cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Headache in Petrous Apicitis: A Case Report of Chronic Migraine-like Headache Due to Peripheral Pathology.

Objective To report a case of petrous apicitis that manifested as chronic migraine without aura and to discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms behind this presentation. Background Petrous apicitis is a rare complication of acute otitis media with varied clinical presentations that stem from the close proximity of the petrous apex to numerous neurovascular structures. Headache is among the common symptoms of petrous apicitis. Methods A case of new onset headache in the setting of petrous apicitis with symptomatic response to antibiotic therapy was reported. We provided a brief review of peripheral pathophysiological mechanisms of migraine and correlated to mechanism of headache in petrous apicitis. Results A 65-year-old man with chronic otitis externa/media presented with ongoing headache fulfilling International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (ICHD-3) criteria for chronic migraine without aura that persisted despite undergoing right mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty with multiple courses of oral antibiotic therapy for his chronic otitis. MRI brain revealed petrous apicitis, otomastoiditis, and clival osteomyelitis. His imaging findings improved and his migraine-like headache completely resolved after treatment with a prolonged course of antibiotics. Conclusions Petrous apicitis can present as a headache with features of migraine, and in this case in particular, as chronic migraine without aura. The pathophysiological mechanisms that may underlie the generation of migraine-like headache in petrous apicitis may include the activation of nociceptive fibers within the periosteum of the petrous apex and clivus whose cell bodies originate in the trigeminal ganglion and upper cervical dorsal root ganglia. By treating the peripheral pathology, resolution of the headache may be achieved.
México 2018: la hora de AMLO

In July 2018, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) was elected President of Mexico in the largest electoral landslide in Mexico’s democratic history. As a self-proclaimed transformational candidate, AMLO made big promises in areas of great concern for Mexican citizens: anti-corruption, criminal violence and security, and the economy. Support for AMLO remained extremely strong in 2018; however, to retain that support he will need to make concrete progress in these areas. AMLO and his party coalition face formidable challenges, not the least of which are high expectations from citizens bent on major changes in governance and policy outcomes. Critics are concerned about a united executive and legislative coalition unchecked by countervailing powers, threatening a potential return to the presidencialismo of the twentieth century.
Thrombospondin-1 mediates Drp-1 signaling following ischemia reperfusion in the aging heart

Background Ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury leads to activation of dynamin-related protein (Drp-1), causing mitochondrial fission and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but the molecular mechanisms that activate Drp-1 are not known. The purpose of this study was to establish a link between Thbs-1 and fission protein (Drp-1) through Pgc-1α following IR in advancing age. Methods Female Fischer-344 rats were divided into four groups: Young Control, Young + IR, Old Control, and Old + IR. Heart function and coronary flow were evaluated at baseline and 72 hours after IR, hearts were explanted and mitochondrial ROS generation was measured using MitoPY1, as well as protein levels of Thbs-1, Pgc-1α, and Drp-1. In vitro, rat aortic endothelial cells (RAEC) were treated with siRNA or plasmid for Pgc-1α to evaluate Pgc-1α effect on Drp-1. Results Mitochondrial ROS generation in heart tissue increased in both age groups following IR. Old animals exhibited diastolic dysfunction at baseline; after IR they displayed reduced systolic function and exacerbated diastolic dysfunction compared to young controls. IR increased Thbs-1 and Drp-1 expression in young and old hearts compared to control. siRNA to Pgc-1α enhanced levels of Drp-1 in RAECs and increased ROS generation after hypoxia, while Pgc-1α plasmid ameliorates Drp-1 expression in the presence of exogenous Thbs-1. Conclusion These results highlight a novel signaling pathway by which Thbs-1 regulates mitochondrial fission protein (Drp-1) and ROS generation during hypoxia, and presumably, following IR. Inhibiting Thbs-1 immediately after IR may prevent Drp-1-mediated mitochondrial fission and is likely to improve the diastolic function of the heart by reducing ROS-mediated cardiomyocyte damage in the aged population.
Links between S-adenosylmethionine and Agr-based quorum sensing for biofilm development in Listeria monocytogenes EGD-e.

Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of human listeriosis which has high hospitalization and mortality rates for individuals with weakened immune systems. The survival and dissemination of L. monocytogenes in adverse environments can be reinforced by the formation of biofilms. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the mechanisms underlying listerial biofilm development. Given that both nutrient availability and quorum sensing (QS) have been known as the factors influencing biofilm development, we hypothesized that the signal from a sentinel metabolite S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and Agr-based QS could be synchronous in L. monocytogenes to modulate nutrient availability, the synthesis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), and biofilm formation. We performed biofilm assays and quantitative real-time PCR to investigate how biofilm volumes and the expression of genes for the synthesis of EPS were affected by SAM supplementation, agr deletion, or both. We found that exogenously applied SAM induced biofilm formation and that the expression of genes encoding the EPS synthesis machineries was regulated by SAM and/or Agr QS. Moreover, the gene transcription of components acting in the methyl cycle for SAM synthesis and Agr QS was affected by the signals from the other system. In summary, we reveal an interconnection at the transcriptional level between metabolism and QS in L. monocytogenes and highlight the critical role of metabolite-oriented QS in biofilm development.
The Evolving Role of High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation as Salvage Therapy in Neurostimulation.

Background High-frequency 10-kHz spinal cord stimulation (10-kHz SCS) has shown promise in multicenter prospective trials for the management of chronic back and leg pain. Traditional spinal cord stimulation (t-SCS) has a long history of effectiveness in chronic neuropathic syndromes but not uncommonly can fail to provide long-term relief, leaving a significant group of patients with unsatisfactory outcomes. There is mounting evidence that 10-kHz SCS may offer relief in this subset of patients. Methods The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to report a single-institution long-term experience of 10-kHz SCS in patients who did not get adequate pain relief with prior t-SCS devices. A temporary trial of 10-kHz SCS was carried out for 7 days, and those experiencing an average of 50% reduction in pain intensity underwent implantation. Patients were classified as moderate responders if relief was 31% to 50% and excellent responders if pain relief exceeded 50%. Results Thirty-one patients who had experienced failed t-SCS primarily from poor paresthesia coverage underwent a trial of 10-kHz SCS and 29 underwent implantation. Twenty-eight patients were available for analysis, with 57.1% experiencing 30% response and 46.4% experiencing excellent response at a median follow-up of 21.2 (±8.4) months. Conclusions This small single-institution study suggests that a significant proportion of patients with previously failed t-SCS may achieve clinically meaningful and durable pain relief with 10-kHz SCS.
Geteilte Verantwortung in der Führung: Biographische Bezüge von Unternehmerinnen und Geschäftsführerinnen

Die Thematik der geteilten Verantwortung in der Fuhrung von Unternehmen wird anhand der quantitativen und biographischen Daten aus einem Forschungsprojekt zu Unternehmer*innen bearbeitet. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass zwar Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen mannlichem und weiblichem Unternehmertum bestehen, aber auch relevante Unterschiede. Begabte Frauen weisen z. B. spezifische Bildungswege in Kindheit und Beruf auf, oft gekennzeichnet durch mehrere Diskriminierungsphasen. Basierend auf den Resilienzfaktoren aus der Sozialisation bilden sie „key leadership practices“ in Bezug auf Fuhrungs- und Entscheidungsstile aus. Im Konzept der „transformational leadership“ werden Prinzipien ethischer Fuhrung, Partizipation und Verantwortung mit der Unterstutzung individueller und kollektiver Lernprozesse der Mitarbeitenden und geteilter Fuhrungsverantwortung in einem interaktiven Prozess verbunden.
"Because Every Drop Counts": Blood donation during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has trampled the health care system of many countries [1]. Blood transfusion services (BTS) in any hospital, hold the prime location and ensure smooth functioning of all elective and urgent surgical interventions of various traumas, emergency, obstetric cases, and the cancer patients throughout 24 × 7. In the wake of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, just like many other sectors of the health care system, BTS and blood banks are also struggling to cope up with the unforeseen challenges. 1.1. Impact of Social distancing on blood donation drives One of the major challenges ahead of us is to maintain high spirits and persistent motivation amongst the volunteer donors to keep donating blood, even during the crisis of COVID-19 pandemic which is a war-like situation. To et al. in their study found that fewer than 5% of Americans who are eligible to donate have donated blood [2]. These figures have likely worsened further during the current COVID-19 pandemic period. We believe that there might be lots of concerns, confusion, and misleading rumors in the mind of donors with regards to blood donation during the pandemic period. Additionally, due to the government's interventions such as home sheltering, mass lockdown, and curtailment strategies towards public gatherings, amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the arrangement of the voluntary blood donation drives have been debarred. Likewise, there has been a general reluctance of the public to come to the blood centers to donate blood. This has contributed to a significant drop in the number of blood drives and storage inventory. The phenomenon of the drop in voluntary donation has been noted in many countries across the globe [3], [4]. Yahia et al. recently published their eight months (from September 2019 to May 2020) experience with blood supply and demand in King Abdullah Hospital, Bisha, Saudi Arabia. They noted a significant drop of 39.5% in blood bank-based collections. At the same time, they also noted a drop in blood demand by 21.7% [3]. Wang et al. reported a similar experience from The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China [4]. They reported that the major concern of the blood donors in their study was the fear of acquiring SARS-COv-2 during blood donation.
Water law and the response to COVID-19

John Snow’s defeat of a deadly, growing threat has become the stuff of legend. No, I’m not talking about Jon Snow of Game of Thrones fame. I am talking about John Snow, the father of modern epidemi...
Potential centrifugal effects of majoritarian features in proportional electoral systems

Many scholars argue that proportional representation (PR) has fragmenting and polarizing effects on party systems (centrifugal effects), while the use of single-member districts has moderating effe...
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Consult Series #58: Use of antenatal corticosteroids for individuals at risk for late preterm delivery: Replaces SMFM Statement #4, Implementation of the use of antenatal corticosteroids in the late preterm birth period in women at risk for preterm delivery, August 2016

The administration of antenatal corticosteroids has been widely adopted as the standard of care in the management of pregnancies at risk for preterm delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, with the primary goal of reducing neonatal morbidity. However, the long-term risks associated with antenatal corticosteroid use remain uncertain. The purpose of this Consult is to review the current literature on the benefits and risks of antenatal corticosteroid use in the late preterm period and to provide recommendations based on the available evidence. The recommendations by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine are as follows: (1) we recommend offering a single course of antenatal corticosteroids (2 doses of 12 mg of intramuscular betamethasone 24 hours apart) to patients who meet the inclusion criteria of the Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids trial, ie, those with a singleton pregnancy between 34 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of gestation who are at high risk of preterm birth within the next 7 days and before 37 weeks of gestation (GRADE 1A); (2) we suggest consideration for the use of antenatal corticosteroids in select populations not included in the original Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids trial, such as patients with multiple gestations reduced to a singleton gestation on or after 14 0/7 weeks of gestation, patients with fetal anomalies, or those who are expected to deliver in <12 hours (GRADE 2C); (3) we recommend against the use of antenatal corticosteroids for fetal lung maturity in pregnant patients with a low likelihood of delivery before 37 weeks of gestation (GRADE 1B); (4) we recommend against the use of late preterm corticosteroids in pregnant patients with pregestational diabetes mellitus, given the risk of worsening neonatal hypoglycemia (GRADE 1C); (5) we recommend that patients at risk for late preterm delivery be thoroughly counseled regarding the potential risks and benefits of antenatal corticosteroid administration and be advised that the long-term risks remain uncertain (GRADE 1C).
Effective Treatment of Established Bone Metastases Can Be Achieved by Combinatorial Osteoclast Blockade and Depletion of Granulocytic Subsets.

Osteoclast (OC) blockade has been successful in reducing tumor growth in bone in pre-clinical settings, but anti-resorptive drugs, such as zoledronic acid (ZA), fail to improve the overall survival rate of patients with bone metastasis, despite ameliorating skeletal complications. To address this unmet clinical need, we interrogated what other cells modulated tumor growth in bone in addition to OCs. Because myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), heterogeneous populations expressing CD11b, Ly6C, and Ly6G markers, originate in the bone marrow and promote tumor progression, we hypothesized that their accumulation hinders ZA anti-tumor effects. By using a murine model of bone metastasis insensitive to OC blockade, we assessed the anti-tumor effect of MDSC depletion using anti-Gr1 in mice bearing skeletal lung (LLC), melanoma (B16-F10), and mammary (4T1) tumors. Differently from soft tissue tumors, anti-Gr1 did not reduce bone metastases and led to the paradoxical accumulation of bone marrow-resident CD11b+Ly6CintLy6Gint cells that differentiated into OCs when cultured in vitro. Anti-Gr1-mediated depletion of Ly6G+ granulocytic MDSCs combined with ZA-induced OC blockade reduced growth of established skeletal metastases compared to each agent alone. CD15+ granulocytic populations were increased in breast cancer patients with progressive bone disease after anti-resorptive treatment compared to those with stable bone disease. We provide evidence that anti-resorptive therapies fail to reduce bone metastases in the presence of elevated granulocytic populations and that effective treatment of established skeletal metastases requires combinatorial depletion of granulocytes and OC blockade.
Adolescents' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to engaging in mental health treatment: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

Problem One in seven children, aged 3-17, have a mental health diagnosis with suicide being the second leading cause of death in the United States in persons aged 10-24. Adolescents are at high risk for mental health disorders, substance use, and risky behaviors, yet most adolescents never receive treatment. Research is needed to answer the question, "What are adolescents' perceived barriers and facilitators to engaging in mental health treatment?" Methods A four-step qualitative meta-synthesis design included: A structured research question and search strategy, data immersion through quality appraisal, thematic synthesis of primary research studies, and reciprocal translation of derived themes. Findings Eight studies met inclusion criteria. Autonomy was the primary theme that emerged. Meta-synthesis produced five subthemes: (a) choice as integral to engagement, (b) stigma as barrier to engagement, (c) quality of the therapeutic relationship as integral to engagement, (d) systemic influences as both barrier and facilitator to engagement, and (e) mental health literacy as crucial factor in decision to engage. Conclusion Adolescents require autonomy to engage in mental health treatment. Improving treatment engagement in adolescents requires interventions that address their ability to be autonomous.
Ezetimibe added to statin therapy after acute coronary syndromes

RESULTS The median time-weighted average LDL cholesterol level during the study was 53.7 mg per deciliter (1.4 mmol per liter) in the simvastatin–ezetimibe group, as compared with 69.5 mg per deciliter (1.8 mmol per liter) in the simvastatin-monotherapy group (P<0.001). The Kaplan–Meier event rate for the primary end point at 7 years was 32.7% in the simvastatin–ezetimibe group, as compared with 34.7% in the simvastatin-monotherapy group (absolute risk difference, 2.0 percentage points; hazard ratio, 0.936; 95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 0.99; P = 0.016). Rates of prespecified muscle, gallbladder, and hepatic adverse effects and cancer were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS When added to statin therapy, ezetimibe resulted in incremental lowering of LDL cholesterol levels and improved cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, lowering LDL cholesterol to levels below previous targets provided additional benefit. (Funded by Merck; IMPROVE-IT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00202878.) abstr act
DOES GOD INTEND DEATH

In this paper, I argue that God never intends a human being’s death. The core argument is essentially Thomistic. God wills only the good; and human life is always a good, and its privation always an evil. Thus, St. Thomas holds that “God does not will death as per se intended,” and he gives an account of the act of divine punishment that conforms to this claim. However, some further claims of St. Thomas are in tension with this position – particularly his claims as regards the permissibility of intentional killing by agents of the state. I argue that alternative conclusions on these matters are in fact more harmonious with St. Thomas’s claims about God and God’s willing than are his own.
Sound and Efficient Dynamic Verification of MPI Programs with Probe Non-determinism

We consider the problem of verifying MPI programs that use MPI_Probe and MPI_Iprobe . Conventional testing tools, known to be inadequate in general, are even more so for testing MPI programs containing MPI probes. A few reasons are: (i) use of the MPI_ANY_SOURCE argument can make MPI probes non-deterministic, allowing them to match multiple senders, (ii) an MPI_Recv that follows an MPI probe need not match the MPI_Send that was successfully probed, and (iii) simply re-running the MPI program, even with schedule perturbations, is insufficient to bring out all behaviors of an MPI program using probes. We develop several key insights that help develop an elegant solution: prioritizing MPI processes during dynamic verification, handling non-determinism, and safe handling of probe loops. These solutions are incorporated into a new version of our dynamic verification tool ISP. ISP is now able to efficiently and soundly verify larger MPI examples, including MPI-BLAST and ADLB.
The Effect of Bikram Yoga on Arterial Stiffness in Young and Older Adults

Abstract Background and Objective: Bikram yoga is the most popular form of hot yoga, despite the limited information available on its cardiovascular benefits. This study sought to determine the effect of Bikram yoga on arterial stiffness and insulin resistance in young and older adults. Methods: Twenty-four young (mean age±standard deviation, 30±1 years) and 18 middle-aged and older (mean age, 53±2 years) adults completed an 8-week Bikram yoga intervention. Bikram yoga classes were performed for 90 minutes per session, three times per week, in a room heated to 40.5°C with 40%–-60% relative humidity. Results: Body mass, body fat percentage, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose and triglyceride concentrations did not significantly change as a result of the intervention in either the young or the older group. Trunk flexibility, as measured by the sit-and-reach test, increased in both groups (p<0.01). Total (p<0.05) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05) levels, plasma insulin concentrations (p...
Higher-order rigidity--What is the proper definition?

We show that there is a bar-and-joint frameworkG(p) which has a configurationp in the plane such that the component ofp in the space of all planar configurations ofG has a cusp atp. At the cusp point, the mechanismG(p) turns out to be third-order rigid in the sense that every third-order flex must have a trivial first-order component. The existence of a third-order rigid framework that is not rigid calls into question the whole notion of higher-order rigidity.
Nucleotide Binding Activity of SecA Homodimer Is Conformationally Regulated by Temperature and Altered byprlD and azi Mutations

SecA ATPase is critical for protein translocation across the Escherichia coli inner membrane. To understand this activity further, the high affinity nucleotide binding activity of SecA was characterized. We found that at 4 degrees C SecA homodimer binds one ADP molecule with high affinity. This nucleotide binding activity was conformationally regulated by temperature: at low temperature SecA affinity for ADP was high with a slow exchange rate, whereas at high temperature the converse was true. Azi- and PrlD-SecA proteins that confer azide-resistant and signal sequence suppressor phenotypes were found to have reduced affinity for ADP and accelerated exchange rates compared with wild type SecA. Consistent with this observation, fluorescence and proteolysis studies indicated that these proteins had a conformationally relaxed state at a reduced temperature compared with SecA. The level of Azi- and PrlD-SecA protein was also elevated in inverted membrane vesicles where it displayed higher membrane ATPase activity. These results provide the first direct evidence for conformational regulation of the SecA-dependent nucleotide cycle, its alteration in azi and prlD mutants, and its relevance to in vivo protein export.
Global motion compensation and spectral entropy bit allocation for low complexity video coding

Most standard video compression schemes such as H.264/AVC involve a high complexity encoder with block motion estimation (ME) engine. However, applications such as video reconnaissance and surveillance using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) require a low complexity video encoder. Additionally, in such applications, the motion in the video is primarily global and due to the known movement of the camera platform. Therefore in this work, we propose and investigate a low complexity encoder with global motion based frame prediction and no block ME. We show that for videos with mostly global motion, this encoder performs better than a baseline H.264 encoder with ME block size restricted to 8×8. Furthermore, the quality degradation of this encoder with decreasing bit rate is more gradual than that of the baseline H.264 encoder since it does not need to allocate bits across motion vectors (MVs) and residue data. We also incorporate a spectral entropy based coefficient selection and quantizer design scheme that entails latency and demonstrate that it helps achieve more consistent frame quality across the video sequence.
Characterization and management of voiding dysfunction in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Objectives To investigate whether voiding dysfunction (VD) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be treated successfully using individualized therapy. We also sought to describe the spectrum of voiding symptoms experienced by children with ADHD. ADHD is diagnosed in 3-5% of children. These children have a greater incidence of VD than non-ADHD controls, and it is less amenable to treatment. Methods A comprehensive history assessed the nature of the voiding disorder. A physical examination, screening urologic ultrasonography, and urinalysis were routinely performed, with electromyography combined with uroflowmetry performed for certain cases. Treatment was individualized to include behavioral modification, bowel and diet management, biofeedback, pharmacotherapy, and close follow-up. Results A total of 75 children with ADHD were referred because of VD. The 75 children (39 boys and 36 girls) were 5-16 years old. Of the 75 children, 60 were taking medication for ADHD. All the children had daytime wetting (>1/d, 5-7 d/wk) and urgency. In addition, 88% had frequency and 87% had sleep enuresis. Of the 75 families, 56 proceeded with our prescribed program. Of the 56 children, 47 (83.9%) had complete resolution or improvement of the daytime symptoms. Of the 17 patients (30.4%) with complete resolution, 9 responded to behavior modification and anticholinergics and 8 needed biofeedback. Of the 30 patients with a partial response (53.6%), 9 responded to behavior modification alone, 15 to behavior modification and anticholinergics, and 6 required all 3 modalities. Of the 56 children, 9 failed to respond to any of the 3 modalities. Conclusions Diurnal symptoms constituted the most common referred complaint in children with ADHD. VD can be successfully treated if the treatment is individualized. Multimodal treatment, including behavior modification combined with anticholinergic agents and/or biofeedback, appears to be effective in managing VD in most of these challenging cases.
Sample preparation for aflatoxin assay: The nature of the problem and approaches to a solution

Cases have been reported of individual peanuts, cottonseeds or Brazil nuts so highly contaminated with aflatoxin that, for a 50 g portion to be representative of the whole, the sample preparation procedures should grind each unit to a large number of particles and distribute them uniformly throughout the sample. Assuming uniform contamination of the individual kernel, each 50 g sample should contain 1/100 of that kernel. Even though these extreme cases may be encountered only infrequently, the more usual situation still presents difficulties because of great variability in individual kernel contamination. However, if the extreme can be handled, one can expect to handle the more usual situation. Equipment and procedures to achieve this distribution goal are described. The equipment studied includes a food chopper (Hobart), a nut mill (Thomas Mills), a disc mill (Bauer), a hammer mill (Fitzpatrick Model D comminuting machine), a hammer mill designed specifically for peanut samples (Dicken’s subsampling mill), a Polytron homogenizer (Bronwill Scientific), a vertical cutter-mixer (Hobart), and a sample splitter (Jones riffle). Commodities examined were shelled peanuts and in-shell Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans and almonds. Comminution and mixing effectiveness were determined by particle size analysis, by distribution of kernels made radioactive by neutron activation and by aflatoxin analysis of naturally contaminated products. From the results we conclude that the ultimate in sample uniformity can be achieved with a disc mill, solvent addition to obtain a fluid system and mixing and grinding of the fluid with a dispersion mixer-grinder. A practical uniformity can be achieved in a vertical cutter-mixer with less expenditure of time and effort for the commodities studied.
Human power generation in an underwater environment

A pilot study of scuba divers pedaling an underwater bicycle/ergometer is described. The ergometer design and experimental procedure used for tests on 14 male and female subjects 22-46 yrs old is presented. The average useful power output for subjects who are regular cyclists or who participate in a regular exercise program was 0.12 hp at the optimum cadence of 50 rpm. Noncyclists and less-fit subjects tended toward a lower cadence for maximum performance. These results, and the test subjects' reactions to the tests, are discussed in relation to the design and safety of a human-powered submersible. >
A phylogenetic analysis of the dung beetle genus Phanaeus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) based on morphological data

The genus Phanaeus (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) forms an important part of the dung beetle fauna in much of the Western Hemisphere. Here a phylogeny for Phanaeus , including 49 Phanaeus sp., and 12 outgroup taxa, is proposed. Parsimony analysis of 67 morphological characters, and one biogeographical character produced 629 equally parsimonious trees of 276 steps. Oxysternon , the putative sister taxon is nested well within the subgenus Notiophanaeus , implying that Oxysternon might ultimately need to be synonymized with Phanaeus . Species groups of Edmonds (1994) recovered as monophyletic are paleano , endymion, chalcomelas , tridens , triangularis , and quadridens . An 'unscaled' equal weighting analysis yielded 57,149 equally parsimonious trees of 372 steps. The strict consensus of these trees yielded a monophyletic Phanaeus with the inclusion of Oxysternon . Bootstrap values are relatively low and some clades are unresolved.
Synthesis and Applications of RuCl2(CHR‘)(PR3)2: The Influence of the Alkylidene Moiety on Metathesis Activity

The reactions of RuCl2(PPh3)3 with a number of diazoalkanes were surveyed, and alkylidene transfer to give RuCl2(CHR)(PPh3)2 (R = Me (1), Et (2)) and RuCl2(CH-p-C6H4X)(PPh3)2 (X = H (3), NMe2 (4), OMe (5), Me (6), F (7), Cl (8), NO2 (9)) was observed for alkyl diazoalkanes RCHN2 and various para-substituted aryl diazoalkanes p-C6H4XCHN2. Kinetic studies on the living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene using complexes 3−9 as catalysts have shown that initiation is in all cases faster than propagation (ki/kp = 9 for 3) and that the electronic effect of X on the metathesis activity of 3−9 is relatively small. Phosphine exchange in 3−9 with tricyclohexylphosphine leads to RuCl2(CH-p-C6H4X)(PCy3)2 10−16, which are efficient catalysts for ROMP of cyclooctene (PDI = 1.51−1.63) and 1,5-cyclooctadiene (PDI = 1.56−1.67). The crystal structure of RuCl2(CH-p-C6H4Cl)(PCy3)2 (15) indicated a distorted square-pyramidal geometry, in which the two phosphines are trans to each other, and the alkyli...
A woman with chronic subcutaneous swelling of the right foot associated with sinus tracts discharging yellow grains.

A 41-year-old female from Mexico living in the United States over the past 7 years presented with a 4-month history of slowly progressive painless subcutaneous swelling and deformity on the anteromedial aspect of her right foot with multiple sinus tracts with intermittent serosanguineous drainage mixed with yellow grains (Figure 1). She reported the occurrence of a similar episode in the same affected area 13 years prior. At that point, she was treated with an unknown combination of two oral antibiotics for a 3-year period that resulted in significant clinical improvement. Prior to coming to the US, she lived in an impoverished rural area of Guanajuato, Mexico. Since early childhood, she had participated in farming activities, and was often barefoot due to a lack of shoes. She denied any associated systemic symptoms such as fever, weight loss, or malaise. As the swelling progressively increased, she developed difficulty walking.
Complexities of managing achalasia at a tertiary referral center: use of pneumatic dilatation, Heller myotomy, and botulinum toxin injection.

Complexities of Managing Achalasia at a Tertiary Referral Center: Use of Pneumatic Dilatation, Heller Myotomy, and Botulinum Toxin Injection
An experimental investigation of a passive cooling unit for nuclear plant containment

Abstract A set of condensation experiments in the presence of noncondensables (e.g. air, helium) was conducted to evaluate the heat removal capacity of a passive cooling unit in a post-accident containment. Condensation heat transfer coefficients on a vertically mounted smooth tube have been obtained for total pressure ranging from 2.48×10 5 Pa(abs) to 4.55×10 5 Pa(abs) and air mass fraction ranging from 0.30 to 0.65. An empirical correlation for heat transfer coefficient ( h ), has been developed in terms of a parameter group made up of steam mole fraction ( Xs ), total pressure ( P t ), temperature difference between bulk gas and wall surface (d T ). This correlation covers all data points within 20%. All data points are also in good agreement with the prediction of the diffusion layer model (DLM) with suction and are approximately 2.2 times the Uchida heat transfer correlation. Experiments with an axial shroud around the test tube to model the restriction on radial flow experienced within a tube bundle demonstrated a reduction of the heat transfer coefficient by a factor of about 0.6. The effect of helium (simulating hydrogen) on the heat transfer coefficient was investigated for helium mole fraction in noncondensable gases ( X He /X nc ) at 15, 30 and 60%. It was found that the condensation heat transfer coefficients are generally lower when introducing helium into noncondensable gas. The difference is within 20% of air-only cases when X He /X nc is less than 30% and total pressure is less than 4.55×10 5 Pa(abs). A gas stratification phenomenon was clearly observed for helium mole fraction in excess of 60%.
Independent functioning of the two cerebral hemispheres for recognizing bilaterally presented tachistoscopic visual-half-field stimuli.

Summary Bilateral tachistoscopic presentation of verbal stimuli produces a significantly larger right visual half-field (VHF) superiority than does unilateral presentation, when fixation is controlled by a center digit. This experiment tested whether the increased asymmetry was due to (a) subjects attending the right VHF and ignoring the left VHF or (b) interference between the hemispheres due to competition for the left hemisphere language areas. Words, shapes, and pictures of faces were presented bilaterally to each VHF, with fixation controlled by a center digit. In three conditions, the same type of stimuli was presented in each VHF (e.g., a word in both the left and right VHF). In two conditions words were presented to one VHF and nonverbal stimuli to the opposite VHF (words paired with words and words paired with faces). It was found that the stimulus pairings did not affect VHF asymmetry for any stimulus. Words showed a large right VHF superiority in all conditions. Shapes showed a significantly smaller right VHF superiority in all conditions. Faces showed no VHF asymmetry in any condition. It was concluded that attentional factors were not important since shapes or faces could be recognized accurately from the left VHF without lowering verbal recognition from the right VHF. Thus the low recognition accuracy from the left VHF is specific for verbal stimuli rather than attentional. The interference hypothesis was also not supported since all the right VHF stimuli (words, shapes, or faces) were associated with low recognition of words from the left VHF. It was suggested instead that VHF asymmetry under unilateral and bilateral presentation reflect two different mechanisms. Under conditions of unilateral presentation, VHF asymmetries are caused by loss of information when any given stimulus must cross the callosum to reach the hemisphere specialized for its processing. However, with bilateral VHF presentation and fixation control, the two hemispheres act as independent channels for information processing. Under this condition, each hemisphere recognized the stimulus from its contralateral VHF. Thus the large right VHF superiority for words with bilateral presentation reflects the superior ability of the left hemisphere for verbal recognition.
Food deprivation and age modulate neuropeptide gene expression in the murine hypothalamus and adrenal gland

We have developed a rapid and simple method for quantitative Northern blot analysis of rare messenger RNA species from single mouse hypothalami and adrenals. This technique has allowed us to study the effects of food deprivation on neuropeptide gene expression in the mouse hypothalamus and adrenal gland. The potential modulatory effects of sex and age were also investigated. Food deprivation induced a two-fold increase in the amount of hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA, but did not increase NPY mRNA in the brainstem. Age had a significant effect on levels of NPY messenger RNA levels in the hypothalamus. However, there were no gender-associated effects. Sexually immature females (6 weeks old) had higher levels of NPY expression than mature females (9 weeks old). In contrast, in the adrenal gland, increasing maturity was associated with higher levels of NPY mRNA. As in the hypothalamus, fasting caused approximately two-fold increases in NPY mRNA over levels in the ad libitum fed state for both mature and immature mice. Thus, hypothalamic NPY neurons are responsive to nutritional deprivation and developmental status, suggesting that NPY neurons may be important in energy homeostasis.
Realizing artificial photosynthesis

Artificial photosynthesis comprises the design of systems for converting solar energy into useful forms based on the fundamental science underlying natural photosynthesis. There are many approaches to this problem. In this report, the emphasis is on molecule-based systems for photochemical production of fuels using sunlight. A few examples of typical components of artificial photosynthetic systems including antennas, reaction centres, catalysts for fuel production and water oxidation, and units for photoprotection and photoregulation are presented in order to illustrate the current state of the field and point out challenges yet to be fully addressed.
Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv Integral Membrane Proteins by One-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis and Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Because many membrane-associated proteins represent potential drug targets, diagnostic probes, and components of vaccines, we have chosen to study the membrane proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. To remove cytosolic proteins and facilitate access to the integral membrane proteins, membrane fractions of M. tuberculosis H37Rv were intensely washed with 5 M urea and high pH carbonate solution. One-dimensional SDS-PAGE, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and nanoLC electrospray ionization MS/MS, proved to be the most efficient way to identify the proteins contained within the membrane fraction. Here we report 349 protein identifications in total, validated by at least two tryptic peptide matches and MOWSE scores greater than 75. Of those 349 proteins, 100 are integral membrane proteins with at least one predicted transmembrane α helix (excluding the possible signal sequence). 84 M. tuberculosis H37Rv proteins, including 42 integral membrane proteins, are described for the first time. Keywords: Mycobac...
Hyperbaric oxygen reduces cerebral blood flow by inactivating nitric oxide.

Based on recent evidence that nitric oxide (NO(.)) is involved in hyperoxic vasoconstriction, we tested the hypothesis that decreases in NO(.) availability in brain tissue during hyperbaric oxygen (HBO(2)) exposure contribute to decreases in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). rCBF was measured in rats exposed to HBO(2) at 5 atmospheres (ATA) and correlated with interstitial brain levels of NO(.) metabolites (NO(X)) and production of hydroxyl radical ((.)OH). Changes in rCBF were also correlated with the effects of NO(.) synthase inhibitor (l-NAME), NO(.) donor PAPANONOate, and intravascular superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) during HBO(2). After 30 min of O(2) exposure at 5 ATA, rCBF had decreased in the substantia nigra, caudate putamen, hippocampus, and parietal cortex by 23 to 37%. These reductions in rCBF were not augmented by exposure to HBO(2) in animals pre-treated with l-NAME. After 30 min at 5 ATA, brain NO(X) levels had decreased by 31 +/- 9% and correlated with the decrease in rCBF, while estimated (.)OH production increased by 56 +/- 8%. The decrease in rCBF at 5 ATA was completely abolished by MnSOD administration into the circulation before HBO(2) exposure. Doses of NO(.) donor that significantly increased rCBF in animals breathing air had no effect at 5 ATA of HBO(2). These results indicate that decreases in rCBF with HBO(2) are associated with a decrease in effective NO(.) concentration and an increase in ROS production in the brain. The data support the hypothesis that inactivation of NO(.) antagonizes basal relaxation of cerebral vessels during HBO(2) exposure, although an effect of HBO(2) on NO(.) synthesis has not been excluded.
Citasa The Contemporary Picture

This article describes the revitalization of the section on Communication and Information Technologies since 2002. At the beginning of the period, the section underwent a name and mission change that focused the discipline's attention on the section as an important locus for those engaged in research on the social consequences of developments in communication and information technologies. The expanded mission broadened the section's concerns from computing to encompass all computing-related technologies and new media. The section's leadership also initiated an aggressive and broad program of marketing the section's activities both within and outside the discipline. By the fall of 2005, membership had rebounded from a low of 99 to more than 300, and section activities had grown to support a mini conference before the regular annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.
Onset of Surface-Tension-Driven Bénard Convection

Experiments with shadowgraph visualization reveal a subcritical transition to a hexagonal convection pattern in thin liquid layers that have a free upper surface and are heated from below. The measured critical Marangoni number (84) and observation of hysteresis ( $3%$) agree with theory. In some experiments, imperfect bifurcation is observed and is attributed to deterministic forcing caused in part by the lateral boundaries in the experiment.
A role for Salmonella fimbriae in intraperitoneal infections.

Enteric bacteria possess multiple fimbriae, many of which play critical roles in attachment to epithelial cell surfaces. SEF14 fimbriae are only found in Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) and closely related serovars, suggesting that SEF14 fimbriae may affect serovar-specific virulence traits. Despite evidence that SEF14 fimbriae are expressed by S. enteritidis in vivo, previous studies showed that SEF14 fimbriae do not mediate adhesion to the intestinal epithelium. Therefore, we tested whether SEF14 fimbriae are required for virulence at a stage in infection after the bacteria have passed the intestinal barrier. Polar mutations that disrupt the entire sef operon decreased virulence in mice more than 1,000-fold. Nonpolar mutations that disrupted sefA (encoding the major structural subunit) did not affect virulence, but mutations that disrupted sefD (encoding the putative adhesion subunit) resulted in a severe virulence defect. The results indicate that the putative SEF14 adhesion subunit is specifically required for a stage of the infection subsequent to transit across the intestinal barrier. Therefore, we tested whether SefD is required for uptake or survival in macrophages. The majority of wild-type bacteria were detected inside macrophages soon after i.p. infection, but the sefD mutants were not readily internalized by peritoneal macrophages. These results indicate that the potential SEF14 adhesion subunit is essential for efficient uptake or survival of S. enteritidis in macrophages. This report describes a role of fimbriae in intracellular infection, and indicates that fimbriae may be required for systemic infections at stages beyond the initial colonization of host epithelial surfaces.
Studies on the sensitivity of a latex agglutination test for the serological detection of potato virus S and potato virus X in Wisconsin

A latex agglutination test using capillary pipettes as reaction vessels was a sensitive serodiagnostic procedure for detecting potato virus S (PVS) and potato virus X (PVX). In purified preparations, PVS could be detected at 0.5 μg/ml and PVX could be detected at 0.1 μg/ml. PVS and PVX were detected in composite samples simulating one infected plant in 10 or fewer plants at all stages of growth. Detection, however, was most effective when leaflets were collected from the middle of the haulm at midseason (prebloom to bloom). Then, depending on the cultivar, PVS could be detected in composite samples of leaflets from 10–20 plants and PVX could be detected in composite samples of leaflets from 20–25 plants. Tuber sprouts were as suitable as leaflets for virus indexing.
Effect of left ventricular hypertrophy secondary to chronic pressure overload on transmural myocardial 2-deoxyglucose uptake: A 31P NMR spectroscopic study

Background This study tested the hypothesis that 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)–detectable 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) uptake is increased in chronically pressure-overloaded hypertrophied left ventricular myocardium. Methods and Results 31P NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the transmural distribution of high-energy phosphate levels and 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate (2DGP) accumulation during intracoronary infusion of 2DG (15 μmol · kg body wt−1 · min−1) in eight normal dogs and in eight dogs with severe left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) produced by ascending aortic banding. The ratio of LV weight to body weight was 8.25±0.65 g/kg in the LVH group compared with 4.35±0.11 g/kg in the normal group (P<.01). Myocardial ATP content was decreased by ≈40% and phosphocreatine (PCr) by ≈60% in LVH hearts. ATP values were transmurally uniform in LVH and normal hearts, whereas PCr was lower in the subendocardium (Endo) than the subepicardium (Epi) of both groups. The PCr/ATP ratio was lower in LVH hearts (1.72±0.0...
An active process in cochlear mechanics

A model for cochlear mechanics is proposed to take account of its two systems, one passive and one active. The classical passive system stimulates the inner hair cells directly at levels above about 40 dB SL. At intensities below about 60 dB an active process, the 'cochlear amplifier' (CA), somehow provides additional energy that enhances the vibration of a narrow segment of the basilar membrane near the apical foot of the familiar, traveling wave envelope. The outer hair cells are essential for CA. The active system acts like a high-Q acoustic resonator, and it accounts for the great sensitivity and sharp tuning expressed by the 'tips' of neural tuning curves. The tips are selectively vulnerable to anoxia, noise exposure and other trauma. The CA model explains the detection of small differences in time as well as in frequency, the dual character of the electrocochleogram, recruitment of loudness in cochlear hearing impairment, the long latency of normal neural responses near threshold, acoustic emissions (both stimulated and spontaneous) and the locus of TTS in the frequency range above the exposure tone. Both the classical high-intensity system and the active low-level CA system are highly nonlinear and they combine to compress the great dynamic range of hearing into a much narrower range of mechanical movement of the cilia of the inner hair cells. The mechanism of CA is unknown, and the problem remains of how its action can be triggered by submolecular movements near threshold.