cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progression of Low-Grade Glioma During Pregnancy With Subsequent Regression Postpartum Without Treatment-A Case Report

Background and importance This report illustrates a case of a low-grade glioma that showed significant disease progression during pregnancy, and then subsequent regression spontaneously in the postpartum period without treatment. This is a rare case of spontaneous glioma regression in the postpartum period, and may suggest underlying mechanisms of hormonal influences upon glioma progression. Clinical presentation The patient is a 27-yr-old female who underwent placement of a right-sided ventriculoperitoneal shunt for aqueductal stenosis at 8 wk of age. At the age of 24 yr, she was evaluated for chronic headaches and was found on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the first time to have a small nonenhancing tectal glioma that remained stable on follow-up MRI. At the age of 25 yr, she returned for annual follow-up after giving birth and reported a significant increase in headache frequency and severity during the pregnancy. Repeat imaging now showed a larger, contrast-enhancing lesion. A decision was made to pursue radiosurgery, but during the pretreatment planning phase, the lesion and symptoms regressed spontaneously, and the lesion has remained stable on repeat MRI studies over a 30-mo period since delivery of her child. Conclusion A young woman with a tectal glioma developed symptomatic disease progression during pregnancy, and subsequently had regression of the lesion and symptoms in the postpartum period without treatment. This case supports watchful waiting in select cases and suggests a potential role of hormones in glioma progression.
Cannabis use motives on weekends versus weekdays: Direct and indirect relations with cannabis use and related problems.

Abstract College cannabis users report using more cannabis during the weekend than on weekdays, yet little attention has been paid to the role of weekend and weekday-specific motives for use. The present investigation evaluated the impact of weekend and weekday-specific cannabis motives on cannabis use and related problems among current (past-3 month) cannabis using undergraduates (N = 276). Participants reported more cannabis use motives during the weekend than weekday. Enhancement and social motives were greater than coping, conformity, and expansion motives during weekends. Enhancement and conformity motives were indirectly related to problems via cannabis use frequency for both weekdays and weekends. Yet social, coping, and expansion motives were indirectly related to problems via cannabis use frequency for only weekdays. Findings support the differential impact of weekend and weekday-specific motives on cannabis use and related problems.
Comparison of Pedestrian Count Expansion Methods: Land Use Groups versus Empirical Clusters:

Expansion factors based on the trends in long-term count data are useful tools for estimating daily, weekly, or annual volumes from short-term counts, but it is unclear how to differentiate locatio...
The rhomboid protease GlpG has weak interaction energies in its active site hydrogen bond network.

Intramembrane rhomboid proteases are of particular interest because of their function to hydrolyze a peptide bond of a substrate buried in the membrane. Crystal structures of the bacterial rhomboid protease GlpG have revealed a catalytic dyad (Ser201-His254) and oxyanion hole (His150/Asn154/the backbone amide of Ser201) surrounded by the protein matrix and contacting a narrow water channel. Although multiple crystal structures have been solved, the catalytic mechanism of GlpG is not completely understood. Because it is a serine protease, hydrogen bonding interactions between the active site residues are thought to play a critical role in the catalytic cycle. Here, we dissect the interaction energies among the active site residues His254, Ser201, and Asn154 of Escherichia coli GlpG, which form a hydrogen bonding network. We combine double mutant cycle analysis with stability measurements using steric trapping. In mild detergent, the active site residues are weakly coupled with interaction energies (ΔΔ G Inter ) of ‒1.4 kcal/mol between His254 and Ser201 and ‒0.2 kcal/mol between Ser201 and Asn154. Further, by analyzing the propagation of single mutations of the active site residues, we find that these residues are important not only for function but also for the folding cooperativity of GlpG. The weak interaction between Ser and His in the catalytic dyad may partly explain the unusually slow proteolysis by GlpG compared with other canonical serine proteases. Our result suggests that the weak hydrogen bonds in the active site are sufficient to carry out the proteolytic function of rhomboid proteases.
Retinoic acid synthesizing enzymes in the embryonic and adult vertebrate.

The oxidation of retinaldehyde to retinoic acid (RA) provides the retinoid form of highest potency for a variety of cellular systems. RA has been implicated in many processes, such as growth and differentiation of epithelia in the adult organism (De Luca 1991), and determination of the antero-posterior axis for the limb bud (Eichele and Thaller 1987; Tickle et al. 1982) and the entire body of the vertebrate embryo (Durston et al. 1989; Hogan, Thaller, and Eichele 1992). In addition, RA is thought to promote neuronal survival, differentiation and neurite outgrowth (Haskell et al. 1987; Quinn and De Boni 1991; Wuarin, Sidell, and De Vellis 1990). RA exerts its effects by binding to specific nuclear receptors that regulate transcription. The diversity in RA actions is commonly attributed to differences in local expression patterns of different receptors and cytoplasmic binding proteins that modify the availability of intracellular RA (Giguere 1994). In addition, however, retinoid metabolism may contribute significantly to local diversity in RA actions. Retinoid metabolism includes the processes of precursor circulation and cellular uptake mediated by binding proteins, the reversible oxidation of retinol to retinaldehyde, the irreversible oxidation of retinaldehyde to RA, and RA degradation. Here we focus on the enzymes that mediate the oxidation of retinaldehyde to RA.
Corner vowels in males and females ages 4 to 20 years: Fundamental and F1-F4 formant frequencies.

The purpose of this study was to determine the developmental trajectory of the four corner vowels' fundamental frequency (fo) and the first four formant frequencies (F1–F4), and to assess when speaker-sex differences emerge. Five words per vowel, two of which were produced twice, were analyzed for fo and estimates of the first four formants frequencies from 190 (97 female, 93 male) typically developing speakers ages 4–20 years old. Findings revealed developmental trajectories with decreasing values of fo and formant frequencies. Sex differences in fo emerged at age 7. The decrease of fo was larger in males than females with a marked drop during puberty. Sex differences in formant frequencies appeared at the earliest age under study and varied with vowel and formant. Generally, the higher formants (F3-F4) were sensitive to sex differences. Inter- and intra-speaker variability declined with age but had somewhat different patterns, likely reflective of maturing motor control that interacts with the changing anatomy. This study reports a source of developmental normative data on fo and the first four formants in both sexes. The different developmental patterns in the first four formants and vowel-formant interactions in sex differences likely point to anatomic factors, although speech-learning phenomena cannot be discounted.The purpose of this study was to determine the developmental trajectory of the four corner vowels' fundamental frequency (fo) and the first four formant frequencies (F1–F4), and to assess when speaker-sex differences emerge. Five words per vowel, two of which were produced twice, were analyzed for fo and estimates of the first four formants frequencies from 190 (97 female, 93 male) typically developing speakers ages 4–20 years old. Findings revealed developmental trajectories with decreasing values of fo and formant frequencies. Sex differences in fo emerged at age 7. The decrease of fo was larger in males than females with a marked drop during puberty. Sex differences in formant frequencies appeared at the earliest age under study and varied with vowel and formant. Generally, the higher formants (F3-F4) were sensitive to sex differences. Inter- and intra-speaker variability declined with age but had somewhat different patterns, likely reflective of maturing motor control that interacts with the changing ...
Mossy cell hypertrophy and synaptic changes in the hilus following mild diffuse traumatic brain injury in pigs.

Each year in the USA, over 2.4 million people experience mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can induce long-term neurological deficits. The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus is notably susceptible to damage following TBI, as hilar mossy cell changes in particular may contribute to post-TBI dysfunction. Moreover, microglial activation after TBI may play a role in hippocampal circuit and/or synaptic remodeling; however, the potential effects of chronic microglial changes are currently unknown. The objective of the current study was to assess neuropathological and neuroinflammatory changes in subregions of the dentate gyrus at acute to chronic time points following mild TBI using an established model of closed-head rotational acceleration induced TBI in pigs. This study utilized archival tissue of pigs which were subjected to sham conditions or rapid head rotation in the coronal plane to generate mild TBI. A quantitative assessment of neuropathological changes in the hippocampus was performed via immunohistochemical labeling of whole coronal tissue sections at 3 days post-injury (DPI), 7 DPI, 30 DPI, and 1 year post-injury (YPI), with a focus on mossy cell atrophy and synaptic reorganization, in context with microglial alterations (e.g., density, proximity to mossy cells) in the dentate gyrus. There were no changes in mossy cell density between sham and injured animals, indicating no frank loss of mossy cells at the mild injury level evaluated. However, we found significant mossy cell hypertrophy at 7 DPI and 30 DPI in anterior (> 16% increase in mean cell area at each time; p = < 0.001 each) and 30 DPI in posterior (8.3% increase; p = < 0.0001) hippocampus. We also found dramatic increases in synapsin staining around mossy cells at 7 DPI in both anterior (74.7% increase in synapsin labeling; p = < 0.0001) and posterior (82.7% increase; p = < 0.0001) hippocampus. Interestingly, these morphological and synaptic alterations correlated with a significant change in microglia in proximity to mossy cells at 7 DPI in anterior and at 30 DPI in the posterior hippocampus. For broader context, while we found that there were significant increases in microglia density in the granule cell layer at 30 DPI (anterior and posterior) and 1 YPI (posterior only) and in the molecular layer at 1 YPI (anterior only), we found no significant changes in overall microglial density in the hilus at any of the time points evaluated post-injury. The alterations of mossy cell size and synaptic inputs paired with changes in microglia density around the cells demonstrate the susceptibility of hilar mossy cells after even mild TBI. This subtle hilar mossy cell pathology may play a role in aberrant hippocampal function post-TBI, although additional studies are needed to characterize potential physiological and cognitive alterations.
A case of a unique presentation of a primary vaginal endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising in the setting of a recurrent peritoneal inclusion cyst fistulized to the vagina

Abstract Primary vaginal endometrioid adenocarcinoma is a rare cancer that is often associated with chronic endometriosis. We present the case of a 72-year-old female who underwent right salpingo-oophorectomy followed by hysterectomy with benign pathology 25 years prior to her cancer diagnosis. She had an extensive surgical history in the intervening years and several complicating factors including a history of endometriosis as well as a recurrent peritoneal inclusion cyst treated with ethanol sclerotherapy, followed by formation of a peritoneal-vaginal fistula. Endometriosis is associated with malignant transformation to endometrioid adenocarcinoma through genomic alteration, oxidative stress, inflammation, and hyperestrogenism. Frequency of surveillance examinations and imaging prior to diagnosis were based on patient symptoms, and ultimately a vaginal cuff mass was detected with invasion of the rectosigmoid colon, bladder and levators at time of diagnosis, necessitating infralevator total pelvic exenteration for removal.
Natural history and prognostic factors for localised small bowel adenocarcinoma.

ABSTRACT Objective Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare malignancy with limited evidence regarding outcomes after curative resection of localised disease. We aimed to evaluate presentation and prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS) and recurrence of SBA. Methods Consecutive patients with completely resected localised SBA (1979–2019) were retrospectively reviewed for presentation, patient and tumour characteristics, perioperative treatment, recurrence, outcomes, and prognostic factors. Results Among 257 total patients, median age was 58 years. Primary location was in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum in 52%, 29%, and 19% of patients, respectively. Median OS was 57.5 months and median follow-up was 40 months. In multivariate analysis, lymph node involvement, lymphovascular invasion, histologic grade and race were independent predictors of RFS, while race, stage and histologic grade were independent predictors of OS. No significant difference in OS or RFS was seen when evaluating the role of perioperative treatment. Median time to diagnosis from first medical evaluation was 31 days and did not change over time. Overall recurrence rate was 56%. Recurrence rate was higher in ileal (77%), than duodenal (54%) and jejunal (65%) SBA (p=0.01). Recurrence presented most commonly as distant metastasis (71%). Proficient mismatch repair was associated with decreased risk of locoregional recurrence (LR) but increased risk of distant recurrence (DR) when compared with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) in univariate analysis. Conclusions Despite advances in diagnostic modalities, this study did not show any improvement in earlier diagnosis of SBA over the course of the past three decades. The predominant pattern of disease recurrence was distant across all SBA locations, but dMMR status demonstrated a robust predilection for LR as opposed to DR. Perioperative treatment did not improve outcomes; however, a lower stage disease was seen in patients that received neoadjuvant therapy, suggesting further exploration of this approach.
Acoustic Measurements of Nucleus Size Distribution at the Cavitation Threshold.

Abstract— An understanding of the acoustic cavitation threshold is essential for minimizing cavitation bio-effects in diagnostic ultrasound and for controlling cavitation-mediated tissue ablation in focused ultrasound procedures. The homogeneous cavitation threshold is an intrinsic material property of recognized importance to biomedical ultrasound as well as a variety of other applications requiring cavitation control. However, measurements of the acoustic cavitation threshold in water differ from those predicted by classic nucleation theories. This persistent discrepancy is explained by combining recently developed methods for acoustically nucleating single bubbles at threshold with numerical modeling to obtain a nucleus size distribution consistent with first-principles estimates for ion-stabilized nuclei. We identify acoustic cavitation at threshold as a reproducible subtype of heterogeneous cavitation with a characteristic nucleus size distribution. Knowledge of the nucleus size distribution could inspire new approaches to achieving cavitation control in water, tissue and a variety of other media.
Drug use-related stigma, safer injection norms, and hepatitis C infection among a network-based sample of young people who inject drugs.

Abstract Background Identifying risk for hepatitis C (HCV) infection is important for understanding recent increases in HCV incidence among young people who inject drugs (PWID) in suburban and rural areas; and for refining the targeting of effective HCV preventive interventions. Much of the extant research has focused on individual health behaviors (e.g., risky drug injection behaviors) as predictors of HCV infection. The present study examines two social factors (substance use-related stigma and injection-related social norms), and the interaction between these factors, as predictors of HCV infection. Methods Baseline data were used from an ongoing longitudinal study of young PWID (N = 279; mean age = 30.4 years) from the Chicago suburbs and their injection risk network members. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine relationships among substance use-related stigma, safer injection norms, and HCV infection. Results Despite a marginal bivariate association between less safe injection norms and HCV infection (OR = 0.74; 95 % CI[0.39, 1.02]; p = .071), a significant stigma X norms interaction (AOR = 0.68; 95 % CI[0.51, 0.90]) suggested that at high levels of stigma, probability of HCV infection was high regardless of injection norms. Conclusions Findings suggest that social factors – specifically, substance use-related stigma and injection norms – are important predictors of HCV infection risk. The interaction found between these social factors suggests that intervening only to change injection norms or behaviors is likely insufficient to reduce risk for HCV infection in high-stigma settings or among high-stigma populations. Future research should develop and evaluate stigma-reduction interventions in combination with safer-injection interventions in order to maximize HCV risk reduction.
Influence of Particle-Scale Properties on Fracture Behavior of Silica Sand

Abstract The distribution of stresses within individual granular particles subjected to one-dimensional (1D) confined compression is affected by various particle-scale properties, such as morpholog...
An Innovative antibody-based Plug-and-Play strategy for SARS-CoV-2

The novel and highly pathogenic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) remains a public health threat worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 enters human host lung cells via its spike protein binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in a process critical dependent on host protease-mediated fusion event. Thus, effective targeted therapies blocking the first step of viral fusion and cellular entry remains a critical unmet medical need to overcome disease pathology. Here we engineered and describe an antibody-based novel and targeted plug-and-play strategy, which directly competes with the proteolytic activation function of SAR-CoV-2 spike protein. The described strategy involves the engineering of furin substrate residues in IgG1 Fc-extended flexible region of spike targeting antibody. Our results with spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) targeting CR3022 antibody support blockade of the viral function using proof of concept ACE2 overexpressing cells. Our study reveals analytical, safe, and selective mechanistic insights for SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic design and is broadly applicable to the future coronaviridae family members (including mutant variants) exploiting the host protease system for cellular entry.
Representing Gender Roles and Harmony In Friendship: A Moral Lesson for First Grade Vietnamese Students

Moral education which plays a crucial role in Vietnam is prevalently influenced by the Confucius concept of social harmony. This paper explores how gender representation in a first-grade moral lesson on friendship echoes both the discourse of harmony and the expectations of gender roles. This research uses the social actor relationship framework to analyze the manifestations of gender binaries and different expectations of gender roles boys and girls in visual images. The analysis confirms the prevalent bias in depicting males with more agency and power than females and gender stereotypes about both feminine and masculine traits. The imbalance of power and agency between man and woman can be understood through the Confucian hierarchical principles, which are also the cornerstones of social harmony. The generic depiction of both genders suggests the expectation for compliance and rigidity in playing gender roles to maintain a harmonious life.
Risk factors for recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax: A population level analysis.

Abstract Background We sought to determine the rate and risk factors of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax in a diverse population. Methods Cohort study using the California Public Discharge Data file (1995–2010). We identified patients with first-time spontaneous pneumothorax. The primary outcome was recurrent pneumothorax. Associations with clinical, patient, and hospital characteristics were assessed using Cox regression analysis. Results Among 14,609 patients with a first-time episode of spontaneous pneumothorax, 26.2% developed a recurrence. Risk factors included age Conclusions The risk of recurrent pneumothorax is greatest in patients age
Extracellular Vesicle Collection from Human Stem Cells Grown in Suspension Bioreactors.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are particles with 100-1000 nm sizes which are secreted by cells for intercellular communication. Meanwhile, studies have found that EVs secreted by human stem cells carry similar characteristics (microRNAs, proteins, metabolites, etc.) from their cell counterpart. Thus, EVs derived from stem cells, especially human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and human mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (hMSCs) are promising candidates for cell-free therapy. However, conventional planar culture is insufficient to produce a large amount of cells or EVs to satisfy clinical requirements. In this chapter, we described feasible approaches to harvest EVs secreted by lineage-specific hiPSCs and undifferentiated hMSCs in suspension bioreactors. Differentiation of hiPSCs to cortical organoids can be performed in suspension bioreactors and the corresponding EVs can be isolated and purified. This scale-up protocol can be applied to a majority of stem cell types with EV collection thus provides useful information for both experimental and biomanufacturing purposes.
A Magic Bullet: Bullet Embolism From the Heart to the Femoral Artery:

A case study a patient who was emergently evaluated with an intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography after suffering a gunshot wound to the back is provided. This diagnostic examination reve...
The Evil Waiter Case

This essay discusses the “Evil Waiter Case,” a famous hypothetical fact pattern that has been the subject of much debate in the German, Spanish, and Latin American criminal law literature, but that unfortunately has not found its way into Anglo-American scholarly writings. The case presents us with a waiter who notices that the filet mignon she is taking to her assigned table is covered in a poisoned mushroom wine sauce. She nevertheless takes the dish to the table. The patron eats the poisoned filet mignon and dies several minutes later. Did the evil waiter kill the hungry patron or did she merely let him die? This essay argues that the evil waiter’s conduct shares morally relevant features of both actions and omissions, although it is neither purely active nor purely omissive conduct. It is, for lack of a better word, an “actmission” that is more blameworthy than a pure omission but less worthy of condemnation than purely active wrongdoing. Conduct counts as an actmission if it amounts to a failure to rescue (e.g. waiter fails to rescue patron) that is accomplished by engaging in a willed bodily movement (waiter places dish in front of patron). As a result of the hybrid nature of her conduct, the evil waiter should be punished more severely than if she had merely failed to rescue the patron, but less harshly than if she had actively killed the patron. More importantly, the Evil Waiter Case reveals that judges should not be forced to describe criminal conduct as either an act or an omission. Instead, American criminal law ought to recognize “actmissions” as a distinct category of conduct. Such actmissions should be punished more than pure omissions but less than entirely active conduct. Criminal law would thus be better served by replacing the act/omission distinction with the act/omission/actmission tristinction.
Business Information Literacy Instruction

Abstract Business leaders have long known that information can provide a significant strategic advantage to companies, and is indeed an important business asset. While information literacy efforts continue to grow on campuses across the nation, what is the progress of information literacy instruction with business students? In order to find out, a survey of librarians at AACSB-accredited schools was conducted. The results of the survey reveal that business information literacy instruction, while widespread and prevalent, is still developing. Collaboration between librarians and business faculty is overwhelmingly described as moderate, and only about a third of respondents have incorporated the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education into their instruction efforts with business students. Assessment of business students' information literacy remains an area for continued growth as the majority of librarians report that they do not assess their students' business information literacy. ...
Kinetics of pH-dependent fusion between 3T3 fibroblasts expressing influenza hemagglutinin and red blood cells: Measurement by dequenching of fluorescence *

Fusion between membranes of 3T3 fibroblasts expressing hemagglutinin (HA) from the Japan strain of influenza virus and human red blood cells (RBC) was measured using an assay for lipid mixing based on the relief of self-quenching (dequenching) of fluorescence of the lipid probe octadecylrhodamine (R18). The probe was incorporated into the membrane of intact RBC at self-quenching concentrations, and the RBCs were bound to the 3T3 cells. Fusion, which allowed movement of R18 into 3T3 cell membranes, was monitored by spectrofluorometry as an increase in fluorescence. Upon lowering the pH below 5.4, the fluorescence increased after a delay of about 30 s at 37 °C, and leveled off within 2 min. In control experiments where R18 RBCs bound to 3T3 cells expressing the uncleaved precursor hemagglutinin (HA0) were incubated at 37 °C and low pH, no fluorescence increase was observed. This indicated that the R18 dequenching occurred as a result of HA-induced fusion of plasma membranes. Fusion showed a very steep pH dependence with a threshold at pH 5.4 and a maximum at pH 5.0, similar to HA-induced fusion seen previously using cell biological techniques. The fusion rate increased and the delay for the onset of fusion decreased as the temperature was raised above 20 °C. Low pH activation of the fusion process at 37 °C could be partially arrested by raising the pH after 2–10 s, but not after 15 s, indicating that the irreversible pH-activated conformational change of HA necessary for fusion was complete within about 15 s. Analysis of the data indicates that the pH-induced membrane fusion activity of HA is a highly cooperative event.
Neonatal Addiction to Methadone

In a recent effort to alert the members of our chapter to the increasing incidence of infants born manifesting withdrawal symptoms due to their mother9s heroin addiction, we became aware of another area of concern. Members of our committee have seen infants with methadone withdrawal symptoms. After reviewing the few published articles and after some direct communication with those in the field, the impression was that no symptoms occurred in the infants of mothers on methadone.
Quantification and Intensionality in Situation Semantics

In this paper we present a type-driven interpretation approach to semantic theory. We will introduce a formalization of the notion of the speaker's references in a context, and a semantical storage mechanism for resolving the quantificational and de re/de dicto scope ambiguities. In Montague Grammar (PTQ) all verbs are initially treated as intensional, and then the extensional translations, whenever they exist, are derived from the intensional ones by the use of meaning postulates. Such a treatment of the extensional verbs, besides of being counterintuitive, increases dramatically the complexity of the computations of the semantical representations of the sentences, which exponentially propagates to the text processing. The paper introduces a lexicalized situation semantics treatment of the quantifiers and the intensional verbs. The approach is illustrated by a grammar, which uses a semantical storage. Primarily, the semantic storage targets the anaphoric and quantificational relations and related scope ambiguities, but it also facilitates the represention of the de re/de dicto "reading" capacities of the intensional verbs. The grammar accounts for the difference between extensional and intensional verbs by the means of appropriateness conditions for filling the semantical argument roles of the relations denoted by the verbs. The semantical rules for the verb phrases result in type-driven calculations triggered by discourse information.
Searching for Interactive Effects in the Etiology of Early-Onset Substance Use

This study sought to expand the modest literature investigating gene × environment interactions in the prediction of substance use. Our sample consisted of 591 male twins from the Minnesota Twin Family Study. Their relative genetic risk was estimated from their parents' substance-related diagnoses and their environmental risk from their affiliations at age 11 with social groups likely to either encourage or discourage substance use. At age 14, the boys' own substance use was assessed. We hypothesized both main effects and an interaction between our genetic- and environmental-risk variables in the prediction of substance use by this young age. We further theorized that the boys' inherited risk might take the form of temperament, specifically externalizing tendencies. Using regression analyses and biometrical modeling, we corroborated earlier research by finding evidence for a significant interactive effect in the etiology of substance use. Our results suggest that low levels of environmental risk may buffer against the potentially unfavorable effects of high familial risk; however, when environmental risk is high, the degree of familial risk is consequential. We were not able to support our second hypothesis; rather, temperament predicted substance use only through shared environmental factors.
Physical Fitness of High School Students and Participation in Physical Education Classes

Abstract The AAHPER youth fitness test battery, a trunk flexion test, and trunk extension test were administered to 99% of the boys and girls in a senior high school (grades 9–12). The children in this school are required each term to enroll in five “solid” subjects and select one elective (physical education, band, chorus, or art). The relationship between the elective currently selected by the boys and girls and scores on the fitness test was studied. It was clear that boys and girls enrolled in physical education scored highest; those in band were next; and those in art or chorus had the poorest scores. Children were next grouped as to whether they had elected (a) physical education essentially all of their semesters in school, (b) about half of the semesters or (c) never elected physical education. In the case of the boys, the mean difference in fitness scores of those who had had 7 or 8 semesters of physical education (seniors) compared with age-matched boys who had never elected physical education w...
Discovery of novel enzyme activities and metabolic pathways (227.3)

The Enzyme Function Initiative (EFI) is a Large-Scale Collaborative Project (U54GM093342) that is devising strategies and tools to facilitate the discovery of the in vitro activities and in vivo metabolic functions of enzymes discovered in genome projects. This talk will provide examples of how 1) bioinformatic and computational tools can be used to predict novel enzymatic functions and pathways; and 2) enzymology, microbiology, and metabolomics can be used to verify those functions and place them in metabolic context. Supported by NIH U54GM093342.
Substrate specificity and kinetic parameters of GLUT3 in rat cerebellar granule neurons.

This study examines the apparent affinity, catalytic-centre activity ("turnover number') and stereospecificity of the neuronal glucose transporter GLUT3 in primary cultured cerebellar granule neurons. Using a novel variation of the 3-O-[14C]methylglucose transport assay, by measuring zero-trans kinetics at 25 degrees C, GLUT3 was determined to be a high-apparent-affinity, high-activity, glucose transporter with a K(m) of 2.87 +/- 0.23 mM (mean +/- S.E.M.) for 3-O-methylglucose, a Vmax of 18.7 +/- 0.48 nmol/min per 10(6) cells, and cells, and a corresponding catalytic-centre activity of 853 s-1. Transport of 3-O-methylglucose was competed by glucose, mannose, 2-deoxyglucose and galactose, but not by fructose. This methodology is compared with the more common 2-[3H]deoxyglucose methodology and the [U-14C]-glucose transport method. The high affinity and transport activity of the neuronal glucose transporter GLUT3 appears to be an appropriate adaptation to meet the demands of neuronal metabolism at prevailing interstitial brain glucose concentrations (1-2 mM).
Diamond synthesis in supersonic direct-current arcjet plasma at subtorr pressures

Abstract A new approach to diamond thin film synthesis is presented. A supersonic, direct-current (d.c.) arcjet designed for expansion into low pressures (approximately 1 Torr), operating on mixtures of methane (0.5–25%) in hydrogen and argon, was employed to produce diamond films on silicon and molybdenum substrates. At subtorr pressures, free molecular flow conditions are approached, resulting in strongly reduced boundary layer effects. Large area coatings (up to 20 cm 2 ) due to the wide expansion of the plasma plume were obtained. The high molecular velocity, on the order of 10 km s −1 at the arcjet exit, and the high activation energies by the thermal plasma provide a high reactive species flux, both of the above giving rise to relatively high diamond growth rates (1–20 μm h −1 , despite the lower pressures. Results of parametric studies of diamond growth over ranges of substrate temperatures and reactant mixture ratios show good agreement with commonly observed trends in other vapor deposition systems.
Concilium Generale and Studium Generale: The Transformation of Doctrinal Regulation in the Middle Ages

The accretions and modifications of time often disguise the origin of familiar contemporary institutions. Furthermore Medieval institutions must frequently be studied in regard to their development rather than in terms of their function at any one time. Thus this paper will deal with certain aspects of development in conciliar history and will examine the relation of this development to the early history of the university.
Written Emotional Disclosure Buffers the Effects of Social Constraints on Distress Among Cancer Patients.

The aims of the present study were to examine whether written emotional disclosure would reduce distress among cancer patients and whether it would buffer the effects of high levels of social constraint (negative social responses to patients' expressions of emotion regarding their cancer) on distress. Cancer patients (N=104) were randomly assigned to write about their emotions regarding their cancer 20 min a day for 3 days or to write about a nonemotional topic. They completed questionnaires at baseline and 6 months postintervention. Results showed that written disclosure buffered the effects of social constraints on stress at the 6-month follow-up and that avoidance partly mediated these effects. The present data reinforce the notion that interventions should be tailored to patients' needs.
Instructional designers in public schools and higher education: Predictions for the year 2001

This article describes the roles instructional designers are likely to be playing in public schools and higher education in the year 2001. Also put forth is a prediction regarding teacher use of instructional design principles.
Update on retinal detachment surgery.

Purpose of reviewUpdate on controversies in the surgical management of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.Recent findingsThere are multiple new reports regarding the development and management of retinal detachment. Current use of oral fluoroquinolones may be associated with onset of retinal detachme
Examining the robustness of first-principles calculations for metal hydride reaction thermodynamics by detection of metastable reaction pathways

First principles calculations have played a useful role in screening mixtures of complex metal hydrides to find systems suitable for H2storage applications. Standard methods for this task efficiently identify the lowest energy reaction mechanisms among all possible reactions involving collections of materials for which DFT calculations have been performed. The resulting mechanism can potentially differ from physical reality due to inaccuracies in the DFT functionals used, or due to other approximations made in estimating reaction free energies. We introduce an efficient method to probe the robustness of DFT-based predictions that relies on identifying reactions that are metastable relative to the lowest energy reaction path predicted with DFT. An important conclusion of our calculations is that in many examples DFT cannot unambiguously predict a single reaction mechanism for a well defined metal hydride mixture because two or more mechanisms have reaction energies that differ by a small amount. Our approach is illustrated by analyzing a series of single step reactions identified in our recent work that examined reactions with a large database of solids [Kim et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2011, 13, 7218].
Survival among patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction treated with atenolol.

Metoprolol succinate, carvedilol, and bisoprolol are approved for use in heart failure. Other β-blockers have been found to be inferior (metoprolol tartrate) or have not been studied (atenolol). The authors compared all-cause mortality following treatment with either atenolol, carvedilol, or metoprolol tartrate for 974 patients with left ventricular function ≤40%. The unadjusted mortality at 6 months was lower with atenolol (3.2%) and carvedilol (4.2%) when compared with metoprolol tartrate (7.5%, P≤.039). However, patients with atenolol were older but had less prior heart failure. After adjustment for the propensity to be treated with atenolol, patients actually treated with atenolol had a significantly lower risk of death compared with treatment with metoprolol tartrate and comparable outcome to those treated with carvedilol. These results suggest that atenolol may be useful for patients with heart failure treatment and highlight the need for a randomized trial comparing atenolol with established β-blockers.
Monitoring and control of methanol concentration during polysaccharide fermentation using an on-line methanol sensor

Combining principles of membrane separation and semiconductor gas sensor technology, we constructed a methanol sensor to follow methanol concentrations on-line. A length of silicone tubing allowed for mass transfer of methanol from the fermentation medium to a carrier gas which then flowed over a semiconductor gas sensor for detection. The sterilizable sensor demonstrated excellent ability in following methanol concentrations during the batch production of a polysaccharide by the organism Methylomonas mucosa, even as the fermentation broth became increasingly viscous. During fed-batch control by feeding methanol to the fermentation to maintain setpoint methanol levels, a drift in the sensor signal was noted and quantified. A drift factor was determined which, after it was incorporated into the calibration calculations, improved methanol concentration control greatly. Methanol concentration was held constant over a range of set point concentrations during fedbatch fermentations.
Occurrence of Fusarium commune and F. oxysporum in Horseradish Roots

Abstract This study was conducted to investigate the etiology of internal discoloration of horseradish roots. Several species of Fusarium and Verticillium were isolated from internally discolored horseradish roots collected from commercial fields in Illinois and research plots in Wisconsin during 2008 and 2009. Eleven isolates of Fusarium, identified as Fusarium oxysporum based on morphological features, were characterized by DNA sequencing of the nuclear translation elongation factor 1α (EF-1α) and mitochondrial small-subunit ribosomal DNA (mtSSU rDNA). Maximum parsimony analyses of DNA sequences from these two regions and the combined data set revealed that six isolates were clearly separated into a common clade that contained F. commune, with the remaining five isolates being grouped into a common clade with F. oxysporum. Based on the DNA sequence data, we considered the six isolates grouped into a common clade with F. commune to be F. commune. Pathogenicity tests of F. commune and F. oxysporum were co...
Headaches: The pediatrician's perspective

The primary care physician is often the first professional to evaluate the child with headaches. This article reviews the most common causes of headache, including infections, trauma, hypertension, pseudotumor cerebri, postlumbar puncture headaches, and ocular disorders. Most children with headache can be evaluated and treated by their primary care physician.
Advantages and potential dangers of presentation before publication: third in a series on editorship.

In all fields of medicine, many investigators choose to present their research at scientific meetings before publication. In ophthalmology, a variety of organizations provide venues for such presentations, for example, at the annual meetings of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology or the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Presentations at scientific meetings provide an important venue for researchers to share their methods, results, and conclusions with some of their peers. Valuable feedback may result in the adoption of different methods, analysis of additional results, or restructuring of conclusions. The end result may be that the scientific community benefits as the work is refined and improved before publication.
Motor and neurocognitive recovery in the syndrome of the trephined: A case report.

Approximately, 1.4 million traumatic brain injuries occur each year in the United States. Among these incidents, 1.1 million result in emergency department visits, 235,000 result in hospitalizations and 50,000 result in death. This does not include an additional estimated 200,000 who are treated in outpatient settings, nor those treated at military facilities both domestic and abroad [1]. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is frequently used for the treatment of medically refractory intracranial hypertension for patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) [2]. Additionally, DC has been found to reduce mortality rates and improve outcomes in patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction, which accounts for 10% of stroke patients [3]. The syndrome of the trephined (ST), also known as the “sinking skin flap syndrome”, is a disorder of delayed neurological deterioration [4]. By convention, ST refers to the development of those symptoms that are reversible after cranioplasty [5]. This is a complication that occurs in patients with large cranial defects following a DC. Related clinical deterioration occurs weeks to months after the surgery. The symptomatology and clinical signs can include: focal neurological deficits, aphasia, headache, dizziness, lethargy, irritability, inattention, memory problems, depression, anxiety, mood swings, behavioral disturbances, seizures, mutism, worsening hemiplegia, hemi-neglect, and diabetes insipidus [4–7] As these symptoms are non-specific, early diagnosis is difficult to establish, which can lead to significant neurological decline.
Identification and cloning of a novel tetraspanin (TSP) homologue from Brugia malayi

This is the first report of a tetraspanin (TSP)-like molecule in the lymphatic filarial parasites. Expressed sequence tag (EST) database search for TSP like molecules in the filarial genome resulted in three significant EST hits (two partial ESTs from Brugia malayi and one full length EST from Wuchereria bancrofti). The full length gene cloned from B. malayi showed significant similarity to Caenorhabditis elegans TSP and human TSP and hence the gene was named B. malayi TSP (BmTSP). Subsequent Genbank analysis with the predicted ORF of BmTSP showed additional homologous genes reported from Schistosoma mansoni and Taenia solium parasites. Structural analyses showed that BmTSP has four transmembrane domains and other conserved domains such as CCG and two other critical cysteine residues present within the large extracellular loop similar to other reported TSPs. In addition, putative post-translational modifications such as N-glycosylation, protein kinase c phosphorylation, casein kinase II phosphorylation and N-myristoylation sites have been found in BmTSP sequence. Further, PCR analyses showed that BmTSP is differentially transcribed, with highest level of expression being present in the adult stages followed by L3 and mf stages. This study thus describes a novel TSP cloned from B. malayi, its putative functions in cuticle biogenesis and role in protective immunity.
DNA-damaging steroidal alkaloids from Eclipta alba from the suriname rainforest1

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the MeOH extract of Eclipta alba using three yeast strains (1138, 1140, and 1353) resulted in the isolation of eight bioactive steroidal alkaloids (1-8), six of which are reported for the first time from nature. The major alkaloid was identified as (20S)(25S)-22,26-imino-cholesta-5,22(N)-dien-3beta-ol (verazine, 3), while the new alkaloids were identified as 20-epi-3-dehydroxy-3-oxo-5,6-dihydro-4,5-dehydroverazine (1), ecliptalbine [(20R)-20-pyridyl-cholesta-5-ene-3beta,23-diol] (4), (20R)-4beta-hydroxyverazine (5), 4beta-hydroxyverazine (6), (20R)-25beta-hydroxyverazine (7), and 25beta-hydroxyverazine (8). Ecliptalbine (4), in which the 22,26-imino ring of verazine was replaced by a 3-hydroxypyridine moiety, had comparable bioactivity to verazine in these assays, while a second alkaloid (8) showed good activity against Candida albicans. All the alkaloids showed weak cytotoxicity against the M-109 cell line.
Addressing challenging behaviours in the general education setting: conducting a teacher-based Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA)

When a student demonstrates a challenging or problematic behaviour in the classroom, the climate and the instructional experience can change dramatically for both the students and the classroom teacher. Before resorting to sanctions and punitive consequences, there is a series of steps a classroom teacher can conduct to reduce and replace the challenging behaviour with desired and positive behaviours. The Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA) is a systematic data collection process used to ascertain information about a student demonstrating a challenging behaviour(s). Typically reserved for students receiving special education services, the FBA can assist students in the general education curriculum as well. More importantly, the FBA process can be of great use in helping the classroom teacher better understand the challenging behaviour, the triggers for the behaviour and the reinforcing consequences of the behaviour. This paper will review the fundamentals of the FBA process, advantages of the process,...