cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cerebral Peduncle Volume and Motor Function Following Adult Hemispherectomy.

Background Hemispherectomy is a successful and well-described treatment option for pediatric patients with hemispheric ictal onset, but adult outcomes have been far less studied. We describe the outcomes in adult patients with medically refractory epilepsy and hemispheric disease and the relationship to cerebral peduncle volume. Case Descriptions We retrospectively reviewed adult hemispherectomy patients at our institution from 2015 to 2018. Patient data including demographic information, pathologic changes, seizure-free outcomes, and ipsilateral (i.e., surgical side) and contralateral (i.e., functional side) cerebral peduncle volume data were collected. We identified 4 adult patients who underwent hemispherectomy. The mean age at surgery was roughly 25 years. All patients were categorized as Engel I or II, and motor scores at last follow-up were unchanged. The mean volume for contralateral and ipsilateral cerebral peduncle means were 1.42 and 0.78 cm3, respectively (P = 0.01). Conclusions These findings suggest that smaller ipsilateral cerebral peduncle size could potentially be associated with unchanged postoperative hemiparesis. We hypothesize that smaller ipsilateral peduncle size could have represented corticospinal tract reorganization in childhood, implying that the removed brain matter was mostly noncontributory to contralateral motor function.
Human-induced reductions in fish predator boldness decrease their predation rates in kelp forests

Humans have restructured food webs and ecosystems by depleting biomass, reducing size structure and altering traits of consumers. However, few studies have examined the ecological impacts of human-induced trait changes across large spatial and temporal scales and species assemblages. We compared behavioural traits and predation rates by predatory fishes on standard squid prey in protected areas of different protection levels and ages, and found that predation rates were 6.5 times greater at old, no-take (greater than 40 years) relative to new, predominantly partial-take areas (approx. 8 years), even accounting for differences in predatory fish abundance, body size and composition across sites. Individual fishes in old protected areas consumed prey at nearly twice the rate of fishes of the same species and size at new protected areas. Predatory fish exhibited on average 50% longer flight initiation distance and lower willingness to forage at new protected areas, which partially explains lower foraging rates at new relative to old protected areas. Our experiments demonstrate that humans can effect changes in functionally important behavioural traits of predator guilds at large (30 km) spatial scales within managed areas, which require protection for multiple generations of predators to recover bold phenotypes and predation rates, even as abundance rebounds.
Reconstructing Village Groves After a Typhoon in Korea

Resource management scholar Eunju Lee describes how Koreans’ social memory of the ecological and cultural importance of small village groves was leveraged to replant these small forested areas following years of decline and a devastating typhoon. In Korea, villagers traditionally planted ‘village groves’ (Maeul-sup) when they founded a new community, following special guidelines in Korean culture (e.g., native beliefs, Feng-shui, Confucianism) and using traditional ecological knowledge. These village groves were cooperatively owned, managed, and conserved by villagers and played an important role in villages’ social activities. Rural Koreans used to regard village groves as the symbol of their hometown and even their fate. Although many village groves have been degraded and even destroyed during the past several decades of industrialization, more than a thousand village groves remain in South Korea today providing ecosystem services to the nearby community.
Perspectives on Informed Consent Practices for Minimal-Risk Research Involving Foster Youth.

* Abbreviations: GAL — : guardian ad litem IRB — : institutional review board There are >430 000 children in protective custody (ie, foster care) in the United States.1 Despite known health disparities,2–5 there continues to be limited research to develop an evidence base for diagnosing and intervening to improve health conditions for children in foster care.6 One identified obstacle to recruitment is obtaining informed consent, the legal requirement for understanding and voluntary agreement to participate in research. Foster youth do not have a traditional parent or guardian and instead have many adults playing different roles in their lives, including their children’s services caseworker, their foster caregiver, their biological parent, their court-appointed special advocate or guardian ad litem (GAL), and their judge or magistrate. Each plays a role in decision-making for the child and could participate in the informed consent process. Previous work has demonstrated inconsistent approaches for obtaining informed consent for youth in foster care to participate in minimal-risk research; a review of 49 publications revealed 14 different combinations of individuals used for informed consent, ranging from judge, caseworker, and caregiver consent with youth assent to biological parent consent only.7 For pediatric researchers wanting to develop evidence-based health guidelines and interventions for this population, obtaining consent from a legally empowered guardian for foster youth may appear to be an insurmountable barrier. Consensus would be beneficial to promoting research … Address correspondence to Mary V. Greiner, MD, MS, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, ML 2011, Cincinnati, OH 45229. E-mail: mary.greiner{at}cchmc.org
Craniofacial and neck burns in the pediatric population.

Abstract Introduction Burn injuries can present with catastrophic physical and psychiatric harm with extensive, long-term sequelae. The pediatric population may especially be at-risk given this population’s early neurocognitive and behavioral state of development. Innovations in treatment modalities and the development of evidence-based guidelines have helped mitigate burn morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Unfortunately, a surprising dearth of literature identifies risk-factors, epidemiological data, injury mechanisms, and prognostic factors within the pediatric population in the setting of craniofacial burns. Methods An analysis of emergency department visits under the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was conducted for the most recent 5-year period available (2014–2018). Available information includes demographical data, such as age and sex, mechanism of injury, visit circumstances, as well as visit disposition. Additionally, details surrounding the injury, including type of burn and anatomical location of injury, were compared. Results After a review of results, a total of 2599 patients were included for analysis. Our study shows that infants and young children are at increased risk for grave injury 27.3% and 13% of infants and toddlers transferred or admitted, respectively, p Conclusions Craniofacial burns in the pediatric population may present with complex pathology and sometimes necessitate advanced care. Presentations and prognoses are different dependent upon age and injury mechanism. These findings may serve as important framework in the establishment of guidelines for medical and legislative reform.
Maternal nutrient metabolism and requirements in pregnancy

Summary This chapter describes how the additional nutrient requirements of pregnancy are met by a combination of physiological events that affect maternal nutrient utilization, fetal nutrient transfer, and increased dietary intakes. The physiological changes of pregnancy complicate the interpretation of nutritional status measures. The adverse effects of consuming an inadequate amount of most vitamins and minerals during pregnancy are partially understood, but little is known of the subclinical or long-term effects of deficiencies or their role in specific adverse pregnancy outcomes. With rising rates of maternal obesity on entering pregnancy, excess gestational weight gain, and complications such as gestational diabetes mellitus, there is a need for clearer guidance on optimal macronutrient balance and dietary patterns for pregnant women to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes and long-term health problems for both mother and offspring.
Anesthetic Management in Open Descending Thoracic Aorta Surgery

Open surgical repair of the descending thoracic aorta is frequently performed to repair complex aortic aneurysms, but is also done to address other causes of acute aortic syndromes that include aortic transection, contained aortic rupture, penetrating ulcers, intramural hematomas and expanding aortic dissections. This chapter will discuss the pre-, intra-, and postoperative considerations for managing patients undergoing open surgical repair of descending thoracic aortic disease.
Psychometric Analysis of a Microenvironment Secondhand Smoke Exposure Questionnaire.

Background: We conducted a psychometric analysis of an adapted secondhand smoke (SHS) questionnaire by testing the three-component structure of the original scale that measures SHS exposure in home, work and social environments. Methods: The 15-item questionnaire was administered to 839 daily smokers participating in a multi-site randomized controlled trial. Following parallel analysis, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis specifying a three-factor structure. Cronbach’s alphas and fit indices were calculated to assess internal consistency. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing the Social environments subscale to the Brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives Social/Environmental Goads subscale. Predicative validity of the questionnaire was assessed using linear regressions and tobacco biomarkers of harm; NNAL, expired carbon monoxide and total cotinine. Results: Five items did not load onto any factor and were dropped, resulting in a 10-item questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alphas were (0.86), (0.77) and (0.67) for the Work, Social, and Home subscales, respectively. The WISDM subscale was moderately correlated with scores on the Social subscale (r = 0.57, p < 0.001). The questionnaire demonstrated predictive validity of smoke exposure above individual’s own reported use as measured by cigarettes smoked per day. Conclusions: Three constructs emerged; results indicate that a shortened 10-item scale could be used in future studies.
Allostatic Load Among Black Sexual Minority Women.

Background: Allostatic load is the physiological deterioration that accumulates as the body responds to stress, resulting in disparities in chronic disease. Although perceptions of stress vary, mar...
Derivation and characterization of an HIV-1 mutant that rescues IP6 binding deficiency.

A critical step in the HIV-1 replication cycle is the assembly of Gag proteins to form virions at the plasma membrane. Virion assembly and maturation are facilitated by the cellular polyanion inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), which is proposed to stabilize both the immature Gag lattice and the mature capsid lattice by binding to rings of primary amines at the center of Gag or capsid protein (CA) hexamers. The amino acids comprising these rings are critical for proper virion formation and their substitution results in assembly deficits or impaired infectiousness. To better understand the nature of the deficits that accompany IP6 binding deficiency, we passaged HIV-1 mutants that had substitutions in IP6 coordinating residues to select for compensatory mutations. We found a mutation, a threonine to isoleucine substitution at position 371 (T371I) in Gag, that restored replication competence to an IP6-binding-deficient HIV-1 mutant. Notably, unlike wild-type HIV-1, the assembly and infectiousness of resulting virus was not impaired when IP6 biosynthetic enzymes were genetically ablated. Surprisingly, we also found that the maturation inhibitor Bevirimat (BVM) could restore the assembly and replication of an IP6-binding deficient mutant. Moreover, using BVM-dependent mutants we were able to image BVM-induced assembly of individual HIV-1 particles assembly in living cells. Overall these results suggest that IP6-Gag and Gag-Gag contacts are finely tuned to generate a Gag lattice of optimal stability, and that under certain conditions BVM can rescue IP6 deficiency. Additionally, our work identifies an inducible virion assembly system that can be utilized to visualize HIV-1 assembly events using live cell microscopy.
Study on Mayaro Virus Disease: Symptoms and Treatments

This chapter aimed to review the various aspects related to symptoms, pathogenesis, treatment, and diagnosis of fever caused by the Mayaro virus. Mayaro virus produces a nonspecific, sublethal disease in man with symptoms often confused with chikungunya, dengue, and another virus. The symptoms of arthralgia, often associated with these viral infections, can cause an incapacitating disability. To date, outbreaks have been localized and sporadic within the Pan-Amazonia forest since its first isolation in 1954 [Trinidad and Tobago]. Thus, the available literature is diverse, scarce, and dispersed. Mayaro virus is an alphavirus, which is phylogenetically related to the Semliki forest antigenic complex. In the New World, Mayaro and the related UNA viruses are the only members of this complex isolated. The genome of Mayaro consists of single-stranded RNA with a positive charge and a length of 12 kb that can be subdivided into genomic and subgenomic regions that encode nonstructural and structural proteins, respectively. Mayaro has shown remarkable plasticity in hosts for vertebrate infections but high specificity invertebrates towards the family Culicidae [mosquitoes]. Risk factors for disease are forested areas in northern South America and the rainy season. Two genotypes of MAYV have been identified, L [restricted to Belterra, Brazil] and D [widely distributed in the Pan-Amazonia]. The enzootic cycle is similar to the jungle cycle of yellow fever, which involves Haemagogus mosquitoes and monkeys as reservoirs. Of concern is the potential spread of the virus by the involvement of other secondary vectors and hosts such as Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Aedes scapularis that have been shown experimentally to transmit the virus efficiently. With the observed high viremia levels of infected individuals, a significant risk exists for an emerging disease in urban, rural, and peridomestic locations close to enzootic foci of the Mayaro virus.
Characterizing multi-contributor causal structures for planning

Explicit causal structure representations have been widely used in classical planning systems to guide a variety of aspects of planning, including plan generation, modification and generalization. For the most part, these representations were limited to single-contributor causal structures. Although widely used, single-contributor causal structures have several limitations in handling partially ordered and partially instantiated plans. The foremost among these is that they are incapable of exploiting redundancy in the plan. In this paper, we explore multi-contributor causal structures as a way of overcoming these limitations. We will provide a general formulation for multicontributor causal links, and explore the properties of several special classes of this formulation. We will also discuss their applications in plan generation, modification and generalization.
Populist Collaborators: The Ilchinhoe and the Japanese Colonization of Korea, 1896–1910. By Yumi Moon. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2013. Pp. xiii, 312. $45.00.)

This book considers the Ilchinhoe (Advance in Unity Society) leaders, known to Koreans as “pro‐Japanese traitors” for their roles in Japan's colonization of Korea in 1910. These “populist collabora...
Planning and Producing the Infobase: Part 2

The steps in the planning and production cycle covered in Chapter 10 set the stage for what follows. Chapter 11 explains the preproduction activities of concept development, flowcharts, and scripting, followed by the mechanized tasks of producing and editing the frames. The cycle ends with documenting what occurred and periodic audits to determine the need and appropriateness of the infobase contents. Samples of forms that can be used to help produce this infobase are explained. These forms incorporate documents from several sources. It is unlikely that one organization would use all of them; especially if the computerized authoring facility incorporates similar information. In addition many organizations will choose to maintain the forms on a computer using hypertext and other suitable technology.
Symbolic Exploration of transition Hierarchies

In formal design verification, successful model checking is typically preceded by a laborious manual process of constructing design abstractions. We present a methodology for partially—and in some cases, fully—bypassing the abstraction process. For this purpose, we provide to the designer abstraction operators which, if used judiciously in the description of a design, structure the corresponding state space hierarchically. This structure can then be exploited by verification tools, and makes possible the automatic and exhaustive exploration of state spaces that would otherwise be out of scope for existing model checkers.
BAFF Receptor Signaling Aids the Differentiation of Immature B Cells into Transitional B Cells following Tonic BCR Signaling

BAFF is an important prosurvival cytokine for mature B cells. However, previous studies have shown that BAFFR is already expressed at the immature B cell stage, and that the prosurvival protein Bcl-2 does not completely complement the B cell defects resulting from the absence of BAFFR or BAFF. Thus, we hypothesized that BAFF also functions to aid the differentiation of nonautoreactive immature B cells into transitional B cells and to promote their positive selection. We found that BAFFR is expressed at higher levels on nonautoreactive than on autoreactive immature B cells and that its expression correlates with that of surface IgM and with tonic BCR signaling. Our data indicate that BAFFR signaling enhances the generation of transitional CD23(-) B cells in vitro by increasing cell survival. In vivo, however, BAFFR signaling is dispensable for the generation of CD23(-) transitional B cells in the bone marrow, but it is important for the development of transitional CD23(-) T1 B cells in the spleen. Additionally, we show that BAFF is essential for the differentiation of CD23(-) into CD23(+) transitional B cells both in vitro and in vivo through a mechanism distinct from that mediating cell survival, but requiring tonic BCR signaling. In summary, our data indicate that BAFFR and tonic BCR signals cooperate to enable nonautoreactive immature B cells to differentiate into transitional B cells and to be positively selected into the naive B cell repertoire.
Approaches to Problem Solving

Problem solving is the essence of professional practice. Professionals often are unable to explain how they approach problem solving or how they learned problem solving. Many professionals solve problems without being able to describe what they do; therefore, they cannot teach problem solving to others. Problem solving requires more than acquired skills and techniques; it requires a frame of reference, acquired through experience, and a style for dealing with situations for which there are no well-established responses. Schon (1983) noted that it is interesting that professionals who are unique, creative problem solvers often are considered less rigorous than others who more strictly frame a problem and its solution. Personal style and “know-how” contribute to spontaneity in problem solving. Schon challenged professionals to be more reflective when “setting” or “framing” a problem and considering solutions, and not to allow themselves to be locked into technical expertise.
Vertical distribution of dust and water ice aerosols from CRISM limb-geometry observations

[1] Near-infrared spectra taken in a limb-viewing geometry by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter provide a useful tool for probing atmospheric structure. Specifically, the observed radiance as a function of wavelength and height above the limb enables the vertical distribution of both dust and water ice aerosols to be retrieved. More than a dozen sets of CRISM limb observations have been taken so far providing pole-to-pole cross sections, spanning more than a full Martian year. Radiative transfer modeling is used to model the observations taking into account multiple scattering from aerosols and the spherical geometry of the limb observations. Both dust and water ice vertical profiles often show a significant vertical structure for nearly all seasons and latitudes that is not consistent with the well-mixed or Conrath-v assumptions that have often been used in the past for describing aerosol vertical profiles for retrieval and modeling purposes. Significant variations are seen in the retrieved vertical profiles of dust and water ice aerosol as a function of season. Dust typically extends to higher altitudes (approx. 40-50km) during the perihelion season than during the aphelion season (<20km), and the Hellas region consistently shows more dust mixed to higher altitudes than other locations. Detached water ice clouds are common, and water ice aerosols are observed to cap the dust layer in all seasons.
PPARδ and PGE2 signaling pathways communicate and connect inflammation to colorectal cancer

The nuclear hormone receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that is involved in fatty acid metabolism, obesity, wound healing, inflammation, and cancer. Despite decades of research, the role of PPARδ in inflammation and colorectal cancer remains unclear and somewhat controversial. Our recent work presented the first genetic evidence demonstrating that PPARδ is required for chronic colonic inflammation and colitis-associated carcinogenesis. We also found that a PPARδ downstream pathway, namely the COX-2-derived PGE2 signaling, mediated crosstalk between tumor epithelial cells and macrophages to promote chronic inflammation and colitis-associated tumor genesis. In this brief review, we summarize recent studies on the role of PPARδ in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) and highlight recent advances in our understanding of how PPARδ and COX-2-drevided PGE2 signaling coordinately promote chronic colonic inflammation and colitis-associate tumorigenesis. Elucidating the role of PPARδ in inflammation and CRC may provide a rationale for development of PPARδ antagonists as new therapeutic agents in treatment of IBD and CRC.
GEPNER MODEL BOUNDARY STATES FROM GEOMETRY

We consider a certain class of special Lagrangian submanifolds of Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces in toric varieties, and identify them with the Recknagel- Schomerus boundary states of the corresponding Gepner model. This construction associates a geometrical object to the non-geometrical boundary states of CFT, and suggests several ways in which new Gepner model boundary states may be constructed.
Interpretation of the prostate-specific antigen history in assessing life-threatening prostate cancer

Study Type – Diagnosis (validating cohort) Level of Evidence 1b OBJECTIVE To present an effective approach to the early detection of lethal prostate cancer using longitudinal data on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and its rate of change, i.e. PSA velocity (PSAV). This longitudinal approach might also be extendible to other biomarkers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS PSAV was calculated using five techniques for 634 subjects with at least three PSA measurements in a longitudinal ageing study, censoring PSA levels of >10 ng/mL. The efficacy for predicting death from prostate cancer was assessed with concordance indices and by using net reclassification improvement (NRI), which indicated the net increase in sensitivity and specificity when adding a biomarker to a base Cox proportional hazards model. The PSAV techniques were compared for the 5–10 years before the clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer. The most effective technique was then applied at the transition point when each man’s PSA history curve transformed from linear to exponentially increasing, and its predictive value was compared to that of concurrent PSA level. RESULTS A PSA transition point was found in 522 (82%) of the 634 men, including all 11 who died from prostate cancer. At the transition point, the mean PSA level was 1.4 ng/mL, and PSAV but not PSA level was significantly higher among men who died from prostate cancer than among men who did not (P= 0.021 vs P= 0.112; Wilcoxon two-sample test). At the transition point, adding PSAV to a base model consisting of age and date of diagnosis improved the concordance index by 0.05, and significantly improved the overall sensitivity and specificity (NRI, P= 0.028), while adding PSA level to the same base model resulted in little improvement (concordance index increase <0.01 and NRI P= 0.275). CONCLUSION When the shape of a man’s PSA history curve changes from linear to exponential, PSAV might help in the early identification of life-threatening prostate cancer at a time when PSA values are still low in most men.
Contributions of flavor violating couplings of a Higgs boson to pp → W W

We study contributions to $$ pp\to {W}^{+}{W}^{-}\to \ell {\nu}_{\ell }{\ell}^{\prime }{\nu}_{\ell^{\prime }} $$ in models with a new Higgs boson, H, and a neutral lepton, ν4, with couplings H − ν4 − ν μ and W − ν4 − $$ \mu $$ through the process pp → H → ν4ν μ → Wμν μ → lν l μν μ . Contrary to naive expectations, we find that contributions to pp → W W can be very large while satisfying constraints from standard H → W W and H → γγ searches. Even the excess observed by ATLAS in pp → W W , if taken at face value, can be easily accommodated. The various kinematic distributions fit nicely the experimentally determined ones. This scenario can arise for example in a two Higgs doublet model with vectorlike leptons.
Industrial Investment Decisions: A Comparative Analysis

In Presenting this paper to an audience of historians I find myself in a painfully ambiguous position. I am not qualified to talk to you as a historian; therefore what I am going to say will lack the richness of empirical detail that usually characterizes historical papers. On the other hand, in order to qualify as “comparative analysis” this paper ought to have a firm theoretical foundation for its analysis, and accepted standards of reference for its comparisons. Unfortunately, the development economists are still at the beginning of their difficult attempts to isolate the factors that make for economic development, and the complex interaction of these factors has so far eluded systematic analysis and presentation.
Antiproton physics at BNL

Abstract A review of antiproton physics at the Brookhaven AGS in past decade is given as well as a description of the present high energy physics program. Existing and potential facilities for antiproton physics at the AGS are discussed and are found to provide useful antiproton intensities over the momentum range proposed for SUPERLEAR in a multiple user environment.
The human Y chromosome: overlapping DNA clones spanning the euchromatic region

The human Y chromosome was physically mapped by assembling 196 recombinant DNA clones, each containing a segment of the chromosome, into a single overlapping array. This array included more than 98 percent of the euchromatic portion of the Y chromosome. First, a library of yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones was prepared from the genomic DNA of a human XYYYY male. The library was screened to identify clones containing 160 sequence-tagged sites and the map was then constructed from this information. In all, 207 Y-chromosomal DNA loci were assigned to 127 ordered intervals on the basis of their presence or absence in the YAC's, yielding ordered landmarks at an average spacing of 220 kilobases across the euchromatic region. The map reveals that Y-chromosomal genes are scattered among a patchwork of X-homologous, Y-specific repetitive, and single-copy DNA sequences. This map of overlapping clones and ordered, densely spaced markers should accelerate studies of the chromosome.
Bayesian model averaging for benchmark dose estimation

Benchmark dose estimation is widely used in various regulatory and industrial settings to estimate acceptable exposure levels to hazardous or toxic agents by predefining a level of excess risk (US EPA in Benchmark dose technical guidance document. Technical Report #EPA/100/R-12/001. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2012). Although benchmark dose estimation is a popular method for identifying exposure levels of agents, there are some limitations and cautions on use of this methodology. One such concern is choice of the underlying risk model. Recently, advances have been made using Bayesian model averaging to improve benchmark dose estimation in the face of model uncertainty. Herein we employ the strategies of Bayesian model averaging to build model averaged estimates for the benchmark dose. The methodology is demonstrated via a simulation study and with real data.
Laparotomy for Intra-abdominal Sepsis in Patients in an Intensive Care Unit

• Patients in an intensive care unit who have intra-abdominal (IA) infections producing clinical deterioration in their conditions require urgent intervention. However, detection is often difficult. To define preoperative criteria for, and improve the specificity of, laparotomy, we reviewed 100 explorations in 71 patients with suspected IA sepsis. Eighty-one explorations demonstrated an infected or ischemic process; 19 were negative. Preoperative features associated with a positive laparotomy were as follows: (1) objective evidence by physical examination, ultrasonography, or computed tomography suggesting an IA focus (89%); (2) septic shock (80%); and (3) positive blood cultures (95%). Absence of these features significantly lowered the accuracy of exploration. Septic shock or bacteremia had a 90% mortality regardless of findings at exploration. The best accuracy (89%) and survival (51%) rates were achieved with "directed" exploration before septic shock or bacteremia. Early use of sensitive detection techniques that permit directed laparotomy before septic deterioration should improve survival. ( Arch Surg 1984;119:652-658)
Naïve human umbilical cord matrix derived stem cells significantly attenuate growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

The effect of un-engineered (naive) human umbilical cord matrix stem cells (hUCMSC) on the metastatic growth of MDA 231 xenografts in SCID mouse lung was examined. Three weekly IV injections of 5 × 105 hUCMSC significantly attenuated MDA 231 tumor growth as compared to the saline-injected control. IV injected hUCMSC were detected only within tumors or in close proximity to the tumors. This in vivo result was corroborated by multiple in vitro studies such as colony assay in soft agar and [3H]-thymidine uptake. These results suggest that naive hUCMSC may be a useful tool for cancer cytotherapy.
Response Rates for Mixed-Mode Surveys Using Mail and E-mail/Web

This study examines response rates for mixed-mode survey implementation involving mail and e-mail/Web components. Using Dillman's Tailored Design Method, 1,500 participants were sent a survey either (a) via mail with a follow-up contact via e-mail that directed them to a Web-based questionnaire or (b) via e-mail that directed them to a Web-based questionnaire with a follow-up contact via mail. Results indicate that these mixed-mode procedures produce moderately high response rates. However, the mail survey tended to be more effective than the e-mail/Web survey, when serving either as the initial contact or as the follow-up contact. These results suggest that survey implementation involving mail followed by e-mail/Web, or even mail-only approaches, may result in larger samples than implementation involving e-mail/Web followed by mail.
Seasonality in cattle

Abstract Although cattle are basically not seasonal breeders, several physiological changes occur in response to two major climatic variables of season: ambient temperature and photoperiod. Ambient temperatures above 27°C lengthen the estrous cycle, decrease duration and intensity of estrus, decrease fertility and increase embryonic mortality. Some of these effects may be mediated via decreased secretion of luteinizing hormone and increased secretion of progesterone. Heat stress also suppresses growth rate, milk production and feed intake. In comparison with cattle exposed to less than 12 h of light per day, 14 to 16 h of light has relatively little effect on secretion of gonadotropins and fertility; however, growth rates, feed intake and milk yield are stimulated. Of all hormones measured in cattle, prolactin is the most responsive to changes in seasons, ambient temperature and photoperiod. Prolactin is greatest in summer when ambient temperatures are highest and photoperiods are longest.
White blood cell count, coronary heart disease, and death: The NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study

To confirm the reported association of elevated WBC count with increased risk of CHD incidence and death in white men and to determine whether such associations exist for CHD incidence and death in women and blacks, data were examined from the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Over a follow-up period of 7 to 16 years, WBC counts > 8100 cells/mm3 compared with WBC counts < 6600 cells/mm3 were associated with increased risk of CHD incidence in white men (RR = 1.31; 95% CL 1.07, 1.61) and in white women (RR = 1.31; 1.05, 1.63) aged 45 to 74 after adjustment for baseline risk factors. The association was found in white female but not in white male subjects who had never smoked. Increases in risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular diseases, and noncardiovascular diseases were also seen in all white men in the sample. RRs for death for all causes at ages 45 to 74, which compared the upper and lower strata of WBC counts, were 1.43 (95% CL 1.22, 1.68) in all white men and 1.33 (95% CL 1.00, 1.78) in subjects who had never smoked after adjustment for baseline risk factors. Similar increases in risk of death from all causes were seen in blacks aged 45 to 64 despite small sample size. Thus this analysis failed to clearly establish an increased risk of CHD incidence in white men with relatively elevated WBC counts who never smoked cigarettes, although such an association was evident in white women. The increased risk of death from all causes in men appeared to be only partially due to effects of smoking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Temperature and set field dependence of exchange bias training effects in Co/NiO/[Co/Pt] heterostructures with orthogonal easy axes

Abstract Training effects in a new class of exchange biased ferromagnet/antiferromagnet/ferromagnet trilayers (Co/NiO/[Co/Pt] 3 ) with mutually orthogonal easy axes have been measured and successfully modeled. Previous experiments have demonstrated an enhanced blocking temperature as well as the ability to isothermally field tune the magnitude of the room temperature in-plane exchange bias. These effects have been attributed to the presence of the [Co/Pt] multilayer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, which variably pins the backside NiO domains. Here we show that the tuning of the exchange bias and the blocking temperature enhancement are highly dependent on both the temperature and the in-plane remanence of the normally out-of-plane [Co/Pt] multilayer, achieved using modest in-plane set fields. Training effects and their dependence on temperature and in-plane remanence are modeled using a thermodynamic approach. The in-plane remanence of the [Co/Pt] acts only to set the equilibrium exchange bias value and sets the scale for the blocking temperature; it has no effect on the training. We conclude that training effects occur only at the Co/NiO interface and that the relaxation towards equilibrium is confined to this interface. The field enhanced blocking temperature and isothermal tuning of exchange bias in these magnetic heterostructures with mutually orthogonal easy axes could play a role in the enhancement of exchange bias effects in future spin-valve devices. A thorough knowledge of the training effects is essential to account for the fundamental relaxation mechanisms that occur with repeated field cycling.
The Chronic Kidney Disease - Colonic Axis

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has long been known to cause significant gastrointestinal and colonic pathology. Recent advances in understanding of the role of colonic bacterial microbiome and its function and composition in health and disease have revealed previously unappreciated effects of CKD-associated colonic pathology on the development of uremic complications. CKD can result in profound changes in the microbiome composition and biosynthetic pattern, and the structure and function of the colon. Increases in bacteria that produce urease, uricase, p-cresol- and indole-forming enzymes and the depletion of bacteria that possess short chain fatty acid forming enzymes have been described in human and animal models. Disruption of the colonic epithelial tight junction in different animal models of CKD has been reported and is largely due to the conversion of luminal urea to ammonia by urease possessing bacteria. Together, these changes contribute to the pathogenesis of systemic inflammation and uremic toxicity by allowing the translocation of endotoxin and microbial fragments into the circulation. Additionally, colonic bacteria are the main source of several well-known pro-inflammatory uremic toxins such as indoxyl sulfate, P-cresol sulfate. This review is intended to provide an overview of the effects of CKD on the colonic microbiome and the intestinal epithelial barrier structure and function and their role in the pathogenesis the systemic inflammation and uremic toxicity.
Ferroelectric Polymers with Chemically Tunable Dielectric Constants

We present a modular approach toward poly(vinylidene fluoride) based ferroelectric polymers with high dielectric constants and energy densities. This strategy is based on a two-step reaction including the co-polymerization of vinylidene fluoride (VDF) and chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and a subsequent hydrogenation reaction. Due to the similar reactivity of VDF and CTFE in free radical polymerization and quantitative yield of dechlorination reaction, the chemical compositions of the resulting terpolymers can be precisely controlled, leading to tunable Curie temperatures and dielectric constants. A library of the ferroelectric polymers with dielectric constants varying from 11 to 50 measured at 1 kHz and room temperature has been prepared. The structural characteristics including microstructure, chain conformation, and crystallinity of the polymers have been carefully elucidated as a function of the chemical composition by 1H and 19F NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and wide angle X-ray diffraction. The influence of the polymer compositions on thermal transitions and dielectric constants has also been investigated.
Application of Ty1 for cloned gene insertion : amplification of a large regulated expression cassette in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A large cassette, 4.6 × 103 bases (4.6 kb) in length, containing an inducible expression system (the yeast CUP1 promoter fused to the Escherichia coli lacZ structural gene) and a bacterial neomycin-resistance gene (neo) has been cloned into the noncoding region of a GAL1-regulated Ty1 retrotransposon. Galactose was used to induce retrotransposition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and cells containing integrations were selected by resistance to the aminoglycoside G418. Integrations of neo and CUP1p-lacZ were verified, and β-galactosidase activity was confirmed. Analysis via Southern blots demonstrated integrations at various chromosomal locations, and the number of insertions obtained ranged from one to five after three rounds of induction. Therefore, the packaging limit of Ty1 virus-like particles for RNA is at least 10.3 kb and Ty1 can transpose foreign genes as large as 4.6 kb, demonstrating the practical application of Ty1 for the insertion of large regulated expression cassettes.
Avatars of the gyroid

Abstract The unusual gyroid phase is described in three different amphiphilic systems. The way in which its existence can be understood in terms of surfaces of constant mean curvature is reviewed, as is the manner in which it can actually be accounted for by standard models of diblock copolymers solved within self-consistent field theory.
The contained threat: Women in mainstream aids documentary

In 1986–87, when it could be no longer denied that women, and therefore, heterosexual men, were at risk for AIDS, the makers of mainstream media faced a difficult dilemma. How could they resolve their urge to represent women in the way patriarchy knows best, as culpable vector for the spread of disease, while at the same time perpetuating the myth that the middle‐class, white male spectator need not worry about becoming infected? In the AIDS documentaries of this time, women were depicted as contained threats: an oxymoronic representation that allowed them to register simultaneously as iconographic site of danger and as easily controlled subject. In this analysis of four mainstream media documentaries which were made to address the issue of heterosexual transmission, I discuss how women's sexuality is contained and controlled through representation. Furthermore, I examine whether the attempt to construct control over anxiety about AIDS is in any way similar to other social controls over women.
The enigmatic parietal epithelial cell is finally getting noticed: a review

Although the normal glomerulus comprises four resident cell types, least is known about the parietal epithelial cells (PECs). This comprehensive review addresses the cellular origin of PECs, discusses the normal structure and protein makeup of PECs, describes PEC function, and defines the responses to injury in disease and how these events lead to clinical events. The data show that PECs have unique properties and that new functions are being recognized such as their role in differentiating into podocytes during disease.
KCNE1 Separates the Main Voltage Sensor Movement and Channel Opening in KCNQ1/KCNE1 Channels

The IKs channel is a slowly activating potassium channel that generates one of the potassium currents that limits the duration of the cardiac action potential. The IKs channel consists of 4 pore forming alpha subunits (KCNQ1) and 2-4 beta subunits (KCNE1). The four KCNQ1 subunits form functional potassium channels, but the KCNE1 beta subunit is necessary to recapitulate the slow activation kinetics of the IKs channel. The mechanism by which KCNE1 slows the kinetics of KCNQ1 channels is a matter of current controversy. Here, we use a combination of voltage clamp fluorometry (VCF) and gating current measurements to show that IKs channel activation occurs in two steps: (1) mutually independent voltage sensor movements in the four KCNQ1 subunits generate the main gating charge movement and underlie the delay in the activation time course of the KCNQ1/KCNE1 currents, (2) a slower and concerted conformational change of all four voltage sensors and the gate, which opens the KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel. Gating currents develop with a similar time and voltage dependence as the first fluorescence component, as if the first component reports on the main S4 charge movement. In contrast to other Kv channels, the voltage dependences of the main voltage sensor movement and channel opening are separated by over 100 mV. The two activation steps in KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels can be farther separated by a disease-causing mutation in KCNE1. We determine rates and voltage dependence of the gating transitions to construct a model for KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels. Our model is consistent with that KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel has a fast S4 movement at negative voltages that moves the majority of gating charge and a slower second conformational change at positive voltages that moves a smaller amount of gating charge and opens the gate.
The Impact of Residential Mortgage Foreclosure on Neighborhood Change and Succession

Many factors contribute to neighborhood change and succession, one being residential mortgage foreclosures. Limited attention has been paid to how residential mortgage foreclosures in a neighborhood are related to households' socioeconomic status and mobility decisions and, thus, lead to overall neighborhood change. We use sheriff's foreclosure sales data in Cuyahoga County between 1983 and 1989 to predict changes in neighborhood indicators from 1990 to 2000, controlling for various neighborhood and census place indicators and their changes. Results suggest that higher foreclosure rates are positively related to changes in percentage black population, female headship rate, median household income, and unemployment rate. We thus conclude that foreclosures speed up the housing filtering process, and racial and economic turnover of residents. Our results will enable planners and policy makers to understand the transitional process of these neighborhoods so that they can be stabilized in the years following concentrated foreclosures.
Insights into upper limb kinematics and trunk control one year after task-related training in chronic post-stroke individuals.

Abstract Study design Randomized clinical trial. Introduction Long-term follow-up of training investigations involving post-stroke individuals can lead to advancing clinical decisions. Extended task-related training (TRT) effects on reaching with the impaired upper limb were evaluated, using a pre-test/posttest/follow-up design. Purpose One-year follow-up examinations analyzed whether improved shoulder and elbow motion were maintained following prolonged practice of the upper limb. Methods Long-term kinematic analysis on 21 moderately impaired post-stroke participants (upper extremity Fugl-Meyer between 19 and 40/66), as well as results from standardized outcome measures performed on these patients and another 16 post-stroke participants. Results Significant initial changes were maintained for kinematic shoulder and elbow motion, as well as functional measures. Compensatory reaching involving the trunk has been shown to be maintainable, but ultimately less efficient. Conclusions Training that involves a conscious decision to control the trunk led to the most improved functional performance, and may lead to ideal restorative strategies. Level of evidence 2B.
The effect of a single injection of thyroxin on carbohydrates, protein and growth in the rat liver.

IT HAS BEEN customary to study the effect of thyroid substances on the chemical composition of body organs by feeding thyroid or injecting thyroxin at daily intervals and then examining the organs some time after the last injection. In spite of the fact that the amount of thyroid material, the duration of administration, and the time of the chemical analysis varied considerably in these investigations, some results, as for instance the loss of glycogen, proved to be rather constant and have been considered as characteristic for the action of thyroid substances. It seems, however, that the method of studying the effects of thyroid material after repeated administration and at an arbitrarily chosen time after the last dose is open to criticism. Thyroid action, when measured by the effect