cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stabilometry in balance assessment of dizzy and normal subjects

Normal adults and patients referred to the Dizzy Clinic at the Medical College of Ohio had their standing balance assessed during combinations of normal and altered visual and somatosensory orientation conditions using a fixed-force platform to measure center-of-pressure translations. Significant differences were identified between normal subjects and dizzy patients, depending on the particular diagnostic category, the sensory condition tested, and the particular sway component being measured. Patients with central and peripheral vestibular dysfunctions had significantly greater sway than all other categories in most test conditions, especially with eyes closed and with a visual conflict dome while standing on a foam surface. The central vestibular dysfunction and peripheral vestibular dysfunction groups could be differentiated statistically under eyes-closed and visual conflict-foam conditions. The normal and psychogenic groups could not be differentiated statistically for any test conditions except one: there was significantly greater mean anterior/posterior sway displacement in the psychogenic group compared with all other diagnostic categories for the eyes-open foam test condition. Our results indicate that static stabilometry recordings of postural sway can be used to evaluate and quantify a dizzy patient's ability to receive and process vestibular, visual, and somatosensory-proprioceptive cues for postural stability. It can also be used to monitor patients with vestibular disorders and to document their responses to rehabilitation programs.
Mowing Reduces Exotic Annual Grasses but Increases Exotic Forbs in a Semiarid Grassland

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and other exotic winter-active plants can be persistent invaders in native grasslands, growing earlier in the spring than native plants and pre-empting soil resources. Effective management strategies are needed to reduce their abundance while encouraging the reestablishment of desirable native plants. In this 4-year study, we investigated whether mowing and seeding with native perennial grasses could limit growth of exotic winter-actives, and benefit growth of native plants in an invaded grassland in Colorado, United States. We established a split-plot experiment in October 2008 with 3 mowing treatments: control, spring-mowed, and spring/summer-mowed (late spring, mid-summer, and late summer), and 3 within-plot seeding treatments: control, added B. tectorum seeds, and added native grass seeds. Cover of plant species and aboveground biomass were measured for 3 years. In March and June of 2010, 2011, and March of 2012, B. tectorum and other winter-annual grasses were half as abundant in both mowing treatments as in control plots; however, cover of non-native winter-active forbs increased 2-fold in spring-mowed plots and almost 3-fold in spring/summer-mowed plots relative to controls. These patterns remained consistent 1 year after termination of treatments. Native cool-season grasses were most abundant in spring-mowed plots, and least abundant in control plots. There was higher cover of native warm-season grasses in spring/summer-mowed plots than in control plots in July 2011 and 2012. The timing of management can have strong effects on plant community dynamics in grasslands, and this experiment indicates that adaptive management can target the temporal niche of undesirable invasive species.
Pressurized Cadaver Model in Cardiothoracic Surgical Simulation

Simulation is increasingly recognized as an integral aspect of thoracic surgery education. A number of simulators have been introduced to teach component cardiothoracic skills; however, no good model exists for numerous essential skills including redo sternotomy and internal mammary artery takedown. These procedures are often relegated to thoracic surgery residents but have significant negative implications if performed incorrectly. Fresh tissue dissection is recognized as the gold standard for surgical simulation, but the lack of circulating blood volume limits surgical realism. Our aim is to describe the technique of the pressurized cadaver for use in cardiothoracic surgical procedures, focusing on internal mammary artery takedown.
Synergistic regulation of cell function by matrix rigidity and adhesive pattern

Cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions play a critical role in regulating cellular behaviors. Recent studies of cell-ECM interactions have mainly focused on the actomyosin based and adhesion mediated mechanosensing pathways to understand how individual mechanical signals in the cell microenvironment, such as matrix rigidity and adhesive ECM pattern, are sensed by the cell and further trigger downstream intracellular signaling cascades and cellular responses. However, synergistic and collective regulation of cellular behaviors by matrix rigidity and adhesive ECM pattern are still elusive and largely uncharacterized. Here, we generated a library of microfabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropost arrays to study the synergistic and independent effects of matrix rigidity and adhesive ECM pattern on mechanoresponsive behaviors of both NIH/3T3 fibroblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We showed that both cell types were mechanosensitive and their cell spreading, FA formation, cytoskeletal contractility, and proliferation were all strongly dependent on both substrate rigidity and adhesive ECM pattern. We further showed that under the same substrate rigidity condition, smaller and closer adhesive ECM islands would cause both cells to spread out more, form more adhesion structures, and have a higher proliferation rate. The influence of adhesive ECM pattern on rigidity-mediated cytoskeletal contractility was cell type specific and was only significant for NIH/3T3. Morphometric analysis of cell populations revealed a strong correlation between focal adhesion and cell spreading, regardless of substrate rigidity and adhesive ECM pattern. We also observed a strong correlation between cellular traction force and cell spreading, with a substantially smaller independent effect of substrate rigidity on traction force. Our study here had determined key aspects of the biomechanical responses of adherent cells to independent and collective changes of substrate rigidity and adhesive ECM pattern.
Early plasticity versus early vulnerability: the problem of heterogeneous lesion types

Sir, It was with great interest that we read the paper from Anderson et al. (2009) in which the authors addressed two competing hypotheses regarding developmental outcome after early versus late brain lesions. The first hypothesis assumes a greater compensatory potential during early brain development, while the second hypothesis proclaims that the young brain may be especially sensitive to insult. Both hypotheses are discussed controversially (Kennard, 1942; Taylor and Alden, 1997). The authors have studied the consequences …
Bandwidth-optimal single-tunable-element matching network for antenna tuning in mobile handsets

This paper presents a single-tunable-element matching network that is optimized for the GSM850 and GSM900 bands. It is designed to counteract the detuning of mobile handset antennas by optimizing the transducer gain of the network. A simple model that emulates the antenna detuning effects based on extensive measurements from the literature is first presented. Based on this model it is shown that a matching network with a single tunable element suffices to cover the two aforementioned bands. Implementations for a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) as well as a proof-of-concept for the iPhone 4™ antenna are presented. The measured results, in good agreement with the modeled data, indicate that transducer gain improvements of up to 3.5 dB (53%) and 5.6 dB (57%) can be obtained for the PIFA and iPhone 4™ implementations, respectively.
Designing zero-forcing based MIMO relay networks with channel-controlled ARQ to achieve full diversity

Wireless MIMO relay networks have caught a lot of attention because of the potential to enhance performance by exploiting the joint cooperative and spatial diversity. In this paper, we develop high-rate and low-complexity designs for multi-antenna MIMO relay networks by adopting zero-forcing linear equalizers at both relay and destination and designing a simple power scaling at relay. Furthermore, channel-controlled ARQ techniques that rely on the physical link conditions instead of error detection codes are proposed to combine with the power scaling ZF MIMO relay network design to boost the performance. We analytically prove that the proposed scheme achieves the joint cooperative and spatial diversity. The theoretical analysis is corroborated with numerical simulations.
A Pseudohitchhiking Model of X vs. Autosomal Diversity

We study levels of X-linked vs. autosomal diversity using a model developed to analyze the hitchhiking effect. Repeated bouts of hitchhiking are thought to lower X-linked diversity for two reasons: first, because sojourn times of beneficial mutations are shorter on the X, and second, because adaptive substitutions may be more frequent on the X. We investigate whether each of these effects does, in fact, cause reduced X-linked diversity under hitchhiking. We study the strength of the hitchhiking effect on the X vs. autosomes when there is no recombination and under two different recombination schemes. When recombination occurs in both sexes, X-linked vs. autosomal diversity is reduced by hitchhiking under a broad range of conditions, but when there is no recombination in males, as in Drosophila, the required conditions are considerably more restrictive.
Ad Hoc Rural Regionalism.

A new regionalism has been much documented and researched for metropolitan areas; this article documents that there is a new rural regionalism as well. In the United States, these groups appear most likely to emerge in areas that are challenged by outcomes characterizing globalization’s effects on the rural condition: namely, exurban or metropolitan sprawl and the resulting landscape fragmentation, often in combination with extreme pressure on the profitability of small farms or other resource uses. This research asks: what impetus is behind rural regional efforts; and what sort of processes of institutionalization do these groups utilize? The paper builds on theory developed by the new regional geographers over the last twenty years, most notably Anne Gilbert and Anssi Paasi, and applies the theoretical framework to three North American case studies in what can be classified as ad hoc rural initiatives in contested landscapes, initiated by local or grassroots actors to foster a specific conceptualization of region. While specific programming varies for different groups, rural regionalism addressed the balance between and interconnections of landscape and land use change, social networks, economic viability, and impacts of global industry. Central to the case studies are actors’ efforts to create a regional identity, including forming institutions, defining regional boundaries, and identifying social/symbolic shapes for the region. The research discusses the importance of viewing regionalization through the lens of agency.
Increased Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Human Pancreatic Carcinomas and Cell Lines: Growth Inhibition by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 mRNA and protein expression were found to be frequently elevated in human pancreatic adenocarcinomas and cell lines derived from such tumors. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated cytoplasmic COX-2 expression in 14 of 21 (67%) pancreatic carcinomas. The level of COX-2 mRNA was found to be elevated in carcinomas, relative to histologically normal pancreas from a healthy individual, as assessed by reverse transcription-PCR. COX-2 protein expression was detected by the Western blot assay in three of five pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (BxPC-3, Capan-1, and MDAPanc-3), whereas COX-1 protein was detected in two of the five cell lines (BxPC-3 and Capan-1). Increased levels of COX-2 mRNA were found in four of five cell lines, and only in PANC-1 cells was the low level of transcript comparable to that in the normal pancreas. The level of COX-2 mRNA was positively correlated with the differentiation status of the tumor of origin for each cell line, COX-2 protein expression was up-regulated by epidermal growth factor when the cells were grown in absence of serum. Finally, two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, sulindac sulfide and NS398, produced a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation in all pancreatic cell lines tested. No correlation was found between the level of COX-2 or COX-1 expression and the extent of growth inhibition. Treatment of BxPC-3 cells with sulindac sulfide and NS398 resulted in an induction of COX-2 expression. Our findings indicate that COX-2 up-regulation is a frequent event in pancreatic cancers and suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be useful in the chemoprevention and therapy of pancreatic carcinoma.
Optically-Induced, Room-Temperature Oxidation of Gallium Arsenide

Room-temperature, optically-induced oxidation of the gallium arsenide surface has been studied with laser radiation of different wavelengths. It was found that deep-ultraviolet light is much more effective in enhancing oxidation than near-ultraviolet or visible light. The growth rate of the oxide was also found to be drastically increased by the presence of chemisorbed water molecules on the surface.
Development of low mass optical readout for high data bandwidth systems

At Argonne National Laboratory the High Energy Physics and Center for Nanoscale Materials Divisions are working on a project to develop a new generation of detector readout using high speed data transfer optical devices that can be implemented in particle physics or for long distances. Free-space communications devices offer the potential for reductions in mass, power, and cost of data paths for on-board trigger and readout of tracking detectors. The project involves three areas of study: light modulation, the design and construction of MEMS optical devices, and the control systems for maintaining precise laser light positioning. We demonstrate an optical link in air over one meter and with low error rate at 1 Gb/s. We demonstrate steering of an optical beam over a meter with a precision of 5 micrometers utilizing a MEMS mirror and reflected light in the feedback loop. For early testing, light modulation tests with a fiber link using Li-Niobate modulators and a data generation and error checking chip are done at 1Gb/s. Many companies and universities are developing modulators which will be incorporated into CMOS chips. We are doing radiation hardness studies for one of the materials involved. Laser light will need to be steered on to and kept centered on the detector in the presence of thermal or mechanical motion, etc. This steering will be controlled by MEMS mirrors. Polycrystalline and crystalline silicon based mirror designs are being studied. We review the current status of the project and outline plans for the future development of the system.
IDENTIFICATION OF TER94, AN AAA ATPASE PROTEIN, AS A BAM-DEPENDENT COMPONENT OF THE DROSOPHILA FUSOME

The Drosophila fusome is a germ cell-specific organelle assembled from membrane skeletal proteins and membranous vesicles. Mutational studies that have examined inactivating alleles of fusome proteins indicate that the organelle plays central roles in germ cell differentiation. Although mutations in genes encoding skeletal fusome components prevent proper cyst formation, mutations in the bag-of-marbles gene disrupt the assembly of membranous cisternae within the fusome and block cystoblast differentiation altogether. To understand the relationship between fusome cisternae and cystoblast differentiation, we have begun to identify other proteins in this network of fusome tubules. In this article we present evidence that the fly homologue of the transitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (TER94) is one such protein. The presence of TER94 suggests that the fusome cisternae grow by vesicle fusion and are a germ cell modification of endoplasmic reticulum. We also show that fusome association of TER94 is Bam-dependent, suggesting that cystoblast differentiation may be linked to fusome reticulum biogenesis.
Effects of Diffraction on Measurements of the Frequency-Dependent Ultrasonic Attenuation

Using a one-dimensional model of wave propagation, the ultrasonic attenuation can be estimimated from spectral analysis of RF A-scans. The results of computer modeling studies and measurements on tissue equivalent phantoms indicate that spectral analysis methods are accurate only in the regime where a one-dimensional model is adequate. In the near field of a typical B-scan transducer, a one-dimenional model is not an accurate description of wave propagation. A simple processing method is presented that minimizes near field diffraction effects on estimates of the slope of the attenuation coefficient as a function of frequency.
Mammographic screening: Patterns of use and estimated impact on breast carcinoma survival

BACKGROUND Although many studies support the life-saving potential of screening mammography, the actual utilization of screening and the impact of the actual pattern of screening use on the breast carcinoma death rate, remain incompletely understood. In the current report, the authors describe patterns of screening use among women who were examined at a large screening and diagnostic service and estimate the added mortality associated with missed screening mammograms. METHODS Mammography use was assessed in a population of 72,417 women who received a total of 254,818 screening mammograms at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Avon Comprehensive Breast Center (Boston, MA) between January 1, 1985, and February 19, 2002. A computer simulation of breast carcinoma growth, spread, and detection of breast carcinoma was used to estimate the likely health consequences of various types of screening use. RESULTS Both prompt return for annual screening and full use of screening over extended periods of time were rare, and comparison of the MGH population with other populations revealed that the low level of use observed in the MGH population was not atypical. Only 6% of women who received a mammogram in 1992 received all annual mammograms that were available over the next 10 years; the mean number of mammograms received during this period was 5.06, or 51% of the number recommended by the American Cancer Society. Computer simulation results indicate that this underutilization of screening should result in higher mortality levels. Women from traditionally underserved socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups, women without insurance, and women who did not speak English had lower levels of use compared with other women. Lower levels of use also were observed among women receiving their first mammogram or who in the past had not returned promptly. Women ages 55–65 years had higher levels of use than did younger or older women. Women who previously had breast carcinoma also had higher levels of screening use. Nonetheless, none of the subpopulations of women stratified by age, race, ethnicity, zip code, income,language, insurance, status, previous screening use, or medical history exhibited a widespread propensity to promptly return for annual screening over an extended period of time. CONCLUSIONS By many measures, the current analysis is one of the most detailed descriptions of screening use to date. The authors observed a level of screening use that was disappointingly low, with potentially negative health-related consequences, among women across categories defined by racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics; insurance status; language; age; medical history; and previous screening use. Improvements in the promptness with which women return to screening appear to have the potential to lead to considerable reductions in breast carcinoma death. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Mechanical dyssynchrony after cardiac resynchronization therapy for severely symptomatic heart failure is associated with risk for ventricular arrhythmias.

Background Risk factors for ventricular arrhythmias after cardiac resynchronization defibrillator therapy (CRT-D) for severely symptomatic heart failure are of clinical importance but are not clearly defined. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that mechanical dyssynchrony after CRT-D is a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias. Methods A total of 266 consecutive CRT-D patients with class III or IV heart failure, QRS duration ≥120 msec, and ejection fractions ≤ 35% were prospectively studied. Dyssynchrony was assessed before and 6 months after CRT-D using speckle-tracking radial strain anteroseptal–to–posterior wall delay, predefined as ≥130 msec. Ventricular arrhythmias were predefined as appropriate antitachycardia pacing or shock, and the combined end point of ventricular arrhythmias, death, transplantation, or left ventricular assist device implantation was followed over 2 years. Results Of the initial 266 patients, 11 died, five underwent transplantation, three received left ventricular assist devices before their 6-month echocardiographic examinations, 19 (7%) had inadequate speckle-tracking at 6-month follow-up, and 27 (10%) were lost to follow-up. Accordingly, the study group consisted of 201 patients. Dyssynchrony after CRT-D was observed in 79 (39%) and was associated with a significantly higher ventricular arrhythmic event rate: 21% ( P P P = .001). Dyssynchrony after CRT-D was associated with ventricular arrhythmias or death in patient subgroups by cardiomyopathy type, QRS width, and morphology ( P Conclusions Persistent or new radial dyssynchrony after CRT-D in severely symptomatic patients with heart failure with widened QRS complexes and reduced ejection fractions was associated with an increased rate of ventricular arrhythmias or death and appears to be a marker for a less favorable prognosis.
History of regional chemotherapy for cancer of the extremities.

Patients with recurrent cutaneous or soft tissue malignancies of the extremity provide a unique opportunity to evaluate therapy targeted to the isolated limb. The most common clinical presentation of recurrent extremity malignancy occurs in patients with melanoma. The extremity is the site of primary melanoma in half of patients with the disease , and of those with a primary melanoma of Breslow depth ≥1.5 mm, 15% will develop a local or in-transit recurrence . Palliation of extremity disease is important in these patients, as median survival after diagnosis of in-transit or locally recurrent disease >2 years . Radical approaches to eradication of extremity recurrence are rarely used, although in a highly selected group of patients undergoing amputation, 42% 5-year survival was reported . As greater recognition of the palliative nature of extremity therapy has evolved, an emphasis on preservation of limb function has supplanted cure as a more realistic therapeutic goal. While occasional cure can be observe...
Shrinking the quadratic estimator of weak lensing

We study a regression characterization for the quadratic estimator of weak lensing, developed by Hu and Okamoto [W. Hu, Astrophys. J. 557, L79 (2001).][W. Hu and T. Okamoto, Astrophys. J. 574, 566 (2002).][T. Okamoto and W. Hu, Phys. Rev. D 67, 083002 (2003).], for cosmic microwave background observations. This characterization motivates a modification of the quadratic estimator by an adaptive Wiener filter which uses the robust Bayesian techniques described in [J. Berger, Ann. Stat. 8, 716 (1980).][J. Berger, Statistical Decision Theory and Bayesian Analysis (Springer, New York, 1980).][W. Strawderman, Ann. Stat. 42, 385 (1971).]. This technique requires the user to propose a fiducial model for the spectral density of the unknown lensing potential but the resulting estimator is developed to be robust to mis-specification of this model. The role of the fiducial spectral density is to give the estimator superior statistical performance in a ``neighborhood of the fiducial model'' while controlling the statistical errors when the fiducial spectral density is drastically wrong. Our estimate also highlights some advantages provided by a Bayesian analysis of the quadratic estimator.
Software Barrier Performance on Dual Quad-Core Opterons

Multi-core processors based SMP servers have become building blocks for Linux clusters in recent years because they can deliver better performance for multi-threaded programs through on-chip multi-threading. However, a relative slow software barrier can hinder the performance of a data-parallel scientific application on a multi-core system. In this paper we study the performance of different software barrier algorithms on a server based on newly introduced AMD quad-core Opteron processors. We study how the memory architecture and the cache coherence protocol of the system influence the performance of barrier algorithms. We present an optimized barrier algorithm derived from the queue-based barrier algorithm. We find that the optimized barrier algorithm achieves speedup of 1.77 over the original queue-based algorithm. In addition, it has speedup of 2.39 over the software barrier generated by the Intel OpenMP compiler.
Recovery of Anaerobic Bacteria From Four Children With Postthoracotomy Sternal Wound Infection

The cases of 4 children who developed postthoracotomy sternal wound infection caused by anaerobic bacteria are presented. The predominate anaerobes were Peptostreptococcus species and pigmented Prevotella species. Polymicrobial infection was present in all cases, and aerobic bacteria also were recovered in 2 instances. All patients responded to surgical debridement and antimicrobials effective against the isolated aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. These findings highlight the potential importance of anaerobic bacteria in postthoracotomy sternal wound infection.
Comprehensive Care and Pregnancy: The Unmet Care Needs of Pregnant Women with a History of Rape

This paper proposes a framework for assessing the unmet needs of rape survivors during pregnancy based on the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) practice level theory and an empirical exploration of rape survivors’ health status in pregnancy via a secondary analysis. Our findings indicate that there may be unmet needs in pregnancy related to all five post-assault comprehensive care components: (1) physical care, (2) pregnancy prevention, (3) sexually transmitted infection screening, (4) psychological care, and (5) legal care. Rape history and its current impact on the survivor predicted somatic disorders, substance use, unwanted pregnancy, infections, posttraumatic stress disorder, and recent abuse.
Massively Parallel Single-Molecule Manipulation Using Centrifugal Force

Precise manipulation of single molecules has already led to remarkable insights in physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. However, widespread adoption of single-molecule techniques has been impeded by equipment cost and the labo- rious nature of making measurements one molecule at a time. We have solved these issues by developing an approach that enables massively parallel single-molecule force measurements using centrifugal force. This approach is realized in an instru- ment that we call the centrifuge force microscope in which objects in an orbiting sample are subjected to a calibration-free, macro- scopically uniform force-field while their micro-to-nanoscopic motions are observed. We demonstrate high-throughput single- molecule force spectroscopy with this technique by performing thousands of rupture experiments in parallel, characterizing force-dependent unbinding kinetics of an antibody-antigen pair in minutes rather than days. Additionally, we verify the force accu- racy of the instrument by measuring the well-established DNA overstretching transition at 66 5 3 pN. With significant benefits in efficiency, cost, simplicity, and versatility, single-molecule centrifugation has the potential to expand single-molecule experimen- tation to a wider range of researchers and experimental systems.
Accounting Responses to Hedge-Fund Activism

We examine changes in firms’ discretionary accounting accruals around the commencement of activism by hedge funds. We argue that hedge funds have the potential to provide increased monitoring of earnings management behavior and we predict and find empirically that average discretionary accruals decrease around the commencement of hedge fund activism. We find in both univariate and multivariate tests that discretionary accruals decline significantly after commencement of hedge fund activism, suggesting activist hedge funds do provide at least some incremental monitoring of accounting and reporting in addition to their focus on the governance, operations and financing of target firms. However, we find no cross-sectional relationship between changes in earnings management and analyst following, institutional ownership or other factors, suggesting that the accounting improvements are not conditional on these factors but are instead a general benefit resulting from the intervention of activist hedge funds.
Two-photon absorption: an overview of measurements and principles

The range of organic compounds whose degenerate two-photon absorption (2PA) spectrum has been reported has increased rapidly in recent years, in parallel with the growing interest in applications based on the 2PA process. The comparison of results from different techniques is not always straightforward, and experimental conditions employed may vary significantly. We overview the concepts underlying 2PA measurements and the common assumptions and approximations used in the data analysis for various techniques. The importance of selecting appropriate excitation regimes under which measurements should be performed and of avoiding contributions from absorption mechanisms in addition to 2PA will be emphasized.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015: Exciting discoveries in DNA repair by Aziz Sancar

On October 7, 2015, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2015 was awarded to three deserving scientists for their pioneering research on DNA repair. Tomas Lindahl was recognized for studies that uncovered the inherent instability of DNA as well as the mechanism of the base excision repair pathway, Paul Modrich for characterization of the mismatch repair pathway, and Aziz Sancar for mechanistic elucidation of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. For me, the announcement of these awards in my area of research was extremely gratifying, particularly so because Aziz was my mentor during my Ph.D. studies that examined the steps of prokaryotic NER. Memorably, I trained in the Sancar laboratory at a time where groundbreaking discoveries were being made in the burgeoning field of DNA repair, and can personally attest to his dedication and keen intellect. The text below primarily addresses Aziz’s critical contributions towards our understanding of NER processes in E. coli during the early years of study on this pathway. Other researchers have made important contributions in this area that may not be specified or cited here due to emphasis and space constraints of this article. CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNDERSTANDING PROKARYOTIC NER: BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND RECONSTITUTION OF NER PROCESSES
LTCC Microsystems and Microsystem Packaging and Integration Applications

Low Temperature Cofired Ceramic (LTCC) has proven to be an enabling medium for microsystem technologies, because of its desirable electrical, physical, and chemical properties coupled with its capability for rapid prototyping and scalable manufacturing of components. LTCC is viewed as an extension of hybrid microcircuits, and in that function it enables development, testing, and deployment of silicon microsystems. However, its versatility has allowed it to succeed as a microsystem medium in its own right, with applications in non-microelectronic meso-scale devices and in a range of sensor devices. Applications include silicon microfluidic ‘chip-and-wire’ systems and fluid grid array (FGA)/microfluidic multichip modules using embedded channels in LTCC, and cofired electro-mechanical systems with moving parts. Both the microfluidic and mechanical system applications are enabled by sacrificial volume materials (SVM), which serve to create and maintain cavities and separation gaps during the lamination and co...
Pathology of Fungal Rhinosinusitis: A Review

Fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) comprises a spectrum of disease processes that vary in clinical presentation, histologic appearances, and biological significance. FRS can be acute or chronic and is most commonly classified as non-invasive or invasive based on whether fungi have invaded into tissue. This manuscript will review the pathologic classification of FRS.
Association of levels of opioid use with pain and activity interference among patients initiating chronic opioid therapy: a longitudinal study

Little is known about long-term pain and function outcomes among patients with chronic noncancer pain initiating chronic opioid therapy (COT). In the Middle-Aged/Seniors Chronic Opioid Therapy study of patients identified through electronic pharmacy records as initiating COT for chronic noncancer pain, we examined the relationships between level of opioid use (over the 120 days before outcome assessment) and pain and activity interference outcomes at 4- and 12-month follow-ups. Patients aged 45+ years (N = 1477) completed a baseline interview; 1311 and 1157 of these comprised the 4- and 12-month analysis samples, respectively. Opioid use was classified based on self-report and electronic pharmacy records for the 120 days before the 4- and 12-month outcome assessments. Controlling for patient characteristics that predict sustained COT and pain outcomes, patients who had used opioids minimally or not at all, compared with those with intermittent/lower-dose and regular/higher-dose opioid use, had better pain intensity and activity interference outcomes. Adjusted mean (95% confidence interval) pain intensity (0-10 scale) at 12 months was 4.91 (4.68-5.13) for the minimal/no use group and 5.71 (5.50-5.92) and 5.72 (5.51-5.93) for the intermittent/lower-dose and regular/higher-dose groups, respectively. A similar pattern was observed for pain intensity at 4 months and for activity interference at both time points. Better outcomes in the minimal/no use group could reflect pain improvement leading to opioid discontinuation. The similarity in outcomes of regular/higher-dose and intermittent/lower-dose opioid users suggests that intermittent and/or lower-dose use vs higher-dose use may confer risk reduction without reducing benefits.
Transport of Alanine, Arginine and Glutamic Acid in the Rabbit Erythrocyte and Reticulocyte.

SummaryCharacteristics of uptake of ala-nine, arginine and glutamic acid have been studied in the rabbit erythrocyte and reticulo-cyte. Evidence is presented that the reticu-locyte posseses a mechanism or mechanisms for transport of alanine and glutamic acid that are lacking in the erythrocyte. The sources of supporting energy are blocked by exposure to IAA. Arginine accumulates to a greater extent in the erythrocyte than the reticulocyte. A quantitative analysis of amino acid uptake is presented.
Isolation from Mammalian Brain of Coproporphyrin I11 and a Uro-Type Porphyrin

SummaryLiver extracts of two phenylketonuric patients failed to catalyze the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine in the presence of oxygen, phosphopyridine nucleotide and nicotinamide.
“The Specter of Environmentalism”: Wilderness, Environmental Politics, and the Evolution of the New Right

In 1982 conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives released an internal re port titled "The Specter of Environmentalism." Coming on the heels of Ronald Reagan's landslide election in 1980, the appointment of James Watt to the Department of the In terior, and, above all, growing frustration with environmentalism, the Republican Study Committee's report reflected a new conservative opposition to the modern environmental movement. It described environmentalists as "extremists" who posed a growing threat to the orderly development of the nation's resources. It warned that environmentalism was not just about the environment anymore; it was about "an entire outlook of broad politi cal and social affairs." And it cast environmentalism in the keywords of a culture war: it was the rallying point for liberals, revolutionaries, and the counterculture. The report concluded that challenging environmental reform offered a political opportunity for the Republican party. Just a decade after Richard M. Nixon had signed into law the legisla tive foundations of the modern environmental regulatory state, the Republican party saw political advantage in opposing efforts to increase protection of the environment, specifi cally, an expanding and cumbersome array of federal environmental regulations. It was a strategy that played particularly well in the American West, where citizens, local and state government officials, and their political allies in Congress had grown increasingly angry at what they described as the environmentalists' "War on the West."1 The modern American environmental movement has been a broad and varied affair?
Perioperative care of elderly intertrochanteric fracture patients by percutaneous compression plating

Objective: To investigate the clinical therapeutic efficacy of percutaneous compression plating(PCCP) in the treatment of elderly intertrochanteric fracture patients and to explore the perioperative nursing strategy.Methods: 128 cases of elderly intertrochanteric fracture patients were randomly divided into PCCP group and dynamic hip screw(DHS) group,with 64 cases in each group.Patients in PCCP group were treated with percutaneous compression plating and patients in DHS group were given dynamic hip screw treatment.The characteristics of PCCP surgery and its perioperative nursing considerations were summarized through comparing the therapeutic efficacy of the two methods.Results: All patients achieved satisfatory treatment outcomes.Specifically,in the PCCP group,operative time was(48.6 ±17.8) min,wound size was(8.2±1.5) cm,the amount of bleeding was(88.6±34.7) ml and the average healing time was(13.4±1.2) weeks.In the DSH group,operative time was(85.2±22.2) min,wound size was(14.9±2.1) cm,the amount of bleeding was(245.3±123.7) ml and the average healing time was(14.3±1.2) weeks.There were significant differences between the outcomes of the two groups in operative time,wound size and the amount of bleeding(P0.05 or P0.01).Patients in the PCCP group didn't demonstrate complications such as wound infection,deep vein thrombosis,pressure ulcers,delayed healing of fracture healing and plate and screw fracture.Conclusion: PCCP technique is an effective treatment for elderly intertrochanteric fracture patients.Stable progression through the surgery demands attention to every aspect of perioperative patient care.
Lysosomal functions in cellular activation: propagation of the actions of hormones and other effectors.

Publisher Summary This chapter evaluates the aspects of the individual steps in the staging of vectorial pathway and assesses their potential metabolic consequences in the processing and execution of information delivered by agonist. The chapter determines from the analysis an array of effectors and target cells as possible, whether such a pattern is generalized or unique to only certain classes of effectors or target cells. The independent data and the implications of lysosomal function in propagation and coordination of transcellular events are also considered. The integration of information is derived from the analysis of interlocking problems that contributes to the understanding of critical molecular events associated with triggering of cellular responses to tropic hormones and other effectors.
Behavior analysis and linguistic productivity.

The greatest intellectual challenge to the field of behavior analysis may be understanding linguistic productivity (e.g., being able to correctly say and understand novel sentences). One of the main issues concerning linguistic productivity is whether behavioral productivity is, itself, a fundamental behavioral process, as claimed by the proponents of relational frame theory, or whether we can understand linguistic productivity in terms of more fundamental behavioral principles.
Pediatric Neurovascular Disease

Vascular lesions of the brain and spinal cord are important considerations in the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients presenting with new neurological symptoms. This chapter reviews the large and diverse family of neurovascular lesions, with a focus on the presentation and diagnosis in the primary care setting, to assist in making informed referrals for neurosurgical consultation and to provide insight to the primary care physician regarding diagnostic and management considerations that may occur following subspecialty referral, outside the primary care setting.
Association between elementary school personality and high school smoking and drinking.

Background and aims Among U.S. high school students, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are associated with numerous concurrent and future harms. We tested whether multiple elementary school personality dispositions to behave impulsively can predict these addictive behaviors invariably across gender and race. Design and Setting This longitudinal design involved testing whether individual differences on impulsigenic traits in elementary school predicted drinking and smoking four years later in high school in 23 public schools in Kentucky, USA. Participants 1,897 youth ages 11 to 15, drawn from urban, rural, and suburban backgrounds. Measurements Drinking and smoking frequency were assessed by single item questions. The key predictors were impulsigenic traits measured with the UPPS-P Child Version impulsive behavior scale. Important covariates included were pubertal status, depression, negative affect, and positive affect; each was assessed by self-report. Findings Three personality traits measured in 5th grade, each representing different dispositions to engage in impulsive behavior, predicted drinking and smoking in 9th grade above and beyond other risk factors and 5th grade drinking and smoking. Specifically, urgency (b = .10, .13), sensation seeking (b = .13, .07), and low conscientiousness (b = .14, .11) each uniquely predicted both high school drinking and smoking, respectively. There was no evidence that any trait predicted either outcome more strongly than the other traits, nor was there evidence that predictive results varied by gender or race. Conclusions Three personality traits (urgency, sensation seeking, and low conscientiousness), when measured in 11-year-old children, individually predict those children's drinking and smoking behavior at age 15. The effects are invariant across gender and race.
A Model for Research in Programmed Self-instruction

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a model for research in programmed self-instruction. The intent was to see what could be done in programmed self-instruction in a foreign language by use of the most practicable and well-designed techniques that could be devised in the light of the investigator's best knowledge and judgment. These techniques were to be shaped and modified in the course of the investigation. In a recent survey of programmed instruction in foreign languages, three essential attributes of programmed instruction were identified. The description of programmed instruction is broad enough to apply to many types of instructional situations. In the teaching of foreign languages, programmed instruction seems to offer a number of advantages over conventional instruction. In producing competence in the speaking and understanding of foreign languages, programmed instruction will of necessity include auditory stimulation and overt spoken responses. Flexibility in the programming system and the manner of presentation in conducting research in programmed instruction in a foreign language seem fundamental.
Letter re: Clinical Reasoning: A young woman with respiratory failure, hearing loss, and paraplegia.

I read with interest the case presented by Ntranos et al.1 of acute-onset bilateral lesions in the globus pallidi, hearing loss (possible cochlear dysfunction), and upper thoracic anterior spinal cord lesion in a patient with an opioid/acetaminophen overdose and possible transient hypoxia. Did the authors consider the possibility of methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) as a potential underlying susceptibility factor? The lesions on the patient's MRI in the globus pallidi are characteristic of MMA. There are several possibilities, including an unrecognized minor mutation in the MMA pathway resulting in partial loss of function that was subclinical until the stress of the opioid overdose or an acquired form due to severe B12 deficiency. If the authors did not check, it may be worthwhile to perform a follow-up test on the patient's urine sample for MMA and blood for B12 level. Even if results are normal, I wonder whether the patient has an underlying energy metabolism disorder that clinically manifested with the acute stressor given the particular combination of the lesions.
History and Development of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering in Urology

Over the course of the past half-century, the field of urology has born witness to the translation of a multitude of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine technologies from the laboratory to the bedside. While early advancements involved the use of synthetic materials for structural replacement along the genitourinary tract, further development of cell and tissue culturing techniques, along with breakthroughs in the disciplines of cellular and molecular biology, gave rise to the field of tissue engineering, which combined this newfound understanding of cell and tissue growth with material science and engineering. Along with the biotechnology of cell transplantation and nuclear transfer, the field of tissue engineering sought to regenerate living tissues and organs, hence giving birth to the concept of regenerative medicine. Major discoveries in the field of genitourinary regenerative medicine over the past 30 years have progressed from injectable biomaterials to synthetic polymer and naturally-derived scaffolds seeded with cellular material and subsequently implanted. Over time, these scaffolds have advanced from simple onlay grafts to tubularized structures, hollow organs, and organs with highly complex stromal and vascular architectures.
Troponin Release and Reversible Left Ventricular Dysfunction After Transient Pressure Overload.

Abstract Background The authors previously demonstrated that brief ischemia elicits cardiac troponin I (cTnI) release and myocyte apoptosis in the absence of necrosis. It remains uncertain whether other pathophysiological stresses can produce apoptosis and transient cTnI release without ischemia. Objectives This study sought to determine whether a transient increase in left ventricular (LV) preload elicits cTnI release in the absence of ischemia. Methods Propofol-anesthetized swine (N = 13) received intravenous phenylephrine (PE) (300 μg/min) for 1 h to increase left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) to ∼30 mm Hg. Serial cTnI and echocardiographic function were assessed for 24 h, and myocardial tissue was analyzed for apoptosis and necrosis. Results PE infusion increased systolic blood pressure from 137 ± 14 mm Hg to 192 ± 11 mm Hg (mean ± SD; p Conclusions Transient elevations of LVEDP lead to cTnI release, apoptosis, and reversible stretch-induced stunning in the absence of ischemia. Thus, preload-induced myocyte injury may explain many cTnI elevations seen in the absence of clinical signs or symptoms of myocardial ischemia.
Biogenic opal as an indicator of mixing in an Alfisol/Vertisol landscape

Abstract Boettinger, J.L., 1994. Biogenic opal as an indicator of mixing in an Alfisol/Vertisol landscape. In: A.J. Ringrose-Voase and G.S. Humphreys (Editors), Soil Micromorphology: Studies in Management and Genesis. Proc. IX Int. Working Meeting on Soil Micromorphology, Townsville, Australia, July 1992. Developments in Soil Science 22, Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 17–26.