cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Language Outcome After Left Hemispherotomy: A Systematic Literature Review.

Objective: Hemi-decortication is a therapeutic option in patients with drug-resistant structural epilepsy. If surgery is performed early enough in left-hemispheric pathology, the plasticity of the developing brain may enable the right hemisphere to take over language – if this has not occurred prior to surgery. A systematic overview of potential predictors of language outcome after left hemi-decortication in children is warranted. Methods: In a systematic literature review, we analysed 58 studies on language lateralization after congenital or post-neonatally acquired left-hemispheric pathology, and on language outcome after left-sided hemi-disconnection, such as hemispherotomy. Single-subject data was pooled to determine the distribution of lateralization across aetiologies in congenital lesions and across age groups in acute post-neonatal lesions. A hierarchical linear regression assessed the influence of age at surgery, lesion type, age at seizure onset, and pre-surgery language function on language outcome after left hemi-decortication. Results: (1) In acute post-neonatal lesions, younger age at injury was significantly associated with right-sided language lateralization (Cramer’s V = .458; p = .039). (2) In patients with hemi-decortication, age at surgery was not significantly associated with language outcome (Cramer’s V = -.056; p = .584). Pre-surgical language function was the most powerful predictor for post-surgical language outcome (F4,47 = 7.35, p Conclusions: We propose a pre-surgical decision algorithm with age, pre-surgical language function, language lateralization and left-hemispheric structural pathology as decision points regarding surgery.
IS QUANTUM MECHANICS INVOLVED AT THE START OF COSMOLOGICAL EVOLUTION? DOES A MACHIAN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRAVITONS AND GRAVITINOS ANSWER THIS QUESTION?

The Machs principle as unveiled in this paper is really a statement as to information conservation, with gravitons and gravitinos being information carriers.This Mach’s principle application has tremendous implications as far as if quantum mechanics is essential to formation of information in early universe physics In addition, we review Gryzinski’s inelastic scattering results which have close fidelity to a normally quantum result of inelastic scattering in atomic hydrogen calculations and suggest that forming Planck’s parameter we set as ( ) t h in this document could also be due to semiclassical processes, initially, leaving open the possibility quantum processes, initially are not mandatory in terms of formation of initial formulation of constants put into the Machian relations used in this paper.
Serious mental illness and incidents between adult children and parents responded to by police.

Background Despite a sizable minority of persons with serious mental illness (SMI) acting aggressively toward family members, little is known about this topic. The objectives of the present analyses are to examine the association of offenders' SMI status with offender behaviors and victim outcomes and to compare the immediate contextual characteristics of incidents involving offenders with and without SMI. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, all incidents of domestic violence to which police were called between adult children and their parents in Philadelphia, PA, in 2013 (N = 6191) were analyzed. Additionally, incidents in which the offender was indicated to have SMI (n = 327) were matched with a sample of incidents in which the offender was not indicated to have SMI (n = 327). Results Offenders having SMI was not associated with using a bodily weapon or gun, threatening victims, or damaging property. Offenders having SMI was associated with a decreased risk of offenders using a non-gun external weapon and victims being observed to have a complaint of pain or visible injuries. When offenders had SMI, conflict was less likely to focus on family issues and more likely to focus on offenders' behaviors and to involve contextual characteristics related to mental illness. Conclusions Efforts to prevent gun and other violence between non-intimate partner family members should target factors more strongly associated with violence than SMI (e.g. history of domestic violence, substance abuse). Intervening in family aggression by persons with SMI likely requires addressing unique circumstances these parties experience.
Incorporating Uncertainty Into Parallel Analysis for Choosing the Number of Factors via Bayesian Methods.

A number of psychometricians have suggested that parallel analysis (PA) tends to yield more accurate results in determining the number of factors in comparison with other statistical methods. Never...
Minimally Invasive Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy

Esophageal cancer is associated with high mortality due to early spread. When indicated, an esophagectomy can be performed with reconstruction, most commonly using the stomach, with the right gastropepiploic artery serving as the vascular pedicle. While there are many ways to perform the surgery, the combination of laparoscopy and thoracoscopy (Ivor – Lewis) has gained popularity. The present chapter describes that approach.
Variable Uptake of Selenium: Exposing Bryophytes in Situ to a Se-Gradient Watershed

We investigated the uptake of selenium (Se) at 14 sites in a Se-rich watershed, using an aquatic bryophyte (Hygrohypnum ochraceum). We expressed uptake using the symbol Kd to underscore the relationships between Se in water and Se in plants as “partitioning coefficients” related to the bases of aquatic food chains. A 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed with Kd as the dependent variable and season and stream segment (location) as main effects. Selenium concentrations, measured as dissolved Se, total Se, and pore water Se, were also examined. There were significant differences in Kd values with respect to stream segment (P < 0.001); however, the differences were mainly not associated with season, although pore water Se showed a slight association with season (P = 0.052). The interaction effects between season and stream segment were significant for dissolved Se (P = 0.016) and total Se (P = 0.041). Further analysis showed strong negative correlations to the 3 Se water concentrations in spring (dissolved Se: r = –0.973, P < 0.001; total Se: r = –0.972, P < 0.001; pore water Se: r = –0.867, P < 0.001). Fall associations of Kd values to the 3 Se water concentrations were considerably weaker. Dissolved Se and total Se both still showed statistically significant positive correlations to Kd in the fall, but total Se did not. Based on the results of recent studies, it appears that the bryophytes might have preferentially bioconcentrated selenite over selenate in the upper watershed basin rather than in the lower basin. To conclude, the bryophytes appeared to be suitable natural receptors of Se at the bases of numerous food chains in a complex watershed by exhibiting differences in Se uptake based on site location, season, and diverse Se water concentrations.
Residential water conservation during drought: Experimental evidence from three behavioral interventions

Abstract This paper deploys a framed field experiment and uses high-frequency data to evaluate the short- and long-run effects of three behavioral interventions on residential water use during extreme drought. Our study of the effects of Home Water Reports (HWRs) on hourly water use yields three main results. First, even when layered on top of a 25% drought conservation mandate, HWRs led to conservation effects of 4 to 5%. Second, across three variants of HWRs, the profile of water conservation is similar, suggesting that households did not respond to the messaging or recommendations contained in the HWRs. Third, the water conservation effect of all interventions dissipated five months after the intervention ended. In our setting, these behavioral interventions align with utility incentives to achieve immediate but temporary water conservation in response to drought.
Sculpting rupture-free nuclear shapes in fibrous environments

Cytoskeleton-mediated force transmission regulates nucleus morphology. How nuclei shaping occurs in fibrous in vivo environments remains poorly understood. Here a suspended nanofiber assay of precisely-tunable (nm-micron) diameters is used to quantify nucleus plasticity in fibrous environments mimicking the natural extracellular matrix. In contrast to the apical cap over the nucleus in cells on 2-dimensional surfaces, the cellular cytoskeleton of cells on fibers displays a uniform actin network caging the nucleus. The role of contractility-driven caging in sculpting nuclear shapes is investigated as cells spread on aligned single fibers, doublets, and multiple fibers of varying diameters. Cell contractility increases with fiber diameter due to increased focal adhesion clustering and density of actin stress fibers, which correlates with increased mechanosensitive transcription factor YAP translocation to the nucleus. Unexpectedly, large- and small-diameter fiber combinations lead to teardrop-shaped nuclei due to stress-fiber anisotropy across the cell. As cells spread on fibers, diameter-dependent invaginations that run the nucleus9s length are formed at contact sites. The deepest and sharpest invaginations are insufficient to trigger nucleus rupture, often observed in 2D or confined systems. Overall, we describe the unknown adaptability of nuclei to fibrous environments and resultant sculpting of the nucleus shapes, with pathophysiological implications.
The Role of Politics and Policy in Television Regulation

This article is a reply to Thomas Hazlett’s commentary on my article entitled, “Rethinking the Commitment to Free, Local Television.” Although politics and public choice theory represent an important approach for analyzing government actions, economic policy still exercises some influence over the regulation of television. On the one hand, we agree that the regulatory preference of free television and local programming is more a reflection of political considerations than economic policy and that the importance of promoting communities of interest over geographic communities, and the potential for new services such as Digital Audio Radio Services to benefit consumers. On the other hand, applying the economics of product differentiation shows how entry can create welfare benefits related to product variety and the potential impact of technological convergence.
NRRC: A Non-referential Reads Compression Algorithm

In the era of modern sequencing technology, we are collecting a vast amount of biological sequence data. The technology to store, process, and analyze the data is not as cheap as to generate the sequencing data. As a result, the need for devising efficient data compression and data reduction techniques is growing by the day. Although there exist a number of sophisticated general purpose compression algorithms, they are not efficient to compress biological data. As a result, we need specialized compression algorithms targeting biological data. Five different NGS data compression problems have been identified and studied. In this article we propose a novel algorithm for one of these problems. We have done extensive experiments using real sequencing reads of various lengths. The simulation results reveal that our proposed algorithm is indeed competitive and performs better than the best known algorithms existing in the current literature.
Ecological consequences of mountain pine beetle outbreaks for wildlife in western North American forests

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) (MPB) outbreaks are increasingly prevalent in western North America, causing considerable ecological change in pine (Pinus spp.) forests with important implications for wildlife. We reviewed studies examining wildlife responses to MPB outbreaks and postoutbreak salvage logging to inform forest management and guide future research. Our review included 16 studies describing MPB outbreak relationships with 89 bird species and 6 studies describing relationships with 11 mammalian species, but no studies of reptiles or amphibians. We included studies that compared wildlife response metrics temporally (before versus after the outbreak) and spatially (across sites that varied in severity of outbreak) in relation to beetle outbreaks. Outbreaks ranged in size from 20,600 to 107 ha and studies occurred 1-30 years after the peak MPB outbreak, but most studies were conducted over the short-term (i.e., 6 years after the peak of MPB-induced tree mortality). Birds were the only taxa studied frequently; however, high variability existed among those studies to allow many inferences, although some patterns were evident. Avian studies concluded that cavity-nesting species responded more favorably to beetle-killed forests than species with open-cup nests, and species nesting in the shrub layer favored outbreak forests compared with ground and open-cup canopy nesters that generally showed mixed relationships. Bark-drilling species as a group clearly demonstrated a positive short-term association with MPB epidemics compared with that of other foraging assemblages. Cavity-nesting birds that do not consume bark beetles (i.e., secondary cavity-nesting species and nonbark-drilling woodpeckers) also exhibited some positive responses to MPB outbreaks, although not as pronounced or consistent as those of bark-drilling woodpeckers. Mammalian responses to MPB outbreaks were mixed. Studies consistently reported negative effects of MPB outbreaks on red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). However, there is evidence that red squirrels can persist after an outbreak under some conditions, e.g., when nonhost tree species are present. For small mammal species associated with forest understories, responses may be most pronounced during the postepidemic period ( 6 years after the peak of beetle-induced tree mortality) when snags fall to produce coarse woody debris. Postoutbreak salvage logging studies (n = 6) reported results that lacked consensus. Postoutbreak salvage logging may have an impact on fewer wildlife species than postfire salvage logging, probably because only host-specific tree species are removed after beetle outbreaks.
Space efficient 3-D model indexing

It is shown that the set of 2-D images produced by a group of 3-D point features of a rigid model can be optimally represented with two lines in two high-dimensional spaces. This result is used to match images and model groups by table lookup. The table is efficiently built and accessed through analytic methods that account for the effect of sensing error. In real images, it reduces the set of potential matches by a factor of several thousand. This representation of a model's images is used to analyze two other approaches to recognition. It is determined when invariants exist in several domains, and it is shown that there is an infinite set of qualitatively similar nonaccidental properties. >
The eIF4E/eIF4G Interaction Inhibitor 4EGI-1 Augments TRAIL-Mediated Apoptosis through c-FLIP Down-regulation and DR5 Induction Independent of Inhibition of Cap-Dependent Protein Translation

The small molecule 4EGI-1 was identified as an inhibitor of cap-dependent translation initiation owing to its disruption of the eIF4E/eIF4G association through binding to eIF4E. 4EGI-1 exhibits growth-inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing activity in cancer cells; thus, we were interested in its therapeutic efficacy in human lung cancer cells. 4EGI-1, as a single agent, inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of human lung cancer cells.When combined with the death ligand tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), enhanced apoptosis-induced activity was observed. As expected, 4EGI-1 inhibited eIF4E/eIF4G interaction and reduced the levels of cyclin D1 and hypoxia-inducing factor-1α (HIF-1α), both of which are regulated by a cap-dependent translation mechanism. Moreover, 4EGI-1 induced CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein-dependent DR5 expression and ubiquitin/proteasome- mediated degradation of cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP). Small interfering RNA-mediated blockade of DR5 induction or enforced expression of c-FLIP abrogated 4EGI-1's ability to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis, indicating that both DR5 induction and c-FLIP down-regulation contribute to enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis by 4EGI-1. However, inhibition of eIF4E/eIF4G interaction by knockdown of eIF4E effectively reduced the levels of cyclin D1 and HIF-1α but failed to induce DR5 expression, downregulate c-FLIP levels, or augment TRAIL-induced apoptosis. These results collectively suggest that 4EGI-1 augments TRAIL-induced apoptosis through induction of DR5 and down-regulation of c-FLIP, independent of inhibition of cap-dependent protein translation.
Circles of culture: Literacy as a pro- cess for social inclusion

Historically, illiteracy has been a reality for Brazilians. This paper describes an adult literacy program currently in practice in Northeastern Brazil from a critical theory framework. The program described is based on Freireʼs circles of culture and its conception is that literacy is a process for social inclusion. Along with the description provided by the author, resulting from participant observation and review of literature, this paper includes the perspective of a student currently in the program. Further, from a critical standpoint, the author acknowledges many positive things already implemented and challenges for the future of this promising literacy program.
Broadband Lidar Technique for Precision CO2 Measurement

Presented are preliminary experimental results, sensitivity measurements and discuss our new CO2 lidar system under development. The system is employing an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), superluminescent light emitting diode (SLED) as a source and our previously developed Fabry-Perot interferometer subsystem as a detector part. Global measurement of carbon dioxide column with the aim of discovering and quantifying unknown sources and sinks has been a high priority for the last decade. The goal of Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission is to significantly enhance the understanding of the role of CO2 in the global carbon cycle. The National Academy of Sciences recommended in its decadal survey that NASA put in orbit a CO2 lidar to satisfy this long standing need. Existing passive sensors suffer from two shortcomings. Their measurement precision can be compromised by the path length uncertainties arising from scattering within the atmosphere. Also passive sensors using sunlight cannot observe the column at night. Both of these difficulties can be ameliorated by lidar techniques. Lidar systems present their own set of problems however. Temperature changes in the atmosphere alter the cross section for individual CO2 absorption features while the different atmospheric pressures encountered passing through the atmosphere broaden the absorption lines. Currently proposed lidars require multiple lasers operating at multiple wavelengths simultaneously in order to untangle these effects. The current goal is to develop an ultra precise, inexpensive new lidar system for precise column measurements of CO2 changes in the lower atmosphere that uses a Fabry-Perot interferometer based system as the detector portion of the instrument and replaces the narrow band laser commonly used in lidars with the newly available high power SLED as the source. This approach reduces the number of individual lasers used in the system from three or more to one - considerably reducing the risk of failure. It also tremendously reduces the requirement for wavelength stability in the source putting this responsibility instead on the Fabry-Perot subsystem.
Possible indicators of microbial mat deposits in shales and sandstones: examples from the Mid-Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, Montana, U.S.A.

Abstract It has been suspected for some time that microbial mats probably colonized sediment surfaces in many terrigenous clastic sedimentary environments during the Proterozoic. However, domination of mat morphology by depositional processes, post-depositional compaction, and poor potential for cellular preservation of mat-building organisms make their positive identification a formidable challenge. Within terrigenous clastics of the Mid-Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, a variety of sedimentary structures and textural features have been observed that can be interpreted as the result of microbial colonization of sediment surfaces. Among these are: (a) domal buildups resembling stromatolites in carbonates; (b) cohesive behaviour of laminae during soft-sediment deformation, erosion, and transport; (c) wavy–crinkly character of laminae; (d) bed surfaces with pustular–wrinkled appearance; (e) rippled patches on otherwise smooth surfaces; (f) laminae with mica enrichment and/or randomly oriented micas; (g) irregular, curved–wrinkled impressions on bedding planes; (h) uparched laminae near mud-cracks resembling growth ridges of polygonal stromatolites; and (i) lamina-specific distribution of certain early diagenetic minerals (dolomite, ferroan carbonates, pyrite). Although in none of the described examples can it irrefutably be proven that they are microbial mat deposits, the observed features are consistent with such an interpretation and should be considered indicators of possible microbial mat presence in other Proterozoic sequences.
Visualizing sensor network data with Powertron

Powertron is a web-based application that visualizes wireless sensor network deployment data. In this particular demo, we use Powertron to show application-level power data collected from more than 250 sensor nodes. In addition, we expose the routing layer of the deployment by providing real-time interactive visual representation of links, routes, and CTP-related statistics. We hope that the community will have feedback on how such a tool can be extended and generalized to fit a variety of wireless sensor network applications.
Transmembrane Domain Determinants of CD4 Downregulation by HIV-1 Vpu

The transmembrane domains (TMDs) of integral membrane proteins do not merely function as membrane anchors but play active roles in many important biological processes. The downregulation of the CD4 coreceptor by the Vpu protein of HIV-1 is a prime example of a process that is dependent on specific properties of TMDs. Here we report the identification of Trp22 in the Vpu TMD and Gly415 in the CD4 TMD as critical determinants of Vpu-induced targeting of CD4 to endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD). The two residues participate in different aspects of ERAD targeting. Vpu Trp22 is required to prevent assembly of Vpu into an inactive, oligomeric form and to promote CD4 polyubiquitination and subsequent recruitment of the VCP-UFD1L-NPL4 dislocase complex. In the presence of a Vpu Trp22 mutant, CD4 remains integrally associated with the ER membrane, suggesting that dislocation from the ER into the cytosol is impaired. CD4 Gly415, on the other hand, contributes to CD4-Vpu interactions. We also identify two residues, Val20 and Ser23, in the Vpu TMD that mediate retention of Vpu and, by extension, CD4 in the ER. These findings highlight the exploitation of several TMD-mediated mechanisms by HIV-1 Vpu in order to downregulate CD4 and thus promote viral pathogenesis.
Carbon dioxide infusion of composite electrospun fibers for tissue engineering

Abstract Supercritical fluids present an approach capable of enhancing the chemical activity of composite tissue engineering scaffolds. Previous attempts to embed test compounds into electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) alone above 6.20 MPa and temperatures above 25 °C resulted in loss of biomimicry. In this study, PCL–gelatin blends were explored as a less sensitive yet more bioactive electrospun scaffold allowing the use of increased pressures and temperatures. The presence of the gelatin renders these electrospun fibers far less sensitive to supercritical CO 2 exposure. PCL swelling and gelatin compression occur simultaneously and this volumetric compensation stabilizes the PCL within the blend without overall deformation. ATR observations suggest that these exposures increase the mobility of the amorphous content. In cases where XRD shows no crystalline content peaks prior to CO 2 treatment, post-exposure crystalline regions are detected. PCL–gelatin scaffolds infused at either 8.27 MPa or 10.34 MPa subcritical conditions increase Rhodamine B loading concentrations 5-fold compared to scaffolds infused at only at 6.20 MPa. PCL–gelatin scaffolds infused supercritically at either 8.27 MPa or 10.34 MPa showed increased loading of Rhodamine B compared to scaffolds infused at 6.20 MPa but produce significantly lower released concentrations compared to 8.27 MPa or 10.34 MPa subcritically infused scaffolds. These are likely a result of Rhodamine B's solubility being significantly greater in liquid CO 2 compared to gaseous or supercritical CO 2 .
Swimbladder wall guanine enhancement related to migratory depth in silver phase Anguilla rostrata

Abstract 1. 1. Swimbladder wall guanine content and gas conductance rates were determined for yellow and silver phase eels. 2. 2. The mean swimbladder wall guanine content of silver male and female eels was respectively 117.1 and 136.5 μg cm −2 greater than in yellow males and females. 3. 3. The mean swimbladder wall CO 2 conductance rates of silver male and female eels were respectively 0.60 and 0.42 × 10 −4 cm 3 CO 2 STP cm −2 atm −1 min −1 less than those of yellow males and females. 4. 4. It is shown that the reduction in silver eel gas conductance is adaptive for the maintenance of swimbladder volume in deep water during the oceanic phase of the spawning migration.
Lower levels of physical functioning are associated with higher body weight among middle-aged and older women

OBJECTIVE: To compare levels of physical function, across levels of body mass index (BMI), among middle- to older-aged women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Physical function, body weight and other covariates were measured in 1992. SUBJECTS: 56 510 women aged 45–71 y, free of cardiovascular disease and cancer, participating in the Nurses’ Health Study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The four physical function scores on the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Short Form-36 (SF36) Health Survey: physical functioning, vitality, bodily pain and role limitations. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, race, smoking status, menopausal status, physical activity and alcohol consumption, there was a significant dose-response gradient between increasing levels of BMI in 1992 and reduced function. For example, women with a BMI between 30–34.9 kg/m2 averaged: 9.0 point lower physical functioning score (95% Confidence interval (CI) −9.5, −8.5), 5.6 point lower vitality score (95% CI: −6.1, −5.1), and 7.0 point lower freedom from pain score (95% CI: −7.6, −6.4). These declines represent an approximate 10% loss of function compared to the reference category of women with BMIs ranging from 22.0–23.9 kg/m2. For the same BMI comparison, heavier women were at 66% increased risk of limitations in ability to work or perform other roles (RR=1.66; 95% odds ratio (OR) CI: 1.56, 1.76). These findings were replicated when the sample was restricted to women who had maintained their BMI over a ten year period. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to increasing risk of chronic health conditions, greater adiposity is associated with lower every day physical functioning, such as climbing stairs or other moderate activities, as well as lower feelings of well-being and greater burden of pain.
Entering International Society: Military Conflict and National Independence, 1816-1980

This article seeks to predict and explain when the process of national independence is accompanied by military conflict. In order to account for military conflict in 121 cases of national independence from 1816-1980, a LISREL model (with multiple indicators) with the following variables is employed: (a) the intrinsic importance of the territory gaining independence, (b) the specific importance of the territory to the former sovereign, (c) the relative power decline of the former sovereign, and (d) international norms at the time of the independence. All variables but the first are statistically significant, and the model accounts for half of the variation in the incidence of military conflict. The international norms variable was found to be the strongest predictor of military conflict. Implications for theory and policy are discussed.
The frequency of different types of heart disease in South African Blacks at a cardiac referral center

Cardiomyopathy has been considered to be the most prevalent form of heart disease amongst Blacks in Southern Africa. In the present study we evaluated 5725 patients with heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease was most prevalent accounting for 42% of cardiac diseases. Ischemic heart disease was extremely rare.
Bus transit technical efficiency using latent class stochastic indirect production frontier

Using an Indirect Production Frontier (IPF), this article examines technical inefficiency within a latent class framework while simultaneously accounting for allocative distortions from operating and capital subsidies. It identifies two latent classes of US public transit systems, one characterized by economies of scale with 16.61% technical inefficiency and the other by diseconomies of scale with 14.16% technical inefficiency. It decomposes technical inefficiency among some of its sources and finds that the incentive tier of federal operating subsidies, regulations regarding years of vehicle use, subsidy-induced allocative distortion from labour overuse relative to capital negatively influence technical inefficiency in all transit systems. For the Latent Class 1 transit systems, the sources of lower technical inefficiency are operating speed, purchased transportation and years-of-vehicle-use regulation. For the Latent Class 2 transit systems, these sources are subsidy-induced capital-labour allocative di...
FOS expression in grafted gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in hypogonadal mouse: mating and steroid induction.

SUMMARY We used FOS expression, widely accepted as a marker for neuronal activation, to evaluate physiologically induced activation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons within intraventricular preoptic area grafts in hypogonadal (hpg) female mice. Hpg mice lack endogenous GnRH due to a mutated gene, but can respond to grafted GnRH neurons with reproductive development. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which the host brain regulates grafted GnRH neurons. FOS expression in grafted GnRH neurons was induced in progesterone-primed female mice paired with sexually active males. The degree of sexual activity did not affect the outcome, with 40.9 +- 12.2% of the grafted GnRH cells expressing FOS when male partners performed intromissions, and 47.5 f 10.2% when they also ejaculated. There was little or no FOS expression in the grafts of unprimed hpg mice paired with sexually active males, in unpaired mice primed with progesterone or sequential estradiol benzoate and progesterone, or in controls. The pattern of FOS expression in the brains of the female hpg mice engaged in mating behavior was similar to that reported in other species, with moderate to high expression in the medial preoptic area, ventromedial nucleus, and medial amygdala in females paired with males that ejaculated. The present results support the hypothesis that host-derived activation of grafted GnRH neurons underlies aspects of reproductive responses seen in hpg mice with grafts, and further, that at least a portion of the host-graft connectivity is steroid sensitive. o 1996
Use of the holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser for treatment of superficial bladder carcinoma

This is the first North American report describing the use of the holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser to treat patients with superficial bladder carcinoma. Fifteen patients, with a total of 52 recurrent superficial bladder tumors, underwent endoscopic laser photoablation of their lesions. No intraoperative or delayed complications occurred. At follow-up cystoscopy performed 3 months after lasing, four patients (27%) were without disease; eight patients (53%) had out-of-field recurrences; and three patients (20%) were classified as having in-field recurrences. We conclude that using the Ho:YAG for endoscopic treatment of patients with superficial bladder tumors is both feasible and clinically useful and that the lack of perceived pain or discomfort during lasing, as well as the lack of need for an in-dwelling urethral catheter, makes it advantageous for selected patients over conventional electroresection techniques. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Calcium dependence of the acrosome reaction and activation of guinea pig spermatozoa.

Abstract Guinea pig spermatozoa fail to fertilize eggs in Ca 2+ -free media primarily because of specific inhibition of the acrosome reaction and activation of the spermatozoa. In Ca 2+ -free media the spermatozoa undergo capacitation at the same rate as in Ca 2+ -containing media, but are arrested in the capacitated state. If Ca 2+ is made available after the spermatozoa have reached the capacitated state, the spermatozoa immediately undergo the acrosome reaction and activation. The minimum concentration of Ca 2+ necessary for the initiation of the acrosome reaction and activation is about 0.2 mM. Mg 2+ cannot substitute for Ca 2+ in initiating these processes. Possible mechanisms by which Ca 2+ triggers the acrosome reaction and activation of guinea pig spermatozoa are discussed.
Ultrasound-guided root/trunk (interscalene) block for hand and forearm anesthesia

Background Historically, the anterolateral interscalene block—deposition of local anesthetic adjacent to the brachial plexus roots/trunks—has been used for surgical procedures involving the shoulder. The resulting block frequently failed to provide surgical anesthesia of the hand and forearm, even though the brachial plexus at this level included all of the axons of the upper-extremity terminal nerves. However, it remains unknown whether deposition of local anesthetic adjacent to the seventh cervical root or inferior trunk results in anesthesia of the hand and forearm. Methods Using ultrasound guidance and a needle-in-plane posterior approach, a Tuohy needle was positioned with the tip located between the deepest and next-deepest visualized brachial plexus root/trunk, followed by injection of mepivacaine (1.5%). Grip strength and the tolerance to cutaneous electrical current in 5 terminal nerve distributions were measured at baseline and then every 5 minutes following injection for a total of 30 minutes. The primary end point was the proportion of cases in which the interscalene nerve block resulted in a decrease in grip strength of at least 90% and hand and forearm anesthesia (tolerance to >50 mA of current in all 5 terminal nerve distributions) within 30 minutes. The primary hypothesis was that a single-injection interscalene brachial plexus block produces a similar rate of anesthesia of the hand and forearm to the published success rate of 95% for other brachial plexus block approaches. Results Of 55 subjects with blocks placed per protocol, all had a successful block of the shoulder as defined by inability to abduct at the shoulder joint. Thirty-three subjects had measurements at 30 minutes following local anesthetic deposition, and only 5 (15%) of these subjects had a surgical block of the hand and forearm (P Conclusions This study did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that local anesthetic injected adjacent to the deepest brachial plexus roots/trunks reliably results in surgical anesthesia of the hand and forearm.
Isolation, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a methanol-induced corrinoid protein from Moorella thermoacetica.

A corrinoid protein was induced and overexpressed in methanol-grown cells of the thermophilic anaerobic bacterium Moorella thermoacetica. The protein was purified from cytosolic extracts. After screening for crystallization conditions and optimization, crystals were obtained that diffracted strongly on a rotating-anode X-ray source. A diffraction data set was collected and processed including reflections to 1.9 A resolution. Reflections were indexed in a primitive orthorhombic cell with unit-cell parameters a = 55.69, b = 62.74, c = 34.54 A. N-­terminal amino-acid sequencing indicates that the crystals contain a C-­terminal fragment of the protein.
Impacts of obesity and stress on neuromuscular fatigue development and associated heart rate variability.

Obesity and stress are independently associated with decrements in neuromuscular functions. The present study examined the interplay of obesity and stress on neuromuscular fatigue and associated heart rate variability (HRV). Forty-eight non-obese (18.5<body mass index (BMI)<25 kg m−2) and obese (30⩽BMI) adults performed repetitive handgrip exertions at 30% of their maximum strength until exhaustion in the absence and presence of a mental arithmetic stressor. Dependent measures included gold standard fatigue indicators (endurance time and rate of strength loss), perceived effort and mental demand, heart rate and temporal (RMSSD: root mean square of successive differences between N–N intervals) and spectral (LF/HF: ratio of low to high frequency) indices of HRV. Stress negatively affected endurance time (P<0.0001) and rate of strength loss (P=0.029). In addition, significant obesity × stress interactions were found on endurance time (P=0.0073), rate of strength loss (P=0.027) and perceived effort (P=0.026), indicating that stress increased fatigability, particularly in the obese group. Both obesity (P=0.001) and stress (P=0.033) independently lowered RMSSD. Finally, stress increased LF/HF ratio (P=0.028) and the interaction of stress and obesity (P=0.008) indicated that this was augmented in the obese group. The present study provides the first evidence that stress-related neuromuscular fatigue development is accelerated in obese individuals. In addition, the stress condition resulted in poorer HRV indices, which is indicative of autonomic dysfunction, particularly in the obese group. These findings indicate that workers are more susceptible to fatigue in high-stress work environments, particularly those with higher BMI, which can increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries as well as cardiovascular diseases in this population.
Progress in the functional analysis of rickettsial genes through directed mutagenesis of Rickettsia prowazekii phospholipase D

Evaluation of: Driskell LO, Yu X-J, Zhang L et al.: Directed mutagenesis of the Rickettsia prowazekii pld gene encoding phospholipase D. Infect. Immun. 77(8), 3244–3248 (2009). Rickettsioses have afflicted humans worldwide throughout the course of history. Rickettsia prowazekii is the etiological agent of epidemic typhus, a disease transmitted by body lice and capable of massive outbreaks under conditions of compromised hygiene, such as famine, mass migration and war. Fastidious growth requirements and an obligately intracellular lifestyle, preferably within the cytoplasm of the host cell, pose a number of challenges in genetic manipulation of rickettsiae. Driskell et al. describe the successful application of a combination of molecular approaches to generate, isolate and characterize a R. prowazekii mutant lacking a 93-bp sequence of the pld gene responsible for phospholipase D activity. In initial studies, this Δpld mutant of R. prowazekii is shown to be capable of infecting macrophage-like RAW 264.7 ce...
Effects of Microstructure on the Room-Temperature Strength and Ductility of the Alloy Ti-25Al-10Nb-3V-lMo

The role of the microstructure on the room-temperature tensile properties of the alloy Ti-25Al-10Nb-3V-lMo (at.%) was investigated. A wide spectrum of microstructures was obtained by varying the cooling rate after a solutionizing treatment in the β phase field. The strength was found to increase monotonically with increasing cooling rate. It is proposed that strength is controlled by (α2+βR) boundary strengthening in β-solutionized microstructures. The ductility was observed to go through a maximum at a cooling rate of 1.5°C/s. Different deformation and failure mechanisms were identified, depending on the cooling rate regime, and correlated to the ductility trends. The β2 nature, α2 lath size, α2 lath arrangement and prior β grain boundaries appeared to be the principal features governing die deformation and failure mechanisms.
School Nurse Intention to Pursue Higher Education.

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine recommended that 80% of the nurses possess a minimum of a bachelor of science in nursing by 2020 and double the number of doctorally prepared nurses. This has prompted a significant number of registered nurses to advance their educational level. School nurses in Louisiana are not required to have a bachelor's degree. In many states, the bachelor's degree is required for all school nurses, and many school nurses are prepared at the masters' and doctoral levels. The purpose of this study was to examine the intention of Louisiana school nurses to pursue higher education in nursing. A survey was distributed to all members of the Louisiana School Nurses Organization, and results indicated that 65% of the participants were motivated to return to school. Incentives and barriers to pursuing higher education were identified, and strategies for overcoming these barriers were proposed.
Structural Consequences of the Inhibitor-Resistant Ser130Gly Substitution in TEM β-Lactamase†, ‡

β-Lactamase confers resistance to penicillin-like antibiotics by hydrolyzing their β-lactam bond. To combat these enzymes, inhibitors covalently cross-linking the hydrolytic Ser70 to Ser130 were introduced. In turn, mutant β-lactamases have emerged with decreased susceptibility to these mechanism-based inhibitors. Substituting Ser130 with glycine in the inhibitor-resistant TEM (IRT) mutant TEM-76 (S130G) prevents the irreversible cross-linking step. Since the completely conserved Ser130 is thought to transfer a proton important for catalysis, its substitution might be hypothesized to result in a nonfunctional enzyme; this is clearly not the case. To investigate how TEM-76 remains active, its structure was determined by X-ray crystallography to 1.40 A resolution. A new water molecule (Wat1023) is observed in the active site, with two configurations located 1.1 and 1.3 A from the missing Ser130 Oγ; this water molecule likely replaces the Ser130 side-chain hydroxyl in substrate hydrolysis. Intriguingly, this...
Attentionally splitting the mass distribution of hand-held rods

Two experiments on the length-perception capabilities of effortful or dynamic touch differed only in terms of what the subject intended to perceive, while experimental conditions and apparatus were held constant. In each trial, a visually occluded rod was held as still as possible by the subject at an intermediate position. For two thirds of the trials, a weight was attached to the rod above or below the hand. In Experiment 1, in which the subject's task was to perceive the distance reachable with the portion of the rod forward of the hand, perceived extent was a function of the first moment of the mass distribution associated with the forward portion of the rod, and indifferent to the first moment of the entire rod. In Experiment 2, in which the task was to perceive the distance reachable with the entire rod if it was held at an end, the pattern of results was reversed. These results indicate the capability of selective sensitivity to different aspects of a hand-held object's mass distribution, without the possibility of differential exploration specific to these two tasks. Results are discussed in relation to possible roles of differential information, intention, and self-organization in the explanations of selective perceptual abilities.
Homicide and Native Americans.

Letter commenting upon: Bramley D, Hebert P, Tuzzio L, Chassin M. Disparities in indigenous health: a cross-country comparison between New Zealand and the United States. Am J Public Health. 2005:95:844-850. Abstract unavailable.
Analysis of Neuropeptide Expression and Localization in Adult Drosophila melanogaster Central Nervous System by Affinity Cell-Capture Mass Spectrometry

A combined approach using mass spectrometry, a novel neuron affinity capture technique, and Drosophila melanogaster genetic manipulation has been developed to characterize the expression and localization of neuropeptides in the adult D. melanogaster brain. In extract from the whole adult brain, 42 neuropeptides from 18 peptide families were sequenced. Neuropeptide profiling also was performed on targeted populations of cells which were enriched with immunoaffinity purification using a genetically expressed marker.
Sintering fine grained sillimanite and kyanite concentrates

It is necessary to add 3% sulfite lye (on the dry residue) to the batch used to prepare fine-grained (finer than 0.3 mm) kyanite and sillimanite concentrates for calcination in rotary furnaces in order to obtain dense, volume-constant material for the production of high-grade refractories. The pressing force for the briquette should be not less than 500 kg/cm2 (about 50 Mn/m2) and the firing temperature 1630–1650°C. It is possible to recommend from 1 to 3% calcium and magnesium fluorides or magnesium oxide as sintering additives for articles that need not have outstanding thermomechanical properties.
Composite Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma and Ganglioglioma: Report of Four Cases and Review of the Literature

Composite pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA)-ganglioglioma (GG) is a rare recently described entity. Only three examples have been documented, one of which showed evidence of malignant transformation. We report an additional four cases and update the literature. With the exception of an 82-year-old man, all patients have been under 30 years of age. The temporal lobe was involved in three cases and cerebellum in another three. Radiologic features were those common to PXA and GG. Histologically, all were "collision tumors" composed of abutting, although spatially distinct, PXA and GG components. In two cases, the second element was only recognized at reexcision or recurrence. Histologic anaplasia, always in the PXA component, was evident as brisk mitotic activity and/or necrosis in five cases. Of the seven patients, one died of disease 17 years after the onset of seizures and after multiple recurrences, the last of which largely resembled glioblastoma. We conclude that the composite PXA-GG is a rare neoplasm that shares many features of its individual components. In addition to its temporal lobe predilection, the cerebellum is frequently affected. As when it occurs in isolation, the PXA component of composite PXA-GG possesses the potential for malignant transformation.
Kirschner wire extension for treatment of overriding fractures of the clavicle

FIG. I. Front view of patient with traction arch FIG. 2. LateraI view, showing direction jacket. The action of the etastic puIl upon the taken by the Kirschner wire as can be clavicte can be seen by the manner in which seen by the diagona1 position of the the shoulder is eIevated and by the accentuaKirschner spreader. Note position of tion of the cIavicIe which is drawn into reIief the plaster arch. The arm is entireIy along its entire subcutaneous Iength. free and can be used for a11 norma