cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of a neural crest stem cell niche by Spatial Genomic Analysis

The neural crest is an embryonic population of multipotent stem cells that form numerous defining features of vertebrates. Due to lack of reliable techniques to perform transcriptional profiling in intact tissues, it remains controversial whether the neural crest is a heterogeneous or homogeneous population. By coupling multiplex single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization with machine learning algorithm based cell segmentation, we examine expression of 35 genes at single cell resolution in vivo. Unbiased hierarchical clustering reveals five spatially distinct subpopulations within the chick dorsal neural tube. Here we identify a neural crest stem cell niche that centers around the dorsal midline with high expression of neural crest genes, pluripotency factors, and lineage markers. Interestingly, neural and neural crest stem cells express distinct pluripotency signatures. This Spatial Genomic Analysis toolkit provides a straightforward approach to study quantitative multiplex gene expression in numerous biological systems, while offering insights into gene regulatory networks via synexpression analysis.
Role of Connective Tissue Growth Factor in Cardiac Fibrosis

Cardiac fibrosis is an important pathogenic feature of the remodeling process that occurs in heart failure and myocardial infarction. This process is triggered by a number of signaling pathways that result in excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). Connective Tissue Growth factor (CTGF, CCN2), a member of CCN (Cyr61, Ctgf, Nov) family, is a multifunctional protein that is expressed in both cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts that is a key regulator of the fibrotic response. CTGF is a critical downstream target of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in the cardiovascular system. Kruppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) is a transcription factor that is expressed in both cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts and serves as a negative regulator of pathologic remodeling. Our group has demonstrated that KLF15 inhibits cardiac hypertrophy in response to pressure overload. Recently, we have shown that KLF15 is a novel negative regulator of CTGF expression in the heart via its ability to counteract Smad signaling at the CTGF promoter. From a clinical standpoint, progress has been made in utilizing CTGF levels as a biomarker for fibrotic diseases. In this chapter, we will summarize studies of CTGF in heart disease and discuss its importance in cardiac remodeling. In addition, potential therapeutic strategies targeting CTGF will be discussed.
Acidithiobacillaceae fam. nov.

A.ci.di.thi.o.ba.cil.la' ce.ae. M.L. masc. n. Acidothiobacillus type genus of the family; -aceae ending to denote family; M.L. fem. pl. n. Acidithiobacillaceae the Acidithiobacillus family. Proteobacteria / Gammaproteobacteria / Acidithiobacillales / Acidithiobacillaceae Keywords: Acidithiobacillaceae fam. nov.; Acidithiobacillus; Gammaproteobacteria class. nov.; Acidithiobacillales ord. nov
Dynamic Light Scattering in Bulk Polymers

Light scattering in bulk polymers is due to fluctuations in the local dielectric tensor e of the medium(1, 2) In this chapter, the types of fluctuations that occur in polymers and their manifestation in the light scattering will be presented. The features which are characteristic of polymers will be elucidated as well as the general behavior of light scattering from liquids and amorphous solids. Most of the published work on dynamic light scattering in bulk polymers will be reviewed in the course of the chapter.
Context-Related Access Control for Mobile Caching

Mobile caching is a popular technique that has been widely applied in mobile applications to reduce the bandwidth usage, battery consumption, and perceived lag. To protect the confidentiality of cached data, the data with sensitive information has to be encrypted as it is cached on mobile devices. Currently, several mobile platforms provide encryption utilities which allow mobile applications to encrypt their local caches. However, existing encryption utilities are too coarse-grained and not directly applicable to dynamically enforcing fine-grained context-related access control policies in context-aware mobile applications.
Applications of Luminescence

The present status and trends of applied research on luminescence are reviewed. Particular attention is focused on fluorescent lamps, cathode ray tube phosphors, electroluminescence and X-ray fluorescent screens. The opportunities for the applications of luminescent phenomena to environmental and energy conservation problems are emphasized.
Tacrolimus trough and dose intra‐patient variability and CYP3A5 genotype: Effects on acute rejection and graft failure in European American and African American kidney transplant recipients

BACKGROUND Suboptimal immunosuppression after kidney transplantation contributes to toxicity and loss of efficacy. Little is known regarding the impact of intra-patient variability of tacrolimus (TAC) doses and troughs in the early post-transplant period or the influence of genetic variants on variability. METHODS Coefficients of variation (CV) of TAC troughs and doses of 1226 European American (EA) and 246 African American (AA) adult recipients enrolled in DeKAF Genomics were compared for association with acute rejection and graft failure. Additionally, the influence of recipients' number of CYP3A5 loss-of-function alleles was assessed. RESULTS Acute rejection was associated with greater CV of dose in AA (P < 0.001) and EA recipients (P = 0.012). Graft failure was associated with a greater CV of dose (P = 0.022) and trough (P < 0.001) in AA, and higher CV of trough (P = 0.024) in EA recipients. In EA, CYP3A5 loss-of-function alleles were associated with decreased CV of trough (P = 0.0042) and increased CV of dose (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION CYP3A5 loss-of-function alleles influence intra-patient TAC trough and dose variability. High variability of TAC dose increases risk of acute rejection. High variability of TAC trough increases risk of graft failure. Early clinical recognition of TAC dose and trough variability may improve patient management and outcomes.
Use of fine aggregate matrix for computational modeling of low temperature fracture of asphalt concrete

In this study, a discrete element computational model is applied to simulate the fracture behavior of asphalt mixtures at low temperatures. In this model, coarse aggregates are explicitly represented by rigid spherical particles. The bonds that connect these particles represent the fine aggregate matrix (FAM), which is defined as the combination of asphalt binder and fine aggregates. The bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests are performed to determine the strength and Young’s modulus of FAM at low temperatures. The model is then used to simulate the semi-circular bend (SCB) tests on the mixtures. The model is verified by a series of BBR and SCB tests on both conventional and graphite nano-platelet modified asphalt materials. The comparison between the experimental and simulated results indicates that the peak load capacity of the SCB specimens is primarily governed by the tensile strength of the FAM. However, in order to capture the entire load–displacement curve of the SCB specimens, one needs to employ a softening constitutive model of the FAM, which requires the information on its fracture energy. Several experimental methods for measuring the fracture energy of FAM are discussed for future prediction of the complete load–displacement response of asphalt mixtures at low temperatures.
Synaptic Communication upon Gentle Touch.

Gentle touch sensation in mammals depends on synaptic transmission from primary sensory cells (Merkel cells) to secondary sensory neurons. Hoffman et al. (2018) identify norepinephrine and β2-adrendergic receptors as the neurotransmitter-receptor pair responsible for sustained touch responses. The findings may deepen understanding of how drugs affect touch and pain sensation.
Detection of Local Preform Defects by Gas Flow Method and Statistical Analysis

A method for testing the quality of fibrous preforms using gas flow is proposed. The method detects defects caused while placing the fibre preform in the mould by checking the deviations of measure...
The postmortem diagnosis of magnesium deficiency: studies in an animal model for the human infant.

Magnesium deficiency is a cause of sudden death in animals [1–5]. Normal-appearing mice experience violent death [3], while cows may die quickly and quietly [4]. The lower the age and weight of the animal when placed on the magnesium-deficient diet, the earlier and more violent the death [2]. Early death may follow a period of rapid growth, particularly if the diet supplies large amounts of protein, calcium, and phosphorus [5].
Enabling and Enhancing Human Health and Performance for Mars Colonies: Smart Spacecraft and Smart Habitats

Crews on extended space flights—such as missions to Mars for exploration and settlement—will be faced with unprecedented challenges. In addition to recognized concerns about human health and performance that are already addressed through various mitigation strategies, there will be problems that have not yet been identified, some of which will be a consequence of the web of interactions among the many subsystems that make up such a complex undertaking. The people on these missions must also, due to remoteness and isolation from Earth, have the tools to assess and correct these problems autonomously. An approach to this situation is described here, which formulates the myriad subsystems and their interactions as a network (drawing on concepts from complexity theory). Each subsystem is a node, and the interconnections are links. Mathematical tools of complexity and network theory can be applied to assess the ability of the network to accomplish its given tasks (performance monitoring) and to maintain performance in the face of failures or perturbations (resilience).
Monte Carlo simulation of borosilicate glass dissolution using molecular dynamics-generated glass structures

Abstract Atomic-scale insights into borosilicate glass dissolution are critical to the development of waste form corrosion models. While Monte Carlo (MC) simulations have been instrumental in advancing the state of knowledge, all simulations to date have relied on lattices to represent the glass structure, potentially introducing artifacts. A new approach (amorphous MC approach) was developed whereby glass structures generated from molecular dynamics simulations were used as starting points for MC simulations. Correlations between dissolution rate and structural features were revealed in MC simulations of sodium borosilicate glasses that covered a wide compositional range. Notably, the lattice MC approach predicted the fraction of tetrahedral boron to have a lesser influence on the dissolution rate than computed with the amorphous MC approach. The lattice MC simulations also overestimated the dissolution rate for a given glass composition. These findings highlight the importance of using truly amorphous structures in MC simulations of glass corrosion.
Annual biomass loss and potential value of urban tree waste in the United States

Urban trees provide numerous benefits to society, but upon removal, this resource is underutilized and often considered a waste product to be discarded. However, urban trees have a potential to be utilized for various products, create jobs and an income stream for cities. The latest data on urban forests in the United States were used to estimate the potential annual value that could be derived from urban tree waste. Assuming a mortality rate of 2%, annual urban woody biomass loss in the U.S. equates to about 46 million tonnes of fresh-weight merchantable wood or 7.2 billion board feet of lumber or 16 million cords of firewood. The potential annual value from urban wood waste ranges between $89-786 million depending upon the product derived (e.g., wood chips to lumber). States with the greatest urban wood product potential are Florida ($6.6–57.6 million/year) and Georgia ($6.0–52.7 million/year). Along with woody biomass, annual leaf loss has a potential to produce value. The value of nutrients in annual leaf litter is estimated at $551 million per year. In addition to direct revenue from sales, other environmental benefits can be derived through tree waste utilization that reduces landfill waste, use of fertilizers and fossil fuel use in energy production. There are various reasons why this potential maximum value from urban tree waste is not and likely cannot be attained, but its current use and value can be increased. Creating markets and systems to utilize urban tree removals and leaves can help enhance income for urban forest management as well as create social and environmental goods.
Computer network information management in hospital infection control

OBJECTIVE To fully use existing hospital information system(HIS),improve information management in hospital infection control,and improve infection control in time.METHODS Hospital information system(HIS) was introduced,applied and further developed to change the condition such as manual reporting low efficiency,low accuracy of the information,so that the infection control information collection,transmission simplicity and efficiency were improved significantly.RESULTS Application for HIS,out of a paper,Hospital infection report cards saved the artificial delivery time.The information of infection can be transportation quickly.The majority of hospital infection management report information can be obtained directly from the clinical workstation.CONCLUSION After the development of the hospital local platform,the accuracy and efficiency of infection control has been enhanced greatly.Monitoring of the hospital infection has been achieved a qualitative leap.For medical information sharing to make better in early warning,to prevent the occurrence of aggregation in early stage can perfect the monitoring system of nosocomial infection.
President Trump and Migration at 3

Candidate Trump made reducing unauthorized migration a central theme of his campaign in 2015 and 2016 (Martin, 2017a). Soon after taking office, Trump issued executive orders that instructed the Department of Homeland Security to build a wall on the Mexico-US border, increase deportations, and reduce refugee admissions (Martin, 2017b). Immigration systems are like supertankers, hard to turn around quickly, but President Trump has in three years developed a restrictionist migration policy aimed at reducing unauthorized migration and asylum seeking. Even though Trump’s businesses employ low-skilled guest workers, there have been no major changes to the H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs.
Polymers in space exploration and commercialization

Abstract Space exploration is considered to be one of the greatest accomplishments in human history. With the current advances in technology and aviation, driven by the desire to further explore near-Earth objects, space exploration continues to thrive. In the early 2000s, a number of space agencies (e.g., National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) announced plans aimed at restarting manned exploration missions to both the Moon and Mars, and to set the stage for long-term stays (i.e., space colonization). From an engineering and material science point of view, space hosts a multitude of alien environments with unique features. These environments present exceptional challenges to ongoing space exploration programs, mainly arising from harsh conditions such as low gravity, radiation, vacuum, and large changes in temperature. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of the key challenges associated with space exploration with special emphasis on the role of polymers; an exceptionally promising material that could best suit such exploration efforts. Polymers are often integrated into space rockets, vehicles, thermal blankets, coatings, adhesives, dampers, seals, as well as structural systems, and so forth. In order to provide the reader with a comprehensive review, this chapter starts with an overview of space environments and their effects on polymers, followed by a discussion involving concepts for developing advanced polymeric-based materials suitable for the extraterrestrial construction of temporary and permanent habitats that can facilitate space exploration missions. Vital challenges facing the use of polymers in space exploration programs, together with venues warranting research, are also identified and discussed.
Evaluation of the susceptibility of Prunus rootstock genotypes to Armillaria and Desarmillaria species

Variation in susceptibility of 28 Prunus rootstock genotypes to the causal agents of Armillaria root rot, Armillaria mellea, A. solidipes, and Desarmillaria tabescens, were studied by conducting in vitro root screening assays. Root segments with wounded and intact periderm were placed next to and on the top of the fungal cultures. At day 21, the percent success of fungal penetration and the circumferential and longitudinal lengths of fungal growth were measured. A parallel investigation using the inoculated root segments was carried out to characterize the active host defense mechanisms involved, including anatomical responses in bark and wood. Overall, the success of penetration and the longitudinal and circumferential spread of Armillaria spp. and D. tabescens were significantly different among various Prunus rootstock genotypes. None of the tested rootstock genotypes were completely resistant to infection. However, plum and plum derived rootstocks, and some of the cherry genotypes were less susceptible to infection compared to the peach genotypes. The host’s ability to limit infection by Armillaria spp. and D. tabescens was not limited to a single mechanism but appeared to be regulated by several collective nonspecific host responses acting together. Differential levels of a series of non-specific coordinated events were triggered in Prunus genotypes such as the formation of new callus tissue on the root surface, a colored reaction zone, necrophylactic periderm, new cells, and new vascular cambium to compartmentalize the pathogen. The host responses were elevated in the genotypes with low level of infection as compared to highly infected genotypes.
American Dreaming: Really Reading The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) is one of the best known and most widely read and taught novels in American literature. It is so familiar that even those who have not read it believe that they have and take for granted that they know about its main character and theme of the American Dream. We need to approach The Great Gatsby as if it were new and really read it, paying close attention to Fitzgerald's literary language. His novel gives us a vivid depiction of and insight into income inequality as it existed in the 1920s and, by extension, as it exists today, when the American Dream is even more limited to the fortunate few, not within reach of the many. When we really read The Great Gatsby, we perceive and understand the American dimension of the novel and appreciate, too, the global range and relevance that in it Fitzgerald has achieved. It is a great American book and a great book of world literature.
In Vivo Efficacy of Tesevatinib in EGFR-Amplified Patient-Derived Xenograft Glioblastoma Models May Be Limited by Tissue Binding and Compensatory Signaling.

Tesevatinib is a potent oral brain penetrant EGFR inhibitor currently being evaluated for glioblastoma therapy. Tesevatinib distribution was assessed in wild-type (WT) and Mdr1a/b(-/-)Bcrp(-/-) triple knockout (TKO) FVB mice after dosing orally or via osmotic minipump; drug-tissue binding was assessed by rapid equilibrium dialysis. Two hours after tesevatinib dosing, brain concentrations in WT and TKO mice were 0.72 and 10.03 µg/g, respectively. Brain-to-plasma ratios (Kp) were 0.53 and 5.73, respectively. With intraperitoneal infusion, brain concentrations were 1.46 and 30.6 µg/g (Kp 1.16 and 25.10), respectively. The brain-to-plasma unbound drug concentration ratios were substantially lower (WT mice, 0.03-0.08; TKO mice, 0.40-1.75). Unbound drug concentrations in brains of WT mice were 0.78-1.59 ng/g. In vitro cytotoxicity and EGFR pathway signaling were evaluated using EGFR amplified patient-derived glioblastoma xenograft models (GBM12, GBM6). In vivo pharmacodynamics and efficacy were assessed using athymic nude mice bearing either intracranial or flank tumors treated by oral gavage. Tesevatinib potently reduced cell viability [IC50 GBM12=11 nmol/L (5.5 ng/mL), GBM6=102 nmol/L] and suppressed EGFR signaling in vitro. However, tesevatinib efficacy compared to vehicle in intracranial (GBM12, median survival: 23 vs. 18 days, p=0.003) and flank models (GBM12, median time to outcome: 41 vs. 33 days, p=0.007; GBM6, 44 vs. 33 days, p=0.007) was modest and associated with partial inhibition of EGFR signaling. Overall, tesevatinib efficacy in EGFR amplified PDX GBM models is robust in vitro but relatively modest in vivo, despite a high brain-to-plasma ratio. This discrepancy may be explained by drug-tissue binding and compensatory signaling.
Salvage immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) plus tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) combination therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

e16567Background: ICI/TKI combinations are a new standard of care for the initial treatment (tx) of mRCC. Efficacy and toxicity of such combination regimens beyond the first-line (1L) setting remai...
Model verification for Lévy-driven CARMA(2,1) processes

The Levy-driven CARMA(2,1) process is a popular one with which to model stochastic volatility. However, there has been little development in statistical tools to verify this model assumption and as...
Polymer intercalation synthesis of glycoboehmite nanosheets

Abstract Novel materials based on the aluminum oxyhydroxide boehmite phase were prepared using a glycothermal reaction in 1,4-butanediol. Under the synthesis conditions, the atomic structure of the boehmite phase is altered by the glycol solvent in place of the interlayer hydroxyl groups, creating glycoboehmite. The structure of glycoboehmite was examined in detail to determine that glycol molecules are intercalated in a bilayer structure, which would suggest that there is twice the expansion identified previously in the literature. This precursor phase enables synthesis of two new phases that incorporate either polyvinylpyrrolidone or hydroxylpropyl cellulose nonionic polymers. These new materials exhibit changes in morphology, thermal properties, and surface chemistry. All the intercalated phases were investigated using PXRD, HRSTEM, SEM, FT-IR, TGA/DSC, zeta potential titrations, and specific surface area measurement. These intercalation polymers are non-ionic and interact through wetting interactions and hydrogen bonding, rather than by chemisorption or chelation with the aluminum ions in the structure.
The Fly-Over: A View From Both Sides

An examination of European and U.S. information available of fly-overs shows that they are not low-cost permanent solutions for congestion and safety problems at urban and rural intersections. Their main advantage is that they can be installed in less than 10 days and can be reused several times at different locations. Their main disadvantage is that they are often not esthetically pleasing, particularly in an urban environment where there is limited right-of-way. Some fly-overs being marketed today are constructed of weathering steel to reduce maintenance costs and can be used in a variety of geometric configurations to accommodate approach ramps, curves multi-level bridges, and different width lanes. Intersection accidents can be reduced by fly-overs if proper attention is given the structure’s end treatment and good advance signing and roadway markings are used.
A Model Following Algorithm for Polynomial Inputs

This paper presents an output model reference tracking algorithm based on a simple augmentation of the tracking error. The controlled plant is able to track the output of a reference model for input commands, such as polynomials, which can be generated by a linear system, pending satisfaction of a stability condition.
Physician reimbursement by salary or fee-for-service: effect on physician practice behavior in a randomized prospective study.

We used a resident continuity clinic to compare prospectively the impact of salary v fee-for-service reimbursement on physician practice behavior. This model allowed randomization of physicians into salary and fee-for-service groups and separation of the effects of reimbursement from patient behavior. Physicians reimbursed by fee-for-services scheduled more visits per patient than did salaried physicians (3.69 visits v 2.83 visits, P less than .01) and saw their patients more often (2.70 visits v 2.21 visits, P less than .05) during the 9-month study. Almost all of this difference was because fee-for-service physicians saw more well patients than salaried physicians (1.42 visits and .99 visits per enrolled patient, respectively, P less than .01). Evaluating visits by American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines indicated that fee-for-service physicians saw more patients for well-childcare than salaried physicians because they missed fewer recommended visits and scheduled visits in excess of those recommendations. Fee-for-service physicians also provided better continuity of care than salaried physicians by attending a larger percentage of all visits made by their patients (86.6% of visits v 78.3% of visits, P less than .05), and by encouraging fewer emergency visits per enrolled patient (0.12 visits v 0.22 visits, P less than .01). Physicians' interest in private practice, as determined by their career plans, correlated significantly with total number of patients enrolled (r = .48, P less than .05) and total clinic patients seen by each resident during the study (r = .40, P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Influence of gamma-irradiation on the development of neoplastic disease in mice. III. Dose rate effects

The influence of dose rate on the carcinogenic effectiveness of ${}^{137}{\rm Cs}\ \gamma $ rays at dose rates of 45 rad/min or 8.3 rad/day was investigated using RFM/Un and BALB/c/AnNBdf female mi...
A depth-first-search controlled gridless incremental routing algorithm for VLSI circuits

In the engineering change order (ECO) process, engineers make changes to VLSI circuits after their layouts are completed in order to correct electrical problems or design errors. As far as routing is concerned, in order to capitalize on the enormous resources and time already spent on routing the circuit, and to meet time-to-market requirements, it is desirable to re-route only the ECO-affected portion of the circuit, while minimizing any routing changes in the larger unaffected part of the circuit in order to preserve its electrical properties. In this paper, we develop a novel algorithm to find incremental routing solutions using a gridless framework for VLSI circuits that require variable width and variable spacing on interconnects. The basic idea in our algorithm is to route the new or ECO-modified nets by minimally re-arranging, if necessary, some portions of some existing nets using a novel DFS controlled process that does not allow the perturbed existing nets' lengths and topologies to change beyond pre-set limits. With these constraints, it explores a number of low-cost ways of re-routing the portions of these nets within the available routing resources (2 metal layers only). Experimental results show that within the above constraints our incremental router succeeds in routing more than 98% of ECO-generated nets, and also that its failure rate is 5 to 12 and 2.4 to 9 times less than that of previous incremental routing techniques standard (Std) and Rip-up&Reroute (R&R), respectively. It is also able to route most of the wide nets using a reasonable number of vias and with near-minimal net lengths.
Between Freud and Coleridge: Contemporary Scholarship on Victorian Literature and the Science of Dream-states

The aim of this essay is to provide an overview of recent scholarship on specific kinds of sleep and dream-states in 19th-century literature and science and to note areas where there is an apparent dearth in order to encourage further research. The categories surveyed here are general studies of sleep and dream-states, mesmerism and related trance-like states (such as hypnotism and animal magnetism), deja vu, and nightmares or Incubus (more recently termed “sleep paralysis”). Given the plurality and fluidity of historical approaches to understanding “dreamy” mental states, this survey will expand the contemporary literary corpus on dream-states by including historical, scientific, anthropological, and other studies alongside literary criticism in order to suggest possible points of comparison across disciplines that have not been fully explored. As this survey will demonstrate, Victorian discussions of dream-states were highly interdisciplinary in nature, and so reading different contemporary methodological approaches to these topics can illuminate ideas, questions, and points of interest that are not necessarily apparent from a single theoretical or disciplinary perspective. This multi-discipline approach allows for a more pluralistic account of scholarship on Victorian dream-states and will encourage greater cross-talk among scholars and journals about Victorian dream-states and their continuing relevance in contemporary literature, culture, and science.
Nicotine modulates multiple regions in the limbic stress network regulating activation of hypophysiotrophic neurons in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 628–640. Abstract Nicotine intake affects CNS responses to stressors. We reported that nicotine self-administration (SA) augmented the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress response, in part because of the altered neurotransmission and neuropeptide expression within hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Limbic-PVN interactions involving medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) greatly impact the HPA stress response. Therefore, we investigated the effects of nicotine SA on stress-induced neuronal activation in limbic-PVN network, using c-Fos protein immunohistochemistry and retrograde tracing. Nicotine decreased stress-induced c-Fos in prelimbic cortex (PrL), anteroventral BST (avBST), and peri-PVN, but increased c-Fos induction in medial amygdala (MeA), locus coeruleus, and PVN. Fluoro-gold (FG) was injected into avBST or PVN, as GABAergic neurons in avBST projecting to PVN corticotrophin-releasing factor neurons relay information from both PrL glutamatergic and MeA GABAergic neurons. The stress-induced c-Fos expression in retrograde-labeled FG+ neurons was decreased in PrL by nicotine, but increased in MeA, and also reduced in avBST. Therefore, within limbic-PVN network, nicotine SA exerts selective regional effects on neuronal activation by stress. These findings expand the mechanistic framework by demonstrating altered limbic-BST-PVN interactions underlying the disinhibition of PVN corticotrophin-releasing factor neurons, an essential component of the amplified HPA response to stress by nicotine.
Classic or Bayesian research design and analysis. Does it make a difference

Objective: The role of classical and Bayesian statistical approaches remains in dispute in health services research and policy. The goal of this study was to determine if results differ when both analytic techniques are used with the same data set. Design: We searched MEDLINE and related databases for English-language articles published January 1, 1978 through August 31, 1999. We combined Bayesian and classical statistics search terms and their variants with randomized control trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses. Results: Searches found 18 studies in 14 publications that met all review criteria-nine RCTs, eight meta-analyses, and one epidemiologic estimate. Statistical analyses using both methods agreed in five RCTs, four meta-analyses, and for the epidemiologic estimates. For four RCTs where results disagreed, classical analysis found the experimental intervention was efficacious compared with the control, and Bayesian reanalysis concluded the intervention was not proven efficacious. Classical meta-analyses of the four studies where results disagreed concluded the experimental intervention was not better than the control; Bayesian reanalysis concluded it was efficacious. Conclusion: Classical and Bayesian methods in this review exhibited important divergence of results. Disagreement on many fundamental beliefs between classical and Bayesian statistics means continuing debate. One way to resolve this debate is for proponents of each technique to decide together the circumstances for use of each method and analytic framework. If the experts do not agree on the methodologic requirements, other decision makers likely will force their own views.
Extinction as a function of varied quality and quantity of reward sequence in a straight alley

Four groups of male albino rats were extinguished in a straight alley after receiving two daily trials on one of the following varied quality and/or quantity of reward sequences: 1 alfalfa pellet followed by 1 sucrose pellet, 1 sucrose pellet followed by 1 alfalfa pellet, a single alfalfa pellet followed by 16 sucrose pellets, and a single sucrose pellet followed by 16 sucrose pellets. The results indicated that a high-quality reward following a low-quality reward produced greater resistance to extinction than when a low-quality reward followed a high-quality reward. The findings were interpreted within Capaldi’s sequential theory.
Who should protect the public? The Supreme Court and medical device regulation.

Russell Korobkin writes that the Supreme Court's decision in Riegel v. Medtronic will have implications for the broader question of how, and at what cost, government protects consumers from the risks associated with medical devices and prescription drugs.
In vivo brain water determination by T1 measurements : effect of total water content, hydration fraction, and field strength

This work is concerned with the accurate quantification of brain water content under routine clinical conditions. Gelatin solutions of varying water content are first employed as a model of an edematous brain and longitudinal relaxation measurements are performed at proton Larmor frequencies of 5, 41, 63, and 100 MHz. These are followed with in vivo measurements in an experimental animal model of brain edema at 41 MHz. The results underscore the dominant role of total water content W in the relaxation process and verify the expected linearity between 1/T1 and 1/W. A scheme is presented and experimentally verified at 41 MHz for deducing the exact relationship of 1/T1 vs 1/W at any frequency. Knowledge of this relationship along with precise measurements of 1/T1 at a given field strength permits quantitative in vivo measures of brain water content to be obtained with a precision of about 0.01. It is concluded that routine, accurate, and noninvasive brain water measurements are possible by magnetic resonance imaging in a clinical environment.
Corals' prolonged struggle against unfavorable conditions

A central goal of coral-reef ecology is to define the key ecological processes that regulate reef populations under a rapidly changing environment. There is considerable need to move away from simply tracking reef state, and move toward more process orientated studies. Differential recruitment, growth, partial mortality, and mortality of corals are fundamental processes that need spatial evaluation using hierarchical sampling. Major changes to any one process will alter the state of the reef. Understanding these key processes, assessing their spatial variation and their relationship with state variables, such as coral cover, will lead to predictive models of population trajectories under different climate change scenarios. Predictions may even guide critical resource allocation to increase coral-reef management efforts at localities that are most likely to persevere in the prolonged struggle against unfavorable conditions.
A subnanogram API LC/MS/MS quantitation method for depsipeptide FR901228 and its preclinical pharmacokinetics.

A highly sensitive and specific atmospheric pressure ionization (API) liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) method for the quantitation of depsipeptide FR901228 (NSC-630176, FR), a naturally occurring antitumor agent, was developed and validated. FR was extracted from human or rat plasma along with the internal standard, t-Boc-Met-Leu-Phe (BMLP) with ethyl acetate. Components in the extract were separated on a 5-microm C8 Spherisorb 50 x 4.6 mm i.d. column by isocratic elution with methanol/acetonitrile/12 mM ammonium acetate (60:10:30, v/v/v). The liquid flow was passed through a presource splitter and 5% of the eluate was introduced into the API source. The components were analyzed in the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode to enhance specificity. Linear calibration curves were obtained in the range of 0.1-100.0 ng/ml with 0.5 ml human plasma and 0.5-100.0 ng/ml with 0.1 ml rat plasma. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.1 ng/ml using 0.5 ml human plasma and 0.5 ng/ml using 0.1 ml rat plasma. The overall within-day precision was below 12% in human plasma and below 7% in rat plasma; and the between-day precision was below 10.2% in human plasma and 7.2% in rat plasma. The accuracy at low, medium and high levels ranged from 99.3 to 111.7% in human plasma and 96.2-107.3% in rat plasma. The high sensitivity permitted pharmacokinetic study of FR in the rat at a single i.v. dose as low as 1 mg/kg. At this dose, plasma FR levels declined biexponentially with a mean terminal t(1/2) of 187.7 min (n = 6) and were detectable up to 24 h. After an oral dose at 5 mg/kg, plasma FR levels were highly erratic and yielded a mean bioavailability of 1.6% (n = 6). At a higher oral dose of 50 mg/kg, a mean bioavailability of 10.6% was obtained, both being estimated by a non-crossover method.
An alternative surgical approach to facilitate minimally invasive mitral valve surgery

An alternative approach to minimally invasive mitral valve surgery is described that permits direct great vessel cannulation and direct aortic clamp occlusion through a 6- to 8-cm incision. This approach reduces the complexity of the procedure, and hopefully, will contribute to more widespread adoption of less invasive techniques in mitral valve surgery.
Central Nervous System Tuberculosis: Challenges and Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the most prevalent human infections. Although the largest share of the burden of disease is in Africa and Asia, tuberculosis has a global footprint due to travel and migration. Resource constraints in many low- and middle-income countries are hampering efforts to control new infections and to prevent drug resistance. Infection of the central nervous system by Mycobacterium tuberculosis includes meningitis, tuberculoma, and abscess and carries a high morbidity and mortality. High clinical suspicion, combined with cerebrospinal fluid analysis and brain imaging studies, can improve the diagnostic certainty. The recent scale-up of nucleic acid amplification technology may allow earlier diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in many regions of the world. Treatment of tuberculous infection of the central nervous system is usually empirical and follows conventional regimens for pulmonary tuberculosis. The optimal treatment regimen is still being elucidated and has been the subject of recent clinical trials.
Unusual ribosomal lamellar inclusions in lymphocytes

Abstract Ribosomal lamellar inclusions of the type commonly seen in hairy cell leukaemia and less frequently in other disorders were noted in the lymphocytes of two patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia. Serial sectioning of these inclusions, previously described as straight, hollow cylinders, revealed a variety of shapes, including apparently twisted and bent forms. Observation of such configurations suggests that these structures are flexible and that, rather than being, simple, open-ended cylinders, they may be part of a more complex, continuous tubular system.
Automatic Bone Segmentation and Alignment From MR Knee Images

Automatic image analysis of magnetic resonance (MR) images of the knee is simplified by bringing the knee into a reference position. While the knee is typically put into a reference position during image acquisition, this alignment will generally not be perfect. To correct for imperfections, we propose a two-step process of bone segmentation followed by elastic tissue deformation. The approach makes use of a fully-automatic segmentation of femur and tibia from T1 and T2* images. The segmentation algorithm is based on a continuous convex optimization problem, incorporating regional, and shape information. The regional terms are included from a probabilistic viewpoint, which readily allows the inclusion of shape information. Segmentation of the outer boundary of the cortical bone is encouraged by adding simple appearance-based information to the optimization problem. The resulting segmentation without the shape alignment step is globally optimal. Standard registration is problematic for knee alignment due to the distinct physical properties of the tissues constituting the knee (bone, muscle, etc.). We therefore develop an alternative alignment approach based on a simple elastic deformation model combined with strict enforcement of similarity transforms for femur and tibia based on the obtained segmentations.
A comparison of two nonparametric estimation schemes: MARS and neural networks

Abstract The most popular form of artificial neural networks, feedforward networks with sigmoidal activation functions, and a new statistical technique, multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) are compared in terms of both their accuracy in learning different types of functions and their speed. Test problems that have been used for demonstrating the efficacy of each method are used to compare the two methods. Both methods can be classified as nonlinear, nonparametric function estimation techniques, and both show great promise for fitting general nonlinear multivariate functions. We find that MARS is in most cases both more accurate and much faster than neural networks. In addition, MARS is more interpretable due to the choice of basis functions which make up the final predictive model. This suggests that MARS could be used on many of the applications where neural networks are currently being used.
Oxidative and flavor stability of oil from lipoxygenase-free soybeans

Soybeans that lack or contain three lipoxygenase (LOX) isozymes, LOX-1, LOX-2, and LOX-3, were evaluated for oxidative and flavor stability at 60°C in the dark and at 35°C in the light. Although the two types of soybeans had a similar genetic background, there were significant differences (P≤0.01) in fatty acid percentages between the lipoxygenase-free and normal oils before and after storage at both temperatures. The linolenic acid content of oil from LOX-free germplasm before storage averaged 7.2%, while normal lines averaged 6.6%. The linoleic acid content after storage averaged 6.9% for LOX-free and 6.6% for normal oils. LOX-free oil was not significantly different from normal oil in flavor, as judged by a sensory panel, or in concentrations of volatiles during storage at either storage condition. LOX-free oil had less hexanal than normal oil before storage, but had significantly greater (P≤0.05) levels after storage for two weeks at 35°C. Peroxide values of oil from LOX-free soybeans were significantly greater (P≤0.01) than oil from the normal soybean after storage at 60 and 35°C. LOX-free oil had significantly greater (P≤0.01) levels of α-, β-, and γ-tocopherols. In general, oil from LOX-free soybeans did not have improved flavor or oxidative stability. Differences between the two oil types in peroxide value and in production of a few volatiles were probably a result of the differences in initial fatty acid composition.
High level radioactive solid waste burial operations for the EBR-II fuel cycle facility☆

The Fuel Cycle Facility of the EBR-II complex generates high level, non-combustible radioactive solid waste from the reprocessing and refabricating of reactor fuel. The burial facility permits the long-range burial with retrieval as opposed to permanent burial of high-level solid wastes. The burial site utilizes post-hole burial with high integrity steel linears. A top-loading, bottom-dumping waste handling coffin and special lowboy trailer were built for use at this facility. Four sizes of waste containers are used with all operations being done entirely by remote control. The first one hundred burials container an estimated 6600 kg of waste material with an estimated 1.6 × 106 curies of activity and radiation levels as high as 9 × 10r R/hr.
Book Review: Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America: Hair Restoration

Raymond J. Konior, Steven P. Gabel Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America: Hair Restoration. New York: Elsevier, 2013. ISBN-10: 0323186033 The clinical review on hair restoration by Konior and Gabel in the August 2013 Facial Plastic Surgical Clinics of North America is an excellent compendium of all updated, state-of-the-art techniques in hair restoration surgery by some of the clinical leaders in the world. In addition to covering all the planning and technical aspects of this procedure, this volume also encompasses a comprehensive review of all aspects of medical treatment of hair loss in both men and women, as well as gives the reader a good perspective of futuristic trends in the field of hair cloning and germanative hair fragment formation. The quality of the writing and editing of the book is excellent, and the schematic artwork is also of high quality, although one …