cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acellular Dermal Matrix: General Principles for the Plastic Surgeon

Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is a recently-developed, biologically-derived product with many useful applications in plastic surgery, in both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. While the use of ADM initially outpaced quality literature, within the past 10 years the literature on ADM has rapidly expanded. Some of these data show promising results in treating historically-challenging problems within our field; thus, an effort to clarify and summarize existing work with ADM is indicated. While subsequent articles in this supplement focus on specific applications, this article provides a general overview of the biology of, applications for, and existing literature on ADM.
Two-photon microscopy in pulmonary research

As the lung is constantly exposed to both innocuous and potentially noxious antigens, a thorough understanding of both innate and adaptive immune responses in this organ is of the essence. Imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and confocal microscopy have expanded our knowledge about various molecular processes and cellular responses in the lung. Two-photon microscopy has evolved into a powerful tool to observe cellular interactions in real time and has markedly expanded our understanding of the immune system. Recently, two-photon microscopy has also been utilized to image the murine lung. As immune responses in the lung differ from those in other non-lymphoid tissues, this technique holds great promise to advance our knowledge of the biology that underlies a wide spectrum of pulmonary diseases.
Histology and functional morphology of the oviduct of an oviparous snake, Diadophis punctatus.

Oviductal functional morphology remains poorly understood in oviparous snakes, particularly in regard to oviductal formation of albumen and the eggshell and to sperm storage. The oviduct of Diadophis punctatus was examined using histology and scanning electron microscopy to determine oviductal functional morphology throughout the reproductive cycle. The oviduct is composed of four morphologically distinct regions: infundibulum, uterine tube, uterus, and vagina. The infundibulum is thin, flaccid, and lined with simple ciliated cuboidal epithelial cells. The tube contains ciliated and secretory epithelial cells, which reach a maximum height and hypertrophy during early gravidity and produce glycosaminoglycans. The posterior portion of the tube contains temporary sperm storage receptacles. The uterus retains eggs throughout gestation and secretes the eggshell constituents. The endometrial glands of the uterus hypertrophy during vitellogenesis and become depleted of the secretory granules during gravidity. The functional morphology of the oviduct therefore shows cyclical changes that are correlated with eggshell formation. The vagina consists of thick longitudinal and circular smooth muscle layers, which may serve in retention of eggs during gestation. Furthermore, the vagina contains long furrows in the mucosa that serve as sperm storage receptacles. These receptacles store sperm following fall mating and overwintering, whereas the receptacles in the tube are utilized briefly during vitellogenesis just prior to ovulation. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Monitoring Meso-Scale Ordering of Cellulose in Intact Plant Cell Walls Using Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibration spectroscopy can selectively detect crystalline cellulose without spectral interference from cell wall matrix components. Here, we show that the cellulose SFG spectrum is sensitive to cellulose microfibril alignment and packing within the cell wall. SFG intensity at 2,944 cm−1 correlated well with crystalline cellulose contents of various regions of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) inflorescence, while changes in the 3,320/2,944 cm−1 intensity ratio suggest subtle changes in cellulose ordering as tissues mature. SFG analysis of two cellulose synthase mutants (irx1/cesa8 and irx3/cesa7) indicates a reduction in cellulose content without evidence of altered cellulose structure. In primary cell walls of Arabidopsis, cellulose exhibited a characteristic SFG peak at 2,920 and 3,320 cm−1, whereas in secondary cell walls, it had peaks at 2,944 and 3,320 cm−1. Starch (amylose) gave an SFG peak at 2,904 cm−1 (CH methine) whose intensity increased with light exposure prior to harvest. Selective removal of matrix polysaccharides from primary cell walls by acid hydrolysis resulted in an SFG spectrum resembling that of secondary wall cellulose. Our results show that SFG spectroscopy is sensitive to the ordering of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls at the meso scale (nm to μm) that is important for cell wall architecture but cannot be probed by other spectroscopic or diffraction techniques.
Perceptive assistive agents in team spaces

The use of next generation interface technologies to facilitate human-human collaboration and human-computer interaction (HCI) has tremendous potential for enhancing team interaction and performance in collaborative environments. However, our experience has shown us that the insertion of new devices and technologies cannot be accomplished successfully without 1) adapting to the dynamics of group interaction and 2) facilitating process change in the context of technological change. The addition of next generation capabilities and devices does not necessarily solve problems of communication and team collaboration. For example, though interactive software “whiteboards” are developed and marketed as groupware tools that facilitate group brainstorming, how much do we actually use them in day-to-day meeting contexts? Despite the availability of all of these new tools, computational systems are still perceptually impoverished in terms of understanding natural capabilities of humans including communication, motor and perceptual skills. They do not take into account the ways in which humans naturally interact with each other and with the world.
Least privilege and privilege deprivation: Toward tolerating mobile sink compromises in wireless sensor networks

Mobile sinks are needed in many sensor network applications for efficient data collection, data querying, localized sensor reprogramming, identifying, and revoking compromised sensors, and other network maintenance. Employing mobile sinks however raises a new security challenge: if a mobile sink is given too many privileges, it will become very attractive for attack and compromise. Using a compromised mobile sink, an adversary may easily bring down or even take over the sensor network. Thus, security mechanisms that can tolerate mobile sink compromises are essential. In this article, based on the principle of least privilege, we first propose an efficient scheme to restrict the privilege of a mobile sink without impeding its ability to carry out any authorized operations for an assigned task. In addition, we present an extension to allow conditional trajectory change due to unexpected events. To further reduce the possible damage caused by a compromised mobile sink, we propose efficient message forwarding schemes for deleting the privilege assigned to a compromised mobile sink immediately after its compromise has been detected. Through detailed analysis, simulation, and real implementation, we show that our schemes are secure and efficient, and are highly practical for sensor networks consisting of the current generation of sensors.
Metabolism of the Tubercle Bacillus in Long's Synthetic Medium.

ConclusionsIt is shown (1) that the rapid growth of the microorganisms is directly related to the consumption of glycerol and other constituents of the synthetic medium, and (2) that rapid autolysis occurs after exhaustion of the nutrients.
Electroencephalographic and other effects of naloxone in normal men.

Abstract Placebo, 10 and 20 mg of naloxone was injected i.v. to 24 healthy young males. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and oral temperature were recorded before and after each injection. Computer EEG analyses have demonstrated that naloxone elicited a significant slowing of the average alpha frequency. Oral temperature after naloxone was significantly lower than after placebo.
The effect of Fe on the crystal structure of wadsleyite β-(Mg 1 − x Fe x ) 2 SiO 4 , 0.00≤ x ≤0.40

Single crystals of five wadsleyite compositions, β-(Mg,Fe)2SiO4 with Fe/(Fe+Mg)=0.00, 0.08, 0.16, 0.25 and 0.40, have been synthesized at high temperature and pressure in a uniaxial, split-sphere apparatus. Crystal structures of these samples, determined by x-ray diffraction techniques, reveal that iron is significantly ordered: Fe is depleted in the M2 octahedron, while it is enriched in M1 and M3. The most iron-rich synthetic sample, which falls well outside previous estimates of wadsleyite stability, raises questions regarding published Mg2SiO4-Fe2SiO4 phase diagrams at transition zone conditions.
The in vitro effect of DDT and related compounds on the succinoxidase system of rat heart.

Abstract DDT and several of its related compounds were found to be inhibitory to rat heart succinoxidase at concentrations of from 10 −4 to 10 −5 M , the degree of inhibition being about 70–90% at the higher concentrations. This inhibition could also be shown for cytochrome oxidase, but not for succinic dehydrogenase. The inhibition was demonstrable when the insecticide or its derivatives were added to the enzyme system as alcoholic solutions. Cholesterol at the same concentrations did not inhibit succinoxidase. When DDT was present in an oil emulsion, only a slight inhibition could be shown toward the succinoxidase system, even though the concentration in the emulsion was 10 times that of the highest level in alcohol. DDA, the acetic acid derivative of DDT, and a known metabolite thereof, was much less inhibitory toward the succinoxidase and cytochrome oxidase systems, even at 5 × 10 −4 M .
Comparison of the structural features of botulinum neurotoxin and NTNH, a non-toxic accessory protein of the progenitor complex

The non-toxic, non-hemagglutinin (NTNH) protein occurs with the seven progenitor serotypes of the botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs). Bioinformatic techniques predict that the N- and C-termini of NTNH have the same folds as the corresponding domains of BoNT. In contrast, the sequence pattern for zinc-binding in the catalytic domain of BoNT is absent in NTNH. The intermediate domain of NTNH is predicted to have neither the coiled-coil nor the hydrophobic characteristics of the corresponding region of BoNT. BoNT and NTNH are hypothesised to have diverged in their amino acid sequences from a common ancestor which accounts for their structural and functional differences. [Received 24 October 2007; Accepted 21 November 2007]
Resurrecting Che: radicalism, the transnational imagination, and the politics of heroes

This article explores the symbolic appeal of Che Guevara within radical Left circles of the 1960s and 1970s. Che's importance as a shared political reference offers a unique window on aspirational symbols and the desire for meaningful transnational solidarity. By tracing Che's resonance in Latin America, western Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, the article brings into conversation the study of post-war radicalism, political iconography, and the cognitive dimensions of interconnectivity. As a means of understanding Che's appeal to both protest movements and guerrilla organizations, the article develops the notion of a ‘transnational imagination’, or mode of perception that frames local circumstances in a world historical trajectory and thereby affects collective aspirations and actions.
Upper respiratory tract metabolism of inspired alcohol dehydrogenase and mixed function oxidase substrate vapors under defined airflow conditions

AbstractNumerous xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes are present in nasal tissues but little is known about the extent to which inspired vapors are metabolized in that site. In the current study, the metabolism of inspired isoamyl alcohol (an alcohol dehydrogenase substrate), and o-xylene, bromobenzene, and ferrocene (mixed function oxidase [MFO] substrates) was examined by quantitating the effects of metabolic inhibitor pretreatment on uptake of these vapors in the surgically isolated upper respiratory tract (URT) of the F344 rat and Syrian hamster under defined airflow conditions. Constant velocity unidirectional inspiratory flow rates of 35, 70, or 200 ml/min, and 50, 100, and 300 ml/min were used in the hamster and rat, respectively. In both species, URT deposition efficiency of isoamyl alcohol vapor was reduced by 3–6% by pretreatment with the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole (p <.01), providing strong evidence that this vapor was metabolized by nasal alcohol dehydrogenase. Pretreatment w...
Cocaine enhances retention of avoidance conditioning in rats

The effects of post-training cocaine administration were tested on retention of a one-way active avoidance task in rats. A 5.0 mg/kg IP dose of cocaine enhanced retention of the avoidance task, in three separate experiments, as indicated by an increase in the number of avoidances made when animals were tested 24 h after training, while both a lower (2.5 mg/kg) and a higher (7.5 mg/kg) cocaine dose had no effect. Lidocaine (4–8 mg/kg) administered post-training did not reliably affect retention in the same task. Cocaine's ability to enhance retention depended on the interval between training and drug injection such that only cocaine administered directly after training enhanced retention the following day. The results show that post-training cocaine administration enhances retention of an active avoidance task in rats, and that this effect is probably independent of the anesthetic properties of the drug.
Environmental, institutional, and demographic predictors of environmental literacy among middle school children

Building environmental literacy (EL) in children and adolescents is critical to meeting current and emerging environmental challenges worldwide. Although environmental education (EE) efforts have begun to address this need, empirical research holistically evaluating drivers of EL is critical. This study begins to fill this gap with an examination of school-wide EE programs among middle schools in North Carolina, including the use of published EE curricula and time outdoors while controlling for teacher education level and experience, student attributes (age, gender, and ethnicity), and school attributes (socio-economic status, student-teacher ratio, and locale). Our sample included an EE group selected from schools with registered school-wide EE programs, and a control group randomly selected from NC middle schools that were not registered as EE schools. Students were given an EL survey at the beginning and end of the spring 2012 semester. Use of published EE curricula, time outdoors, and having teachers with advanced degrees and mid-level teaching experience (between 3 and 5 years) were positively related with EL whereas minority status (Hispanic and black) was negatively related with EL. Results suggest that school-wide EE programs were not associated with improved EL, but the use of published EE curricula paired with time outdoors represents a strategy that may improve all key components of student EL. Further, investments in teacher development and efforts to maintain enthusiasm for EE among teachers with more than 5 years of experience may help to boost student EL levels. Middle school represents a pivotal time for influencing EL, as improvement was slower among older students. Differences in EL levels based on gender suggest boys and girls may possess complementary skills sets when approaching environmental issues. Our findings suggest ethnicity related disparities in EL levels may be mitigated by time spent in nature, especially among black and Hispanic students.
Probabilistically Valid Inference of Covariation From a Single x,y Observation When Univariate Characteristics Are Known.

Participants were asked to draw inferences about correlation from single x,y observations. In Experiment 1 statistically sophisticated participants were given the univariate characteristics of distributions of x and y and asked to infer whether a single x, y observation came from a correlated or an uncorrelated population. In Experiment 2, students with a variety of statistical backgrounds assigned posterior probabilities to five possible populations based on single x, y observations, again given knowledge of the univariate statistics. In Experiment 3, statistically naive participants were given a problem analogous to that given in Experiment 1, framed verbally. Experiment 4 replicated Experiment 3 but added an "impossible to determine" response option. Models that rely on computing sample correlations make no predictions about these investigations. From a Bayesian perspective, participants' inferences in all four experiments tended to make probabilistically valid inferences as long as the single datum was directional. The results are discussed in light of the Brunswikian notion of vicarious functioning.
YBa2Cu3O7-y−coated conductors with high engineering current density

Short segments of YBa2Cu3O7-y (YBCO) coated conductors were fabricated on rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrates (RABiTS) with a layer sequence of CeO2/YSZ/Ni using an ex situ BaF2 precursor process. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was used to deposit both YSZ and CeO2 layers. The YBCO films were grown using e-beam coevaporated Y–BaF2–Cu precursors followed by postannealing. An overall engineering current density, JE, of 28,000 A/cm2 and critical current, Ic, of 147 A/cm width at 77 K were achieved for a 1.6-μm-thick YBCO film. This result demonstrates the possibility of using both the ex situ BaF2 precursor approach and the RABiTS process for producing long lengths of high-JE coated conductors.
The roles of monocytic heat shock protein 60 and Toll-like receptors in the regional inflammation response to wear debris particles

The biological response to orthopaedic wear debris is central to peri-prosthetic tissue inflammation and osteolysis, through mechanisms that include local inflammatory cytokine production. In particular, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha|) are generated in high quantities following monocyte accumulation in periprosthetic inflammatory tissue, and these cytokine combine with other inflammatory mediators to trigger osteolysis. Since the precise mechanisms involved in debris-associated inflammation remain unclear, it is important to understand how wear debris particles initially interact with inflammatory cells. We have previously demonstrated that the severity of the inflammation response is influenced by the size, shape, and quantity of particles accumulated in tissues. The current in vitro and in vivo results indicate that heat-shock protein (Hsp) expression is elevated when monocytes are exposed to wear debris particles. We have also addressed the mechanisms by which heat-shock protein 60 (Hsp60) positively modulates inflammatory cytokines via Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) signal transduction pathway on mononuclear cells. Furthermore, down-regulation of TLR4 expression using antisense oligonucleotides targeted to TLR4 mRNA suppressed cytokine production in both exogenous Hsp60 and particles stimulated cultures. Collectively, these data indicate that monocytic Hsp60 is an additional inducible immunoregulatory mediator in response to particle-induced cell stress.
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES OF MITOCHONDRIAL SIZE IN THE SEA URCHIN EMBRYO.

Abstract 1. 1. Mitochondria are larger, compared to those in ectodermal cells, in invaginating vegetal and primary mesenchyme cells in early gastrulae of the sea urchin, Lytechinus anamesus . The average size ( μ 3 ), calculated from the profile dimensions in electron micrographs, of animal-cell mitochondria was 73 per cent that of vegetal-cell mitochondria in embryos fixed in buffered osmium solutions. In early gastrulae fixed by freeze-substitution the animalcell mitochondria averaged 52 per cent the size of those in invaginating vegetal cells and primary mesenchyme. 2. 2. A comparison of mitochondria in embryos fixed by freeze-substitution and in buffered osmium solutions indicates that the latter fixative extracts the matrix and probably causes swelling. Considering the unlikelihood of swelling of mitochondria in embryos fixed by freeze-substitution, it is concluded that regional size differences of mitochondria exist in the living embryo. In the majority of sections the cristae were more numerous in the vegetalcell mitochondria. 3. 3. A regional difference in mitochondrial size was found in the mesenchyme blastula stage and in early and late gastrulae. Mitochondria were found, however, to be uniform in size in all regions of the 16-cell stage. There is an indication of an overall increase in mitochondrial size with an increase in number of cristae per mitochondrion during early development. It is concluded that a differential “growth” of mitochondria occurs during, or more likely, after the cleavage period. 4. 4. The comparatively larger mitochondria are associated with the vegetalization of cells. Animal-half embryos contained significantly larger mitochondria in the cells, originally presumptive ectoderm, which had been converted to entoderm by treatment with LiCl.
Structural basis of glycan interaction in gastroenteric viral pathogens

A critical event in the life cycle of a virus is its initial attachment to host cells. This involves recognition by the viruses of specific receptors on the cell surface, including glycans. Viruses typically exhibit strain-dependent variations in recognizing specific glycan receptors, a feature that contributes significantly to cell tropism, host specificity, host adaptation and interspecies transmission. Examples include influenza viruses, noroviruses, rotaviruses, and parvoviruses. Both rotaviruses and noroviruses are well known gastroenteric pathogens that are of significant global health concern. While rotaviruses, in the family Reoviridae, are the major causative agents of life-threatening diarrhea in children, noroviruses, which belong to the Caliciviridae family, cause epidemic and sporadic cases of acute gastroenteritis across all age groups. Both exhibit enormous genotypic and serotypic diversity. Consistent with this diversity each exhibits strain-dependent variations in the types of glycans they recognize for cell attachment. This chapter reviews the current status of the structural biology of such strain-dependent glycan specificities in these two families of viruses.
Variations in the intensity of the hydrogen emission line Hβ during auroral activity

Abstract Through the qualitative analysis of the auroral spectrum incident from the magnetic zenith, the variation of the estimated intensity with time has been obtained for H β (4863 A) and the 4709 A line of N 2 + . The results show that the peak in intensity of H β preceeds that of the 4709 A line by 1–4 hr, and that the period in which the intensity of H /gb peaks occurs when quiet forms of the aurora are present. This same period is associated with low amplitude low frequency fluctuations of N-S earth potential. The overall earth potential fluctuation is highly correlated with the intensity variations of the 4709 A line of N 2 + and with the type of aurora present at the zenith.
Proton production in d+Au collisions and the Cronin effect

Proton production in the intermediate ${p}_{T}$ region in $d+\mathrm{Au}$ collisions is studied in the parton recombination model. The recombination of soft and shower partons is shown to be important in central collisions, but negligible in peripheral collisions. It is found that the large nuclear modification factor for proton production can be well reproduced by a calculation of the $3\text{\ensuremath{-}}\text{quark}$ recombination process.
Can We Maximize Both Value and Quality in Gynecologic Cancer Care? A Work in Progress

Value is defined as desirable health outcomes achieved per monetary unit spent. Comparative effectiveness research and cost-effectiveness research are methods that have been developed to quantify effectiveness and value to inform management decisions. In this article we review the comparative and cost-effectiveness literature in the field of ovarian cancer treatment. Studies have shown that improved ovarian cancer survival is associated with complete primary surgical cytoreduction, with treatment at high volume facilities by subspecialist providers (gynecologic oncologists) and with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline-adherent care in both surgical staging and chemotherapy regimens. Intraperitoneal/intravenous chemotherapy (compared with intravenous alone) has been associated with improved survival and cost-effectiveness. Bevacizumab for primary and maintenance therapy has been found to not be cost-effective (even in selective subsets) despite a small progression-free survival (PFS) advantage. For platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer, secondary cytoreduction and platinum-based combinations are associated with improved overall survival (OS); several platinum-based combinations have also been found cost-effective. For platinum-resistant recurrence, single agent therapy and supportive care are cost-effective compared with combination therapies. Although little prospective clinical research has been done around end-of-life care, one study reported that for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, palliative intervention would potentially reduce costs and increase quality adjusted life years compared with usual care (based on improvement in quality of life [QOL]). Overall, cost comparisons of individual chemotherapy regimens are highly dependent on market prices of novel therapeutic agents.
Electron enhanced hydrogen attack on first wall materials

Abstract The reactivity of graphite, TiC, and TiB 2 with atomic hydrogen under simultaneous electron bombardment is reported. Methane production yield enhancements in terms of additional methane molecules formed per incident electron are reported from 315 to 510K for oriented pyrolytic graphite and at 315K for TiC. Enhancements for graphite and TiC result in yields from combined atomic hydrogen attack and electron bombardment comparable to hydrogen ion sputtering yields, and these yields are more than an order of magnitude greater than those for atomic hydrogen alone. TiB 2 was not observed to form volatile boron compounds at 315K under electron bombardment, or up to 640K under atomic hydrogen attack alone. Sample temperature, hydrogen flux, electron flux, and electron energy are major interdependent parameters influencing erosion rates.
The effects of heat addition to one-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic flow

Abstract The transients due to uniform heat addition to the initially steady, sub-true-sonic one-dimensional flow of an ideal, inviscid, perfectly conducting compressible fluid are determined by the use of a linearization based on small heat addition. Although the solution obtained ceases to be valid in the neighborhood of true-sonic flow, and this difficulty is due to the inadequacies of the linearization which approximates the C+ and C − characteristics by two rectilinear and parallel families of lines, a solution valid for all flow speeds may be obtained by making a more detailed examination of the negative characteristics. In the limiting case of zero magnetic field, the solution reduces exactly to the solution of the corresponding problem in conventional gas dynamics.
A NEW APPROACH TO TESTING FOR CHAOS, WITH APPLICATIONS IN FINANCE AND ECONOMICS

Whether certain financial and economic time series exhibit chaotic behavior is an issue currently in dispute. Empirical research on chaotic behavior in such data has been hampered by lack of an adequate test. Metric methods do not produce reliable results when applied to small, noisy data sets. Thus, reported results have been inconclusive. Here we apply a new, topological approach to analyzing for chaos, recently developed in the physics literature, to a number of financial and economic series previously subjected to metric tests. The results of the topological test are compared with those reported in the literature using metric methods.
Scalable live video streaming to cooperative clients using time shifting and video patching

We consider the problem of how to enable the streaming of live video content from a single server to a large number of clients. One recently proposed approach relies on the cooperation of the video clients in forming an application layer multicast tree over which the video is propagated. Video continuity is maintained as client departures disrupt the multicast tree, using multiple description coded (MDC) streams multicast over several application layer trees. While this maintains continuity, it can cause video quality fluctuation as clients depart and trees are reconstructed around them. In this paper we develop a scheme using the transmission of a single-description coded video over an application layer multicast tree formed by cooperative clients. Video continuity is maintained in spite of tree disruption caused by departing clients using a combination of two techniques: 1) providing time-shifted streams at the server and allowing clients that suffer service disconnection to join a video channel of the time-shifted stream, and 2) using video patching to allow a client to catch up with the progress of a video program. Simulation experiments demonstrate that our design can achieve uninterrupted service, while not compromising the video quality, at moderate cost
Changes in serum fibroblast growth factor 2 in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis treated with human parathyroid hormone (1–34)

Since the ability of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to increase osteoblast maturation and activity is associated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) we determined the changes in serum bFGF levels in patients treated with human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) (1-34) for 12 months and 12 months follow up. All studied subjects (n=51) had postmenopausal osteoporosis, had been receiving long-term treatment with glucocorticoid plus estrogen or estrogen/progesterone and were randomly allocated either to a group receiving hPTH, 400 U/day (n=28), or to a control group (n=23). Osteocalcin (OST), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) and bFGF were monitored at the baseline, every 3 months for 18 months, and at 24 months. In the hPTH group, OST increased by more than 150% above baseline at 3 months and was maintained at this level throughout the treatment period. BSAP had increased more than 80% over the baseline level at 3 months and was maintained at 90% above baseline for the next 9 months. bFGF levels had increased by 45% at 3 months, 60% at 6 to 9 months (P<0.05) and had increased more than 90% from baseline by 12 months (P<0.05). We found that daily hPTH injections increased bFGF levels. These results support the hypothesis that up-regulation of bFGF could play a role in the osteoblastic response to PTH.
Diabetic neuropathy: clinical manifestations and current treatments

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a prevalent, disabling disorder. The most common manifestation is distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSP), but many patterns of nerve injury can occur. Currently, the only effective treatments are glucose control and pain management. While glucose control substantially decreases the development of neuropathy in those with type 1 diabetes, the effect is probably much smaller in those with type 2 diabetes. Evidence supports the use of specific anticonvulsants and antidepressants for pain management in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. However, the lack of disease-modifying therapies for diabetic DSP makes the identification of new modifiable risk factors essential. Growing evidence supports an association between components of the metabolic syndrome, including prediabetes, and neuropathy. Studies are needed to further explore this association, which has implications for the development of new treatments for this common disorder.
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION IN CALIFORNIA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

ABSTRACT Given the rich biological diversity in California and dramatic loss and modification of its habitats, populations, species, and ecosystems, a concerted effort has emerged to restore large areas of the state's public and private lands. Under these circumstances, ecological restoration represents an important element in the strategy to conserve numerous at-risk species and maintain vital ecosystem services. After reviewing the various motivations for ecological restoration, we identify some of the key challenges, both practical and theoretical, that are likely to affect the success of restoration efforts. We describe a shift in defining restoration success from a focus on recreating historic “pristine” ecosystems to viewing restoration in a dynamic landscape context in which realistic novel ecosystems are accommodated. These accommodations are necessitated by a broad array of challenges that include several global change factors. Finally, we argue that prospects for successful ecological restoratio...
General Unions in the Federal Service

In the literature on the history and improvement of the public service, volumes have been written describing organizations, institutions, and movements which have exerted determining influence through pressure from without, but only recently has serious attention been given employee organizations, which have made equally if not more important contributions through action from within. Contributing to this delayed recognition of the r6le of employee unions have been the old fear of the possible challenge to state authority, the lack of "respectability" of labor unions in certain quarters, and the preoccupation of democracy with the results of administration rather than with processes and personnel. Formerly, the unquestioned theory of state sovereignty proved to be an insuperable barrier to any careful study of public employee organizations or appreciation of their potentialities. It answered all embarrassing questions. It explained the paradox of autocracy in administration alongside democracy in politics. It justified ignorance where possible and repression where necessary in dealing with this "state within a state." While this venerable attitude lingers on, it is challenged on every hand by administrative realities which override the abstract, theoretical considerations. These realities have engendered new attitudes which would virtually institutionalize public employee unions as a part of the administrative machinery and establish as an indispensable qualification of personnel administrators an ability "in dealing successfully and cooperatively with organized employee' groups."' We now find ourselves in a transitional period in which the authoritarian tradition hag not yet been abandoned and the cooperative practice has not yet found general acceptance. Although personnel administrators can always take refuge behind the sovereignty of the state, the vindication of abstract
Geological Carbon Dioxide Sequestration

A key means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels is to separate and concentrate CO2 from large point sources and inject it underground. The injection process, so-called “geological carbon sequestration”, uses off-the-shelf technology from the hydrocarbon industry and can be deployed at a useful scale. Widespread deployment will require a greater understanding of processes that trap CO2 underground, improved means of monitoring the injection stream, and a small number of large-scale experiments in settings with the most important representative geology. If successful, geological sequestration could greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while we continue to benefit from fossil fuels until true alternatives emerge.
The 1000 Genomes Project: new opportunities for research and social challenges

The 1000 Genomes Project, an international collaboration, is sequencing the whole genome of approximately 2,000 individuals from different worldwide populations. The central goal of this project is to describe most of the genetic variation that occurs at a population frequency greater than 1%. The results of this project will allow scientists to identify genetic variation at an unprecedented degree of resolution and will also help improve the imputation methods for determining unobserved genetic variants that are not represented on current genotyping arrays. By identifying novel or rare functional genetic variants, researchers will be able to pinpoint disease-causing genes in genomic regions initially identified by association studies. This level of detailed sequence information will also improve our knowledge of the evolutionary processes and the genomic patterns that have shaped the human species as we know it today. The new data will also lay the foundation for future clinical applications, such as prediction of disease susceptibility and drug response. However, the forthcoming availability of whole genome sequences at affordable prices will raise ethical concerns and pose potential threats to individual privacy. Nevertheless, we believe that these potential risks are outweighed by the benefits in terms of diagnosis and research, so long as rigorous safeguards are kept in place through legislation that prevents discrimination on the basis of the results of genetic testing.
Reconstruction of distal radioulnar joint instability

Abstract The distal radioulnar joint has a unique architecture that simultaneously allows a wide arc of forearm rotation but requires the coordination of a primary ulnoradial ligament and secondary supporting structures to maintain stability. Office examination must focus on correlating the mechanism of the original injury, details of the patient’s symptoms related to activity, and a manual stress examination for ulnoradial instability. Surgical reconstruction of the stabilizing ligaments is an appropriate strategy if the symptoms are attributable primarily to traumatic instability and the patient has failed nonsurgical treatment. Both the primary ulnoradial ligament and secondary capsular ligaments can be anatomically reconstructed with a free tendon graft. During the rehabilitation process, remodeling of the tendon graft must take place to achieve the simultaneous goals of joint stability and full motion. Patients can be expected to return to manual labor, sports, and other demanding activities after complete graft incorporation and a conditioning program.
Myxopapillary ependymoma in children: a study of 11 cases and a comparison with the adult experience.

Background Myxopapillary ependymomas (MEPN) are uncommon tumors of the central nervous system, mainly occurring within the conus medullaris–filum terminale. MEPNs can also present in the skin and underlying soft tissues of the sacrococcygeal region. The incidence of extramedullary MEPNs in children is unclear. Procedure We retrospectively reviewed our institutional files for MEPN cases between the years 1990–2012. A total of 11 pediatric and 38 adult cases were identified and compared to determine differences between these two distinct age groups. Results There were 40 (82%) tumors arising in the spine and nine (18%) in extramedullary sites. Pathologic examination revealed that extramedullary and spinal MEPNs were indistinguishable morphologically and immunophenotypically. Among the 11 children with MEPNs, seven had tumors presenting in extramedullary sites whereas only two adults (5%) had extramedullary tumors; this difference was highly significant (P < 0.0001). The lumbosacral portion of the spinal cord was the primary site for the remaining 40 MEPNs, four (10%) of which presented in children. One extramedullary MEPN (9%) recurred in a 45-year-old woman, and five (11%) of 40 spinal tumors recurred and/or metastasized; two of four children with spinal MEPNs developed recurrences and a manifestation to the aggressive nature of the latter tumor in the spinal cord of children. Conclusions Based upon our experience, MEPN in children is more likely to present in the extramedullary soft tissues of the sacrococcygeal region where its behavior is more indolent than those tumors arising in the spinal cord in children. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:1969–1971. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regulation of inflammation by selenium and selenoproteins: impact on eicosanoid biosynthesis

Uncontrolled inflammation is a contributing factor to many leading causes of human morbidity and mortality including atherosclerosis, cancer and diabetes. Se is an essential nutrient in the mammalian diet that has some anti-inflammatory properties and, at sufficient amounts in the diet, has been shown to be protective in various inflammatory-based disease models. More recently, Se has been shown to alter the expression of eicosanoids that orchestrate the initiation, magnitude and resolution of inflammation. Many of the health benefits of Se are thought to be due to antioxidant and redox-regulating properties of certain selenoproteins. The present review will discuss the existing evidence that supports the concept that optimal Se intake can mitigate dysfunctional inflammatory responses, in part, through the regulation of eicosanoid metabolism. The ability of selenoproteins to alter the biosynthesis of eicosanoids by reducing oxidative stress and/or by modifying redox-regulated signalling pathways also will be discussed. Based on the current literature, however, it is clear that more research is necessary to uncover the specific beneficial mechanisms behind the anti-inflammatory properties of selenoproteins and other Se metabolites, especially as related to eicosanoid biosynthesis. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in Se-mediated regulation of host inflammatory responses may lead to the development of dietary intervention strategies that take optimal advantage of its biological potency.
Place and the Paradox of Modernity

The concept of place has, over the past decade, been invigorated theoretically by geographers emphasizing the unboundedness, historical dynamism, and multiple identities inherent in places. This work is often characterized as a new way of conceiving place, enabled in part by the rise of postmodern cultural and social theory and the related demise of modernism in academia. Modernism, it has been claimed, devalued place as a relevant vehicle for understanding social change. This paper, however, contends that in fact place has been a particularly significant terrain for representing the experience of modernity, and that the conception of place envisioned in contemporary cultural geography has important humanistic roots in much nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature. The paper examines the intersections between this literary tradition of place representation and academic geography, examining the work of Goethe and Hardy, and the fiction of Raymond Williams. These writers articulated a vision of place no...
Animal models of tinnitus.

Presented is a thematic review of animal tinnitus models from a functional perspective. Chronic tinnitus is a persistent subjective sound sensation, emergent typically after hearing loss. Although the sensation is experientially simple, it appears to have central a nervous system substrate of unexpected complexity that includes areas outside of those classically defined as auditory. Over the past 27 years animal models have significantly contributed to understanding tinnitus' complex neurophysiology. In that time, a diversity of models have been developed, each with its own strengths and limitations. None has clearly become a standard. Animal models trace their origin to the 1988 experiments of Jastreboff and colleagues. All subsequent models derive some of their features from those experiments. Common features include behavior-dependent psychophysical determination, acoustic conditions that contrast objective sound and silence, and inclusion of at least one normal-hearing control group. In the present review, animal models have been categorized as either interrogative or reflexive. Interrogative models use emitted behavior under voluntary control to indicate hearing. An example would be pressing a lever to obtain food in the presence of a particular sound. In this type of model animals are interrogated about their auditory sensations, analogous to asking a patient, "What do you hear?" These models require at least some training and motivation management, and reflect the perception of tinnitus. Reflexive models, in contrast, employ acoustic modulation of an auditory reflex, such as the acoustic startle response. An unexpected loud sound will elicit a reflexive motor response from many species, including humans. Although involuntary, acoustic startle can be modified by a lower-level preceding event, including a silent sound gap. Sound-gap modulation of acoustic startle appears to discriminate tinnitus in animals as well as humans, and requires no training or motivational manipulation, but its sensitivity, reliability, mechanism, and optimal implementation are incompletely understood. While to date animal models have significantly expanded the neuroscience of tinnitus, they have been limited to examining sensory features. In the human condition, emotional and cognitive factors are also important. It is not clear that the emotional features of tinnitus can be further understood using animal models, but models may be applied to examine cognitive factors. A recently developed model is described that reveals an interaction between tinnitus and auditory attention. This research suggests that effective tinnitus therapy could rely on modifying attention to the sensation rather than modifying the sensation itself. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled .
Functional Analysis of the Signal Recognition Particle in Escherichia coli by Characterization of a Temperature-Sensitive ffh Mutant

The Ffh protein of Escherichia coli is a 48-kDa polypeptide that is homologous to the SRP54 subunit of the eukaryotic signal recognition particle (SRP). Efforts to understand the function of Ffh in bacteria have depended largely on the use of E. coli strains that allow depletion of the wild-type gene product. As an alternative approach to studying Ffh, a temperature-sensitive ffh mutant was isolated. The ffh-10(Ts) mutation results in two amino acid changes in conserved regions of the Ffh protein, and characterization of the mutant revealed that the cells rapidly lose viability at the nonpermissive temperature of 42°C as well as show reduced growth at the permissive temperature of 30°C. While the ffh mutant is defective in insertion of inner membrane proteins, the export of proteins with cleavable signal sequences is not impaired. The mutant also shows elevated expression of heat shock proteins and accumulates insoluble proteins, especially at 42°C. It was further observed that the temperature sensitivity of the ffh mutant was suppressed by overproduction of 4.5S RNA, the RNA component of the bacterial SRP, by stabilizing the thermolabile protein. Collectively, these results are consistent with a model in which Ffh is required only for localization of proteins integral to the cytoplasmic membrane and suggest new genetic approaches to the study of how the structure of the SRP contributes to its function.