cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Commercial extracellular matrix scaffolds for rotator cuff tendon repair. Biomechanical, biochemical, and cellular properties.

Background: We are not aware of any in vitro study comparing the biomechanical, biochemical, and cellular properties of commercial extracellular matrix materials marketed for rotator cuff tendon repair. In this study, the properties of GraftJacket, TissueMend, Restore, and CuffPatch were quantified and compared with each other. The elastic moduli were also compared with that of normal canine infraspinatus tendon. Methods: Samples were tested from different manufacturing lots of four materials: GraftJacket (ten lots), TissueMend (six), Restore (ten), and CuffPatch (six). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare thickness, stiffness, and modulus as well as hydroxyproline, chondroitin/dermatan sulfate glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronan, and DNA contents among these matrices. The moduli of the extracellular matrices were also compared with those of normal canine infraspinatus tendon. Results: All four extracellular matrices required 10% to 30% stretch before they began to carry substantial load. Their maximum moduli were realized in their linear region at 30% to 80% strain. The elastic moduli of all four commercial matrices were an order of magnitude lower than that of canine infraspinatus tendon. TissueMend had significantly higher DNA content than the other three matrices (p < 0.0001), although both Restore and GraftJacket also had measurable amounts of DNA. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate chemical and mechanical differences among the four commercial extracellular matrices that we evaluated. Probably, the source (dermis or small intestine submucosa), species (human, porcine, or bovine), age of the donor (fetal or adult), and processing of these matrices all contribute to the unique biophysical properties of the delivered product. The biochemical composition of commercial extracellular matrices is similar to that of tendon. However, the elastic moduli of these materials are an order of magnitude lower than that of tendon, suggesting a limited mechanical role in augmentation of tendon repair. Clinical Relevance: These data will help inform and guide the clinical community with regard to the appropriate use of commercially available extracellular matrix products for augmentation of rotator cuff tendon repair. Knowledge of the biophysical properties of these materials is fundamental to making an educated decision about whether a given matrix might provide mechanical augmentation and/or enhance the biology of tendon-to-bone healing.
Sinus bradycardia and multiple episodes of sinus arrest following administration of ibutilide

Ibutilide is a Vaughan-Williams class III antiarrhythmic agent used for conversion of recent onset atrial flutter and fibrillation.1 We present the first case report of multiple sinus arrest episodes following administration of ibutilide in a patient with latent sinus node dysfunction. A 79 year old woman with a history of hypertension, angina, and heart failure presented to the emergency department with exacerbation of heart failure. Medications before admission included metoprolol, digoxin, nitroglycerin, and aspirin. On day 6, she complained of pleuritic pain radiating to the left arm and neck. Electrocardiography revealed atrial fibrillation with intermittent periods of atrial flutter. She became tachypnoeic with …
Barrett's high-grade dysplasia: wait and watch?

Abstract In this study, Schnell and colleagues at the Hines VA in Illinois, report their experience in patients with Barrett’s high-grade dysplasia. Over a 20-year period, 1099 patients were diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus including 79 patients (7.1%) with high-grade dysplasia (HGD). These patients opted for continued surveillance (rather than esophagectomy) and were followed with an intensive periodic endoscopic surveillance (every 3 months during the first year, followed by variable surveillance thereafter ranging from every 3–24 months depending on the patient’s overall health status) by one of two endoscopists. A single pathologist reviewed all biopsies. The initial HGD group consisted of 34 patients diagnosed at the time of initial endoscopy (prevalence group) and 45 patients who subsequently progressed to HGD (incidence group). Four (5%) of the 75 patients were noted to have adenocarcinoma on intensive endoscopic surveillance within the first year and were excluded from the analysis (with the assumption being that these cases were those of undetected adenocarcinoma). Of the remaining 75 patients: 63 patients (84%) remained cancer free while only 12 patients (16%) progressed to adenocarcinoma during a mean 7.3 year surveillance period (range: 0.5–12.3 years). Eleven of these 12 patients who were compliant with the surveillance program had early curable cancer when detected and were subsequently considered cured with surgery or ablation therapy. The authors conclude that: 1) HGD without cancer in Barrett’s esophagus follows a relatively benign course in the majority of patients. 2) In those patients who eventually progress to cancer during surveillance, surgical resection is curative 3) Given the reported high morbidity and mortality associated with esophagectomy, endoscopic surveillance may be a better, safer follow-up strategy for Barrett’s patients who have HGD without cancer.
The effects of a provocation on aggression for three types of alcohol users.

Investigated the effects of a provocation on aggression for three types of alcohol users. The Alcohol Use Inventory was used to select 30 light-moderate and 30 moderate drinkers. Thirty abstainers were selected as a control group. Half of each group was assigned randomly to one of two treatments, a provocation or a no-provocation. After treatment, each S completed the Adjective Rating Form (ARF) verbal aggression scales and the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist (MAACL). The results of this study indicated that, for both instruments, the provocation elicited significantly more feelings of hostility and verbal aggression than the no-provocation. However, there were no significant level effects, nor was there a significant interaction between level of drinking and presence of a provocation. The failure to find significant level effects was attributed to the abstainers' scores. With the abstainer category excluded from the analysis, additional findings resulted in significant level effects for the MAACL hostility scales, but not for the ARF verbal aggression scales. It was recommended that future studies investigate risk factors of abstinence and eliminate the abstainer category as a control. Language: en
The kinetic properties and sensitivity to pyruvate inhibition of tissue lactate dehydrogenase in diving and nondiving reptiles.

Abstract 1. 1. The kinetic properties and susceptibility to pyruvate inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were examined in three tissues of the freshwater turtle, Pseudemys scripta, and two snake species, Elaphe obsoleta and Nerodia rhombifera. 2. 2. Brain and heart LDH activity of the snakes surpassed that of Pseudemys at pyruvate concentrations between 0.03 and 0.50 mM. The snakes also had lower apparent Km and higher Vmax values than Pseudemys. 3. 3. Liver LDH activity, apparent Km, and Vmax were highest in Elaphe, and there were no differences between Km or Vmax values of Nerodia and Pseudemys. 4. 4. In each tissue, snake LDH was less susceptible to pyruvate inhibition than was Pseudemys LDH. 5. 5. The results indicate that Pseudemys LDH is no better adapted to withstand anaerobic conditions than is that of Nerodia or Elaphe.
Simulation and model reduction for the AFW program

The simulation methodology used in the Active Flexible Wing wind-tunnel test program is described. An overview of the aeroservoelastic modeling used in building the required batch and hot-bench simulations is presented. Successful hot-bench implementation required that the full mathematical model be significantly reduced while assuring that accuracy be maintained for all combinations of 10 inputs and 56 outputs. The reduction was accomplished by using a method based on internally balanced realizations and focussing on the linear, aeroelastic portion of the full mathematical model. The error-bound properties of the internally balanced realization significantly contribute to its utility in the model reduction process. The reduction method and the results achieved are described.
Fatigue crack initiation and microcrack growth in 4140 steel

Initiation and growth of fatigue microcracks were studied in vacuum degassed 4140 steel in three conditions: as-quenched, tempered at 400°C, and tempered at 650°C. Micro-scopic examinations were made of specimens with metallographically polished notches using a 400 times long working distance microscope with an x-y micrometer base mounted directly on an MTS machine. Following Barsom and McNicol, the cycles to fatigue crack initiationNi were plottedvs ΔK/√p and threshhold values of gDK√p were determined. The data of logNi vs log [ΔK/√p-ΔK/√p|th] fit on a straight line. Microcracks grew most rapidly in as-quenched specimens and least rapidly in 650°C tempered specimens at the same ΔK/√p. In as-quenched specimens, fatigue cracks initiated at grain boundaries but in the 400 and 650°C tempered specimens they initiated at intrusions-extrusions.
Climate change mitigation in a regionalized world

This paper describes two mitigation scenarios leading to the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations at 550 and 750ppm. These mitigation scenarios are developed from the A2-ASF baseline scenario, which characterizes a regionalized world with continuous population growth (to about 15 billion in 2100), relatively slow technological progress, and high CO2 emissions reaching 28 Gt of carbon by 2100. It is argued here that large-scale GHG emission abatement measures needed to reach the agreed stabilization targets in such a world can be implemented only if negative impacts of global climate change become imminent and severe and opportunities for adaptation are limited. A single measure to reduce GHG emissions in the current analysis is a carbon tax on fossil fuels, the full amount of which is translated into an increase in corresponding fuel prices. This increase leads to an absolute reduction in fossil fuel use and a switch to non-fossil energy sources, such as nuclear energy and renewables. In order to reach the desired stabilization target, the 2100 total energy use has to be reduced to 50% of the baseline level for the 550ppm level and to 70% for the 750ppm level. At the regional level, the largest relative reductions are implemented in regions with relatively high per capita GDP growth and regions with a relatively low cost of renewable energy.
Achieving conservation-effectiveness in the tropics using legume intercrops

Summary The effects of plant canopy and legume intercropping on the yield, runoff and soil loss from maize and cassava were studied using runoff plots on an oxic Aridisol on Molokai, Hawaii. The use of legumes as ground covers reduced runoff and soil loss from maize. Similar beneficial effects were also gained from legume intercropping of cassava. Besides providing protection against runoff and erosion, legume intercrops also induced yield gains in succeeding crops due to nutritional contributions from their residues and added income in the case of groundnut. The observed short-term and longterm benefits indicate that legume intercropping should be favored as a strategy for sustaining the productivity and stability of cropping systems.
Ketamine-induced loss of phenotype of fast-spiking interneurons is mediated by NADPH-oxidase

Abuse of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine can lead to a syndrome indistinguishable from schizophrenia. In animals, repetitive exposure to this N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor antagonist induces the dysfunction of a subset of cortical fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons, with loss of expression of parvalbumin and the gamma-aminobutyric acid-producing enzyme GAD67. We show here that exposure of mice to ketamine induced a persistent increase in brain superoxide due to activation in neurons of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. Decreasing superoxide production prevented the effects of ketamine on inhibitory interneurons in the prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that NADPH oxidase may represent a novel target for the treatment of ketamine-induced psychosis.
Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment: What Are the Differences?.

The authors conducted a content analysis of prevention definitions in the general prevention literature. The pros and cons of the traditional trilogy (primary, secondary, and tertiary) of prevention definitions are examined, along with a description of key concepts, such as end-states, timing, targets, and eligibility criteria. The authors propose a conceptual alternative to this prevention trilogy, in favor of one that distinguished among prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Exact Sum Rules as Consequences of Low-Energy Theorems and Unsubtracted Dispersion Relations

Working with the equal-time commutation relations of vector current densities including the Schwinger term, the low-energy theorems for the Compton scattering of isovector photons by nucleons have been obtained. Assuming unsubtracted dispersion relations, sum rules which have been previously obtained by several authors have been reproduced and the relations between the previous derivations and the present work are discussed.
Impact of neutropenia duration on short-term mortality in neutropenic critically ill cancer patients.

Abstract Objective. To identify predictors of 30-day mortality and to assess the impact of neutropenia recovery (NR) on 30-day mortality in critically ill cancer patients (CICPs). Design and setting. Retrospective review of the medical records of the 102 neutropenic CICPs admitted to a medical intensive care unit (ICU) over a 10-year period. Intervention. None. Measurements and results. Malignancies consisted of acute leukemia (n=42), lymphoma (n=23), myeloma (n=28), and solid tumors (n=9). Reasons for ICU admission were acute respiratory failure (n=81), shock (n=58), acute renal failure (n=33), and coma (n=13). Seventy patients needed conventional mechanical ventilation (MV) and 21 noninvasive MV, 67 vasopressor agents, and 28 dialysis. Sixty-two patients experienced NR during their ICU stay. In a multivariate logistic regression model, 30-day mortality was higher in patients with acute respiratory or renal failure and lower in patients with NR (OR, 0.09 [0.01–0.86]). This model assumed that patients who experienced NR in the ICU were merely these who did not die early in the ICU. To take into account the effect of time to occurrence of NR on time to death we secondarily used a Cox model including neutropenia duration and NR as time-dependent variables. In this second model, the only significant predictors of 30-day mortality were age, respiratory failure, renal failure, and coma. Conclusion. Organ failure but not disease progression or neutropenia duration affect 30-day mortality in neutropenic CICPs. ICU-acquired events might be modeled as time-dependent variables in a Cox model, rather than standard covariates in logistic regression models.
Strongly efficient estimators for light-tailed sums

Let (Sn : n ≥ 0) be a mean zero random walk (rw) with light-tailed increments. One of the most fundamental problems in rare-event simulation involves computing P (Sn > nβ) for β > 0 when n is large. It is well known that the optimal exponential tilting (OET), although logarithmically efficient, is not strongly efficient (the squared coefficient of variation of the estimator grows at rate n1/2). Our analysis of the zero-variance change-of-measure provides useful insights into why OET is not strongly efficient. In particular, the iid nature of OET induces an overshoot over the boundary nβ that is too big and causes the coefficient of variation to grow as [EQUATION]. We study techniques used to provide a state-dependent change-of-measure that yields a strongly efficient estimator. The application of our state-dependent algorithm to the Gaussian case reveals the fine structure of the zero-variance change-of-measure. We see how (Sn : n ≥ 0) transitions from a rw under OET to a process that looks "mean reverting" aroung βn, indicating that less bias is required as the process approaches the boundary βn.
O-glycosylation of eukaryotic transcription factors: Implications for mechanisms of transcriptional regulation

Glycosylation is often regarded as being restricted to proteins confined to the cell surface or within the lumen of intracellular organelles. Here we show that the human RNA polymerase II transcription factor Sp1 bears multiple O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) monosaccharide residues. The lectin wheat germ agglutinin specifically inhibits the transcriptional activation but not the DNA binding function of Sp1. Furthermore, many other RNA polymerase II transcription factors also bear terminal GlcNAc residues, whereas most nuclear proteins, including RNA polymerase I and III transcription factors tested, do not. In some cases, only a subset of the polypeptide species within a particular family of closely related RNA polymerase II factors appears to be glycosylated. Our findings raise the possibility that O-linked GlcNAc residues play a role in the mechanism or regulation of transcriptional activation of RNA polymerase II.
His ideas are in my head: peer-to-peer teacher observations as professional development

This study examines an embedded professional development practice for secondary teachers, namely peer-to-peer observations (P2POs). P2POs involve teachers identifying goals and watching colleagues teach in order to expand their knowledge, practice and pedagogy. The research questions addressed are: what are teachers’ experiences with P2POs, and what do teachers learn, if anything, from P2POs? This study took place during the 2010/11 school year at a Midwest, suburban public high school located in the United States and relies on survey and interview data. Sixty-five percent of faculty (n = 28) responded to an online survey, and eight teachers and one administrator were interviewed (n = 9). Results indicate that P2POs afforded many teachers choice, on-site learning opportunities and increased collegial respect. Findings also highlight inherent challenges regarding this model of solitary, one-time professional development.
The effect of splint therapy on TMJ position measured by the Gerber Resiliency Test.

The Gerber Resiliency Test is a clinical approach to possible evaluation of compression or distraction in the temporomandibular joints. In this study the same principle was used to check the tendency of mechanical responses of joints to the use of bite-splints. Sequences of tests were performed on 18 adult patients of the UTHSCSA clinical pool who had been previously treated for splint therapy. From this population nine patients presented one or more symptoms of TMD and nine were free of symptoms. Separation of the molars with the use of one thickness of tin foil indicated tendency to compression in the joints and three or four thicknesses to distraction. The tests were performed during delivery of the appliance and 1 week later. One sample chi-square statistical test was performed and did not show any statistically significant difference between dysfunction and non-dysfunction groups (P < .05). At delivery, there was a higher frequency of distraction in both left and right joints (P < .05) when the splint was inserted. Compression was present at very low frequency. One week later, the joints did not stay distracted in the same frequency.
Coreference and meaning

Sometimes two expressions in a discourse can be about the same thing in a way that makes that very fact evident to the participants. Consider, for example, ‘he’ and ‘John’ in ‘John went to the store and he bought some milk’. Let us call this ‘de jure’ coreference. Other times, coreference is ‘de facto’ as with ‘Mark Twain’ and ‘Samuel Clemens’ in a sincere use of ‘Mark Twain is not Samuel Clemens’. Here, agents can understand the speech without knowing that the names refer to the same person. After surveying many available linguistic and pragmatic tools (intentions to corefer, presuppositions, meanings, indexing, discourse referents, binding etc.) I conclude that we must posit a new semantic primitive to account for de jure coreference.
Ultramicrochemistry of insect semiochemicals

Chemical ecology of the Insecta comprises an invisible environment where semiochemicals are the principal factors regulating the mating and host-selection of the one million or more species. Biologically effective concentrations of these semiochemicals range from 10−10 to 10−3 μg at the insect antennal receptors. These levels are virtually undetectable by conventional microchemistry, and can be measured only by behavioral bioassay and by electrophysiology which are about 10,000 and 100-fold more sensitive than gas chromatography.
Landscape-scale resources promote colony growth but not reproductive performance of bumble bees

Variation in the availability of food resources over space and time is a likely driver of how landscape structure and composition affect animal populations. Few studies, however, have directly assessed the spatiotemporal variation in resource availability that arises from landscape pattern, or its effect on populations and population dynamic parameters. We tested the effect of floral resource availability at the landscape scale on the numbers of worker, male, and queen offspring produced by bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, colonies experimentally placed within complex agricultural-natural landscapes. We quantified flower densities in all land use types at different times of the season and then used these data to calculate spatially explicit estimates of floral resources surrounding each colony. Floral availability strongly correlated with landscape structure, and different regions of the landscape showed distinct seasonal patterns of floral availability. The floral resources available in the landscape surrounding a colony positively affected the number of workers and males it produced. Production was more sensitive to early- than to later-season resources. Floral resources did not significantly affect queen production despite a strong correlation between worker number and queen number among colonies. No landscape produced high floral resources during both the early and late season, and seasonal consistency is likely required for greater queen production. Floral resources are important determinants of colony growth and likely affect the pollination services provided by bumble bees at a landscape scale. Spatiotemporal variation in floral resources across the landscape precludes a simple relationship between resources and reproductive success as measured by queens, but nonetheless likely influences the total abundance of bumble bees in our study region.
Thyroid Eye Disease

Thyroid eye disease is the most common cause of unilateral and bilateral proptosis in adults. It occurs most frequently in women aged 30 to 50 years. Clinical features include eyelid retraction, periorbital edema, conjunctival injection and chemosis, proptosis, extraocular muscle restriction, exposure keratopathy, and optic nerve compromise. Thyroid eye disease differs from idiopathic orbital myositis in that the latter is characterized by a more acute onset, more severe pain, and a rapid response to systemic corticosteroid therapy. Echography and computed tomography in thyroid eye disease reveal enlarged extraocular muscle bellies with relative sparing of the tendons. Despite evidence of an immune-mediated cause, the precise pathophysiologic mechanisms of thyroid eye disease remain unknown.
Effects of Suffix Repetition Rates of a String on the Performance of String Matching Algorithms

The highly efficient Boyer-Moore’s string matching algorithm utilizes information on multi-occurrences of string suffixes in a pattern string to avoid backtracks in searching the pattern string. One hypothesis is that Boyer-Moore’s algorithm even benefits more from highly self-repetitive patterns. In this paper, the author studies how multi-occurrences of string suffixes affect the performance of the Boyer-Moore’s algorithm as well as some other well known string search algorithms. The paper introduces a new concept of suffix repetition rate (SRR) to measure how frequently the suffixes of a string occur inside of the string. Using this measurement, experiments with several thousands patterns over the entire range of SRRs have been carried out, and the results show that increasing of SRR on pattern strings does not improve the performance of a searching algorithm in terms of efficiency.
Consistency of spike and slab regression

Abstract Spike and slab models are a popular and attractive variable selection approach in regression settings. Applications for these models have blossomed over the last decade and they are increasingly being used in challenging problems. At the same time, theory for spike and slab models has not kept pace with the applications. There are many gaps in what we know about their theoretical properties. An important property known to hold in these models is selective shrinkage: a unique property whereby the posterior mean is shrunk toward zero for non-informative variables only. This property has been shown to hold under orthogonality for continuous priors under the modified class of rescaled spike and slab models. In this paper, we extend this result to the general case and prove an oracle property for the posterior mean under a discrete two-component prior. An immediate consequence is that a strong selective shrinkage property holds. Interestingly, the conditions needed for our result to hold in the non-orthogonal setting are more stringent than in the orthogonal case and amount to a type of enforced sparsity condition that must be met by the prior.
Subspace-based (semi-) blind channel estimation for block precoded space-time OFDM

Space time coding has by now been well documented as an attractive means of achieving high data rate transmissions with diversity and coding gains, provided that the underlying propagation channels can be accounted for. We rely on redundant linear precoding to develop a (semi-)blind channel estimation algorithm for space time (ST) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmissions with Alamouti's (see IEEE J. Select. Areas Commun., vol.16, p.1451-58, Oct. 1998) block code applied on each subcarrier. We establish that multichannel identifiability is guaranteed up to one or two scalar ambiguities, regardless of the channel zero locations and the underlying signal constellations, when distinct or identical precoders are employed for even and odd indexed symbol blocks. With known pilots inserted either before or after precoding, we resolve the residual scalar ambiguities and show that distinct precoders require half the number of pilots than identical precoders to achieve the same channel estimation accuracy. Simulation results confirm our theoretical analysis and illustrate that the proposed semi-blind algorithm is capable of tracking slow channel variations and improving the overall system performance relative to competing differential ST alternatives.
Agricultural Transformation Under Colonialism: The Case of Taiwan

Much interest andthe economic progress made in Taiwan since the end of World attention have been recently focused onWar II. A major factor in Taiwan's postwar economic development is that the island already possessed a progressive and productive agricultural sector when it was returned to Chinese rule in 1945. The transformation of Taiwan's agriculture was the major accomplishment of the Japanese Colonial Administration. When Japan acquired Taiwan in 1895, its agriculture was stagnant and its peasants were engaged almost exclusively in subsistence farming. To enable Taiwan to make a contribution to Japan's efforts at industrialization, the Colonial Government was given the task of rationalizing and modernizing Taiwan's agriculture. Taiwan was to be integrated with the Japanese economy to provide a food surplus to help maintain the Japanese laborers diverted from agricultural to industrial activities. Foreign exchange that Japan would otherwise have spent on food imports would be used to finance more strategic imports. More explicitly, the Japanese had two objectives: to increase Taiwan's agricultural output and to divert the increase away from agriculture in Taiwan without committing an equivalent transfer of production value to agriculture in Taiwan.
Mood as a determinant of attentional focus

Abstract Three experiments examined the effects of mood on self-focused versus external-focused attention. The results demonstrated that sad mood (compared to neutral and happy mood) tends to induce self-focused attention, whereas happy mood (compared to sad mood) tends to elicit external-focused attention. The effects of mood on attention were independent of the self-focusing nature of the mood-inducing event. A model is proposed to account for the relation between mood and self-focused attention. According to the model, sad mood produces momentary negative self-evaluation, which in turn creates uncertainty about one's self-worth. This instigates self-perception processes that result in heightened self-focused attention. In contrast, happy mood leads to certainty about one's self-worth, which allows an extroverted orientation.
Advancing the science of primary care pain medicine.

Primary care providers (PCPs) should be well-positioned to deliver excellent care for patients with chronic pain. We specialize in the long-term care of the whole patient and are expert in the management of chronic disease. Chronic pain conditions are among the most common problems seen in primary care [1]. Furthermore, if opioid prescribing is a marker for attention to pain, we have good evidence that pain is increasingly on the primary care radar screen [2,3]. However, research has demonstrated deficits in the quality of primary care pain treatment [4]. Why do we often fall short in providing optimal pain management in primary care? In this issue, Dobscha et al. provide evidence that most often it is not because of a lack of interest or concern about treating pain [5]. In their survey of 45 PCPs practicing in five clinics affiliated with one Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center, they found that a large majority believed skilled pain management was a high priority and were confident in their abilities to treat chronic pain. The study confirms that opioid prescribing has become a routine part of primary care practice; in the average provider panel, one of six patients had a current opioid prescription. Primary care providers …
Moyamoya disease: a review of histopathology, biochemistry, and genetics

Object Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder involving stenosis of the major vessels of the circle of Willis and proximal portions of its principal branches. Despite concerted investigation, the pathophysiology of the disorder has not been fully elucidated. Currently, the major proteins believed to play an active role in the pathogenesis include vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), transforming growth factor–β1 (TGFβ1), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). In terms of the genetics, recent literature suggests a low penetrance autosomal dominant or polygenic mode of transmission involving chromosomes 3, 6, 8, 12, and 17 for familial MMD. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the histopathology, pathophysiology and genetics of MMD. Methods A PubMed/Medline systematic study of the literature was performed, from which 45 articles regarding MMD pathophysiology were identified and analyzed. Co...
Re-imagining Infrastructure*

A senior executive of Booz Allen Hamilton and co-author of a business bestseller called Megacommunities argues that the United States is locked into an obsolete pattern of dealing with infrastructure investment, even as the country's population growth and technology have raced ahead. Three of America's basic “lifeline” infrastructures—energy, transportation, and water—are nearing the end of their useful operating lives and in desperate need of modernization. U.S. capital spending on infrastructure has been inadequate, amounting to less than 2% of GDP, as compared to 9% in China and 5% in India. But if infrastructure renewal will be costly, money is not the biggest obstacle. History shows that modernizing existing infrastructures tends to be even more challenging than creating new ones because of the drag caused by legacy hardware and the associated human “software.” And so the real problems are conceptual, institutional, and political—problems whose solutions demand transformational vision and leadership that will encourage collaborative participation by both the public and private sectors. What is lacking, then, is an oversight and coordination mechanism that restores government's traditional integrating role without creating either new monopolies or a larger, more centralized government. To that end the author issues four imperatives: First is the need to rethink the form and function of our old infrastructures. Second is the need for design principles that make future infrastructures robust and adaptable as technology advances, funding changes, and the needs of our citizens evolve. Third is the need for leadership that succeeds by convening, integrating, and aligning the interests and actions of all important stakeholders. Fourth and last is the need for a national vision for America's infra-structure that defines the function and performance of the entire system over its total lifecycle. A new kind of collaboration by different constituencies, which the author refers to as the creation of “megacommunities,” is held up as a way for stakeholders with conflicting interests to cooperate on compelling issues of national importance with a shared set of practices and protocols.
The Study of Gender in India: A Partial Review

The main purpose of this article is to broaden U.S. scholars' awareness of the similarities and differences of gender literature in another part of the world. In providing this partial review of gender scholarship in India, the authors hope to foster critical reflection on the inequities of global knowledge production and consumption and the role of U.S. academic institutions and scholars in this project. The article is written not by scholars who are based in India but by those who are based in U.S. academies. Given their location, linguistic and cultural competencies, and scholarly expertise, the review, at best, can be described as a glimpse of gender scholarship in India. The four sections of this article feature theoretical and methodological issues, the women's movement, and violence against women in India.
A Physiological Perspective on the Response of Body Size and Development Time to Simultaneous Directional Selection

Natural selection typically acts on multiple traits simultaneously. Quantitative genetics provides the theory for predicting the response to selection of multiple traits and predicts symmetrical responses to selection (the response to upward selection on both traits is equal to their response to downward selection). In reality, however, the response to simultaneous selection on two traits is often asymmetrical. We provide a physiology-based framework to explain the asymmetrical response to simultaneous selection on two important life history traits: body size and development time. The tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, is particularly well suited for such a study, as the physiological control of body size and development time is well known in this species. Three physiological factors control both life history traits in M. sexta: growth rate, the critical weight that measures the timing of the onset of the cessation of juvenile hormone secretion (which initiates the processes leading to pupation) and the time interval between the critical weight and secretion of the molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysteroid (the interval to cessation of growth, ICG). Asymmetry in the response to simultaneous selection on the two life history traits is due to the different types of selection acting on the three physiological factors. The critical weight and ICG are always under synergistic selection when both focal traits are selected in the same direction and under antagonistic selection when the focal traits are selected in opposite directions. Growth rate follows the opposite pattern. We propose a general model to explain the asymmetric response to simultaneous selection. This model emphasizes the importance of physiological processes in understanding evolutionary responses to selection and the control of complex traits.
Structural basis for the prion-like MAVS filaments in antiviral innate immunity

Mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) protein is required for innate immune responses against RNA viruses. In virus-infected cells MAVS forms prion-like aggregates to activate antiviral signaling cascades, but the underlying structural mechanism is unknown. Here we report cryo-electron microscopic structures of the helical filaments formed by both the N-terminal caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD) of MAVS and a truncated MAVS lacking part of the proline-rich region and the C-terminal transmembrane domain. Both structures are left-handed three-stranded helical filaments, revealing specific interfaces between individual CARD subunits that are dictated by electrostatic interactions between neighboring strands and hydrophobic interactions within each strand. Point mutations at multiple locations of these two interfaces impaired filament formation and antiviral signaling. Super-resolution imaging of virus-infected cells revealed rod-shaped MAVS clusters on mitochondria. These results elucidate the structural mechanism of MAVS polymerization, and explain how an α-helical domain uses distinct chemical interactions to form self-perpetuating filaments. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01489.001.
Radiation Practice Patterns and Exposure in the High-volume Endourologist

Objective To define radiation exposure among high-volume endourologists and characterize surgeon exposure patterns as previous literature has focused primarily on patient exposure. Methods Surveys were obtained from the Research on Calculus Kinetics Society members from 14 different institutions across North America. All surgeons practice at high-volume academic institutions as surgical stone specialists. Protective equipment, fluoroscopy variables, and practice patterns were recorded. Dosimeter readings from the past year were analyzed when available. Results Fifteen surveys were returned, with a response rate of 94%. Fluoroscopic procedures comprised 87% of surgeon cases. Surgeon mean experience was 12.4 years (range, 1-32 years). Lead aprons were worn in 99.3% of cases, thyroid shields in 98.7%, radiation glasses in 52.7%, and lead gloves in 9.7%. Only 33.3% of surgeons regularly wore dosimeters. Of these surgeons, average deep-dose equivalent was 816.6 mrem/y. Lens dose equivalent was 1303.4 mrem/y. Shallow-dose equivalent was 1286 mrem/y. Conclusion Endourologists receive moderate radiation exposure, and dosimetry use remains low. As Low As Reasonably Achievable principles should be in place and judiciously followed. Improved monitoring and education should assist with reduction of radiation exposure to both the patient and the endourologist.
Hierarchical Low-Rank Tensors for Multilingual Transfer Parsing

Accurate multilingual transfer parsing typically relies on careful feature engineering. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical tensor-based approach for this task. This approach induces a compact feature representation by combining atomic features. However, unlike traditional tensor models, it enables us to incorporate prior knowledge about desired feature interactions, eliminating invalid feature combinations. To this end, we use a hierarchical structure that uses intermediate embeddings to capture desired feature combinations. Algebraically, this hierarchical tensor is equivalent to the sum of traditional tensors with shared components, and thus can be effectively trained with standard online algorithms. In both unsupervised and semi-supervised transfer scenarios, our hierarchical tensor consistently improves UAS and LAS over state-of-theart multilingual transfer parsers and the traditional tensor model across 10 different languages. 1
Qualitative Measurement of Immediately Recalled Tourist Experience: Introduction and Evaluations of the Self-initiated-Tape-Recording Method

AbstractThe Self-Initiated-Tape-Recording Method (SITRM) is a qualitative data collection procedure that places few restrictions on the behavior of participants and thereby permits the recording of participants’ perceptions of freely chosen, spontaneous acts. The SITRM was developed to access participants’ “immediately recalled experience” of various events or situations in everyday life. Participants using the SITRM cany a mini tape-recorder and report their experiences of situations or events directly to the tape- recorder. Specific procedures for utilizing the SITRM are described in this paper. Further, findings of three studies examining the effectiveness of the SITRM are reported.
A Framework for Control Oriented Modeling of PEM Fuel Cells

This paper develops a framework for along-the-channel and through-the-membrane control oriented modeling of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The initial modeling framework is spatially one-dimensional by one-dimensional (1+1D) and is described by unsteady partial differential equations (PDEs). Numerical techniques convert the PDEs and boundary conditions to ordinary differential and algebraic equations that are convenient for state-space modeling. The modeling framework includes two-phase, thermal, and other transient effects. The generality of the modeling framework and its ability to be represented in state-space form facilitate complexity reduction and control-oriented application.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
INHIBITION BY PHENYLALANINE OF THE ENTRY OF 5-HYDROXY-TRYPTOPHAN-1-C14 INTO CEREBROSPINAL FLUID.

SummaryHigh plasma levels of L-phenyl-alanine inhibit the entry of 5-hydroxytrypto-phan-C14 into the CSF of dogs. CSF is an accessible body fluid that may be used to study transport of amino acids into the CNS.
Twisted Prismatic Klein Bottles

(1980). Twisted Prismatic Klein Bottles. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 87, No. 4, pp. 269-277.
Character of Humic Substances as a Predictor for Goethite Nanoparticle Reactivity and Aggregation

Natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous in surface water and groundwater and interacts strongly with mineral surfaces. The details of these interactions, as well as their impacts on mineral surface reactivity, are not well understood. In this work, both the reactivity and aggregation of goethite (α-FeOOH) nanoparticles were quantified in the presence of well-characterized humic substances. Results from monitoring the kinetics of reductive degradation of 4-chloronitrobenzene (4-ClNB) by Fe(II) adsorbed onto the goethite nanoparticles with and without added humic substances demonstrates that, in all cases, humic substances suppressed Fe(II)–goethite reactivity. The ranking of the standards from the least to most inhibitive was Pahokee Peat humic acid, Elliot Soil humic acid, Suwannee River humic acid, Suwannee River NOM, Suwannee River fulvic acid I, Suwannee River fulvic acid II, and Pahokee Peat fulvic acid. Correlations between eight characteristics (molecular weight, carboxyl concentration, and carbo...
Clinical detection of hepatitis C core antigen ELISA reagent

Objective To detect hepatitis C virus core antigen(HCVcAg) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Methods 2523 patients′ serum samples were selected from before blood transfusion and operation for anti-HCV early re-verification tests from February 2011 to February 2012.10 samples with being both positive in first test and retest,15 samples with being positive in first test and 17 samples with being positive in retest were detected by ELISA for HCVcAg and RT-PCR fluorescence quantitative detection for HCV.Results Four(4/10)were positive by ELISA.32 sample with initial inspection or re-examination both positive of anti-HCV positive were tested by ELISA HCV the-cAg,the positive rate was 18.75%.10 samples with initial inspection or re-examination both positive of HCV were positive by RT-PCR fluorescence quantitative,32 sample with initial inspection or re-examination both positive of anti-HCV positive were tested by RT-PCR,positive rate was 15.63%.Conclusion Of HCVcAg has sensitivity as testing HCV by RT-PCR fluorescence quantitative,it can make an early diagnosis of HCV infection.
The study of gemcitabine in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents as an effective treatment for prostate cancer.

Background Gemcitabine has demonstrated clinical activity against several common cancers. Our studies examine the ability of gemcitabine, both alone and in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, to inhibit the in vitro and in vivo growth of several prostate cancer cell lines. Materials and methods Cultures of LNCaP, PC-3 or MLL cells were exposed to either gemcitabine or other appropriate agents for specified amounts of time. Cells were lysed and nuclei counted utilizing a Coulter Counter. For in vivo experiments, animals were injected with 1 x 10(5) MLL cells subcutaneously into the right flank. Animals were treated as indicated for 14 days. Tumors were then excised, weighed and measured. Results In both human (PC-3 and LNCaP) and rat prostate (MLL) cancer cell lines our studies demonstrated gemcitabine had a strong effect in vitro, with an IC50 of approximately 500 nM in the human lines and 10 nM in MLL cells. In vivo, studies using the Dunning prostate cancer model in Copenhagen rats resulted in a dose response inhibition of tumor growth, with an 80% decrease in tumor size in rats treated with gemcitabine at 10 mg/kg. Conclusions Our results demonstrated the potent activity of gemcitabine against prostate cancer in the Dunning rat model and suggest the addition of paclitaxel may not aid in this activity.
A chemically competent thiosulfuranyl radical on the Escherichia coli class III ribonucleotide reductase.

The class III ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are glycyl radical (G•) enzymes that provide the balanced pool of deoxynucleotides required for DNA synthesis and repair in many facultative and obligate anaerobic bacteria and archaea. Unlike the class I and II RNRs, where reducing equivalents for the reaction are delivered by a redoxin (thioredoxin, glutaredoxin, or NrdH) via a pair of conserved active site cysteines, the class III RNRs examined to date use formate as the reductant. Here, we report that reaction of the Escherichia coli class III RNR with CTP (substrate) and ATP (allosteric effector) in the absence of formate leads to loss of the G• concomitant with stoichiometric formation of a new radical species and a “trapped” cytidine derivative that can break down to cytosine. Addition of formate to the new species results in recovery of 80% of the G• and reduction of the cytidine derivative, proposed to be 3′-keto-deoxycytidine, to dCTP and a small amount of cytosine. The structure of the new radical has been identified by 9.5 and 140 GHz EPR spectroscopy on isotopically labeled varieties of the protein to be a thiosulfuranyl radical [RSSR2]•, composed of a cysteine thiyl radical stabilized by an interaction with a methionine residue. The presence of a stable radical species on the reaction pathway rationalizes the previously reported [3H]-(kcat/KM) isotope effect of 2.3 with [3H]-formate, requiring formate to exchange between the active site and solution during nucleotide reduction. Analogies with the disulfide anion radical proposed to provide the reducing equivalent to the 3′-keto-deoxycytidine intermediate by the class I and II RNRs provide further evidence for the involvement of thiyl radicals in the reductive half-reaction catalyzed by all RNRs.