cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical correction of types II and III truncus arteriosus.

In truncus arteriosus types II and III, one or both pulmonary arteries arise independently from either side of the truncus. In the surgical correction of this anomaly, we have utilized an operative technique in which the essential features are as follows: ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure, which directs left ventricular outflow into the truncus; (2) anastomosis of a Dacron tube containing a glutaraldehyde-preserved porcine aortic heterograft to the right ventriculotomy; (3) removal of a circumferential band of the truncus containing both pulmonary artery orifices; (4) tailoring of the band of truncus tissue into a generous cuff which is anastomosed to the distal end of the valved Dacron conduit; and (5) restoration of aortic continuity with a tubular Dacron graft. Since 1971, 4 children ages 2 to 9 years have undergone successful correction of truncus arteriosus types II or III by this technique. In one patient with marked pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure preoperatively, the pulmonary vascular resistance had reverted to normal by 3 years after the operation. In one patient in whom bronchial collaterals to the right pulmonary artery were present, postoperative left ventricular failure required reoperation for ligation of the collaterals. All 4 patients are asymptomatic and fully active 5 to 60 months postoperatively. None has evidence of stenosis or insufficiency of the heterograft valve.
Response of swamp bay, Persea palustris, and redbay, P. borbonia, to Raffaelea spp. isolated from Xyleborus glabratus

Summary Laurel wilt is a devastating invasive disease of members of the Lauraceae plant family. It is caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola, which is a nutritional symbiont of its ambrosia beetle vector, Xyleborus glabratus. In the United States, six Raffaelea spp., in addition to R. lauricola, have been recovered from mycangia of X. glabratus. We compared the response of two laurel wilt suspects, swamp bay (Persea palustris) and redbay (Persea borbonia), to five of these species, another undescribed Raffaelea sp., and R. lauricola. Six weeks after inoculation, only R. lauricola caused significantly greater symptoms than water inoculations. The fungi varied in their ability to move systemically and be recovered from the host at the end of the experiment. Stem hydraulic conductivity was decreased by R. lauricola, but none of the other taxa. Although the roles these fungi play in the life cycle of X. glabratus are not known, they do not appear to be pathogens on these host tree species.
Two years of LCOGT operations: the challenges of a global observatory

With 18 telescopes distributed over 6 sites, and more telescopes being added in 2016, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network is a unique resource for timedomain astronomy. The Network's continuous coverage of the night sky, and the optimization of the observing schedule over all sites simultaneously, have enabled LCOGTusers to produce significant science results. However, practical challenges to maximizing the Network's science output remain. The Network began providing observations for members of its Science Collaboration and other partners in May 2014. In the two years since then, LCOGT has made a number of improvements to increase the Network's science yield. We also now have two years' experience monitoring observatory performance; effective monitoring of an observatory that spans the globe is a complex enterprise. Here, we describe some of LCOGT's efforts to monitor the Network, assess the quality of science data, and improve communication with our users.
Excluded from Protection, Criminalized for Their Existence

The law is a form of written language that signals to society who matters and who does not, and at the same time the law empowers some while undermining others’ rights. In the case of Black women, historically, they have been silenced through their exclusion. Beginning when slavery was codified, the law is responsible for the denigration of Black women; the rape and violation of Black women was not acknowledged in early American law as a crime. As the law was used to protect and privilege white women, it separated Black women from the law’s protection and then the same laws were used to subjugate Black women. This manuscript explores how the law’s language can fail to consider Black women as victims, but target Black women as criminals. Through an exploration of historical exclusionary politics and policies that disallowed Black women from the protection of the law, I detail how Black women are subject to being punished under the law and criminalized for being Black women. The law represents a form of state power, and when Black women are absent from its protection, the law is gendered and racist. The racial and gendered hierarchies found in slave law are connected to racial and gendered injustices that Black women suffer when condemned by the criminal justice system today. Black women’s narratives are used to understand how Black women’s identity can be punitive with the criminal justice system. The purpose is to demonstrate the historic residue of the law and how the exclusion of Black women from the law results in their criminalization.
Practical Applications of Generalizability Theory for Designing, Evaluating, and Improving Psychological Assessments

In this article, we illustrate how generalizability theory (G-theory) can extend traditional assessment methods for designing, improving, and evaluating results from both objectively and subjectively scored measures of individual differences. Our illustrations include quantification of multiple sources of measurement error, derivation of unique indexes of consistency for norm- and criterion-referenced interpretations of scores, estimation of score consistency when changing a measurement procedure, and disattenuation of correlation coefficients for measurement error. We also expand G-theory analyses beyond the item level to include parcels and split measures and highlight linkages among G-theory, classical test theory, and structural equation modeling. Computer code and sample data are provided in online supplements to help readers apply the demonstrated techniques to their own assessments.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation in the central nervous system

Persistent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is thought to drive the pathology of many chronic disorders due to its potential to elicit aberrant inflammatory signaling and facilitate cell death. In neurodegenerative diseases, the accumulation of misfolded proteins and concomitant induction of ER stress in neurons contributes to neuronal dysfunction. In addition, ER stress responses induced in the surrounding neuroglia may promote disease progression by coordinating damaging inflammatory responses, which help fuel a neurotoxic milieu. Nevertheless, there still remains a gap in knowledge regarding the cell-specific mechanisms by which ER stress mediates neuroinflammation. In this review, we will discuss recently uncovered inflammatory pathways linked to the ER stress response. Moreover, we will summarize the present literature delineating how ER stress is generated in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and Multiple Sclerosis, and highlight how ER stress and neuroinflammation intersect mechanistically within the central nervous system. The mechanisms by which stress-induced inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative diseases remain poorly understood. Further examination of this interplay could present unappreciated insights into the development of neurodegenerative diseases, and reveal new therapeutic targets.
Trends of ureteral stent usage in surgery for diverticulitis.

Abstract Background Many believe that the use of ureteral stents in colorectal surgery for diverticulitis aids prevention and easier identification of ureteral injuries; others argue that the added time, cost, and risks of stent placement negate potential benefits. Even among providers who use stents, selective use is common. Among unclear consensus, it remains unknown if the use of stents is growing. Materials Patients in the National Inpatient Sample who underwent a partial colectomy or anterior rectal excision for diverticulitis between 2000 and 2013 were included (n = 811,071). Trends in ureteral stent use, multivariate logistic regression of factors influencing stent placement, and linear regression of length of stay (LOS) and costs associated with stent use were examined. Results Usage of ureteral stents increased from 6.66% in 2000 to 16.30% in 2013 (P Conclusions The use of ureteral stents in surgery for diverticulitis has steadily increased since 2000, despite the lack of consensus of their overall benefit. Stent usage is associated with laparoscopic surgery and varies widely among regions of the country. Further studies are required to truly understand the risk-benefit ratio of ureteral stenting and to determine if its increased use is warranted.
A synthetic, light-driven consortium of cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria enables stable polyhydroxybutyrate production

We previously reported that Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, engineered with the sucrose transporter CscB, can export up to 85% of its photosynthetically-fixed carbon as sucrose and shows considerable promise as an alternative carbohydrate source. One approach to effectively utilize this cyanobacterium is to generate synthetic, light-driven consortia in which sucrose-metabolizing heterotrophs catalyze the conversion of the low-value carbohydrate into higher-value compounds in co-culture. Here, we report an improved synthetic photoautotroph/chemoheterotroph consortial design in which sucrose secreted by S. elongatus CscB directly supports the bacterium Halomonas boliviensis, a natural producer of the bioplastic precursor, PHB. We show that alginate encapsulation of S. elongatus CscB enhances sucrose-export rates ~2-fold within 66h, to ~290mg sucrose L-1d-1 OD750-1 and enhances the co-culture stability. Consortial H. boliviensis accumulate up to 31% of their dry-weight as PHB, reaching productivities up to 28.3mg PHB L-1d-1. This light-driven, alginate-partitioned co-culture platform achieves PHB productivities that match or exceed those of traditionally engineered cyanobacterial monocultures. Importantly, S. elongatus CscB/H. boliviensis co-cultures were continuously productive for over 5 months and resisted invasive microbial species without the application of antibiotics or other chemical selection agents.
A Data-Driven Approach to Localization for High Frequency Wireless Mobile Networks

The use of high frequency millimeter wave (mmWave) bands at 28 GHz or higher will be a defining characteristic of next- generation wireless networks, such as 5G and 802.11ad networks. However, communicating over these high frequencies bands often requires directional antennas on base stations to dynamically align their beams with mobile nodes. To quickly align antennas, we propose a data-driven deep neural network (DNN) approach to localize mobile nodes using lower frequency spectrum. Our methods require fewer than 30 real-world sample locations to learn a model that can localize a mobile node to the required 5G indoor sub-meter accuracy. We demonstrate with real-world data in indoor and outdoor experiments that this performance is achievable, even in multipath-rich environments. Further, we show via simulation that the proposed DNN approach is robust to noise and collinearity between antenna arrays. Our primary contributions are: (1) a novel structure for a deep neural network that reflects the impact base station location has on node localization, (2) a quantized loss function for neural network training that improves localization accuracy and reduces the amount of training data needed, and (3) a procedure for using synthetic data to reduce the required number of real-world measurements needed for training the data-driven localization model. Our real-world experiments show that the use of synthetic data can improve localization accuracy by over 3x.
On the optical path length in refracting media

The path light follows as it travels through a substance depends on the substance's index of refraction. This path is commonly known as the optical path length (OPL). In geometrical optics, the laws of reflection and refraction are simple examples for understanding the path of light travel from source to detector for constant values of the traveled substances' refraction indices. In more complicated situations, the Euler equation can be quite useful and quite important in optics courses. Here, the well-known Euler differential equation (EDE) is used to obtain the OPL for several index of refraction models. For pedagogical completeness, the OPL is also obtained through a modified Monte Carlo (MC) method, versus which the various results obtained through the EDE are compared. The examples developed should be important in projects involving undergraduate as well as graduate students in an introductory optics course. A simple matlab script (program) is included that can be modified by students who wish to pur...
Taking "Privileges or Immunities" Seriously: A Call to Expand the Constitutional Canon

Prevailing wisdom blames the Supreme Court decision in the Slaughter-House Cases for reducing the Privileges or Immunities Clause to a "redundant" provision that "merely reinforced" federal supremacy. As a result, the Clause is deemed to lack importance and has been omitted from the traditional constitutional canon. This Article accepts the initial hypothesis, but reassesses its significance. The first section of this Article establishes two points. First, the Fourteenth Amendment ensured that state sovereignty would remain subordinate to rights of national citizenship embodied by the phrase "privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States." Second, nineteenth-century legislators, judges, and commentators consistently identified federal statutes as a source for these rights, and contemporary caselaw reinforces this understanding. The second section discusses the implications of these findings. First, recognizing that federal statutory rights are privileges or immunities will help to overcome recent Supreme Court barriers to congressional authority to abrogate the Eleventh Amendment. Second, understanding that the Privileges or Immunities Clause incorporates positive rights derived from federal statutes helps us rethink the relative constitutional stature of positive and negative rights. Finally, situating statutory rights within the prevailing definition of privileges or immunities clarifies the institutional responsibilities of Congress and the courts. All three elements of this reassessment follow from taking existing constitutional doctrine seriously. The concluding section highlights the conflict between recent federalism doctrine and the principles of constitutional decision making that current Supreme Court justices purport to follow. Fidelity to the historical understanding of text and to a coherent application of precedent supports the conclusion that Congress has the authority to establish and protect the privileges or immunities of United States citizens.
Bloch electrons of a carbon nanotube in a perpendicular magnetic field

The Peierls substitution in the energy functions of a carbon nanotube's sub-bands is carried out for a carbon nanotube of arbitrary chiral indices subjected to a perpendicular uniform magnetic field. The Peierls substitution represents a zeroth-order term of the asymptotically convergent power series in the magnetic field. It provides a very good approximation for the electron energy spectrum of a carbon nanotube subjected to a perpendicular uniform magnetic field, for magnetic fields currently accessible in laboratories.
Manifestations of Advanced Cosmic Civilizations an Introduction

According to detailed but possibly optimistic astronomical estimates (Dole 1970), about half a percent of all stars may be similar enough to our Sun to have a planet similar enough to our Earth to be called habitable. The Galaxy then would have a very large number of about one billion of habitable planets, about 20 light-years away from each other. Most of them would be very old, about 4 billion years older than our Earth, because star formation was much more active in the beginning, and because our Sun is not an old star, only half the age of the older ones.
Holding Static Arm Configurations With Functional Electrical Stimulation: A Case Study

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a promising solution for restoring functional motion to individuals with paralysis, but the potential for achieving any desired full-arm reaching motion has not been realized. We present a combined feedforward-feedback controller capable of automatically calculating and applying the necessary muscle stimulations to hold the wrist of an individual with high tetraplegia in a desired static position. We used the controller to hold a complete arm configuration to maintain a series of static wrist positions. The average distance to the target wrist position, or accuracy, was 2.9 cm. The precision is defined as the radius of the 95% confidence ellipsoid for the final positions of a set of trials with the same muscle stimulations and starting position. The average precision was 3.7 cm. The control architecture used in this study to hold static positions has the potential to control arbitrary reaching motions.
Mechanistic Insights into UV-Initiated Thiol–Ene Reactions on Amorphous Carbon Films

Click chemistries provide a straightforward means of imparting a desired physical property, reactivity, or function to a material through the covalent attachment of molecules to its surface. We previously prepared amorphous carbon (aC) films with terminal thiol groups. These groups allowed us to uniformly modify or selectively pattern the surface with a light-promoted thiol–ene reaction. This work builds upon our previous success, generating vinyl-terminated aC films. The vinyl groups are also compatible with thiol–ene reactions but afford faster rates of attachment and greater coverage when compared to similar reaction conditions carried out on a thiol-aC film. To our surprise, thiol-containing molecules also attached to control surfaces containing terminal methyl groups or hydrogen atoms. With a series of experiments, we show that the formation of a thiyl radical precedes reaction with the surface and that the lamp output power influences both the rate and selectivity of this attachment. These results s...
Estimation of Body Size in Fossil Mammals

Body mass is a fundamental ecological parameter of mammals with implications for a variety of other ecological characteristics. While it cannot be directly measured in fossil taxa, it can be inferred using allometric relationships between skeletal dimensions and mass derived from extant species. Many such relationships have been described, primarily for dental and limb dimensions. Methods of statistical analysis vary widely, however, in ways with substantial implications for the inferred masses of fossil species. The subset of extant species from which the relationship is derived must be representative of the evolutionary and ecological scope of the fossil taxa for which mass is to be estimated. Increasing computing power and an explosion of phylogenetic comparative methods offer the opportunity to gain an understanding of the processes driving these important empirical relationships.
REVASCULARIZATION FOR MONOMORPHIC VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA IS FREQUENTLY PERFORMED BUT DOES NOT PREVENT RECURRENCE OR DEATH

Revascularization alone has been shown to control ischemia-related arrhythmias such as polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT). In contrast, monomorphic VT is considered a marker of chronic arrhythmic substrate with increased risk of recurrent VT and death in the setting of both acute coronary
Do neoliberalismo progressista a Trump – e além

In ths article, Nancy Fraser reviews the failure of the politically hegemonic model of an alliance between a progressive version of recognition politics and a regressive version of economical politics, deemed by her progressive neoliberalism. Challenged by the rise of hyper-reactionary, symbolizes by Donald Trump, the author defends the idea of a progressive version of populism as a counter-hegemonic actor in the current context.
A Justice School: Teaching Forced Migration Through Experiential Learning

The need for committed and competent public interest lawyers has never been greater. We are at a unique juncture in U.S. history where there is both a supply and demand for social justice lawyers. Law schools, however, still fall short in their support and preparation of students who want to be public interest lawyers. Legal education still tends to reproduce social hierarchies, channeling top students into high paying jobs at big firms, with only the very top and most persistent students qualifying for judicial clerkships or a handful of prestigious fellowships. It is vital that students see from Day One of law school that they can use their legal training to make a positive difference in the world, and that throughout their three years of law school they learn the doctrine, develop the litigation skills, and have the kinds of experiential opportunities that will prepare them for this work. This article demonstrates how experiential learning in law school can prepare students for the practice of law and, if done well, instill in them a life-long commitment to social justice. The success of these efforts ultimately turns on working collaboratively with student leaders with a shared commitment to immigrant justice, winning the support of key people in the administration, and ensuring that the experience for students is both emotionally and intellectually rewarding. Our signature achievement was the Karnes Pro Bono Project. Teams of students have, on three separate occasions, worked side by side with attorneys and staff from RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, at the Karnes family detention center, assisting Central American parents and children through the credible fear screening process and helping them qualify for asylum and release from detention. Not only have the students acquired a deeper understanding of the legal, political, and practical obstacles to asylum faced by refugees at the border. They have had the deeply moving and transformative experience of meeting with detained families seeking asylum, hearing their testimonials, preparing their statements, counseling them, helping them through the credible fear screening process, and ultimately learning their fates.
The Human Connection Drug: Should Addiction to Social Media Be Legislated Out?

Individuals, particularly those in the Western world spend large and increasing amounts of time online, and particularly so on social media (SM). Internet addiction (IA), spending too much time on the Internet at the detriment of health and social interactions, has long been a concern in many countries, where a range of measures have been deployed to curb excessive use. Preventive measures include a combination of technological, legal, and educational means. Legal means have mostly been confined to less democratic governments, but the problem of excessive Internet and SM use has affected countries of all political persuasions. Is excessive time spent online and on SM truly an addictive behavior, and should democratic governments step in to regulate and legislate the addictive nature of the medium?
Evaluating students with online testing modules in engineering economics: A comparision of student performance with online testing and with traditional assessments

Engineering economics courses often require students to take time-constrained, in-class exams in which they solve problems by hand, possibly referring to interest rate tables. Many students rely on...
Military Teleophthalmology in Afghanistan Using Mobile Phone Application.

Importance The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has highlighted the need to expand telemedicine solutions. Objective To beta test a secure teleophthalmology mobile app at military treatment facilities in Afghanistan. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective case series included 16 military treatment facilities at diverse roles of care including forward operating bases in Afghanistan and 1 location outside of Afghanistan. Thirty point-of-care medics and medical professionals were included from September to November 2019. Interventions Users placed teleophthalmology consults on their mobile phone using the mobile eye care app, and an expeditionary ophthalmologist stationed at a military hospital in Afghanistan responded. Users graded the mobile app using a rating scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being very dissatisfied and 5 being very satisfied. Main Outcomes and Measures Mean initial response time, agreement between the teleophthalmology diagnosis and final diagnosis, treatment and management following recommendations outlined in the Joint Trauma System clinical practice guidelines, prevention of the need for aeromedical evacuation, user satisfaction, and security and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance of consult. Results There were 28 consults placed over 6 weeks by 18 different users that were received by the expeditionary ophthalmologist. The mean (SD) patient age was 30.3 (9.8) years. Most patients were male (26 [93%]) and active duty US military (22 [78%]). The mean initial response time was 3 minutes 58 seconds (95% CI, 2 minutes 30 seconds to 5 minutes 26 seconds). There was agreement between the teleophthalmology diagnosis and final diagnosis in 24 consults (86%; 95% CI, 72%-100%). The treatment and management followed recommendations outlined in the Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines for Eye Trauma: Initial Care in 28 consults (100%). Teleophthalmology consultation prevented the need for aeromedical evacuation in 4 consults (14%; 95% CI, 0.7%-28%). The patient returned to duty in 15 consults (54%; 95% CI, 34%-73%). Median overall satisfaction was 5 (minimum, 3; maximum, 5). All 28 consults (100%) were secure and compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Conclusions and Relevance While only a limited number of consults were evaluated, this study suggests that teleophthalmology mobile phone apps may improve and extend ophthalmic care in combat zones.
Vascular Injuries Associated With Fractures

Summary In the past, the association of an extremity fracture with an arterial injury has all too often resulted in the loss of a limb. In large part, these poor results have been due to delayed recognition of the vascular injury. We believe that an awareness of the signs of arterial injury coupled with a high index of suspicion is paramount in the early diagnosis of vascular injuries complicating fractures. The use of angiography in all doubtful cases has eliminated the procrastination that has so often characterized the management of the questionable arterial injury. Current treatment relies less upon ancillary measures, such as anticoagulants and sympathectomy, and favors an aggressive surgical approach to a localized arterial injury with division of the deep fascia over any tense or ischemic muscular compartments.
Estimating long-term trends in populations of two ecosystem engineering burrowing shrimps in Pacific Northwest (USA) estuaries

Temporal variation in the density and distribution of the burrowing shrimps, Neotrypaea californiensis and Upogebia pugettensis, were compared in two estuaries along the West coast of the United States (USA) where they are recognized as important ecosystem engineers. Since these shrimp construct deep burrows in the sediment, we quantified the relationship between burrow openings and shrimp density (1.5 and 1.7 burrow openings per shrimp for N. californiensis and U. pugettensis, respectively) to permit population abundance estimates to be made over broad landscape scales. Neotrypaea californiensis populations estimated from burrow counts collected using a gridded survey design across representative tide flats declined by 25% between 2008 and 2010 in Yaquina Bay, Oregon and by 67% in Willapa Bay, Washington from 2006 to 2011, but increased again in Willapa Bay by 2014. Upogebia pugettensis had mostly disappeared from Willapa Bay by 2006 and declines were observed in Yaquina Bay, but the magnitude and long-term trajectory of U. pugettensis in this estuary was less clear. These species population fluctuations mirrored those observed in density collected at discrete sampling locations over the same period, equate to large changes in secondary production, and have likely resulted in substantial changes to estuarine habitat and food webs.
A Post-Classification Change Detection Model with Confidences in High Resolution Multi-Date sUAS Imagery in Coastal South Carolina

Small unmanned aerial systems, or sUAS, remote sensing has much potential for monitoring vegetation cover and other phenomena due to its innate ability to capture very high spatial resolution image...
Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with age-related endothelial dysfunction in men with low testosterone.

CONTEXT Vascular aging, including endothelial dysfunction secondary to oxidative stress and inflammation, increases the risk for age-associated cardiovascular disease (CVD). Low testosterone in middle-age and older (MA/O) men is associated with increased CVD risk. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that low testosterone contributes to age-associated endothelial dysfunction, related in part to greater oxidative stress and inflammation. DESIGN Cross-sectional. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-eight healthy, non-smoking men categorized as young (N=20; age: 29±4 years, testosterone: 500±58 ng/dL), MA/O with higher testosterone (N=20; age: 60±6 years, testosterone: 512±115 ng/dL), and MA/O lower testosterone (N=18; age 59±8 years, testosterone: 269±48 ng/dL). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMDBA) measured during acute infusion of saline (control) and vitamin C (antioxidant). Markers of oxidative stress (total antioxidant status [TAS] and oxidized low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol), inflammation (interleukin [IL]-6 and C-reactive protein [CRP]), and androgen deficiency symptoms were also examined. RESULTS: During saline, FMDBA was reduced in MA/O compared to young, regardless of testosterone status (P<0.001). FMDBA was reduced in MA/O lower testosterone (3.7±2.0%) compared to MA/O higher testosterone (5.7±2.2%, p=0.021), independent of symptoms. Vitamin C increased FMDBA (to 5.3±1.6%, p=0.022) in MA/O lower testosterone but had no effect in young (P=0.992) or MA/O higher testosterone (P=0.250). FMDBA correlated with serum testosterone (r=0.45, p<0.001), IL-6 (r=-0.41, P=0.002), and CRP (r=-0.28, P=0.041). CONCLUSIONS Healthy MA/O men with low testosterone appear to have greater age-associated endothelial dysfunction, related in part to greater oxidative stress and inflammation. These data suggest that low testosterone concentrations may contribute to accelerated vascular aging in men.
Neurosurgical Evaluation and Management of Adults with Achondroplasia.

Achondroplasia is the most common of skeletal dysplasias and is caused by a defect in endochondral bone formation. In addition to skeletal deformities, patients with achondroplasia possess significant abnormalities of the axial skeleton, including small skull base with a narrowed foramen magnum and small vertebral bodies with shortened pedicles. Consequently, patients with achondroplasia are at risk of several severe neurologic conditions, such as cervicomedullary compression, spinal stenosis, and hydrocephalus, which frequently require the attention of a neurosurgeon. This article provides an updated review on the neurosurgical evaluation and care of children with Achondroplasia.
Elites, Anthropology of

Elites have been little studied by anthropologists because of practical and temperamental barriers to fieldwork. Early work on elites (in Africa, Oceania, South Asia, and Latin America) situated them in the context of broader social wholes and emphasized the importance of kinship in defining and maintaining elites. Subsequent work highlighted the roles of colonialism and capitalism in creating new elites – based on access to capital, education, and bureaucratic perquisites – that challenged and hybridized with traditional elites. While bureaucratic industrial societies present themselves as meritocracies, elites devise strategies of heredity dependent on their privileged access to the educational system and cultural capital. Anthropologists have only recently become interested in ‘studying up’ in the US, having earlier ignored the public debate of the 1950s and 1960s on the alleged ‘power elite’ in the US. Some of the most striking new work on elites has been of scientists, bankers, journalists, evangelists, psychiatrists, and development bureaucrats. Such work often requires innovative approaches to fieldwork.
Social and economical aspects of Miombo woodland management in Southern Africa: options and opportunities for research

Five themes are identified for social, economic and policy research relating to miombo woodland management in southern Africa. They are: (1) patterns of local institutional change; (2) household use of woodland products; (3) markets for woodland products; (4) longer term dimensions to woodland use and exploitation and (5) policy and legislation. These themes are by no means definitive or exhaustive, but are described here as a means of focusing on the scope of future research, and as a basis for identifying priorities.
The Interactive Indulgence: The Use of Advergames to Curb Childhood Obesity

As childhood obesity rates in the United States continue to rise, health professionals and pro-health advocates are looking to utilize interactive media tactics for childhood obesity prevention. This study analyzed the viewpoints of interactive media agency professionals regarding the strategy, measurement, and future potential of advergames. Research was conducted through intensive interviews with agency professionals. This study found that advergames can influence an audience’s behavior through their various interactive elements and entertaining platforms. Application of Fisher’s Narrative paradigm provides additional insight into the persuasive nature of advergames. Successful advertising campaigns utilize integrated forms of media, with interactive media technologies serving to complement traditional media. Despite the ever-changing media landscape, advergames may prove to be a sustainable strategy for childhood obesity prevention.
The Francisella O-antigen mediates survival in the macrophage cytosol via autophagy avoidance.

Summary Autophagy is a key innate immune response to intracellular parasites that promotes their delivery to degradative lysosomes following detection in the cytosol or within damaged vacuoles. Like Listeria and Shigella, which use specific mechanisms to avoid autophagic detection and capture, the bacterial pathogen Francisella tularensis proliferates within the cytosol of macrophages without demonstrable control by autophagy. To examine how Francisella evades autophagy, we screened a library of F. tularensis subsp. tularensis Schu S4 HimarFT transposon mutants in GFP-LC3-expressing murine macrophages by microscopy for clones localized within autophagic vacuoles after phagosomal escape. Eleven clones showed autophagic capture at 6 h post-infection, whose HimarFT insertions clustered to fourgenetic loci involved in lipopolysaccharidic and capsular O-antigen biosynthesis. Consistent with the HimarFT mutants, in-frame deletion mutants of two representative loci, FTT1236 and FTT1448c (manC), lacking both LPS and capsular O-antigen, underwent phagosomal escape but were cleared from the host cytosol. Unlike wild-type Francisella, the O-antigen deletion mutants were ubiquitinated, and recruited the autophagy adaptor p62/SQSTM1 and LC3 prior to cytosolic clearance. Autophagy-deficient macrophages partially supported replication of both mutants, indicating that O-antigen-lacking Francisella are controlled by autophagy. These data demonstrate the intracellular protective role of this bacterial surface polysaccharide against autophagy.
Laura C. Ferreira-Pereira and Bruno Oliveira Martins (Eds.). The European Union's Fight Against Terrorism: The CFSP and Beyond

This anthology explores the external dimension of the European Union's (EU) counter-terrorism policy with attention to transatlantic cooperation, EU court decisions, international security, and the...
The tumor proteasome as a novel target for gold(III) complexes: implications for breast cancer therapy

Although cisplatin plays a vital role in the treatment of several types of human cancer, its wide use is limited by the development of drug resistance and associated toxic side effects. Gold and gold complexes have been used to treat a wide range of ailments for many centuries. In recent years, the use of gold(III) complexes as an alternative to cisplatin treatment was proposed due to the similarities of gold and platinum. Gold(III) is isoelectronic with platinum(II) and gold(III) complexes have the same square-planar geometries as platinum(II) complexes, such as cisplatin. Although it was originally thought that gold(III) complexes might have the same molecular target as cisplatin, several lines of data indicated that proteins, rather than DNA, are targeted by gold complexes. We have recently evaluated cytotoxic and anti-cancer effects of several gold(III) dithiocarbamates against human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We have identified the tumor proteasome as an important target for gold(III) complexes and have shown that proteasome inhibition by gold(III) complexes is associated with apoptosis induction in breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, treatment of human breast tumor-bearing nude mice with a gold(III) dithiocarbamate complex was associated with tumor growth inhibition, supporting the significance of its potential development for breast cancer treatment.
Sterility in Male Animals Induced by Injection of Chemical Agents into the Vas Deferens

This study was undertaken to develop a simple non-surgical technic for achieving male sterility. The method induces obstruction in the vas deferens by injecting sclerosing chemical agents through the skin of the scrotum directly into the vas. Previous success in rats using 95% ethanol have been reported. This sutdy used 95% ethanol 10% silver nitrate 36% acetic acid 3.6% formaldehyde 3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate 5% sodium morrhuate 5% potassium permanganate 3.6% formaldehyde in 90% ethanol and for controls .9% sodium chloride. 25 or 50 mcl of the agent being tested was injected into each vas deferens of mature Sprague-Dawley rats. 2 weeks after treatment the rats were exposed to continuous mating. All of the rats treated with ethanol silver nitrate acetic acid formaldehyde and sodium tetradecyl sulfate have remained sterile for 8 months. 33% of those treated with potassium permanganate and 67% of those treated with sodium morrhuate have remained fertile. When the experiment was repeated in dogs using 95% ethanol 10% silver nitrate or 3.6% formaldehyde in 90% ethanol (100 or 500 mcl injected through the skin of the scrotum) the same obstructing sclerosis was found and a reduction in size of the vas was visible for approximately 2 cm. No sperm granulomas were found either grossly or microscopically. The method has not be used in humans but injections of methylene blue dye in alcohol have been made in several human autopsy specimens. The dye was contained within the sheath of the vas and penetrated the full thickness of the wall of the vas. The method is believed to be suitable for humans would avoid post-surgical hemorrhage and infection would require less equipment and more rapid accomplishment and lower cost would follow if paramedical personnel could be taught the procudre in less developed countries for mass voluntary sterilizations. The results appear to be permanent. Surgical reversibility has not be determined.
Proteus mirabilis MR/P fimbrial operon: Genetic organization, nucleotide sequence, and conditions for expression

Abstract Proteus mirabilis, an agent of urinary tract infection, expresses at least four fimbrial types. Among these are the MR/P (mannose-resistant/Proteus-like) fimbriae. MrpA, the structural subunit, is optimally expressed at 37 degrees C in Luria broth cultured statically for 48 h by each of seven strains examined. Genes encoding this fimbria were isolated, and the complete nucleotide sequence was determined. The mrp gene cluster encoded by 7,293 bp predicts eight polypeptides: MrpI (22,133 Da), MrpA (17,909 Da), MrpB (19,632 Da), MrpC (96,823 Da), MrpD (27,886 Da), MrpE (19,470 Da), MrpF (17,363 Da), and MrpG (13,169 Da). mrpI is upstream of the gene encoding the major structural subunit gene mrpA and is transcribed in the direction opposite to that of the rest of the operon. All predicted polypeptides share > or = 25% amino acid identity with at least one other enteric fimbrial gene product encoded by the pap, fim, smf, fan, or mrk gene clusters.
Construction of microcell hybrid clones containing specific mouse chromosomes: Application to autosomes 8 and 17

Fibroblast cultures prepared from mice homozygous for a Robertsonian translocation (centric fusion) between autosomes 8 and 17 [Rb(8.17)] were used as donors in microcell-mediated chromosome transfer experiments. By using hamster recipient cells deficient in adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT-) and selecting for expression of murine APRT (a chromosome 8 marker), microcell hybrids were isolated which retained only the mouse Rb(8.17) translocation in addition to the hamster chromosome complement. The translocation was stable in cells maintained under APRT+ selective pressure, and mouse marker traits encoded by genes on both chromosomes 8 and 17 segregated concordantly. A second family of hybrid clones was constructed by fusing microcells derived from wild-type mouse fibroblasts with APRT- hamster cells. Four of six clones analyzed retained only mouse chromosome 8. These studies demonstrated that microcell hybrids containing specific Robertsonian translocations as the only donor-derived genetic material can be obtained. Furthermore, a number of Robertsonian translocations between chromosomes which carry selectable markers (chromosomes 3, 8, and 11) and other autosomes have been described. By using fibroblast cultures prepared from mice containing these translocations as donors in microcell fusions, 18 of the 20 mouse chromosomes could be selectively fixed in different hybrid clones. Thus, a collection of 20 hybrid clones, each containing a single, specific mouse chromosome, can be constructed by using the strategy described in this report. The potential utility of such a monochromosomal hybrid panel is discussed.
Checklists for Powerful, Efficient Legal Writing

Lawyers may wish for their writing to be more powerful and efficient, but not know what to change or how to implement changes. One solution that speaks to each phase of the writing process and every writing situation is this: a checklist. Actually, the solution is not just one single checklist, but the method of using checklists throughout the writing process as well as in broader conversations about effective legal writing. Inspired by Atul Gawande’s The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right (2009), this column in the Georgia Bar Journal reviews the types of checklists lawyers may use to improve their writing process and their written work product. It provides short sample checklists and encourages lawyers to critically assess their own writing strengths and weaknesses and construct personalized writing checklists for better legal writing.
Mesenchymoma: a review of literature and report of two cases.

Both benign and malignant varieties of the mesenchymoma have been described. Previously reported cases of mesenchymoma in the head and neck are rare. Two cases of mesenchymoma occurring intraorally are reported here. In each case local excision has effected apparent cure, for periods of 12 yr and 8 mo, respectively. Local excision is advocated as the primary treatment for such lesions occurring in the oral cavity. Although recurrences in areas other than the oral cavity tend to undergo malignant changes, this phenomenon has not been demonstrated in lesions occurring in oral tissues.
Validation of a self-administered lead exposure questionnaire among suburban teenagers.

Teenagers represent a unique population in which to evaluate lead exposure. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to evaluate the current and historic lead exposures of teenagers. This work evaluates the exposure questionnaire for both its ability to predict lead exposure and the accuracy of the teenage respondents. Subjects received the survey at school and were instructed to get assistance from their parents in questionnaire completion. Environmental samples (dust, soil, and water) were collected from 30 suburban Boston homes to evaluate the questionnaire's predictiveness. To evaluate the accuracy of subjects' responses, independent information about housing was obtained. The questionnaire was effective in identifying predictors of dust and soil lead levels, but not for water lead levels. Fine dust lead loading ( 1979) and traffic levels. Fine dust lead concentrations varied significantly with decade of housing construction. Mean soil lead levels varied significantly among housing age categories, traffic levels, and exterior construction materials. For the important predictors, there was excellent agreement between the teenagers' self-report and confirmatory information. For housing age categories, the observed agreement was 69%; for traffic level, the observed agreement was 88%. These results illustrate that questionnaires continue to be useful in evaluating home lead levels even in suburban homes and that teenagers are accurate respondents.
Behavioral Decision Theory: A Topical Bibliography for Management Scientists

The purpose of this topical bibliography is twofold---to provide an introduction to the literature of behavioral decision theory, and to provide a selected bibliography for further inquiry. The formal will be, subject by subject, that of a brief summary, followed by citations.
Habitat Use by Fishes and Pacific Giant Salamanders in Small Western Oregon and Washington Streams

Abstract The habitat use patterns of juvenile salmonid fishes Oncorhynchus spp., Pacific giant salamanders Dicamptodon spp., torrent sculpins Cottus rhotheus, reticulate sculpins C. perplexus, and larval lampreys Entosphenus tridentatus and Lampetra spp. were examined in 30 small streams in western Oregon and Washington. Fish and salamander densities and sizes were compared between different habitat types (pools and riffles) in summer and winter. Species density, length, and diversity (richness and dominance) were also correlated with physical variables measured at the reach and watershed scales. In the summer, densities of coho salmon O. kisutch, cutthroat trout O. clarki, and larval lampreys were significantly higher in pools than in riffles (P < 0.01), whereas densities of age-0 torrent sculpins were higher in riffles than in pools (P < 0.01). In winter, densities of coho salmon, cutthroat trout, steelhead O. mykiss, and young-of-the-year trout fry were higher in pools than in riffles (P < 0.01). Cutth...