cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resumption of Positive-Pressure Ventilation Devices for Obstructive Sleep Apnea following Transsphenoidal Surgery: An Institutional Experience of a Surgical Cohort.

Objectives Transsphenoidal surgery creates a skull base defect that may cause postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage or pneumocephalus. This study reviewed the institutional experience of a pituitary center in managing patients who use positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) devices for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after transsphenoidal surgery, which risks disturbing the skull base repair. Design Retrospective review. Setting Pituitary referral center in a major metropolitan medical center. Methods PPV was resumed at the discretion of the treatment team based on intraoperative findings and OSA severity. Perioperative complications related to resuming and withholding PPV were recorded. Participants Transsphenoidal surgery patients with OSA using PPV devices. Main Outcome Measures Intracranial complications before and after resuming PPV. Results A total of 42 patients met the study criteria. Intraoperative CSF leakage was encountered and repaired in 20 (48%) patients. Overall, 38 patients resumed PPV (median: 3.5 weeks postsurgery; range: 0.14–52 weeks) and 4 patients did not resume PPV. Postoperatively, no patient experienced CSF leakage or pneumocephalus before or after resuming PPV. Four (10%) patients required temporary nocturnal supplemental oxygen at home, one patient was reintubated after a myocardial infarction, and one patient had a prolonged hospital stay due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation. Conclusions Resuming PPV use after transsphenoidal surgery did not result in intracranial complications. However, delay in resuming PPV resulted in four patients requiring oxygen at home. We propose a preliminary PPV device management algorithm based on the size of the intraoperative CSF leak to facilitate future studies.
Chinesische Medizin in der Kinderheilkunde

Immer mehr Eltern sind fur eine komplementarmedizinische Erganzung zur Behandlung diverser Erkrankungen im Kindesalter dankbar, ja fordern diese sogar ein. Chinesische Medizin bietet eine wunderbare Moglichkeit einer integrativen Behandlung von Kindern jedes Alters. Weis man um die Besonderheiten der kindlichen Entwicklung und ihre Stolpersteine, kennt man die besonderen diagnostischen Tools, die man fur Kinder braucht. So ist die Behandlung von typischen Erkrankungen im Kindesalter mit den Werkzeugen der Chinesischen Medizin (Akupunktur, Tuina-Massage, chinesische Krauter, Ernahrung nach den 5 Elementen) unglaublich erfolgversprechend.
Current Evidence on Oral Antibiotics for Infective Endocarditis: A Narrative Review.

Infective endocarditis (IE) continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality, even when treated with optimal antibiotic regimens. The selection of treatment depends on the causative pathogen, its antibiotic susceptibility profile, local and systemic complications and the presence of prosthetic materials or devices. Standard therapy typically involves 4–6 weeks of intravenous (IV) bactericidal therapy. However, there are instances in which IV antibiotic administration may be challenging due to cost, complications of IV access, adverse side-effects of the medication or concerns for misuse of the IV line. Current clinical guidance from the American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology cite scenarios where oral antibiotics can be considered for treatment of IE, though these situations are relatively infrequent and data to show their non-inferiority limited. Recently, a well-designed randomized clinical study reported favorable outcomes for partial oral antimicrobial therapy regimens given to patients with staphylococcal, streptococcal and enterococcal IE deemed clinically stable and without complications such as perivalvular abscess. Oral antibiotics, usually given in combination, were selected by infectious disease providers for their favorable pharmacologic properties and predicted bactericidal activity. There was a careful selection of patients who were transitioned to oral regimens. Before recommending routine use of oral antibiotics in the care of patients with IE, additional studies that better define eligible patients and that use regimens available in the countries that adopt this practice should be performed. If further studies confirm non-inferior outcomes with partial oral antibiotics for the treatment of IE, medical treatment could be delivered in a simpler, more costeffective manner, and likely with lower rates of adverse side-effects.
Evidence for Decreased Nucleolar PARP-1 as an Early Marker of Cognitive Impairment

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a nuclear protein that regulates gene expression through poly(ADP)-ribosylation, resulting in the loosening of chromatin structure. PARP-1 enzymatic activity has been shown to be necessary for the expression of several genes required for memory formation and consolidation. Previously, we showed that nucleolar PARP-1 is significantly decreased in hippocampal pyramidal cells in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We proposed that the displacement of PARP-1 from the nucleolus results in downregulation of new rRNA expression and ribosome biogenesis, leading to cognitive impairment. To further investigate the relationship between nucleolar PARP-1 and memory impairment, we examined PARP-1 expression in the hippocampi of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to control and AD cases. We used immunohistochemical techniques to examine the nucleolar distribution of PARP-1 in the Cornu Ammonis (CA region) of the hippocampus. PARP-1 positive cells were then scored for the presence or absence of PARP-1 in the nucleolus. We found a significant decrease of PARP-1 staining in the nucleolar compartment of hippocampal pyramidal cells in MCI compared with Control and AD. When the four CA (CA1-4) regions were considered separately, only the CA1 region showed significant differences in nucleolar PARP-1 with Control > AD > MCI cases. Categorization of nucleolar PARP-1 into “distinct” and “diffuse” groups suggest that most of the changes occur within the distinct group. In addition, measurements of the nucleolar diameter of nucleolar PARP-1 positive cells in CA2 and CA4 showed Control > MCI. Thus, MCI cases had a lower percentage of PARP-1 nucleolar positive cells in CA1 and smaller nucleolar diameters in CA2 and CA4, compared to Control. Our data suggest that disruption of nucleolar form and function is an early and important step in the progression of cognitive impairment.
Impact of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder on Discharge Against Medical Advice Among People Who Inject Drugs Hospitalized for Infective Endocarditis.

Background and objectives The impact of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) on against medical advice (AMA) discharges among people who inject drugs (PWID) hospitalized for endocarditis is unknown. Methods A retrospective review of all PWID hospitalized for endocarditis at our institution between 2016 and 2018 (n = 84). Results PWID engaged with MOUD at admission, compared with those who were not, were less likely to be discharged AMA but this did not reach statistical significance in adjusted analysis (odds ratio [OR], 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.033-1.41; P = .11). Among out-of-treatment individuals, newly initiating MOUD did not lead to significantly fewer AMA discharges (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.26-3.7; P = .98). Conclusion and scientific significance PWID hospitalized for endocarditis are at high risk for discharge AMA but more research is needed to understand the impact of MOUD. (Am J Addict 2020;29:155-159).
Interactions Between Cybersecurity and International Trade: A Systematic Framework

Issues of international trade policy have gained increased attention while cybersecurity has not been a key issue for trade policy until recently. Cybersecurity concerns have presented significant challenges, and cybersecurity-related allegations have become a major source of growing commercial disputes. The future of cybersecurity in international trade will shape not only cyberspace for the countries directly, but also the broader globalized society. However, it is still not clear how cybersecurity and international trade can impact each other, whether the current implemented policies can sufficiently resolve problems, and what can be done to retune the negative impacts of cybersecurity concerns on international trade. To investigate these influences, this paper uses real-world case study, in-depth domain subject expert interviews and workshop practices to develop a systematic framework to understand the relations between cybersecurity concern and international trade. We focus on the different types of cybersecurity concerns, national and organizational actions for cybersecurity concerns and global supply chain management. From these we identify three scenarios (regulation compliance scenario, supply chain strategy scenario and geopolitical scenario) and three mechanisms (the gap between national cybersecurity concerns, public-private cybersecurity management and supply chain risk management) which represent the interaction between cybersecurity concern and international trade. This study reveals that cybersecurity concerns in international trade are not just a regulation compliance issue but should be considered a business strategy issue and geopolitical issue. More importantly, to return the current “tit for tat” circle, businesses should not only passively react to cybersecurity concerns in international trade context, but need to actively involve themselves in cybersecurity concerns mitigation and policy implementation procedures. In this way, cybersecurity concern pressure can even be used to improve the global supply chain and create competitive advantage.
Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Insurance Coverage Rates Among Adult Populations with Low Income and by Obesity Status.

Objective This study examines insurance coverage rates among working-age adults with low income and with or without obesity before and after Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Methods Individual-level data on noninstitutionalized and nonpregnant adult participants aged 18 to 64 years with household income below $15,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2006-2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used. A difference-in-differences design with logistic regression was used to examine the likelihood of insurance coverage before and after Medicaid expansion. Results Working-age adults (analytic sample N = 316,151) who were white, female, less educated, unemployed, and living in a Medicaid-expansion state were more likely to have insurance coverage. The insurance coverage rate in Medicaid-expanded states in years after expansion increased for both subgroups with and without obesity. However, the increase was slightly lower for the subpopulation with obesity (5.59%, 95% CI: 2.35%-8.83%) compared with the subpopulation without obesity (7.35%, 95% CI: 5.35%-9.34%). Conclusions Increased attention should be paid to reduce insurance coverage barriers for working-age adults with low income and obesity to address potential health disparities caused by lack of access to care. This is important, as access to care provides opportunities to increase prevention and treatment-oriented services to address obesity and associated health care costs.
Botswana’s Hunting Ban and the Transformation of Game-Meat Cultures, Economies and Ecologies

When the government of Botswana ended its five-year prohibition of commercial safari hunting, comparatively little attention was directed at the policy reversal’s effect on communities that had eng...
Area-selective atomic layer deposition enabled by competitive adsorption

In this work, we investigate the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZrO2 thin films on Cu and SiO2 substrates, using Zr[N(C2H5CH3)]4 as the thin-film precursor, and H2O or O2 as the coreactants. Here, we introduce 3-hexyne as a coadsorbate molecule during the thin-film precursor half-cycle and examine its effect on the selectivity of growth. We find that 3-hexyne strongly inhibits growth on Cu, while having essentially no effect on the growth on SiO2. Calculations using dispersion-inclusive density functional theory verify that 3-hexyne undergoes sp → sp2 rehybridization on Cu, which results in strong chemisorption on the metal surface, while only binding weakly to SiO2 via nonbonded van der Waals/dispersion interactions. After 10 cycles of ALD using 3-hexyne as the coadsorbate, we observed the deposition of ∼1.5 nm of ZrO2 on SiO2. On a Cu substrate, we only detected <0.15 nm of ZrO2 after the same number of cycles of ALD. At this point in the process, we find evidence of the formation of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) from in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and a significant increase in the roughness of the Cu substrate. We conclude that both factors likely contribute to the loss of selectivity due to the formation of sites (e.g., Cu2O) that bind 3-hexyne less strongly and/or an increase in the density of highly reactive sites (e.g., steps, kinks) that promote dissociative chemisorption of the thin-film precursor.
Validation of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for identifying insomnia in young adult cancer survivors: comparison with a structured clinical diagnostic interview of the DSM-5 (SCID-5)

Abstract Objectives Insomnia is a common problem affecting young adult cancer survivors (YACS) even years after treatment, yet it often goes unidentified and untreated. The Insomnia Severity Index is a widely-used insomnia measure, but has not been studied as an insomnia screener for YACS. The goal of this study was to validate the ISI in YACS by determining its utility in identifying YACS with insomnia disorder diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 (SCID-5). Methods 250 YACS completed the ISI and SCID-5 Insomnia Module. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to reflect the ISI's discrimination between YACS with and without SCID-5 insomnia disorder. An ISI cut-off score with sensitivity ≥0.85 and specificity ≥0.75 was deemed acceptable. Results Of 250 participants, 52 met criteria for SCID-5 insomnia disorder diagnosis. The ISI had excellent discrimination, with an AUC = 0.91. A cut-off score ≥8 met study clinical screening criteria with sensitivity of 0.85 and specificity of 0.77. A cut-off score ≥7 with a higher sensitivity (0.96) but lower specificity (0.70) was noted as a potential alternative. Cut-off scores ≥12 and ≥ 14 were recommended for applications prioritizing overall accuracy. Conclusions Results support validity of the ISI for identifying YACS with insomnia disorder. For clinical screening, data support the use of an ISI cut-off score ≥8 in YACS, and additional cut-off scores were found for research purposes or higher sensitivity. Results of this study and prior studies of the ISI offer important reminders that cut-off scores derived from different populations are not generalizable.
Preparing for the PICU: A Qualitative Study of Residents as They Prepare for Their First Pediatric Critical Care Rotation

Learning critical care medicine in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) can be stressful. Through semistructured interviews (n = 16), this study explored the emotions, perceptions, and motivations of pediatric medicine (PM) and emergency medicine (EM) residents, as they prepared for their first PICU rotation. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed using the grounded theory method. Three resultant themes emerged: (1) residents entered the PICU with a range of intense emotions and heightened expectations; (2) they experienced prior history of psychologically traumatic learning events (adverse learning experiences or ALEs); and (3) informed by ALEs, residents prepared for their rotation by focusing heavily on their most basic level of physiological needs and adopting a survival mindset prior to the start of the rotation. These three themes led to a substantive, or working, theory that ALE-associated events may affect how residents approach upcoming learning opportunities. Consequently, adapting a trauma-informed approach as a component of medical education may improve resident learning experiences in the PICU and beyond.
Genetic control of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization by Rhizophagus intraradices in Helianthus annuus (L.).

Plant symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi provides many benefits, including increased nutrient uptake, drought tolerance, and belowground pathogen resistance. To develop a better understanding of the genetic architecture of mycorrhizal symbiosis, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of this plant-fungal interaction in cultivated sunflower. A diversity panel of cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was phenotyped for root colonization under inoculation with the AM fungus Rhizophagus intraradices. Using a mixed linear model approach with a high-density genetic map, we identified genomic regions that are likely associated with R. intraradices colonization in sunflower. Additionally, we used a set of twelve diverse lines to assess the effect that inoculation with R. intraradices has on dried shoot biomass and macronutrient uptake. Colonization among lines in the mapping panel ranged from 0–70% and was not correlated with mycorrhizal growth response, shoot phosphorus response, or shoot potassium response among the Core 12 lines. Association mapping yielded three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were significantly associated with R. intraradices colonization. This is the first study to use GWAS to identify genomic regions associated with AM colonization in an Asterid eudicot species. Three genes of interest identified from the regions containing these SNPs are likely related to plant defense.
Bio-Design Intelligence

Architecture has a substantial influence worldwide as it shapes our cities, and it is made to last. Urban areas are also responsible for 70% of the world's carbon emissions. Consequently, architects are responsible for minimising the destructive effects of construction on the environment. How can biological intelligence be inserted in architecture as a possibility to increase environmental performance? Bio-design goes further than biology-inspired approaches. Bio-design refers to incorporating living organisms as an essential component of a system, changing the natural and built environment boundaries. It contains living and machine intelligence, whether embedded in the design process or in the building itself. This paper seeks to give an overview of bio-design and how it can be seen as a strategy of thinking of new research pathways.
Who Joined That? *** Conclusions and Unlabeled Introductions in Supreme Court Opinions

One of the most famous Supreme Court quotes from the Chief Justice Roberts era is his quip at the end of Parents Involved v. Seattle School District: “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” This pithy statement, perfectly capturing the Roberts Court’s turn in affirmative action cases to race-blind anti-classification theory, is familiar to almost everyone who has studied modern constitutional law. But here’s a quiz for you: is this quote from a majority opinion of the Court, a plurality opinion, or an individual opinion of the Chief Justice? The answer, surprisingly, is impossible to find in the Court’s main opinion because this statement appears in the *** conclusion section of the opinion, a section that the Court never identifies who joins. The *** conclusion has become a common feature of Supreme Court opinions, but this Article shows that the Court’s failure to identify who joins these conclusions creates confusion for courts, scholars, lawyers, law review editors, and anyone else consuming or using Supreme Court opinions. The stakes here are high, as disagreement over the precedential weight of this part of Parents Involved could play an important role in the Harvard admissions case the Supreme Court is currently considering taking. The same considerations are at play with unlabeled introductions of Court opinions, which the Court also does not identify who joins. In an attempt to sort out this confusion, this Article walks through the complexities of Supreme Court opinion *** conclusions and unlabeled introductions, attempts to solve the puzzle of determining which Justices join these sections, and ultimately concludes that the only solution is for the Supreme Court to change its practice. The Court must either stop using *** conclusions and unlabeled introductions altogether or separately indicate who joins them in the opinion’s opening joining statement. Anything less will continue the mistakes and confusion these sections currently create.
Rocuronium Reversal in the Emergency Department: Retrospective Evaluation of Hemodynamic Instability Following Administration of Sugammadex Versus Neostigmine With Glycopyrrolate:

BackgroundRocuronium is an intermediate-acting non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent frequently used in the emergency department for rapid sequence intubation. The prolonged effects of rocu...
The Truck Automatic and Vehicle Economics

A number of salient vehicle cost factors upon which the truck automatic transmission has an impact are discussed -- along with the transmission design principles which lead to that impact. In addition, this paper gives indication of forthcoming refinements in transmission design which will further reduce fuel consumption costs.
Stabilization in Transition Economies

Policy-makers in most countries, if offered the opportunity to have zero economic growth and 100 percent annual inflation on average for the next three years, would quickly turn down the opportunity. For the transition economies, however, this record during the period 1995–1997 was cause for satisfaction. As documented in the earlier chapters, these countries were coming out of one of the most devastating periods in any country’s economic history. The results in the period 1995–1997 suggested hope for the future
A 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS bioluminescence detection lab-on-chip

The paper describes a bioluminescence detection lab-on-chip consisting of a fiber-optic faceplate with immobilized luminescent reporters/probes that is directly coupled to an optical detection and processing CMOS system-on-chip (SoC) fabricated in a 0.18-/spl mu/m process. The lab-on-chip is customized for such applications as determining gene expression using reporter gene assays, determining intracellular ATP, and sequencing DNA. The CMOS detection SoC integrates an 8 /spl times/ 16 pixel array having the same pitch as the assay site array, a 128-channel 13-bit ADC, and column-level DSP, and is fabricated in a 0.18-/spl mu/m image sensor process. The chip is capable of detecting emission rates below 10/sup -6/ lux over 30 s of integration time at room temperature. In addition to directly coupling and matching the assay site array to the photodetector array, this low light detection is achieved by a number of techniques, including the use of very low dark current photodetectors, low-noise differential circuits, high-resolution analog-to-digital conversion, background subtraction, correlated multiple sampling, and multiple digitizations and averaging to reduce read noise. Electrical and optical characterization results as well as preliminary biological testing results are reported.
RF performance of a mobile communication package for the advanced train control system

The advanced train control system (ATCS) RF network uses frequencies in the 900-MHz band, and Gaussian filtered baseband frequency shift keying modulation at 4800 b/s with data encoded using a Reed-Solomon forward error correction code. Field tests were conducted to determine the RF performance of a mobile communications package (MCP) designed for ATCS both in areas of relatively flat terrain and in mountainous regions. The results of these tests were presented, including a description of the techniques used to extract the Rayleigh and shadowing components of the measured signal. Message error rate (MER) results are given, and these results are compared to results from lab tests using a mobile channel simulator and to theoretical predictions. >
Information technology and privacy: a boundary management perspective

With the rising popularity of the Internet and some widely publicized occurrences of privacy loss due to information technology, many individuals have recently become more concerned with the privacy and security of sensitive information. These concerns have special relevance within work organizations because of the substantial amounts of data that organizations typically collect about the work and non-work activities of their employees. This chapter presents a new theoretical perspective called Information Boundary Theory, that describes whether, when, and why employees care about the privacy and security of sensitive information at work. Analysis of interview data from N=25 nonmanagerial U.S. workers provided preliminary support for four of the new theory's research propositions. The chapter describes implications of the theory and the research findings for the design and deployment of information technology systems within organizations and maps a research agenda for future uses of the theory.
The roles of superoxide anion and methylene blue in the reductive activation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase by ascorbic acid or by xanthine oxidase-hypoxanthine.

Abstract To clarify the roles of superoxide anion (O2.-) and methylene blue in the reductive activation of the heme protein indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, effects of xanthine oxidase-hypoxanthine used at various oxidase concentration levels as an O2.- source and an electron donor on the catalytic activity of the dioxygenase have been examined in the presence and absence of either methylene blue or superoxide dismutase using L- and D-tryptophan as substrates. In the absence of methylene blue, initial rates of the product N-formylkynurenine formation are enhanced in parallel with the xanthine oxidase level up to approximately 100 and approximately 50% of the apparent maximal activity (approximately 2 s-1) for L- and D-Trp, respectively. Superoxide dismutase effectively inhibits the reactions by 80-98% for both isomers. Additions of methylene blue (25 microM) help to maintain the linearity of the product formation that would be rapidly lost a few minutes after the start of the reaction without the dye, especially for L-Trp. Additions of methylene blue also enhance the activity to the maximal level for D-Trp. In the presence of methylene blue, the inhibitory effects of superoxide dismutase are considerably decreased with the increase in xanthine oxidase concentration, and at near maximal dioxygenase activity levels superoxide dismutase is totally without effect. In separate anaerobic experiments leuco-methylene blue, generated either by photoreduction or by ascorbate reduction, is shown to be able to reduce the ferric dioxygenase up to 25-40%. Substrate Trp and heme ligands (CO, n-butyl isocyanide) help to shift a ferric form----ferrous form equilibrium to the right. Thus, under aerobic conditions leuco-methylene blue might similarly be able to reduce the dioxygenase in the presence of an electron donor with the aid of substrate and O2. These results strongly suggest that indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase can be activated through different pathways either by O2.- or by an electron donor-methylene blue system. For the latter case, the dye is acting as an electron mediator from the donor to the ferric dioxygenase.
Treatment of chronic secretory diarrhea of unknown origin by lithium carbonate

A 49-yr-old patient developed severe chronic secretory diarrhea associated with hypokalemia and gastric hypochlorhydria. Small bowel perfusion study revealed active proximal intestinal secretion. Despite thorough investigation, the cause of her secretory diarrhea was not elucidated. Her diarrhea was refractory to indomethacin, prednisone, and trifluoperazine therapy. The life-threatening profuse watery diarrhea responded, however, to oral lithium carbonate, an agent reported to inhibit cyclic adenosine monophosphate synthesis. Diarrhea stopped within 4 days of initiation of lithium chloride therapy. Discontinuation of lithium 2 wk later resulted in return of watery diarrhea. Lithium therapy was reinstituted and her diarrheal symptoms resolved completely. Three months later, lithium carbonate was discontinued. The patient continued to be well and remained asymptomatic 15 mo after discontinuation of therapy. Therefore, in patients with chronic secretory diarrhea in whom exhaustive tests fail to reveal an etiology, a trial of oral lithium therapy may be beneficial in ameliorating the disabling symptoms and could be life-saving.
Policing Police Misconduct in a Democratic Society: The Judgments of Police Officers and White, Black, and Hispanic Citizens

Almost since their inception, there have been calls for the reform of civilian review boards. Many of these reforms call for greater independence of review boards, including the authority to carry out discipline of police officers for corroborated cases of police misconduct. To date, however, there has been little empirical research on what constitutes reasonable discipline for an alleged case of police misconduct. We seek to fill in this gap in our understanding by comparing citizens’ and officers’ judgments of appropriate discipline for alleged misconduct. Using a factorial design, our findings show that there is a surprisingly strong level of consensus between citizens and officers about which evidence is most significant to weigh in reaching a judgment but that there is a lack of consensus between citizens and officers about the appropriate level of discipline. Not surprisingly, police officers’ judgments of fair punishment are significantly lower than their citizen counterparts. That said, citizens’ judgments are, these findings show, reasonable and fair in light of the alleged infraction. As steps are taken to reform civilian review procedures, the findings reported here provide an empirical foundation for developing disciplinary guidelines that takes account of a community’s understanding of what constitutes fair and reasoned discipline.
Dietary Protein Concentration Regulates the mRNA Expression of Chicken Hepatic Malic Enzyme

Chicken hepatic malic enzyme activity varies with dietary protein content. The mechanisms responsible for this alteration in activity are unclear. In a series of four experiments, broiler chicks were allowed free access for 1.5, 3, 6 or 24 h to a low (13 g/100 g diet), basal (22 g/100 g diet) or high (40 g/100 g diet) protein diet. The diets were isocaloric and had equal concentrations of dietary fat. Hepatic malic enzyme mRNA expression and enzyme activity as well as total liver lipid concentration were examined for each experimental duration. There were no differences in the expression of the mRNA for malic enzyme at 1.5 h, but at 3, 6 and 24 h, malic enzyme mRNA expression was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in chicks fed the high protein diet and significantly enhanced in chicks fed the low protein diet compared with chicks fed the basal diet. Hepatic malic enzyme activities and total lipid concentration were not different among the chicks fed the different diets at 1.5 and 3 h. At 6 and 24 h, malic enzyme activity and total liver lipid concentration were both significantly greater in birds fed the low protein diet compared with levels in the birds fed the other two diets. In birds fed the high protein diet, malic enzyme activity and total liver lipid concentration were significantly reduced at 24 h compared with birds fed the basal diet. In a final experiment, the observed differences in malic enzyme mRNA expression at 6 h were confirmed when chicks were given access to isocaloric diets with the same protein levels as the initial 4 experiments, but with the dietary concentration of carbohydrate held constant. The results suggest that previously observed alterations in the activity of malic enzyme, which were correlated with dietary protein intake, are due to rapid changes in the mRNA expression of this enzyme.
Mining spatial trajectories using non-parametric density functions

Analyzing trajectories is important and has many applications, such as surveillance, analyzing traffic patterns and hurricane path prediction. In this paper, we propose a unique, non-parametric trajectory density estimation approach to obtain trajectory density functions that are used for two purposes. First, a density-based clustering algorithm DENTRAC that operates on such density functions is introduced. Second, unique post-analysis techniques that use the trajectory density function are proposed. Our method is capable of ranking trajectory clusters based on different characteristics of density clusters, and thus has the ability to summarize clusters from different perspectives, such as the compactness of member trajectories or the probability of their occurrence. We evaluate the proposed methods on synthetic traffic and real-world Atlantic hurricane datasets. The results show that our simple, yet effective approach extracts valuable knowledge from trajectories that is difficult to obtain with other approaches.
Altered language processing in autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features.

Background: Autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features (ADPEAF) is an idiopathic focal epilepsy syndrome with auditory symptoms or receptive aphasia as major ictal manifestations, frequently associated with mutations in the leucine-rich, glioma inactivated 1 ( LGI1 ) gene. Although affected subjects do not have structural abnormalities detected on routine MRI, a lateral temporal malformation was identified through high resolution MRI in one family. We attempted to replicate this finding and to assess auditory and language processing in ADPEAF using fMRI and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Methods: We studied 17 subjects (10 affected mutation carriers, 3 unaffected carriers, 4 noncarriers) in 7 ADPEAF families, each of which had a different LGI1 mutation. Subjects underwent high-resolution structural MRI, fMRI with an auditory description decision task (ADDT) and a tone discrimination task, and MEG. A control group comprising 26 volunteers was also included. Results: We found no evidence of structural abnormalities in any of the 17 subjects. On fMRI with ADDT, subjects with epilepsy had significantly less activation than controls. On MEG with auditory stimuli, peak 2 auditory evoked field latency was significantly delayed in affected individuals compared to controls. Conclusions: These findings do not support the previous report of a lateral temporal malformation in autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features (ADPEAF). However, our fMRI and magnetoencephalography data suggest that individuals with ADPEAF have functional impairment in language processing.
FIGO staging for carcinosarcoma: Can the revised staging system predict overall survival?

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study is to detect differences in overall survival between the 1988 FIGO staging and current staging of uterine carcinosarcomas to determine if revised 2009 staging accurately predicts actual patient survival. Methods From 1988 until 2010, patients with uterine carcinosarcoma were retrospectively identified from tumor registry records. Patients were grouped in both broad stages (1–4) and all FIGO substages in order to detect differences. Time-dependant receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were generated to predict death before the end of the second year post-diagnosis for both the new and revised system. Kaplan Meier estimated median survival time was utilized to compare actual patient survival. Results Of 112 patients with carcinosarcoma, 37 patients (33%) had FIGO Stage I disease, 15 patients (13.4%) had Stage II disease, 36 patients (32%) were diagnosed as Stage III, and 24 patients (21.4%) had Stage IV disease. 106 of 112 (94.6%) patients underwent lymphadenectomy (pelvic +/− para-aortic). Four patients (3.6%) were downstaged when utilizing broad staging criteria: 2 patients were downstaged from Stage II to I, and 2 patients were downstaged from Stage III to Stage I and II respectively. When looking at substage, the area under the ROC was 0.67 for the former staging system, and 0.65 for the revised staging. Kaplan–Meier estimated median survival time post-diagnosis was 610days (95% CI [478,930]). Conclusion Based upon our reclassification of 112 patients with uterine carcinosarcoma, the revised FIGO staging system does not predict survival more accurately than former staging. Carcinosarcoma has an overall poor prognosis and better indicators of survival are needed.
Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the prostate does not confer poor prognosis

Abstract Objectives To report a series of patients with mucinous (colloid) adenocarcinoma (MC) at prostatectomy who were treated at a single institution from 1987 to 2005. MC is a rare form of prostate cancer reported in some cases to have a more aggressive clinical course than conventional adenocarcinoma (AC). Methods Radical prostatectomy specimens with mucinous features were identified from a database of 3613 consecutive patients. Each case was reviewed again by a single pathologist who confirmed the diagnosis of MC in 14 patients. MC was defined by the presence of pools of extracellular mucin in more than 25% of the tumor. Eighteen additional cases were identified in which the mucinous component occupied only a small portion of the tumor and were referred to as AC with focal mucin (AFM). The biochemical and overall survival of 26 patients with MC or AFM who had completed ≥6 months of follow-up was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results No patients with MC or AFM died of disease, and 11 (91.7%) of 12 patients with MC and 9 (64.3%) of 14 patients with AFM were clinically and biochemically free of disease. No significant difference was found in biochemical recurrence or overall survival between those with MC or AFM and a matched group of patients with AC. Conclusions We report what we believe to be the largest published series of cases of MC (n = 14) with a median overall follow-up of 6.4 years. MC appears to behave clinically in a similar fashion to AC, with no statistically significant difference in biochemical failure or survival.
Accreditation--What's That? Understanding the NCATE/AECT Folio Review Process

So when that phone call comes from the Dean, don’t panic. Just remember that the curriculum folio is intended to be simple and straightforward—a compilation of information about your program. Please feel free to contact the committee if you require additional assistance in your accreditation efforts
Homocysteine induces metalloproteinase and shedding of β‐1 integrin in microvessel endothelial cells

Although studies have suggested microvessel endothelial cells (MVEC) activation and induction of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by homocysteine (Hcy), the transduction mechanism leading to endothelial activation was unclear. We hypothesized that Hcy induced metalloproteinase and altered the levels of integrin in MVEC. MVEC from mouse brain were isolated and characterized by CD-31 (PECAM-1) FITC labeling. The MVEC were activated with different doses (6-40 microM) of Hcy. The cultured-conditioned-medium was analyzed for MMP activity by gelatin gel-zymography. TIMP-1, -4, beta-1 integrin, and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-12 (ADAM-12) were quantified by Western blot analysis. We used MVEC in cell culture to study the effect of increasing concentrations of Hcy upon the secretion of various proteins into the culture medium. MMP-9, beta-1 integrin, ADAM-12, and TIMP-1 were found in increased concentrations in the culture medium of Hcy-treated cells whereas TIMP-4 was decreased. We have shown that purified TIMP-4 blocked the increase of beta-1 integrin shedding in Hcy-treated cells. Interestingly, our results suggest that TIMP-1 and TIMP-4 function antagonistically in Hcy-induced signaling pathways.
Correction of Burnout in Teachers

The article presents the results of study confirming the hypothesi s of the research on possibility of reducing the level of the emotional burnout of a teacher and increasing the productivity of his activity by means of special training, with a view to improving the emotional competence. The correctional program of teachers’ training to regulating the emotional state included having by teachers three interrelated programs: included the passage of the teachers of three interrelated the scientific-practical course «Peculiarities of the emotional sphere of a personality», training of the teacher’s emotional competence development, the program of teachers’ training to the mental self-regulation. After comparing the results of the experimental and control groups, it became possible to draw conclusions about the influence of the corrective training on the efficiency of the pedagogical activity and positive changes in the emotional sphere of a person. The results obtained by the questionnaire on the emotional intelligence testify to the positive dynamics of developing the emotional skills in the experimental group. Such skills as emotional awareness control of the emotions, self-motivation, i.e. deliberate control of his emotions, the empathy level, recognition of other people’s emotions, i.e. the ability to influence the emotional state of other people. The significant differences between the average grades of the experimental group were received by the scales as well: neurotic state (t =3,112, p < 0.01, δ = 1,43, δ =1,37), spontaneous aggressiveness (t =3,010, p < 0.01, δ = 0,84, δ = 0,87), depression (t =2,966, p < 0.01, δ = 0,96, δ = 0,88), reactive aggressiveness (t =3,001, p < 0.01, δ = 0, 94, δ = 0, 62). Changes are statistically important. In the control group, changes took place as well, but the essence of differences between the average grades was not statistically significant. Upon completion of training the indicators by symptoms are as following: the experience of psycho-traumaticcircumstances, dissatisfaction with you, “oppressed state”, anxiety and depression, inadequate selective emotional reaction, emotional deficit, emotional detachment, psychosomatic and psycho-vegetative disorders decreased at the statistically significant level. The comparative analysis of the data obtained in the experimental and control groups, confirms our assumptions about the possibility of reducing the level of the emotional teacher’s burnout and increasing the productivity of his activities through special training, with a view to improving his emotional competence.
Structure of the 2:1 adduct of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and dehydronuciferine: a novel tandem michael-1,3-dipolar addition reaction

Abstract The structure of a minor 2:1 addition product of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and dehydronuciferine has been shown to be the spiroannelated aporphine 4 by X-ray crystallography. Its formation involves a Michael addition followed in sequence by a proton shift and a 1,3-dipolar addition.
Enhanced expression of the blood-brain barrier GLUT1 glucose transporter gene by brain-derived factors

The blood-brain barrier GLUT1 glucose transporter is localized in brain to the capillary endothelium, which makes up the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo. However, its expression is markedly downregulated in cultured bovine brain capillary endothelium (ECL cells), possibly due to the absence of brain-derived or astrocyte trophic factors in the tissue culture medium. To examine this hypothesis, we studied the effect of a bovine brain homogenate (BBH), and conditioned media and plasma membranes obtained from the rat C6 glioma cell line, on the abundance of the GLUT1 transcript in ECL cells. BBH induced a significant increase in the abundance of both GLUT1 and actin mRNAs, and this effect was dose and time dependent. The increase in the GLUT1 mRNA levels correlated with an increase in the transcriptional rate of this gene measured by nuclear run-on experiments. C6 conditioned media and C6 plasma membranes had no effect on the abundance of either GLUT1 or actin mRNA. To determine whether known growth factors cause BBH-like induction of GLUT1 and actin mRNAs, a series of growth factors was also tested. EGF and PDGF had no effect on the levels of these mRNAs. Basic FGF had a moderate effect and TNF alpha partially mimicked the effect of BBH on both GLUT1 and actin transcripts. The present data suggests that brain-derived trophic factors present in BBH stimulate BBB-GLUT1 glucose transporter gene expression in ECL cells through a transcriptional mechanism. Although this effect was partially mimicked by TNF alpha, C6 cell membranes or C6 conditioned media were unable to induce changes in the abundance of GLUT1 mRNA. Therefore, BBH may be a useful model to study the characterization of soluble brain-derived trophic factors involved in the induction of BBB-GLUT1 gene expression.
Near spherical illumination of ion-beam and laser targets

Abstract A procedure is developed for reducing energy-deposition asymmetry in spherical targets driven directly by ion or laser beams. This work is part of a strategy for achieving illumination symmetry in such targets, which is proposed as an alternative to those in the literature. This strategy allows an axially symmetric placement of beamlets, which would be convenient for some driver or reactor scenarios. It also allows the use of beam currents or energy fluxes and beam transverse profiles to help reduce deposition asymmetry with fewer beamlets. In the ideal limit of thin deposition layers and controlled beam profiles, at most six beamlets are needed for target symmetry.
Moving boundary and photoelastic contributions to optomechanical coupling in GaAs microcavities

We present simulations and measurements examining moving boundary and photoelastic contributions to the optomechanical coupling rate in GaAs microdisks, and discuss nanobeam optomechanical crystal geometries with the potential for enhanced coupling rates.