cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study evaluating possible causes of the normal variant 18F-FDG uptake in the thoracic spinal cord in patients without CNS malignancy.

e21144 Background: Focal increased lower thoracic spinal cord 18F-FDG uptake is not infrequently observed and may be confused for spinal cord metastases. The cause of this physiological uptake is i...
Satellite Remote Sensing of Drinking Water Intakes in Lake Erie for Cyanobacteria Population Using Two MODIS-Based Indicators as a Potential Tool for Toxin Tracking

The growth of toxic Cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa, and the production of toxins, microcystins, pose serious concerns for the ecological health of lakes, such as western Lake Erie. The toxins are also significant health hazards and could contaminate tap water when sufficient and effective water treatment fails. In this study, water from the intakes of two water treatment plants along Lake Erie (Toledo and Painesville) were collected and examined for microcystins concentration (µg/L) and M. aeruginosa abundance (gene copies/mL) in concert with the performance of satellite-based cyanobacteria bloom indicators, chlorophyll-a and Cyanobacteria Index, a spectral shape index for monitoring the severity of cyanobacterial blooms from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from May to October in 2013. Good correlations were observed between toxic M. aeruginosa, microcystins, and MODIS-retrieved bloom indicators for the Toledo water plant intake, where blooms were much more severe with higher chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin and microcystins, but not for the Painesville water plant intake in central Lake Erie where the blooms were less severe. The Spearman’s correlation (0.815) suggested a high correlation between the level of microcystins and MODIS-retrieved chlorophyll-a concentration for the Toledo intake point in western Lake Erie. Both total and toxic Microcystis abundance showed a significant positive correlation with MODIS-retrieved chlorophyll-a for the Toledo water intake, as well as the two locations combined. This finding demonstrates the potential for satellite remote sensing for detection and monitoring of cyanobacterial blooms as a potential early warning for protection of human health from regional bloom-impacted waters.
Dogs and Crime

Previous attempts to quantify the role that dogs play in mitigating household property crime rates have produced mixed results. GIS and spatial analysis methods to conduct such an investigation are not well-represented in the anthrozoological academic press for an entire city. This study seeks to address these gaps using a GIS -based case study of dog license locations and reported property crime locations for land parcel data in the City of Milwaukee, WI , for 2011. We found that parcels with reported licensed dogs experienced property crime at rates of between 1.40 and 1.71 percentage points lower than the property crime rates for parcels that were zoned the same and did not have licensed dogs. This association between the presence of dogs and reduced property crime rates suggests dogs have a deterrent effect on property crime; more comprehensive analysis is encouraged to draw more concrete conclusions.
New Media Celebrity and Social Media Promotions: An Abstract

Cord-cutters are disrupting advertising models because they bypass traditional pay television [cable] often by using paid services such as Netflix and HBO NOW or by illegally downloading or streaming shows (Banerjee, Rappoport, and Alleman, 2011). The number of households using traditional paid television services is decreasing and forecasted to be less than 50% of adults by 2025 (McQuivey, 2015). Millennials are the most likely to be cord-cutters and are thus harder to reach by traditional advertising methods than any previous generation (Barnes, 2015); however, millennials are far more likely to voluntarily follow celebrities (both new media and traditional) who promote products on social media, and 77% of them have purchased something after a social media recommendation (Forder, 2016).
Tunable SIW Cavity-Based Dual-Mode Diplexers With Various Single-Ended and Balanced Ports

This paper presents, for the first time, tunable dual-mode substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) diplexers with various single-ended (SE) or balanced (BAL) ports. Dual-mode diplexing reduces the required volume by half while signal routing is achieved by proper coupling sections. Furthermore, the SIW resonators result in low loss and wide tunability. This paper experimentally demonstrates three designs with SE–SE, SE–BAL, and BAL–BAL port configurations. The SE–SE, SE–BAL, and BAL–BAL diplexers can be tuned starting from 2.07, 2.2, and 2 GHz, respectively, with a tuning range of 45%, 57.2%, and 63.5%, respectively. The average measured insertion loss is 1.32 dB for the SE–SE, 1.95 dB for the SE–BAL, and 2.15 dB for the BAL–BAL. The average size of the diplexer is $55{\times} 55$ mm2. For the proposed SE–BAL and BAL–BAL diplexers, the measured in-band common-mode rejection is better than 40 dB throughout the tuning range.
Renal medullary fibroma presenting as a calcified mass with neovascularity.

AbstractRadiologic evaluation of a 70-year-old woman revealed a large calcified mass in the left kidney. Arteriography demonstrated neovascularity and left nephrectomy was performed. Pathologic evaluation revealed the lesion to be a large renal medullary fibroma.
Identification and Characterization of Particle Shapes from Images of Sand Assemblies Using Pattern Recognition

AbstractPattern recognition was used on images of contacting three-dimensional sand particle assemblies to detect foreground sand grains that exhibit full-particle projections. Once identified, the...
MIMO wiretap channel with ISI heterogeneity — Achieving secure DoF with no CSI

We consider the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wiretap channel with intersymbol interference (ISI) in which a transmitter (Alice) wishes to securely communicate with a receiver (Bob) in presence of an eavesdropper (Eve). We focus on the practically relevant setting in which there is no channel state information (CSI) at Alice about either of the channels to Bob or Eve, except statistical information about the ISI channels (i.e., Alice only knows the effective number of ISI taps). The key contribution of this work is to show that even with no CSI at Alice, positive secure degrees of freedom (SDoF) are achievable by carefully exploiting a) the heterogeneity of the ISI links to Bob and Eve, and b) the relative number of antennas at all the three terminals. To this end, we propose a novel achievable scheme that carefully mixes information and artificial noise symbols in order to exploit ISI heterogeneity to achieve positive SDoF. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to explore the idea of exploiting ISI channel length heterogeneity to achieve positive SDoF for the MIMO wiretap channel with no CSI at the legitimate transmitter.
Management of type 1 diabetes in children in the first 5 years of life

A significant increase in children <6 years of age being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is occurring. The parents (caregivers) of these children have full responsibility for the complex and individualized management while having to deal with the emotional stress of caring for a child with a chronic condition. This article will provide a summary of the diagnosis and recommended medical treatment for this special age group of children. Also presented will be common day-to-day family management issues for health care providers to consider as they provide care for this most common endocrine chronic condition.
Agricultural Land Use and the Global Carbon Cycle

Earth’s soils and the global carbon (C) cycle have been profoundly affected by agriculture. Agricultural land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) date back to the early Holocene ~12,000 years ago when hunter-gatherers in the Fertile Crescent region of the eastern Mediterranean began using agricultural practices to manage soils. Since then, agriculture has spread across the globe and is now the dominant global land use with about 40% of the ice-free land area covered by croplands and grasslands. Especially, clearing of natural vegetation to make room for cultivating crops has released up to one-third of the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock from the top meter of soil. However, effects on the soil inorganic carbon (SIC) stock continue to be overlooked. Further, methane (CH4) is produced in anaerobic environments under agricultural practices, such as the sediments of wetlands, peatlands, and rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddies as well as by livestock production. Globally, up to 357 Pg (1 Pg = 1 Gt = 1015g) C pre-1850 and 168 Pg C post-1850 may have been released by agricultural land-use changes. To 2 m depth, about 133 Pg SOC may have been lost since the early Holocene. LULCC emissions from 1850 to 2015 have been estimated at 98.4 and 16.3 Pg C for crop and pasture land uses, respectively. This net C release together with emissions of CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O) has contributed to increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations and accelerating climate change. Climate change interferes with agriculture with severe negative effects. Thus, climate change adaptation and mitigation are necessary to sustainably intensify production amidst the increasing challenge of satisfying the demands for food, feed, fiber, and fuel of a growing, more affluent, and more animal products consuming population. Food-related GHG emissions are lower for plant-based diets. Improved soil management in agroecosystems can substantially reduce GHG emissions and sequester some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) as SOC and oxidize some of its CH4. Additional benefits of agroecosystems with increased SOC stocks are more healthy and resilient soils. The hidden treasure of SOC has finally been recognized by policymakers. For example, to help address food security and climate change issues, the 4 per Thousand Initiative (4p1000) was proposed in December 2015 at COP21 in Paris to enhance the soil C stock on a large portion of the world’s managed soils by an average annual increase of 0.4% in 0–40 cm depth.
Plane near-field response of an elastic plate

The plane near-field response of an elastic plate is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Experimental observations of the displacement field within the plate are obtained by means of high-speed photography of grid lines imbedded in a clear specimen molded from a low-modulus material. The analytical solution is obtained by using a recently proposed numerical procedure developed for plane problems in dynamic elasticity.
Motivational signage increases stair usage on a Hispanic serving institution.

AbstractObjective: Stair climbing is considered a good physical activity. Motivational signage has been successful in promoting stair usage in various settings. This study was to investigate the ef...
Recent Developments in Saussurean Linguistics

The Course in General Linguistics has played a foundational role in the development of structural methods within the humanities (philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, psychoanalysis, and literary theory). Its main premise is that cultural signification can be studied in terms of relatively autonomous and self-organizing sign systems situated within the social world. Because of its broad focus on signification, the Course made it possible to study the ensemble of human culture in a systematic, comprehensive, and rigorous manner. The Course introduces a basic set of oppositional pairings between the signifying and the signified facets of a sign, between the language system (la langue) and speech (la parole), and between synchrony and diachrony. This approach allows for the study of any human phenomenon on the basis of a rule-governed system of contrastive and combinatorial relations between signifying elements. However, in the last sixty years, scholars have challenged the legitimacy of the Course itself. Previously, the Course was believed to be a simple recast of Saussure’s lectures on general linguistics, but the combination of critical works and direct access to Saussure’s private manuscripts allows for the Course to be called into question and examined anew.
Hopf maps and quadratic forms over ℤ

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a settlement of the problem for the case of three classical Hopf fibrations S3→S2, S7→S4, and S15→S8. Not much has been done in the direction of the arithmetic of general quadratic mappings after the model of the theory of sphere bundles in topology. Until recently, it was not even tried to consider an elementary diophantine problem, a system of three quadratic forms in four variables, related to the well-known map of 3-sphere to 2-sphere initiated by Hopf. The chapter describes a flexible method so that all three of the above mentioned cases can be treated almost uniformly. The new method indicates that for a general quadratic map of Hopf type, there is associated a family of lattices and the original diophantine problem is reduced to the diophantine problem of a single quadratic form considered on each lattice of the family.
Marx, Sraffa, and Surplus: Observations Prompted by Garegnani (2018)

In a posthumously published article, Pierangelo Garegnani (2018. ‘On the Labour Theory of Value in Marx and in the Marxist Tradition.’) depicts Marx’s project in Capital as that of ‘developing syst...
Outcomes following periacetabular tumor resection: A 25-year institutional experience

Backgrounds and objectives Following tumor resection involving the acetabulum (periacetabular), various methods of reconstruction exist. The objective of this study was to analyze functional outcomes and complication rates by extent of periacetabular tumor resection, as well as by method of reconstruction. Methods Twenty-three patients underwent periacetabular resection for a primary pelvic bone tumor from 1993-2018 at a single institution. Complications were documented and functional outcomes were assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scoring system. Results Mean age was 42.8 ± 22.6 years. Mean follow-up was 107 ± 75 months. MSTS scores were highest in patients with allograft reconstruction (80.2%) and lowest in saddle reconstruction (38.0%). MSTS scores were higher in patients with Type II periacetabular resection alone compared with Type II + additional resection (78.6% vs 60.3%; P = .019). Complications were lower in patients with Type II periacetabular resection alone (75% vs 28.6%; P = .036). Complications were highest following allograft reconstruction (78%) and lowest following hemipelvectomy without reconstruction (20%). Conclusion Patients who underwent allograft/APC or nonsaddle metallic reconstruction experienced the highest functional outcome scores, but also sustained a higher complication rate than patients with hemipelvectomy without reconstruction. Patients with resection of ilium and/or pubis in addition to the periacetabular region had lower functional outcome scores and higher risk for complication.
Design of self-adjusting control systems by use of a functional derivative technique

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the design of self-adjusting control systems by use of a functional derivative technique. Such systems are usually aimed at compensating drift in the controlled plant, often described by nonlinear differential equations. The compensation will be performed by a mechanism that receives measurements from the observed plant variables and also contains information about the control objective. In addition, owing to the drift, it is normally necessary to incorporate, in some way or another, an identification of the plant. As a rule, the mechanism needed for handling all this information and performing the optimization operations tends to become complex and awkward and impractical. The particular technique explored in the chapter leads to self-adjusting mechanisms whose main part can be implemented by solving differential equations only. There will be no need to store functions, or to invert matrices, and the implementation can be performed by analog means and with digital computers.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors for therapy of retinoblastoma

697 Retinoblastoma is a pediatric cancer and blinding eye disease. Combination chemotherapy is the current firstline therapy for larger RB tumors. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of various human cancers. In this study, we systematically characterized the potential utility of HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of retinoblastoma. Treatment of retinoblastoma cell lines (Y79, WERI-Rb1, Rb143) and human primary retinoblastoma cells (Rb641) with various HDAC inhibitors significantly decreased cell viability in a concentration dependent manner. HDAC inhibitor treatment also resulted in G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death as demonstrated by increased caspase-3/7 activity and annexin V binding. In vitro cell viability assays using HDAC inhibitors in combination with one of the standard agents in RB therapy (carboplatin, etoposide, or vincristine) displayed additive or synergistic cytotoxic effects. We also tested the therapeutic effects of the benzamide, MS-275, in a transgenic murine model of retinoblastoma. In a dose escalation study, we observed no retinal toxicity after a single 1 uL intraocular injection of up to 10 umol/L MS-275. A single intraperitoneal injection of up to 4 mg MS-275 was used to study the drug’s ability to cross the blood-retinal barrier. An increase in the level of acetylated histone H3 protein from whole eye extracts confirmed intraocular penetration of MS-275 after systemic treatment. Retinoblastoma tumor burden was significantly reduced in animals treated with 20 mg/kg MS-275 intraperitoneally every other day for 21 days, relative to vehicle treated controls.
Infrared interlayer excitons in MoS2/WSe2 van der Waals heterostructures

Heterostructures of monolayers of transition-metal dichalcogenides are considered promising for future ultra-thin opto-electronic applications. They also host intriguing basic phenomena like moire patterns and correlated electronic states. However, their absorption and emission spectra have so far been restricted to wavelengths shorter than 1000 nm, inaccessible to established technologies in the infra-red like silicon photonics. In this talk I will present the ongoing study of interlayer excitons in WSe2/MoS2 heterostructures. Owing to the large band offset between these materials, their heterostructure features an interlayer exciton emitting light around 1200 nm. This may couple photonic technologies in that range (close to the O-band) to the fundamental phenomena in these heterostructure. I will discuss the comprehensive exploration of the fundamental properties of these excitons such as: tunability, momentum assignment, polarization selection rules, lifetimes, moire physics, etc.
There is no Post-focal De-phrasing in English

This paper studies the relationship between prosodic phrasing and prominence by addressing the questions of whether every prosodic phrase must have a head (a most prominent sub-constituent), and if so, how the head is marked. I study these questions by examining the intermediate phrase (iP) in English. If every iP must have a head, and this head must be marked by a pitch accent, then in an environment without any pitch accent, there should be no head/non-head distinction. And if there is no head, there should be no iP in this context either. I conducted a production study in English, and found durational evidence suggesting the presence of iP boundaries in an accent-less context. I also searched for durational evidence for iP-level prominence distinctions in this context, but here my results are mixed. One theoretical possibility that is compatible with my findings is that every phrase must have a head, but the head of an iP can be marked by something other than pitch accent, for example by phrasal stress.
An Assessment of the Social Determinants of Health in an Urban Emergency Department

Introduction: Social determinants of health (SDOH) have significant impacts on patients who seek care in the emergency department (ED). We administered a social needs screening tool and needs assessment survey to assess SDOH and evaluate for trends in the population of patients visiting our ED. Methods: A survey was distributed via convenience sampling to adult ED patients to capture self-reported demographic information and data about social needs. We categorized the questions related to SDOH based on the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification coding format and created a composite variable called “SDOH Strata” based on the SDOH Index scores (0-5-low, 6-10-middle, or ≥11-high). We conducted bivariate analyses using the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients and their SDOH Strata using Fisher’s exact test. We then conducted multinomial logistic regression to examine the association between the patients’ sociodemographic characteristics and the SDOH Strata. Results: A total of 269 surveys were collected. We observed that Hispanic/Latino patients were more than two times as likely (odds ratio: 2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12,-6.51) to be in the higher impact stratum than in the lower impact stratum. Those who were undocumented had 3.43 times increased adjusted odds (95% CI, 1.98, 9.53) of being in the higher than the lower impact stratum compared to US citizens. Additionally, people speaking Spanish as their primary language were 5.16 times as likely to be in the higher impact stratum compared to the reference (English-speaking and lower impact stratum). Conclusion: In our patient population, patients noted to have the highest impact burden of the SDOH were those who identified as Hispanic/Latino, Spanish-speaking, and undocumented immigrant status.
Perinatal Maternal Mental Health and Breastfeeding Are Associated with Infant and Toddler Sensory Profiles.

Infants’ sensory processing may impact their development and daily functioning in multiple domains, as does the mental health of their mothers. Little research has been conducted exploring the novel construct of sensory processing in relation to maternal mental health and arguably one of the most important co-occupations during this sensitive time (i.e., breastfeeding), which may also be impacted by maternal mental health. Therefore, this study aims to explore associations between maternal mental health, the co-occupation of breastfeeding, and the sensory processing profiles of infants. Specifically, a sample of maternal-offspring dyads was examined from pre-gestation through the infant’s age of 18 months. Mothers completed well-validated and contemporary self-report questionnaires of mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety symptom severity) and sensory processing across time points. Findings yielded statistically significant relationships between maternal prenatal and postnatal anxiety and depression symptom severity and infants’ sensory processing profiles. Further connections were found between infants’ sensory processing profiles and both duration and frequency of breastfeeding. The study provides health care professionals with additional perspectives on how maternal mental health status and breastfeeding may be related to infants’ sensory processing profiles.
Impact of Cloud Computing on Librarians at Small and Rural Academic Libraries

Impact of Cloud Computing on Librarians at Small and Rural Academic Libraries Deborah Tritt and Kaetrena Davis Kendrick 2 Reflective Teaching: Improving Library Instruction Through Self-Reflection Mandi Goodsett 12 SELA News 16 Library News 17 Personnel News 23 Book Reviews Southern Women Novelists and the Civil War: Trauma and Collective Memory in the American Literary Tradition since 1861 Review by Dr. Carol Walker Jordan 26 Bearwallow: A Personal History of a Mountain Homeland Review by Kathelene McCarty Smith 26 River of Hope: Black Politics and the Memphis Freedom Movement, 1865 to 1954 Review by Dr. Carol Walker Jordan 27 The Market Preparation of Carolina Rice: An Illustrated History of Innovation in the Lowcountry Rice Kingdom Review by Dr. Carol Walker Jordan 28 Duncan Hines: How a Traveling Salesman Became the Most Trusted Name in Food Review by Karen J. Cook 28 In Remembrance of Emmett Till. Regional Stories and Media Responses to the Black Freedom Struggle Review by Peter R. Dean 29 Regular Features Guidelines for Submission and Author Instructions 31 Editorial Staff & State Representatives 32 Volume 62, Number 3, Fall 2014
Review of Open Access: What You Need to Know Now

The scholarly publishing crisis is by no means a new concept. The rising cost of journals has been pricing libraries out of subscriptions for years now. This crunch on libraries' acquisitions budge...
Space Technology 7 (ST7) Mission

First page of article Keywords: space technology 7 (ST7) mission; space technology 7's (ST7) disturbance reduction system (DRS)
Enrichment and association of bacteria and particulates in salt marsh surface water.

Elevated counts of bacteria were found during outgoing tides in surface microlayers (∼300 μm) of Sippewissett salt marsh, Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Palo Alto salt marsh, Palo Alto, California. At both sampling sites, the degrees by which bacteria were concentrated into the surface microlayer were linearly dependent upon surface concentration of particulate material. A significant percentage of bacteria in the microlayer were found to be attached to particulate material, while bacterial populations in the subsurface water were largely planktonic. Proportions of the bacterial populations which could be grown on seawater nutrient agar were also greater in the microlayer than in the subsurface waters and were positively correlated with the fraction of bacteria attached to particulate matter. Data from these studies suggest that particulates in the microlayer waters of the salt marsh influenced the observed increase in both the readily grown and the total numbers of bacteria.
Hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 beta contains two transcriptional activation domains, one of which is novel and conserved with the Drosophila fork head protein.

Abstract The hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (HNF-3) gene family is composed of three proteins (alpha, beta, and gamma) that are transcription factors involved in the coordinate expression of several liver genes. All three proteins share strong homology in their DNA binding domains (region I) and are able to recognize the same DNA sequence. They also possess two similar stretches of amino acids at the carboxyl terminus (regions II and III) and a fourth segment of homology at the amino terminus (region IV). Furthermore, the HNF-3 proteins demonstrate homology with the Drosophila homeotic gene fork head in regions I, II, and III, suggesting that HNF-3 may be its mammalian homolog. In order to define HNF-3 beta protein domains involved in transcriptional activation, we have used a reporter gene, whose transcription is dependent on HNF-3 binding, for hepatoma cell cotransfection assays with expression vectors that produced different truncated HNF-3 beta proteins. A position-independent activation domain which contained conserved regions II and III was identified at the carboxyl terminus of the HNF-3 beta protein (amino acids 361 to 458). Moreover, site-directed mutations that altered the sequences within regions II and III demonstrated their importance to transactivation. The region II-III domain does not possess amino acid sequences in common with other transcription factors and may define a novel activation motif. HNF-3 beta amino-terminal sequences defined by conserved region IV also contributed to transactivation, but region IV activity required the participation of the region II-III domain. Region IV is abundant in serine amino acids and contains two putative casein kinase I phosphorylation sites, a feature similar to protein motifs described for the transcription factors Pit-1/GHF-1 and HNF-1.
Prescription of opioid and nonopioid analgesics for dental care in emergency departments: Findings from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine trends and associated factors in the prescription of opioid analgesics, nonopioid analgesics, opioid and nonopioid analgesic combinations, and no analgesics by emergency physicians for nontraumatic dental condition (NTDC)-related visits. Our secondary aim was to investigate whether race/ethnicity is a possible predictor of receiving a prescription for either type of medication for NTDC visits in emergency departments (EDs) after adjustment for potential covariates. Methods We analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for 1997-2000 and 2003-2007, and used multinomial multivariate logistic regression to estimate the probability of receiving a prescription for opioid analgesics, nonopioid analgesics, or a combination of both, compared with receiving no analgesics for NTDC-related visits. Results During 1997-2000 and 2003-2007, prescription of opioid analgesics and combinations of opioid and nonopioid analgesics increased, and that of no analgesics decreased over time. The prescription rates for opioid analgesics, nonopioid analgesics, opioid and nonopioid analgesic combinations, and no analgesics for NTDC-related visits in EDs were 43 percent, 20 percent, 12 percent, and 25 percent, respectively. Majority of patients categorized as having severe pain received prescriptions for opioids for NTDC-related visits in EDs. After adjusting for covariates, patients with self-reported dental reasons for visit and severe pain had a significantly higher probability of receiving prescriptions for opioid analgesics and opioid and nonopioid analgesic combinations. Conclusions Prescription of opioid analgesics increased over time. ED physicians were more likely to prescribe opioid analgesics and opioid and nonopioid analgesic combinations for NTDC-related visits with reported severe pain.
Penicillin-induced epileptogenesis in immature rat CA3 hippocampal pyramidal cells.

Penicillin's ability to produce epileptiform discharges in the CA3 region of hippocampus was examined both extracellularly and intracellularly in slices taken from immature rats 3–25 days of age. Comparisons were made to similar recordings from slices taken from mature rats. Between postnatal days 9 and 19 penicillin treatment resulted in spontaneous extracellular epileptiform bursts and coincident intracellular depolarization shifts. These events were more prolonged and less frequent than in slices from mature rats, and the bursts were followed by prolonged afterdischarges, often 20–30 s in duration. Intracellularly these afterdischarges consisted of large, rhythmic slow depolarizing potentials, which resulted in one or more action potentials in individual CA3 pyramidal cells. Extracellular field recordings showed these events to be simultaneous with synchronous discharges of a large population of CA3 pyramidal cells. In pups 1–2 weeks of age the ability of hippocampus to produce prolonged afterdischarges was associated with a slow depolarizing afterpotential, which followed the downstroke of the depolarization shift. Coincident with this afterpotential was a prolonged negative field in the CA3 pyramidal cell body layer. By postnatal days 24 and 25 the tendency to generate afterdischarges was greatly reduced. In addition, afterdischarges were observed infrequently in slices taken during the first postnatal week. Spike trains produced by prolonged intracellular current injection in slices taken on postnatal days 9–19 were followed by large afterhyperpolarizations and were unable to produce afterdischarges in individual CA3 pyramidal cells. Intracellular recordings from presumed glial cells suggest that extracellular K+ accumulation may play a role in the pronounced capacity of hippocampus from 1- and 2-week-old rat pups to generate prolonged afterdischarges.
Effects of hypoxia and intracellular iron chelation on hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and -1β in the rat carotid body and glomus cells

The present investigation provides for the first time, unambiguous information on the occurrence of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1alpha and HIF-1beta proteins) in normoxia (Nx) and their interaction with hypoxia (Hx) and intracellular Fe(2+) chelation in the rat carotid body (CB) glomus cells. HIF-1alpha bound to HIF-1beta translocated into the nucleus is identified on the basis of immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. In Nx, a weak expression of HIF-1alpha was observed in CB glomus cells. However, exposure of CB and glomus cells to Hx (Po(2) approximately 7 Torr) and Nx with ciclopirox olamine (CPX, 5 microM) for 1 h showed a significant ( P<0.001) increase in HIF-1alpha protein. The CBs and glomus cells exposed to Nx, Hx, and Nx with CPX showed a constant level of HIF-1beta protein expression. HIF-1alpha subunit is continuously synthesized and degraded under normoxic conditions, while it accumulates rapidly following exposure to low oxygen tensions. Hydroxylation of HIF-1alpha by prolyl hydroxylase for proteasomal degradation was dependent on iron, 2-oxoglutarate, and oxygen concentration. The intracellular iron that acts as a cofactor for prolyl hydroxylase activity belongs to the labile iron pool and can be easily chelated. Thus, chelation of intracellular labile iron by CPX in Nx significantly increased HIF-1alpha in CB glomus cells. Thus, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that HIF-1alpha which is present in the glomus cells translocates to the nucleus during exposure to Hx and to CPX in Nx.
Issues of Consequence: Lessons for Educating Tomorrow's Business Leaders From Philosopher William James

The philosophy of William James (1842–1910) provides guidance to business educators as they steer their students in a new direction that is consistent with capitalism, yet elevates our expectations...
Acquired pyloric obstruction in a patient with epidermolysis bullosa letalis

The quantity of amniotic fluid was normal, being assured by the healthy co-twin who shared the same sack. This allowed natural fetal growth and may have prevented the " te t ra&" The tetrad characteristics have been reported absent in newborn infants with kidney agenesis and an alternative source of amniotic fluid, such as esophageal a tresia] myelomeningocele, iniencephaly, 3 or sirenomelia? Another demonstration of the importance of oligohydramhies has been seen in pregnancies with chronic leakage of amniotic fluid, 5 and in experimental amniocentesis in rats. 6 In these cases some tetrad features are present, although kidney agenesis is absent. Some authors disagree with Thomas and Smith and claim that the syndrome could derive from polygenic or autosomal-recessive inher i tanceY Because of the rarity of these conditions, they are difficult to demonstrate. Our case is a singular experimental model of nature, which tends to confirm Thomas and Smith's hypothesis on the basic role of oligohydramnios in causing the nonrenal features of Potter syndrome.
Effect of Long-Term Calcitonin Therapy on the Clinical Course of Osteogenesis Imperfecta

10 children with osteogenesis imperfecta, 4 with “tarda” and 6 with “congenita” varieties of the disease, were treated with salmon calcitonin (SCT) for intervals ranging from 14 to 35 months. Responses to SCT therapy in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta tarda were characterized by an apparent decreased fracture incidence in three, a fall in either alkaline or acid phosphatase, and a rate of increase in forearm bone mass which was greater than that observed in an untreated “tarda” population. The chemical response SCT therapy varied in children with osteogenesis imperfecta congenita, only one demonstrating a decrease in both acid phosphatase and urinary hydroxyproline. Three others responded with a rise in acid phosphatase, two of whom also demonstrated a fall in urinary hydroxyproline; in two other “congenita” patients urinary hydroxyproline was actually higher after SCT treatment and acid phosphatase relatively unchanged. Alkaline phosphatase was normal in all “congenita” patients before and followin...
Some effects of selenium deficiency on the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 system in the rat.

The hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 system was investigated in male rats fed a selenium-deficient Torula yeast diet for 3 mo after weaning and in control rats fed the same diet with 0.5 μg selenium as Na2SeO3 added per gram of diet. Cytochrome P-450 and b5 contents, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, ethylmorphine demethylase, 2- and 4-biphenyl hydroxylase activities, and pentobarbital sleeping time were measured and the effect of phenobarbital pretreatment on these parameters was determined. The effect of 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment on all parameters except sleeping time was studied. Selenium deficiency caused no alterations in any of the above activities in untreated or 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats. However, phenobarbital treatment in seleniumdeficient rats produced an increase in cytochrome P-450 content of only 70% as compared to 150% in the similarly treated controls. The induction of ethylmorphine demethylase activity by phenobarbital was also impaired in selenium-deficient rats. No such impairment in the induction of cytochrome b5 content, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity, biphenyl hydroxylase activity, or pentobarbital sleeping time occurred. The percentage of the carbon monoxide-reactive cytochrome P-450 which bound metyrapone was the same in phenobarbital-treated selenium-deficient rats and in phenobarbital-treated controls. Also the cytochrome P-450 ethyl isocyanide binding spectra were similar in phenobarbital-treated selenium-deficient rats and in phenobarbital-treated control rats. These data indicate a specific effect of selenium in the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 system. The biochemical function of selenium giving rise to this effect is unknown.
Analysis of Italian seismicity by using a nonextensive approach

Abstract Using the INGV (National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) seismic catalogue, nonextensive analysis of the instrumental seismicity of Italy was performed. The time span of the analyzed catalogue is from April 16, 2005 to March 31, 2009, and only events with magnitude ML ≥ 1.9 were considered. The analysis of the spatial variation of the nonextensive parameters q and a was performed by means of scanning the Italian territory by a 1° × 1° spatial window, with a shift of 0.2° in longitude and latitude. The nonextensive parameters were estimated by means of the Levenberg–Marquadt nonlinear least square fitting method, and the obtained results were checked for stability with the variation of a0 and q0, the initial values of the parameters in the fitting procedure. It was found that the q value is relatively low in areas, in which the strongest events (Mw > 5.5 during the last 40 years) occurred. This finding could suggest that different earthquake triggering mechanisms govern the Italian seismicity, stick–slip-like where q is relatively low and fragment-asperity interaction-type where q is relatively high. Of course new analyses from different areas are needed in order to test such findings.
Radiation from a Dipole near a Conducting Cylinder of Finite Length

Antennas radiating in free space or above a reflecting plane produce radiation patterns which are in general predictable. When these same antennas are mounted on bodies such as aircraft, submarines, or satellites, secondary currents may be induced on the fuselages and nearby conducting members. These secondary currents often result in unpredictable radiation in the forms of newly introduced polarizations or unwanted lobe structures which together may manifest themselves in the form of radio-frequency interference. As a model of the fuselage of either of the aforementioned conducting bodies, a cylinder of finite length is considered and the radiation fields of a radial dipole in the immediate vicinity of such a cylinder are determined by a theoretical-numerical technique. A cross- polarized field due to axial currents induced along the cylinder is found to represent a predominant feature of the radiation characteristics of the dipole-cylinder configuration.
Effect of crystal composition on the optimization of radiative recombination in N‐free and N‐doped In1−xGaxP light‐emitting diodes

The pressure dependence of the band‐to‐band electroluminescence of In1−xGaxP diodes is measured. By weighting these measurements with the photopic eye response, we determine the optimum In1−xGaxP LED composition to be x?0.67 (E∼2.13 eV, λ∼5800 A). Recent data for the Γ and X band gaps and also for the N isoelectronic‐trap energies in In1−xGaxP : N [i.e., EΓ(x), EX(x), and EN(x), 300 °K] are used to estimate the effects of band‐structure enhancement on N‐trap‐assisted recombination and LED efficiency. The optimum composition for N‐doped In1−xGaxP LED’s is determined to be x?0.69 (E∼2.03 eV, λ∼6100 A). Based on these results, N‐doped In1−xGaxP, or In1−xP1−zAsz (z∼0.01), should prove to be a better LED material than N‐doped GaAs1−yPy if crystal and junction preparation can be reduced to a practical rather than research art.
Application of mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) 4C10-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for amandin detection in almond (Prunus dulcis L.) genotypes and hybrids

Abstract Amandin presence in 108 almond genotypes/hybrids and 80 almond marketing varieties grown in different locations was determined using murine monoclonal antibody 4C10-based sandwich ELISA. The results indicated that amandin was present in all the tested samples. The ELISA immunoreactivity variations were up to 8 fold among genotypes/hybrids and 2.5 fold among the almond marketing varieties. Amandin content variations were also confirmed using Western blot and dot blot. No correlation was observed between almond seed size and total soluble protein or amandin content.
Foxp2 and Foxp1 cooperatively regulate lung and esophagus development.

The airways of the lung develop through a reiterative process of branching morphogenesis that gives rise to the intricate and extensive surface area required for postnatal respiration. The forkhead transcription factors Foxp2 and Foxp1 are expressed in multiple foregut-derived tissues including the lung and intestine. In this report, we show that loss of Foxp2 in mouse leads to defective postnatal lung alveolarization, contributing to postnatal lethality. Using in vitro and in vivo assays, we show that T1alpha, a lung alveolar epithelial type 1 cell-restricted gene crucial for lung development and function, is a direct target of Foxp2 and Foxp1. Remarkably, loss of a single Foxp1 allele in addition to complete loss of Foxp2 results in increased severity of morphological defects in mutant lungs and leads to perinatal loss of all Foxp2-/-;Foxp1+/- mice. Expression of N-myc and Hop, crucial regulators of lung development, is compromised in Foxp2-/-;Foxp1+/- mutants. In addition to the defects in lung development, esophageal muscle development is disrupted in Foxp2-/-;Foxp1+/- embryos, a tissue where Foxp2 and Foxp1 are co-expressed. These data identify Foxp2 and Foxp1 as crucial regulators of lung and esophageal development, underscoring the necessity of these transcription factors in the development of anterior foregut-derived tissues and demonstrating functional cooperativity between members of the Foxp1/2/4 family in tissues where they are co-expressed.
Flux phase models in three dimensions

Abstract We consider a long-wavelength theory for fermions propagating on a two-dimensional lattice in the presence of a background flux distribution and discuss the symmetries of the solutions. These notions are then generalized to three spatial dimensions, where the background flux is due to effective magnetic monopole fields. The nature of the long-wavelength solutions is again discussed.
Investigation of Curved Polymeric Piezoelectric Active Diaphragms

Piezoelectric active diaphragms hold promise as an alternative to using passive diaphragms driven by voice coils for sound generation and noise cancellation applications. This paper presents an in-depth investigation of the acoustic response for curved polymeric piezoelectric active diaphragms. Simple analytical models were derived and experimentally validated to predict the structural dynamic and acoustic responses for generic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) constant curvature active diaphragms with variable geometric parameters (width, radius, subtended angle, thickness). These models are useful for design purposes and for capturing the overall behavioral trends. To analyze the acoustic response mechanisms further, three-dimensional numerical models were also developed and experimentally validated. Parametric studies based upon these models reveal the potential of high acoustic outputs (over 100 dB in the far field) from optimized geometric configurations with subtended angles differing from the conventionally utilized flat, semicircular or circular configurations. These studies, corroborated by experiments on a variety of active diaphragm prototypes, conclude that the acoustic output is governed by the structural ring resonance, which can be designed such that the most efficient acoustic radiation is within the particular frequency range of operation.
More or less chimerism: does it matter?

Comment on Baron et al, page [2254][1] The level of donor chimerism in T and NK cells early after allogeneic nonmyeloablative transplantation identifies patients at risk for rejection or GVHD, thus allowing possible preemptive strategies for their prevention. Hematopoietic stem cell
Information resources for men with cancer

Finding accurate information on the Internet can be overwhelming and frustrating, for novice and sophisticated computer users alike. A search for cancer information can turn up thousands of Web sites, not all of which are reliable or well organized. The goal of this article is to point computer users to an array of credible Web sites for cancers that frequently affect men. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.2 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, over 600,000 of them men. United States men have about a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer compared with a 1 in 3 risk for women. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. The Web sites selected address the cancers that occur most frequently and have the highest death, rates among men in the United States.
Immediate effects of lower cervical spine manipulation on handgrip strength and free-throw accuracy of asymptomatic basketball players: a pilot study

Objective The purpose of this pilot study was to collect preliminary information for a study to determine the immediate effects of a single unilateral chiropractic manipulation to the lower cervical spine on handgrip strength and free-throw accuracy in asymptomatic male recreational basketball players.
A combined WKB-variational method for compact quantum electrodynamics in (2 + 1) dimensions

Abstract A combined WKB-variational formalism is used to study vacuum tunnelling in gauage theories with massless particles. First, the wave function and energy of the vacuum state is derived using the standard WKB method. This result is shown to have the same limitations as the dilute-gas approximation in the euclidean path-integral approach, the difficulty being associated with the existence of a massless particle which gives rise to a long-range pseudoparticle interaction. To overcome this difficulty, a combined WKB-variational method is proposed to construct the modified wave function of the ground state in the presence of external static charges. The shift of the ground-state energy is calculated using the modified wave function and confinement of opposite charges is derived.