cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of tissue expanders in the repair of complex abdominal wall defects.

Abstract Background/Purpose Closure of abdominal wall defects in children poses a challenge for pediatric surgeons. We describe a technique using tissue expanders placed either intraperitoneally or in the abdominal wall to aid in the reconstruction of a variety of complex abdominal wall defects. Methods The tissue expanders are inserted under general anesthesia. Initial expansion is done in the operating room with attention to peak airway pressure, urine output, and end-tidal carbon dioxide. The expanders are inflated in the outpatient setting via percutaneous access until the calculated inflation volume is achieved. They are then removed; and definitive closure is accomplished using a combination of native tissue flaps, abdominal component separation techniques, biomaterials, and synthetic material. Results Six children underwent tissue expansion for treatment of abdominal wall defects (omphalocele, n=3), trauma (n = 1), and thoracopagus twins (n = 1 pair). One to 4 expanders were used per patient, with all having a successful reconstruction of their abdominal walls. Two to 3 operations were required to restore abdominal domain and consisted of expander insertion, removal with reconstruction, and possible revision of the reconstruction. Conclusions Tissue expanders possess a broad range of applications for abdominal wall reconstruction and can be used in patients of all ages.
Pressure desensitization of optical fibers

The pressure sensitivity of the phase in optical fibers has been studied analytically by taking into account the exact composition and geometry of multilayer fibers. This analysis shows that there are combinations of glass and coating materials and corresponding thicknesses which make fibers pressure insensitive.
Topics in pharmacokinetics, III: Repeated dosage and impulse control

Abstract Some novel types of control processes arising in the study of optimal drug administration are considered. These are treated by dynamic programming techniques.
An analysis of the industrial use of a phase equilibria prediction model based on thermodynamic perturbation theory

Abstract An extended Gubbins-Gray perturbation theory is analysed and compared with the results from a common equation of state. Industrially important phase equilibria are studied for systems relevant to natural gas and ‘syngas’ processing. Systematic test systems are developed. At present the success of the theory is limited and unsystematic, indicating that its predictive power is very small.
Innervation of the amphibian and basilar papillae in the leopard frog: reconstructions of single labeled fibers.

Amphibians have two auditory organs specialized for reception of airborne sounds: the amphibian papilla and the basilar papilla. In this report we examine the morphology of the ganglion cells and the afferent innervation of the sensory epithelium in both auditory organs of the leopard frog, Rana pipiens pipiens. Extracellular injections of either biocytin or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were made into the VIII nerve; they labeled ganglion cells, their axons, and their terminal fibers within the papillae. Ganglion cells that projected to either the amphibian papilla or basilar papilla had cell bodies that were morphologically distinct from other labeled cells. In the amphibian papilla thick fibers terminated in the rostral portion and thin fibers terminated in the caudal portion. Labeled fibers in the rostral portion traveled short distances before making contacts with up to nine hair cells whereas labeled fibers in the caudal portion traveled longer distances and contacted no more than five hair cells. In the basilar papilla labeled fibers were thick (around 4 μm) and terminated on as many as nine hair cells. Consistent with studies from the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, our results suggest that the amphibian papilla of R. pipiens pipiens has a convergent innervation (i.e., multiple hair cells provide input to a single ganglion cell) and is topographically organized. However, in contrast to reports in other ranid species, a highly convergent innervation like that found in the amphibian papilla is also found in the basilar papilla. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Part two: against the motion: It is not necessary to perform a randomised trial to compare open and endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms.

anticipated from the literature. Irrespective of the reports of the good outcomes after endovascular repair from single expert centres or administrative databases, all these results are heavily confounded by patient selection and risks are under-reported. We need better evidence to guarantee the best outcomes for future patients with aneurysm rupture. We need to know whether an attempt at endovascular repair would be beneficial for all patients. It is only such knowledge that will drive changes in the provision of healthcare services to benefit future patients. The front cover of the Lancet issue of 26th September 2009, which published the IDEAL statements, carried this sentence: “It is incumbent on academic surgeons worldwide to transform what was once considered a comic opera into a dynamic world-class specialty”. We need to assess surgical innovations, including endovascular repair for ruptured aneurysm, rapidly in large, pragmatic RCTs.
Rotary-tuned magnetrons

A new means of rapidly tuning magnetron oscillators by a continuous rotating motion has been developed, permitting tuning rates 10 to 50 times faster than was previously possible with these tubes. The technique offers either controlled or completely random frequency agility on a pulse-to-pulse basis, and retains the inherent magnetron advantages of small size and weight, high efficiency, and simplicity of design, leading to high reliability. By utilizing a continuously rotating tuner element, rather than the reciprocating elements formerly employed, problems of inertia, tuner drive power and drive system response are eliminated. A simple variable-speed rotary motor provides the driving force. The rotary tuning plate has been designed for adaptation to tubes at various frequency bands. Uses of the device are centered around ECCM applications, but have also been shown to offer radar range enhancement and avoidance of rf interference between electronic equipments. Information will be presented in this paper illustrating the construction and mechanical layout, as well as the electrical theory and performance results achieved with the new device. Techniques for fast-tracking with an electronically-tuned oscillator will be shown. The present state of the rotary-tuned magnetron art will be discussed, as well as probable limits and likelihood of future development in this area.
Escherichia coli endotoxin effect on a methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma in the hamster cheekpouch.

SummaryGolden hamsters, Mesocrice-tus auratus, were transplanted in their cheekpouches with 105 methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma cells maintained in tissue culture. At varying times the animals were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of E. coli endotoxin and the tumors were observed periodically for damage. Animals treated with endotoxin on Days 4 through 8 after tumor transplantation exhibited hemorrhaging adjacent to the tumor nodule, hemorrhaging within the tumor, decreased tumor growth rate, and, in a quarter of cases, necrosis of the tumor. Normal tissue transplants did not exhibit these effects. It appears that the hamster cheek-pouch may be a useful model for the study of endotoxin effects on young tumors.
Development of a 3D Crystal Plasticity Model that Tracks Dislocation Density Evolution

A dislocation density based crystal plasticity finite element model (CPFEM) is developed for aluminum in which dislocation densities evolve on all octahedral slip systems. Based upon the kinematics of crystal deformation and dislocation interaction laws, dislocation generation and annihilation are modeled. The CPFEM model is calibrated for pure aluminum using experimental stress-strain curves of pure aluminum single crystal from literature. Crystallographic texture predictions in plane-strain compression of aluminum are validated against experimental observations in the literature. The framework is implemented in ABAQUS with user interface UMAT subroutine. Dislocation densities evolve and are tracked as state variables in the model, leading to spatially inhomogeneous dislocation densities that show patterning in the dislocation structures.
Relation of sleep-disordered breathing to carotid plaque and intima-media thickness.

Abstract Background Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD), but its relation to subclinical atherosclerosis remains to be determined. Methods We analyzed the cross-sectional associations of SDB, measured by the respiratory disturbance index (RDI), a hypoxemia index, and an arousal index, with carotid plaque and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), measured by ultrasound. The sample included 985 participants in the Sleep Heart Health Study (mean age—62, median RDI—8.7) with no history of coronary heart disease and stroke, of whom 396 had evidence of a carotid plaque. Results As compared with the first quartile of the RDI (0–1.2), the crude odds ratio for carotid plaque was 1.14, 1.27, and 1.48 for the second (1.3–4.1), third (4.2–10.7), and fourth (>10.7) quartile, respectively. After adjustment for CVD risk factors, the corresponding odds ratios were reduced (1.00, 1.04, 1.07, and 1.25). Similarly, the unadjusted mean carotid IMT increased with RDI, but adjusted means (mm) were similar (0.84, 0.85, 0.84, 0.85). Spline regression models did not show monotonicity of the dose–response functions at the right end of the RDI distribution. Neither the hypoxemia index nor the arousal index was associated with carotid plaque or carotid IMT. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that crude, positive associations between SDB and subclinical atherosclerosis can be attributed to confounding by CVD risk factors.
In search of depth.

Four experiments designed to investigate a visual search task are reported. In each experiment, subjects searched for either a two-dimensional shape rotated in depth among frontal-parallel distractors or a frontal-parallel shape among distractors that were rotated in depth. The principal independent variable was search-set size. In addition, over the four experiments, a variety of spatial arrangements and two axes of rotation in depth were sampled. The chief aim of the experiments was to adduce evidence bearing on the attentional demands of searching for depth. The slopes of the reaction-time (RT) functions were taken as diagnostic. Experiments 1–3 exhibited positive slopes for the RT-set-size function. These slopes appear to be due to a conscious adoption of a serial search strategy by the subjects. When this tendency was suppressed by the procedures of Experiment 4, the slope of the RT-set-size functions did not differ significantly from zero. We conclude that, in agreement with the findings of other studies, slant-in-depth can be detected preattentively.
Local genetic structure and relatedness in a solitary mammal, Neotoma fuscipes

We used DNA microsatellites to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of local genetic differentiation and relatedness in a solitary mammal, the dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes). Patterns of genetic variation were measured relative to spatial clusters, or neighborhoods, of woodrats. We detected significant genetic differentiation among woodrat neighborhoods in two populations spanning multiple habitat types and densities. Estimates of θST among neighborhoods ranged 0.034–0.075 and were comparable to levels reported in social mammals. Genetic differentiation at such a local scale is noteworthy because it occurred in the absence of any physical barriers to gene flow, suggesting that the patterns observed are linked to the nonrandom patterns of mating and dispersal that characterize woodrat social structure. Genetic differentiation and relatedness among neighborhoods were even higher when only resident females were analyzed. These results are consistent with a pattern of female philopatry and male-biased dispersal in woodrats. Geographic distance and relatedness were inversely correlated in adult females at intermediate densities, but not at low densities. Nonetheless, matrilineal genetic structure was apparent even at low woodrat densities based on estimates of θST among neighborhoods of resident females that were significantly greater than zero and consistently greater than estimates including all individuals. In summary, this study demonstrates a matrilineal genetic structure in dusky-footed woodrats. In addition, our results support the idea that intermediate densities may be better at facilitating the formation of spatial kin clusters than either extreme.
Mutations and protein stability.

The comparative study of proteins which differ in primary structure by point mutations permits one to use thermodynamic experiments to obtain information about the role of specific amino acids in determining protein structure and stability. We have now determined the thermodynamic changes induced in six mutants of T4 lysozyme and have compared the results with the wildtype enzyme. Our work is in collaboration with B. Matthews and his colleagues, who have determined the crystal structure of T4 lysozyme and have obtained difference Fourier maps for four of the mutants. The ultimate aim is to correlate changes in protein stability with changes in the detailed structure of the protein. This paper discusses the thermodynamic results obtained from the mutants studied. All the mutants have a lower Tm than the wild-type enzyme and changes in the enthalpy of denaturation are sometimes extraordinarily large. Changes in ΔH of denaturation are usually accompanied by compensating changes in ΔS. The general question of protein stability and the manner in which it varies with temperature and mutations is discussed.
RTM modeling - The performing stage

Resin Transfer Molding process enjoys wide attention. Modeling of this process is extremely important because of its complexity and high cost of the necessary tooling. The paper concentrates on modeling of the part of the process preceding the inject ion of resin into mold. The deformation of preform during draping and compaction stage is analyzed. Authors then present models for the draping stage and for evaluat ing the permeability of the deformed preform and discuss some of the issues associated with these models. Representative results are presented and compared to experimental data.
Macular degeneration: recent advances and therapeutic opportunities

The central retina mediates high acuity vision, and its progressive dysfunction due to macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual disability among adults in industrialized societies. Here, we summarize recent progress in understanding the pathophysiology of macular degeneration and the implications of this new knowledge for treatment and prevention. The past decade has witnessed remarkable advances in this field, including the development of new, non-invasive retinal imaging technologies, the development of animal models for macular disease, and the isolation of many of the genes responsible for both early- and late-onset macular diseases. These advances have set the stage for the development of effective mechanism-based therapies.
Differential regulation of Interleukin-1 Receptor-associated Kinase-1 (IRAK-1) and IRAK-2 by microRNA-146a and NF-κB in stressed human astroglial cells and in Alzheimer disease

Specific microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs that support homeostatic gene expression, are significantly altered in abundance in human neurological disorders. In monocytes, increased expression of an NF-κB-regulated miRNA-146a down-regulates expression of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1), an essential component of Toll-like/IL-1 receptor signaling. Here we extend those observations to the hippocampus and neocortex of Alzheimer disease (AD) brain and to stressed human astroglial (HAG) cells in primary culture. In 66 control and AD samples we note a significant up-regulation of miRNA-146a coupled to down-regulation of IRAK-1 and a compensatory up-regulation of IRAK-2. Using miRNA-146a-, IRAK-1-, or IRAK-2 promoter-luciferase reporter constructs, we observe decreases in IRAK-1 and increases in miRNA-146a and IRAK-2 expression in interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and amyloid-β-42 (Aβ42) peptide-stressed HAG cells. NF-κB-mediated transcriptional control of human IRAK-2 was localized to between −119 and +12 bp of the immediate IRAK-2 promoter. The NF-κB inhibitors curcumin, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate or CAY10512 abrogated both IRAK-2 and miRNA-146a expression, whereas IRAK-1 was up-regulated. Incubation of a protected antisense miRNA-146a was found to inhibit miRNA-146a and restore IRAK-1, whereas IRAK-2 remained unaffected. These data suggest a significantly independent regulation of IRAK-1 and IRAK-2 in AD and in IL-1β+Aβ42 peptide-stressed HAG cells and that an inducible, NF-κB-sensitive, miRNA-146a-mediated down-regulation of IRAK-1 coupled to an NF-κB-induced up-regulation of IRAK-2 expression drives an extensively sustained inflammatory response. The interactive signaling of NF-κB and miRNA-146a further illustrate interplay between inducible transcription factors and pro-inflammatory miRNAs that regulate brain IRAK expression. The combinatorial use of NF-κB inhibitors with miRNA-146a or antisense miRNA-146a may have potential as a bi-pronged therapeutic strategy directed against IRAK-2-driven pathogenic signaling.
Measurement of White Collar Productivity

White‐collar productivity measurement can be improved, according to results from group sessions conducted with 39 executives, managers and academics which elicited a list of eleven useful areas for measurement. There are three types of ways in which the measurements can be used: self‐improvement; performance appraisal, salary and promotion; and feedback, communication and work direction. Highly interactive jobs should be measured at group level, with individual performance judged on the basis of group results. Peer group ratings can also measure white collar productivity, with existing MBO systems providing information; and time management techniques are also appropriate.
In the eye of the storm

Abstract This paper examines the 1990s fisheries crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador from the point of view of a feminist researcher, activist and teacher involved in that crisis. It opens with a discussion of the broad dimensions of the crisis and describes some of the problems I quickly and publicly identified, as a feminist social scientist, with the adjustment programs it generated. As the crisis unfolded, the concerns I was raising became increasingly marginalized in the media and other fora. This marginalization, coupled with a shortage of resources to study the actual impacts of the crisis eventually made me feel isolated and uncertain about my analysis and I stopped speaking out. The formation and work of the Newfoundland and Labrador Women's FishNet, a voluntary group of feminists of which I was a founding member, provided me with the sisterhood and organizational and strategic resources I needed to move beyond this impasse. FishNet activities provide the focus for the second section of the paper. I emphasize the ways FishNet helped to empower its members and women from fishery communities but close with a discussion of some of the factors that contributed to its collapse. In the final section, I examine some of the lessons I have learned from my experience as a researcher, teacher and activist working on feminist fisheries issues within Newfoundland and Labrador during the fisheries crisis.
Index enhancement and absorption compensation via quantum coherence control in multicomponent media

Abstract Conditions for strong refractive index enhancement (n ∼ 5 to 10) in the presence of complete absorption compensation are presented and discussed in terms of a generic model system composed of three-level atom inclusions in a dielectric host material.
Degradation of Aflatoxin by Poultry Litter

Two trials were conducted to determine whether deep stacking of contaminated corn with poultry litter destroys aflatoxin. Contaminated corn was ground and mixed with litter to carbon:nitrogen ratios of 30:1. Moistures were adjusted by adding tap water just prior to incubation or stacking. The initial laboratory trial included only broiler litter at 40% moisture, whereas the subsequent field trial involved a 2 x 2 factorial design with litter type (turkey or broiler) and moisture (20 or 40%) as main effects. Aflatoxin assays were reduced in the laboratory trial from 433 and 402 to 54 and 8 ppb in Containers 1 and 2, respectively, after 35 d of incubation at 28 C. In the field trial, aflatoxin disappeared from broiler and turkey litter mixtures with projected moistures of 20% after 10 and 6 wk of storage, respectively, whereas disappearance in mixtures containing projected moistures of 40% required 5 and 3 wk, respectively. Differences in moisture appear to account for differences in the ability of turkey and broiler litter to detoxify aflatoxin. Hence, turkey and broiler litter would appear equal with respect to the ability to detoxify aflatoxin-contaminated corn. Disappearance of aflatoxin during storage with litter could have occurred as a result of ammonia release during storage or microbial detoxification mechanisms. However, nitrogen values suggest that microbial action was responsible for much of the detoxification, as aflatoxin disappeared from mixtures with little apparent ammonia release.
How Patients' Lack of Knowledge About Oral Bisphosphonates Can Interfere With Medical and Dental Care

ABSTRACT Background Oral bisphosphonate use has been associated with a small risk of developing oral osteonecrosis that occurs spontaneously or after the patient has undergone dental surgery. The authors conducted a study to determine whether patients taking bisphosphonates had knowledge about the medical indication for the therapy and the duration of treatment, as well as whether they had been educated by their physicians about possible adverse reactions. Methods From June 2008 through April 2009, people seeking routine care in a dental clinic and who were being treated with bisphosphonates were invited to participate in the study. The participants were asked questions involving knowledge about the medical indications related to their taking bisphosphonates, the duration of their therapy and whether they had been educated about possible adverse reactions. Results The authors interviewed 73 participants; 84 percent stated they knew why they were receiving bisphosphonate therapy. However, 80 percent said they were unsure about the duration of therapy, and 82 percent could not recall if they had been told about the risk of experiencing adverse reactions, including oral osteonecrosis, by their physicians. Conclusion People taking bisphosphonates may be unfamiliar with the drug and its possible adverse oral side effects. Clinical Implications Dentists should be prepared to educate patients about the risks of developing oral complications resulting from bisphosphonate use and the need for appropriate dental care. Questions regarding discontinuation of bisphosphonate therapy should be answered by the physician.
Lattice Dynamics of Lithium Fluoride

The frequency wave-vector dispersion relation for the normal modes of vibration of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$F at 298\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K has been measured by means of slow-neutron inelastic scattering techniques. Triple-axis crystal spectrometers at two reactor facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were employed, mostly in the "constant-Q" mode of operation. The results can be satisfactorily fitted by a seven-parameter dipole approximation model involving nearest-neighbor and second-nearest-neighbor ${\mathrm{F}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-${\mathrm{F}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ short-range forces, a variable ionic charge, and the polarizability of the ${\mathrm{F}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ ions only. The applicability of other force models to ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$F is also discussed. Certain inconsistencies have been found between the slopes of the acoustic branches near q=0 and the appropriate velocities of sound as measured by ultrasonic techniques. It is believed that these arise from anharmonic effects. The frequency distribution of the normal modes has been computed with high precision from the best-fit dipole approximation model, together with related quantities such as the lattice heat capacity, entropy, and Debye-Waller factors for each ion. Combined (two-phonon) density-of-states functions have also been calculated; comparisons are made between these one- and two-phonon distribution functions and certain features observed in optical and infrared absorption experiments on LiF.
Biofeedback‐Assisted Relaxation to Reduce Stress in Labor

Objective To test the feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating biofeedback‐assisted relaxation techniques into routine instruction in Lamaze classes. Design A quasi‐experimental design (static groups comparison) was used. Setting Lamaze classes. Participants A convenience sample of 33 subjects recruited from 12 Lamaze classes. Measures Duration of first‐stage labor, amount of sedation and analgesia during first‐stage labor, number of complications, and 1‐ and 5‐minute Apgar scores of the neonates. Results The experimental subjects reported greater stress during labor than did the control subjects. Conclusions Although the supplementary instruction in reducing stress seemed to promote relaxation during the prenatal classes, it did not reduce distress during labor and delivery because no mothers attempted to use the technique at that time.
Regulatory T Cells in Ovarian Cancer: Biology and Therapeutic Potential

Tumors express tumor-associated antigens (TAA) and thus should be the object of immune attack. Nonetheless, spontaneous clearance of established tumors is rare. Much work has demonstrated that tumors have numerous strategies either to prevent presentation of TAA, or to prevent TAA presentation in the context of T-cell co-signaling molecules. Thus, it was thought that lack of TAA-specific immunity was largely a passive process: tumors simply did not present enough TAA, or antigen-presenting cells did not have sufficient stimulatory capacity. On this basis, attempts were made to bolster TAA-specific immunity by using optimal antigen-presenting cells or by growing TAA-specific effector T cells ex vivo followed by adoptive transfer. These approaches met with some success in mouse models of human tumors, and showed some early clinical efficacy in human trials, although long-term efficacy remains to be established, and logistical problems are considerable. These studies established the concept that experimentally induced TAA-specific immunity is a rational and potentially efficacious means to treat cancer, including ovarian cancer. Nonetheless, recent work demonstrates that lack of naturally induced TAA-specific immunity is not simply a passive process. We discuss recent data clearly demonstrating that 'tumors actively prevent induction of TAA-specific immunity through induction of TAA-specific tolerance'. This tolerance is mediated in part by regulatory T cells (Tregs). Means to revert these tolerizing conditions represent a novel anticancer therapeutic stratagem. We discuss Tregs in this regard in human ovarian cancer and present evidence that depleting Treg in human cancer, including ovarian cancer, using denileukin diftitox (Ontak), improves immunity and may be therapeutic.
Improved identification of renal arteries in patients with aortic aneurysms by means of high-resolution computed tomography.

Abstract Suprarenal extension of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has been reported to be present in less than 10% of patients. Its preoperative demonstration is of value in planning the aneurysm repair; however, the most appropriate radiologic method of assessment remains controversial. Although many practitioners advocate angiography, recent advances in noninvasive techniques challenge this approach. To determine the optimal method of assessment, a retrospective study of CT, ultrasonography, and angiography was undertaken in a group of 101 patients with AAA. Conventional CT was used in all patients and high-resolution CT through the region of the renal vein was used in 45 of these patients. Ultrasonography was used in 27 patients and angiography in 23. Conventional CT detected the renal artery origins in 76% of the cases—results that improved to 98% when thin-section high-resolution CT was used. These improvements in CT make the delineation of the relationship of the renal arteries to the aortic aneurysms almost as accurate as angiography at approximately half the cost. Its accuracy, safety, and cost effectiveness make CT the modality of choice in the preoperative assessment of suprarenal aortic aneurysms. (J VASC SURG 1987;6:262-8.)
Internal Pressure Loads Due to Gaseous Detonations

The internal loading of structures and confinements by gaseous detonation is studied using a multidimensional strong-shock physics code. Hydrogen-air-steam mixtures are used in calculations to show phenomena that apply qualitatively to any detonable gaseous fuel-oxidant-diluent mixture. Several variables are considered with respect to loading: ( a ) inert layers of various thicknesses; ( b ) deflagration-to-detonation transition(DDT) location as compared with direct initiation; and ( c ) some variations in geometry or confinement. Relatively thin inert layers are shown to increase the peak reflected shock pressure over that which would occur if the inert layer were not there. Inert layers may also increase impulse under some circumstances. DDT increases peak reflected pressures over those seen for direct initiation because of precompression of unburned gases. DDT may also increase impulses. Peak reflected pressures and impulses are greater in edges and corners than on flat surfaces. Internal obstruction tends to randomize the energy in a detonation wave, decreasing the impulse on structures, and allowing the pressure to equilibrate more rapidly than if there were no obstruction.
Geopolitical Fears, Geoeconomic Hopes, and the Responsibilities of Geography

Geographers have a responsibility to examine persistently, collaboratively, and critically the geographical grounds of hope and fear. We can help debunk false hopes and groundless fears, and in so doing we can also advance more sensible hopes based on more embodied and accountable experiences of fear. The case of the Iraq war shows how the groundless geopolitical fears about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and Al Qaeda connections were combined with equally groundless geoeconomic hopes about making the middle of the Middle East into a bastion of peace and freedom through free-market reforms. These geopolitical and geoeconomic discourses were imagined as part of a foreign policy of accumulation by dispossession. Other, more grounded accounts of the real fears created by dispossession can lead instead to more realistically hopeful geographies of repossession.
Occult primary carcinoma metastatic to the iris.

A 61-year-old male underwent an uncomplicated trabeculectomy with Mitomycin-C for inflammatory glaucoma associated with debris in the right inferior angle, without histopathological examination of the trabeculectomy specimen. Two weeks later the subject developed vascularized, amelanotic nodules on his iris (Fig. 1) and was referred to the National Eye Institute for evaluation of unilateral anterior granulomatous uveitis. Thorough history and laboratory investigations were remarkable only for occasional gastrointestinal disturbances and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (system model 840; Humphrey Zeiss; San Leandro, California, USA) revealed a mass that extended from the ciliary body to the iris (Fig. 2). A fine needle aspiration biopsy of the lesion through the clear cornea using a 30-gauge needle revealed atypical mucin-producing cells with large nuclei, prominent nucleoli and abundant vacuolated cytoplasm. These cells were intermixed with macrophages, some of which contained melanin granules. Interestingly, those atypical mucin-producing cells could be stained with epithelial (cytokeratin) but not with melanocytic markers (HMB45), consistent with a metastatic carcinoma (Fig. 3). A systemic work-up for malignancy was negative. In this particular case, cytology of the iris nodules, which had an unusual clinical appearance for granulomas, demonstrated malignant cells of possible gastrointestinal origin. In 25% of cases iris metastases may be the first manifestation of a malignancy. Breast (40%) and lung (28%) carcinomas are the most common causes of uveal metastases, whereas gastrointestinal carcinomas are less common. It is useful to consider masquerade syndrome in the differential diagnosis of uveitis and to exclude it when appropriate with a diagnostic procedure and appropriate pathological studies.
Developing planning and reactive control for a hexapod robot

We have designed an architecture that allows a gait planner to effectively control primitive walking behaviors. The behaviors ensure safe and efficient walking, even without planning; the addition of planning improves performance in rough terrain by allowing the robot to anticipate changes in its gait. We have implemented our approach and demonstrated it on a real robot, Dante II, and on a simulated hexapod with more complex kinematics. With the hexapod we can produce a variety of gaits and stably switch among them. We have attained performance improvement by using narrowly focused planning to guide behavior.
Pharmacogenetic Analysis Reveals a Post-Developmental Role for Rac GTPases in Caenorhabditis elegans GABAergic Neurotransmission

The nerve-cell cytoskeleton is essential for the regulation of intrinsic neuronal activity. For example, neuronal migration defects are associated with microtubule regulators, such as LIS1 and dynein, as well as with actin regulators, including Rac GTPases and integrins, and have been thought to underlie epileptic seizures in patients with cortical malformations. However, it is plausible that post-developmental functions of specific cytoskeletal regulators contribute to the more transient nature of aberrant neuronal activity and could be masked by developmental anomalies. Accordingly, our previous results have illuminated functional roles, distinct from developmental contributions, for Caenorhabditis elegans orthologs of LIS1 and dynein in GABAergic synaptic vesicle transport. Here, we report that C. elegans with function-altering mutations in canonical Rac GTPase-signaling-pathway members demonstrated a robust behavioral response to a GABAA receptor antagonist, pentylenetetrazole. Rac mutants also exhibited hypersensitivity to an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, aldicarb, uncovering deficiencies in inhibitory neurotransmission. RNA interference targeting Rac hypomorphs revealed synergistic interactions between the dynein motor complex and some, but not all, members of Rac-signaling pathways. These genetic interactions are consistent with putative Rac-dependent regulation of actin and microtubule networks and suggest that some cytoskeletal regulators cooperate to uniquely govern neuronal synchrony through dynein-mediated GABAergic vesicle transport in C. elegans.
Personnel Demonstration Projects and Human Resource Management Innovation

The Personnel Demonstration Project (PDP) provision of the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 was intended to promote innovative human resource management (HRM) practices and policies. The early experience in this regard was not encouraging. However, during the second 15 years of its existence, the Personnel Demonstration Project authority has been critical to the diffusion of two important human resource management policy innovations, paybanding and category rating. This analysis explores the policymaking dynamic through which this diffusion has occurred.
Interconnection of LANs in an open systems environment

This paper studies two methods of interconnecting heterogeneous local area networks (LANs) such as Carrier-Sense Multiple-Access (CSMA) and token ring networks in an open systems environment, and evaluates the associated system performance. The first interconnecting method is to link the two LANs through gateways; the second is to use an architecture in which some stations on the ring LAN are also linked to the CSMA LAN via a multiplexer. Through such interconnected LANs, the Department of Defense end users can process data and applications seamlessly in an open systems environment. It has been shown that the second method (a type of dual interface) gives better performance in minimizing the response time and token rotation time, causing less traffic congestion. By allowing routing at the stations on the ring, the comparison becomes rather arbitrary. An optimal traffic routing ratio is determined for the second interconnection method. Moreover, a threshold routing ratio, beyond which the first interconnection is superior in performance, is computed. >
Acidic deposition and sustainable forest management in the central Appalachians, USA

Long-term productivity of mixed-species forests in the central Appalachian region of the United States may be threatened by changes in base cation availability of the soil. These changes may be due to increased intensity of harvest removals and a shift toward shorter rotations that result in increased removal of calcium and magnesium in aboveground biomass, and through altered nutrient cycling. Atmospheric deposition, particularly of nitrogen, also affects nutrient cycling by increasing leaching of base cations from the soil in soil solution, and by altering the rate of nutrient cycling. In this paper, I present evidence for nitrogen saturation of forested ecosystems in the central Appalachians, discuss the symptoms and implications for productivity as well as the effects of changes in timber harvesting rates and intensity on nutrient cycling, and evaluate the potential for interaction between these two stressors. Indicators of changes in productivity of extensively managed forests due to base cation depletion are also discussed.
American Indian Adolescents and Disordered Eating

School counselors play an important role in identifying and intervening with students struggling with disordered eating (e.g., Bardick et al., 2004). Research has shown that American Indian adolescents report higher rates of certain disordered eating behaviors than other racial groups. The literature on the prevalence and etiology of disordered eating among American Indian adolescents can assist school counselors in gaining understanding of this mental health struggle and can contribute to school counseling prevention and intervention.
Nonclassical Antimetabolites XIX: Simulation of 5′-Phosphoribosyl Binding III. Relative Contribution of Phosphate and the Other Oxygen-Containing Functions to the Binding of the 5′-Phosphoribosyl Moiety to Succinoadenylate Kinosynthetase

The synthesis of 6-mercapto-9H-purine-9-yl-pentanol phosphate (VI) and 9H-adenine-9-yl-pentanol phosphate (VII) via 5-amino-4-chloro-6-(5′-hydroxypentyl-amino)pyrimidine (X) are described. The comparison of VI, VII, thioinosinic acid (III), 5′-adenylic acid (IV), 2′-deoxy-5′-adenylic acid (V), thioinosine (XIII), and adenosine as inhibitors of succinoadenylate kinosynthetase indicated that the twelvefold decrease in activity of VI and VII compared to the ribonucleotides, VII and IV, was due primarily to the removal of the 2′-hydroxyl group and not the 3′-hydroxyl or furanosyl oxygen group of the ribosyl moiety.
Two-phase deadlock detection algorithm

A deadlock detection algorithm utilizing a transaction-wait-for (TWF) graph is presented. It is a fully distributed algorithm which allows multiple outstanding requests. The proposed algorithm can achieve improved overall performance, using multiple disjoint controllers coupled with the two-phase property, while maintaining the simplicity of centralized schemes. The detection step is divided into two phases. Phase 1 analyzes the conditions of the system of interacting transactions, involving phase 2 only if conditions are possible for deadlocks to occur. Phase 2 performs the actual cycle detection. The proposed algorithm can be used in transaction-based distributed processing systems. Some results on the complexity of the algorithm are given. >
On the economics of interrogation: the Big 4 versus the Little Fish game:

While military protocol requires that POWs provide only name, rank, serial number, and date of birth (the so-called Big 4), it is naive to think that all detainees, including terrorists, behave in ...
Strategies for preventing invasive plant outbreaks after prescribed fire in ponderosa pine forest.

Land managers use prescribed fire to return a vital process to fire-adapted ecosystems, restore forest structure from a state altered by long-term fire suppression, and reduce wildfire intensity. However, fire often produces favorable conditions for invasive plant species, particularly if it is intense enough to reveal bare mineral soil and open previously closed canopies. Understanding the environmental or fire characteristics that explain post-fire invasive plant abundance would aid managers in efficiently finding and quickly responding to fire-caused infestations. To that end, we used an information-theoretic model-selection approach to assess the relative importance of abiotic environmental characteristics (topoedaphic position, distance from roads), pre-and post-fire biotic environmental characteristics (forest structure, understory vegetation, fuel load), and prescribed fire severity (measured in four different ways) in explaining invasive plant cover in ponderosa pine forest in South Dakota’s Black Hills. Environmental characteristics (distance from roads and post-fire forest structure) alone provided the most explanation of variation (26%) in post-fire cover of Verbascum thapsus (common mullein), but a combination of surface fire severity and environmental characteristics (pre-fire forest structure and distance from roads) explained 36–39% of the variation in post-fire cover of Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) and all invasives together. For four species and all invasives together, their pre-fire cover explained more variation (26–82%) in post-fire cover than environmental and fire characteristics did, suggesting one strategy for reducing post-fire invasive outbreaks may be to find and control invasives before the fire. Finding them may be difficult, however, since pre-fire environmental characteristics explained only 20% of variation in pre-fire total invasive cover, and less for individual species. Thus, moderating fire intensity or targeting areas of high severity for post-fire invasive control may be the most efficient means for reducing the chances of post-fire invasive plant outbreaks when conducting prescribed fires in this region.
Age at Entry Into Care, Timing of Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation, and 10-Year Mortality Among HIV-Seropositive Adults in the United States

BACKGROUND The goal of targeted antiretroviral therapy initiation is to minimize disease progression among patients with human immunodeficiency virus while minimizing the therapeutic burden on these patients. We examine whether the effect of delaying therapy initiation from 500 cells/mm(3) to 350 or 200 cells/mm(3) is modified by age at entry into care. METHODS We used the parametric g-formula to compare 10-year mortality under 3 CD4 cell count thresholds for therapy initiation among 3532 patients who entered care at 1 of 8 sites in the United States between 1998 and 2013. Results are reported separately for patients 18 to 34, 35 to 44, and 45 to 65 years of age at study entry. RESULTS In the observed data, 10-year mortality was 13% (165 deaths). Mortality increased from 11% under therapy initiation at 500 cells/mm(3) to 12% at 350 cells/mm(3) (risk difference [RD]: 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI]: .56, 2.17) and to 14% at 200 cells/mm(3) (RD: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.79, 5.38). The effect of delaying therapy became greater with age: RDs comparing the 350-cells/mm(3) threshold with the 500-cells/mm(3) threshold ranged from -0.03 (95% CI: -0.15, 1.76) for patients 18 to 34 years of age to 0.99 (95% CI: -.27, 1.98) for patients 35 to 44 and to 2.30 (95% CI: 1.29, 5.42) for patients 45 to 65. CONCLUSIONS Delaying therapy increased 10-year mortality in the full cohort. Subgroup analysis highlights that patients entering care at older ages may be more vulnerable to the consequences of delayed ART initiation than younger patients.
Vitamin D3–Upregulated Protein-1 (VDUP-1) Regulates Redox-Dependent Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation Through Interaction With Thioredoxin

Reactive oxygen species are important cellular signaling molecules, and thioredoxin (TRX) is a key regulator of cellular redox balance. We investigated the interaction of TRX with its endogenous inhibitor, vitamin D3-upregulated protein (VDUP)-1, in human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Adenoviral gene transfer of TRX enhanced TRX enzyme activity 2.7+/-0.4-fold (P<0.05 versus cells infected with adenoviral vector expressing green fluorescent protein [AdGFP]) and resulted in a 3.8+/-0.5-fold increase of cellular DNA synthesis as detected by methyl-[3H]thymidine incorporation (P<0.001). Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) also increased TRX enzyme activity 2.5+/-3.3-fold (P<0.05 versus no stimulation) and DNA synthesis 6.5+/-0.3-fold (P<0.001 versus no stimulation) without significant changes in TRX expression. PDGF and H2O2 time-dependently suppressed VDUP-1 expression (13-fold and 30-fold reduction after 1 hour, respectively; P<0.001), and this was inhibited by the cell-permeable antioxidants N-acetylcysteine and 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzene-disulfonic acid (Tiron). Overexpression of VDUP-1 (AdVDUP-1) reduced TRX activity at baseline (-61+/-23% versus control cells, P<0.05) and abolished PDGF-induced TRX activity (-9+/-27% in AdVDUP-1-infected cells; P=NS versus control cells). In addition, overexpression of VDUP-1 blocked PDGF-induced DNA synthesis (1.3+/-0.4-fold increase in AdVDUP-1-infected cells versus 6.5+/-0.4-fold increase in AdGFP-infected cells, P<0.001). In conclusion, VDUP-1 has marked antiproliferative effects in SMCs through the suppression of TRX activity, suggesting that the regulation of VDUP-1 is a critical molecular switch in the transduction of pro-oxidant mitogenic signals. These data also demonstrate that activation of the reductase TRX plays a pivotal role in the redox-dependent proliferation of SMCs.
Hemifacial spasm caused by an aberrant jugular branch of the ascending pharyngeal artery

We present the first report of a case of hemifacial spasm caused by an anomalous, enlarged branch of the ascending pharyngeal artery and treated with microvascular decompression. Clinicians must appreciate unusual causes of hemifacial spasm so that patients are not denied a curative operation due to atypical radiographic findings.