cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contribution of the distal tubule to potassium excretion in experimental glomerulonephritis

Contribution of the distal tubule to potassium excretion in experimental glomerulonephritis. The renal adaptations that maintain potassium homeostasis in diffuse forms of glomerular disease are not well defined. Thus, handling of potassium by superficial nephron segments was examined in a rat model of antiglomerular basement membrane nephritis. Sampling the same nephron successively from the end and beginning of the distal tubule and the end of the proximal tubule allowed a segmental analysis. Despite a 40% reduction in GFR, potassium excretion in the glomerulonephritis animals was normal due to an increase in FE K . The proximal tubule and loop segment did not contribute to the enhanced FE K seen in these animals. In contrast, potassium entry along the distal tubule was significantly greater in the experimental group averaging 13.7 ± 4.3 pmol/min compared to 1.2 ± 1.7 pmol/min in controls (P
Manual of Cultivated Broad-Leaved Trees and Shrubs

Alphabetical reference to the botanical terminology in five languages (English, Latin, German, French and Dutch) explanation of symbols abbreviated temperature conversion chart hardiness zones and the British Isles hardiness zone maps. Main text. Alphabetical lisitng of the genera "prunus" to "ziziphus".
Viscosity, refractive index, and surface tension of multicomponent systems: Mathematical representation and estimation from data for binary systems

An equation previously developed for estimation of the excess thermodynamic properties of multicomponent systems from binary mixing data has been applied to other physical properties through extrathermodynamic properties such as the excess Gibbs free energy of activation for viscous flow, molar refractivity, and exess surface free energy. This equation provides reasonably accurate predictions for viscosity, refractive index and surface tension of ternary and quaternary systems, given the properties of the various binary combinations of the components. The equation also serves quite well as a point-of-departure for mathematical representation of experimental data, in that all of the data considered could be represented within experimental uncertainty with the aid of no more than one adjustable parameter for each multicomponent system.
Functional Reconstitution of an ABC Transporter in Nanodiscs for Use in Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a powerful biophysical technique for study of the structural dynamics of membrane proteins. Many of these proteins interact with ligands or proteins on one or both sides of the membrane. Membrane proteins are typically reconstituted in proteoliposomes to observe their function in a physiologically relevant environment. However, membrane proteins can insert into liposomes in two different orientations, and surfaces facing the lumen of the vesicle can be inaccessible to ligands. This heterogeneity can lead to subpopulations that do not respond to ligand binding, complicating EPR spectral analysis, particularly for distance measurements. Using the well-characterized maltose transporter, an ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter that interacts with ligands on both sides of the membrane, we provide evidence that reconstitution into nanodiscs, which are soluble disk-shaped phospholipid bilayers, is an ideal solution to these problems. We describe the functional reconstitution of the maltose transporter into nanodiscs and demonstrate that this system is ideally suited to study conformational changes and intramolecular distances by EPR.
Serum containing endotoxin-induced tumour necrosis factor substitutes for helper T cells

WHEREAS immunocompetent precursor B cells recognise antigenic determinants by way of specific surface receptors (an interaction which presumably initiates cell division1,2), the binding of antigen to surface receptors alone does not result in the differentiation of B cells to antibody-secreting cells. To accomplish this differentiation step a second signal is needed. This signal may be provided by T cells in the form of a soluble factor which they produce in vitro after contact with antigen3–5. Besides T cells, activated peritoneal macrophages have also been shown to produce a factor which allows B cells from athymic Nu/Nu mice to produce antibody against fowl gammaglobulin in vitro. Production of this factor is increased by addition of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to the culture medium6. LPS itself has been shown to provide the second signal (antigen being the first) for antibody production by B cells7, but it is not clear whether the effect on antigen-reactive B cells is direct, or mediated by other cells. We report here that injection of LPS, in certain conditions in the mouse, induces the release of factors into the serum which enable B cells to produce antibody to heterologous red-cell antigen, in vitro in the absence of helper T cells. The factor is released in large quantity when LPS is injected into mice that have been primed with BCG. It is hardly, if at all, detectable in the serum of mice injected with LPS but not pretreated with BCG. Our investigation was prompted by the discovery that serum from BCG-infected mice given LPS causes acute necrosis of established tumour grafts in syngeneic mice (tumour necrosis serum, TNS)8. After partial purification, tumour-necrotising activity was shown to reside in a glycoprotein fraction (termed tumour necrosis factor, TNF) with a molecular weight of about 150,000 that migrates with the α-2-globulins9.
Shock wave impact on monolithic and composite material plates: The preferential aeroelastic response

Abstract An experimental investigation was carried out to determine the aeroelastic response of thin flat plates during face-on impact with planar shock waves. The experiments were performed in a large-scale shock tube research facility, which had a working section of 12″ in diameter and a length of 80 ft. One aluminum plate, one stainless steal plate and several composite plates were tested in the present investigation. Miniature semi-conductor strain-gauges of high-frequency response were employed to measure locally the strain on the exterior side of the plates and high-frequency response pressure transducers were used to measure time-dependent wall and total pressure. Due to the elastic deformation of the plates and their reverberation, strong acoustic waves were generated on the external side of the impact which carry a significant signature of the plates’ properties. Composite plates were found to suppress several of the modes of the wave patterns while metallic ones demonstrate a rich variety of interacting modes. The amplitude of the excited acoustic waves, however, was higher in the case of composite plates than in the case of steel plates. The frequency content of the strain signals on the surface of composite plates was not always the same with the content of the surface acceleration measured in free vibration experiments. Calculations by using a coupled system of equations between the fluid and solid phases of monolithic materials provided predictions in good agreement with the measured values of modal frequencies. These theoretical results were also in agreement with the classical modal analysis results by using the Poisson–Kirchoff theory for thin plates under axisymmetric or non-axisymmetric conditions.
A MnII12 Supramolecular Array with Four Independent Spin-Coupled Subunits

The tetratopic pyridazine-hydrazone ligand L2 is based on a design that successfully produces self-assembled [4 x 4] M II 16 (M = Mn, Cu) grids, but incorporates π-charge-rich, strong field bipy end groups. L2 forms an unusual incomplete "super" triangular Cu II 11 motif, dominated by the bipy ends. We now describe the incomplete Mn II 12 partial grid [Mn 12 (L2-2H) 6 (L-H) 2 (N(CN) 2 } 2 ].
Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery: The Miami Experience

This article describes the techniques for performing a video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy. Each lobe can be approached from anteriorly, posteriorly, or intralobarly. Each method is described and the advantages of each technique are discussed. The surgical results in 105 cases are presented. The VATS technique has decreased operative trauma and has shortened hospital stay with a concomitant reduction in cost to the patient and health-care provider. These advantages make VATS lobectomy an excellent alternative for excision of well localized peripheral lung cancer.
N-channel and P-channel MOSFETs with oxynitride gate dielectrics formed using low pressure rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Silicon oxynitride has become an interesting alternative to silicon dioxide for use as a gate dielectric. Typically, these oxynitride films are formed by thermally growing the dielectric with a N 2 O gas source or by performing a post-oxidation anneal in ammonia [1,2]. Both of these techniques increase the thermal budget requirement because of the slower growth rate in N 2 O and the extra high temperature process step required for the thermal nitridation. In this work, the properties of both n-channel and p-channel transistors with oxynitride gate dielectrics formed using a low pressure, rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) process is presented.
Syntheses and solid-state structural chemistry of polytelluride anions

Abstract The syntheses and structures of all published binary alkali metal and alkaline-earth tellurides and all published organic-cation (OC)/telluride anions are reviewed. Structural features amongst groups of identical anions and also between groups are compared.
The moon's first decimeter

Abstract The electromagnetic emission from the moon is, in principle, a source of much valuable information on lunar surface characteristics. However, in order to interpret the data, a number of simplifying assumptions are ordinarily made. It is shown that one should take into account the possibilities (a) that the top layers may be partly permeable to infrared emission; (b) that the white surface areas, such as the crater Aristarchus, permit solar radiation to penetrate; (c) that, based on laboratory measurements, the specific heat of rocks depends only on T 1 3 , not on T as claimed, and the density of lunar material may be lower than it would be from packing; (d) that, also based on laboratory measurements, the heat conductivity of dust decreases with air pressure, and at low pressures, with T; and (e) that ionizing rays could have liberated metal atoms in the lunar surface material, thus raising the electrical conductivity.
Unstable periodic orbits and the symbolic dynamics of the complex Hénon map.

A numerical technique for the calculation of unstable periodic orbits of chaotic maps in the complex plane is presented. Applying this technique to the complex H\'enon map we show that it can find all the ${2}^{\mathit{p}}$ real and complex periodic orbits of any given order p. The real periodic orbits coincide with those obtained by a similar algorithm for the ordinary H\'enon map that we have proposed earlier, and thus verify its completeness. The method provides a new definition of symbolic dynamics for the H\'enon map, which holds for both the real and complex periodic orbits. It provides a computational framework that applies to all limits of this map on a common footing, unlike the conventional techniques in which one needs different algorithms for calculations involving strange attractors, strange repellers, and various types of Julia sets.
Comparison of Fourier and wavelet analysis for fatigue assessment during repetitive dynamic exertion.

Abstract The comparative ability of the Fourier transform (FFT) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) algorithms in assessing muscle fatigue during sub-maximal repetitive dynamic exertion was investigated in this study. Surface electromyography data recorded from the upper trapezius muscle during forty minutes of repetitive upper extremity exertion performed by 10 male participants were used in the analysis. Multi-model regression analysis was performed to study the trend in the power values of the different frequency bands estimated using the FFT and DWT algorithms. Less variability and higher statistical significance was observed for the power value trend computed using the DWT algorithm compared to the FFT algorithm. The regression models provided a better fit for the power values estimated under more fatigued condition compared to the less fatigued condition. The lower frequency bands of 23–46Hz and 46–93Hz exhibited the expected and consistent power trend independent of the algorithm (DWT or FFT) used. For the exertions tested in this study, a cubic or curvilinear model explained the fatigue development process with a higher precision than the linear models.
Precipitating factors of readmission of psychiatric patients.

Responses to an interview guide by 100 mentally ill patients suggested that vocational, social, and self factors, respectively, were precipitating factors in the rehospitalization process. The results suggested the respondents' realistic viewpoints regarding the significance of employment, but a nonrealistic viewpoint about the significance of self. A profile emerged indicating those precipitating factors most likely associated with the rehospitalized mental patient.
Anisotropic surface eruptions on polymerized diacetylene crystals

Surface eruptions that are approximately 0.5 μm in diameter at the base and about 700 A in height have been observed by atomic force microscopy on single crystals and films of polydiacetylenes of the alkylurethanes of 5,7-dodecadiyn-1,12-diol when the polymerization is performed using 60 Co gamma radiation in the presence of air. The eruption process is associated with monomer polymerization and is anisotropic, as the eruptions are found only on the (100) face of single crystal specimens. Crystals having surface eruptions are irreversibly converted from blue to red at room temperature on exposure to a single pulse of 532 nm laser light while crystals lacking eruptions do not undergo this change.
The effects of selenium deficiency on differentiation, degradation, dand cell lysis of L8 rat skeletal muscle cells

We investigated the effects of selenium (Se) deficiency on differentiation, protein degradation, and cell lysis in cultured skeletal muscle cells, using L8 rat skeletal muscle cells cultured in serum-free (SF) medium to induce differentiation and to maintain myotubes. Creatine kinase activity was reduced (p 0.05) total protein degradation. However, Se deficiency increased (p < 0.05) lactate dehydrogenase released from lyzed dead cells. The results indicate that Se is required to maintain an optimal rate of muscle cell differentiation and health of myotube cultures.
Mechanism of regulation of fibroblastic cell replication. IV. An analysis of the serum dependence of cell replication based on Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

The quantitative dependence of the initiation of DNA synthesis in nonreplicating cultures of human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) on the concentration of fresh serum present in the stimulating medium has been analyzed. A simple formal analysis of the system suggested that the theory of dissociation reactions should lead to a model analogous to the Michaelis-Menten formulation. Accumulation of enough data for statistical analysis became possible by innovations in the culture techniques and isotope incorporation methods. The data were shown to conform to this model, and parameters Vm and K′m were calculated, together with appropriate statistical functions, from a weighted linear regression of the double reciprocal transformation of the data. Several variables in the culture system were assessed for their effects on the kinetic parameters. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that Vm is a measure of the maximum population of cells capable of responding to the stimulation, and K′m is an estimate of the interaction between the mitogenic factors in serum and the cell surface. Different strains of HDFs had different parameter values. Of several culture variables tested, the Vm was found to be influenced by the type of serum used, and by overall cell density as well as density variations within the monolayer. K′m showed significant changes only in response to cell density, and the evidence suggests that the affinity of cells for serum factors decreases as the cell density increases in confluence.
Ethnocentrism in TESOL: Teacher Education and the Neglected Needs of International TESOL Students.

This article argues that strong ethnocentrism exists in TESOL teacher education in the Western English-speaking countries, and that teacher educators in these countries have by and large neglected the special needs of international students enrolled in their programmes. The article specifies the major needs of international TESOL students, and provides suggestions about what TESOL teacher education programmes should do to help meet these needs.
Linear array transducers for vibro-acoustography

In this work, we present computational simulations of the beamforming in transducers with two linear arrays for vibro-acoustography. The simulation will be used as the basis of linear array design for vibro-acoustography imaging. The point spread function (PSF) of the system defined as the stress field at the focal zone, is obtained as the product of the spatial impulse functions of the arrays. Grating lobe effects in the stress field are analyzed. Results show that a transverse resolution of about (2/spl times/3) mm, with proper grating lobe suppression, can be achieved by using two 32-element arrays. Furthermore, the variations on the PSF of the vibro-acoustography system based on linear arrays are reasonably acceptable for medical imaging applications.
Thermal contraction crack polygons on Mars: Classification, distribution, and climate implications from HiRISE observations

morphology is shown to be consistent with thermal contraction cracking of an ice-rich mantling unit, consistent with observations of sediment wedge thermal contraction crack polygons forming in ice-cemented sediment at the Phoenix landing site. Polygon groups are distributed symmetrically in both northern and southern hemispheres, suggesting strong climate controls on polygon morphology. Northern hemisphere polygonally patterned surfaces are found to decrease in age from low to high latitude, spanning surface ages from 1 to <0.1 Ma, suggesting more recent deposition of ice-rich material at high latitudes than at low latitudes. Six of the seven classes of polygons are interpreted to be capable of forming because of the combined effects of thermal contraction cracking and differential sublimation, suggesting that sublimation and sand wedge polygons dominate Martian high latitudes. Gully polygon systems present at midlatitudes suggest that small amounts of liquid water may have been involved in thermal contraction crack polygon processes, producing composite wedge polygons. No evidence is found for the presence of pervasive small-scale ice wedge polygons.
COMT genotype and response to cognitive remediation in schizophrenia

Background A functional polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene (Val158Met) partially appears to influence cognitive performance in schizophrenia subjects and healthy controls by modulating prefrontal dopaminergic activity. This study evaluated the association of the COMT Val108/158 Met genotype with response to computerized neurocognitive remediation (CRT).
LSAT-an algorithm for the synthesis of two level threshold gate networks

The authors present an algorithm for the synthesis of two-level threshold gate networks inspired by techniques used in classical two-level minimization of logic circuits. They specifically address a restricted version of the problem where the on and off set minterms are explicitly listed. Experimental results show that a simple branch and bound algorithm can be used to obtain solutions close to the absolute minimum in a set of standard problems, outperforming other minimizers even when restricted to using only classic logic gates as building blocks. The algorithm has a run time polynomial in the input size and its performance degrades slowly with the size of the problem. >
Post-hole convolute studies on the Z machine at SNL and maize at U of M

Summary form only given. Post-hole convolutes are used to combine the current from several magnetically insulated transmission lines into one anode-cathode gap. The post-hole convolute geometry produces a complex magnetic field, which can contain several magnetic nulls. Electron flow in the post-hole region can cross the anode-cathode gap, which can produce plasma and lead to further current losses.A streaked spectroscopy diagnostic has recently been set up to observe plasma emission at Sandia's Z Machine. The diagnostic is fiber-optically coupled to the experimental hardware, allowing the diagnostic to measure light in the visible spectrum (~ 400 nm to ~ 700 nm). Hardware has been designed to observe the light emitted by the plasma forming in the post hole region. Experimental shots are planned for late winter / early spring. Single post-hole convolute experiments on the 1 MA Michigan Accelerator for Inductive Z-pinch Experiments (MAIZE) are also being conducted. These experiments utilize a static load, which allows 10's of shots per hour. The current flowing into and out of the convolute is monitored in order to determine the current lost in the post hole region. Visible spectroscopy of the plasma formed will be used to infer a temperature. Different components of the convolute are made from different materials allowing the plasma source to be observed spectroscopically Laser imaging will be used to determine the electron density and closure velocity of the plasma. MAGIC PIC 3D simulations of the post-hole convolute fielded on MAIZE predicted plasma formation at a magnetic null in the convolute. Light emission was observed experimentally from the predicted region using an open pinhole camera. Results from experiments as well as simulations will be presented.
A fast assembly level reverse execution method via dynamic slicing

One of the most time consuming parts of debugging is trying to locate a bug. In this context, there are two powerful debugging aids which shorten debug time considerably: reverse execution and dynamic slicing. Reverse execution eliminates the need for repetitive program restarts every time a bug location is missed. Dynamic slicing, on the other hand, isolates code parts that influence an erroneous variable at a program point. In this paper, we present an approach which provides assembly level reverse execution along a dynamic slice. In this way, a programmer not only can find the instructions relevant to a bug, but also can obtain runtime values of variables in a dynamic slice while traversing the slice backwards in execution history. Reverse execution along a dynamic slice skips recovering unnecessary program state; therefore, it is potentially faster than full-scale reverse execution. The experimental results with four different benchmarks show a wide range of speedups from 1.3X for a small program with few data inputs to six orders of magnitude (1,928,500X) for 400x400 matrix multiply. Furthermore, our technique is very memory efficient. Our benchmark measurements show between 3.4X and 2240X memory overhead reduction as compared to our implementation of the same features using traditional approaches.
NO ONE WANTS TO BE THE CANDY MAN: Ambivalent Medicalization and Clinician Subjectivity in Pain Management

Pain, despite being an elemental bodily experience and the most common reason for seeking medical care, occupies a place of profound ontological and moral uncertainty in U.S. biomedicine. Taking seriously the highly charged emotions—frustration, anger, even disgust—frequently expressed by clinicians regarding their patients with pain, this article draws on ethnographic research to explore both the origins and the implications of such anxiously ambivalent responses to pain and pain medications among the clinicians charged with treating it. Set against the recent history of pain medicine as an emergent specialty in the highly fragmented landscape of U.S. biomedicine, we examine at close ethnographic range some of the key ways that U.S. clinicians frame the experience of contending with pain in their everyday practice. Emergent from these clinician experiences are the ways in which pain and pain medications remain both incompletely medicalized and ineffectively medicalizing in U.S. biomedicine, as well as the threatening effects on what we call the pharmaceutical subjectivity of clinicians themselves of this persistently ambivalent medicalization.
A Language Teaching Tool: The Overhead Projector

to a complex including father's-mother's likes and dislikes, boy friends had or not had, clothing wanted, father's occupation, mother's cookery; and the same applied to friends' families and possessions. It all remained comfortable and personal as one's white Keds. From I we slid into her, his and your as easily as sleeping through study hall. My goal for the end of the first quarter of French I was twofold: a five minute speech in which the student told everything he could think of about himself; and the second goal was a surprise written theme on the same material. This was free-flight French with no outline, no suggestions, and no guide lines-something like a "confidence course." My kids were able to think in French and think it fun, until again the exigencies of preparing the college-bound for formal grammar spoiled the pleasure, and moved my loved French into the dead language sector for the remainder of the
Gendered Trajectories of Work Control and Health Outcomes in the Middle Years A Perspective from the Rural Midwest

Objectives: The objective was to investigate whether increasing health heterogeneity during the middle years is attributed, at least in part, to the influence of varying levels of, and changes in, work control of the current midlife cohort. Method: The study used four waves of data collected from 372 employed rural women and 320 employed men of the midlife cohort during a 10-year period. Variables included self-reported work control, stressful nonwork life events, and mental and physical health. The analyses used latent growth curve modeling. Results: The results partially supported the hypothesized pathways. For middle-aged men, work control directly influences health outcomes, whereas for middle-aged women work control indirectly influences health outcomes through the occurrence of stressful life events. Discussion: Through understanding these processes, work can be better designed to promote positive health outcomes, minimize negative health outcomes, and allow for better formulation and more effective...
Data-driven grasping with partial sensor data

To grasp a novel object, we can index it into a database of known 3D models and use precomputed grasp data for those models to suggest a new grasp. We refer to this idea as data-driven grasping, and we have previously introduced the Columbia Grasp Database for this purpose. In this paper we demonstrate a data-driven grasp planner that requires only partial 3D data of an object in order to grasp it. To achieve this, we introduce a new shape descriptor for partial 3D range data, along with an alignment method that can rigidly register partial 3D models to models that are globally similar but not identical. Our method uses SIFT features of depth images, and encapsulates “nearby” views of an object in a compact shape descriptor.
Confusion or Enlightenment? How Exposure to Disagreement Moderates the Effects of Political Discussion and Media Use on Candidate Knowledge

Recent research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between interpersonal discussion and media use in the production of political knowledge. This study seeks to better illuminate this relationship by introducing political disagreement as an additional moderator. Using nationally representative survey data collected during the 2000 primary campaign, the authors find a negative interaction between discussion frequency and disagreement in predicting knowledge of candidate issue positions. This suggests either that the benefits of frequent discussion are stronger for those whose discussion networks are composed of like-minded others or that disagreement facilitates learning only at low levels of discussion frequency. Results also demonstrate that frequent discussion enhances the relationship between debate viewing and issue knowledge among those who reside in politically homogenous networks. In diverse networks, however, the relationship between debate viewing and issue knowledge is w...
Brief A combined backstepping and small-gain approach to adaptive output feedback control

In this brief article, a novel combined backstepping and small-gain approach is presented to the global adaptive output feedback control of a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with unmodeled dynamics. The use of small-gain techniques permits removal of a common restriction, i.e. that the nonlinearities in the system are only dependent on the measured output. The design procedure is divided into two parts. In the first part, based on a partial-state observer, integrator backstepping is used to design an adaptive output-feedback controller which ensures robustness with respect to unknown parameters and uncertain nonlinearities. In the second part, it is shown that the adaptive controller can be made robust against dynamic uncertainties by means of recent nonlinear small-gain results.
Mechanisms by which SCN5A mutation N1325S causes cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death in vivo.

Objective : Mutations in the cardiac sodium channel gene SCN5A are responsible for type-3 long QT disease (LQT3). The genesis of cardiac arrhythmias in LQT3 is multifaceted, and the aim of this study was to further explore mechanisms by which SCN5A mutations lead to arrhythmogenesis in vivo. Methods : We engineered selective cardiac expression of a long QT syndrome (LQTS) mutation (N1325S) in human SCN5A and generated a transgenic mouse model, TGM(NS31). Results : Conscious and unrestrained TGM(NS31)L12 mice demonstrated a significant prolongation of the QT-interval and a high incidence of spontaneous polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation (VF), often resulting in sudden cardiac death ( n = 52:156). Arrhythmias were suppressed by mexiletine, a sodium channel blocker for the late persistent sodium current. Action potentials (APs) from TGM(NS31)L12 ventricular myocytes exhibited early afterdepolarizations and longer 90% AP durations (APD90=69±5.9 ms) than control (APD90=46.7±4.8 ms). Voltage-clamp experiments in transgenic myocytes revealed a peak inward sodium current ( I Na) followed by a slow recovery from inactivation. After mexiletine application, transgenic ventricular APDs were shortened, and recovery from inactivation of I Na was enhanced. These suggest that the N1325S transgene is responsible for the abnormal signals present in transgenic cells as well as the genesis of lethal arrhythmias in mice. Interestingly, transgenic but not wild-type myocytes displayed longer APDs with a shortening of CLs. Conclusions : Our findings show that a new model for LQTS has been established, and we report on an arrhythmogenic mechanism that, unlike other SCN5A mutations, results in poor restitution of APD with increasing rate as a possible substrate for arrhythmogenesis.
Pediatric pedicle screws: Comparative effectiveness and safety - A systematic literature review from the Scoliosis Research Society and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America task force

Background: Pedicle screws are widely used in spinal surgery. There is extensive published literature concerning the use of pedicle screw instrumentation for spinal surgery in adults. Now there is a trend to use pedicle screws in pediatric patients, including the very young. A systematic review of the current English-language literature on the use of pedicle screw instrumentation in the pediatric age group was performed to specifically determine (1) the pedicle screw placement accuracy in patients with spine deformity and (2) the effect size of all-pedicle screw constructs compared with other methods of spinal instrumentation in terms of the percentage of scoliosis correction. Methods: English-language studies of pedicle screw use in pediatric patients (defined as those younger than eighteen years of age) were included. Descriptive statistics synthesized the accuracy of pedicle screw placement. Accuracy rates were compared between pediatric and adult patients. The effect of pedicle screw instrumentation on scoliosis correction was calculated with use of Cobb angle measurements. Results: On the basis of the literature search, 1181 articles were screened, 320 abstracts were examined, and ninety full-text articles representing 5761 patients were reviewed in detail. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria for the analysis of pedicle screw placement accuracy. A total of 13,536 pedicle screws were placed in 1353 pediatric patients. The overall placement accuracy rate in pediatric patients was 94.9%, which was higher than the rate of 91.5% reported for adults. The weighted, geometric, and 5% trimmed mean accuracy rates of pedicle screw placement were 91.9%, 88.5%, and 89.1%, respectively (standard deviation = 10%; interquartile range = 10%). Sixteen comparative studies met the inclusion criteria for the analysis of the effect of pedicle screw instrumentation on scoliosis correction. Pedicle screw constructs had a significantly larger percentage of Cobb angle correction compared with hooks (Cohen's d = 1.14) and hybrid constructs (Cohen's d = 0.49). Conclusions: The accuracy of pedicle screw placement in the pediatric spine exceeds the accuracy rate reported in adults. Pedicle screw instrumentation constructs are significantly more effective for scoliosis correction, as determined on the basis of Cobb angle measurements, than are hook constructs and hybrid constructs. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Phylogenetic conservation of isoform-specific regions within alpha-subunit of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase.

Site-directed polyclonal antibodies were generated against four oligopeptides derived from the rat alpha-isoforms of Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (i.e., Na(+)-K+ pump) and were used to assess the phylogenetic conservation of the target regions. The first antibody was directed against a region near the phosphorylation site that is conserved among alpha-subunits from numerous species. The remaining antibodies were specific for the isoforms of alpha and recognized a region near the fluorescein isothiocyanate-reactive lysine of the adenine binding site. Immunoblots of protein from a number of species probed with these antibodies revealed dramatic differences in the conservation of the target sequences. The region derived from alpha 1 was found in four of the six mammals screened. In contrast, the analogous region derived from alpha 2 was found in all the screened mammals. Most conserved was the region derived from alpha 3, which was found in all the screened mammals as well as in chickens, catfish, dogfish, and sea slugs. Conservation of the region from alpha 3 suggests functional significance and implies that strong selective pressures have discouraged mutational change. Results from the immunoblots further suggest that isoforms are present in all vertebrates.
Divergence in DNA photorepair efficiency among genotypes from contrasting UV radiation environments in nature.

Populations of organisms routinely face abiotic selection pressures, and a central goal of evolutionary biology is to understand the mechanistic underpinnings of adaptive phenotypes. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is one of earth's most pervasive environmental stressors, potentially damaging DNA in any organism exposed to solar radiation. We explored mechanisms underlying differential survival following UVR exposure in genotypes of the water flea Daphnia melanica derived from natural ponds of differing UVR intensity. The UVR tolerance of a D. melanica genotype from a high-UVR habitat depended on the presence of visible and UV-A light wavelengths necessary for photoenzymatic repair of DNA damage, a repair pathway widely shared across the tree of life. We then measured the acquisition and repair of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, the primary form of UVR-caused DNA damage, in D. melanica DNA following experimental UVR exposure. We demonstrate that genotypes from high-UVR habitats repair DNA damage faster than genotypes from low-UVR habitats in the presence of visible and UV-A radiation necessary for photoenzymatic repair, but not in dark treatments. Because differences in repair rate only occurred in the presence of visible and UV-A radiation, we conclude that differing rates of DNA repair, and therefore differential UVR tolerance, are a consequence of variation in photoenzymatic repair efficiency. We then rule out a simple gene expression hypothesis for the molecular basis of differing repair efficiency, as expression of the CPD photolyase gene photorepair did not differ among D. melanica lineages, in both the presence and absence of UVR.
Liver regeneration then and now

Publisher Summary The term “regeneration” is inaccurate in that the excised lobes do not regrow. Instead, the remaining lobes enlarge, undergoing a compensatory hyperplasia. In the normal adult rat liver, the cells are highly differentiated and in a state of growth arrest. They are induced to enter the cell cycle by cell loss or functional inadequacy, for example because of surgical resection, infections, toxic or physical injury, or to metabolic imbalances caused by severe diabetes. When the excess metabolic workload is removed, the liver shrinks back to normal size by apoptosis. Partial hepatectomy is widely used to induce liver regeneration, because it is fast and easy to perform, well tolerated, delivers a quantifiable stimulus, and is free of the side effects and damage to surviving cells associated with carbon tetrachloride (CCI 4 ) or other commonly used toxic agents. Following the standard 68% hepatectomy, the potentially interrelated growth and stress associated changes start almost immediately. In regenerating livers, DNA synthesis first appears periportally, but progresses in time to involve the whole lobule with the possible exception of a very few cells close to the central vein. The fact that all hepatocytes have proliferative potential has been shown in animals given [ 3 H] thymidine repeatedly for several days, during which essentially all of the hepatocytes become labeled. When rats are subjected to partial hepatectomies at monthly intervals for a year, the livers regenerate repeatedly. Although at first the existing lobules enlarge, new lobules ultimately develop after additional hepatectomies. The rate at which regrowth occurs is proportional to the extent of liver loss. If the deficit is small, the liver regrows more slowly, despite its high growth potential. If the liver resection is increased beyond the usual 68% up to 80 to 90%, however, the animals are severely stressed and DNA synthesis is not further increased.
The Art of Presentation: A Valuable Skill in a Contemporary Era

The expectation among fellows today is not only to be clinically competent, but also to participate in research. During their training, fellows will invariably have to give presentations within their institutions or at meetings for professional societies. Unfortunately, little time is spent teaching
Validation of a Finite Element Humeroradial Joint Model of Contact Pressure Using Fuji Pressure Sensitive Film

A finite element (FE) elbow model was developed to predict the contact stress and contact area of the native humeroradial joint. The model was validated using Fuji pressure sensitive film with cadaveric elbows for which axial loads of 50, 100, and 200 N were applied through the radial head. Maximum contact stresses ranged from 1.7 to 4.32 MPa by FE predictions and from 1.34 to 3.84 MPa by pressure sensitive film measurement while contact areas extended from 39.33 to 77.86 mm2 and 29.73 to 83.34 mm2 by FE prediction and experimental measurement, respectively. Measurements from cadaveric testing and FE predictions showed the same patterns in both the maximum contact stress and contact area, as another demonstration of agreement. While measured contact pressures and contact areas validated the FE predictions, computed maximum stresses and contact area tended to overestimate the maximum contact stress and contact area.
Hegel and the Justification for Arbitration in a Modern State

This paper explores the normative justification for arbitration, particularly the type of binding mandatory arbitration that is the subject of contemporary controversy in the United States. At the heart of the controversy is the question of on what grounds can public legal institutions and public law sanction the mandatory use of private institutions that are not bound to follow public law, at least without undermining the justification for public legal institutions in the first instance. One common way to solve this riddle is to argue that because public law is grounded on the social contract, it must honor the contracts to arbitrate made as an alternative to public law. Hegel was both a famous proponent of the modern state, including public law, and an opponent of social contract theories. Nevertheless, in his central work on legal philosophy, the Philosophy of Right, he argues for a role for binding arbitration in a passage that I have never seen discussed at any length. This paper seeks to understand Hegel's argument through looking more deeply at both its historical and philosophical context. In the end, it will be argued that Hegel's (very plausible) position is that arbitration is justified as a deviation from public law only to the extent that it is a corrective for those internal trends in law that undermine it as public and accessible. To Hegel's mind, arbitration was to be a state-sponsored alternative to public law to help weaker private parties against more powerful commercial interests better able to navigate and manipulate complex legal process.
The Hidden Cost of Contracts on Relationships and Performance

Rather than acting as a safeguard, contracts may actually damage relationships. Using field and lab studies, we assessed the effects of contracts on contract formation, implementation, and ultimate outcomes. Studies 1 and 2 showed that the presence of a contract led people to anticipate more contentious interactions, which then led to a reduction in their actual cooperative behavior. Studies 3 and 4 showed that contracts that included sanctions led to poor team performance.
First Amendment Fault Lines and the Citizens United Decision

This Article argues that in answering the recurring central question of campaign finance doctrine – the question of whether political spending can be treated as speech and, if so, when and to what degree – the Court has employed two competing accounts of First Amendment value. Under the first of these theories, which I call the volitional account, the source of First Amendment value is the volitional impulse of the spender: the spender voluntarily dedicates an expenditure to a particular expressive purpose, thus generating First Amendment value in that particular expenditure. Under the second theory, which I call the commodity account, the market is the source of First Amendment value, which is quantified externally through market measures, such as dollar value, rather than through such individualistic and subjective measures as volition or intensity. Citizens United marks a new high point for the commodity account and, moreover, presents a major extension of that theory by setting forth a “source-blind” approach to the regulation of money in politics that forbids the state from differentiating among different sources of political spending. The source-blind approach adopted in Citizens United appears to be profoundly at odds with the volitional account of First Amendment value underlying much campaign finance doctrine – the volitional approach requires an inquiry into the degree to which a funding source can be deemed to advance the volitional impulse of the spender; the source-blind approach would seem to forbid such inquiry. This Article concludes by suggesting some of the destabilizing ramifications of this source-blind approach as a First Amendment theory that excludes any volitional considerations.
Analysis of Stakeholder Perceptions of a Clinical Model Involving Co-Teaching and Extended-Field Experiences in an Inclusive Middle-Grades Setting

AbstractA qualitative study of the impact of a school-university partnership in which eight teacher candidates from a two-year graduate program were placed together in a poverty level middle school was conducted. Teacher candidates in this particular program receive a master’s degree, as well as a teaching license in their content area and special education. Using primarily focus group interviews with school leaders, cooperating teachers in special education and content classrooms, and teacher candidates, we wanted to determine the influence of the partnership on all stakeholders. We read transcripts to identify themes and coded by those themes. Later, we tracked the frequency of responses for each theme. We also examined learning gains data for students on Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and English Language Learners (ELLs) in content rooms in which teacher candidates taught, as well as interviewed a small sampling of middle school students. We found overwhelming support for the partnership across all ...
CHAPTER 8 – The Distribution Theory of Spectral Estimates with Applications to Statistical Inference

This chapter discusses the distribution theory of spectral estimates with applications to statistical inference. The distribution theory of the periodogram based on a trigonometric polynomial regression function with a white noise residual was derived by Fisher and was used as the basis for testing for the existence of periodicities. The chapter describes the distribution theory for standard estimators of the spectral density of a one-dimensional time series and the theory for multivariate time series. The theory is applied to the calculation of confidence intervals and the testing of hypotheses for these parameters. The chapter also presents the time series that are discrete, zero-mean, and stationary Gaussian processes with continuous spectra. The restriction to Gaussian processes simplifies the theory substantially and makes it possible to present a rather intuitive yet precise account of results. These results are actually valid for a much broader class of time series.
The future of Industrial Engineering an interdisciplinary integrated approach

Publisher Summary Industrial engineering has evolved over the years and has continuously changed to reflect the needs and meet the challenges of our society. As the work world continues to change, with more automation and greater emphasis on the integration of computer systems and networks; the role of industrial engineers has adapted accordingly. The industrial engineer should deliver interdisciplinary programs and should participate in shaping the requirements, design, and implementation of computer information systems with other engineering departments. This can be effectively achieved through an interdisciplinary approach. It is also important to point out the limitations of manufacturing systems research. Most of the equipment necessary for high-technology development in manufacturing systems is very expensive.