cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical Management of Degenerative and Postsurgical Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis is defined as the forward translation of one vertebra on another in the sagittal plane. There are multiple etiologies of spondylolisthesis, including the degenerative and postsurgical varieties. Degenerative spondylolisthesis presents in a more elderly population and usually involves the lumbar fourth and fifth vertebrae. The pathogenesis is believed to be secondary to the progressive degeneration of the disc and facets, which results in instability and pathologic segmental motion. Clinically, patients present with low back pain and neurological symptoms consisting of spinal claudication or radiculopathy. A postsurgical spondylolisthesis is often the inevitable result of decompression with up to 50% of patients developing late instability that requires stabilization. Similar to a degenerative spondylolisthesis, these patients will present with reoccurrence of radicular pain associated with increasing low back pain. A spondylolisthesis is identified with plain radiographs, which should include flexion and extension to identify pathologic motion. An MRI is useful for the evaluation of stenosis, while a Myelo/CT with flexion and extension weight-bearing views is superior for the evaluation of dynamic instability. Nonoperative treatment consists of bracing, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medication, epidural blocks, weight reduction, and physical therapy. Surgical indications include severe back pain or neurological symptoms. Following decompression, an arthrodesis is recommended for a degenerative spondylolisthesis since long-term studies have demonstrated improved outcomes. A postsurgical spondylolisthesis, by definition, is unstable and requires a concurrent stabilization. Surgical options include posterior pedicular rod and screw fixation, posteriorly placed interbody implants combined with pedicular instrumentation, or combined anterior and posterior procedures. Materials available for fusion include autograft, allograft, or new biologic graft substitutes such as rhBMP-2. This article reviews the etiology and pathogenesis of spondylolisthesis along with recommended treatment options and surgical techniques to enable clinicians to insure superior patient treatment outcomes.
Mid-life crisis for M cells

The epithelium that lines the gut is impermeable to macromolecules and microorganisms, except in Peyer's patches (PP), where the lymphoid follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) contains M cells that transport antigens and microorganisms. A cultured system that reproduces the main characteristics of FAE and M cells was established by cultivation of PP lymphocytes with the differentiated human intestinal cell line Caco-2. Lymphocytes settled into the epithelial monolayer, inducing reorganization of the brush border and a temperature-dependent transport of particles and Vibrio cholerae. This model system could prove useful for intestinal physiology, vaccine research, and drug delivery studies.
Measurement of stress/strain in single-crystal samples using diffraction

Diffraction profiles from an Si-single-crystal strip deformed in cantilever bending are presented as a function of tip displacement and incident-beam energy. Data obtained with slit-based diffracted-beam optics contain a secondary peak in addition to the primary 004 reflection for all energies when the bending strain is finite. This secondary peak can be identified as a `mirage' peak, predicted by dynamical diffraction theory to occur in weakly deformed single-crystal samples. The integrated intensity of this mirage peak increases with increasing energy and tip displacement and exceeds the primary peak intensity at higher values. The mirage peak disappears when a monochromator is used in the diffracted-beam path. Data that show the effect of these mirage peaks on X-ray diffraction strain analysis are presented, and it is shown that a diffracted-beam monochromator may be used to eliminate these errors.
Multi-step forecasting of wave power using a nonlinear recurrent neural network

Short term forecasting is a vital interest to future implementations of a smart grid, particularly in the reliable integration of renewable energy resources. In this study we focus on multi-step prediction of high resolution wave power. Significant wave height data was first obtained from Belmullet Berth, Ireland and underwent several data preprocessing steps. These include a linear interpolation to fill irregular or missing data points, conversion to power using an interpolated power matrix of a Pelamis Device energy converter, and then exponential smoothing is applied. We utilized a nonlinear autoregressive recurrent neural network for 3, 6, 12 and 24 hour prediction. Our method showed highly accurate results when data has been smoothed, versus raw data, and when compared to previous studies.
Behavior, Color Change and Time for Sexual Inversion in the Protogynous Grouper (Epinephelus adscensionis)

Hermaphroditism, associated with territoriality and dominance behavior, is common in the marine environment. While male sex-specific coloration patterns have been documented in groupers, particularly during the spawning season, few data regarding social structure and the context for these color displays are available. In the present study, we define the social structure and male typical behavior of rock hind (Epinephelus adscensionis) in the wild. In addition, we detail the captive conditions and time period necessary to induce the onset of the sex-specific coloration and sexual change. At six oil production platform locations in the Gulf of Mexico, rock hind social group size and typical male rock hind social behavior were documented. We observed a rapid temporary color display in rock hind that could be turned on and off within three seconds and was used for confronting territory intruders and displays of aggression towards females. The male-specific ‘‘tuxedo’’ pattern consists of a bright yellow tail, a body with alternating dark brown and white patches and a dark bar extending from the upper mandible to the operculum. Identification and size ranges of male, female and intersex fish collected from oil platforms were determined in conjunction with gonadal histology. Rock hind social order is haremic with one dominant male defending a territory and a linear dominance hierarchy among individuals. In five captive experiments, the largest remaining female rock hind displayed the male specific color pattern within 32d after dominant male removal from the social group. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence in a grouper species of color patterning used to display territoriality and dominance outside of spawning aggregations. The behavioral paradigm described here is a key advance that will enable mechanistic studies of this complex sex change process.
Rod photoreceptors drive circadian photoentrainment across a wide range of light intensities

In mammals, synchronization of the circadian pacemaker in the hypothalamus is achieved through direct input from the eyes conveyed by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Circadian photoentrainment can be maintained by rod and cone photoreceptors, but their functional contributions and their retinal circuits that impinge on ipRGCs are not well understood. Using mice that lack functional rods or in which rods are the only functional photoreceptors, we found that rods were solely responsible for photoentrainment at scotopic light intensities. Rods were also capable of driving circadian photoentrainment at photopic intensities at which they were incapable of supporting a visually guided behavior. Using mice in which cone photoreceptors were ablated, we found that rods signal through cones at high light intensities, but not at low light intensities. Thus, rods use two distinct retinal circuits to drive ipRGC function to support circadian photoentrainment across a wide range of light intensities.
In Vivo Metabolism of l-Methionine in Mice: Evidence for Stereoselective Formation of Methionine-d-Sulfoxide and Quantitation of Other Major Metabolites

Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) 1-4 oxidize methionine (Met) to methionine sulfoxide (MetO). FMO3, the primary isoform expressed in adult human liver, has the lowest Km and favors methionine-d-sulfoxide (Met-d-O) formation over methionine-l-sulfoxide. Because female mice, but not males, also express FMO3 in liver, levels of Met and its major metabolites were determined in male or female mice dosed with 400 mg/kg Met i.p. The results show that Met levels in male and female mouse liver or plasma increased significantly at both 15 and 30 min after the Met treatment; Met plasma and liver levels at 30 min were similar to or lower than the corresponding levels at 15 min. Liver and plasma MetO levels increased significantly in both sexes at 30 min, and Met-d-O was the major MetO diastereomer detected. Interestingly, less than 0.1% of the Met dose was excreted in the urine (0-24 h) as Met and Met-d-O. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) was the major metabolite detected in liver at 15 min. Liver SAM levels at 30 min were lower than the levels at 15 min, and the plasma SAM levels at both 15 and 30 min were much lower than the corresponding levels in the liver. Increases in liver and/or plasma S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine, 5'-deoxy-5'-(methylthio)adenosine, and N-acetyl-l-methionine were also detected. Taken together, these results suggest that mice extensively and rapidly used the Met dose. Although mice exhibited increases in tissue MetO levels, a major role for FMO3 in Met-d-O formation is not certain since the MetO increases were mostly similar in both males and females.
Online Job Provisioning for Large Scale Science Experiments over an Optical Grid Infrastructure

Many emerging science experiments require that the massive data generated by big instruments be accessible and analyzed by a large number of geographically dispersed users. Such large scale science experiments are enabled by an Optical Grid infrastructure which integrates Grid software with a WDM network. This paper studies the following problem in an Optical Grid environment: given an online job request, how to optimally find a host to execute the job, taking into account the need to stage missing input files stored at other places, with the goal of satisfying the job's QoS requirements, subject to dynamic computing and network resource usage status? We first formulate the optimization problem as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP). As the MILP solution quickly gets intractable when the network size grows larger, we also propose an adaptive heuristic called AOJP. Our simulation results demonstrate both the effectiveness and the efficiency of AOJP.
Clustering Large Optical Networks for Distributed and Dynamic Multicast

For a large-scale mesh network with dynamic traffic, maintaining the global state information in a centralized fashion is impractical. Hence, distributed schemes are needed to organize nodes and to manage state information in a more localized manner. One such effective scheme for organizing nodes is to cluster the nodes into a hierarchical structure. In this paper, we address the problem of determining the appropriate clustering of nodes for providing scalability in wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical networks with dynamic traffic. We present an on-line load-based (or bandwidth availability based) clustering technique that determines clusters adaptively in response to current network conditions. We also consider the problem of dynamic multicast on clustered networks with wavelength conversion capability. We introduce a heuristic using an auxiliary graph model to address routing, wavelength assignment, and traffic grooming jointly. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of our approach.
How to measure the amplitude and phase of an ultrashort light pulse with an autocorrelator and a spectrometer

The measurement of the spectrum of the output of an autocorrelator is proven to be sufficient for a complete determination of the complex electric field of an ultrashort light pulse, both in amplitude and phase, except for the time-reversal ambiguity which can be easily overcome in experiments. An iterative algorithm is proposed to retrieve the complex electric held from the experimental data. A numerical simulation proves the remarkable reliability and efficiency of the method. An experimental demonstration shows the simplicity of this technique. >
Do LEED-certified buildings save energy? Not really…

Newsham et al. have recently published a re-analysis of energy-consumption data for LEED-certified commercial buildings supplied by the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and US Green Building Council. They find that, on average, LEED buildings use 18–39% less energy per floor area than their conventional counterparts, consistent with and adding clarity to conclusions originally reached by NBI. These conclusions, however, hang on a particular definition of the mean energy intensity of a collection of buildings that is not related to the total energy used by those buildings. Furthermore, site energy considered by Newsham et al. and NBI, unlike source energy used for the EPA’s building Energy Star rating, does not account for the energy consumed off-site in generating and delivering electric energy to the building, whose inclusion is crucial for understanding greenhouse gas emission associated with building operation. Here I demonstrate that both the site energy and source energy used by the set of 35 LEED office buildings and Newsham et al.’s matching CBECS office buildings are statistically equivalent. Hence Newsham et al. offer no evidence that LEED-certification has collectively lowered either site or source energy for office buildings.
Stress and Preterm Labor and Birth in Black Women

ABSTRACT Objective To examine (a) 3 commonly used measures of stress during pregnancy, (b) changes in stress over time to determine when stress is highest, and (c) whether any of the stress measures predict who will deliver preterm in pregnant Black women. Design Prospective descriptive study. Setting Perinatal evaluation center and outpatient clinics of a teaching hospital in the northeast. Participants Fifty-nine Black women: 39 were recruited in preterm labor from a Perinatal Evaluation Center, and 20 experiencing healthy pregnancies were recruited from the prenatal clinic. Measures Stress was measured using 2 paper and pencil tests (the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale) and corticotropin-releasing hormone. Results There was not a high correlation between stress measures. Stress at 28 weeks as measured by Prenatal Distress Questionnaire and Perceived Stress Scale was at its highest, but corticotropin-releasing hormone increased to 32 weeks and then decreased. Conclusions Perceived stress, prenatal distress, and corticotropin-releasing hormone do not all appear to be measuring the same phenomenon. Screening for stress in Black women at 28 weeks requires further research as perceived stress levels in Black women experiencing preterm labor around 28 weeks differentiated women who delivered preterm infants from Black women who delivered at term.
The Role of Feedback on Stress Experiences- A Literature Review

Previous Human Factors research has focused on stress as a stressor that is external and/or unrelated to the task. However, the larger body of literature points to the inclusion of stress experiences as an individual difference that may have implications for performance decrement. Feedback Intervention Theory posits that feedback directed toward the person, or toward the task may have differential effects on stress experiences such that performance may be decreased or increased based on feedback content. This literature review reveals the connections across domains that have been exemplified in vigilance studies and suggests implementing these ideas across task types for a more complete picture of performance.
A new secure group key management scheme for multicast over wireless cellular networks

In wireless networks, secure multicast protocols are more difficult to implement efficiently due to the dynamic nature of the multicast group and the scarcity of bandwidth at the receiving and transmitting ends. Mobility is one of the most distinct features to be considered in wireless networks. Moving users onto the key tree causes extra key management resources even though they are still in service. To take care of frequent handoff between wireless access networks, it is necessary to reduce the number of rekeying messages and the size of the messages. The multicast protocol used in wired networks does not perform well in wireless networks because multicast structures are fragile as the mobile node moves and connectivity changes. When we choose a key management scheme, the structure of the wireless network should be considered very carefully. In this paper, we design a key management tree such that neighbors on the key tree are also physical neighbors on the cellular network. By tracking the user location, we localize the delivery of rekeying messages to the users who need them. This lessens the amount of traffic in wireless and wired intervals of the network. The group key management scheme uses the prepositioned secret sharing scheme.
An all-fiber-optic confocal interference microscope using low-coherence near-infrared light source

An all-fiber-optic confocal interference microscope using a broadband near-infrared light source is demonstrated. Detection of interference fringes increases sensitivity and usage of a broadband source reduces undesirable interference between optical components.
Role strain and online social support for childless stepmothers

Using Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Theory of Stress, a content analysis of 62 message sets identified role strain and social supportive behaviors utilized within an online support group for childless stepmothers. The stepmothers focused on issues related to stepchild living arrangements and interference of the biological mother. Results revealed positive correlations between stepchild investment and biological mother interference, stepchild investment, informational support, stepmother frustration and esteem support. Study implications include understanding issues and relationships that impact stepmother role strain, identifying the stress reappraisal process within actual messages written online, and focusing on the use of online social support for relationship based issues.
Triggering Parent Company Liability Under United States Sanctions Regimes: The Troubling Implications of Prohibiting Approval and Facilitation

[General Electric] conducts business in more than 100 countries around the world… . An important challenge for all of us is to understand how [laws of different countries] apply to our operations. GE, the parent company, is a corporation organized in the United States. The laws of the United States frequently extend to the operations of GE and its affiliates throughout the world as well as to the business activities of GE employees wherever they live and work. Other countries may also apply their own laws outside of their borders to their own citizens and to corporations that are organized under their laws, such as GE subsidiaries or other controlled affiliates… . In some instances, there may be a conflict between the applicable laws of two or more countries. When you encounter such a conflict, it is especially important to consult company legal counsel to understand how to resolve that conflict properly.1
The Dispersed Archaeal Eukaryome and the Complex Archaeal Ancestor of Eukaryotes

The ancestral set of eukaryotic genes is a chimera composed of genes of archaeal and bacterial origins thanks to the endosymbiosis event that gave rise to the mitochondria and apparently antedated the last common ancestor of the extant eukaryotes. The proto-mitochondrial endosymbiont is confidently identified as an a-proteobacterium. In contrast, the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes remains elusive, although evidence is accumulating that it could have belonged to a deep lineage within the TACK (Thaumarchaeota, Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota, Korarchaeota) superphylum of the Archaea. Recent surveys of archaeal genomes show that the apparent ancestors of several key functional systems of eukaryotes, thecomponentsofthearchaeal“eukaryome,”suchasubiquitinsignaling,RNAinterference, and actin-based and tubulin-based cytoskeleton structures, are identifiable in different archaeal groups. We suggest that the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes was a complex form, rooted deeply within the TACK superphylum, that already possessed some quintessential eukaryotic features, in particular, a cytoskeleton, and perhaps was capable of a primitive form of phagocytosis that would facilitate the engulfment of potential symbionts. This putative group of Archaea could have existed for a relatively short time before going extinct or undergoinggenomestreamlining,resultinginthedispersionoftheeukaryome.Thisscenario might explain the difficulty with the identification of the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes despite the straightforward detection of apparent ancestors to many signature eukaryotic functional systems.
DigiWarp: a method for deformable mouse atlas warping to surface topographic data.

For pre-clinical bioluminescence or fluorescence optical tomography, the animal's surface topography and internal anatomy need to be estimated for improving the quantitative accuracy of reconstructed images. The animal's surface profile can be measured by all-optical systems, but estimation of the internal anatomy using optical techniques is non-trivial. A 3D anatomical mouse atlas may be warped to the estimated surface. However, fitting an atlas to surface topography data is challenging because of variations in the posture and morphology of imaged mice. In addition, acquisition of partial data (for example, from limited views or with limited sampling) can make the warping problem ill-conditioned. Here, we present a method for fitting a deformable mouse atlas to surface topographic range data acquired by an optical system. As an initialization procedure, we match the posture of the atlas to the posture of the mouse being imaged using landmark constraints. The asymmetric L2 pseudo-distance between the atlas surface and the mouse surface is then minimized in order to register two data sets. A Laplacian prior is used to ensure smoothness of the surface warping field. Once the atlas surface is normalized to match the range data, the internal anatomy is transformed using elastic energy minimization. We present results from performance evaluation studies of our method where we have measured the volumetric overlap between the internal organs delineated directly from MRI or CT and those estimated by our proposed warping scheme. Computed Dice coefficients indicate excellent overlap in the brain and the heart, with fair agreement in the kidneys and the bladder.
Poster: ColPhone: a smartphone is just a piece of the puzzle

Smartphones have created a strong tie with human beings. It is likely to have plenty of smartphones in the same proximity. However, users are limited with the capabilities of a single device. In this work we propose ColPhone a framework that facilitates collaboration between smartdevices in the vicinity to share their resources providing users hardware upgrade for their devices. Further, we implemented an application (3D Story Teller) on top of ColPhone, and measured the impact of collaboration on smartphone's power consumption.
Lotus japonicus: A New Model to Study Root-Parasitic Nematodes

Abstract Sedentary plant-parasitic nematodes engage in complex interactions, and induce specialized feeding structures by redirecting plant developmental pathways, and parallels have been observed with rhizobial nodule development on legumes. A model legume would greatly facilitate a better understanding of the differences between parasitic (nematode) and mutualistic (rhizobia and mycorrhizae) symbioses, and we have developed Lotus japonicus as such a model. Conditions for efficient parasitism by root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) of the widely used Lotus "Gifu" ecotype were established. Features of Lotus biology, such as thin and translucent roots, proved ideal for monitoring the progress of nematode infection both on live specimens and post-staining. We examined L. japonicus mutants with nodulation phenotypes. One, har1, which is a hypernodulated mutant defective in a CLAVATA1-like receptor kinase gene, was found to be hyperinfected by M. incognita. However, another hypernodulated Lotus mutant exhibited the same level of M. incognita infection as wild-type plants. We also established conditions for infection of Lotus by soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines). In contrast to the response to root-knot nematode, the Gifu ecotype is resistant to H. glycines, and elicits a hypersensitive response. This pattern of resistance recapitulates that seen on nematode-resistant soybean plants. We conclude that L. japonicus is a powerful model legume for studying compatible and incompatible plant-nematode interactions.
Chromosomal enrichment and activation of the aurora B pathway are coupled to spatially regulate spindle assembly.

SUMMARY Chromatin-induced spindle assembly depends on regulation of microtubule-depolymerizing proteins by the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), consisting of Incenp, Survivin, Dasra (Borealin), and the kinase Aurora B, but the mechanism and significance of the spatial regulation of Aurora B activity remain unclear. Here, we show that the Aurora B pathway is suppressed in the cytoplasm of Xenopus egg extract by phosphatases, but that it becomes activated by chromatin via a Ran-independent mechanism. While spindle microtubule assembly normally requires Dasra-dependent chromatin binding of the CPC, this function of Dasra can be bypassed by clustering Aurora B-Incenp by using anti-Incenp antibodies, which stimulate autoactivation among bound complexes. However, such chromatin-independent Aurora B pathway activation promotes centrosomal microtubule assembly and produces aberrant achromosomal spindle-like structures. We propose that chromosomal enrichment of the CPC results in local kinase autoactivation, a mechanism that contributes to the spatial regulation of spindle assembly and possibly to other mitotic processes.
Estimating statistical properties of composite gamma-lognormal fading channels

We propose maximum likelihood (ML) methods for estimating the parameters of composite gamma-lognormal fading channels. Newton-Raphson and expectation-maximization (EM) algorithms are developed to compute the ML estimates of the mean and variance of the shadowing component, and the Nakagami-m parameter of the fading component. We also derive Cramer-Rao bounds (CRBs) for the unknown parameters. Numerical simulations demonstrate the performance of the proposed method.
The major outer membrane protein of a single Chlamydia trachomatis serovar can possess more than one serovar-specific epitope

The major outer membrane proteins (MOMPs) of human Chlamydia trachomatis serovars exhibit four regions of variable amino acid sequences (VS1 to VS4) harboring serovar-specific B-cell epitopes. Antibody responses to these epitopes may contribute to acquired protection against human chlamydial infection. MOMP B-cell epitopes defined by 22 different serovar-specific or bispecific murine monoclonal antibodies were localized with synthetic peptides representing the four VS regions of seven genital serovars (D, Da, E, F, G, H, and K). Serovar F possessed two distinct serovar-specific epitopes, located in VS2 and VS4, while serovar K possessed three distinct serovar-specific epitopes, located in VS1, VS2, and VS4. Serovar D- and serovar Da-specific epitopes were located in VS1. Regardless of whether the serovar was from the B (serovars D, Da, and E), C (serovars H and K), or F-G (serovars F and G) serogroup, all serovar-specific epitopes were found in three discrete subgroups of MOMPs. These subregions comprised all central portion of VS1, residues 70 to 77; the amino-terminal half of VS2, residues 139 to 149; and the carboxyl-terminal third of VS4, residues 305 to 315. Monoclonal antibodies to each of these subregions neutralized infectivity in standard HaK cell culture assays. These findings are relevant to the development of an MOMP or MOMP subunit vaccine.
Bromovirus RNA Replication Compartment Formation Requires Concerted Action of 1a's Self-Interacting RNA Capping and Helicase Domains

All positive-strand RNA viruses replicate their genomes in association with rearranged intracellular membranes such as single- or double-membrane vesicles. Brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNA synthesis occurs in vesicular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane invaginations, each induced by many copies of viral replication protein 1a, which has N-terminal RNA capping and C-terminal helicase domains. Although the capping domain is responsible for 1a membrane association and ER targeting, neither this domain nor the helicase domain was sufficient to induce replication vesicle formation. Moreover, despite their potential for mutual interaction, the capping and helicase domains showed no complementation when coexpressed in trans. Cross-linking showed that the capping and helicase domains each form trimers and larger multimers in vivo, and the capping domain formed extended, stacked, hexagonal lattices in vivo. Furthermore, coexpressing the capping domain blocked the ability of full-length 1a to form replication vesicles and replicate RNA and recruited full-length 1a into mixed hexagonal lattices with the capping domain. Thus, BMV replication vesicle formation and RNA replication depend on the direct linkage and concerted action of 1a's self-interacting capping and helicase domains. In particular, the capping domain's strong dominant-negative effects showed that the ability of full-length 1a to form replication vesicles was highly sensitive to disruption by non-productively titrating lattice-forming self-interactions of the capping domain. These and other findings shed light on the roles and interactions of 1a domains in replication compartment formation and support prior results suggesting that 1a induces replication vesicles by forming a capsid-like interior shell.
Treatment allocation methods in clinical trials: A review

A comprehensive review of methods for allocation of treatments to patients in clinical trials is presented. Attention is restricted to controlled, prospective trials, as opposed to comparisons involving historical or other 'external' controls. We describe the features of each method and classify them according to whether their primary focus is randomization, efficiency, or balance with respect to prognostic factors. Methods which prevent bias, ensure an efficient treatment comparison and are simple to implement will contribute to the ability of clinical trials to provide precise and valid treatment comparisons. We assess critically the extent to which the methods achieve these goals, review the relationships of the allocation methods with subsequent analyses of the trial results, discuss current usage and provide guidelines for choice of method.
Murderball in the Classroom

Film reviewed in this issue. Murderball. (2005) 88 minutes. Directed by Henry Dubin and Dana Shapiro.
Human Cancer Resistance to Trail-Apoptotic Pathway-Targeted Therapies

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) mediates innate and adaptive immunity against the tumorigenesis and tumor progression. TRAIL binds its two death receptors, DR4 and DR5, which activate intracellular pathway of apoptosis for self destruction of tumor cells. To target this apoptotic pathway, recombinant human TRAIL and monoclonal antibodies to DR4 and DR5 have been generated as TRAIL agonists for clinical cancer therapies. A number of TRAIL agonists have passed drug safety evaluation in phase I trials; however, the data from phase II trials thus far are disappointing: TRAIL agonists either in monotherapy or combination have failed to show clinical antitumor activity. In this chapter, we will provide a historic review of the advances and the challenges in the development of TRAIL agonists for clinical treatment of human cancers.
Meteorological Twin–Hot-Film Anemometry

Abstract A dual-sensor, twin–hot-film anemometer is applied to meteorological measurement of wind velocity in fair and rainy weather. Two sensors, each with a pair of hot-films mounted side by side, were operated in constant-temperature mode and calibrated in dry and rainy conditions. Conversion from anemometer voltage to effective cooling velocity was accomplished for velocity up to 35 m s−1 and in rain rates from 0 to 130 mm h−1 using a power series curve-fitting procedure. An all-weather algorithm was devised to apply the appropriate wet or dry calibration during periods with and without intermittent, light, moderate, and heavy precipitation.
Cardiomyocyte-specific Bmal1 deletion in mice triggers diastolic dysfunction, extracellular matrix response, and impaired resolution of inflammation

Cardiomyocyte-specific Bmal1 gene deletion in heart progresses to 1) diastolic dysfunction with significant age-dependent hypertrophy; 2) dilative hypertrophy marked with endocardial fibrosis and i...
Factor Analysis of Microarray Data

In differential expression analysis, the subjects are divided into two groups, the treatment group and the control group. In the gene-specific analysis of variance ( ANOVA), the subjects are divided into multiple groups, each corresponding to a particular treatment. Sometimes, the subjects may not be grouped based on any criteria. They are simply selected randomly from a population for microarray analysis. The purpose of the microarray analysis is simply to find gene networks that coexpress in a system. Although the model-based cluster analysis can be applied directly to the subjects, genes are classified into several clusters based on their different expression profiles across the subjects.
Trial By Space: The Spatial Politcs Of Citizenship And Social Movements In Urban Brazil

This article compares two social movements in Brazil to demonstrate how movements ground citizenship claims in the spaces of everyday life. It draws on Henri Lefebvre's concept of "trial by space," showing how movements contest the way that constitutionally guaranteed citizenship rights are limited in the spaces where people live, work, and play. First, the neighborhood movement of Aura, a poor community in Belem's periphery, grounds its citizenship claims in demands for urban services that are commonly found in wealthier neighborhoods of the city center. Second, the movement for children's and adolescents' rights—in Belem and nationally—mobilizes around the implementation of the national Statute of the Child and Adolescent. It seeks just treatment of youths through equalization of citizenship rights and practices across the dispersed spaces of the street and house.
Polymorphisms of the Human T-Cell Receptor α and β Chain Genes and Their Relationship to Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

The association of certain HLA-D alleles, with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is well known. However, several analyses have suggested that a second locus, unlinked to the HLA complex may be involved in this disease. The availability of genetic probes for the T-cell receptor (TCR) genes has provided an opportunity to test the hypothesis that the second locus might be one or more of the TCR genes. The human TCR is a heterodimer consisting of two glycosylated polypeptide chains, α and β (1–3). Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) of both human genes have been described (4–11). Previously, we described an association between one of these RFLPs and IDDM (12). This report extends that analysis by examining over 150 additional patients for the associated marker and additional TCR polymorphisms. These studies document an association between the TCRβ chain polymorphism and IDDM and provide yet an additional risk factor particularly among individuals who are DR3/X (where X ≠ 4).
A Business Process Management Approach to Surgical Instrument/Device Reprocessing and Tracking

This study examines business process management practices applied to monitor, measure, and improve reusable surgical instrument/device reprocessing and instrument-to-patient tracking within the hospital environment. This paper identifies how dynamic technological activities of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis applied to internal and external organizational data can highlight complex relationships within integrated hospital processes to target opportunities for improvement and ultimately yield improved process capabilities. The identification of existing limitations, potential capabilities, and the subsequent contextual understanding are contributing factors that yield measured improvement within a hospital's perioperative process. This case study investigates the impact of integrated information systems to identify, qualify, and quantify perioperative improvement within efficient and effective instrument/device reprocessing and tracking, based on a 142-month longitudinal study of a large, 1.046 registered-bed teaching hospital,. The theoretical and practical implications and/or limitations of this study's results are also discussed with respect to practitioners and researchers alike.
Metrics for characterizing collective transport by multiple dimeric kinesins

Kinesin is a processive molecular motor which transports various cellular cargos by converting chemical energy into mechanical movements. Although the motion of a single molecule has been characterized in several studies, the dynamics of collective transport remains controversial. Since the chemical reactions fueling molecular motors are stochastic processes, the movements of coupled motors are not perfectly synchronized. The goal of this study is to develop metrics to analyze the level of synchronization of coupled (stochastic) motors. The correlation among movements of coupled motors, the slackness, the cooperativity, and the power loss of kinesins are explored using the developed metrics. These metrics can be extended to characterize collective work done by other molecular motors also.
Mechanism for Broadband White-Light Emission from Two-Dimensional (110) Hybrid Perovskites

The recently discovered phenomenon of broadband white-light emission at room temperature in the (110) two-dimensional organic–inorganic perovskite (N-MEDA)[PbBr4] (N-MEDA = N1-methylethane-1,2-diammonium) is promising for applications in solid-state lighting. However, the spectral broadening mechanism and, in particular, the processes and dynamics associated with the emissive species are still unclear. Herein, we apply a suite of ultrafast spectroscopic probes to measure the primary events directly following photoexcitation, which allows us to resolve the evolution of light-induced emissive states associated with white-light emission at femtosecond resolution. Terahertz spectra show fast free carrier trapping and transient absorption spectra show the formation of self-trapped excitons on femtosecond time-scales. Emission-wavelength-dependent dynamics of the self-trapped exciton luminescence are observed, indicative of an energy distribution of photogenerated emissive states in the perovskite. Our results ...
Naturalism, absolutism, relativism

This chapter clarifies the two views about morality. One of these is the view that basic moral demands apply only to some, not to everyone. Gilbert Harman calls this view as "moral relativism". The alternative to relativism is a view that Harman calls "moral absolutism". Moral absolutism is a version of moral rationalism, the view that basic moral demands are claims about the reasons that people have, where these claims are both necessary and a priori. The existence of moral demands does not require that everyone has sufficient reasons to do or hope or wish for the things that morality demands. Harman's hypothesis is that naturalism tells in favor of moral relativism. He argues that the relativist's conception of rationality or reasonableness is itself more naturalistically respectable than the absolutist's. This chapter presents four lines of reply to the flat-footed response to the Harman's argument.
Using a Multicomponent Function-Based Intervention to Support Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The current study evaluated the effects of a multicomponent function-based intervention on students with other health impairment (OHI) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a private special education school. The focus of the intervention was to prevent problem behaviors and to increase academic engagement by modifying classroom activities, teaching replacement skills, and changing behavior consequences. Data using a multiple-baseline design across academic subjects revealed that target problem behaviors decreased and academic engagement increased in reading, writing, and mathematical activities for students. Social validity with the classroom staff indicated that the intervention process and outcomes were highly acceptable and effective. In conclusion, this study provides strong evidence that a multicomponent function-based intervention can be successfully applied to students with both ADHD and problem behaviors.
Spearman’s Rank-Difference Coefficient of Correlation

Spearman’s Rank-Difference Coefficient of Correlation is often referred to as Spearman’s ρ (i.e., the Greek letter rho). It is common to read how Spearman’s Correlation is often viewed as the nonparametric counterpart to the parametric Pearson’s Correlation. However, that comparison may be somewhat misleading given how Spearman’s is used with nonparametric data, whereas Pearson’s is used with data that are more reasonably viewed as parametric. The key point to Spearman’s Correlation is that this test is used to determine if there is an association between two nonparametric variables. However, as a constant reminder, be sure to recall the often used expression Correlation does not imply causation. There may be a correlation (i.e., association) between Variable X and Variable Y, but by no means does that mean that measures for Variable X either cause or influence measures for Variable Y.
Prasugrel Use Following PCI and Associated Patient Outcomes: Insights From the National VA CART Program

Background Prasugrel is more effective than clopidogrel in preventing thrombotic complications after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), but it increases the risk of bleeding in subgroups of patients. There is limited data on whether prasugrel use in routine practice is targeted to clinical settings with greatest anticipated patient benefit. Methods In a national cohort of 11 617 veterans who underwent PCI between 2010 and 2013 at Veterans Administration hospitals nationwide, we assessed overall trends in the use of prasugrel and the frequency of prasugrel use in patients with contraindications (prior transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident), higher bleeding risk (age ≥75 or weight <60 kg), and nonindicated settings (non–acute coronary syndrome [non-ACS]). We then evaluated the association between prasugrel use and 1-year risk-adjusted mortality, myocardial infarction, and major bleeding rates. Results Overall, 1040 (9.0%) patients who received prasugrel after PCI were included. Prasugrel was infrequently used in contraindicated (2.4%) or higher-bleeding-risk (1.8%) settings. Additionally, 35.8% of patients received prasugrel in settings that lack evidence of clinical benefit (ie, non-ACS). Compared with clopidogrel, there were no significant differences in risk-adjusted mortality, myocardial infarction, or major bleeding outcomes with prasugrel therapy at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions Prasugrel use after PCI in the Veterans Administration is low and prasugrel was rarely used in contraindicated or high-bleeding-risk settings. However, a third of patients received prasugrel for off-label non-ACS indications that lack efficacy data.
Differentiation Between Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis and Other Finger Infections.

Background: Hospital transfer decisions regarding pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis (PFT) are made difficult by emergency department presentations similar to other finger infections, with pain, redness...
Audiometric assessment of pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate hearing impairment in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods This is a retrospective analysis of the AudGen database generated by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Audiograms were analyzed for type of hearing loss (HL), pure-tone-average (PTA), laterality, and change in hearing over time. Medical charts were reviewed to identify factors that influence development and progression of hearing loss. Results 217 patients with CF were included in this study. 69 (31.8%) had hearing loss on initial audiogram. Chronic otitis media (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.3–4.5, p p p p =0.014). Conclusion This is the largest comprehensive analysis of all types of hearing loss in pediatric patients with CF. Our data suggest that children with more severe sinus disease may be at lower risk for inflammatory middle ear disease and subsequent hearing loss. Patients who develop complications of CF such as diabetes should be monitored frequently, and the use of ototoxic drugs should be limited if possible.
Intrahepatic splenosis mimicking hepatic neoplasia.

Abstract Introduction Splenosis is defined as the heterotopic autoimplantation of splenic tissue following trauma to or surgery on the spleen. Clinical case We present a case of an asymptomatic 73-year-old male in whom hypervascular lesions were detected during routine exams. The patient reported a history of carotid artery surgery and cholecystectomy; he had a laparotomy incision from childhood but was unaware of the reason for it. The patient exhibited slightly elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels. Histopathology revealed intrahepatic heterotopic splenic parenchyma, with no evidence of neoplasia in either of the two lesions, the diameters of which were 1.5 cm and 3.6 cm. Patient received outpatient follow-up care for 24 months and experienced no complications. Discussion Our clinical, laboratory, and imaging exams failed to reveal the etiology of the lesion. Because the masses were hypervascular lesions, a percutaneous liver biopsy was not feasible. Conclusion Through this report, we emphasize the importance of considering intrahepatic splenosis as a remote possibility in patients with hepatic nodules who have a history of splenectomy.
The Association of Early Life Factors and Declining Incidence Rates of Dementia in an Elderly Population of African Americans.

Objectives To explore the possible association of childhood residence, education levels, and occupation with declining incidence rates of dementia in 2 cohorts of elderly African Americans. Methods African Americans residing in Indianapolis without dementia were enrolled in 1992 and 2001 and evaluated every 2-3 years. The cohorts consist of 1,440 participants in 1992 and 1,835 participants in 2001 aged 70 years and older. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to compare cohort differences in dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. Results The 2001 cohort had significantly decreased risk of both incident dementia and AD (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.62/0.57 for dementia/AD). Years of education was associated with decreased risk of dementia (HR = 0.93; p = .0011). A significant interaction (p = .0477) between education and childhood rural residence was found for the risk of AD that higher education level is significantly associated with reduced AD risk (HR = 0.87) in participants with childhood rural residence, but no association in those with urban upbringing. The cohort difference for dementia rates were attenuated by adjusting for the 3 risk factors but remained significant (HR = 0.75; p = .04). Discussion These results emphasize the importance of early life factors including rural residence and education for the risk for dementia later in life.