cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using the Time Dimension to Sense Signals with Partial Spectral Overlap

In this work, we consider the wideband sensing problem of using a single antenna receiver for sensing an unknown number of incumbent signals occupying frequency bands that may be partially overlapping. Many communications standards today, such as the IEEE 802.11 and LTE-Advanced, use frequency bands that overlap amongst themselves or do not have a frequency guard band. Current sensing methods for a single antenna receiver sense for signal energy at individual frequencies and do not differentiate between signals. However, sensing each signal separately is necessary to make inferences about the higher layers of the incumbent communication system. Hence, in this work, signals are sensed as signal energy in a set of frequency bins instead of individual frequency bins. The number of signals and the frequency bands occupied by each are estimated. To achieve this, the temporal dimension is exploited by using periodic power measurements as input and the fact that radios transmit intermittently and not continually. Two algorithms are proposed. First, repeated non- negative matrix factorization is used to estimate the number of signals and the frequency support of each. Secondly, energy detection results on adaptively chosen frequency bins are used to detect the start and end of the frequency band occupied by each signal. Novel performance metrics are proposed since this is simultaneously a model size and parameter estimation problem. Systems with signals occupying adjacent partially overlapping frequency bands are simulated to evaluate the performance of both algorithms.
Current Issues of Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Patients with localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma seek potentially curative treatment, but experience with this patient group has taught clinicians that this group is a spectrum. Patients with borderline resectable primary tumors are a unique subset whose successful therapy requires a care team with expertise in medical care, imaging, surgery, medical, and radiation oncology. This team must identify patients with borderline tumors and then carefully prescribe and execute a combined treatment strategy with the highest possibility of cure. For this reason, this chapter will address the issues of clinical evaluation, imaging techniques and criteria, as well as multidisciplinary treatment and surgery as they relate to the patient with borderline resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Pipeline flow diversion of ruptured blister aneurysms of the supraclinoid carotid artery using a single-device strategy

OBJECTIVE Ruptured blister aneurysms remain challenging lesions for treatment due to their broad, shallow anatomy and thin, fragile wall. Historical challenges with both open microsurgical approaches and intrasaccular endovascular approaches have led to increased use of flow diversion for management of these aneurysms. However, the optimum paradigm, including timing of treatment, use of dual antiplatelet therapy, and number of flow-diverter devices to use remains unknown. The authors describe their experience with ruptured blister aneurysms treated with flow diversion at their institution, and discuss rates of rebleeding and number of devices used. METHODS All patients presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage from a ruptured blister aneurysm and treated with Pipeline flow diversion were identified. Patient demographic data, clinical status and course, need for external ventricular drain (EVD), timing of treatment, and angiographic details and follow-up were recorded. RESULTS There were 13 patients identified (11 women and 2 men), and 4 had multiple aneurysms. Two aneurysms were treated on initial angiography, with average time to treatment of 3.1 days for the remainder, after discussion with the family and institution of dual antiplatelet therapy. Device placement was technically successful in all patients, with 2 patients receiving 2 devices and the remainder receiving 1 device. There was 1 intraoperative complication, of a wire perforation causing intracerebral hemorrhage requiring decompressive craniectomy. Three patients had required EVD placement for management of hydrocephalus. There was no rebleeding from the target lesion; however, one patient had worsening intraventricular hemorrhage and another had rupture of an unrecognized additional aneurysm, and both died. Of the other 11 patients, 10 made a good recovery, with 1 remaining in a vegetative state. Nine underwent follow-up angiography, with 5 achieving complete occlusion, 2 with reduced aneurysm size, and 2 requiring retreatment for aneurysm persistence or enlargement. There were no episodes of delayed rupture. CONCLUSIONS Pipeline flow diversion is a technically feasible and effective treatment for ruptured blister aneurysms, particularly in good-grade patients without hydrocephalus. Patients with a worse grade on presentation and requiring EVDs may have higher risk for bleeding complications and poor outcome. There was no rebleeding from the target lesion with use of a single device in this series.
Linearly changing stress environment causes cellular growth phenotype

A hallmark of cellular stress response pathways is to protect cells from different environmental insults. While much is known about how cells are protected against acute stresses of different types, the mechanisms underpinning how cells are protected against gradually changing stresses are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that a linear stress gradient but not a step, pulse or a quadratic gradient of the same stressor and intensity causes a severe cell growth phenotype. We determined that this phenotype is caused by the failure of cells to activate the stress-activated protein kinase signaling pathway due to a threshold in the rate of stress application. This lack of response occurs despite cells physically detecting the relatively slow changes in stress signal. These findings have fundamental implications for understanding mechanisms of how temporally changing environments impact biological phenotype.
Cry1 Bt Susceptibilities of Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Host Strains

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a highly polyphagous, multivoltine pest of commercial crops including corn (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium spp. L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and pasture grasses. Fall armyworm has become a growing concern in agricultural communities across the Americas as field populations in many locales have evolved resistance to several Cry1 toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt). An often overlooked aspect of fall armyworm biology is the existence of two host strains, the 'rice' and 'corn' strains. There has been little research devoted to the characterization of fall armyworm host strains, although there is evidence that the rice and corn-strains may differ in their tolerances to Bt toxins expressed by transgenic plants. In this study, diet-based bioassays were conducted to compare the susceptibilities of one rice-strain, two corn-strains, and one rice-corn hybrid population to Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry1F protein. Results indicate that the corn-strains and hybrid populations are more tolerant to the Bt toxins, especially to Cry1F, than the rice-strain population. Results from this study, when combined with existing techniques for host strain identification, may aid in the development of regional insect resistance management programs for fall armyworm.
Vapor pressure deficit predicts epiphyte abundance across an elevational gradient in a tropical montane region.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCFs) are important ecosystems to study and preserve because of their high biodiversity and critical roles in local and regional ecosystem processes. TMCFs may be particularly affected by changes in climate because of the narrow bands of microclimate they occupy and the vulnerability of TMCF species to projected increases in cloud base heights and drought. A comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of TMCFs is lacking and difficult to attain because of variation in topography within and across TMCF sites. This causes large differences in microclimate and forest structure at both large and small scales. METHODS In this study, we estimated the abundance of the entire epiphyte community in the canopy (bryophytes, herbaceous vascular plants, woody epiphytes, and canopy dead organic matter) in six sites. In each of the sites we installed a complete canopy weather station to link epiphyte abundance to a number of microclimatic parameters. KEY RESULTS We found significant differences in epiphyte abundance across the sites; epiphyte abundance increased with elevation and leaf wetness, but decreased as vapor pressure deficit (VPD) increased. Epiphyte abundance had the strongest relationship with VPD; there were differences in VPD that could not be explained by elevation alone. CONCLUSIONS By measuring this proxy of canopy VPD, TMCF researchers will better understand differences in microclimate and plant community composition across TMCF sites. Incorporating such information in comparative studies will allow for more meaningful comparisons across TMCFs and will further conservation and management efforts in this ecosystem.
Politics, Public Opinion, and Privatization: A Test of Competing Theories in Great Britain

Reforms known collectively as the “new public management” (NPM) are sweeping governments worldwide. For a movement espousing customer-based service orientations, there is a curious paucity of research on citizens' attitudes toward these reforms. We know little about how citizens feel about them, how they arrive at their conclusions, and how durable their attitudes are likely to be. Using citizen attitudes culled from the 1987--1992 British General Election Panel Survey, we apply multiple regression analysis to begin exploring these issues in one critical area of NPM reform: privatization of state-owned enterprises. We find that the overall predictive power of the five theoretical perspectives culled from public opinion research and operationalized in our model is quite respectable, but that evaluations are too complex for any single explanation of public opinion formation to capture. We also find that British attitudes toward privatization were most associated with cue-taking from leaders and parties, ideological moorings associated with individualism, and income. From these findings we offer a set of hypotheses suitable for testing in future research—most especially, a “disparate impact” hypothesis—that have important implications for practice and theory-building regarding public opinion and market-based administrative reforms worldwide.
Cutaneous application of an androstenedione gel as an in vivo test of 5α-reductase activity in women

Objective Assessment of an in vivo test for 5 α -reductase activity using serum markers, 5 α -androstane-3 α , 17 β -diol glucuronide and androsterone glucuronide, after the cutaneous application of androstenedione (A). Design An A gel was applied for 6 days to the skin of normal women, male volunteers, and hirsute and nonhirsute patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Blood samples were obtained at baseline and on day 6 of the A gel application. Blood samples were assayed for A, 5 α -androstane-3 α , 17/ β -diol glucuronide, and androsterone glucuronide. In three hirsute women, the protocol was followed before and after receiving an oral contraceptive (OC) and spironolactone 200mg/d for 3 months. Setting The study was performed in the outpatient clinic of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Women's Hospital of the Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Patients, Participants A total of eight nonhirsute patients with PCOS, seven hirsute patients with PCOS, and six male volunteers were enrolled in the study. Five normal women served as a control group. Main Outcome Measure Serum A increased after 6 days by a similar magnitude in all groups. Serum androsterone glucuronide showed a significant increase from baseline only in the hirsute group ( P α -androstane-3 α , 17/ β -diol glucuronide was not statistically significant. Results The ratio of the increases in serum androsterone glucuronide over serum A was significantly higher in the hirsute group ( P α -androstane-3 α , 17 β -diol glucuronide and androsterone glucuronide decreased after 3 months and did not increase with application of the gel for another 6 days. Conclusion The cutaneous application of A provides a useful assessment of in vivo 5 α -reductase activity. However, because we found that A absorption varied considerably (30% to 62%), we suggest that this in vivo test may not provide more information than baseline determinations of 5 α -androstane-3 α , 17 β -diol glucuronide and androsterone glucuronide. It may, however, be useful as a parameter for assessing the effectiveness of various treatment regimens for hirsutism.
Retinoic Acid, Leaky Gut, and Autoimmune Diseases

A leaky gut has been observed in a number of autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that lupus mice also bear a leaky gut and that the intestinal barrier function can be enhanced by gut colonization of probiotics such as Lactobacillus spp. Retinoic acid (RA) can increase the relative abundance of Lactobacillus spp. in the gut. Interestingly, RA has also been shown to strengthen the barrier function of epithelial cells in vitro and in the absence of probiotic bacteria. These reports bring up an interesting question of whether RA exerts protective effects on the intestinal barrier directly or through regulating the microbiota colonization. In this review, we will discuss the roles of RA in immunomodulation, recent literature on the involvement of a leaky gut in different autoimmune diseases, and how RA shapes the outcomes of these diseases.
Synthesis and Properties of 2D Semiconductors

In the previous chapter, brief history of the development and fundamentals of 2D materials and vdW heterostructures and the very first methods to isolate them are provided. Graphene can be considered as the funding layer for the field of 2D materials. And we are able to continuously branch out from graphene to other kinds of 2D layers, which sometimes is so called “beyond graphene” 2D layers, and also the sciences and engineering behind them. A heterostructure made of 2D semiconducting materials is an important remark toward flexible and low-power optoelectronics in the future. Analogously, 2D TMDCs represent a new class of building blocks. By combining certain of them, interesting physical sciences and practical applications can be created out of our hands. However, current methods for making a vdW heterostructure may not always provide good material interfaces. This challenge inspired my graduate research on synthetic 2D layers and their heterostructures and discovery of their properties. This chapter covers some practical aspects of thin-film deposition and also methods used for depositing 2D TMDC domains and films. The transport mechanism for 2D material devices is dominated by a few scattering events, which a lot of time are related to the interface of 2D materials and their substrates. This chapter, therefore, provides all necessary knowledges that are not all included in the later chapter which focused on the properties, devices of synthetic 2D layers, 2D/2D vdW heterostructures, and 2D/3D heterostructures.
Motivational Interviewing and Assessing Readiness to Change

A 47-year-old male presents to an obesity medicine specialist for weight management and is referred to a registered dietitian for guidance with his diet. His BMI is 34.4 kg/m2 (247 lbs, 5′ 11″), and he suffers from depression, anxiety, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and GERD. The patient maintained a healthy weight throughout most of his early adult life. He played college tennis and exercised regularly as a young professional but has become more sedentary as his work hours have become more demanding and stressful. The patient is accompanied by his wife who is concerned about his increasing weight and health issues. His medicines are atorvastatin 40 mg for hypercholesterolemia, Prozac 20 mg for depression, lisinopril 20 mg for hypertension, Ambien 10 mg for insomnia, and Prilosec 20 mg for GERD. The patient states his refusal to add an additional medication for weight loss and has no history of dietary modifications for weight control. His labs are normal, and his waist circumference is 48 inches.
The utility of self-rated health in older adults with schizophrenia.

Objectives: Self-rated health is one of the most widely used measures in gerontology, but it has not been evaluated systematically in older adults with schizophrenia (OAS). Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the utility of self-rated health in OAS by examining its influencing factors and contrasting these findings with a community comparison (CC) group. Method: We compared 249 community-dwelling persons aged 55 years and older having a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, diagnosis of schizophrenia arising before age 45 years with a demographically similar group of 113 older adults in the general community. Using a modified version of Ocampo’s model of self-rated health, we identified 12 predictor variables within 5 dimensions. Results: There were no significant differences in self-health ratings between the OAS and the CC groups. Six of the 12 variables in the model significantly correlated with self-rated health in both groups. In linear regression analysis, three variables were significantly associated with self-rated health in both groups: Center for Epidemiological Studies−Depression score, number of physical disorders, and perception of self-health versus others. Self-rated health assessment was not associated with positive or negative symptoms or lack of awareness of mental illness. Conclusion: There was a striking similarity in the factors influencing self-rated health in the two groups. The findings were consistent with results of previous gerontological studies that self-rated health reflects elements of psychiatric and physical well-being, as well as perceptions of their age peers. Our results support the use of self-rated health as a legitimate clinical and research measure in OAS.
Bringing Fear to the Perpetrators: Humanitarian Cyber Operations as Evidence Gathering and Deterrence

Humanitarian cyber operations would allow democratic states to utilise cyber operations as a humanitarian intervention to capture information and create a foundation for decision making for collect...
Modified tapioca starch for iron nanoparticle dispersion in aqueous media: potential uses for environmental remediation

Synthesis of cost-effective surface-modified nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) for use in environmental remediation is a challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis of modified tapioca starch-coated NZVI (CNZVI) particles and their application for effective aqueous nitrate remediation. We used 2-octen-1-ylsuccinic anhydride (OSA) to modify the native starch and, thus introduced carboxyl and ester groups for effective binding of the starch to the NZVI surface. Coating NZVI (3 g L−1) with 35% OSA-modified tapioca starch (10 g L−1) significantly improved colloidal stability of CNZVI in deionized (DI) water compared to bare (unmodified) NZVI (p = 0.000). Approximately 66% of CNZVI remained suspended till 2 h as compared to 4% of bare NZVI. Nitrate removal studies (20, 40, and 60 mg $${\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ –N L−1 and 1 g L−1 of nanoparticles) showed CNZVI removed nitrate effectively (54–71% removal). The nitrate removal by CNZVI followed second-order reactions with surface normalized reaction rate constants ranging from 0.003 to 0.007 L m−2 h−1. Shelf life of the coated nanoparticles was found to be 3 months. High biochemical oxygen demand was expressed during respirometric biodegradation studies indicating ease of biodegradation of the CNZVI particles. Coating NZVI particles with OSA-modified tapioca starch is expected to have widespread scientific and industrial application potentials for ex situ as well as in situ contaminant remediation. The authors opine that the use of tapioca starch as the raw material for coated nanoparticle synthesis will be a value addition for the crop, and thus, nanotechnology will contribute to agricultural economy.
Targeting the TLR signalosome with TIR domain-derived cell-permeable decoy peptides: the current state and perspectives.

The ability to engineer pharmaceuticals that target the signal-dependent interactions of signaling proteins should revolutionize drug development. One approach to the rational design of protein int...
The Role of Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor in Murine Models of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease that predominantly impacts the central nervous system (CNS). Animal models have been used to elucidate the underpinnings of MS pathology. One of the most well-studied models of MS is experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This model was utilized to demonstrate that the cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plays a critical and non-redundant role in mediating EAE pathology, making it an ideal therapeutic target. In this review, we will first explore the role that GM-CSF plays in maintaining homeostasis. This is important to consider, because any therapeutics that target GM-CSF could potentially alter these regulatory processes. We will then focus on current findings related to the function of GM-CSF signaling in EAE pathology, including the cell types that produce and respond to GM-CSF and the role of GM-CSF in both acute and chronic EAE. We will then assess the role of GM-CSF in alternative models of MS and comment on how this informs the understanding of GM-CSF signaling in the various aspects of MS immunopathology. Finally, we will examine what is currently known about GM-CSF signaling in MS, and how this has promoted clinical trials that directly target GM-CSF.
Expanding the substrate selectivity of SNAP/CLIP-tagging of intracellular targets

SNAP-tag belongs to a class of genetic tools of protein labeling that complements fluorescent proteins. This single-turnover enzyme is a mutant of human DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (hAGT). It accepts, in most cases, label-carrying O6-benzylguanines or benzyl-2-chloro-6-aminopyrimidines as suitable substrates. In this article, strategies and methods to expand the scope of the labels for intracellular proteins of live cells via the actions of SNAP-tag are presented. CLIP-tag is another mutant of the hAGT that was engineered to have mutually exclusive substrate specificity from SNAP-tag. The use of complementary bioorthogonal chemical reactions in conjunction with orthogonal enzymatic SNAP/CLIP-tags for the purpose of dual-color intracellular labeling is also described.
Comparison of medical comorbidities in Medicare patients treated by orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons throughout the USA.

Aims Medical comorbidities are a critical factor in the decision-making process for operative management and risk-stratification. The Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) risk adjustment model i...
Vapor Chamber with Wickless Condenser - Thermal Diode

The term "vapor chamber" has been used to describe a device that spreads heat, as opposed to the term "thermal diode" that has been assigned to a device technically designed to prevent heat flow along a specific direction. In this study, a vapor chamber with a wickless, wettability-patterned condenser is fabricated and tested. The device takes advantage of the phase-changing properties of water, inside a closed loop comprised of a classical wick evaporator opposing a wickless wettability-patterned condenser. The wettability pattern facilitates spatially-controlled dropwise and filmwise condensation, and provides an efficient way to transport the condensate with specially-designed wedge tracks using capillary forces. The vapor chamber can also act as a thermal diode if the wickless condenser has a higher temperature than the wick, thus blocking heat flow in the opposite direction. When the device is performing as a vapor chamber (VC), the working medium evaporates from the hot superhydrophilic copper wick and condenses on the cold wickless condenser. The condensed water returns to the hot side of the device from strategically-placed superhydrophilic wells on the condenser, where condensate droplets accumulate, grow and ultimately bridge between the evaporator and the condenser. However, when the device is performing as a thermal diode (reverse mounted), evaporation must be initiated on the wickless plate and condensation occurs on the opposing wick of the condenser. In this way, the fluid circulation in the device is choked and heat transfer is impeded. The device diodicity is tunable by changing the wettability pattern and can be adjusted as needed for different thermal applications. When the device operates as a VC, heat is effortlessly pumped out of the heat source; at the same time, the device blocks the undesirable heat backflow while working as a thermal diode. The present VC thermal diode apparatus could prove beneficial in a wide spectrum of thermal-management applications, such as aerospace, spacecraft, building materials, protection of electronics, packaging, refrigeration, thermal regulation during energy harvesting, thermal isolation, etc.
Knowledge Management and Enterprise Social Networking: Content Versus Collaboration

Historically, most enterprise knowledge management efforts have been content-based; however, recently firms have begun to focus their knowledge management efforts into collaboration. As a result, enterprises are changing their knowledge management strategy, focusing on collaboration, using enterprise social networking (ESN). This bifurcation has brought attention to user’s potential supply and demand of knowledge for tasks and decision making: Which do they use, content, collaboration or both? This paper investigates three potential theories to analyze that choice. In addition, the bifurcation suggests development of approaches to facilitate the integration of content and collaboration. Further, this paper investigates the role of personal knowledge management in collaboration and content generation. A case study is presented to illustrate some of the concepts generated in this paper. Finally, this paper proposes a number of potential research issues resulting from this investigation.
Effects of Assisted Housing on Children’s Healthy Development

The high proportion of income that poor families spend on housing can have deleterious consequences for a child’s healthy development. This article asks whether the increased affordability provided...
Predictive factors of osteoradionecrosis necessitating segmental mandibulectomy-A descriptive study.

Objective The objective of this study was to assess characteristics of patients with mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of severity necessitating segmental mandibulectomy and osteocutaneous free flap reconstruction. Study Design This study is a retrospective review of patients who underwent free flap reconstruction of the mandible at the UCLA Medical Center between January 2016 and February 2020 secondary to ORN. Results Twenty-nine charts with detailed dental and medical records were identified. Hypertension was reported in 14 of 29 patients, diabetes in 2 of 29, osteoporosis in 2 of 29, antiresorptive use in 3 of 29, tobacco use in 15 of 29, and alcohol use in 19 of 29. Twenty-three patients initially had stage III-IV cancer. The median radiation dose was 68 Gy and median time to ORN was 5.2 years. Chemotherapy was given in 21 patients and 4 had previous mandibular surgery. Twelve of 29 patients had surgical procedures identified as the causative factor and 17 of 29 occurred spontaneously. Median decayed, missing, and filled teeth score was 17 and 17 of 29 patients had grade II-IV periodontitis. Periodontitis was present in 8 of 17 of spontaneous and 1 of 12 of surgery cases. Twenty-five of 29 cases occurred in the same oral sextant as the tumor. Conclusion Severe ORN occurred at doses >60 Gy in most cases. Location of the primary tumor was predictive of site of ORN and only molars were involved when precipitated by tooth extraction. Risk of ORN persists indefinitely.
Grief and bereavement: what psychiatrists need to know

This review covers four areas of clinical importance to practicing psychiatrists: a) symptoms and course of uncomplicated (normal) grief; b) differential diagnosis, clinical characteristics and treatment of complicated grief; c) differential diagnosis, clinical characteristics and treatment of grief-related major depression; and d) psychiatrists’ reactions to patient suicides. Psychiatrists often are ill prepared to identify complicated grief and grief-related major depression, and may not always be trained to identify or provide the most appropriate course of treatment. Both conditions overlap with symptoms found in ordinary, uncomplicated grief, and often are written off as “normal” with the faulty assumption that time, strength of character and the natural support system will heal. While uncomplicated grief may be extremely painful, disruptive and consuming, it is usually tolerable and self-limited and does not require formal treatment. However, both complicated grief and grief-related major depression can be persistent and gravely disabling, can dramatically interfere with function and quality of life, and may even be life threatening in the absence of treatment; and both usually respond to targeted psychiatric interventions. In addition, patient suicide has been reported as one of the most frequent and stressful crises experienced by health providers, and psychiatrists are not immune to complicated grief or grief-related depression when they, themselves, become survivors. Thus, it is essential for psychiatrists to recognize their own vulnerabilities to the personal assaults that often accompany such losses, not only for their own mental health and well-being, but also to provide the most sensitive and enlightened care to their patients.
Facial Emotion Processing in Left Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (S43.009)

Objective: To determine the cortical correlates (fMRI) of emotion processing (happy, sad, fearful, neutral) in patients with well-characterized left temporal lobe epilepsy (LTLE) and the effect of seizure control on emotion processing. Background: TLE negatively affects the ability to recognize emotions. The specific underpinnings of such deficits are not well understood. The effect of seizure control on the cortical correlates of emotion processing has not been examined to date. Design/Methods: 30 healthy controls (HCs) and 34 patients with LTLE underwent fMRI with an event-related faces task. 17 patients were controlled (no seizure in at least 3 months; LTLE-sz) and 17 patients continued to experience frequent seizures (LTLE+sz). Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were our measures of mood states. FMRI processing was performed using AFNI and generalized linear model with incorrectly recognized emotions censored out. Two-sample t-tests were performed for each behavioral assessment score using SAS. Results: There were no differences in demographic characteristics and measures of mood between HCs and LTLE patients. FMRI showed decreased involvement of hippocampus/parahippocampus and cerebellum in processing of happy and increased occipital activation to fearful faces in patients with LTLE. Comparison of LTLE+sz and LTLE-sz groups showed worse BDI and POMS scores in LTLE+sz (all p<0.05) except for POMS tension/anxiety (p=0.067). FMRI analysis revealed increased signal in LTLE+sz patients in the left precuneus and left parahippocampus for “fearful” and in the left periarcheocortex for “neutral” faces. There was a correlation between the fMRI signal and POMS Total Mood Disturbance in the left precuneus in LTLE-sz (r=-0.56, p=0.019) and LTLE+sz (r=-0.57, p=0.018). Conclusions: Overall, LTLE has relatively minor effect on cortical underpinnings of facial emotion processing. The effect of seizure state (controlled vs. not controlled) is more pronounced indicating a significant relationship between seizure control and emotion processing. Disclosure: Dr. Allendorfer has received research support from the Shor Foundation for Epilepsy Research. Dr. Heyse has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mendoza has nothing to disclose. Dr. Szaflarski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cohen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Szaflarski has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharma. Dr. Szaflarski has received research support from the National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Neurology, the Shor Foundation for Epilepsy Research, Neuren, and Eisai Inc.
Exposure to community violence in adolescence: trauma symptoms

This research explored the relationship between exposure to violence and psychological stress among adolescents. It focused on the cumulative experience of recurring community violence during the high school years, differentiated victimization from witnessing violence, and examined four conceptually separate psychological symptoms of trauma (anger, anxiety, depression, and dissociation). Considerable exposure to recurring community violence, but also considerable variation in the amount of exposure, was found in the sample of 455 first-year students at an urban college. Exposure to recurring community violence was moderately correlated with the manifestation of psychological trauma symptoms. Further, being victimized and witnessing violence had independent (as well as overlapping) relationships with trauma symptoms. It was concluded that attempts to account for psychological stress among adolescents must include exposure to community violence.
Chapter 11 Mass balance

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the work to develop simple general methods for performing a mass balance/metabolite identification (MB/MI) study on any new drug using stable isotope labeling (SIL) and detection as an alternative to radioactive labeling and detection. Two SIL techniques that show promise of achieving this objective of a simple general MB/MI methodology include (1) continuous flow-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-IRMS), and (2) high-performance liquid chromatography combined with chemical reaction interface mass spectrometry (HPLC-CRIMS). The CF-IRMS method eliminates the problem of special facilities for radioactive specimen storage and disposal, radioactive drug synthesis, special human review procedures, and sponsor liability for exposure of subjects and research personnel to radioactivity. This should speed up the performance of MB/MI studies and make MB/MI data available earlier in drug development. The cost for an MB/MI study done with CF-IRMS methods should be comparable to, or lower than, the cost for an MB/MI study done with radioactive methods. The use of HPLC-CRIMS depends on several assumptions: (1) reliable and proven equipment is available, (2) the HPLC solvents must carry all of the drug products in a sample, (3) the drug product is completely broken down by the microwave-induced plasma, and (4) all of the atoms being monitored react with the reactant gas and are transported to the mass spectrometer (MS).
Evolutionary, Comparative and Functional Analyses of the Brassinosteroid Receptor Gene, BRI1, in Wheat and Its Relation to Other Plant Genomes

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant hormones, fundamental for the growth and development of plants. A trans-membrane protein receptor kinase, Brassinosteroid-Insensitive 1 (BRI1), is known to interact with BRs and be directly involved in plant development. This study investigates the structural organization of BRI1 orthologs in several taxa, with a specific interest in Triticum aestivum. True orthologs of Arabidopsis thaliana BRI1 (AtBRI1) from seven-plant species showed sequence identity ranging from 54% to 95% at the protein level. All gene sequences lacked introns, leading to speculation that post-transcriptional processing in TaBRI1 is similar to AtBRI1. Based on in silico analysis, a single copy of BRI1 was present in each of the three wheat genomes on the long arm of chromosome 3. Domain structure of BRI1 orthologs among different taxa showed multiple leucine rich repeats (LRRs), an island domain (ID), a juxtamembrane/transmembrane domain (JTMD), a catalytic kinase domain (KD), C and N-Terminal domains. The KD showed the highest level of conservation while the LRRs and JTMD were most variable. Phosphorylation of residues in the juxtamembrane domain, known to be involved in the activation of the KD, is conserved in TaBRI1. While TaBRI1 has well-defined differences in the ID and LRR domains, many residues involved in ligand binding are conserved. The activation loop present in the KD showed 100% conservation in all taxa. Despite residue differences, hydrophobicity was conserved in the BR binding pocket across taxa, suggesting that function may not differ as drastically as residue identity may suggest. Predicted 3D structure of AtBRI1 and TaBRI1 showed a conserved super helical assembly, a feature essential in protein-protein interactions. An unrooted phylogram showed TaBRI1 in the monocot clade to be distinct from that of dicots. New insight in the structure and functions of BRI1 may help in targeting BR pathway for crop improvement.
p,p′‐Dinitrobibenzyl

p,p′-Dinitrobibenzyl reactant: 100 g. (0.73 mole) of p-nitrotoluene product: p,p′-dinitrobibenzyl Keywords: oxidation, miscellaneous; potassium hydroxide, 30% methanolic
Bilaterally symmetrical respiratory activity during lateralized birdsong.

We investigated whether activity of expiratory muscles reflects lateralized activity of the vocal organ during production of birdsong. Respiration and syringeal motor activity were assessed in brown thrashers by monitoring bilateral airflow and subsyringeal air sac pressure, together with the electromyographic activity of expiratory abdominal muscles and vocal output. Activity of expiratory muscles was always present on both sides, regardless of whether song was produced bilaterally or on only one side of the syrinx. The average amplitude of expiratory EMG of one side does not change significantly, even if that side is silent during phonation. The temporal pattern of the electromyogram (EMG) was similar on both sides. Bilateral bursts of EMG activity on both sides accompanied changes in the rate of syringeal airflow, even when these flow fluctuations were generated only by one side of the syrinx. Motor commands to the respiratory muscles therefore appear to be bilaterally distributed, in contrast to the lateralized motor control of the syrinx.
Placental transfer of an organic radiopaquemedium resulting in a prolonged elevation of the protein-bound iodine

Summary The placental transfer of the cholecystographicagent Teridax is demonstrated by the finding of very high and sustained levels of serum PBI in the offspring of mothers who had received this dye. Two cases are reported in which both mother and child had greatly elevated PBI and total iodine levels several years after the administration of this iodinated compound. A comparative review of other contrast media is briefly presented.
Electrokinetics of Nanochannels: The Next Nanotechnology for Ion/Molecule/Nanocolloid Sensing, Concentration and Filtration

Because nanochannels act as lenses that can focus electric fields on a chip, they can concentrate and filter ions, molecules and nanocolloids by ion selectivity, electrodeless dielectrophoresis and surface hybridization. However, before fabricated nanochannels can lead to the next-generation of chip-scale dialysis membranes, preconcentrators for mass spectrometers, ion sieves, molecular sensors, solar/fuel cell membranes etc, the anomalous dc I-V characteristics and ac impedance of such nanochannels must be understood. Curious phenomena such as limiting and over-limiting currents, rectification, hysteretic cyclic voltametry, Warburg impedance, channel cross-talk etc will be studied with fabricated nanochannels, confocal microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and analyzed mathematically with fundamental Nernst-Planck ion transport theories, Guoy-Chapman equilibrium electrolyte theories and new non-equilibrium extended polarization theories.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
High Hydrostatic Pressure Effects on Rapid Thawing of Frozen Beef

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) during thawing of frozen beef was investigated by measuring temperature changes in frozen beef and the pressurization fluid. Frozen ground beef sample variables were pressure levels (140, 210, 280, and 350 MPa), times (5, 15, and 30 min), sample diameters (55, 65, and 80 mm), and initial temperatures (-7, -11, -18 and -22°C). Properties of cooked pattles were compared between beef thawed using HHP and using conventional thawing (atmospheric pressure at 3°C). Pressures of 210 to 280 MPa provided a critical processing range that effectively thawed the beef. Sample size and initial temperature did not affect thawing rate. The lowest temperature at which the beef was efficiently thawed was -24 ∓2°C. HHP treated beef thawed much faster than controls. HHP thawing resulted in similar color and texture to controls.
Catalytic properties of nickel bis(phosphinite) pincer complexes in the reduction of CO2 to methanol derivatives

Abstract A new nickel bis(phosphinite) pincer complex [2,6-(R 2 PO) 2 C 6 H 3 ]NiCl (L R NiCl, R = cyclopentyl) has been prepared in one pot from resorcinol, ClP(C 5 H 9 ) 2 , NiCl 2 , and 4-dimethylaminopyridine. The reaction of this pincer compound with LiAlH 4 produces a nickel hydride complex, which is capable of reducing CO 2 rapidly at room temperature to give a nickel formate complex. X-ray structures of two related nickel formate complexes L R NiOCHO (R = cyclopentyl and isopropyl) have shown an “in plane” conformation of the formato group with respect to the coordination plane. The stoichiometric reaction of nickel formate complexes L R NiOCHO (R = cyclopentyl, isopropyl, and tert -butyl) with catecholborane has suggested that the reaction is favored by a bulky R group. L R NiOCHO (R = tert -butyl) does not react with PhSiH 3 at room temperature; however, it reacts with 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane and pinacolborane to generate a methanol derivative and a boryl formate species, respectively. The catalytic reduction of CO 2 with catecholborane is more effectively catalyzed by a more sterically hindered nickel pincer hydride complex with bulky R groups on the phosphorus donor atoms. The nickel pincer hydride complexes are inactive catalysts for the hydrosilylation of CO 2 with PhSiH 3 .
Robotic-assisted Heller myotomy: a modern technique and review of outcomes

Achalasia is a debilitating esophageal motility disorder characterized by incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and lack of peristalsis. Manometry is the gold standard for diagnosis and laparoscopic Heller myotomy has been the gold standard for definitive therapy. However, current advances in surgical technology have introduced the robotic platform as a viable approach for this procedure. The safety and efficacy has been clearly established with comparable operative times to laparoscopy in experienced hands. Importantly, the rate of resolution of dysphagia postoperatively is over 80% which is comparable to laparoscopic outcomes. Moreover, some literature suggests lower esophageal perforation rates utilizing the robotic platform. Nevertheless, costs remain one of the largest barriers to widespread use of the robotic platform and future studies should aim to identify strategies in cost reduction.
Programmable ion-sensitive transistor interfaces. III. Design considerations, signal generation, and sensitivity enhancement

We report on factors that affect DNA hybridization detection using ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs). Signal generation at the interface between the transistor and immobilized biomolecules is widely ascribed to unscreened molecular charges causing a shift in surface potential and hence the transistor output current. Traditionally, the interaction between DNA and the dielectric or metal sensing interface is modeled by treating the molecular layer as a sheet charge and the ionic profile with a Poisson-Boltzmann distribution. The surface potential under this scenario is described by the Graham equation. This approximation, however, often fails to explain large hybridization signals on the order of tens of mV. More realistic descriptions of the DNA-transistor interface which include factors such as ion permeation, exclusion, and packing constraints have been proposed with little or no corroboration against experimental findings. In this study, we examine such physical models by their assumptions, range of validity, and limitations. We compare simulations against experiments performed on electrolyte-oxide-semiconductor capacitors and foundry-ready floating-gate ISFETs. We find that with weakly charged interfaces (i.e., low intrinsic interface charge), pertinent to the surfaces used in this study, the best agreement between theory and experiment exists when ions are completely excluded from the DNA layer. The influence of various factors such as bulk pH, background salinity, chemical reactivity of surface groups, target molecule concentration, and surface coatings on signal generation is studied. Furthermore, in order to overcome Debye screening limited detection, we suggest two signal enhancement strategies. We first describe frequency domain biosensing, highlighting the ability to sort short DNA strands based on molecular length, and then describe DNA biosensing in multielectrolytes comprising trace amounts of higher-valency salt in a background of monovalent saline. Our study provides guidelines for optimized interface design, signal enhancement, and the interpretation of FET-based biosensor signals.
Asparaginyl-transfer RNA: A substrate for l-asparaginase

Abstract The enzyme l -asparaginase (E.C. 3.5.1.1) could convert asparaginyl-tRNAAsn to aspartyl-tRNAAsn, although at a rate slower by a factor of 2.5 · 107 than the analogous conversion of l -asparagine to aspartate. The action of l -asparaginase on macromolecular asparagine derivatives might explain, in part, the inhibition of growth of asparaginase-resistant neoplastic cell lines by high levels of the enzyme.
Shear elastic modulus of graphite

The shear elastic modulus C44 of graphite has been determined by Brillouin scattering from surface waves. The author's value agrees with that obtained from neutron scattering experiments but differs from those determined by ultrasonic technique.
A COMPARISON OF AXONAL AND SOMATODENDRITIC DOPAMINE RELEASE USING IN VIVO DIALYSIS

Abstract: The release of endogenous dopamine from the axon terminal field in the nucleus accumbens and from the A10 dopamine cell bodies of conscious rats was measured using intracranial dialysis. Release of dopamine from both areas was calcium-dependent and markedly inhibited by the presence of the D2 agonist, quinpirole, in the dialysis buffer. However, the addition of tetrodotoxin to the buffer produced less of a decrease in dopamine in the A10 region than in the nucleus accumbens. When dopamine release was examined by substituting K+ for Na+ or by adding amphetamine to the buffer, the evoked release was significantly less in the A10 region than in the nucleus accumbens. Likewise, enhanced extracellular dopamine following blockade of reuptake by nomifensine addition to the dialysis buffer was not as great in the A10 region as in the nucleus accumbens. These data argue that, in general, axonal and somatodendritic dopamine release are regulated by similar factors, although somatodendritic release is less influenced by action potential generation and less responsive to some releasing agents.