistent pancreatic adenocarcinoma and microcystic adenoma is presented. These diagnoses were suspected on the basis of their computed tomography (CT) appearances and confirmed with CT-guided fine-needle aspiration.
An analysis of LMS adaptive two-sided transversal filters

Adaptive smoothing filters have been studied for the removal of narrow-band interference and for use in spectral estimation. The authors study the convergence of two LMS (least mean square) adaptive smoothers, one constrained to have symmetry, the other with each tap adapting independently. Since the behavior of the adaptive filters is dependent upon the characteristics of the signal on the filter taps, the authors explore differences in convergence among these two smoothing algorithms and the LMS predictor through this signal vector. By analyzing in detail this behavior for a sinusoid in white noise, they show that if the sinusoid is neither very low nor high in frequency then the constrained smoother has both better convergence and steady-state behavior than either the predictor or the unconstrained smoother while requiring one-half as many multiplications. >
Enhancing traditional classroom instruction with web-based Statics course

A web-based Statics course is being developed by the authors as part of the Open Learning Initiative (OLI) at Carnegie Mellon University. OLI seeks to create and sustain freely available, cognitively informed learning tools designed to provide a substantial amount of instruction through the digital learning environment. This paper highlights the potential opportunities of online learning materials to enhance a traditional lecture-based course. We also identify the challenges that online materials face in promoting learning in an engineering course in which problem solving is intimately tied with drawing, and with writing and solving equations. Examples that illustrate the potential benefits of online materials, and that address the challenges associated with learning engineering courses, are presented. Finally, user studies and initial experience in blending these materials into an ongoing Statics course are summarized.
Toward Pillared Layered Metal Sulfides. Intercalation of the Chalcogenide Clusters Co6Q8(PR3)6 (Q = S, Se, and Te and R = Alkyl) into MoS2

A new family of materials based on layered transition metal dichalcogenides of the type [M‘xQyLz]n[MoS2] (Q = S, Se, Te) was prepared as a first step toward pillared layered sulfides. The new intercalated phases form from the addition of Co6Q8(PR3)6 solutions to exfoliated suspensions MoS2.
Three-dimensional deconvolution microfluidic microscopy using a tilted channel

We have developed a microfluidic device that enables the computation of three-dimensional (3-D) images of flowing samples. Using a microfluidic channel that is tilted along the optical axis, we record several progressively defocused images of the flowing sample as it passes across the focal plane. The resulting focal stack is then deconvolved to generate 3-D images. Experimental results on flowing yeast cells reveal both volume and surface profile information. The microfluidic channel eliminates the need for a precise translation stage to control defocusing and enables high sample throughput in an insulated, nontoxic, liquid environment. The experimental device can be implemented in all existing microscopes as a modified slide stage and is ideally suited for 3-D profiling in flow cytometers.
Technical creativity and the challenge of "governing" software development

Software development is both a highly technical and a highly creative activity. Because it is technical, there is a temptation to treat it as something that can be mechanized and deterministically controlled. The creative aspects of software development imply that this urge will lead to failure for all but the most mundane projects. In this talk, I will explore approaches to governing software development that are cognizant of the tension between treating it as a technical activity and treating it as a creative act. The talk begins by presenting a basic overview of the creative nature of software development, including the variability that creativity injects into software development projects. I then present two potential governance responses to this variability: a command and control response, and a "tuning" response. I argue that the tuning response is more suitable for work that is both technical and creative, and I close with some suggestions on what tuning-based governance would look like in organizations of various scales.
Hemophilia, von Willebrand's disease, and related conditions: A spectrum of laboratory and clinical disorders*

Abstract A spectrum or continuum of conditions including hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease is illustrated by reports from the literature and patients seen at the University of Minnesota over a four year period. These included inherited disorders with low levels of factors VIII and/or IX and/or platelet dysfunction of the von Willebrand type. These disorders form an extremely heterogeneous group. The individual patient should be simply classified insofar as possible on functional, biochemical, and therapeutic bases. New name classifications for each variant should be avoided.
Direct and microsomal activated aflatoxin B1 exposure and its effects on turkey peritoneal macrophage functions in vitro.

Abstract Sephadex-elicited turkey peritoneal exudate cells were used to establish adherent macrophage monolayers on glass coverslips in order to determine the effects of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) on macrophages. Adherent macrophage monolayers were exposed to increasing doses of AFB 1 (5, 10, 20, and 40 μg), either directly, or to 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 5 μg of AFB 1 in the presence of a chicken microsomal mixed function oxidase system (MFO). Cultures were incubated with the appropriate treatments for 1 hr, then washed and allowed to recover in fresh growth medium for 2 hr. Direct exposure of macrophages to AFB 1 had no detrimental effect on macrophage adherence, percentage damaged, percentage phagocytic, and the number of antibody-coated or uncoated sheep red blood cells internalized per phagocytic macrophage when compared with the sham or solvent treated cultures. However, the addition of MFOs to the cultures treated with much lower doses of AFB 1 resulted in significantly higher morphological alterations along with a reduction in cell adherence and phagocytic potential. Addition of piperonyl butoxide (a P450 inhibitor) abrogated AFB 1 -MFO induced alterations. Data collected in this study suggest that turkey macrophages are resistant to the direct exposure of AFB 1 and that AFB 1 induced alterations in macrophage effector functions are due to metabolic activation of AFB 1 by MFOs.
Segmental Intelligibility and Speech Interference Thresholds of High-Quality Synthetic Speech in Presence of Noise

Technological advancement in the area of synthetic speech has made it increasingly difficult to distinguish quality of speech based solely on intelligibility scores obtained in benign laboratory co...
Chapter 9 Enzymes and proteins of the mammalian visual cycle

The complex interactions that govern the orderly flow of retinoids at various levels of illumination are unknown at present, but detailed studies of the enzymology of the individual reactions may provide some indications. Although all the known enzymes are membrane-associated and, hence, water-insoluble, rapid progress in their solubilization, purification, and characterization should be expected
Ad hoc Coulomb corrections to the radiation tail.

We give an empirically derived correction factor to an {ital ad} {ital hoc} procedure of including Coulomb corrections in the plane-wave calculation of the radiation tail accompanying elastic electron scattering from the atomic nucleus. Apart from regions of the radiation tail with very large Coulomb distortion effects, our corrected {ital ad} {ital hoc} results agree with a distorted-wave Born approximation calculation of the radiation tail to better than 5%.
HOW SHOULD ANTHROPOLOGISTS BE THINKING ABOUT VOLUNTEER TOURISM

Lately it seems as if students at the liberal arts college where I teach are always about to head off to build a library in Ghana, have just returned from volunteering at an orphanage in South Africa, or are busy raising money for a water project in Ethiopia. As an anthropologist specializing in African environment and development issues, I have been delighted to see young people interested in a part of the world that means so much to me, but I am also increasingly troubled by the sense that working first-hand on African poverty has become a kind of credential for these (mostly American, mostly privileged) students, a box to be checked off in their preparation for success within the global economy. My lack of generosity toward them perhaps derives from the fact that so few students involved with Africa turn up in my courses on African culture and history. Sometimes volunteering in Africa inspires students to go on to take courses in African studies, but often it does not; and few seem to regard the kind o...
Dependence of polynucleotide helix–coil transition theory on the ring closure exponent

Formulas are derived which relate the maximum slope of the helix-coil transition in synthetic polynucleotides to the stacking free energy and to the exponent k in the expression for the probability of ring closure for polymer chains. The exact value of k has not yet been determined. By use of the derived formulas, it is then shown that estimates of the stacking free energy are sensitive enough to the value chosen for k, so that exact values of these energies must await a precise determination of k.
THE EXCHANGE OF MATERIAL CULTURE AMONG ROCK FANS IN ONLINE COMMUNITIES

In online rock fan communities, fans regularly offer goods up for sale or trade and sometimes give them away. These objects constitute the material culture of the fans and reflect the values of the people in the online groups. Using data from participant observation of two fan groups and 101 interviews with members, this article identifies the main types of material goods exchanged including imports of concert recordings, tickets to shows, apparel and accessories, and fan and band artwork. In describing how the objects are transmitted from one fan to another, this article shows how the process of giving and receiving material culture can strengthen bonds between individuals by using the new technologies of the internet. Exchanging material culture first described online in internet communities adds to an understanding of the increasingly permeable boundaries between offline and online interactions.
First-Principles Calculations of the Elastic Properties of the Nickel-Based L12 Intermetallics

The elastic constants of the L1{sub 2}-type ordered nickel-based intermetallics Ni{sub 3}X (X = Mn, Al, Ga, Si, Ge), have been calculated by means of ab initio total-energy electronic structure calculations based on the full-potential linear-muffin-tin-orbital (FLMTO) method. The origins in the electronic structure of the variation of the elastic constants, bulk and shear moduli are investigated across the series, and the effects of the anisotropy of bonding charge density on the shear anisotropy factor and the degree of ductility is discussed.
The Sukumbasi movement in Nepal: the fire from below.

Discussion focus is on the movement of the landless to attempt spontaneous settlement in the Tarai districts of Nepal a predominantly agrarian country with over 95% of the population living in rural areas. Attention is directed to the following: the proximate elements that explain the process of landlessness; the political climate of Nepal (1979) prior to the series of movements on the part of the landless people to spontaneous settlement; the most recent spontaneous settlement movement in Chitwan district (1979) where the migrants settled in the previous 25 years had been landless in the hills; the characteristics and living condition of the landless and the government reaction to the landless movement; and a theoretical framework to facilitate understanding of the process of landlessness and its broad implications for development. Investigation of the recent spontaneous settlement movement revealed the following: people are still coming into the Tarai and Chitwan because they think land might be available; the population in the hills has grown and the pressure of this growth weighs most on those who are landless or who do not have sufficient land to support their families; natural increase swells the landless population; people with small amounts of land in the hills after deciding to migrate sell their land in the hills and move to the Tarai looking for land; there are important land accumulation and de-accumulation (loss) processes taking place; and because of the Land Reform Law (1964) owners who formerly had more security in the patron-client relationship with their tenants have lost that security. It is only by means of production and reproduction of landlessness in the agrarian production system that the skewed property relations characterized by monopoly control over land and capital became possible. This monopoly control permits the dominant class which is composed of village landowners absentee landowners and rural elites to control the existing production relations and appropriate the social economic surplus generated by the rural working class for their personal benefits. It is this increasing monopoly control over the resources and the production systems that produce and reproduce the landless without whose existence there would be a permanent scarcity of the agricultural and manual labor force to be hired and manipulated. Under the circumstances of highly controlled production relations property relations financial capital circulation and firmly established agrarian social class structure policy measures tend to face obscurity and land reform measures have become obsolete and have failed to produce any desirable result.
Uniqueness for a non-linear heat equation

We study a mixed initial value, boundary value problem for a non-linear heat equation and prove uniqueness for the solution. This settles in the affirmative a question posed by A.G. Ramm in [1].
Through the looking glass: making the design and output of economic models useful for setting medical policy

Economic modeling has rarely been considered to be an essential component of healthcare policy-making in the USA, due to a lack of transparency in model design and assumptions, as well as political interests that equate examination of cost with unfair rationing. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has been involved in several efforts to bring economic modeling into public discussion of the comparative value of healthcare interventions, efforts that have evolved over time to suit the needs of multiple public forums. In this article, we review these initiatives and present a template that attempts to 'unpack' model output and present the major drivers of outcomes and cost. We conclude with a series of recommendations for effective presentation of economic models to US policy-makers.
Gel filtration with vibration.

Abstract The fractionation of a protein mixture on a Sephadex G-100 gel was shown to be affected by vibrating the column under defined conditions. Vibrations perpendicular and parallel to the axis of the column, with one of them predominating over the other, could be produced with an air vibrometer attached to the column. The prevailing perpendicular type of vibrations improved the fractionation pattern of the high molecular weight components of a mixture. The parallel vibrations were shown to distort the fractionation at the same molecular weight level while decreasing the retention of the smaller molecules on the gel.
Planning the post-Apollo space program: Are there lessons for the present?

Abstract The current debate over the future of human spaceflight in the USA has been a fascinating, and troubling, exercise in futility for those inextricably committed to an expansive vision of human exploration and development of space. The retirement of the Space Shuttle, originally set for the end of 2010 but later extended into 2011, the technical and funding problems of the Constellation follow-on program that led to its cancellation in 2009, and the emergence of commercial vendors who might be able to offer human access to Earth orbit have all complicated the current environment. In view of this situation, the question may be legitimately asked: what might we learn from earlier efforts to develop a human spaceflight capability the last time such a transition took place? Using the post-Apollo transition from the ballistic capsule to a winged, reusable vehicle as a case study, this article seeks to illuminate the planning, decision-making, economic, and political issues that have arisen in this policy debate. It suggests that a web of interlocking issues—only one of which was technical—affected the course taken. Instead, politics, economics, social and cultural priorities, values, and institutional considerations all helped to frame the debate and shape the decision.
The role of physiological attention-focusing in the relaxation treatment of sleep disturbance, general tension, and specific stress reaction

Abstract Three experiments comparing the effects of muscle tension-release relaxation with vs without physiological attention-focusing and no-treatment on (a) sleep disturbance, (b) general tension, and (c) a variety of time estimation, heart rate perception, and stress reaction measures, are reported. The two relaxation conditions produced equivalent reductions in latency to sleep onset reports, suggesting the importance of tension-release in the relaxation treatment of sleep disturbance. Relaxation without physiological attention-focusing was unexpectedly superior to the other relaxation condition in reducing reported daily tension, supporting Denny's (1976) hypothesis that pervasive anxiety may be a function of anxiety conditioned to relaxation-produced cues. Sleep disturbed subjects over-estimated elapsed time, and relaxation training improved accuracy of time estimation. Several additional differences between sleep and tension subjects and among the three treatment conditions on physiological activity during stress are reported and discussed.
Diversification and trends in biliary tree cancer among the three major ethnic groups in the state of New Mexico

Abstract Background New Mexico's population is composed of 45% non-Hispanic whites, 42% Hispanics, 10% American Indians, and 3% other minorities. The purpose of this study was to compare the trends of biliary tract cancer among these groups over the past 3 decades. Methods The state's tumor registry was used to ascertain the incidence of gallbladder cancer, extrahepatic bile duct cancer, and intrahepatic bile duct cancer. Results A total of 1,449 new biliary cancers were diagnosed between 1981 and 2008. The contemporary incidence of gallbladder cancer remains several times higher among American Indians than in other ethnicities: for men, 4.1%, 1.1%, and .8% for American Indians, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites, respectively, and for women, 8.1%, 2.1%, and 1.0%, respectively. Conclusions Biliary malignancies are more prevalent among American Indians. Despite a decline in the incidence of gallbladder cancer among American Indians and Hispanics, it remains higher compared with the state's non-Hispanic white population.
Magnetic resonance imaging features of asymptomatic bipartite patella.

Abstract Objective The purpose of our study was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of bipartite patella in asymptomatic patients. Materials and methods The study was prospective in type and performed following institutional ethical committees approval. In total, 25 subjects were recruited into the study and informed consent obtained in each case. The local radiology database was utilised in conjunction with a clinical questionnaire to identify patients who had asymptomatic bipartite patella. Any patient with a history of trauma or symptomatic disease was excluded from the study. MRI imaging was performed in each case on a 1.5 T system using a dedicated knee coil and a standardised knee protocol. The images obtained were then analysed by two musculoskeletal radiologists in consensus. Results Of the 25 subjects, there were 8 females and 17 males. The mean age was 34.6 years. All but one of the bipartite fragments were located on the superolateral aspect of the patella. In 23 cases, one fragment was identified. The average transverse diameter of the fragment was 12.8 mm. The average distance between the fragment and the adjacent patella in the axial plane was 1.46 mm. In addition, the cartilage overlying the patella and accessory fragment was intact in all cases. The average thickness of the patella cartilage at its border to the fragment was 2.4 mm with an average ratio of the cartilage thickness of the fragment as compared with the cartilage thickness of the patella of 0.72. There was no evidence of high signal or bone marrow oedema on fluid sensitive sequences within either the patella or the fragment in any of the patients. Fluid was identified in the cleft between the patella and the fragment in the majority of cases. Conclusions Asymptomatic bipartite patella is characterised by intact but thinned cartilage along the border between the patella and the fragment, fluid between the cleft and a lack of any bone marrow oedema or high signal within the patella or its fragment.
Liposomal bupivacaine infiltration into the transversus abdominis plane for postsurgical analgesia in open abdominal umbilical hernia repair: results from a cohort of 13 patients.

BACKGROUND Achieving adequate control of postsurgical pain remains a challenge in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) infiltration has been shown to provide postsurgical analgesia following lower abdominal surgery. We assessed the safety and efficacy of a prolonged-release liposomal formulation of the local anesthetic bupivacaine administered via infiltration into the TAP in a cohort of patients undergoing open abdominal umbilical hernia repair. METHODS Patients included in the study were 18-75 years of age, had American Society of Anesthesiologists physical classification status 1-3, and underwent open abdominal umbilical hernia repair with ultrasound-guided TAP infiltration immediately after surgery using an equal-volume bilateral infusion of liposomal bupivacaine 266 mg (diluted to 30 mL in normal saline). Outcome measures included patient-reported pain intensity (11-point numeric rating scale), satisfaction with postsurgical analgesia (5-point Likert scale), incidence of opioid-related adverse events, and time to first use of supplemental rescue analgesia. RESULTS Thirteen patients underwent surgery and received bilateral TAP infiltration with liposomal bupivacaine; TAP infiltration failed in the first patient. Mean numeric rating scale pain scores were 0.6 immediately before TAP infiltration and remained ≤2.3 through 120 hours after infiltration; mean scores at 120 hours and 10 days were 0.9 and 0.4, respectively. Ten patients (77%) required supplemental analgesia; median time to first use was 11 hours. At discharge and day 10, 54% and 62% of patients, respectively, were "extremely satisfied" with postsurgical analgesia (Likert score 5). There were no opioid-related or other adverse events. CONCLUSION Although the current study was limited by both its lack of a control group and its small size, to our knowledge, it is the first published report on use of liposomal bupivacaine for TAP infiltration. In this cohort, liposomal bupivacaine was observed to be well tolerated with encouraging analgesic efficacy.
Experimentally assessing molecular dynamics sampling of the protein native state conformational distribution

Abstract The acute sensitivity to conformation exhibited by amide hydrogen exchange reactivity provides a valuable test for the physical accuracy of model ensembles developed to represent the Boltzmann distribution of the protein native state. A number of molecular dynamics studies of ubiquitin have predicted a well-populated transition in the tight turn immediately preceding the primary site of proteasome-directed polyubiquitylation Lys 48. Amide exchange reactivity analysis demonstrates that this transition is 10 3 -fold rarer than these predictions. More strikingly, for the most populated novel conformational basin predicted from a recent 1 ms MD simulation of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (at 13% of total), experimental hydrogen exchange data indicates a population below 10 − 6 . The most sophisticated efforts to directly incorporate experimental constraints into the derivation of model protein ensembles have been applied to ubiquitin, as illustrated by three recently deposited studies (PDB codes 2NR2 , 2K39 and 2KOX 2K39 2KOX ). Utilizing the extensive set of experimental NOE constraints, each of these three ensembles yields a modestly more accurate prediction of the exchange rates for the highly exposed amides than does a standard unconstrained molecular simulation. However, for the less frequently exposed amide hydrogens, the 2NR2 ensemble offers no improvement in rate predictions as compared to the unconstrained MD ensemble. The other two NMR-constrained ensembles performed markedly worse, either underestimating ( 2KOX ) or overestimating ( 2K39 ) the extent of conformational diversity.
Excess Colloid Retention in Porous Media as a Function of Colloid Size, Fluid Velocity, and Grain Angularity

The deposition and re-entrainment behaviors of five sizes of carboxylate-modified microspheres (ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 μm) were examined both in porous media and impinging jet systems under a variety of environmentally relevant pore fluid velocities (2−8 m day-1), and in both the absence and the presence of an energy barrier to deposition. The magnitudes of the deposition efficiencies were compared among the porous media and impinging jet systems under equivalent fluid velocities, solution chemistries, and surface chemistries. The observed deposition efficiencies were factors of about 5 to 50 greater in the porous media relative to the impinging jet across the entire size range of microspheres examined, demonstrating that this excess deposition in porous media is relevant to a wide range of colloid sizes. The magnitude of excess deposition increased with increasing fluid velocity, and was greatest for the smallest colloids (0.1 μm). A range between 15% and 40% of the excess retained colloids were release...
A Model of Neotropical Land Use with Endogenous Malaria and Preventive Ecological Measures

Malaria is a serious problem limiting agricultural colonization in the neotropics, especially in the Brazilian Amazon. We analyze a model that links the disease with deforestation and ecological measures to control the mosquito. In the model the probability of contracting malaria increases with population density, which is a principal endogenous variable in land-use decisions. A higher incidence of malaria reduces labor productivity. Farmers maximize profit by allocating labor between cultivation and health activities that reduce the incidence and severity of malaria. Commodity price changes, transportation improvements, and land clearance costs all affect the prevalence of malaria, and health and labor productivity. A reduction in land clearance costs will improve health and labor productivity but will exacerbate deforestation. An increase in the commodity price and a reduction in transportation costs exacerbate deforestation but reduce the prevalence of malaria, although the resultant change in the equi...
Dynamics of the Drosophila circadian clock: theoretical anti-jitter network and controlled chaos.

Background: Electronic clocks exhibit undesirable jitter or time variations in periodic signals. The circadian clocks of humans, some animals, and plants consist of oscillating molecular networks with peak-to-peak time of approximately 24 hours. Clockwork orange (CWO) is a transcriptional repressor of Drosophila direct target genes. Methodology/Principal Findings: Theory and data from a model of the Drosophila circadian clock support the idea that CWO controls anti-jitter negative circuits that stabilize peak-to-peak time in light-dark cycles (LD). The orbit is confined to chaotic attractors in both LD and dark cycles and is almost periodic in LD; furthermore, CWO diminishes the Euclidean dimension of the chaotic attractor in LD. Light resets the clock each day by restricting each molecular peak to the proximity of a prescribed time. Conclusions/Significance: The theoretical results suggest that chaos plays a central role in the dynamics of the Drosophila circadian clock and that a single molecule, CWO, may sense jitter and repress it by its negative loops.
Molecular characteristics of mammalian dopamine receptors

Dopamine receptors belong to a large super-gene family of receptors which are linked to their signal transduction pathways through heterotrimeric G proteins. A variety of signalling events are known to be regulated by dopamine receptors including adenylate cyclase and phospholipase activities and various ion channels. Prior to the advent of molecular cloning technology, dopamine receptors were believed to belong to two subtypes, D1 and D2. This distinction was based on both pharmacological and functional criteria. We now know that at least five different dopamine receptors exist although they can still be described as to belonging within "D1" and "D2" subfamilies. The D1 subfamily consists of two receptors-the D1 and D5, whereas the D2, D3 and D4 receptors comprise the D2 subfamily. The cloning and molecular characteristics of these five receptors are described in this review.
Do different doses of intravenous streptokinase alter the frequency of coronary reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction

This study assessed the relative efficacy of 3 doses of intravenous streptokinase in causing hypofibrinogenemia and coronary reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Accordingly, 56 patients (50 men and 6 women, ages 58 +/- 10 years [mean +/- standard deviation]) with evolving acute myocardial infarction and chest pain less than or equal to 5 hours in duration were assigned to receive varying doses of streptokinase. Twenty were administered 500,000 units during 145 minutes, 18 were given 750,000 units during 30 minutes and 18 received 1.5 million units in 60 minutes of streptokinase. Serum creatine kinase was measured on admission and 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours after the initiation of streptokinase. The time intervals from onset of pain to peak creatine kinase and from streptokinase administration to peak creatine kinase were used to determine the occurrence of reperfusion. The plasma fibrinogen concentration was measured 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after the initiation of streptokinase. For the 3 groups, the time from onset of pain to peak creatine kinase was less than 17 hours and the time from streptokinase to peak creatine kinase was 6 or 12 hours in 15 (75%), 16 (89%) and 12 patients (67%), respectively (differences not significant). The plasma fibrinogen concentration decreased to 45 +/- 34 mg/dl, 19 +/- 14 mg/dl and 29 +/- 43 mg/dl, respectively, during the 2 hours after streptokinase was begun (p less than 0.05 for the first versus the second and third values).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Endotoxin-elicited fever and anorexia and elfazepam-stimulated feeding in sheep.

Abstract Causes of anorexia associated with disease remain largely unknown. Animals with fever, in the face of increased metabolic rate and thus increased energy demands, are often anorectic. To study the relationship of fever and feed intake in sheep, an E. coli endotoxin (055:B5, Difco Laboratories) was injected IV. Endotoxin injections (35 μg/kg 0.75 ) resulted in an increased rectal temperature of over 2°C in four hrs, and feed intake continued to be suppressed for 24 hrs or more. Preventing the temperature rise with dipyrone (D) lessened the severity of anorexia. Elfazepam (E), a benzodiazepine and a feed intake stimulant, did not override the anorexia associated with the high fever but did elicit feeding in sheep in which the fever was prevented with D. E also stimulated intake in sheep which were less febrile (1°C increased temperature) following a smaller dose of endotoxin. Bacterial endotoxins clearly cause a marked depression in feed intake which is at least in part associated with the resulting fever. Both an antipyretic and a feed intake stimulant improved feeding in endotoxin-treated sheep and may be useful in preserving nutritional status in animals suffering from disease-associated fever and anorexia.
Imaging of lymph flow in breast cancer patients after microdose administration of a near-infrared fluorophore: feasibility study.

Purpose: To prospectively demonstrate the feasibility of using indocyanine green, a near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore at the minimum dose needed for noninvasive optical imaging of lymph nodes (LNs) in breast cancer patients undergoing sentinel lymph node mapping (SLNM). Materials and Methods: Informed consent was obtained from 24 women (age range, 30–85 years) who received intradermal subcutaneous injections of 0.31–100 μg indocyanine green in the breast in this IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant, dose escalation study to find the minimum microdose for imaging. The breast, axilla, and sternum were illuminated with NIR light and the fluorescence generated in the tissue was collected with an NIR-sensitive intensified charged-coupled device. Lymphoscintigraphy was also performed. Resected LNs were evaluated for the presence of radioactivity, blue dye accumulation, and fluorescence. The associations between the resected LNs that were fluorescent and (a) the time elapsed between NIR fluorophore administration and res...
IMPACT OF MEDICAL COMORBIDITIES ON HOSPITALIZATIONS IN ADULTS WITH SINGLE VENTRICLE CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

Most patients with single ventricle congenital heart disease (SV) are now expected to survive to adulthood. Medical comorbidities are common in SV. We used nationally distributed data from 43 pediatric hospitals in the 2004 to 2011 Pediatric Health Information System database to identify patients
The longevity and searchworthiness of petroleum resources

Abstract Modifications are presented to the Hubbert and Zapp methods for estimation of the supply of randomly located resources and estimates have been made by these revised methods of the current state of the search problem. A new energy based attack on the plowback ratio is proposed which offers more meaningful predictive possibilities than the current purely economic approach.
Pernicious anemia with persistent malabsorption of vitamin B12 in a child

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The Microbiome and Asthma

That the subglottic airways are not sterile, as was once believed, but are populated by a distinct "bronchial microbiome," is now accepted. Also accepted is the concept that asthma is associated with differences in the composition of this microbiome. What is not clear is whether the differences in microbial community composition themselves mediate pathologic changes in the airways or whether they reflect differences in systemic immune function driven by differences in the development of the gastrointestinal microbiome in early life, when the immune system is most malleable. Recognition of the probable existence of a "common mucosal immune system" allowed synthesis of these apparently opposing ideas into a single conceptual model. Gastrointestinal microbiome-driven differences in systemic immune function predispose to sensitization to allergens deposited on mucosal surfaces, whereas possibly similar, but not identical, differences in immune function predispose to less effective responses to microbial infection of the airways, resulting in persistence of the inflammation underlying the structural and functional abnormalities of asthma. In this model, allergic sensitization and asthma are thus seen as commonly overlapping but not necessarily coincident consequences of abnormalities in microbial colonization, development of immune function, and encounter with agents infecting the respiratory tract.