cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The hypoplastic left heart syndrome with intact atrial septum: atrial morphology, pulmonary vascular histopathology and outcome.

Abstract OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome in infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and intact atrial septum and to evaluate the relationship of atrial morphology, left atrial decompression pathway and lung histopathology to outcome. BACKGROUND In the hypoplastic left heart syndrome, severe restriction at the atrial level results in marked systemic hypoxemia after birth. Infants with intact atrial septum may be at high risk for mortality after Norwood operation. METHODS Of 316 infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome seen at our center over a 6.5-year period, 18 (5.7%) had intact atrial septum. Medical records and echocardiograms were reviewed. RESULTS On echocardiography, three types of intact atrial septal morphology were identified: 1) large left atrium, thick prominent septum 2° with thin septum 1° adherent (type A, n = 12); 2) small left atrium with thick, muscular atrial septum (type B, n = 4), and 3) giant left atrium, thin atrial septum with severe mitral regurgitation (type C, n = 2). Seven infants had left atrial decompression pathways that were severely obstructed (3/12 type A, 4/4 type B). Norwood operation was performed in 17 infants; one underwent emergency balloon atrial septostomy and died. Of six early survivors, all with type A atrial morphology and unobstructed decompression pathway; three died after subsequent cavopulmonary surgery. Lung histopathology revealed severely dilated lymphatics and “arterialization” of the pulmonary veins in those with the severest degree of obstruction to left atrial egress (type B atrial morphology). CONCLUSIONS Despite aggressive intervention, outcome for infants born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and intact atrial septum is poor. Maldevelopment of the pulmonary vasculature contributes to the high mortality seen. Atrial morphology can be used as a marker for the severity of pulmonary vascular disease.
Influencing Climate Change Policy The Effect of Shareholder Pressure and Firm Environmental Performance

Firms face a great deal of pressure to engage in the heightened debate about climate change policies and practices. Building on the corporate political strategy literature, the authors evaluate how...
Little evidence of bone marrow-derived hepatocytes in the replacement of injured liver.

We have tested the ability of bone marrow (BM) cells (BMCs) to form hepatocytes in liver injury models. We used three models: (i) carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) treatment, (ii) albumin-urokinase transgenic mouse [TgN(Alb1Plau)], and (iii) hepatitis B transgenic mouse [TgN(Alb1HBV)]. As a nonselective liver injury model, irradiated C57BL/6 (B6) mice were transplanted with BMCs from GFP transgenic mouse [TgN(ActbEGFP)] or β-galactosidase transgenic mouse [TgN(MtnLacZ)] followed by the administration of CCl4. Irradiated TgN(Alb1HBV) and TgN(Alb1Plau) were also transplanted with BMCs from TgN(ActbEGFP) or TgN(MtnLacZ). Approximately 1.5 × 106 hepatocytes per liver were analyzed for GFP-positive cells, and the whole livers were inspected for β-galactosidase expression. No GFP-positive hepatocytes and no gross blue staining of the livers with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl β-d-galactoside in any of the 18 recipient mice analyzed were detected. The livers from female animals with gender-mismatched BM transplantation were also tested with Y chromosome fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis to detect donor-derived cells. A total of five isolated hepatocytes were positive for Y chromosome in 4.1 × 105 hepatocytes analyzed. Our results demonstrate that there is little or no contribution of BMCs to the replacement of injured livers in these models. We conclude that BM-derived cells cannot generally lead to a cure of liver damage.
The mechanism of antigen receptor gene assembly

Division of Biology California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91125 f Laboratory of Molecular Biology National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland 20892 Much of the variety in binding specificities of the immune system is generated when subgenic DNA elements are assembled into antigen receptor genes during T and B cell differentiation. This process has attracted interest both because of its important role in the differentiation of the immune system and because it is the only site-specific recombination system known to operate in vertebrates. The natural substrates for immunoglobulin and T cell receptor gene rearrangement are complex loci (seven have been described in mice) composed of multiple cop- ies of V, D in some cases, and J segments. A complete an- tigen receptor gene is created by fusion of one V to one J, or one V to one D to one J. The basic operation (which we call V-J joining whether it involves joining V to J, V to D, or D to J), is represented in the left column of the figure. Two coding segments (shown as boxes) are detached from their joining signal sequences (shown as triangles) and then attached to one another to form a contiguous coding sequence. The junction is called a coding joint. A recipro- cal fusion of the signal sequences leads to a signal joint. (General principles are reviewed in Tonegawa, 1983.) The details of this process can be probed using recom- bination substrates that are constructed to contain a de- fined pair (or pairs) of gene segments. These substrates are designed either to become integrated into the genome of the recipient cells or to remain extrachromosomal. In ei- ther case, when introduced into recombinationally active cell lines, the gene segments are targeted by the recombi- nation machinery and become rearranged in the same fashion as their endogenous counterparts. The ease of experimentation afforded by this methodology has led to a rapid increase in available information about V-J recom- bination. Here we will review some of the key features of the process and present a current model of how it may work. One clearcut result is that the joining signals alone are the necessary and sufficient targets for recombination. Joining signals are simple DNA sequence motifs consist- ing of conserved heptamer and nonamer sequences separated by a nonconserved spacer of 12 or 23 bp. With- out joining signals, no recombination occurs. On the other hand, if V, D, or J coding elements are replaced by other DNA, the new sequences abutting the joining signals are still recombined site specifically (Lewis et al., 1985; Akira et al., 1987; Hesse et al., 1987). Thus, of the four elements
Neuropilin-1 Identifies Endothelial Precursors in Human and Murine Embryonic Stem Cells Before CD34 Expression

Background— In murine embryonic stem cells, the onset of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) expression identifies endothelial precursors. Undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells express VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-2 expression persists on differentiation. The objective of our study was to identify a single population of endothelial precursors with common identifying features from both human and murine embryonic stem cells. Methods and Results— We report that expression of the VEGF coreceptor neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) coincides with expression of Brachyury and VEGFR-2 and identifies endothelial precursors in murine and human embryonic stem cells before CD31 or CD34 expression. When sorted and differentiated, VEGFR-2+NRP-1+ cells form endothelial-like colonies that express CD31 and CD34 7-fold more efficiently than NRP-1 cells. Finally, antagonism of both the VEGF and Semaphorin binding functions of NRP-1 impairs the differentiation of vascular precursors to endothelial cells. Conclusions— The on...
Flexible supply contracts under price uncertainty

Abstract This article develops supply contracts covering environments with changing prices. We investigate characterization properties of the price processes, while considering costs and discount factors. We determine expressions of the contract’s expected low price and its second moment for a given horizon. We then employ these expected price and second moment values to identify an expected optimum time before the contract expires at which the lowest price occurs. Simulation experiments verify our analysis, and they illustrate how the optimum purchase time decreases as the drift term increases.
Evaluation of the Molecular Configuration Integral in All Degrees of Freedom for the Direct Calculation of Conformational Free Energies: Prediction of the Anomeric Free Energy of Monosaccharides

A novel theoretical approach is presented for the direct calculation of conformational free energies without the need for expensive free energy simulations and the use of computational alchemy. It is shown that conformational search combined with advanced Monte Carlo integration can tackle the daunting problem of solving the molecular configuration integral in all degrees of freedom, affording a direct method to calculate accurate conformational free energies. The new algorithm termed mode integration (MINTA) was applied here to explain anharmonic effects in cycloheptane and to predict the A value of cyclohexane derivatives and the anomeric free energy of carbohydrates (tetrahydropyran derivatives and pyranose monosaccharides) using a continuum solvation model.
Resonances in the Photo-ionization Continuum of Ar i (20-150 eV)

The absorption spectrum of neon in the region 20-150 eV has been studied photographically and photoelectrically, using synchrotron light as a background source. Discrete structure has been observed in three distinct energy ranges. The first is between the $^{2}{P}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}_{\frac{1}{2}, \frac{3}{2}}$ limits near 22 eV, involving resonances analogous to those observed by Beutler in Ar, Kr, and Xe; the second is the region between 44 and 60 eV, the structure here being classified as due to two types of excitation: (i) the excitation of a subshell $2s$ electron, (ii) the simultaneous excitation of two outer $2p$ electrons; the third region is near 80 eV, where two weak resonances are observed, due to the simultaneous excitation of a subshell $2s$ and a $2p$ electron. The resonance profiles of the states $2s2{p}^{6}\mathrm{np}^{1}{P}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}_{1}$, where $n=3,4, \mathrm{and} 5$, and the two-electron excitation state $2{p}^{4}(^{3}P)3s3p^{1}{P}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}_{1}$ have been studied quantitatively and values of $q$, $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$, and $\ensuremath{\rho}$ determined for each.
Synthesis of some simple actinomycin analogs

The synthesis of some simple actinomycin analogs, using 3-nitrosalicylic acid as a starting material, is reported.
The stoichiometric hydrogenation of 1,1-diphenylethylene with hydridocobalt tetracarbonyl; differences from the hydroformylation reaction☆

Abstract The kinetics of the stoichiometric hydrogenation of 1,1-diphenylethylene with HCo(CO)4 is cleanly second order, permitting a determination of the activation parameters. The rate is unaffected by the atmosphere over the reaction and is enhanced by substituting DCo(CO)4 for HCo(CO)4. These results contrast sharply with those secured in the hydroformylation of 1-alkenes and thus dual mechanistic pathways are available for the reaction of HCo(CO)4 with unsaturated systems. It is very possible that the stoichiometric hydrogenation of 1,1-diphenylethylene involves a geminate free radical pair but definitive proof is still lacking.
Researching the enacted mathematics curriculum: learning from various perspectives on enactment

This issue of ZDM focuses on research related to the enacted curriculum from various perspectives within the context of the US educational system. In this editorial, we describe the broad view of curriculum enactment taken in this issue, highlighting that we mean more than just how instruction plays out within a classroom. For instance, enactment can occur at a national level as educational goals are enacted into a set of national objectives or standards. Enactment can occur as goals or standards are embedded into written curriculum materials or textbooks, both in terms of teacher guides and materials for students. Enactment can occur as teachers make decisions about how to use their written curriculum materials. Finally, enactment can occur as teachers and students engage and interact with written materials during classroom instruction. We elaborate briefly on these views and then outline the structure of this ZDM issue.
Structural Characterization of Several (CO)3(dppp)MnX Derivatives, dppp = 1,3-Bis(diphenylphosphino)propane and X = H, OTs, OC2H5, Cl, Br, or N3. An Assessment of Their Efficacy for Catalyzing the Coupling of Carbon Dioxide and Epoxides

The X-ray structures of a series of (CO)3(dppp)MnX complexes, X = H, OTs, OEt, Cl, Br, and N3, and dppp = 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane, prepared by literature methods are reported. Several of ...
SEIBERG–WITTEN INVARIANTS OF RATIONAL HOMOLOGY 3-SPHERES

We prove that the Seiberg–Witten invariants of a rational homology sphere are determined by the Casson–Walker invariant and the Reidemeister–Turaev torsion.
NON-MAXWELLIAN Hα PROFILES IN TYCHO’S SUPERNOVA REMNANT

The broad components of the Hα lines in most non-radiative shocks can be fit with single-Gaussian components. We have obtained a high-quality spectrum of a position in Tycho's supernova remnant with the MMT and Blue Channel Spectrograph which shows, for the first time, that a single Gaussian does not provide an acceptable fit. This implies that a single temperature Maxwellian particle velocity distribution cannot produce the emission. Possible alternative explanations are explored, including multiple shocks along the line of sight, a pickup ion contribution, a non-thermal tail (Kappa distribution), emission from a precursor in a cosmic ray modified shock, or turbulence. An Hubble Space Telescope image shows a bright knot that might account for a low temperature contribution, and all the possibilities probably contribute at some level. We discuss the implications of each explanation for the shock parameters and physics of collisionless shocks, but cannot conclusively rule out any of them.
The ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram: an evaluation of scoring methods and interrater reliability.

The interrater reliability and concurrent validity of two methods of scoring the ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram were evaluated. Impedance cardiographic and electrocardiographic signals were recorded from 40 undergraduate men and women during a baseline rest period and a vocal mental arithmetic task period. Recordings were scored by four raters using a conventional method, involving ensemble averaging after careful editing of beat-to-beat waveforms, and a streamlined method, involving ensemble averaging without beat-to-beat editing. Intraclass correlations for interrater reliability exceeded .92, whereas intraclass correlations for concurrent validity exceeded .97, indicating excellent agreement between raters and scoring methods for all cardiac measures. The streamlined method was significantly faster than the conventional method. The results indicate that variations in beat-to-beat editing do not constitute a serious source of error in the ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram and support the interrater reliability and concurrent validity of the two scoring methods.
Energy policy and boom/bust cycles: government action and instability in the development of oil shale

Recent advances in oil shale technology have coincided with sharp increases in the price of conventional petroleum, but no synthetic fuel industry emerged. When the raw material needed by the industry is publicly owned, public policy also becomes a major factor shaping the development of an oil shale industry. Oil shale policy making is caught up in broader political debates concerning the basic framework of business-government relations. Recurring cycles of optimism and pessimism over oil shale have led to a sequence of booms and busts in development activities. The author examines the factors contributing to unstable public policies as an important cause of the failure of the nonconventional petroleum industry. 25 references.
Treatment of the Metallic Impurity Problem Using Green's Functions

The calculation of the charge density or spin density at an impurity in a metal is conveniently performed using a suitably weighted density of electron states. Working in the Wannier function representation, we derive this function making use of two Green's functions, one defined for the pure metal and the other for the metal containing the impurity. The former is directly related to the usual density of states of the pure metal, the latter to the weighted density of states we require. The attractive feature of the derivation is that there is a simple relationship between the two Green's functions, as was shown by Waller for the analogous problem in lattice dynamics. The weighted density-of-states function has a continuous part coming from the band and may also have isolated parts coming from bound states which have been pulled out of the band by the perturbation. The contribution of each to a number of physical properties is discussed for the simple case of a single band of conduction electrons and a well-localized impurity potential.
Compliant mechanism synthesis for shape-change applications: preliminary results

Most aircraft wings are optimized to produce minimum drag under one particular flying speed, while the flying speed actually varies continuously throughout flight. Although conventional hinged mechanisms can change the wing shape in response to the change in flying speed, the connecting hinges create discontinuities over the wing surface, leading to earlier airflow separation. In this paper, we propose a systematic approach to synthesize compliant mechanisms that can deform an initial curve into a target shape with a smooth boundary. As opposed to the two-step synthesis that separates the interrelated topology and dimensional aspects of a compliant mechanism, we propose an optimization model using a mixed-variable formulation that addresses both aspects simultaneously. The effectiveness of the shape change is evaluated using Fourier Descriptors (FDs), which capture the pure 'shape' differences between curves. Due to the discrete nature in the design variables, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is employed to find the optimal solution. The preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of simultaneously addressing the topology and dimensional aspects. They also indicate that the reference shape used for curve description can significantly affect the optimal solutions. This suggests that a more refined objective function is necessary to improve the effectiveness of the results.
Do rights at home boost rights abroad? Sexual equality and humanitarian foreign policy

Does women’s empowerment strengthen global good citizenship? We test theories of democratic foreign policy and feminist international relations that suggest that more deeply democratic countries with greater gender equity will be stronger international human rights promoters. First, the direct empowerment of women as policymakers and civil society constituencies may shift states’ incentives and ability to pursue international human rights initiatives. Second, greater sexual equality may lead to feminist socialization of the wider society to promote human rights values. We test these predictions by measuring the relationship between five different measures of sexual equality and a country’s propensity to support 30 international human rights outcomes, including legal commitments, humanitarian assistance, and sanctions, controlling for previously established contributing factors such as level of development and democratic regime type. We find that more sexually equal countries are more likely to support int...
In-process 20-minute endotoxin "limit test" for positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals.

ABSTRACT Objectives To discuss various issues related to the in-process 20-minute endotoxin “limit test” (20-minute bacterial endotoxin test [BET]) per the United Stated Pharmacopeia (USP) general chapter , “Radiopharmaceuticals for Positron Emission Tomography—Compounding.” Data Sources The online version of 2005 USP, and other relevant articles from the published biomedical literature. Summary The minimum endotoxin level to be used for the positive controls, minimum allowable volume for administration, procedure and interpretation of the above test, and whether the 20-minute BET is required and suitable for use with any positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceutical labeled with a radionuclide having a physical half-life less than 20 minutes are discussed in this article. Neither the current USP nor other publications related to the performance of the 20-minute BET provide complete detailed information or explanation with regard to the issues discussed. Conclusion To allow end users to accurately and, more importantly, faithfully execute the above testing, specific information needs to be made readily available concerning the 20-minute BET.
Acoustic measurement of suspensions of clay and silt particles using single frequency attenuation and backscatter

Abstract The use of ultrasonic acoustic technology to measure the concentration of fine suspended sediments has the potential to greatly increase the temporal and spatial resolution of sediment measurements while reducing the need for personnel to be present at gauging stations during storm events. The conversion of high-frequency attenuation and backscatter amplitudes to suspended silt and clay concentration has received relatively little attention in the literature. In order to improve the state of knowledge, a laboratory investigation was undertaken by the National Center for Physical Acoustics in cooperation with the USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory. In these experiments, two immersion transducers were used to measure attenuation and backscatter from 20 MHz acoustic signals propagated through suspended clay (smectite and kaolinite) and silt particles. The resulting data includes attenuation values for a wide range of concentrations (0.3–14 g/L) and particle sizes (0.03–14 μm diameter). Attenuation curves for each particle were compared to the theoretical attenuation curves developed by Urick (1948) and Sheng and Hay (1988) for scattering as presented by Landers (2010) [5,11,12]. In addition, it was found that the backscatter signal could be used to discriminate between suspensions dominated by clay or silt.
Anthrolysin O and other gram-positive cytolysins are Toll-like receptor 4 agonists

Exposure of bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDMs) to low concentrations of Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT), whose catalytic subunit is lethal factor (LF), results in induction of a robust apoptotic response dependent on activation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)4. A similar TLR4-dependent apoptotic response is observed when BMDMs are infected with live B. anthracis (Sterne strain). However, TLR4 is considered to be a specific signaling receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a typical product of gram-negative bacteria, whereas B. anthracis is gram-positive. To understand how B. anthracis can activate TLR4, we analyzed its culture supernatants and found them to contain a potent TLR4-stimulating activity that can also induce apoptosis in macrophages in which the antiapoptotic p38 MAP kinase (whose activation is prevented by LF) was inhibited. Purification of this activity suggested it consists of anthrolysin O (ALO), a member of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) family. We show that recombinant ALO can activate TLR4 in a manner independent of LPS contamination and, together with LT, can induce macrophage apoptosis. We also provide genetic evidence that ALO is required for induction of macrophage apoptosis in response to infection with live B. anthracis and that other CDC family members share the ability to activate TLR4.
Do Non‐Computer Science Students Need to Program?*

Should non-CS majors learn to program? While the 1999 National Academy of Sciences report “Being Fluent with Information Technology”1 advocates teaching programming as part of the CS-0 experience, we challenge the assumptions upon which this recommendation rests. Our extensive review of the NECC and SIGCSE conference proceedings from 1979 to 1998 clearly shows a decline in the number of articles in which programming is taught in CS-0 courses. Furthermore, based upon learning theory literature, we argue that conceptual understanding of computing can be acquired without learning to program. Finally, we describe our criterion-referenced, mastery-model course that currently enrolls approximately 2000 students per semester for a computing future that is constantly changing. Interpretation of the loadings of the discriminant analysis functions provides evidence that the students are developing conceptual understanding, rather than simply acquiring discrete skills.
Practicum Experience in Educational Leadership Program: Perspectives of Supervisors, Mentors and Candidates

An important component of an educational leadership preparation program is the requirement of practicum experiences. The rationale for the practicum requirement is to expose educational leadership program candidates to real-world school leadership experiences. A successful implementation of the practicum experience involves the collaboration among three stakeholders: university professors as supervisors, school administrators as mentors and the program candidates. The stakeholders' perceptions of the quality of the practicum experience are most valuable to continuous improvement of the educational leadership program. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stakeholders' perceived effectiveness of the practicum experience in an educational leadership program in a large public university in the southeastern United States. The findings of this study identified practicum areas that met the educational demands of the program candidates while highlighting practicum areas that needed improvement.
Sex differences, assortative mating, and cultural transmission effects on adolescent delinquency: a twin family study.

The twin study literature contains inconsistencies regarding both the estimates of genetic, shared, and nonshared environmental influence on delinquency and sex differences in the etiological influences on delinquency. Additionally, little is known about assortative mating and cultural transmission effects on delinquency. The present study was aimed at examining the etiology of delinquency in adolescence and examining assortative mating and transmission effects. To this end, we applied the social homogamy structural equation model to self-reported delinquency data from 486 families with 17-year-old male and female twins. We expected stronger shared environmental influences on delinquency among girls than boys and stronger environmental than genetic effects on adolescent delinquency in general. The results indicated nonsignificant sex differences in the estimates of genetic and environmental influences on delinquency. The best-fitting model suggested that 18%, 56%, and 26% of the variance in delinquency among both boys and girls is associated with additive genetic, nonshared environmental, and shared environmental factors, respectively. This finding was consistent with our expectation that environmental factors play an important role in adolescent delinquency. Parental cultural effects accounted for a small part of the transmission of delinquency within families while assortative mating was, in part, accounted for by cultural and social background factors. Future work should focus on identifying important environmental factors related to delinquency.
Transient Convective Heat Transfer in Planar Stagnation Flows With Time-Varying Surface Heat Flux and Temperature

Impinging flows are used in a variety of applications where effective and localized heat transfer is mandated by short residence times or by space constraints, as in cooling materials moving along a conveyor or removing heat dissipated within microelectronic circuitry. A wide selection of heat transfer correlations is available for steady-state conditions. However, instantaneous heat transfer coefficients can differ significantly from steady-state values when temporal variations occur in the surface heat flux or surface temperature. Under these conditions, the temperatures of fluid layers near the surface are affected preferentially due to their proximity to the temporal variation. A theoretical model is formulated to assess the importance of a time-varying surface heat flux or temperature on convective heat transfer in a steady, planar stagnation flow. A governing equation for the transient heat transfer response is formulated analytically from the boundary layer equations for momentum and energy conservation in the fluid. Numerical solutions to the governing equation are determined for ramp and sinusoidal changes in the surface heat flux or temperature. Results indicate that the time response is chiefly governed by the velocity gradient in the free stream and to a lesser extent by the Prandtl number. Departures from steady-state Nusselt numbersmore » are larger for more rapid transients and smaller or comparable in size to the magnitude of the imposed variation at the surface.« less
Unconventional wearable energy harvesting from human horizontal foot motion

This paper presents an unconventional flat-type linear permanent magnetic generator based energy harvesting system which employs a cascaded boost-buck two-stage converter, with a maximum power control algorithm optimized for low frequency human horizontal foot motion, for Li-Ion battery charging. The dynamic model of the linear generator is built and the analytical equations for maximum power generation of non-resonant applications like human foot motion are derived. A double-sided stator linear machine with moving permanent magnet and soft magnetic spacer is designed. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is carried out on the designed geometric model to estimate the real-time voltage of energy harvester. A cascaded boost-buck converter with appropriate control is proposed to abstract maximum power from the linear generator and charge the Li-Ion battery with constant current at the same time. Under the typical human horizontal foot motion velocity of 4.5 m/s, the proposed energy harvester with the designed power conditioning circuit has power density as high as 8.5 mW/cm3.
Capturing students' attention: An empirical study

College students (N=846) enrolled in a general education course were randomly assigned to either an arousal (experimental) or no-arousal (control) group. The experimental group was exposed to a topic-relevant, 90-second external stimulus (a technique used to elevate arousal and focus attention). The control group listened to the instructor take roll. Both groups then listened to the same 30-minute lecture followed by an exam. An independent-samples t-test found a significant difference in exam scores measuring information retention between arousal (M=13.36, SD=1.5) and no-arousal (M=12.85, SD=1.4) conditions; t (844)=5.20, p < .001. Results suggest introducing a lecture with an external stimulus increases information retention.
ANDROGEN DEPRIVATION THERAPY FOR ASYMPTOMATIC ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER IN THE PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN ERA: A NATIONAL SURVEY OF UROLOGIST BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

AbstractPurpose: The use of androgen deprivation for prostate cancer without symptomatic metastases to the skeleton is controversial. However, by 1995 the use of medical androgen deprivation by injection was the thirteenth largest category of physician reimbursement by Medicare. To what degree do urologist attitudes towards androgen deprivation account for this growth?Materials and Methods: A survey was mailed to 582 United States urologists practicing at least 20 hours per week in 1995 which asked about use of androgen deprivation therapy when prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels rise after primary therapy (surgery or radiation). They were also asked whether they believed androgen deprivation provided a survival benefit for patients with asymptomatic stages C and D disease.Results: The response rate was 68%. Of the respondents 68% reported that they recommend androgen deprivation at least half of the time for men whose PSA is newly or persistently elevated following radical prostatectomy. Most (81%) ur...
Cranial nerve III palsy resulting from intracranial hypotension caused by cerebrospinal fluid leak after paraspinal tumor resection: etiology and treatment options.

Abstract Background context Intracranial hypotension typically occurs spontaneously. Acquired or secondary intracranial hypotension is less common but has been reported after spinal procedures, such as lumbar puncture. Cranial nerve (CN) III palsy is a rare sequela of intracranial hypotension. There are currently no established or standard interventions to treat intracranial hypotension. Purpose To describe a case of delayed CN III palsy resulting from intracranial hypotension because of a spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak occurring during resection of a paraspinous tumor. Study design Case report. Methods A 41-year-old woman underwent resection of a large thoracic schwannoma complicated by dural tear. Postoperatively, the patient was neurologically normal. She subsequently became acutely unresponsive and required reintubation. She awakened with intermittent headaches and was noted to have a right ptosis, which progressed to a complete right CN III palsy. Results Initial head computed tomography showed evidence of a small, right-sided subdural hematoma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement and crowding of the foramen magnum consistent with intracranial hypotension. The patient’s symptoms were treated successfully with flat bed rest. She fully recovered by time of discharge and at 6-month follow-up was neurologically normal. Conclusions Spinal surgery complicated by CSF leak is a potential cause of intracranial hypotension. Although most commonly associated with positional headaches, intracranial hypotension can cause uncommon symptoms, including acute mental status changes and CN deficits. Symptoms highly suspicious for intracranial hypotension accompanied by MRI of the brain are important for establishing a diagnosis of intracranial hypotension. Conservative treatment should be considered before attempting invasive intervention. As in the case presented, simple bed rest was a successful treatment option.
AAEE minimonograph #27: Differential diagnosis of myotonic syndromes

Recent advances in neuromuscular diseases have also widened the diagnostic spectrum of myotonic disorders. Treatment, prognosis, and genetic aspects are different in the various syndromes and mandate a correct diagnosis. The combination of neurologic examination, standard EMG, exercise test, cold exposure, potassium loading, eye examination, and pedigree analysis allows correct classification of nearly all patients with myotonic disorders. In this review emphasis is placed on clinical features and electrophysiologic evaluation.
Simultaneous over‐expressing of an acyl‐ACP thioesterase (FatB) and silencing of acyl‐acyl carrier protein desaturase by artificial microRNAs increases saturated fatty acid levels in Brassica napus seeds

Summary No temperate oilseeds crops are available that produce oil with a high saturated fatty acid content. To achieve such a profile, Brassica napus cv. DH12075 was engineered by simultaneous seed-specific over-expression of a native fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase B (BnFatB(2)) and artificial microRNA-mediated down-regulation of eight endogenous genes encoding putative stearoyl- ACP desaturases (BnSADs). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis of transformed lines showed that the BnFatB(2) gene was highly over-expressed and the eight putative SAD genes were strongly down-regulated in developing seed demonstrating the successful application of microRNA as a tool for down-regulation of genes in the allotetraploid plant B. napus. Analysis of seed triacylglycerol (TAG) composition revealed that all lines contained high levels of palmitic acid (16:0) and moderately increased levels of stearic acid (18:0). Total saturated fatty acid content was increased from 7.4% in the control to 37.3-45.6% in the transformed lines, with FatB over- expression as the dominant trait. A twofold increase in 16:0 was observed in seed polar lipids. The melting point of oil from mature seeds was increased from 10 °C in DH12075 to 15 ° Ci n the line with the highest saturated fatty acid content. TAG composition showed a shift from predominantly C54 TAG to C50 and C52 TAGs enriched in palmitic acid. Seedling establishment at low temperature was compromised in lines with high saturated fatty acid content. Results suggested that transcript encoding stearoyl-ACP desaturase in developing B. napus seeds is present in considerable excess of the level required for efficient desaturation of 18:0.
Toward an Integrative Framework for Environmental Justice Research: A Synthesis and Extension of the Literature

Over three decades, environmental justice scholarship has examined justice movements through diverse perspectives shaped by their research traditions and disciplinary boundaries. This article distills three themes of justice from these research traditions in order to propose a four-dimensional environmental justice model. The proposed model includes four justice-seeking strategies—cultural justice, material justice, processual justice, and political justice—that movement groups adopt to mobilize their claims. I apply this model to the study of an environmental movement in Land Between the Rivers, Kentucky. Research findings from the case study concludes that movement strategies are plural and changeable and that justice is best conceived as a repertoire of justice-seeking strategies that are influenced by political alliances, economic preconditions, and cultural contexts.
Direct Detection of Bacterial Protein Secretion Using Whole Colony Proteomics

Bacteria use a variety of secretion systems to transport proteins beyond their cell membrane to interact with their environment. For bacterial pathogens, these systems are key virulence determinants that transport bacterial proteins into host cells. Genetic screens to identify bacterial genes required for export have relied on enzymatic or fluorescent reporters fused to known substrates to monitor secretion. However, they cannot be used in analysis of all secretion systems, limiting the implementation across bacteria. Here, we introduce the first application of a modified form of whole colony MALDI-TOF MS to directly detect protein secretion from intact bacterial colonies. We show that this method is able to specifically monitor the ESX-1 system protein secretion system, a major virulence determinant in both mycobacterial and Gram-positive pathogens that is refractory to reporter analysis. We validate the use of this technology as a high throughput screening tool by identifying an ESAT-6 system 1-deficient mutant from a Mycobacterium marinum transposon insertion library. Furthermore, we also demonstrate detection of secreted proteins of the prevalent type III secretion system from the Gram-negative pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This method will be broadly applicable to study other bacterial protein export systems and for the identification of compounds that inhibit bacterial protein secretion.
6S RNA Function Enhances Long-Term Cell Survival

6S RNA was identified in Escherichia coli >30 years ago, but the physiological role of this RNA has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that 6S RNA-deficient cells are at a disadvantage for survival in stationary phase, a time when 6S RNA regulates transcription. Growth defects were most apparent as a decrease in the competitive fitness of cells lacking 6S RNA. To decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying the growth defects, we have expanded studies of 6S RNA effects on transcription. 6S RNA inhibition of σ70-dependent transcription was not ubiquitous, in spite of the fact that the vast majority of σ70-RNA polymerase is bound by 6S RNA during stationary phase. The σ70-dependent promoters inhibited by 6S RNA contain an extended −10 promoter element, suggesting that this feature may define a class of 6S RNA-regulated genes. We also discovered a secondary effect of 6S RNA in the activation of σS-dependent transcription at several promoters. We conclude that 6S RNA regulation of both σ70 and σS activities contributes to increased cell persistence during nutrient deprivation.
Modeling the environmental growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans and its impact on the white-nose syndrome epidemic.

Abstract White-nose syndrome (WNS) has had a devastating effect on North American bat populations. The causal agent of WNS is the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), which has been shown to persist in caves after the eradication of host populations. As nonpathogenic Pseudogymnoascus spp. display saprophytic growth and are among the most commonly isolated fungi from caves, we examined whether Pd could grow in cave sediments and the contribution such growth could have to WNS disease progression. We inoculated a range of diverse cave sediments and demonstrated the growth of Pd in all sediments tested. These data indicate that environmental growth of Pd could lead to the accumulation of spores above the estimated infection threshold for WNS, allowing environment-to-bat infection. The obtained growth parameters were then used in a susceptible-infected-susceptible mathematic model to determine the possible contribution of environmental Pd growth to WNS disease progression in a colony of little b...
Chronic Prenatal Hypoxia Induces Epigenetic Programming of PKCε Gene Repression in Rat Hearts

Rationale: Epidemiological studies demonstrate a clear association of adverse intrauterine environment with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease in adulthood. Hypoxia is a common stress to the fetus and results in decreased protein kinase C epsilon (PKCe) expression in the heart and increased cardiac vulnerability to ischemia and reperfusion injury in adult offspring in rats. Objectives: The present study tested the hypothesis that fetal hypoxia-induced methylation of cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotides at the PKCe promoter is repressive and contributes to PKCe gene repression in the heart of adult offspring. Methods and Results: Hypoxic treatment of pregnant rats from days 15 to 21 of gestation resulted in significant decreases in PKCe protein and mRNA in fetal hearts. Similar results were obtained in ex vivo hypoxic treatment of isolated fetal hearts and rat embryonic ventricular myocyte cell line H9c2. Increased methylation of PKCe promoter at SP1 binding sites, −346 and −268, were demonstrated in both fetal hearts of maternal hypoxia and H9c2 cells treated with 1% O 2 for 24 hours. Whereas hypoxia had no significant effect on the binding affinity of SP1 to the unmethylated sites in H9c2 cells, hearts of fetuses and adult offspring, methylation of both SP1 sites reduced SP1 binding. The addition of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine blocked the hypoxia-induced increase in methylation of both SP1 binding sites and restored PKCe mRNA and protein to the control levels. In hearts of both fetuses and adult offspring, hypoxia-induced methylation of SP1 sites was significantly greater in males than in females, and decreased PKCe mRNA was seen only in males. In fetal hearts, there was significantly higher abundance of estrogen receptor α and β isoforms in females than in males. Both estrogen receptor α and β interacted with the SP1 binding sites in the fetal heart, which may explain the sex differences in SP1 methylation in the fetal heart. Additionally, selective activation of PKCe restored the hypoxia-induced cardiac vulnerability to ischemic injury in offspring. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a direct effect of hypoxia on epigenetic modification of DNA methylation and programming of cardiac PKCe gene repression in a sex-dependent manner, linking fetal hypoxia and pathophysiological consequences in the hearts of adult offspring.
MAMMALIAN TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN REGULATES MIRNA-1 AND FOLLISTATIN IN SKELETAL MYOGENESIS

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has emerged as a key regulator of skeletal muscle development by governing distinct stages of myogenesis, but the molecular pathways downstream of mTOR are not fully understood. In this study, we report that expression of the muscle-specific micro-RNA (miRNA) miR-1 is regulated by mTOR both in differentiating myoblasts and in mouse regenerating skeletal muscle. We have found that mTOR controls MyoD-dependent transcription of miR-1 through its upstream enhancer, most likely by regulating MyoD protein stability. Moreover, a functional pathway downstream of mTOR and miR-1 is delineated, in which miR-1 suppression of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) results in production of follistatin and subsequent myocyte fusion. Collective evidence strongly suggests that follistatin is the long-sought mTOR-regulated fusion factor. In summary, our findings unravel for the first time a link between mTOR and miRNA biogenesis and identify an mTOR–miR-1–HDAC4–follistatin pathway that regulates myocyte fusion during myoblast differentiation in vitro and skeletal muscle regeneration in vivo.
Automated Trait Scores for GRE® Writing Tasks

The e-rater® automated essay scoring system is used operationally in the scoring of the argument and issue tasks that form the Analytical Writing measure of the GRE® General Test. For each of these tasks, this study explored the value added of reporting 4 trait scores for each of these 2 tasks over the total e-rater score. The 4 trait scores are word choice, grammatical conventions, fluency and organization, and content. First, confirmatory factor analysis supported this underlying structure. Next, several alternative ways of determining feature weights for trait scores were compared: weights based on regression parameters of the trait features on human scores, reliability of trait features, and loadings of features from factor analytic results. In addition, augmented trait scores, based on information from other trait scores, were also analyzed. The added value of all trait score variants was evaluated by comparing the ability to predict a particular trait score on one task from either the same trait score on the other task or the e-rater score on the other task. Results supported the use of trait scores and are discussed in terms of their contribution to the construct validity of e-rater as an alternative essay scoring method.
CAPITAL MARKET IMPERFECTIONS, HIGH-TECH INVESTMENT, AND NEW EQUITY FINANCING

Highly variable returns, asymmetric information and a lack of collateral should cause small high-tech firms to have poor access to debt. New equity financing has several advantages over debt, but may be costly compared to internal finance. We examine an unbalanced panel of over 2,400 publicly traded US high-tech companies over the period 1981–98. Most small high-tech firms obtain little debt financing. New equity financing, in the form of the initial public offering, is very important and permits a major increase in firm size. After going public, comparatively few firms make heavy use of external finacing.
Mathematical Properties of the Fluid Dynamic Equations

The governing equations of fluid dynamics derived in Chapter 2 are either integral forms (such as Eq. (2.23) obtained directly from a finite control volume) or partial differential equations (such as Eqs (2.36a–c) obtained directly from an infinitesimal fluid element). The governing equations in the form of partial differential equations are by far the most prevalent form used in computational fluid dynamics. Therefore, before taking up a study of numerical methods for the solution of these equations, it is useful to examine some mathematical properties of partial differential equations themselves. Any valid numerical solution of the equations should exhibit the property of obeying the general mathematical properties of the governing equations.