cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phytogard® and DL-β-amino Butyric Acid (BABA) Induce Resistance to Downy Mildew (Bremia Lactucae) in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L)

Downy mildew of lettuce (Bremia lactucae) is a serious disease. An alternative to chemicals is the application of disease resistance inducers. The aim of this study was to test whether DL-β-amino butyric acid (BABA) and Phytogard® (K2HPO3) could induce resistance in downy mildew susceptible plants. Aqueous solutions of BABA (0, 10, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100 mM) and Phytogard® (0.0, 5.8, 29.0, 40.6, 58.0 and 87.0 ppm) were sprayed on seven-day-old seedlings 0, 3, 7 and 15 days before or 1–3 days after inoculation with B. lactucae. Results obtained showed that Phytogard®- and BABA-induced resistance was dose-dependent. At 40.6 ppm for Phytogard® and 10 mM for BABA, complete protection was obtained. Both compounds had a curative effect and the induced resistance lasted for at least 15 days. It was also shown that both compounds induced systemic resistance in lettuce against downy mildew. Phytogard® at 40.6 ppm completely inhibited spore germination while BABA at 20 mM did not. Pathogenesis related (PR) protein analysis showed that BABA induced weak accumulation of PR-2, but not PR-1, PR-5 and PR-9. Phytogard® induced none of these proteins. The use of these two compounds to protect lettuce from B. lactucae is discussed.
COMPARISON OF CALCIUM SCORE AND FRAMINGHAM SCORE IN NATIVE AMERICANS VERSUS NON-NATIVE AMERICANS

Both the Framingham risk score (FRS) and coronary artery calcium score (CAC) have been used or cardiovascular risk stratification. Native American ethnicity is associated with increased burden of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of the present study was to compare FRS and CAC in Native American
Impact of periprocedural subcutaneous parathyroid hormone on control of hypocalcaemia in APS-1/APECED patients undergoing invasive procedures.

CONTEXT The monogenic disorder autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) or autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) manifests frequently with hypoparathyroidism, which requires treatment with oral supplementation with calcium and active vitamin D analogs. The majority of APS-1/APECED patients also suffer from intestinal malabsorption, which complicates the management of hypoparathyroidism and may lead to refractory severe hypocalcaemia. In such situations, reliance on intravenous calcium carries a high risk of nephrocalcinosis and renal damage. METHODS Here, we report our experience of periprocedural subcutaneous administration of recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH 1-34) in APS-1/APECED patients. Serum calcium was measured up to five times within the 36-hour period starting the evening before the scheduled procedure and ending the morning following the procedure. RESULTS Twenty-seven APS-1/APECED patients with hypoparathyroidism (aged 4-67 years) underwent 31 invasive gastrointestinal and/or pulmonary procedures. The patients received an average rhPTH1-34 dose of 9.6 ± 1.4 µg by subcutaneous injection. 92% of the adults and 54% of children in our cohort had evidence of nephrocalcinosis. Mean calcium levels remained stable and ranged from 2.06 to 2.17 mmol/L with minimal fluctuation. None of our patients experienced periprocedural adverse events connected with hypocalcaemia. CONCLUSION rhPTH 1-34 is an alternative to conventional therapy in patients with APS-1/APECED and hypoparathyroidism undergoing invasive procedures. Subcutaneous PTH1-34 given directly before and after procedures resulted in well-controlled serum calcium levels maintained in the low-normal range and avoided the need for intravenous calcium which may contribute to renal calcifications and tubular damage.
A Context-aware Reconfigurable Transmitter with 2.24 pJ/bit, 802.15.6 NB-HBC and 4.93 pJ/bit, 400.9 MHz MedRadio Modes with 33.6% Transmit Efficiency

The emerging Narrowband Human Body Communication (NB-HBC) technology, as well as MedRadio communication in the 400 MHz band promise better energy efficiencies than traditional Bluetooth Low Energy for wireless body area networks (WBAN) due to lower channel losses and lower frequencies, respectively. Although HBC offers less than 10pJ/bit energy efficiencies, it strictly demands both the transmitter and receiver to be on the body. Traditional MedRadio enables data transfer even when either devices are not on the body, but consumes orders of magnitude more energy than HBC, primarily due to large power consumption in LO generation. In this work, for the first time, we demonstrate a COntext-aware, Reconfigurable transmitter (COR-Tx) consisting sub-3pJ/bit HBC and sub-5pJ/bit MedRadio modes (both state-of-the-art), while supporting opportunistic switching between the two modes depending on the location of the receiver (on-body/off-body) for achieving optimum system-level energy with seamless communication. For 10 Mbps data rate, the HBC mode achieves an energy efficiency of 2.24pJ/bit, while the MedRadio mode achieves 4.93pJ/bit using a shared LO generation scheme that utilizes direct-modulated edge combination (EC) for minimizing energy consumption. The energy-efficiency improvement over the state-of-the-art is ~2.1X for HBC and ~90X for MedRadio.
An effective action covering for multi-label learning classifier systems: a graph-theoretic approach

In Multi-label (ML) classification, each instance is associated with more than one class label. Incorporating the label correlations into the model is one of the increasingly studied areas in the last decade, mostly due to its potential in training more accurate predictive models and dealing with noisy/missing labels. Previously, multi-label learning classifier systems have been proposed that incorporate the high-order label correlations into the model through the label powerset (LP) technique. However, such a strategy cannot take advantage of the valuable statistical information in the label space to make more accurate inferences. Such information becomes even more crucial in ML image classification problems where the number of labels can be very large. In this paper, we propose a multi-label learning classifier system that leverages a structured representation for the labels through undirected graphs to utilize the label similarities when evolving rules. More specifically, we propose a novel scheme for covering classifier actions, as well as a method to calculate ML prediction arrays. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by experimenting on multiple benchmark datasets and comparing the results with multiple well-known ML classification algorithms.
Purebred & Homegrown: America's County Fairs

Review of: "Purebred & Homegrown: America's County Fairs," by Drake Hokanson and Carol Kratz.
Constraint Approach to Multi-Objective Optimization

In many practical situations, we would like to maximize (or minimize) several different criteria, and it is not clear how much weight to assign to each of these criteria. Such situations are ubiquitous and thus, it is important to be able to solve the corresponding multi-objective optimization problems. There exist many heuristic methods for solving such problems. In this paper, we reformulate multi-objective optimization as a constraint satisfaction problem, and we show that this reformulation explains two widely use multi-objective optimization techniques: optimizing a weighted sum of the objective functions and optimizing the product of normalized values of these functions.
Patterns of Indigenous Learning: An Ethnographic Study on How Kindergartners Learn in Mana, Fiji

Technology has greatly impacted educational systems around the world, even in the most geographically isolated places. This study utilizes an ethnographic approach to examine the patterns of learning in a kindergarten in Mana, Fiji. Data comprised of interviews, observations and examination of related artifacts. The results provide baseline data for a larger study examining the evolution of learning patterns after iPads were introduced to the Mana school. Data were examined through two frameworks: Multiple Intelligence and 21st Century Skills during the baseline study; the same two frameworks will be utilized in the next round of data analysis. A comparative analysis will finally be conducted after the summer of 2015. Approval and support from three Fijian ministries was acquired for this study. The full text of the article can be found at 10.18275/fire201502011048
First demonstration of a musical emotion BCI

Development of EEG-based brain computer interface (BCI) methods has largely focused on creating a communication channel for subjects with intact cognition but profound loss of motor control from stroke or neurodegenerative disease that allows such subjects to communicate by spelling out words on a personal computer. However, other important human communication channels may also be limited or unavailable for handicapped subjects -- direct non-linguistic emotional communication by gesture, vocal prosody, facial expression, etc.. We report and examine a first demonstration of a musical 'emotion BCI' in which, as one element of a live musical performance, an able-bodied subject successfully engaged the electronic delivery of an ordered sequence of five music two-tone bass frequency drone sounds by imaginatively re-experiencing the human feeling he had spontaneously associated with the sound of each drone sound during training sessions. The EEG data included activities of both brain and non-brain sources (scalp muscles, eye movements). Common Spatial Pattern classification gave 84% correct pseudo-online performance and 5-of-5 correct classification in live performance. Re-analysis of the training session data including only the brain EEG sources found by multiple-mixture Amica ICA decomposition achieved five-class classification accuracy of 59-70%, confirming that different voluntary emotion imagination experiences may be associated with distinguishable brain source EEG dynamics.
Abstract 3679: Inhibition of LSD1 disrupts global EWS/ETS transcriptional function in Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive pediatric bone tumor characterized by an absolute reliance on the transcriptional activity of the EWS/ETS family of transcription factor fusion oncoproteins. The most common fusion is EWS/FLI, present in 85-95% of cases, though less common fusions include EWS/ERG, EWS/ETV1, EWS/ETV4 and EWS/FEV. EWS/FLI utilizes lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) as member of the NuRD complex to mediate transcriptional repression of critical tumor suppressors in Ewing sarcoma. LSD1 overexpression has been observed in clinical samples from Ewing sarcoma patients and small molecule blockade of LSD1 using tranylcypromine has been suggested as a therapeutic approach for Ewing sarcoma. We therefore evaluated the effects of LSD1 inhibition with the small molecule inhibitor, HCI-2509, in both in vitro and in vivo models of Ewing sarcoma. HCI-2509 is an LSD1 inhibitor with a Ki of ∼30 nM and multiple Ewing sarcoma cell lines show IC50s in cell viability assays from 500 nM-1 μM. Using RNA-seq, we show that HCI-2509 dramatically reverses both the up- and downregulated transcriptional profiles of both EWS/FLI and EWS/ERG accompanied by the induction of apoptosis and disruption of oncogenic phenotypes modulated by EWS/FLI. We further developed a 9-gene panel based on the RNA-seq data to assess the transcriptional phenotype of HCI-2509 in additional cell lines and showed that it HCI-2509 disrupted both EWS/FLI-activated and -repressed genes similarly across the tested Ewing sarcoma cell lines. HCI-2509 impaired transformation of Ewing sarcoma cell lines in colony forming assays with IC50s from from 25 nM-1 μM. Notably, HCI-2509 displayed single-agent efficacy in multiple xenograft models. We investigated the PK/PD relationship using tumor histone H3K4 and H3K9 methylation. Taken together, these data suggest that epigenetic modulation through LSD1 inhibition may be a therapeutic strategy for Ewing sarcoma, and highlight a critical dual role for LSD1 in the oncogenic transcriptional activity of EWS/ETS proteins. Citation Format: Emily Rose Theisen, Savita Sankar, Jared Bearss, Timothy Mulvihill, Venkataswamy Sorna, Sunil Sharma, Stephen L. Lessnick. Inhibition of LSD1 disrupts global EWS/ETS transcriptional function in Ewing sarcoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3679. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3679
The structures of the lipooligosaccharide and capsule polysaccharide of Campylobacter jejuni genome sequenced strain NCTC 11168

Campylobacter jejuni infections are one of the leading causes of human gastroenteritis and are suspected of being a precursor to Guillain-Barre and Miller-Fisher syndromes. Recently, the complete genome sequence of C. jejuni NCTC 11168 was described. In this study, the molecular structure of the lipooligosaccharide and capsular polysaccharide of C. jejuni NCTC 11168 was investigated. The lipooligosaccharide was shown to exhibit carbohydrate structures analogous to the GM1a and GM2 carbohydrate epitopes of human gangliosides (shown below): The high Mr capsule polysaccharide was composed of beta-d-Ribp, beta-d-GalfNAc, alpha-d-GlcpA6(NGro), a uronic acid amidated with 2-amino-2-deoxyglycerol at C-6, and 6-O-methyl-d-glycero-alpha-l-gluco-heptopyranose as a side-branch (shown below): The structural information presented here will aid in the identification and characterization of specific enzymes that are involved in the biosynthesis of these structures and may lead to the discovery of potential therapeutic targets. In addition, the correlation of carbohydrate structure with gene complement will aid in the elucidation of the role of these surface carbohydrates in C. jejuni pathogenesis.
Handheld routers: intelligent bandwidth aggregation for mobile collaborative communities

Multi-homed, mobile wireless computing and communication devices can spontaneously form communities to logically combine and share the bandwidth of each other's wide-area communication links using inverse multiplexing. But membership in such a community can be highly dynamic, as devices and their associated WAN links randomly join and leave the community. We identify the issues and tradeoffs faced in designing a decentralized inverse multiplexing system in this challenging setting, and determine precisely how heterogeneous WAN links should be characterized, and when they should be added to, or deleted from, the shared pool. We then propose methods of choosing the appropriate channels on which to assign newly-arriving application flows. Using video traffic as a motivating example, we demonstrate how significant performance gains can be realized by adapting allocation of the shared WAN channels to specific application requirements. Our simulation and experimentation results show that collaborative bandwidth aggregation systems are, indeed, a practical and compelling means of achieving high-speed Internet access for groups of wireless computing devices beyond the reach of public or private access points.
Acoustical analysis of the Orpheum Theatre

Extensive acoustical measurements and analyses were carried out in the Orpheum Theatre (Vancouver) for Aercoustics Engineering Ltd. as part of studies to develop plans for renovating the theatre. Measurements were made both on stage and for a number of locations in the audience seating area. Complete sets of measurements were repeated to evaluate the effects of the existing over-stage reflectors and an under-balcony electro-acoustic enhancement system. The measurements quantified problems associated with focusing effects and the different conditions found under a large balcony overhang. The measurements are compared with similar results found in other large halls. Measurements were made with our RAMSoft-II computer-based measurement system that uses an MLS signal and Fast Hadamard Transform techniques to calculate impulse responses. The impulse responses were filtered into octave bands and a dozen different acoustical quantities were calculated while in situ at each measurement position in the hall. For these measurements, three different source positions on stage and 15 receiver positions in the audience area of the hall were used
Model reduction for reaction-convection processes with fast and slow reactions

This paper addresses the derivation of a non-stiff PDE model for convection-reaction processes where the presence of large reaction rates induces stiffness. The slow dynamics are shown to be modeled by a singular partial differential algebraic system (PDAE) for which an equivalent PDE system is derived. The method is illustrated in a simple example.
Photoelectric measurement of small fluctuating retardations in weakly birefringent, lightscattering biological objects. I. The revolving tilted compensator method.

Summary A simple photoelectric method has been described for the analysis of birefringence in light-scattering biological objects. The sensitivity and range of the method can be varied at the discretion of the investigator. Under the conditions reported here the smallest detectable retardation was about 10−4 radian (0.1 A). Birefringence fluctuations with a period of the order of 1 sec could easily be analyzed.
Uniform asymptotic approximations for duct acoustic modes in a thin boundary-layer flow

Analytical approximations for the acoustic modes in a duct carrying a uniform core flow with a thin shear layer at the walls are developed using the method of matched asymptotic expansions. Both two-dimensional and cylindrical duct propagation are considered. Numerical results for eigenvalues calculated using the theory are presented for the two-dimensional problem and compared with results from earlier analyses. It is found that the new approximations yield a significant increase in accuracy. HE problem of sound transmission through a duct carrying a uniform core flow with a thin boundary layer at the walls has been of interest for some time. Such a flow has practical applications in modeling a fully developed real flow profile. Perhaps the strongest motivation for studying the problem, however, is the possibility of obtaining analytical results using asymptotic analyses which can yield physical understanding of shear flow propagation phenomena in more realistic flows which must be treated numerically. Analytical studies based on the assumption of small boundary-layer thickness have been carried out by several researchers during the past decade. Eversman and Beckemeyer1 developed an inner expansion for acoustic pressure in the layer from which they were able to derive an approximate equivalent boundary condition applicable at the outer edge of the layer. Using this condition they showed that the formulation of the shear layer problem reduces to that of the associated uniform flow problem with the well-known particle displacement continuity boundary condition as the layer thickness vanishes. In a later paper, Eversman2 employed the equivalent boundary condition to formulate the eigenvalue problem for acoustic modes in an annular duct flow. Using the known uniform flow solutions in the core flow, an approximate eigenvalue equation is developed. Numerical solution of this single equation yields the acoustic wave numbers and circumvents the task of numerically integrating the differential equation and iterating for the shear flow eigenfunctions. The procedure is equally applicable to rectangular duct geometries, for which it leads to an eigenvalue equation equivalent to one later derived less formally by Tester. 3 A slightly different analysis by Swinbanks,4 also for rectangular ducts, yields similar approximate results. Other studies less directly related to the present work are discussed in Sec. IV.B ofRef. 5. The work reported in the present paper arose in the course of some research on shear flow propagation in which it was desirable to obtain analytical representations of the acoustic
Effect of cholecystokinin receptor antagonist on pancreatic responses to exogenous gastrin and cholecystokinin and to meal stimuli.

Abstract Exocrine pancreatic response to food is believed to result from the interaction of neural and hormonal factors, but their contribution in the net postprandial secretion is unknown. Recent description of a highly specific and potent Cholecystokinin (CCK)-receptor antagonist permitted the evaluation of the physiologic role of CCK in postprandial pancreatic secretion. In dogs with chronic pancreatic fistula, CCK antagonism caused little alteration in sham feeding- or urecholine-induced pancreatic protein secretion, but reduced by ~60% the pancreatic protein response to a gastrointestinal meal and virtually abolished the pancreatic responses to duodenal perfusion with amino acids or oleate and to exogenous CCK, but not to secretin or neurotensin. The pancreatic protein responses, particularly to lower doses of gastrin, were also reduced by CCK-receptor antagonist, but no changes in the responses to secretin or neurotensin were detected. Cholecystokinin antagonism also significantly reduced the pancreatic polypeptide responses to CCK, gastrin, and the gastrointestinal meal, possibly due to removal of the CCK-mediated release of pancreatic polypeptide. We conclude that CCK plays a crucial role in the mediation of the gastrointestinal phase, but not the cephalic phase, of pancreatic secretion.
Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in patients with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in a large population in Zaragoza (Spain)

Background Obesity, hypertension, dyslipemia, smoking and hyperglycemia are prevalent in sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We investigated how these components affect the prevalente of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in our population at the Hospital Royo Villanova (Zaragoza, Spain). Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate whether some risks factors as hypertension, dyslipemia, smoking, obesity and hyperglycemia were present in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Methods A total of 525 patients were included, 371 patients were men and 154 patients were women. We studied the occurrence of hypertension, dyslipemia, smoking, obesity and hyperglycemia in 408 patients with OSAS and 117 patients without OSAS. Multiple logistic and regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the factors influencing the risk of OSAS. Results There is a strong association of OSAS with hypertension, dyslipemia, smoking, obesity and hyperglycemia. The presence of three or more risk factors were significantly higher in the group of OSAS (29.9% vs 17.9%) than in the group without OSAS. In addition, the prevalence of risks factors in men were high in patients with OSAS (29,1% vs 18,3%)than without OSAS. In women, the prevalence of risk factors were high in patients with OSAS (31.9% vs 17.1%) than without OSAS. Conclusions In our patients with sleep related disorders the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is clearly increased in comparison to the general population in Zaragoza (Spain).
Should antidepressant medication be used in the elderly

Late-life depression is a serious illness accompanied by medical morbidity, cognitive decline and risk of suicide. Antidepressant medications are a cornerstone of treatment for depressed elders. Although they are optimally provided in conjunction with psychotherapy, in many cases they are used alone. Recently, concern has developed over modern antidepressant medication, including concerns about their ultimate efficacy and particular risks that may be seen in older adult populations. Ultimately, antidepressant medications are effective for many individuals and continue to play an important role in treating depressed elders, although the potential risks must be weighed with the patient and their families. Current data do not support restriction of their use and untreated depression has serious negative health consequences. Patients need treatments with better efficacy and safety, including new pharmacological options and better access to and dissemination of nonpharmacological treatment.
Remote Stab Wound Resulting in AV Fistula and High-Output Heart Failure

A 54-year-old African American male with no medical history presented to an urgent care clinic with signs and symptoms of new-onset congestive heart failure. There was an initial concern for congestive heart failure secondary to an ischemic etiology as an echocardiogram revealed a depressed ejection fraction. However, a left heart cardiac catheterization did not demonstrate any significant coronary disease. As a loud bruit was auscultated over the right base of the patient's neck, he underwent a carotid duplex ultrasound revealing a fistula between the right common carotid artery (CCA) and the right internal jugular vein (IJV). A diagnosis of high-output heart failure secondary to a large arteriovenous (AV) fistula was made, and the patient underwent ligation and repair of the fistula with resolution of symptoms of congestive heart failure.
Contraceptive use among Latina women: social, cultural, and demographic correlates.

This study examined attitudes toward contraceptives and their use among Latino women recruited from obstetrics/gynecology waiting rooms in Los Angeles California. Interviews were conducted among 291 Latino women aged 15-50 years who were not pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Most Latino women were ranked low on acculturation. Barriers to contraceptive use (CU) were measured on the Meyers and Rhodes scale of 13 barriers. Attitudes were assessed with a modified UCLA Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale. The mean age was 29.5 years. 91% were born outside of the US. 50% were married. 68% reported CU during each sexual act. 74% reported intention to use during each future sexual act. 71% were very certain they would use birth control during each sexual act over the next 6 months. 89% reported at least 1 barrier to CU. 48% reported that contraceptive responsibility was a womens role. 42% reported opposition to use of birth control by their partner. 35% had the attitude that sex was more romantic without contraception. CU was highest among women aged 31-40 years non-natives of the US with 1 or more children without a desire for more children with fewer barriers to CU with high social support for CU with low levels of economic stress and with low acculturation. The multivariate model with controls for confounders revealed that CU was associated with no desire for additional sons social support self efficacy and low acculturation.
Infection and Transmission of Rift Valley Fever Viruses Lacking the NSs and/or NSm Genes in Mosquitoes: Potential Role for NSm in Mosquito Infection

Background: Rift Valley fever virus is an arthropod-borne human and animal pathogen responsible for large outbreaks of acute and febrile illness throughout Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Reverse genetics technology has been used to develop deletion mutants of the virus that lack the NSs and/or NSm virulence genes and have been shown to be stable, immunogenic and protective against Rift Valley fever virus infection in animals. We assessed the potential for these deletion mutant viruses to infect and be transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which are the principal vectors for maintenance of the virus in nature and emergence of virus initiating disease outbreaks, and by Culex mosquitoes which are important amplification vectors. Methodology and Principal Findings: Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were fed bloodmeals containing the deletion mutant viruses. Two weeks post-exposure mosquitoes were assayed for infection, dissemination, and transmission. In Ae. aegypti, infection and transmission rates of the NSs deletion virus were similar to wild type virus while dissemination rates were significantly reduced. Infection and dissemination rates for the NSm deletion virus were lower compared to wild type. Virus lacking both NSs and NSm failed to infect Ae. aegypti .I nCx. quinquefasciatus, infection rates for viruses lacking NSm or both NSs and NSm were lower than for wild type virus. Conclusions/Significance: In both species, deletion of NSm or both NSs and NSm reduced the infection and transmission potential of the virus. Deletion of both NSs and NSm resulted in the highest level of attenuation of virus replication. Deletion of NSm alone was sufficient to nearly abolish infection in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, indicating an important role for this protein. The double deleted viruses represent an ideal vaccine profile in terms of environmental containment due to lack of ability to efficiently infect and be transmitted by mosquitoes.
An improved and practical synthesis of 5,5-dimethyl-3-(2-propoxy)-4-(4-methanesulfonylphenyl)-2-(5H)-furanone (DFP—a selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2)

DFP, a highly selective and potent COX-2 inhibitor, has been synthesized by a modified approach. Three modifications of the existing method enabled us to prepare DFP in good quantity.
Além do falo

From a discussion on the impossibility to translate the French term jouissance into English, which uses the sentence 'sexual pleasure' instead, Gallop presents the difference established by Roland Barthes between plaisir and jouissance, tamer the first, wilder the later. She goes on to argue the difference between phallus and penis in the work of Jacques Lacan and of the Lacanian psychoanalyst Eugenie Lemoine-Luccioni, to conclude that the Lacanian position according to which the phallus is strictly a signifier, not to be interpreted as referring to the male's sexual organ, is not entirely tenable.
Structural coupling of the EF hand and C‐terminal GTPase domains in the mitochondrial protein Miro

Miro is a highly conserved calcium‐binding GTPase at the regulatory nexus of mitochondrial transport and autophagy. Here we present crystal structures comprising the tandem EF hand and carboxy terminal GTPase (cGTPase) domains of Drosophila Miro. The structures reveal two previously unidentified ‘hidden’ EF hands, each paired with a canonical EF hand. Each EF hand pair is bound to a helix that structurally mimics an EF hand ligand. A key nucleotide‐sensing element and a Pink1 phosphorylation site both lie within an extensive EF hand–cGTPase interface. Our results indicate structural mechanisms for calcium, nucleotide and phosphorylation‐dependent regulation of mitochondrial function by Miro.
Public Opinion and the 1996 Elections in Russia: Nostalgic and Statist, Yet Pro-Market and Pro-Yeltsin

Between 1991 and 1996 Russia underwent a precipitous economic and social decline with decreases in production, gross national product, and wages, and increases in inequality, crime, and corruption. Most people experienced a decline in their standard of living, and many fondly recalled the security and stability of the communist era. Nevertheless, in the two main cases when the Russian electorate was confronted with a choice of directions in economic policy–the referendum of 1993 and the presidential elections of 1996–the majority chose reform. Writing about Boris Yeltsin's surprising victory in the 1996 presidential elections, a Pravda commentator mused: “Logically, he should have lost, since he was unable to fully solve any of the problems that have piled up: the stagnation of production, the impoverishment of a majority of the people, growing unemployment, the chronic nonpayment of wages, the decline in science, culture and education, the continuing conflict in Chechnya, etc. Nevertheless, Yeltsin received a majority of the electorate's votes.”
Effect of 5-Ammo-7-Hydroxy-lH-v-Triazolo (d) Pyrimidine on Growth and Development of the Chick Embryo.∗

SummaryThe guanine analogue, 5-amino-7 - hydroxy - lH - v - triazolo (d) pyrimidine (guanazolo), which has been reported to be relatively non-toxic for adult mice, wras found to be toxic for the developing chick embryo.This was manifested by a high mortality rate, inhibition of growth, and the occurrence of developmental abnormalities. The toxic effects of guanazolo were inhibited by the simultaneous injection of guanine HCl.
The axon reaction of lamprey spinal interneurons.

Abstract Axotomy and partial denervation of giant interneurons (GIs) and lateral cells (LCs) were produced by complete spinal transection in the larval lamprey spinal cord. Both cell types demonstrated a reduction in cytoplasmic basophilia, increase in cell size, nuclear eccentricity, and formation of a chromophilic nuclear cap. This was quantified in the case of cell diameter. During the first 8 weeks of recovery, the GIs with the largest diameters were found progressively further from the scar and this peak change moved at approximately 0.5 mm/day. The increase in size of GIs remained up to 20 weeks post-transection, long after the time required for their axons to regenerate across the scar and form functioning synapses. GIs injected intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) also showed this increase in diameter as well as a simplification of their dendritic trees. Intracellular recordings from GIs revealed changes in the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous synaptic input. In the first two weeks after transection, spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) were less frequent than in control cells. After 6 weeks of recovery they became more frequent than in control cells. EPSPs predominated in axotomized GIs, while in control cells they constituted only 36% of the total of spontaneous potentials. A reversible increase in the amplitude of these EPSPs occurred at 3–4 weeks of recovery time. The resting membrane potential was significantly reduced by the 6th week after transection and returned to normal after the 22nd week.
Privacy Management as Unfinished Business: Shifting Boundaries in the Context of Infertility

Privacy dilemmas are prevalent for women who experience a fertility problem. In this study, we use communication privacy management (CPM) theory to explore how privacy boundaries shift over time as women cope with infertility. Based on interviews with 23 women, we found that women described distinctive patterns of shifting privacy boundaries, including situations in which the experience of infertility served as a change agent, patterns in which women became more or less open over time, and patterns that indicated a continuous oscillation of boundaries. These ever-changing patterns of talk indicate that managing private information about infertility is unfinished business.
Primary aldosteronism: a practical approach to diagnosis and treatment.

Primary aldosteronism (PA) may account for as many as 10%–14% of hypertension cases. The plasma aldosterone concentration/plasma renin activity ratio is a simple screening test for PA that should be performed in all patients with refractory/severe hypertension, spontaneous or provoked (by diuretics) hypokalemia, or a requirement for excessive potassium supplementation to maintain normokalemia. PA can be confirmed by a fludrocortisone suppression test or 24-hour urine collection for aldosterone. Confirmatory testing should be followed by high-resolution computerized tomography of the adrenal glands to distinguish bilateral hyperplasia or an adenoma. A solitary tumor greater than 1 cm in size in a younger patient is an indication for surgery; all other (nondiagnostic) findings should be followed by bilateral adrenal venous sampling (if available) to identify a unilateral cause of PA. Treatment for a later alizing positive study is surgical; spironolactone or another mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist is the treatment of choice for a nonlateralizing study. If adrenal venous sampling is not readily available, patients may be successfully treated pharmacologically.
Soft Tissue Trauma and Scar Revision

Numerous techniques and treatments have been described for scar revision, with most studies focusing on the adult population. A comprehensive review of the literature reveals a paucity of references related specifically to scar revision in children. This review describes the available modalities in pediatric facial scar revision. The authors have integrated current practices in soft tissue trauma and scar revision, including closure techniques and materials, topical therapy, steroid injection, cutaneous laser therapy, and tissue expanders.
Femtosecond pulse generation by using an additive-pulse mode-locked chromium-doped forsterite laser operated at 77 K

Using an acousto-optically mode-locked chromium-doped forsterite laser, operated at 77 K and coupled to a nonlinear resonator containing a single-mode fiber, we have produced femtosecond pulses of 150-fs duration at 1.23 μm with useful output powers of approximately 60 mW. This represents what is to our knowledge the first demonstration of femtosecond pulse generation from this laser system using the coupled-cavity mode-locking scheme.
Enhancement Technologies and Professional Integrity

*The opinions expressed are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy of the National Institutes of Health, the Public Health Service, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Enhancing supervisee reflectivity in clinical supervision: A case study illustration.

Reflectivity has been described as the cyclical process whereby individuals engage in a critical evaluation of their affective, cognitive, and behavioral experiences to produce insight and fundamental shifts in their original beliefs. Developing reflectivity in supervisees is one of the most challenging, yet important, responsibilities of clinical supervisors, given its link to such skills as critical thinking, ethical decision making, and problem solving. This paper advances the literature by presenting a case example that demonstrates how reflectivity can be emphasized in clinical supervision, highlighting the barriers to reflectivity, and providing strategies that supervisors can utilize to encourage reflectivity within clinical supervision. The strategies and information discussed may be flexibly applied to supervisees of all developmental levels within the context of individual supervision.
Quantitative and qualitative effects of L-triiodothyronine in massive obesity.

Seventeen massively obese patients were treated with either l-triiodothyronine (75 μg. three times a day) plus an 800-calorie diet or by diet plus placebo in a randomized double blind protocol. Weight loss data in hospitalized patients at eight weeks revealed a significantly greater mean weight loss of 29.1 pounds in the l-triiodothyronine group as compared with 17.2 pounds in the controls (p < .025). At 12 weeks there was no longer a significant difference in hospitalized patients with a mean weight loss of 37.0 pounds in the l-triiodothyronine group compared with 23.3 pounds in the controls (p < 0.15). Weight loss was unfavorably altered by hospital discharge and at 24 weeks the average weight loss of 48.1 pounds in the l-triiodothyroine group versus 29.4 pounds in the controls was not statistically significant. Subjective side effects were negligible, but one patient on l-triiodothyronine developed atrial fibrillation and was removed from the study. Gas chromatographic analysis of fat biopsies from the left buttock and dorsal cervical hump revealed a lower concentration of 16:1 and higher concentration of 16:0 and 18:0 fatty acids in the latter. Neither form of treatment altered this pattern significantly. Hyperuricemia in both groups returned to normal but the decline in serum urate was more striking in the patients treated with l-triiodothyronine. Treatment of obesity with l-triiodothyronine significantly accelerates weight loss in hospitalized patients for eight weeks but is recommended only in healthy, well motivated, massively obese (over 100 pounds above ideal weight) subjects who are agreeable to prolonged hospitalization, concomitant diet therapy, and long-term follow-up.
Upper Limit for the Pulsed Emission above 100 keV from Hercules X-1

We report a search for the 1.24 s pulsed emission above 100 keV from the binary X-ray source Hercules X-l. This source was discovered and has been extensively observed by the Uhuru satellite in the 2 to 20 keV region1,2. Hard X-ray observations have been reported by the MIT and UCSD experiments on the OSO-7 satellite3−5 and by balloon-borne experiments6,7. These hard X-ray observations reflect only the time-averaged flux; no pulsed emission has been reported. The observed spectrum steepens at ∼35 keV and is most consistent with a thermal bremsstrahlung model.
Tongue reduction in Beckwith-Weidemann syndrome.

Abstract Objective : To review our experience with patients with macroglossia as a component of Beckwith–Weidemann Syndrome (BWS). Design : Chart review of six patients treated with BWS. Setting : Tertiary care teaching hospital. Patients : Six patients diagnosed with BWS and macroglossia. Interventions : Four patients underwent at least one surgical procedure to address their macroglossia. The surgical options and potential complications are discussed. Results : Three patients who have undergone tongue reduction have a functioning tongue with normal mobility. Two patients have required tracheotomy as apart of their management and still have significant tongue enlargement. Conclusions : Macroglossia as a part of BWS may present a difficult management problem. Various methods of tongue reductions have been reported with mixed results.
Does Patient Satisfaction Contribute to Nursing Care Quality

The use of patient satisfaction tools is routine in healthcare facilities. What actually do the results of patient satisfaction surveys tell us about the quality of nursing care? The purpose of this article is to provide a discussion about patient satisfaction and nursing care. Recommendations are offered about how patient satisfaction may be used to improve nursing care and what changes may be needed to achieve a high level of patient satisfaction.
An ultrastructural analysis of spontaneous activation of hamster eggs aged in vivo.

In an effort to elucidate various aspects involving the initiation of development, the morphogenesis of the spontaneously activated egg of the golden hamster was examined at the light and electron microscopic levels of observation. Spontaneous activation of the unfertilized hamster egg occurs upon prolonged incubation within the oviduct, i.e., aging in vivo, and may include the formation of the second polar body and the development of one or several pronuclei. In many instances the activated egg resembles the inseminated ovum at the pronuclear stage of fertilization. Occasionally the activated egg will divide and yields a structure which is morphologically similar to the two-cell stage. Development beyond the two-cell stage was not observed. Even though a number of events exhibited by the aging hamster egg mimic those of the fertilized, many are indicative of cellular degeneration. Such processes include, for example, the aggregation of organelles into fairly homogeneous clusters, the budding of portions of the cortex of the egg containing cortical granules into the perivitelline space, the accumulation of vesicles within the ooplasm and the structural modification of microvilli. All activated eggs, at every period investigated (6 to 66 hours post-ovulation), contained cortical granules.
The Construct of Mental Disorder

Bergner expresses well the fundamental issues and principal difficulties in defining the construct of mental disorder. However, it is unlikely that the definition by Ossorio that Bergner advocates will prove to be any more successful than prior efforts. Discussed briefly within this commentary are three issues: (a) the absence of an operational definition for a theoretical construct, (b) the absence of a distinct boundary either with physical disorders or with normality for the construct of mental disorder, and (c) the impact of values and culture. These issues are fundamental and substantial. Nevertheless, it is argued that the construct of mental disorder (as an involuntary organismic impairment in psychological functioning) does have substantial validity as a scientific construct.
Acute murine colitis reduces colonic 5-aminosalicylic acid metabolism by regulation of N-acetyltransferase-2

Pharmacotherapy based on 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is a preferred treatment for ulcerative colitis, but variable patient response to this therapy is observed. Inflammation can affect therapeutic outcomes by regulating the expression and activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes; its effect on 5-ASA metabolism by the colonic arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) enzyme isoforms is not firmly established. We examined if inflammation affects the capacity for colonic 5-ASA metabolism and NAT enzyme expression. 5-ASA metabolism by colonic mucosal homogenates was directly measured with a novel fluorimetric rate assay. 5-ASA metabolism reported by the assay was dependent on Ac-CoA, inhibited by alternative NAT substrates (isoniazid, p-aminobenzoylglutamate), and saturable with Km (5-ASA) = 5.8 μM. A mouse model of acute dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis caused pronounced inflammation in central and distal colon, and modest inflammation of proximal colon, defined by myeloperoxidase activity and histology. DSS colitis reduced capacity for 5-ASA metabolism in central and distal colon segments by 52 and 51%, respectively. Use of selective substrates of NAT isoforms to inhibit 5-ASA metabolism suggested that mNAT2 mediated 5-ASA metabolism in normal and colitis conditions. Western blot and real-time RT-PCR identified that proximal and distal mucosa had a decreased mNAT2 protein-to-mRNA ratio after DSS. In conclusion, an acute colonic inflammation impairs the expression and function of mNAT2 enzyme, thereby diminishing the capacity for 5-ASA metabolism by colonic mucosa.
Evaluation of the endometriosis treatment success rate by the laparoscopic-pharmacological method

The study aimed at evaluating the success rate of the operative laparoscopy assisted by electrocoagulation and laser as well as danazol and lynestrenol in the endometriosis treatment. One-hundred-ninety women with the recognized endometriosis were included into the study. In the I degree(s) endometriosis the operative or hormonal therapy was applied, in the II-IV degree(s) the combined therapy was used. The complete cure was achieved in 159 of the patients (84%): 28 women conceived, in 131 of the cases remission was recognized during the second laparoscopy. Eighteen women found improvement (9%) while 13 women (7%) reported the lack of improvement.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Prediction of the tuning characteristics of an optical parametric oscillator using parametric fluorescence

Knowledge of the tuning characteristics and generation efficiency of optical parametric fluorescence for a nonlinear crystal is of considerable help in defining the operational requirements of a tunable CW parametric oscillator. Detailed observations of the wave-length and temperature dependence of parametric fluorescence from crystals of barium sodium and lithium niobate are reported that extend for the first time to the infra-red. The merit of this approach is illustrated by comparing the temperature tuning curves of two operating argon pumped barium sodium niobate oscillators to the parametric fluorescence tuning curves of the same crystals.
Alternative statistical methods for bone atlas modelling

Traditional bone atlas modelling is carried out using linear methods such as PCA. Such linear models use a mean shape and principal modes to represent the atlas. A new shape, which is a high dimensional data vector, is then described using this mean and a weighted combination of the principal modes. The use of alternate methods for modelling statistical atlases have not been explored very much. Recently, there has been a lot of new work in the areas of multilinear modelling and nonlinear modelling. They present new ways of modelling high dimensional data. In this work, we compare and contrast several linear, multilinear and nonlinear methods for bone atlas modelling.