cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PREFERENCE FOR THE HALF-LEFT PROFILE POSE: THREE INCLUSIVE MODELS '

Conesa, Brunold-Conesa, and Miron (1) reported a significant incidence of the half-left profile in a large sample of single-subject portraiture. This particular pose aligns the near eye, the left eye of the portrayed subject, with the center of the portrait leaving the rest and the most important elements of the face displayed to the left visual field of the observer. The point was made then, that from the observer's perspective, information about the poser's emotional state falls conveniently onto the left visual field and thereby allows a right-hemisphere processing advantage for emotion. Two other complementary models may help explain the prevalence of this pose in the art record. The Eirst interpreration is a modified version of Kinsbourne's model of hemispheric activation and corresponding contralateral ocular movements (2). It is possible that during a verbal exchange a speaker's predominant left-hemisphere activation would result not in an ocular rightward gaze but in a slighr righnvard head rotation. This would occur ro the extent that the speaker attempts to maintain eye contact with another interlocutor and with this constraint, the head rotates instead. This explanation is satisfactory to the extent that the posers, in the art work reviewed, were allowed to communicate with the artists. The second interpretation was alluded to briefly in the original paper (11, an habitual predilection exercised during approximately the first four months of life. During this period critical for the development of vision, the pose most human infants see is a half-left so-called 'Picasso' rendition of their caregiver: a large near left eye and an exaggerated nose occluding a d~sranr, tangential right eye. This is the case if we assume that infants are held on the left arm longer than on the right arm of the caretaker, allowing the right-hand manipulative Freedom. DUI u)g this posture there is the added advantage of the infant's right ear being pressed against the mother's chest, being exposed to sound vibrations from the caregiver's vocalizations and heart bear. Prolonged exposure ro associating right-ear information with the visual information conveyed by the half-left profile may enhance and optimize a right-ear advantage for language and efficient cross-modal processing.
Bioautographic analysis of blood for growth factors active for L. leichmannii 4797.

SummaryAqueous extracts of autolyzed blood samples from various species were chromatographed on paper strips and analyzed by bioautographic procedures. Under these conditions chick, turkey and turtle blood were found to contain 3 desoxyribosides in addition to vit. B12 while cattle, sheep and pig blood contained only B12 but not the desoxyribosides. Evidence is presented for the occurrence of desoxyribonuclease and nucleotidase in chick blood.
Effects of release time and directionality on unilateral and bilateral hearing aid fittings in complex sound fields

In studies to date, the effectiveness of the directional microphone has been investigated independently of the signal processing scheme used in the hearing aid. In addition, the number and placement of the background noise speakers can create an advantage for a particular polar pattern (i.e., cardioid, supercardioid, and hypercardioid) in any laboratory design. With these considerations in mind, the purpose of this investigation was twofold: (1) to determine the effect of different amplitude-compression release times on speech perception ability in noise, measured with directional microphone hearing aids, and (2) to determine the impact of environment (classroom vs anechoic chamber) on those measures . Ten subjects with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss participated . Using an eight-speaker complex sound field, speech perception was assessed in an anechoic chamber and a typical classroom environment. None of the release times resulted in superior performance in either the anechoic or classroom environment.
Surveillance for adverse events following immunization in Huanggang,2005-2013

Objective To understand the incidence pattern of adverse events following Immunization( AEFI) in Huanggang during 2005-2013,and evaluate the performance of AEFI information management system and the immunization safety. Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the incidence data of AEFI in Huanggang during this period which were collected from national AEFI information management system. Results A total of 644 AEFI cases were reported in 10 counties( district). The cases reported within 48 hours accounted for88. 04%,and cases surveyed within 48 hours accounted for 95. 13%. The male to female ratio of the cases was 1. 62∶ 1.The cases aged ≤1 year accounted for 66. 77%. The estimated overall incidence of AEFI was 5. 26 per 100 000 doses,the estimated rare reaction incidence was 1. 16 per 100 000 doses. AEFI mainly occurred in age group 5-9 months. In all the AEFI,the common vaccination reactions were fever,local swelling and indurations,the rare reactions were anaphylactic rash and lymphadenitis of BCG vaccine. AEFI usually occurred within 1 day after vaccination. Of all the AEFI,97. 05% were cured or mitigated. Conclusion The sensitivity of national AEFI surveillance was improved greatly. AEFI usually occurred in young children within 1 day after vaccination. It is still necessary to further improve the sensitivity and quality of AEFI surveillance.
A migratory lifestyle is associated with shorter telomeres in a songbird (Junco hyemalis)

ABSTRACT For birds, a migratory lifestyle confers several benefits including avoidance of harsh winters and increased access to food resources during the breeding season. However, migration is energetically costly and elevates oxidative stress, which may contribute to increased mortality during migration. Oxidative stress is known to shorten telomeres, which are protective DNA regions on the ends of chromosomes. Thus, one consequence of migration may be accelerated telomere attrition. A migratory lifestyle may also increase telomere shortening via reduced investment into self-maintenance, as high mortality during migration may cause migrants to invest more in reproduction than residents. We therefore hypothesized that greater telomere attrition may reflect a long-term cost of a migratory life history strategy. We predicted that, among individuals of the same age, migrants would have shorter telomeres as compared to residents. We compared first-year individuals in an overwintering population of Slate-color...
Evolution of Instrumentation for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Since the discovery of functional MRI (fMRI) early in the 1990s, major developments in MRI instrumentation have provided particular benefits for human fMRI. Improvements in system stability and signal detection hardware, as well as an increase in magnetic field strength and rises in the amplitude and switching speed of gradients, have significantly increased fMRI spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise ratio. These technological improvements and their specific impact on fMRI research are reviewed here.
Applications of object-oriented approaches to expert systems in the earth sciences

Combining object and rule processing in knowledge-based systems provides a firm foundation for addressing more complex problems, such as planning, scheduling, resource allocation, and configuration. The features of object-oriented analysis, design, and knowledge representation advantageous to current expert system applications are abstraction, encapsulation, and hierarchy. Examples of object-oriented expert systems in the earth sciences at the US Geological Survey are a knowledge-based geographic information system (GIS), an integrated GIS and expert system, an enhanced digital line graph (DLG-E) extraction advisor, and a sedimentary basin analysis system. >
Forces driving fast flow channels, dipolarizations, and turbulence in the magnetotail

Fast flow channels are a major contributor to earthward transport in the magnetotail. Fast flow channels originate at reconnection sites in the magnetotail and terminate with dipolarizations, earthward moving regions of enhanced magnetic field. We have used a global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of magnetotail dynamics during a substorm on February 7, 2009 to investigate the stresses in the plasma sheet. In particular, we present an analysis of forces in and around flow channels and dipolarizations. Earthward of the dipolarization magnetic and thermal pressure forces are nearly in equilibrium. Tailward of the dipolarization the pattern of stresses is complex but several general features are evident. In the earthward flow channel the magnetic tension force dominates. In the dipolarization a tailward magnetic force is partially balanced by the earthward pressure force. The stresses in azimuth (y) are variable. In some places they cause the flow stream to meander while in others they cause the stream to become wider or narrower. A major consequence of fast earthward flow channels is that they drive large scale vortices that initiate turbulence.
Phylogenomic analysis of Copepoda (Arthropoda, Crustacea) reveals unexpected similarities with earlier proposed morphological phylogenies

Copepods play a critical role in marine ecosystems but have been poorly investigated in phylogenetic studies. Morphological evidence supports the monophyly of copepods, whereas interordinal relationships continue to be debated. In particular, the phylogenetic position of the order Harpacticoida is still ambiguous and inconsistent among studies. Until now, a small number of molecular studies have been done using only a limited number or even partial genes and thus there is so far no consensus at the order-level. This study attempted to resolve phylogenetic relationships among and within four major copepod orders including Harpacticoida and the phylogenetic position of Copepoda among five other crustacean groups (Anostraca, Cladocera, Sessilia, Amphipoda, and Decapoda) using 24 nuclear protein-coding genes. Phylogenomics has confirmed the monophyly of Copepoda and Podoplea. However, this study reveals surprising differences with the majority of the copepod phylogenies and unexpected similarities with postembryonic characters and earlier proposed morphological phylogenies; More precisely, Cyclopoida is more closely related to Siphonostomatoida than to Harpacticoida which is likely the most basally-branching group of Podoplea. Divergence time estimation suggests that the origin of Harpacticoida can be traced back to the Devonian, corresponding well with recently discovered fossil evidence. Copepoda has a close affinity to the clade of Malacostraca and Thecostraca but not to Branchiopoda. This result supports the hypothesis of the newly proposed clades, Communostraca, Multicrustacea, and Allotriocarida but further challenges the validity of Hexanauplia and Vericrustacea. The first phylogenomic study of Copepoda provides new insights into taxonomic relationships and represents a valuable resource that improves our understanding of copepod evolution and their wide range of ecological adaptations.
Optimize, satisfice, or choose without deliberation? A simple minimax-regret assessment

Simon (Q J Econ 69:99–118, 1955) introduced satisficing, but he did not provide a precise definition or analysis. Other researchers have subsequently interpreted satisficing in various ways, but a consensus perspective still has not emerged. This paper interprets satisficing as a class of decision strategies that a person might use when seeking to optimize in a setting where deliberation is costly. Costly deliberation lies at the heart of Simon’s motivation of satisficing, but he did not formalize the idea. I do so here, studying decision making as a problem of minimax-regret planning in which costly deliberation enables a person to reduce ambiguity. I report simple specific findings on how the magnitude of deliberation costs may affect choice of a decision strategy.
RAP80, ubiquitin and SUMO in the DNA damage response

A decade has passed since the first reported connection between RAP80 and BRCA1 in DNA double-strand break repair. Despite the initial identification of RAP80 as a factor localizing BRCA1 to DNA double-strand breaks and potentially promoting homologous recombination, there is increasing evidence that RAP80 instead suppresses homologous recombination to fine-tune the balance of competing DNA repair processes during the S/G2 phase of the cell cycle. RAP80 opposes homologous recombination by inhibiting DNA end-resection and sequestering BRCA1 into the BRCA1-A complex. Ubiquitin and SUMO modifications of chromatin at DNA double-strand breaks recruit RAP80, which contains distinct sequence motifs that recognize ubiquitin and SUMO. Here, we review RAP80's role in repressing homologous recombination at DNA double-strand breaks and how this role is facilitated by its ability to bind ubiquitin and SUMO modifications.
Defining the Structural Basis for Allosteric Product Release from E. coli Dihydrofolate Reductase Using NMR Relaxation Dispersion.

The rate-determining step in the catalytic cycle of E. coli dihydrofolate reductase is tetrahydrofolate (THF) product release, which can occur via an allosteric or an intrinsic pathway. The allosteric pathway, which becomes accessible when the reduced cofactor NADPH is bound, involves transient sampling of a higher energy conformational state, greatly increasing the product dissociation rate as compared to the intrinsic pathway that obtains when NADPH is absent. Although the kinetics of this process are known, the enzyme structure and the THF product conformation in the transiently formed excited state remain elusive. Here, we use side-chain proton NMR relaxation dispersion measurements, X-ray crystallography, and structure-based chemical shift predictions to explore the structural basis of allosteric product release. In the excited state of the E:THF:NADPH product release complex, the reduced nicotinamide ring of the cofactor transiently enters the active site where it displaces the pterin ring of the TH...
Limits and Decomposition of de Bruijn’s Additive Systems

An additive system for the nonnegative integers is a family \((A_i)_{i\in I}\) of sets of nonnegative integers with \(0 \in A_i\) for all \(i \in I\) such that every nonnegative integer can be written uniquely in the form \(\sum _{i\in I} a_i\) with \(a_i \in A_i\) for all i and \(a_i \ne 0\) for only finitely many i. In 1956, de Bruijn proved that every additive system is constructed from an infinite sequence \((g_i )_{i \in \mathbf N}\) of integers with \(g_i \ge 2\) for all i or is a contraction of such a system. This paper discusses limits and the stability of additive systems and also describes the “uncontractable” or “indecomposable” additive systems.
Protected Places: A Survey of Laws on Archaeological Site and Cave Location Confidentiality and Their Potential Impact on Library Reference Policies and Services

Librarians who work with maps and other forms of spatial information are often asked for information about the location of a place. These questions can range from the location of a village or farm where an ancestor lived to more cryptic questions, such as the location of the Garden of Eden based on its Biblical description. Most librarians will attempt to answer locational questions by directing users to resources such as gazetteers, atlases, maps, and plat books. However, the locations of archaeological sites and caves are protected by federal and state laws. This article provides a summary of federal and state laws protecting archaeological sites and caves, the reasons for the laws, issues to consider when asked for locations of archaeological sites and caves, and additionally, suggests a policy for dealing with users requesting information about archaeological sites and caves.
Prior commitment: Its effect on suboptimal choice in a gambling-like task

Abstract Animals choose suboptimally when provided with cues that signal whether reinforcement is coming or not. For example, pigeons do not prefer an alternative that always provides them with a signal for reinforcement over an alternative that provides them with a signal for reinforcement only half of the time and a signal for the absence of reinforcement the rest of the time. In the present research, we tested the hypothesis that if the results of the choice are delayed, pigeons will choose less suboptimally. We tested this hypothesis by forcing pigeons to wait following their choice, requiring them to complete a fixed-interval 20-s schedule prior to receiving the signals for reinforcement. In Experiment 1, we gave the pigeons a choice between (a) a 50% chance of receiving a signal for reinforcement or a 50% chance of receiving a signal for the absence of reinforcement and (b) a 100% chance of receiving a signal for reinforcement. When the signal for reinforcement was delayed, most of the pigeons chose optimally. When it was not delayed, most of the pigeons chose suboptimally. In Experiment 2, we gave the pigeons a choice between (a) a 25% chance of receiving a signal for reinforcement or a 75% chance of receiving a signal for nonreinforcement and (b) a 100% chance of receiving an unreliable signal for reinforcement (predicting reinforcement 75% of the time). When the signal was not delayed, the pigeons showed a strong tendency to choose suboptimally but they chose suboptimally much less when the signal was delayed.
A process to decontaminate sliced fresh cucumber (Cucumis sativus) using electron beam irradiation

Abstract Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is one of the most cultivated vegetable in the world which is mostly consumed raw. Raw products are important vehicles for the transmission of pathogens which cause foodborne illness. Recently, a multistate Salmonella Poona outbreak in the USA was linked to the consumption of contaminated imported Californian cucumbers. Hence, measures to decontaminate fresh produce are necessary. Electron-beam irradiation is an effective nonthermal decontamination method. However, it could induce negative quality effects such as loss of texture, flavor, and nutrients. Therefore, the need to optimize the irradiation process. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the radiation D10-value of Salmonella Poona on sliced cucumber; (2) quantify the effect of electron-beam irradiation on the product quality attributes (texture and color) throughout storage at refrigeration temperature (4 ± 1 °C); and (3) optimize irradiation treatment to ensure proper decontamination (5D) while maintaining produce quality. The D10-value of the Salmonella Poona strain used in this study was 0.38 ± 0.03 kGy. Although the irradiated samples were softer (P .05) on the quality parameters of sliced cucumbers.
Our Expanding Solar System: Pluto, Asteroids, and the Far Reaches

The planets and their moons dominate the solar system. However, there are other bodies in the solar system that we need to consider. One, Pluto, is a former planet. Another, Vulcan, the “planet of romance”, doesn’t exist. Others, like the asteroids, may have been a planet between Mars and Jupiter but are also found roaming throughout the solar system. Additional components that are under the gravitational pull of the Sun exist as well, like comets, meteors, and bodies in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud. We will now consider these various members of the solar system, including their relationships during eclipses and transits. More will be said about some of them in Chapter 10, due to exciting findings made during the Space Age.
Ethics of Screening

Screening is the presumptive identification of an unrecognized disease or condition by the use of tests, examinations, or other procedures that can help apparently well individuals who have a disease or disease precursor. Several frameworks for analyzing and addressing ethical and policy issues in public health screening programs have been proposed. Screening raises a number of important ethical issues, including provisions for obtaining informed consent, protecting privacy and confidentiality, and balancing risks and potential benefits, and issues pertaining to targeted screening of higher-risk persons. Other ethical considerations relate to costs and how best to allocate finite public resources for screening.
Demographic, Socioeconomic Characteristics, and Male and Female Fertiltiy

Chapters 6 through 10 examine male and female fertility determinants at the individual level by analyzing data derived from the NSFG Cycle 6. Since demographic and socioeconomic factors have long been documented to be influential on female fertility, this chapter investigates how men’s fertility outcome is differentiated by their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The chapter also contrasts the effects of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics on male and female fertility results. The central covariates applied in the analysis to measure demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are age, racial and ethnic composition, nativity, metropolitan residence, marriage, education, income and labor force participation. The chapter demonstrates how men’s and women’s fertility outcomes are determined by the above factors. Meanwhile, it highlights those demographic and socioeconomic covariates that are able to differentiate male and female fertility outcomes. Several important implications are drawn from the research. The discussion at the end the chapter also enlightens the reader how this current analysis helps to construct fertility theories of men by examining demographic and socioeconomic covariates.
Crystal structure of MICU2 and comparison with MICU1 reveal insights into the uniporter gating mechanism

The mitochondrial uniporter is a Ca2+-channel complex resident within the organelle’s inner membrane. In mammalian cells the uniporter’s activity is regulated by Ca2+ due to concerted action of MICU1 and MICU2, two paralogous, but functionally distinct, EF-hand Ca2+-binding proteins. Here we present the X-ray structure of the apo form of Mus musculus MICU2 at 2.5-A resolution. The core structure of MICU2 is very similar to that of MICU1. It consists of two lobes, each containing one canonical Ca2+-binding EF-hand (EF1, EF4) and one structural EF-hand (EF2, EF3). Two molecules of MICU2 form a symmetrical dimer stabilized by highly conserved hydrophobic contacts between exposed residues of EF1 of one monomer and EF3 of another. Similar interactions stabilize MICU1 dimers, allowing exchange between homo- and heterodimers. The tight EF1–EF3 interface likely accounts for the structural and functional coupling between the Ca2+-binding sites in MICU1, MICU2, and their complex that leads to the previously reported Ca2+-binding cooperativity and dominant negative effect of mutation of the Ca2+-binding sites in either protein. The N- and C-terminal segments of the two proteins are distinctly different. In MICU2 the C-terminal helix is significantly longer than in MICU1, and it adopts a more rigid structure. MICU2’s C-terminal helix is dispensable in vitro for its interaction with MICU1 but required for MICU2’s function in cells. We propose that in the MICU1–MICU2 oligomeric complex the C-terminal helices of both proteins form a central semiautonomous assembly which contributes to the gating mechanism of the uniporter.
Glucose and free fatty acid modulation of growth hormone and luteinizing hormone secretion by cultured porcine pituitary cells.

The influence of glucose and free fatty acids (FFA) on LH and GH secretion from porcine pituitary cells was examined in culture. Cells were challenged with 10 -9 , 10 -8 , or 10 -7 M GnRH; 10 -9 , 10 -8 , or 10 -7 M [Ala 15 ]-h growth hormone-releasing factor-(1-29)NH 2 (GRF); 10 -3 or 10 -5 M forskolin; glucose (100, 300, or 600 mg/dL); and oleic or linoleic acid (10 -11 to 10 -5 M) individually or in combinations of glucose, oleic, and linoleic acid with GnRH, GRF, or forskolin. Relative to control (medium alone), GnRH increased (P<.003) LH secretion. Glucose at 100 mg/dL enhanced (P<.05) basal LH release, whereas the 600-mg/dL dose suppressed (P<.05) LH response to GnRH. Except for 10 -7 M, all doses of linoleic acid increased (P<.05) basal LH release, whereas only 10 -5 M linoleic acid suppressed (P<.02) LH response to GnRH. All doses of oleic acid enhanced (P<.05) basal LH release and suppressed (P<.03) the LH response to GnRH. In contrast, neither FFA suppressed the forskolin-induced LH secretion compared to forskolin alone. Growth hormone-releasing factor stimulated (P<.02) GH release in a dose-dependent manner. Glucose did not alter basal GH release but suppressed (P<.01) GRF-induced GH release. Only 300 mg/dL of glucose suppressed (P<.05) forskolin-induced GH release. Only 10 -9 M linoleic acid suppressed (P<.04) basal GH secretion, whereas 10 -11 and 10 -9 M oleic acid suppressed and 10 -7 and 10 -5 M oleic acid enhanced (P<.04) GH release. However, both FFA suppressed (P<.03) GRF-induced GH release. Neither FFA affected forskolinstimulated GH secretion. These results indicate that FFA and glucose may directly modulate LH and GH secretion at the level of the pituitary gland
Self-identification as a “gamer” among college students: Influencing factors and perceived characteristics:

Much of the research involving perceived characteristics of so-called “gamers” has been directed at deconstructing traditional stereotypes associated with the term. As gaming has become mainstream,...
Trends in Intentional and Unintentional Opioid Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2000-2017.

This study used data from the National Vital Statistics System Mortality to evaluate trends in US drug overdose deaths involving opioids certified as unintentional, suicide, or undetermined intent.
Factors Associated with Opioid Use Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Progress

Previous research has shown that various environmental aspects, such as a history of abuse, trauma, and pain can influence the incidence of opioid use disorder (OUD). The aims of this study were to determine risk factors associated specifically with opioid use disorder, and to identify factors that may predict treatment progress for opioid use disorder patients. Three-hundred six patients from an abstinence-based residential treatment center participated in this study. Participants completed a comprehensive battery, which included measures assessing quality of life, craving, abstinence self-efficacy, adverse childhood experiences, trauma exposure, and physical pain symptoms at treatment intake and again after 28 days of treatment. Independent t-test results showed significant differences between patients with and without opioid use disorders in social relationships, confidence abstaining from alcohol and drugs, pain intensity, and drug craving. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that presence of an opioid use disorder predicted alcohol abstinence, social relationships, and baseline environment. Results revealed shifting attitudes towards substance use and social relationships during the opioid group’s time in treatment. Cravings and urges were identified as important focuses for future treatment of opioid use disorder. Hyperalgesia was seen as an effect of extended opioid use and its impact decreased through drug abstinence. Limitations included a small sample size, a large proportion of wealthy individuals, and age differences between the two groups.
Investigation of the mechanism of action of a potent pateamine A analog, des-methyl, des-amino pateamine A (DMDAPatA).

The natural product pateamineA (PatA) is a highly potent antiproliferative agent. PatA and the simplified analog desmethyl, desamino pateamineA (DMDAPatA) have exhibited cytotoxicity selective for ...
The Storm Beneath the Storm: MAS-HLH in Inflammatory Myopathies.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) represents a potentially life-threatening episode of overwhelming inflammation characterized by activation of T lymphocytes, hemophagocytic macrophages, and marked hyperferritinemia1,2. Historically, HLH has been classified as having a primary, genetic cause (familial HLH) or occurring secondary to an identified trigger including various infections, malignancies, or rheumatic diseases. When occurring in the setting of inflammatory or autoimmune disease, rheumatologists call secondary HLH the macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), and it is reflected as MAS-HLH in the updated Histiocyte Society nomenclature3. Episodes of MAS-HLH have been reported in nearly all rheumatic diseases, but are most commonly recognized in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) or adult-onset Still disease (AOSD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Kawasaki disease, and certain monogenic autoinflammatory disorders4,5. In contrast, the inflammatory myopathies including dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) have typically been considered low-risk for development of MAS-HLH. In the current issue of The Journal , Liang and colleagues6 present a large series of patients with adult idiopathic inflammatory myopathies that challenges this conventional wisdom, and suggest that MAS-HLH may represent an underappreciated cause of mortality in these disorders. In this report, the authors identified 424 adult patients admitted to their institution over an 8-year period with DM, PM, or clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM)6. Interestingly, they found that 18 (4.2%) satisfied the 2004 diagnostic criteria for HLH7. … Address correspondence to Dr. G.S. Schulert, Division of Rheumatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45208 USA. Email: Grant.schulert{at}cchmc.org.
Choosing Statistically Safe, Variable-Thickness Margins in Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy

In robot-assisted partial nephrectomy, kidney tumors are removed surgically, along with a margin of healthy tissue around the tumor. This margin is taken to prevent positive margins (i.e. tumor tissue accidentally left behind). Yet it is desirable to minimize the thickness of the margin, since the effectiveness of post-surgery kidney function is related to the volume of kidney tissue preserved. In this paper we use statistical information on robot-mediated surface-based registration to select variable-thickness margins that optimally account for registration uncertainty. These margins can then be displayed in the surgeon console to provide enhanced information to the surgeon during robotic partial nephrectomy.
First-Principles Grand-Canonical Simulations of Water Adsorption in Proton-Exchanged Zeolites

Water appears by design or as impurities in many important reactive systems. For those catalyzed by porous solid acids, such as widely used zeolites, experimentally quantifying the amount or elucid...
There Is No Right Way To Do the Wrong Thing: The Ins and Outs of Research with Children

The 3rd Edition of Doing Research with Children: A Practical Guide (2013). Greig, Taylor , and Mackay was reviewed and areas were highlighted. The text is best used as an introduction and refresher to conducting research with children. The volume addresses both quantitative and qualitative research designs and the theoretical context and frame work supporting the uniqueness of working with children. The text is suitably written for a worldwide audience and is not specific when it comes to ethics and guidelines for working within the United States. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to check with their own Institutional Review Board when using minors as research subjects. The book is well suited for graduate counseling and school psychology students, researchers working with children and adolescents.
Cultural Collision in Urban Schools

Young African Americans face several critical issues such as dire economic circumstances, peer pressure, random violence, and feelings of alienation from the cultural mainstream in America. Black popular culture for these youth creates a value system born out of these same issues. This analysis will address the influence of Black popular culture on African American urban youth and its subsequent intersection with the culture found in secondary schools (cultural collision). Black popular culture will be examined through the use of two components: hip-hop culture and television media. Current literature as related to the topics discussed will be used to make recommendations.
Extending Client-Centered Practice

Abstract Occupational therapy increasingly has embraced concepts of client-centered practice and empowerment. Current literature on client-centered therapy, however, is not consistently explicit regarding the specific methods used to empower clients during therapy. This paper discusses how concepts and strategies of participatory action research, an extension of empowerment theory, can be used to inform the practice of client-centered therapy. This approach is illustrated through a participatory action research program for clients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Three cases of clients who participated in this program are provided to illustrate how they contributed to and benefited from the program. Finally, the paper identifies key principles of participatory research that can be used to guide therapy services designed to empower clients.
Designing Collective Access: A Feminist Disability Theory of Universal Design

Universal Design (UD) is a movement to produce built environments that are accessible to a broad range of human variation. Though UD is often taken for granted as synonymous with the best, most inclusive, forms of disability access, the values, methodologies, and epistemologies that underlie UD require closer scrutiny. This paper uses feminist and disability theories of architecture and geography in order to complicate the concepts of "universal" and "design" and to develop a feminist disability theory of UD wherein design is a material-discursive phenomenon that produces both physical environments and symbolic meaning. Furthermore, the paper examines ways in which to conceive UD as a project of collective access and social sustainability , rather than as a strategy targeted toward individual consumers and marketability. A conception of UD that is informed by a politics of interdependence and collective access would address the multiple intersectional forms of exclusion that inaccessible design produces. Keywords: universal design; collective access; interdependence; built environment; feminist theory
Additional isospin-breaking effects in ϵ′/ϵ

Abstract In the analysis of ϵ ′ / ϵ it has been traditional to consider the isospin-breaking effects arising from electroweak-penguin contributions and from π 0 – η,η′ mixing, yet additional isospin-violating effects exist. In particular, we study the isospin violation which arises from the u – d quark mass difference in the hadronization of the gluonic penguin operator, engendering contributions of an effective ΔI =3/2 character. Using chiral perturbation theory and the factorization approximation for the hadronic matrix elements, we find within a specific model for the low-energy constants that we can readily accommodate an increase in ϵ ′ /ϵ by a factor of two.
Time May Change Me: The Impact of Future Time Perspective on the Relationship Between Work–Family Demands and Employee Commitment

The current study incorporates predictions from socioemotional selectivity theory to evaluate the role of future time perspective in moderating the effects of work–family and family–work conflict on continuance and affective commitment. Results derived from a sample of managers (n = 251) supported the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, when work interfered with family, employees who had a more shallow future time perspective experienced lower continuance commitment. Further, those with a deep future time perspective experienced lower affective commitment than did employees with a more shallow future time perspective in situations in which family interfered with work.
Operative Intercostal Nerve Blocks With Long-Acting Bupivacaine Liposome for Pain Control After Thoracotomy.

Background Postthoracotomy pain is quite intense. Epidural analgesia (EPI) has long been the gold standard but is often associated with hypotension and urinary retention. The recent availability of liposomal bupivacaine formulation (Exparel) stimulated us to use it for multilevel intercostal nerve blocks (IB) injected during open thoracotomy. Methods We reviewed the records of 85 patients who had open thoracotomies for lung, pleural, or mediastinal pathologies between March 2010 and December 2013. Clinical variables; pain score; supplemental narcotic utilization on day 1, 2, and 3; postoperative pulmonary complications; and hospital length of stay were compared in the 2 groups. Results In all, 53 patients in the IB group had similar clinical data compared to 32 in the EPI group. There were statistically significant lower mean pain scores on days 1 and 3, but no significant difference in pain score on day 2. Supplemental narcotic utilization was not different between the 2 groups. There was a significant decrease in pulmonary complications in the IB group (4 of 53) compared to the EPI group (8 of 32).The total length of hospital stay was 7.4 days in the IB group versus 9.3 days in EPI group (p Conclusions It appears that intraoperative IB with bupivacaine liposome at 6 levels during thoracotomy provided significantly better pain control in postoperative days 1 and 3, compared to EPI in this retrospective study. This technique is simple, safe, and reproducible. It does not require epidural space invasion, infusion pumps, or another service to comanage the postoperative pain therapy.
Probabilistic Approach for Modeling and Presenting Error in Spatial Data

This paper presents a probabilistic approach to describe and visualize uncertainty and error in spatial data. The probabilistic approach assigns n -dimensional probability zones to n -dimensional measured feature locations. The size of each n -dimensional zone depends on the uncertainty arising from imprecise measurements or derived inaccuracy values, and a user-selected probability threshold that the “true” feature location is to be found within this probabilistic space. The uncertainties relate to recorded measurement precision, accuracy of a linear network, and issues of scale and resolution. The confidence intervals are based on the χ2 distribution, where the probability that the measured point location is within the tabulated distance of the true point location can be tested. The error model computes the probability of the intersection of two features or data sources to determine whether they are compatible and if they should be used together. The error model allows the user to assess the potential q...
Further Characterization of Clostridium perfringens Small Acid Soluble Protein-4 (Ssp4) Properties and Expression

Background: Clostridium perfringens type A food poisoning (FP) is usually caused by C. perfringens type A strains that carry a chromosomal enterotoxin gene (cpe) and produce spores with exceptional resistance against heat and nitrites. Previous studies showed that the extreme resistance of spores made by most FP strains is mediated, in large part, by a variant of small acid soluble protein 4 (Ssp4) that has Asp at residue 36; in contrast, the sensitive spores made by other C. perfringens type A isolates contain an Ssp4 variant with Gly at residue 36. Methodology/Principal Findings: The current study has further characterized Ssp4 properties and expression. Spores made by cpe-positive type C and D strains were found to contain the Ssp4 variant with Gly at residue 36 and were shown to be heat- and nitrite-sensitive; this finding may help to explain why cpe-positive type C and D isolates rarely cause food poisoning. Saturation mutagenesis indicated that both amino acid size and charge at Ssp4 residue 36 are important for DNA binding and for spore resistance. C. perfringens Ssp2 was shown to bind preferentially to GC-rich DNA on gel-shift assays, while Ssp4 preferred binding to AT-rich DNA sequences. Maximal spore heat and nitrite resistance required production of all four C. perfringens Ssps, indicating that these Ssps act cooperatively to protect the spore's DNA, perhaps by binding to different chromosomal sequences. The Ssp4 variant with Asp at residue 36 was also shown to facilitate exceptional spore survival at freezer and refrigerator temperatures. Finally, Ssp4 expression was shown to be dependent upon Spo0A, a master regulator. Conclusions/Significance: Collectively, these results provide additional support for the importance of Ssps, particularly the Ssp4 variant with Asp at residue 36, for the extreme spore resistance phenotype that likely contributes to C. perfringens type A food poisoning transmission. © 2009 Li et al.
Mycobacterium leprae—The outer lipoidal surface

There is now a considerable body of evidence to suggest that the phthiocerol-containing lipids, including the phenolic glycolipids, comprise the so-called “peribacillary substance”, “spherical droplets”, “foamy structures” and “capsular materials” ofMycobacterium leprae. Thus, the phthiocerol-containing lipid capsule may be directly responsible for the intracellular survival ofMycobacterium leprae.
The genetics of health

Recent experience with several high-profile drugs demonstrates the great challenges in developing effective and safe therapeutics. A complementary approach to the popular paradigm of disease genetics is based on inherited factors that reduce the incidence and severity of disease among individuals who are genetically predisposed to disease. We propose testing specifically for modifier genes and protective alleles among at-risk individuals and studying the efficacy of therapeutics based on the genetics of health.
Involvement of the cystathionine pathway in the biosynthesis of glutathione by isolated rat hepatocytes

The ability of l-methionine to support glutathione biosynthesis has been investigated in isolated rat hepatocytes under conditions of normal and depleted glutathione status. The addition of l-[35S]methionine or [l-[35S]homocysteine to incubation media containing hepatocytes results in the incorporation of 35S into intracellular glutathione. Additionally both l-methionine and l-homocysteine are capable of supporting the resynthesis of glutathione in isolated hepatocytes after prior depletion with diethyl maleate. The inclusion in the incubation medium of 1 mm propargylglycine, which is an irreversible inhibitor of the terminal enzyme of the cystathionine pathway, substantially blocks the incorporation of 35S from methionine and l-homocysteine into cellular glutathione. Propargylglycine treatment of hepatocytes in the presence of [35S]methionine is shown to result in the intracellular accumulation of [35S]cystathionine. These results strongly support the conclusion that in rat hepatocytes the cystathionine pathway enables methionine to provide a significant source of l-cysteine for the support of glutathione biosynthesis, under both normal and glutathione-depleted conditions.
Current trends in the reimbursement of professional neuropsychological services

Professional members of the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) completed a survey focusing on clinicians' time requirements for activities, number of yearly claims to funding sources, average reimbursement rates, reimbursement rates associated with specific current procedural terminology (CPT) codes, managed care tolerance, hourly reimbursement rates, and other relevant practice issues such as incident-to. Clinicians continue to offer neuropsychological services through traditional assessment and evaluation activities, receive referrals from other healthcare professionals (i.e., neurologists, other medical specialists), and answer traditional referral questions related to patient diagnoses and determination of neuropsychological deficits. Two-thirds of respondents disapprove of managed care, and clinicians engage in activities which appear to minimize the ongoing changes in, and detrimental effects of, managed-care-based funding, in the form of dropping managed care panels, opting for fee-for-service, requiring self-pay patients, or spending more time in clinical activities for which there is a higher percentage of time approved such as forensic evaluations and evaluations for private practice. Clinicians continue to rely on managed care for their referrals even though they are only being reimbursed at about 50%. Overall, across service providers, clinicians are only receiving 60% of their hourly rate, and only 22% report receiving full compensation for their hourly rate. These results suggest that the effects of managed care have, for better or worse, altered the practice of clinical neuropsychology.
Variations in the time required to milk cows.

Abstract Time required to milk and rate of milk flow are largely characteristics of individual cows, as differences among cows of the same breed account for 55.7 and 52.2% of the total variances of the two traits, respectively. An average of 5.19 minutes elapsed from attaching the last teat cup until all teat cups were removed; 2.18kg of milk was removed in the first minute and 4.36kg in the first two minutes, while the average for the maximum amount of milk removed in one minute was 2.59kg. Maximum rate increased .202±.024kg and time increased .270±.035 minutes for each increase of 1kg in milk yield per milking. Time required to milk can be predicted from the first powers of yield of milk per milking and measures of rate of flow with a high degree of accuracy; the multiple correlations ranged from 0.86 to 0.90. Maximum rate of flow, yield in the first two minutes are all adequate measures of rate of flow. Milking time increased 0.51 minute for each increase of one kilogram in yield of milk per milking independent of maximum rate and decreased 1.22 minutes for each increase of one kilogram in maximum rate of flow independent of yield per milking.
Paravertebral blocks for analgesia following BM harvest.

BM donors can experience significant pain in the first 12–24 h following harvest.1 In fact, in cases where the harvest is scheduled on an outpatient basis, inadequate pain control is one of the primary reasons for admission and is the most prominent factor in decreasing the health-related quality of life of the donors.2 We present a case where a bilateral paravertebral block (PVB) was performed prior to BM harvest to decrease postoperative pain.
An Experimental Study of Polymer-Filler Redistribution in Injection Molded Parts:

The migration of filler particles in polymer composite materials during the injection molding process is investigated. Results indicate that during injection, particle concentration becomes non-uniform in the molded part. Experiments were conducted with polystyrene filled with non-rigid (rubber) and rigid (calcium carbonate) particles. A plasma etching technique has been used to determine the local concentration of rubber particles in the molded part. An ashing technique was employed to determine the average concentration of calcium carbonate at various regions of the molded part. The experimental results show that process variables like injection speed, particle size, particle concentration, and nature of filler determine the final filler distribution in the polymer matrix.