cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bilateral Anterolateral Magnetic Stimulation of the Phrenic Nerves Can Detect Diaphragmatic Fatigue

Background and study objectives: Measurement of twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure (TwPdi) during bilateral phrenic nerve stimulation is presently the best method to detect diaphragmatic fatigue in humans. The stimulation methods that are currently employed (ie, transcutaneous electrical stimulation [TES] and cervical magnetic stimulation [CMS]) have limitations. Bilateral anterolateral magnetic stimulation of the phrenic nerves (BAMPS) was recently described. The purpose of this study was to determine whether BAMPS can reliably detect diaphragmatic fatigue, and to compare the results with BAMPS with those obtained with the other stimulation techniques. Subjects: Twelve healthy subjects participated in the study. Methods: TwPdi was measured during TES, CMS, and BAMPS before and 10, 30, and 60 min after a potentially fatiguing task. Voluntary hyperpnea to task failure was used as the fatiguing task because this task has previously been shown to reliably produce contractile fatigue of the diaphragm. To determine the reproducibility of BAMPS, TwPdi was measured before and after a nonfatiguing task in 10 of the subjects. Results: TwPdi fell significantly after the hyperpneic task with all three stimulation techniques, and the amount by which TwPdi fell after hyperpnea was not significantly different for the different stimulation techniques. The percentage fall in TwPdi after hyperpnea was significantly correlated between stimulation techniques (CMS vs BAMPS, r 0.72; TES vs BAMPS, r 0.84; and TES vs CMS, r 0.67). The mean ( SE) within-subject, between-trial coefficient of variation for TwPdi during BAMPS was 5.1 0.1%. Conclusion: BAMPS is highly reproducible and at least as good at detecting diaphragmatic fatigue as the other stimulation techniques. (CHEST 2002; 121:452– 458)
Predictors of vaginal relapse in stage I endometrial cancer.

Abstract Objective To identify factors predictive of vaginal relapse in stage I endometrial cancer, thereby potentially facilitating the selection of patients who may benefit from vaginal brachytherapy. Methods The study population included 632 patients with stage I endometrial cancer managed with hysterectomy at our institution between 1984 and 1996. Median follow-up was 73 months; 122 patients (19%) received adjuvant radiotherapy. Results Overall, 2.9% of the stage I cohort developed vaginal relapse at 5 years. Vaginal relapse was observed in 1.7% of patients who received radiotherapy and in 3.0% of those whose treatment did not include radiotherapy ( P = 0.36). Cox regression analysis (including radiotherapy) identified only grade 3 differentiation (hazard ratio=3.83, P = 0.007) as an independent predictor of vaginal relapse. Patients with a low-grade tumor had a 5-year vaginal relapse rate of 2%, compared with 7% for those with a grade 3 tumor. When only patients who did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy were considered, both grade 3 tumor and lymphovascular invasion were significant predictors of vaginal relapse ( P P Conclusion Histologic grade 3 tumor and lymphovascular invasion were the cogent predictors of vaginal relapse in our population. The cost and morbidity of vaginal brachytherapy should be balanced against the potential risk of vaginal relapse in this group of patients.
UL20 Protein Functions Precede and Are Required for the UL11 Functions of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Cytoplasmic Virion Envelopment

Egress of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) from the nucleus of the infected cell to extracellular spaces involves a number of distinct steps, including primary envelopment by budding into the perinuclear space, de-envelopment into the cytoplasm, cytoplasmic reenvelopment, and translocation of enveloped virions to extracellular spaces. UL20/gK-null viruses are blocked in cytoplasmic virion envelopment and egress, as indicated by an accumulation of unenveloped or partially enveloped capsids in the cytoplasm. Similarly, UL11-null mutants accumulate unenveloped capsids in the cytoplasm. To assess whether UL11 and UL20/gK function independently or synergistically in cytoplasmic envelopment, recombinant viruses having either the UL20 or UL11 gene deleted were generated. In addition, a recombinant virus containing a deletion of both UL20 and UL11 genes was constructed using the HSV-1(F) genome cloned into a bacterial artificial chromosome. Ultrastructural examination of virus-infected cells showed that both UL20- and UL11-null viruses accumulated unenveloped capsids in the cytoplasm. However, the morphology and distribution of the accumulated capsids appeared to be distinct, with the UL11-null virions forming aggregates of capsids having diffuse tegument-derived material and the UL20-null virus producing individual capsids in close juxtaposition to cytoplasmic membranes. The UL20/UL11 double-null virions appeared morphologically similar to the UL20-null viruses. Experiments on the kinetics of viral replication revealed that the UL20/UL11 double-null virus replicated in a manner similar to the UL20-null virus. Additional experiments revealed that transiently expressed UL11 localized to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) independently of either gK or UL20. Furthermore, virus infection with the UL11/UL20 double-null virus did not alter the TGN localization of transiently expressed UL11 or UL20 proteins, indicating that these proteins did not interact. Taken together, these results show that the intracellular transport and TGN localization of UL11 is independent of UL20/gK functions, and that UL20/gK are required and function prior to UL11 protein in virion cytoplasmic envelopment.
Energy efficiency of different data transmission methods in IEEE 802.15.4: study and improvement

IEEE 802.15.4 is a new standard intended to serve a set of simple but important applications with very low power consumption and relaxed data rate requirements. Among these applications are residential networks, medical sensor networks, and industrial monitoring networks. In this paper, we propose new mechanisms to reduce the energy consumption of IEEE 802.15.4 devices further. Analysis results show that our schemes can improve energy efficiency of the devices, and save up to 47% energy in tracking beacons. Thus it can extend the lifetime of the entire personal area network
NEW QUESTIONS IN GENETICS AND EVOLUTION

— The use and misuse of the concept of “developmental constraints” in analyses of allometry, heterochrony, and quantitative genetics is examined. Allometric analysis constitutes an advantageous redescription but poses no constraining explanation; analysis of heterochronies does not by itself establish the existence of developmental constraints; quantitative genetic threshold theories fail to account for why arbitrary alternatives are not to be expected. A structuralist approach to constraints therefore warrants attention; examples involve phyllotaxis, echinoid morphology, shell patterns, metazoan gene regulation, and orthogenesis.
On the evolutionary ecology of species' ranges

A species’ range limits may shift in space either because of changes in ecological factors (e.g. climate, the abundances of interacting species) or because the traits which influence range limits (e.g. dispersal, niche characteristics) evolve by natural selection. In Geographical Ecology, Robert MacArthur (1972) provided a synthesis of the evolutionary factors that may drive range dynamics. In this paper, I revisit this theme in the light of recent theoretical studies of evolution in heterogeneous environments. These studies suggest that a rich range of evolutionary patterns in species’ ranges may occur, including expansions or contractions, leading to dynamism in ranges even in epochs without strong directional environmental change.
Retinal blood flow in diabetes.

Objective: This is a review of work focused on characterizing retinal blood flow in diabetes. The review describes results on validation of the methodology for retinal blood flow measurements, the mechanisms of action of various factors that contribute to abnormalities in retinal blood flow in diabetic rodent models, and the translation of these results to clinical studies demonstrating the effectiveness of different therapeutic agents in normalizing retinal blood flow abnormalities in patients with diabetes.Methods: Retinal blood flow measurements were performed using video fluorescein angiography, a methodology that is based on the measurement of fluorescein dye circulation times through the retinal circulationResults: The results of a number of experiments are summarized, detailing the effects of hyperglycemia and the roles of factors such as protein kinase C activation, endothelin-1 and endothelin-3, angiotensin-II, and nitric oxide in the development of retinal blood flow abnormalities in diabetes.Co...
Satellite Measurements of DC Electric Fields in the Ionosphere

This paper presents initial results from the dc electric field experiment on the low altitude polar orbiting Injun 5 satellite. At low latitudes, where the ionospheric plasma is expected to corotate with the earth, the only observed electric field is the V x B electric field due to the motion of the satellite through the ionosphere. Comparisons of the computed V x B field agree with the measured electric field within about ±10 mV/m. At the plasmapause boundary small changes (∼ 5 to 15 mV/m) in the dc electric field are observed which are believed to be due to magnetospheric convection phenomena at the plasmapause boundary. At high latitudes large amplitude (∼ 100 mV/m) electric field irregularities and disturbances, believed to be due to ionospheric electric fields, are observed on virtually every passage over the polar regions. Long period electric field oscillations with periods on the order of 15 sec also are commonly observed at high latitudes.
Infectious causes of stroke

Summary Most infectious pathogens have anecdotal evidence to support a link with stroke, but certain pathogens have more robust associations, in which causation is probable. Few dedicated prospective studies of stroke in the setting of infection have been done. The use of head imaging, a clinical standard of diagnostic care, to confirm stroke and stroke type is not universal. Data for stroke are scarce in locations where infections are probably most common, making it difficult to reach conclusions on how populations differ in terms of risk of infectious stroke. The treatment of infections and stroke, when concomitant, is based on almost no evidence and requires dedicated efforts to understand variations that might exist. We highlight the present knowledge and emphasise the need for stronger evidence to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and secondary prevention of stroke in patients in whom an infectious cause for stroke is probable.
Low frequency microstrip analysis using the spectral domain approach and the variational method

This paper addresses the solution for the open structure microstrip line. This paper attempts to find the relationship between the variational method and the spectral domain approach at very low frequencies. In this paper, the Green's functions for the spectral domain approach at low frequencies are derived. The Galerkin's method is used to obtain the formula to calculate the effective relative dielectric constant. At DC, the transverse current density is zero. However, to get the accurate effective relative dielectric constant, both the longitudinal current density and the normalized transverse current density should be used.
Psammaplins from the Sponge Pseudoceratina purpurea: Inhibition of Both Histone Deacetylase and DNA Methyltransferase

Four novel bisulfide bromotyrosine derivatives, psammaplins E (9), F (10), G (11), and H (12), and two new bromotyrosine derivatives, psammaplins I (13) and J (14), were isolated from the sponge Pseudoceratina purpurea, along with known psammaplins A (4), B (6), C (7), and D (8) and bisaprasin (5). The structures of psammaplins E (9) and F (10), which each contain an oxalyl group rarely found in marine organisms, were determined by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 4, 5, and 10 are potent histone deacetylase inhibitors and also show mild cytotoxicity. Furthermore, compounds 4, 5, and 11 are potent DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. The biogenetic pathway previously proposed for the psammaplins class is also revisited.
Multimodal target detection via integrated GLRT

The focus of this paper is the multimodal detection and localization of a ground moving target based on radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data. The target radiates a low probability of intercept (LPI) RF signal received by multiple passive RF sensors at scene and is imaged by using a stationary IR camera concurrently. To obtain the multimodal detector proposed in this paper, first, the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) is employed to derive the RF and IR detectors individually. Then, the RF and IR detectors are integrated optimally to get the integrated GLRT. In order to avoid the computational complexity associated with the integrated GLRT, a suboptimal multimodal detector is implemented by applying the random basis functions (RBF) approach to the IR image sequence to reduce down the search space for the RF detector. It is shown that the suboptimal multimodal detector has better localization performance compared to the RF detector when one of the RF sensors is partially occluded.
Enteroviral ribonucleic acid. II. Biological, physical, and chemical studies.

Chromatographic behavior of whole type 1 poliovirus and phenol-extracted viral RNA on diethylaminoethyl cellulose columns, as revealed by assay of plaque-forming capacity, indicated that infectious RNA had surface properties markedly different from those of the intact virus. Infectious RNA of type 1 poliovirus and Coxsackie B1 virus was relatively resistant to heat inactivation as compared to intact virus. Kinetics of inactivation at elevated temperatures were multi-hit in character. The structure of infectious enterovirus RNA was investigated by treatment with chemical inactivating agents. Urea and guanidine as hydrogen bond-disrupting agents, and mercaptoethanol and thioglycolate as disulfide bond-disrupting agents, and combinations of these did not destroy RNA infectivity whereas hydrogen bond-disrupting treatment inactivated intact virus rapidly. RNA infectivity was not reduced by chloroform extraction alone, or by octanol extraction alone, but was reduced by chloroform-octanol extraction which failed to depolymerize RNA to an extent detectable by ultracentrifugal analysis. Infectivity of type 1 poliovirus and Coxsackie B1 virus RNA was destroyed in accordance with first order kinetics by very dilute solutions of pancreatic ribonuclease, and by purified snake venom phosphodiesterase, but not at all by bacterial alkaline phosphatase. Inactivation by venom diesterase was not accelerated by prior treatment of RNA with bacterial alkaline phosphatase. These results indicated that infectivity of enteroviral RNA resided in a single stranded structure, that a single break of a phosphodiester bond anywhere along the structure was sufficient to destroy infectivity, and that infectivity did not require a terminal phosphate group. Hydroxylamine, but not other carbonyl reagents, rapidly destroyed infectivity of intact type 1 poliovirus viral RNA without depolymerization of RNA-detectable by behavior in the analytical ultracentrifuge. With S35-methionine-labeled poliovirus a very small fraction of radioactivity remained in RNA preparations following phenol extraction. No evidence could be obtained to indicate that infectious enteroviral RNA was composed of subunits. RNA extracted with phenol during the course of infection of HeLa cells with type 1 poliovirus resembled RNA obtained from purified whole virus with respect to heat inactivation, hydroxylamine inactivation, chromatographic separation, susceptibility to protein denaturing agents, and ability to infect productively both naturally susceptible HeLa cells and naturally insusceptible L strain mouse cells. Intracellular production of infectious RNA paralleled intracellular maturation of whole virus and preceded it by a very short interval.
Evaluation of corn oil as an additive in the pre-enrichment step to increase recovery of Salmonella enterica from oregano.

Phenolic compounds associated with essential oils of spices and herbs possess a variety of antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that interfere with Salmonella detection from fresh and dried products. Finding a compound to neutralize the effect of these antimicrobial compounds, while allowing Salmonella growth during pre-enrichment, is a crucial step in both traditional pathogen isolation and molecular detection from these foods. This study evaluated the effectiveness of corn oil as a component of the pre-enrichment broth to counteract antimicrobial compounds properties and increase the recovery of Salmonella from spices. Oregano samples artificially contaminated with Salmonella enterica were pre-enriched in modified Buffered Peptone Water (mBPW) supplemented with and without 2% (vol/vol) corn oil respectively. Samples were incubated overnight at 37 °C. The results showed that recovery of Salmonella from oregano samples was increased by ≥50% when pre-enriched with corn oil. Serovars were confirmed using a PCR serotyping method. In addition, shot-gun metagenomics analyses demonstrated bacterial diversity and the effect of corn oil on the relative prevalence of Salmonella in the oregano samples. Modifying pre-enrichment broths with corn oil improved the detection and isolation of Salmonella from oregano, and may provide an alternative method for pathogen detection in dried food matrices such as spices.
The Future of Work: What Google Shows Us about the Present and Future of Online Collaboration.

Because students enroll in higher education to become competitive in the job market, university courses emphasize transferrable skills such as strong communication and critical thinking. How do these skills transfer in the knowledge work environment that characterizes most careers? In this paper the author reviews the literature of the current and future workplace environment most college graduates will enter and from this review poses online collaboration as one of the most important skills to future employees. Using Google work culture and applications as a model for effective online collaboration, the author offers frameworks, activities, and examples for strengthening students’ online collaboration skills. This author demonstrates how Google Applications such as Slides, Drive, and Docs can be used in higher education classes to facilitate the online collaboration skills valued in the literature review.
NMR-Guided Rational Engineering of an Ionic-Liquid-Tolerant Lipase

Biocatalysis in ionic liquids (ILs) is largely limited by the instabilities of enzymes in these solvents, thus negating their auspicious solvent properties. Here, we have engineered an IL-tolerant ...
Understanding mentally confused elderly persons.

We bring to old age a built-in system of self-depreciation, having thoroughly absorbed the notion that the elderly are unattractive, useless and meddlesome. The oldster's struggle to adapt and adjust to this hostile environment can give rise to various symptoms. A common example is memory failure.
Sexual orientation and diurnal cortisol patterns in a cohort of U.S. young adults

Sexual minorities in the United States are at elevated risk of bullying, discrimination, and violence victimization, all stressors that have been linked to psychological and behavioral stress responses including depressive and anxious symptoms and substance use. Acute and chronic stressors may also elicit physiologic stress responses, including changes in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. Few studies, however, have examined the relationship between minority sexual orientation and diurnal cortisol patterns. The present study included 1670 young adults ages 18–32 years (69% female, 31% male) from the Growing Up Today Study, a prospective cohort of U.S. youth. Participants provided five saliva samples over one day to estimate diurnal cortisol patterns. Sexual orientation groups included: completely heterosexual with no same-sex partners (referent), completely heterosexual with same-sex partners/mostly heterosexual, and gay/lesbian/bisexual. Covariates included perceived stress and stressful life events in the past month. Sex-stratified multilevel models of log-transformed cortisol values were used to model diurnal cortisol patterns, and generalized estimating equations were used to model area under the curve (AUC), both with respect to ground (AUCg) and increase (AUCi). Among females, sexual minorities reported significantly more stressful life events in the past month than their heterosexual counterparts. In adjusted multilevel models, sexual orientation was not significantly associated with diurnal cortisol patterns or with AUCg or AUCi in either females or males. There were no significant interactions between sexual orientation and stressful life events. Time-varying negative mood was significantly associated with higher cortisol levels across the day for both female and male participants, after adjusting for all covariates. This study from a large cohort of U.S. young adults did not detect a relationship between sexual orientation and diurnal cortisol patterns. Despite consistent evidence indicating that, compared to heterosexuals, sexual minorities experience elevated exposure to multiple forms of stressors and adversity across the life course, we did not find differences in diurnal cortisol rhythms by sexual orientation. One possible explanation is that sexual minority participants in the study exhibited physiologic resilience.
Inducing Teamwork in Rank-Order Tournaments

We analyze the design of an optimal contract in a two-person partnership in which all the firm's proceeds are re-distributed back to the workers according to a noisy binary signal of relative performance. A worker devotes two types of costly effort: own effort into his assigned task and helping effort toward the task of another. A principal designs a tournament-style contract that assigns a share s ∈ [½, 1] of total output to the worker with the relatively higher signal and 1 - s to the other. A higher value of s induces more competition, giving more incentive for own effort but reducing the incentive to help. When production is symmetric with respect to the two tasks, the optimal contract is to maximize the help incentive by giving equal compensation to both workers. The result does not depend on the degree of complementarity in the production function nor on the level of noise in the signal of relative performance.
Cause of Conductor Galloping Tower Collapse at Yaoshao 500 kV Transmission Line

The process of strain tower collapse of 500 kV Yaoshao transmission line,Henan,on 11 Jan,2008.Causes of conductor galloping and tower collapse were analyzed through site investigation,design and mechanics evaluation,and metallographic test,which are attributed to suctained line galloping leading to material loose and even falling as well as tower strength declining.Conductor galloping led the increase of the static tension load on the conductor,and the galloping energy,spreading along beeline,stopped at the strain tower,making the more severe galloping impact on it and ultimately resulting to its collapse.It is suggested to use torsional spacer for reducing or eliminating uneven icing with dual-swing damper for reducing galloping strength.For bolts with less loosing-proof function,additional loosing-proof measures(such as additional working nut).For futher new transmission line it is necessary to investigate the line approach,appropriately enhance design strength for towers,fitting and insulators,abrasion resistance of fitting and loosing-resistance of fixing bults depending on galloping intensity and to determine the anti-galloping capability of line based on synthetic economic technical evaluation.
Computer use, language, and literacy in safety net clinic communication

Objective: Patients with limited health literacy (LHL) and limited English proficiency (LEP) experience suboptimal communication and health outcomes. Electronic health record implementation in safety net clinics may affect communication with LHL and LEP patients. We investigated the associations between safety net clinician computer use and patient-provider communication for patients with LEP and LHL. Materials and Methods: We video-recorded encounters at 5 academically affiliated US public hospital clinics between English- and Spanish-speaking patients with chronic conditions and their primary and specialty care clinicians. We analyzed changes in communication behaviors (coded with the Roter Interaction Analysis System) with each additional point on a clinician computer use score, controlling for clinician type and visit length and stratified by English proficiency and health literacy status. Results: Greater clinician computer use was associated with more biomedical statements (+12.4, P = .03) and less positive affect (−0.6, P < .01) from LEP/LHL patients. In visits with patients with adequate English proficiency/health literacy, greater clinician computer use was associated with less positive patient affect (−0.9, P < .01), fewer clinician psychosocial statements (−3.5, P < .05), greater clinician verbal dominance (+0.09, P < .01), and lower ratings on quality of care and communication. Conclusion: Higher clinician computer use was associated with more biomedical focus with LEP/LHL patients, and clinician verbal dominance and lower ratings with patients with adequate English proficiency and health literacy. Discussion: Implementation research should explore interventions to enhance relationship-centered communication for diverse patient populations in the computer era.
Bioaugmentation for Water Resources Protection

This chapter provides a comprehensive study of bioaugmentation in wastewater, groundwater, and soil contamination remediation applications as applied to water resources protection. It defines major key terms and concepts, including many of the contaminants present within these media. Several case studies were discussed as written concerning in situ bioremediation treatment for groundwater, soil contamination, and wastewater treatment. In addition, laboratory studies highlight the success of bioaugmentation given the proper conditions within the system.
Developmental therapeutics for inflammatory breast cancer: Biology and translational directions

// Ricardo Costa 1 , Cesar A. Santa-Maria 1, 2 , Giovanna Rossi 2 , Benedito A. Carneiro 1, 2 , Young Kwang Chae 1, 2 , William J. Gradishar 1, 2 , Francis J. Giles 1, 2 , Massimo Cristofanilli 1, 2 1 Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, United States of America 2 Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, United States of America Correspondence to: Ricardo Costa, email: ricardo.costa@northwestern.edu Keywords: inflammatory breast cancer, targeted therapy, immunotherapy Received: September 26, 2016 Accepted: November 07, 2016 Published: December 02, 2016 ABSTRACT Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer, which accounts for approximately 3% of cases of breast malignancies. Diagnosis relies largely on its clinical presentation, and despite a characteristic phenotype, underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Unique clinical presentation indicates that IBC is a distinct clinical and biological entity when compared to non-IBC. Biological understanding of non-IBC has been extrapolated into IBC and targeted therapies for HER2 positive (HER2+) and hormonal receptor positive non-IBC led to improved patient outcomes in the recent years. This manuscript reviews recent discoveries related to the underlying biology of IBC, clinical progress to date and suggests rational approaches for investigational therapies.
Anticipating Delivery: A Case Study of Domestic Partner Benefit (DPB) Advocacy

Delivery has often been treated as an afterthought of the “real work” of writing. This article demonstrates how writers in some contexts must think very carefully about delivery from the very begin...
Electrophysiological Sequelae of Hemispherotomy in Ipsilateral Human Cortex.

OBJECTIVES: Hemispheric disconnection has been used as a treatment of medically refractory epilepsy and evolved from anatomic hemispherectomy to functional hemispherectomies to hemispherotomies. The hemispherotomy procedure involves disconnection of an entire hemisphere with limited tissue resection and is reserved for medically-refractory epilepsy due to diffuse hemispheric disease. Although it is thought to be effective by preventing seizures from spreading to the contralateral hemisphere, the electrophysiological effects of a hemispherotomy on the ipsilateral hemisphere remain poorly defined. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of hemispherotomy on the electrophysiologic dynamics in peri-stroke and dysplastic cortex. METHODS: Intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) was recorded from ipsilateral cortex in 5 human subjects with refractory epilepsy before and after hemispherotomy. Power spectral density, mutual information and phase-amplitude coupling were measured from the ECoG signals. RESULTS: Epilepsy was a result of remote perinatal stroke in three of the subjects. In two of the subjects, seizures were a consequence of dysplastic tissue: one with hemimegalencephaly and the second with Rasmussen’s encephalitis. Hemispherotomy reduced broad-band power spectral density in peri-stroke cortex. Meanwhile, hemispherotomy increased power in the low and high frequency bands for dysplastic cortex. Functional connectivity was increased in lower frequency bands in peri-stroke tissue but not affected in dysplastic tissue after hemispherotomy. Finally, hemispherotomy reduced band-specific phase-amplitude coupling in peristroke cortex but not dysplastic cortex. SIGNIFICANCE: Disconnecting deep subcortical connections to peri-stroke cortex via a hemispherotomy attenuates power of oscillations and impairs the transfer of information from large-scale distributed brain networks to the local cortex. Hence, hemispherotomy reduces heterogeneity between neighboring cortex while impairing phase-amplitude coupling. In contrast, dysfunctional networks in dysplastic cortex lack the normal connectivity with distant networks. Therefore hemispherotomy does not produce the same effects.
Translation and stability of proteins encoded by the plastid psbA and psbB genes are regulated by a nuclear gene during light-induced chloroplast development in barley

We have characterized a nuclear mutant of barley, viridis-115, lacking photosystem II (PSII) activity and compared it to wild-type seedlings during light-induced chloroplast development. Chloroplasts isolated from wild-type and viridis-115 seedlings illuminated for 1 h synthesized similar polypeptides and had similar protein composition. After 16 h of illumination, however, mutant plastids exhibited reduced ability to radiolabel D1, CP47, and several low Mr membrane polypeptides, and by 72 h, synthesis of these proteins was undetectable. Immunoblot analysis showed that plastids of dark-grown wild-type barley lacked several PSII proteins (D1, D2, CP47, and CP43) and that 16 h of illumination resulted in the accumulation of these polypeptides. In contrast, these polypeptides did not accumulate in illuminated viridis-115 seedlings, although mutant plastids accumulated two PSII proteins that participate in oxygen evolution, oxygen-evolving enhancers 1 and 3. Northern analysis showed that the levels of psbA and psbB mRNA in mutant plastids were equal to or greater than levels in wild-type plastids throughout the developmental period examined here. These results indicate that the nuclear mutation present in viridis-115 affects the translation and stability of the chloroplast-encoded D1 and CP47 polypeptides and that its influence is expressed after the onset of light-induced chloroplast development.
Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition—From Hospital to Home: Will It Be Covered?

With scientific advances allowing for the safe delivery of parenteral and enteral nutrition in the home setting, challenges have risen with determining how this will be financially feasible for patients. In the United States, the government is one of the major payers for home parenteral and enteral nutrition (HPEN). Thus, it is important for nutrition providers to have an understanding of the Medicare criteria that must be met in order for these services to be covered. It can be difficult for clinicians to sift through these requirements and decipher for whom and when HPEN is covered. As our nutrition science knowledge and delivery continue to grow and evolve, potential barriers to this coverage may arise. This article provides background on those currently on HPEN in the United States, the current Medicare HPEN coverage criteria, and challenges we may face in the future.
An efficient pipeline to generate data for studies in plastid population genomics and phylogeography.

Premise of the study: Seed dispersal contributes to gene flow and is responsible for colonization of new sites and range expansion. Sequencing chloroplast haplotypes offers a way to estimate contributions of seed dispersal to population genetic structure and enables studies of population history. Whole-genome sequencing is expensive, but resources can be conserved by pooling samples. Unfortunately, haplotype associations among single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are lost in pooled samples, and treating SNP allele frequencies as independent markers provides biased estimates of genetic structure. Methods: We developed sampling methodologies and an application, CallHap, that uses a least-squares algorithm to evaluate the fit between observed and predicted SNP allele frequencies from pooled samples based on haplotype network phylogeny structure, thus enabling pooling for chloroplast sequencing for large-scale studies of chloroplast genomic variation. This method was tested using artificially constructed te...
Renal function outcomes in pediatric patients with symptomatic reflux into the transplanted kidney treated with redo ureteroneocystostomy.

Summary Introduction Asymptomatic post-renal transplant reflux is common but only 5–10% patients are diagnosed with vesico-ureteral reflux in the setting of post-transplant febrile urinary tract infections, requiring redo ureteroneocystostomy (redo-UNC). Here we report the renal function outcomes of 37 such patients, stratified by lower urinary tract (LUT) status. Objective We hypothesized that those with pre-transplant LUT dysfunction would have lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR) on follow-up. Study design Using procedure codes, 37 patients who underwent renal transplant followed by redo-UNC for transplant reflux at our institution between 1991 and 2014 were identified. Patient characteristics and GFR levels from four different time points were recorded. Comparisons were made between those with and without LUT dysfunction, using Fisher's exact, Wilcoxon rank sum, or signed-rank tests. Generalized estimating equations were constructed to account for the clustered nature of GFR within each LUT group and to assess their change over time. Results Twelve patients (32%) had pre-transplant LUT dysfunction. The proportion of males in this group was significantly higher (75% vs. 32%, p = 0.032), and there was no statistical difference towards presenting earlier with post-transplant reflux (1.4 vs. 2.3 years, p = 0.087). After an average of 4.9 years, the median GFRs were similar between the two groups (53 mg/dL vs. 58 mg/dL, p = 0.936). There was no significant difference in GFR at this last follow-up time point in patients with and without LUT dysfunction. Discussion Vesicoureteral reflux in the setting of renal transplantation is common and doesn't often require repair. In our series, we found that those with LUT dysfunction did not present statistically sooner with symptomatic transplant reflux. Longer-term follow-up did show a decline in GFR but did not reveal a difference in GFR in patients' with and without LUT dysfunction. Conclusions Pediatric post-transplant GFR after open redo ureteral reimplant decreases over time in similar fashion in patients with symptomatic reflux regardless of whether they have LUT dysfunction or normal anatomy. Vigilance should apply to the recognition, treatment, and follow-up of all symptomatic transplant reflux regardless of LUT status.
Herbicidal and Seed Dormancy Induction Activity of Fermentation Residual Vinasse

Vinasse, a liquid fermentation residual of bio-ethanol production that also contains solid particles in suspension, is commonly used as a soil amendment. Previous studies reported vinasse reduced seed germination and seedling establishment, suggesting herbicidal activity. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine whether vinasse herbicidal activity is present in the liquid or solid phase, and whether it affects plants during seed early germination (i.e., imbibition), late germination (i.e., embryo growth and radicle protrusion), or seedling growth. Most of the herbicidal activity was associated with the liquid phase, and for most species, seed viability was predominantly affected after the imbibition phase. Susceptibility to vinasse was species dependent. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) germination was 80% germination). Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and sicklepod [Senna obtusifolia (L.) H. S. Irwin & Barneby] germination decreased 10% and 35% when seeds were imbibed and germinated in vinasse, respectively, while Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) and southern crabgrass [Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koeler] germination decreased >90%. All evaluated species reduced radicle growth as vinasse concentration increased. Filtered liquid vinasse with reduced concentration of salt and ionic compounds inhibited radicle growth similarly to unfiltered vinasse, indicating that the herbicidal activity was not due to osmotic effects and was likely present in the organic liquid phase. Amaranthus palmeri, S. obtusifolia, and D. ciliaris increased the proportion of dormant seed more than 2-fold when they were imbibed or imbibed and germinated in vinasse solutions. Vinasse might be useful for weed management to reduce germinable weed seedbanks by increasing seedling mortality and seed dormancy either by properly timing of its application as a soil amendment or by purifying herbicidal compounds and using them directly for weed control.
SH2B3 aberrations enriched in iAMP21 B lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents the most common childhood malignancy. Although survival for pediatric B-ALL has approached 90%, variability in outcome among and within cytogenetically defined subgroups persists. While G-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) have been used to characterize leukemic clones, there is added value of chromosomal microarray and next generation sequencing in screening genome-wide for copy number aberrations, copy neutral loss of heterozygosity and nucleotide variations. Evaluation of novel genetic aberrations can provide information about the biologic mechanisms of cytogenetically defined subgroups associated with poor prognosis, explain heterogeneity in patient outcome and identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention. The high risk B-ALL intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21, (iAMP21), subtype is characterized by amplification of a region of chromosome 21 that typically encompasses the RUNX1 gene and is associated with poor prognosis. Analysis of chromosomal microarray and FISH data revealed that deletions of SH2B3, encoding a negative regulator of multiple tyrosine kinase and cytokine signaling pathways, are enriched among leukemias harboring iAMP21. Enrichment of SH2B3 aberrations in the iAMP21 subtype may indicate that loss of SH2B3 contributes to disease progression and raises the possibility that these leukemias may be sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
The Other Side of Optimism: High Expectations and the Rejection of Status Quo Politics

Why are options that suggest a rejection of status quo politics popular today? This study suggests that an overlooked and important source of disappointment in government is the unrealistically optimistic expectations many Americans hold. At the surface it seems almost paradoxical: Americans generally tend to be quite optimistic, while at the same time they are negative and cynical about politics. This research suggests that because strong optimists have such high expectations, they react to political disappointments much more negatively than do those who have more modest expectations, thus reducing trust in government and belief in the system. The disappointed optimist seeks remedies for their disappointment, and in so doing, embraces the political unknown, whether embodied in an inexperienced, ideologically vague political leader such as Colin Powell, a third political party, or the mystery men and women who would be called into service after term limits remove incumbents from office.
Using Standardized Test Scores to Include General Cognitive Ability in Education Research and Policy

In education research and education policy, much attention is paid to schools, curricula, and teachers, but little attention is paid to the characteristics of students. Differences in general cognitive ability (g) are often overlooked as a source of important variance among schools and in outcomes among students within schools. Standardized test scores such as the SAT and ACT are reasonably good proxies for g and are available for most incoming college students. Though the idea of g being important in education is quite old, we present contemporary evidence that colleges and universities in the United States vary considerably in the average cognitive ability of their students, which correlates strongly with other methods (including international methods) of ranking colleges. We also show that these g differences are reflected in the extent to which graduates of colleges are represented in various high-status and high-income occupations. Finally, we show how including individual-level measures of cognitive ability can substantially increase the statistical power of experiments designed to measure educational treatment effects. We conclude that education policy researchers should give more consideration to the concept of individual differences in cognitive ability as well as other factors.
The Woman Who Turned into a Jaguar and Other Narratives of Native Women in Archives of Colonial Mexico

The title of Lisa Sousa’s book points to its focus on the lives of native women in colonial Mexico. However, her book also provides an impressive analysis of gender relations more broadly. As Sousa...
Sequence stratigraphic expression of greenhouse, transitional and icehouse conditions in siliciclastic successions: Paleozoic examples from the central appalachian basin, USA

Abstract Climates during the Paleozoic varied from greenhouse to transitional to icehouse and siliciclastic successions deposited during those times have stratigraphic architectures consistent with magnitudes and frequencies of sea-level fluctuations at the time of deposition. Three Central Appalachian Basin Paleozoic successions, the Early Cambrian Chilhowee Group, the Late Devonian Foreknobs Formation, and the Early Pennsylvanian Breathitt Group, are compared and contrasted to develop models that relate stratigraphic architectures to greenhouse, transitional and icehouse conditions existing on Earth. Within the upper portion of the Early Cambrian Chilhowee Group, the Hampton and Erwin Formations represent a succession of 2 Myr (3rd-order) sequences consisting of stacked, 40–80 kyr (5th-order), marine parasequences that record low-magnitude, high-frequency sea-level changes consistent with greenhouse conditions. The Late Devonian Foreknobs Formation consists of a series of 0.8–1.0 Myr (3rd-order) composite sequences comprised of stacked unconformity-bounded, 225 to 450 kyr (4th-order) sequences, each containing 40 to 65 kyr (5th-order), marine parasequences. The bases of the unconformity-bounded sequences are marked by erosional surfaces (regressive surfaces of marine erosion, fluvial deposits, or paleosols) indicative of sea-level drops of 10 to 45 m consistent with a transitional greenhouse to icehouse climate. The Early Pennsylvanian Breathitt Group consists of stacked, unconformity-bounded, 100 kyr (4th-order) sequences that lack parasequences. Unconformity-bounded sequences are comprised of (from bottom to top): lowstand incised valley, braided alluvial deposits; transgressive tidal estuarine deposits; and progradational, highstand deltaic deposits. Depths of incised valleys and vertical transition into estuarine facies imply sea-level changes of >50 m consistent with icehouse conditions. This study demonstrates that siliciclastic successions preserve a record of sea-level changes consistent with greenhouse, transitional, and icehouse conditions on the Paleozoic Earth.
Nationalism, overseas Chinese state and the construction of ‘Chineseness’ among Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in Ghana

This study aims at investigating the role of the expanding overseas Chinese state in the construction of ‘Chineseness’ among Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in Ghana. It focuses especially on the man...
Modeling and Experimental Analysis of a Wearable Energy Harvester that Exploits Human-Body Motion

This paper reports modeling and analysis of a wearable rotational energy harvester from human-body motion. Our analysis started with the collection of inertial measurement unit (IMU) data from different human-body locations (wrist, chest, waist, and ankle) at a constant walking speed. Based on the characteristics of the IMU data, a sprung eccentric rotational proof-mass based energy harvesting system has been developed and its mathematical model is derived. The model is used to investigate the electromechanical behavior of the system via numerical simulation and validated experimentally with an electromagnetic (EM) energy harvester prototype. Results indicate that on average the proposed sprung rotational energy harvesting system outperforms its conventional counterpart (without spring) for most of the human-body locations while walking at 3.5 mph on a treadmill.
0.43nJ, 0.48pJ/step Second-Order ΔΣ Current-to-Digital Converter for IoT Applications

A second-order ΔΣ current-to-digital converter (CDC) for IoT sensing applications is presented in this paper. The proposed CDC uses pseudo-differential current-starved ring oscillators as phase domain integrators. A negative feedback loop relaxes input ring oscillator nonlinearity. The proposed architecture does not require excess loop delay compensation or nonlinearity calibration. Digital differentiation using XOR implements an intrinsic first-order high-pass shaping of static element mismatch in the current steering digital-to-analog converter. A prototype CDC in 65nm CMOS process achieves 62dB dynamic range at 0.48pJ/conversion-step and has 20X better energy-efficiency than state-of-the-art.