cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Heuristic-adaptive procedure for segmentation of time patterns

This paper treats segmentation of time patterns as a heuristic search problem. Segmentation is formulated in terms of image restoration. An observed pattern, which is the stochastically deformed image of a pure image consisting of a number of regimes, is to be segmented to recover the regimed structure. Standard statistical decision methods are not very useful here because of the computational difficulties involved. The search process described here consists of application of a sequence of heuristic-adaptive operators. Each operator is designed to detect certain flaws in previous segmentations and make modifications accordingly. The search path thus generated ends in a loop from among which the final solution is chosen by an evaluating function. Results of experiments with simulated data are presented and discussed.
Initiation of corneal differentiation prior to cornea-lens association.

By day 3 of development, embryonic chick corneal epithelium is actively producing much of the extracellular matrix (ECM) which contributes to the formation of the primary corneal stroma. While evidence suggests that the lens influences subsequent development of the cornea, the role of the lens in initiating primary stroma production by corneal epithelium remains unclear. Therefore, corneal development was studied from 48 h of incubation, when corneal epithelial cells lie circumferentially adjacent to the lens placode, until 65 h of development, when the epithelium nearly covers the newly invaginated lens. Examination of the ECM underlying corneal epithelium at 60h of development with the transmission electron microscope reveals 5–6 layers of finely fibrillar striated collagen (10–15 nm diameter) and unstriated fibrillar material embedded in clusters of electron dense granules (11–14nm diameter). The granules stain positively with ruthenium red and are sensitive to hyaluronidases, enzymes specific for glycosaminoglycans. This pattern of epithelial ECM deposition extends from the attachment stalk of the invaginating lens radially to a region just distal to the outer edge of the optic cup. Here the ECM under the surface ectoderm (overlying head mesenchyme) has only 2–3 plies of collagen and fewer evenly dispersed dense granules. Apparently, the corneal epithelium has already begun production of ECM prior to complete lens detachment in areas considerably distal to the underlying lens. In fact, even at 48h of development, the corneal epithelium accumulates subjacent ECM as it lies next to the margin of the optic cup, long before its supposed “inductive” tissue interaction with lens. This work was supported in part by a seed grant from the University of Southern California No. RR-05356 and by NIH Grant DE 04613
Publication misrepresentation among urology residency applicants

Purpose To assess the extent and types of publication misrepresentation among medical students applying to the urology residency program at the University of Washington. Research experience and publications are the selection criteria used to judge and rank urology residency applicants.
Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency: enzyme studies on a further case and a method of diagnosis using plasma enzyme ratios.

Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency: Enzyme Studies on a Further Case and a Method of Diagnosis Using Plasma Enzyme Ratios
Design of Allele-Specific Protein Methyltransferase Inhibitors

Protein arginine methyltransferases, which catalyze the transfer of methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to arginine side chains in target proteins, regulate transcription, RNA processing, and receptor-mediated signaling. To specifically address the functional role of the individual members of this family, we took a "bump-and-hole" approach and designed a series of N(6)-substituted S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) analogues that are targeted toward a yeast protein methyltransferase RMT1. A point mutation was identified (E117G) in Rmt1 that renders the enzyme susceptible to selective inhibition by the SAH analogues. A mass spectrometry based enzymatic assay revealed that two compounds, N(6)-benzyl- and N(6)-naphthylmethyl-SAH, can inhibit the mutant enzyme over the wild-type with the selectivity greater than 20. When the E117G mutation was introduced into the Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome, the methylation of Npl3p, a known in vivo Rmt1 substrate, could be moderately reduced by N(6)-naphthylmethyl-SAH in the resulting allele. In addition, an N(6)-benzyl-SAM analogue was found to serve as an orthogonal SAM cofactor. This analogue is preferentially utilized by the mutant methyltransferase relative to the wild-type enzyme with a selectivity greater than 67. This specific enzyme/inhibitor and enzyme/substrate design should be applicable to other members of this protein family and facilitate the characterization of protein methyltransferase function in vivo when combined with RNA expression analysis.
Static and dynamic optimization solutions for gait are practically equivalent

The proposition that dynamic optimization provides better estimates of muscle forces during gait than static optimization is examined by comparing a dynamic solution with two static solutions. A 23-degree-of-freedom musculoskeletal model actuated by 54 Hill-type musculotendon units was used to simulate one cycle of normal gait. The dynamic problem was to find the muscle excitations which minimized metabolic energy per unit distance traveled, and which produced a repeatable gait cycle. In the dynamic problem, activation dynamics was described by a first-order differential equation. The joint moments predicted by the dynamic solution were used as input to the static problems. In each static problem, the problem was to find the muscle activations which minimized the sum of muscle activations squared, and which generated the joint moments input from the dynamic solution. In the first static problem, muscles were treated as ideal force generators; in the second, they were constrained by their force-length-velocity properties; and in both, activation dynamics was neglected. In terms of predicted muscle forces and joint contact forces, the dynamic and static solutions were remarkably similar. Also, activation dynamics and the force-length-velocity properties of muscle had little influence on the static solutions. Thus, for normal gait, if one can accurately solve the inverse dynamics problem and if one seeks only to estimate muscle forces, the use of dynamic optimization rather than static optimization is currently not justified. Scenarios in which the use of dynamic optimization is justified are suggested.
Effect of carbon overcoating on the mechanical behavior of large flaws

It is found that by abrading an optical fiber surface, a controlled strength distribution can be produced that is effective for dynamic fatigue testing of large flaws. Dynamic fatigue testing of 30 kpsi flaws overcoated with carbon yielded n values greater than 100. It is believed that the abraded fiber samples can be utilized as a surrogate for measuring the fatigue parameters of carbon coated splices and flaws near the proof test level. In addition, it was found that overcoating abraded fiber with carbon increased the strength by a factor of two. This increase is more than what would be predicted by the increase in fatigue resistance that comes with carbon overcoating, and suggests deposition of carbon alters the flaw geometry or stress field surrounding the flaw.
On the distribution of Fisher's transformation of the correlation coefficient

As the sample size increases, the coefficient of skewness of the Fisher's transformation, z = (1/2) log ((l+r)/(l-r)), of the correlation coefficient decreases much more rapidly than the excess of its kurtosis. Hence, the usual normal approximation for its distribution can be improved by adjusting for the excess of its kurtosis. This is accomplished by mixing the approximating normal distribution with a logistic distribution. The resulting mixture approximation which can be used to estimate the probabilities, as well as the percentiles, compares favorably in both accuracy and simplicity, with the two best earlier approximations, namely, those due to Ruben (1966) and Kraemer (1973).
A bremsstrahlung method for locating electrical breakdown in a Van De Graaff accelerator tube

Abstract A method of locating defective acceleration tube sections by measuring the energy end point of bremsstrahlung radiation from the accelerator is described.
Sensitivity to starvation as an index of physiological age in Tribolium.

Survival time of adult Tribolium under conditions of complete starvation decreased markedly as a function of age. In T. castaneum, this decrease was greater in females, but in T. confusum, the decrease was greater in males. Survivorship curves (yeast-supplemented white flower, 30°C) were prepared for sexually-segregated adults of the wild-type strain of T. castaneum and one wild-type (Oklahoma) and 2 inbred mutant (Ebony and McGill Black) strains of T. confusum. In all experiments with T. confusum, life expectancy of females was greater than that of males. In most experiments with T. casteneum, life expectancy of males was greater. In a few cases, males of T. castaneum were subject to higher early mortality, but after 5 to 7 months the higher mortality rate of females prevailed. Thus there is a relationship between the mortality rate, under normal conditions, a group as characterized by age, sex, and species, and the mortality rate of the group when subjected to starvation.
Protein synthesis and steroidogenesis in amphibian (Rana pipiens) overian follicles: Studies on the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone

Abstract Previous experiments demonstrated that protein synthesis was involved in frog pituitary homogenate (FPH)-induced follicular progesterone production. In this study the metabolic conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone, and involvement of protein synthesis in this specific step of the progesterone synthetic pathway, was investigated in in vitro cultured ovarian follicles of Rana pipiens . Fully grown follicles were incubated with frog pituitary homogenates or exogenous pregnenolone and progesterone content of follicle extracts and medium were measured by radioimmunoassay. In the absence of FPH, fully grown follicles converted exogenously added pregnenolone into progesterone in a dose-dependent fashion. Follicular progesterone concentrations were consistently higher than medium levels of steroid throughout the culture period. The conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone at different stages of follicle development was also investigated. The amount of follicular progesterone accumulated after culture with exogenous pregnenolone increased proportionally with follicle size. When fully grown follicles were cultured in the presence of cycloheximide, the inhibitor of protein synthesis blocked FPH-induced progesterone production, but conversion of exogenously added pregnenolone to progesterone was not affected. However, progesterone production was inhibited when cyanoketone (CK), an irreversible inhibitor of the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), was added in combination with FPH or exogenous pregnenolone. FPH addition after CK pretreatment did not restore the capacity of follicles to convert pregnenolone to progesterone. These results suggest that conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone occurs efficiently even in the absence of FPH over the course of follicle and oocyte growth (vitellogenesis). Furthermore, in fully grown follicles the 3β-HSD activity is independent of protein synthesis. The dependence on protein synthesis in the acute action of FPH appears to be prior to conversion of pregnenolone to pregesterone and does not involve de novo synthesis of 3β-HSD.
Propagation of impacts after oil spills at sea: Categorization and quantification of local vs regional and immediate vs delayed impacts

Abstract The propagation of the water quality impacts after oil spills at sea were analyzed and quantified in relation to transformation and transport characteristics of oil over time as the impact radius expands depending on the characteristics of the spill. The potential impacts were categorized in time domain as immediate and delayed impacts and in spatial domain as local and regional impacts. Transformation and transport characteristics of the oil were analyzed based on the interactions between different media (air, water, sediments) over time. Knowledge based scoring system was used for the impact intensity and duration of impacts based on the interactions between different media. The potential impacts were quantified over time in relation to spill characteristics (i.e., oil type, spill size, spill location). The methodology was demonstrated to compare the potential impacts after a gasoline spill and a crude oil spill of similar quantities at the same location. The impact scoring methodology can be used for planning and resource allocation and planning purposes for developing oil spill response as well as assessing and communicating mitigation needs in time and geographical scales.
The role of social structures in mobile ad-hoc networks

Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs) have become a popular subject in the last decade. It is hard to underestimate the potential of this technology to the future of wireless networks, including wireless telephony. MANET is an attractive concept particularly due to the robustness of the infrastructure even under disaster situations.Yet, MANETs are not mature and a plethora of problems remain open --- efficient routing is one of the problems requiring more research effort. A few solutions have been proposed but thus far there is no consensus about their usefulness in real world scenarios. This paper briefly looks at the existing routing algorithms and discusses why clustering is advantageous in a MANET setting; it discusses how clustering nodes in a MANET can potentially facilitate routing. This paper also discusses how the population social structure is used as a motivation for a clustering of node in MANETs and how the clustering may improve routing in these networks.
The NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate blocks IL-1β induced hyaluronan synthase 1 (HAS1) mRNA transcription, pointing at NF-κB dependence of the gene HAS1

The glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan is not merely the simple space filling substance it was long thought to be but is instead being increasingly recognized as a key player in numerous biological processes ranging from embryogenesis to the process of aging. Alterations in hyaluronan syntheses play an important role in ailments associated with aging such as rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis and many forms of cancers, e.g. prostate cancers that mostly affect the elderly. Despite the increasing recognition of hyaluronan as a critical player in many disorders, little is known about the intracellular mechanisms involved in the regulation of the genes encoding hyaluronan synthases (HAS). Herein, evidence is provided that in type-B synoviocytes (TBS) HAS1 is a gene that depends on the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) for its activation. Stimulating such cells with IL-1beta results in a dose and time dependent activation of HAS1. Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) blocks IL-1beta induced HAS1 activation entirely. Furthermore, PDTC treatment also prevents the degradation of the IkappaBalpha in TBS as shown by Western blot experiments. EMSA data confirm that PDCT, at concentrations sufficient to completely block IL-1beta induced HAS1 transcription, also entirely blocks IL-1beta induced NF-kappaB translocation. The reported findings stress important differences among the genes encoding hyaluronan and point at a role of HAS1 in inflammatory processes.
Effects of material non-linearity on the residual stresses in a dendritic silicon crystal ribbon†

Thermal stresses developed in a dendritic silicon crystal ribbon have been shown to cause plastic deformation and residual stresses in the ribbon. This paper presents an implementation of a numerical model proposed for thermoelastoplastic behavior of a material. The model has been used to study the effects of plasticity of silicon on the residual stresses. The material properties required to implement this model are all assumed, and the response of the material to the variations in these assumed parameters of the constitutive law and in the finite element mesh is investigated. The steady state growth process is observed to be periodic with nonzero residual stresses. Numerical difficulties are also encountered in the computer solution process, resulting in sharp jumps and large oscillations in the stress responses.
Some effects of off-road vehicles and sheep grazing on lizard populations in the mojave desert

Abstract The effects of two environmentally disruptive activities were determined using the numbers and biomass of lizards. Sheep grazing reduces ground cover necessary for some lizard species. The use of vehicles on the desert also eliminates vegetation and adversely affects lizard populations.
Cytoskeleton of retinular cells from the stomatopod, Gonodactylus oerstedii: possible roles in pigment granule migration

Retinular cells of the compound eyes of stomatopods (mantis shrimps) contain screening pigment granules that migrate radially in response to light. To clarify the role of the cytoskeleton in these movements, we have performed light microscopy and ultrastructural analyses of cytoskeletal organelles in retinular cells. Rhodamine phalloidin staining indicates that filamentous actin is a component of microvillar rhabdomeres and zonula adherens between retinular cells. Ultrastructural studies reveal three populations of microtubules in retinular cells that differ in their orientations and labilities to fixation. Two of these populations are oriented longitudinally in cells: the soma microtubules, found primarily in a column in the cell soma, and the more labile palisade microtubules, which extend alongside the palisade vacuole near the rhabdomere. The third, most labile microtubule population, and filaments 9–30 nm in diameter, are oriented radially in retinular cells, some within cytoplasmic bridges that span the palisade. The radial microtubules and filaments are appropriately oriented for participating in pigment granule migration. Determination of microtubule polarities in retinular cells by decoration with endogenous tubulin indicates that palisade and soma microtubules contain subpopulations having opposite polarity orientations, as has been observed in neuronal dendrites. In contrast, neighboring pigment cells contain microtubules uniformly oriented with minus ends towards the nucleus, as has been observed in most cell types studied.
Chromosomes and causation of human cancer and leukemia. XXXI. Dq- deletions and their significance in proliferative diorders

Three cases with myeloproliferative disorders associated with Dq- deletions (13q- and 15q-) in their marrow cells are described. In addition, a summary of the experience with 14 cases of Dq- at Leuven, Belgium and the cases in the literature is presented. The findings indicate frequent involvement and susceptibility to deletion of the long arms of chromosomes No. 13 and No. 15 in lympho- and myeloproliferative disorders, thus adding these chromosomes to the list of those involved nonrandomly in human neoplasia.
Uncertainty in fitted estimates of apparent in vivo metabolic constants for chloroform.

Abstract Uncertainty in Fitted Estimates of Apparent in Vivo Metabolic Constants for Chloroform. Smith, A. E., and Evans, J. S. (1995). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 25, 29-44. It has become common practice to rely on fitted estimates of apparent in vivo metabolic constants (e.g., Vmax, and KM ) in the parameterization of PBPK models. Yet, quantitative estimates of precision in these fitted parameters are not routinely reported. Such information is needed to assess the reliability of model predictions. The purpose of this study was to assess the precision in estimates of Vmax and KM for chloroform, accounting for both the statistical uncertainties in parameter estimates from individual data sets and any additional uncertainty due to differences in the parameter estimates derived from various experiments. Joint confidence regions for Vmax and KM from each experiment, generated using maximum likelihood techniques, were used to evaluate these questions. Three previously published data sets were considered. Estimates of Vmax and KM obtained from these data sets differed more than could be explained as a consequence of a limited number of observations, measurement error, or stochastic error. Issues associated with the use of maximum likelihood techniques to estimate joint confidence regions, the estimation of metabolic constants from individual experiments within a gas uptake study versus the full data set, the degree of overlap in the joint confidence regions for metabolic constants obtained from separate data sets, and the implications for risk assessment are discussed.
Comparison of the lumbar disc herniation patients randomized in SPORT to 6,846 discectomy patients from NSQIP: demographics, perioperative variables, and complications correlate well.

Abstract Background context The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) is a highly referenced clinical trial that randomized patients with lumbar pathology to receive surgery or continued conservative treatment. Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the SPORT lumbar disc herniation cohort and an analogous cohort from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Study design/setting This is a retrospective cohort study comparing a national database population to a randomized clinical trial. Patient sample Elective lumbar discectomies from NSQIP between 2010 and 2012 were used. Outcome measures Demographics were compared between the randomized SPORT cohorts (surgical and nonoperative) and NSQIP. Perioperative factors and complications were then compared between SPORT discectomy patients and NSQIP. Methods Using current procedural terminology and International Classification of Diseases , ninth revision codes, all elective lumbar discectomies from NSQIP between 2010 and 2012 were identified. Where possible based on the published data and variables available in each cohort, the two populations were compared. Results A total of 6,846 NSQIP discectomy patients were compared with the randomized SPORT surgical and nonoperative cohorts. Demographic comparisons showed that NSQIP patients were older (average age 48.2±14.5 years [mean±standard deviation] vs. 41.7±11.8 and 43.0±11.3 years, respectively [p 2 vs. 27.8±5.6 and 28.2±5.4 kg/m 2 , respectively [p Conclusions Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial lumbar disc herniation results are similar to those from a large national patient sample. Even statistically significant differences would be considered clinically similar. These findings support the generalizability of the SPORT lumbar disc herniation results.
Compartmentalized signalling of Ras

Ras proteins associate with cellular membranes by virtue of a series of post-translational modifications of their C-terminal CAAX sequences. The discovery that two of the three enzymes that modify CAAX proteins are restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum led to the recognition that all nascent Ras proteins transit endomembranes en route to the PM (plasma membrane) and that at steady-state N-Ras and H-Ras are highly expressed on the Golgi apparatus. To test the hypothesis that Ras proteins on internal membranes can signal, we developed a fluorescent probe that reports when and where in living cells Ras becomes active. We found that growth factors stimulated rapid and transient activation of Ras on the PM followed by delayed and sustained activation on the Golgi. We mapped one pathway responsible for this activity as involving PLCγ (phospholipase Cγ)/DAG (diacylglycerol)+Ca 2+ /RasGRP1. Using mammalian cells and fission yeast, we have shown that differential localization of activated Ras preferentially activates distinct signalling pathways. In very recent work, we have found that (i) the subcellular localization of K-Ras can be acutely modulated by phosphorylation of its C-terminal hypervariable region by PKC, (ii) among the membranes upon which phosphorylated K-Ras accumulates is the outer mitochondrial membrane and (iii) phosphorylated, internalized K-Ras promotes apoptosis. Thus the signalling output of Ras depends on its subcellular localization.
Migration model of post-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Gulf of Maine

Understanding how oceanographic factors independently and interactively influence fish behavior, physiology, and survival is essential for predicting the impact of climate change on fish. Such predictions are especially challenging for highly migratory species such as salmon that experience a broad range of conditions. We applied a novel modeling approach that combines an individual-based particle model with a bioenergetics model to evaluate the effects of oceanographic variability on migration of post-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Interannual variability in the surface current velocity and sea surface temperature differentially influenced post-smolt salmon migration. The magnitude, duration, and direction of the currents relative to a fish's intended swimming direction had the strongest influence on migration. Changes in ocean circulation led to changes in currents at a regional scale that have a similar, relative effect across multiple populations during out-migration. Results of this study suggest that the Nova Scotia Coastal Current has a strong influence on the migration pathways of migrating salmon through the Gulf of Maine. The influx of cool fresh water from the Arctic, observed in the early 1990s, changed the Nova Scotia Coastal Current and, as suggested by model results, could have dramatically influenced post-smolt salmon migration success. There was a trade-off between arriving at the destination quickly but at a small size and not arriving at the destination at all. Fish that took a long time to migrate had more opportunities to feed and encountered warmer summer waters, increasing their overall growth.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy after chemotherapy

The timing of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy remains a debated topic, despite increasing literature supporting use of SLN biopsy after chemotherapy. This article outlines the arguments for SLN biopsy prior to initiation of systemic therapy versus after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the literature surrounding this debate. Additionally, special patient populations, including patients with inflammatory breast cancer and those presenting with node-positive disease, are discussed. SLN biopsy after completion of chemotherapy is accurate for axillary staging of patients with clinically node-negative axillas at presentation, except for those with inflammatory breast cancer.
A brief method for the identification of the α1-acid glycoprotein variants

Abstract A brief method for the identification of the α 1 -acid glycoprotein variants of human serum is presented. This technique consists of three simple steps: ( 1 ) Precipitation of the bulk of the protein from diluted serum with HClO 4 in the cold, ( 2 ) hydrolysis of the perchloric acid soluble proteins at pH 1.6, 80°C, for 1 hr, and ( 3 ) starch gel electrophoresis at pH 5.1 followed by staining with amido black. The minimum volume of serum required is 2.5 ml. The immunochemical identification of the variants represents a valuable adjunct to this method. The validity of the procedure was demonstrated by the analysis of sera that had been typed by the original technique. The new method was applied to determine the relative percentage of the α 1 -acid glycoprotein variants in normal Nyambaanese.
Stochastic optical tomography using beta-distributed parameters to model absorption, lifetime, and quantum efficiency

Stochastic methods originally devised for geophysical tomography are adapted to the biomedical optical tomography problem. Frequency domain measurements of modulated NIR light are inverted using a Bayesian approximate extended Kalman filter. Minimum variance updates for the linearized problem are calculated from explicit models of the parameters error covariance, the covariance of the system noise, and the measurement error covariance. The method is not iterative per se, but may be applied iteratively to account for strong nonlinearities. Data-driven zonation is used to dynamically reduce the parameterization for improved efficiency, sensitivity, and stability of the inversion. By modeling the parameters as beta distributed random variables, estimates are kept within feasible limits without ad hoc adjustments. In preliminary studies using synthetic domains we have successfully resolved spatially heterogeneous parameters such as absorption, fluorescence lifetime, and quantum efficiency. The method is shown to be much more accurate and computationally efficient than a more traditional Newton-Raphson method. On a 33 by 33 grid, distributed values of a single unknown parameter can be accurately identified in under 2 minutes on a 350 MHz Pentium.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
American Fisheries Society Guidelines for Introductions of Threatened and Endangered Fishes

Abstract Introductions of threatened and endangered fishes are often an integral feature in their recovery programs. More than 80% of threatened and endangered fishes have recovery plans that call for introductions to establish a new population or an educational exhibit, supplement an existing population, or begin artificial propagation. Despite a large number of recent and proposed introductions, no systematic procedural policies have been developed to conduct these recovery efforts. Some introductions have been inadequately planned or poorly implemented. As a result, introductions of some rare fishes have been successful, whereas recovery for others has progressed slowly. In at least one instance, the introduced fish eliminated a population of another rare native organism. We present guidelines for introductions of endangered and threatened fishes that are intended to apply when an introduction is proposed to supplement an existing population or establish a new population. However, portions of the guide...
Pedicle screw accuracy and the ramifications of imperfect screw placement.

COMMENTARY ON Oh HS, Kim JS, Lee SH, et al. Comparison between the accuracy of percutaneous and open pedicle screw fixations in lumbosacral fusion. Spine J 2013;13:1751–7 ( in this issue ). Costa F, Villa T, Anasetti F, et al. Primary stability of pedicle screws depends on the screw positioning and alignment. Spine J 2013;13:1934–9 ( in this issue ).
Theatre of the Oppressed and Environmental Justice Communities A Transformational Therapy for the Body Politic

Community Environmental Forum Theatre at UTMB-NIEHS Center in Environmental Toxicology uses Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) to promote involvement of citizens, scientists, and health professionals in deconstructing toxic exposures, risk factors, and cumulative stressors that impact the well-being of communities. The TO process encourages collective empowerment of communities by disseminating information and elaborating support networks. TO also elicits transformation and growth on a personal level via a dramaturgical system that restores spontaneity through image-making and improvisation. An NIEHS Environmental Justice Project, Communities Organized against Asthma & Lead, illustrates this interplay of personal and collective change in Houston, Texas.
How Parties Create Electoral Democracy, Chapter 2

Parties neither cease to exist nor cease to compete for office when the general election is over. Instead, a new round of competition begins, with legislators as voters and party leaders as candidates. The offices at stake are what we call �mega-seats.� We consider the selection of three different types of mega-seats�cabinet portfolios, seats on directing boards, and permanent committee chairs�in 57 democratic assemblies. If winning parties select the rules by which mega-seats are chosen and those rules affect which parties can attain mega-seats (one important payoff of �winning�), then parties and rules should coevolve in the long run. We find two main patterns relating to legislative party systems and a country's length of experience with democratic governance.
Host Response to Myeloma: Effect of Syngeneic Spleen Cells on the Growth and Functionof MOPC 104E Myeloma in Vitro

AbstractThe effect of coculturing nonadherent and plastic adherent cells from the spleen with MOPC 104E KI81 for short (24 h) and long terms (7 days) was investigated. In both culture systems, the effect of the spleen cells on the secretion of IgM by plaqueforming cells assay and growth of the plasmacytoma by cell counts and flow cytometry was measured. In these studies, a low effector target (E:T) ratio which did not produce cytotoxicity to MOPC 104E cells was used. We observed that while nonadherent spleen cells from normal or MOPC 104E-primed mice inhibited secretion of IgM by the MOPC 104E cells, they stimulated the proliferation of MOPC 104E cells two times faster than MOPC 104E cells cultured alone. Plastic adherent cells from the spleens of normal mice or MOPC 104E-primed mice also inhibited secretion of IgM by the tumor cells as measured by plaque formation, and stimulated proliferation of MOPC 104E in 24 h coculture. Plastic adherent cells from normal nonprimed mice initially stimulated the myelo...
Disparities in Children's Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke in the United States, 2007

OBJECTIVES: This study examined racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in children9s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or secondhand smoke in the home. METHODS: The 2007 National Survey of Children9s Health (N = 90 853) was used to calculate the prevalence of children9s exposure to ETS. State-level data on home smoking ban from the 2006–2007 Current Population Survey–Tobacco Use Supplement were used to supplement analyses. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds of exposure. RESULTS: In 2007, 7.6% of US children, or 5.5 million children, lived in households where someone smoked inside the home. The prevalence varied from a low of 1.1% for Utah and 1.9% for California to a high of 17.9% for West Virginia and 17.6% in Kentucky. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, children in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania had 12 times higher odds and those in Wisconsin, Missouri, Delaware, and the District of Columbia had 10 times higher odds of being exposed to ETS than children in Utah. Compared with children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, Hispanic ethnicity, and non–English-speaking households, children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds had 7.3 to 10.6 times higher adjusted odds; non-Hispanic white, black, American Indian, and mixed-race children had 2.0 to 2.6 times higher odds; and children from English-speaking households had 4.1 times higher odds of ETS exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Considerable disparities exist in children9s exposure to ETS, with geographic pattern strongly related to home smoking ban. Greater exposure to ETS among children in several states and disadvantaged socioeconomic groups is likely to exacerbate existing health disparities.
Methionine metabolism and ethylene biosynthesis in senescing petals of Tradescantia

Abstract The endogenous content of methionine in isolated petals of Tradescantia was found to increase during petal senescence while the levels of S -methylmethionine and protein were found to decline. The increase in free methionine was, at least in part, the result of protein degradation. Methionine and homocysteine were shown to be intermediates in ethylene biosynthesis while S -methylmethionine was not involved. Application of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to all floral tissues resulted in large stimulations of ethylene production. ACC was shown to be an endogenous amino acid the internal levels of which correlated positively with the rate of ethylene production. Application of l -methionine-[U- 14 C] led to a rapid appearance of radioactivity in both ethylene and ACC. The specific radioactivity of C-2 and C-3 of ACC and that of ethylene were found to be nearly identical which indicated that ACC was the immediate precursor of ethylene in senescing petals of Tradescantia .
How long are delays to carotid imaging and endarterectomy, and how do these delays affect recurrent stroke risk?

How long are delays to carotid imaging and endarterectomy, and how do these delays affect recurrent stroke risk?
An alternative view of the “Gibson normalization effect”

Two experiments are reported which show that (1) a curve tends to be perceived as more curved than its physical dimensions warrant, (2) after a period of inspection there is a decrease in the magnitude of this illusion, and (3) in a minimal cue, monocular viewing, situation a curve is perceived as rotated in space. These findings are used to present a different interpretation of the “Gibson normalization effect”.
Rabinowitz–Floer homology for superquadratic Dirac equations on compact spin manifolds

In this paper, we investigate the properties of a semilinear problem on a spin manifold involving the Dirac operator through the construction of Rabinowitz–Floer homology groups. We give several existence results for subcritical and critical nonlinearities as application of the computation of the different homologies.
From Literate to Scholar Teaching Library Research Skills to Sixth Graders Using Primary Documents

This article describes a special library research skills curriculum integrated with studying emancipation celebrations, specifically Juneteenth, for sixth graders. The curriculum was an outgrowth of service activities done in an urban branch public library. Excerpts from the children's journals summarizing their experiences are highlighted.
Short-term hyperglycemia increases arterial superoxide production and iron dysregulation in atherosclerotic monkeys

The incidence and severity of atherosclerotic vascular disease are increased in diabetic patients, in part because of increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previously, we found both increased atherosclerosis and arterial protein oxidation 6 months after streptozotocin-induced diabetes in monkeys fed an atherogenic diet, the pattern of which was indicative of redox-active transition metal involvement. The goal of this study was to determine if short-term (1 month) hyperglycemia increases oxidative stress and dysregulates iron metabolism before differences in atherosclerosis. Cynomolgus monkeys with preexisting atherosclerosis were stratified by dietary history and plasma lipids and received either streptozotocin (STZ-DM; n = 10) or vehicle (control; n = 10). One month after diabetes induction, blood and artery samples were collected. There were no differences in plasma lipoprotein cholesterol, arterial cholesterol, and atherosclerosis between control and STZ-DM. However, plasma lipid peroxides were elevated 137% (P < .01); arterial superoxide was increased 47% (P < .05); plasma ferritin, an indicator of whole-body iron stores, was 46% higher (P < .05); and iron deposition within aortic atherosclerotic lesions was more prevalent in STZ-DM compared with controls. Arterial levels of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and heme oxygenase-1 were not higher in STZ-DM, although superoxide was higher, suggesting impaired antioxidant response. The increase in ROS before differences in atherosclerosis supports ROS as an initiating event in diabetic vascular disease. Further studies are needed to determine if increases in iron stores and arterial iron deposition promote hydroxyl radical formation from superoxide and accelerate diabetic vascular damage.
Morgagni hernia: CT findings.

The patient is a 30-year-old male who presented with stabbing retrosternal chest pain, anxiety attacks, and subsequent inability to work. Chest radiograph showed an enlarged cardiac silhouette with the right heart border expanded across the right chest, suggesting a soft tissue mediastinal mass. Subsequent chest computed tomography (CT) revealed an anterior diaphragmatic defect with a large mass of mesenteric fat and peritoneal vessels protruding into the anterior mediastinum, typical of a foramen of Morgagni hernia.
Site Switching from Di-σ Ethylene to π-Bonded Ethylene in the Presence of Coadsorbed Nitrogen on Pt(111)

The formation of π-bonded ethylene on a nitrogen-covered Pt(111) surface was studied by reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). The observation with RAIRS of a peak at 975 cm−1 due to the ═CH2 wagging (out of plane) mode is a clear indication of the presence of π-bonded ethylene on the surface. This form of ethylene desorbs from the surface at 216 K, a temperature much lower than ethylene desorption from the clean surface. Density functional theory calculations confirm that π-bonded C2H4 becomes thermoneutral compared with di-σ C2H4 when 0.25 ML of N atoms are coadsorbed on the Pt(111) surface.
Dilute Acid Hydrolysis of Loblolly Pine: A Comprehensive Approach

A comprehensive study of the acid hydrolysis of the softwood species, Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), using different hydrolysis conditions is presented. The effect of the type of acid, pH, reaction temperature, and reaction time on hydrolysis products such as monosaccharides (mannose, glucose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose) and the subsequent degradation products, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (HMF) and 2-furaldehyde (furfural) is reported using a batch reactor. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is found to yield the highest amount of overall soluble monosaccharides (∼70% yield from the hemicelluloses fraction) at 150 °C at pH 1.65. The mineral acids (HCl, H2SO4, HNO3, and H3PO4) gave a slightly lower yield of monosaccharides from hydrolyzed hemicellulose (∼60%). At 200 °C, cellulose is hydrolyzed by the mineral acids as evidenced by higher levels of solid dissolution and higher soluble hexose (relative to pentose) yields. Larger amounts of degradation products are also noted at higher temperatures. Furthermore...
The UV-laser excited resonance raman spectrum of the I−3 ion

Abstract Solutions of cesium tri-iodide and potassium iodide and iodine in water show a strong resonance Raman effect of the I−3 ion when excited by the ultraviolet lines at 3638 and 3511 A of an argon ion laser, High intensity overtone progressions of the “symmetric” vibration νi were observed. This progression allows the confirmation of the presence of the I−3 ion in iodine-methanol solutions.
MR elastography of hydrocephalus

ABSTRACT Hydrocephalus occurs due to a blockage in the transmission of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in either the ventricles or subarachnoid space. Characteristics of this condition include increased intracranial pressure, which can result in neurologic deterioration [1] . Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an imaging technique that estimates the mechanical properties of tissue in vivo. While some investigations of brain tissue have been performed using MRE [2,3,4,5] , the effects due to changes in interstitial pressure and fluid content on the mechanical properties of the brain remain unknown. The purpose of this work is to assess the pot ential of MRE to differentiate between the reconstructed properties of normal and hydrocephalic brains. MRE data was acquired in 18 female feline subjects, 12 of which received kaolin injections resulting in an acute form of hydr ocephalus. In each animal, four MRE scans were performed during the process including one pre-injec tion and three post-injection scans. The elastic parameters were obtained using a subzone-based reconstruction algorithm that solves Naviers equations for linearly elastic materials
Multiangle implementation of atmospheric correction (MAIAC): 1. Radiative transfer basis and look-up tables

[1] This paper describes a radiative transfer basis of the algorithm MAIAC which performs simultaneous retrievals of atmospheric aerosol and bidirectional surface reflectance from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The retrievals are based on an accurate semianalytical solution for the top-of-atmosphere reflectance expressed as an explicit function of three parameters of the Ross–Thick Li–Sparse model of surface bidirectional reflectance. This solution depends on certain functions of atmospheric properties and geometry which are precomputed in the look-up table (LUT). This paper further considers correction of the LUT functions for variations of surface pressure/height and of atmospheric water vapor, which is a common task in the operational remote sensing. It introduces a new analytical method for the water vapor correction of the multiple-scattering path radiance. It also summarizes the few basic principles that provide a high efficiency and accuracy of the LUT-based radiative transfer for the aerosol/surface retrievals and optimize the size of LUT. For example, the single-scattering path radiance is calculated analytically for a given surface pressure and atmospheric water vapor. The same is true for the direct surface-reflected radiance, which along with the single-scattering path radiance largely defines the angular dependence of measurements. For these calculations, the aerosol phase functions and kernels of the surface bidirectional reflectance model are precalculated at a high angular resolution. The other radiative transfer functions depend rather smoothly on angles because of multiple scattering and can be calculated at coarser angular resolution to reduce the LUT size. At the same time, this resolution should be high enough to use the nearest neighbor geometry angles to avoid costly three-dimensional interpolation. The pressure correction is implemented via linear interpolation between two LUTs computed for the standard and reduced pressure levels. A linear mixture and a modified linear mixture methods are used to represent different aerosol types in the aerosol/surface retrievals from several base models of the fine and coarse aerosol fractions. In summary, the developed LUT algorithm allows fast high-accuracy simulations of the outgoing radiance with full variability of the atmospheric and surface bidirectional reflectance properties for the aerosol/surface remote sensing.