cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for all-inside meniscal repair failure in isolation and in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Abstract Background This study examines the relationship between meniscus tear presentations and failure rates following all-inside repair in isolation and in conjunction with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods Eighty seven consecutive patients undergoing all-inside meniscal repair at a single institution from July 2016 to June 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Details of patient presentation, tear type and location, the presence or absence of simultaneous ACL reconstruction, and surgical repair details were recorded to evaluate the relationship between patient characteristics and the primary endpoint of repair failure. Results Patients were followed for an average of 2.7 ± 0.8 years. Three patients (3.4%) experienced 30-day complications including 1 deep vein thrombosis and 2 joint aspirations. Within the study time frame, 15 repairs (17.2%) failed, with 10 (11.5%) failing within one year of the initial procedure; the average time to failure was 12.3 ± 9.0 months. Patients undergoing concurrent ACL reconstruction were less likely to experience repair failure (9.7% vs. 36.0%, p = .009), while bucket-handle repairs were more likely to fail during the study period (45.0% vs. 9.0%, p = .001). These trends remained after controlling for tear location, body mass index, and number of sutures (ACL reconstruction Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.229, p = .029; Bucket-handle OR: 9.400, p = .003). Conclusion Our findings suggest concurrent ACL reconstruction at the time of meniscal repair is associated with increased repair survival. The all-inside technique may be successfully used across a variety of tear types and locations, although further study of its efficacy in repairing bucket-handle tears is warranted.
A typology of supply network resilience strategies: complex collaborations in a complex world

The COVID‐19 pandemic has illustrated the broad and diverse challenges that supply networks face in preparing for and adapting to significant supply and demand disruptions While much has been written about resilience strategies, few consider resiliency from a network level perspective In this essay, we explain a typology of resiliency strategies linked to different types of collaboration within and between supply networks Existing literature focuses on two of these types, micro‐ and macro‐level supply network resilience Micro‐level resilience occurs when buyers and suppliers coordinate directly on supply risk prevention and recovery Macro‐level resilience occurs when corporations, including competitors, collaborate with institutions such as government or trade associations to manage or regulate longer‐term supply risks This essay identifies a third type, meso‐level resilience Meso‐level resilience emerges when multiple supply networks collaborate on short to medium‐term supply risks These collaborations tend to be more opportunistic and ad hoc than micro or macro‐level collaborations, and we argue that they can be viewed as complex adaptive systems, exhibiting self‐organization and dynamism We identify a number of novel characteristics of meso‐level resilience and discuss research implications
Using Survey Data and Mathematical Modeling to Prioritize Water Interventions in Developing Countries

A traditional cost-benefit analysis of potential water interventions in a given locality is a laborious and time-intensive process. To help decision makers identify optimal locations for such an in-depth cost-benefit analysis, we describe a new method to combine country-wide survey data and mathematical modeling to conduct a rapid and inexpensive cost-benefit analysis of water interventions for many locations across an entire country at once, identifying which locations and which interventions are likely to have the greatest benefit per cost. Using our method, this analysis can be done cheaply, on a standard desktop computer, in a matter of hours. Also, because our method does not rely on water-point mapping data, it can be used even in countries where water-point mapping is limited or nonexistent. Our new method is made possible by the use of mathematical Monte Carlo methods to address a key problem in the survey data, namely, that geographical and spatial information are obscured in the surveys, due to privacy considerations, which makes the data difficult to use for cost-benefit analysis without methods such as ours. We use a combination of Voronoi diagramming and Monte Carlo sampling to estimate locations while preserving privacy, allowing us to overcome the information loss and to use the data for comparing needs across different locations. Our methods produce an ordered ranking of the areas within a given country which have the highest benefit-to-cost ratio and to identify the optimal intervention. We apply these methods on the countries of Namibia and Angola to demonstrate how they can be used.
Radiation Hardness Study of L G = 20 nm FinFET and Nanowire SRAM Through TCAD Simulation

Radiation hardness of FinFET and stacked nanowire (NW) static random-access memory (SRAM), with ${L} _{\text {G}} =20$ nm, which corresponds to high-density 5 nm technology node, is studied and compared using 3-D technology computer-aided design (TCAD) full cell domain simulation. Single FinFET and NW of similar total height are created using process simulation. Two types of NWs are studied, namely, high-performance and low-power NW, which has the same OFF-state and ON-state current as the FinFET, respectively. Device simulations are performed using transport parameters calibrated in Monte Carlo simulations. Radiation hardness of both n-type and p-type devices are simulated by striking particles at various locations and directions when the transistors are at OFF-state. It is found that NW is more robust than FinFET in all strike locations and directions. Radiation strikes are then applied to the OFF-state transistors in the SRAM at the most vulnerable positions. The SRAMs of both devices are designed to have similar noise margins for a fair comparison. It is found that NW SRAM is much more robust and can sustain two to three times higher linear energy transfer (LET) than FinFET SRAM in the most striking locations. Therefore, from a radiation robustness perspective, NW SRAM is preferred.
Abstract 3097: TWEAK promotes a TIC-like phenotype in ovarian cancer cells through activation of alternative NF-κB

Ovarian cancer patients typically respond well to traditional chemotherapy. However, most patients relapse within two years due to a small population of tumor initiating cells (TICs) which survive treatment and create new heterogeneous tumors. Our previous work has shown that the TIC phenotype is supported by alternative NF-κB signaling. We recently found that the cytokine TWEAK is increased threefold in mouse tumors following three cycles of chemotherapy treatment relative to mice receiving vehicle. Moreover, the tumors showed a corresponding increase in nuclear localization of alternative NF-kB transcription factor, RelB. Therefore, we hypothesized that TWEAK secretion is enhanced following chemotherapy and may be contributing to TIC development. We further characterized the effects of TWEAK cytokine on NF-kB activation and development of TIC features like spheroid formation and stem cell transcription factor expression in ovarian cancer cells. Using stable reporter and CRISPR knockout lines, immunoblotting, transcription factor binding assays, and qRT-PCR, we have shown that TWEAK stimulation of the HGSOC cell lines OVCAR8, CaOv4, and OV90 induces a strong and sustained alternative NF-κB response. Specifically, we demonstrated upregulation of the non-canonical NF-κB members RelB, p100, and NIK, as well as the proteasomal processing of p100 to p52, and nuclear translocation of RelB and p52. Additionally, TWEAK stimulation promotes the expression of SOX2 and confers an increased spheroid formation ability. Taken together these results suggest that TWEAK promotes a TIC-like phenotype in ovarian cancer cell lines through activation of non-canonical NF-κB signaling. Mouse experiments are underway using CRISPR-knockout cells and an antibody against the TWEAK receptor to investigate the role of this signaling axis in supporting relapse. Given the high response rate of ovarian tumors to cytotoxic chemotherapy, clarifying critical processes that enable TIC development immediately following chemotherapy could lead to exciting new therapeutic strategies to prevent relapse. Citation Format: Ryne Holmberg, Samuel F. Gilbert, Mikella Robinson, Jennifer A. Waters, Omar Lujano-Olazaba, Jacqueline M. Lara, Carrie D. House. TWEAK promotes a TIC-like phenotype in ovarian cancer cells through activation of alternative NF-κB [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3097.
Spectral condensation in laboratory two-dimensional turbulence

Due to the inverse energy cascade, when the energy dissipation length scale in two-dimensional turbulence is larger than the domain size, energy is expected to condense into the lowest allowed mode. Thus, the appearance of large-scale structures is often taken as a proxy for spectral condensation, particularly in laboratory realizations of two-dimensional turbulence. We show that large-scale flows alone, however, are not robust indicators of spectral condensation, because small domains may both weaken the inverse cascade and introduce new dissipation mechanisms.
Heat‐shock protein expression in canine corneal wound healing

Objective Heat-shock proteins, particularly the 70-kDa member (Hsp70), have been implicated in facilitating wound healing in multiple tissues. Expression and localization of three HSPs were assessed in normal and wounded canine corneas to elucidate a role in epithelial healing. Methods Paraffin-embedded normal corneas, acute and repeatedly abraded corneas, and keratectomies of spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCEDs) were subjected to routine immunohistochemistry for Hsp27, 47, and 70 expression. Ex vivo corneal defects were created and treated with anti-HSPs or IgG controls, and wound healing was monitored. Primary cultures of canine corneal stromal fibroblasts and corneal epithelial cells were treated with exogenous Hsp70, and an artificial wound was created in vitro to monitor restoration of the monolayer. Results Normal canine corneas exhibited constitutive expression of all HSPs evaluated. Inducible expression was demonstrated in acutely wounded tissues, and expression in the chronically abraded corneas was relocalized. All HSP expression was below the limits of detection in the epithelium of SCCED samples. Inhibition of HSPs in culture resulted in delayed wound healing when compared to controls. Hsp70-treated fibroblasts demonstrated significantly (P < 0.001) increased migration and proliferation compared to the vehicle control; however, there was no significant effect of exogenous Hsp70 on corneal epithelial cells. Conclusions These findings suggest that HSPs are induced in the normal canine cornea during re-epithelialization. Hsp70 expression is likely important for inducing the cytoarchitectural remodeling, migration, and proliferation necessary early in the canine corneal healing response, and suppressed expression may contribute to the pathophysiology of nonhealing defects.
Micro-Raman Spectroscopy of Nanostructures

Micro-Raman spectroscopy (μRS) involves acquiring spatially resolved Raman spectra by combining the conventional Raman spectrometer with a microscopic tool, typically an optical microscope. This chapter introduces the basic methodology of micro-Raman spectroscopy and presents an overview of its application to organic and inorganic nanostructures using specific examples from literature.
Degenerating Image of the Construction Industry

There is an extraordinary and unexpected connection between the degenerating image of the construction industry and the low regard contemporary society holds for construction tradespeople. Uncovered through recent research and verified by several think tanks on the subject, the industry’s image is driving potential entrants away from construction trades as a career choice. Understanding the root cause of construction’s image problem forms the foundation for the discovery of solutions, according to Dr. William W. Badger, Director of the Del E. Webb School of Construction, Arizona State University; this is why we invited a select group of construction professionals from across the country to examine our research findings. We asked them to challenge the underlying data, test the information and qualifying factors, assist in setting the future research direction, and further the pursue solutions. A necessary element of research is its grounding in reality. It is therefore necessary to discuss the results and ramifications with knowledgeable people who are not too close to the research. The process includes periodic one-day meetings with a small group of construction professionals in a ‘‘think tank’’ process to discuss the findings and qualifying factors. The research is ongoing, with the objective of fashioning and generating effective solutions ~accomplishable ones! that can correct the bad image and effectively address the labor shortage. The research has defined a specific connection between the skilled labor shortage and the degenerating image of our industry and the low regard contemporary society holds for construction tradespeople. Blue-collar workers have become hugely underappreciated in our country, a prime factor in the poor image the construction industry has with owners, designers, and the general public. Attitudes toward blue-collar work continue to deteriorate, indicating that public relations efforts to improve the construction industry image are not working. And they will not work because the genesis of the problem is not the industry, but the general public’s attitude toward those who choose construction trades as a career path. This is not true for those who choose a construction career at the management level, which is why current recruitment efforts are attracting high school students to construction colleges—but few, if any, to the trades.
Hyperexpression in Escherichia coli, purification, and characterization of the metallo-β-lactamase of Bacillus cereus 5/B/6

Abstract We used site-directed mutagenesis to introduce both a Nde I restriction endonuclease site and an initiator codon at the junction of the leader and structural gene sequences of the metallo-β-lactamase of Bacillus cereus 5/B6. This construct allowed us to clone just the β-lactamase structural gene sequence into an Escherichia coli expression vector. E. coli cells were transformed with the recombinant plasmid, the B. cereus β-lactamase was expressed, and these E. coli cells were disrupted by sonic oscillation. When the resultant suspensions were clarified by ultracentrifugation, the B. cereus β-lactamase represented 15% of the total protein in the supernatant. Subsequent gel filtration and ionexchange chromatography allowed the first reported purification to homogeneity of the B. cereus β-lactamase from E. coli with an 87% recovery and an overall yield of 17 mg of enzyme per liter of cell culture. The electrophoretic mobilities of the enzyme expressed in and purified from E. coli and the enzyme purified directly from B. cereus were identical in both native and sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoreses. As with the B. cereus enzyme, K m and V max (using cephalosporin C as substrate) for the enzyme purified from E. coli were 0.39 mM and 1333 units/mg protein, respectively. Likewise, the Co(II)-reconstituted enzyme purified from E. coli , which retained 29% of the activity of the Zn(II) enzyme, had electronic absorption spectra with maxima at 347, 551, 617, and 646 nm with extinction coefficients of 900, 250, 173, and 150 m −1 cm −1 , respectively.
Effect of O2 limitation on growth and respiration of the wild type and an ascorbate-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine-oxidase-negative mutant strain ofAzotobacter vinelandii

Azotobacter vinelandii strain AVOP (wild type) and an ascorbate-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylene-p-phenylenediamine oxidase-negative mutant (AV11) were each grown in O2-limited chemostat cultures. The results showed that the mutant strain grew and used O2 less efficiently than the wild-type strain. Respiration rates of membrane particles with NADH or malate as the substrate were similar for each strain. Succinate oxidase activity was about fourfold lower in membrane particles prepared from mutant than from wild-type strain. Cyanide at a concentration that completely inhibited ascorbate-TMPD oxidase activity resulted in a 50% inhibition of NADH oxidase activity in membrane particles of AVOP. These data suggest that the cytochromeo,a1, oxidase branch of the respiratory chain may be important in the physiology ofA. vinelandii under O2-limiting growth conditions.
Purification and properties of hydroxypyruvate: l-Alanine transaminase from rabbit liver☆

Abstract A procedure is described for the extensive purification of hydroxypyruvate: l -alanine transaminase from rabbit liver. On the basis of gel filtration studies, the molecular weight of the enzyme is estimated to be about 41,000 daltons. A similar value was obtained when the enzyme was subjected to gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate indicating that the enzyme consists of a single polypeptide chain. The purified enzyme catalyzes the transamination of glyoxylate as well as hydroxypyruvate with l -alanine as the preferred amino donor for both substrates. The two enzymatic activities were not separated during purification nor by Chromatographic or electrophoretic procedures. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the two α-keto acids are competitive substrates. The above data are consistent with the fact that a single enzyme catalyzes the transamination of both glyoxylate and hydroxypyruvate. The effects of various inhibitors on enzymatic activity were investigated. The enzyme is inhibited by glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and other aldehydes. The possible role of hydroxypyruvate: l -alanine transaminase in gluconeogenesis is discussed.
The Effect of Medical Socialization on Medical Students' Need for Power

Although power-seeking and controlling behaviors on the part of physicians have been well documented, the source of these behaviors on the individual psychological level has not yet been identified. This study examined whether the individual personality characteristic of power motivation, one indicator of desires for power and control, increases during medical school and whether this process varies by race or sex. Transcripts of interviews with a diverse group of medical students at two time points were coded for power motivation. The results showed that White students' power motivation decreased, whereas minority students' levels remained the same, suggesting race-linked differences in the medical socialization experience.
Drug delivery: Old polymer learns new tracts.

Sustained gene knockdown by the aid of a well-known biodegradable polymer has shown that old materials can still be used to solve new problems.
Lost in Translation: Looking for Transgender Identity in Women’s Prisons and Locating Aggressors in Prisoner Culture

The incarceration of transgender prisoners in men’s prisons is a burgeoning topic of legal challenge, policy development, and social science inquiry. The conspicuous absence of comparable attention to women’s facilities may facilitate a tacit assumption that what is known about transgender prisoners in men’s prisons translates seamlessly to women’s facilities. This paper interrogates this assumption by examining current understandings of what it means to be transgender in a women’s prison. Findings from focus groups with prisoners and staff reveal that gender is understood as both reflected by and constituted through social interaction. Specifically, in attempting to explain the concept of “transgender” in women’s prisons, this work instead reveals a different prevailing concept in prisoner culture: “aggressor.” Unlike transgender, aggressor does not denote gender identity; rather, it implies presentation and performance as reflective of gendered ways of navigating relationships within the context of a sex-segregated setting. These findings simultaneously affirm the extant literature on gender and sexuality in women’s prisons and complicate the translation of the identity-based concept “transgender” from men’s prisons to a women’s prison.
Thermoreversible Polymerization. Formation of Fullerene-Diene Oligomers and Copolymers.

Diels−Alder reaction of C60 with bis-anthracene 3 provides linear copolymer 4. This material is stable at room temperature but undergoes reversion to the monomeric species upon heating. This thermal depolymerization process was observed at temperatures above 60 °C, with an activation energy of 17.1 kcal/mol. This process can be cycled multiply without degradation of the reactive functionalities. In addition to its thermal properties, this polymer retains the rich redox chemistry of the fulleroids. Electrochemical and EPR studies demonstrate copolymer 4 undergoes multiple reductions without decomposition to monomeric species.
Miniature Multihole Pressure Probes and Their Neural-Network-Based Calibration

We present the development of miniature multihole pressure probes and a novel neural-network-based calibration algorithm for them. Seven-hole probes of tip diameters as low as 0.035 in. (0.9 mm) were successfully fabricated with high tip surface quality. Any of the typical probe tip geometries, i.e., hemispherical, conical, or faceted, could be fabricated. The miniature probes were calibrated and tested in a wind tunnel. A backpropagation-based neural-network calibration algorithm was developed for these probes, with flexibility in network architecture design and network self-optimization capabilities. In the feedforward mode the algorithm yields computational speeds an order of magnitude higher than those typically achieved by similar accuracy interpolation algorithms. The new algorithm has prediction accuracies of 0.28 deg in the flow angles and 0.35% in the velocity magnitude
Situational price sensitivity: the role of consumption occasion, social context and income

Abstract Research on consumer reaction to price has been largely confined to examining consumers’ price information search, evaluation of price alternatives, and individual purchase behaviors without regard to situational influences. At the same time, consumption has often been dichotomized in terms of its functional-hedonic nature and has been examined with regard to social influence. Surprisingly, researchers have heretofore not examined the potential effect of the consumption occasion or social context on consumers’ price sensitivity. Further, research examining the effect of household resources on price sensitivity has produced mixed results. We argue that household income effects on price sensitivity are dependent upon the situation. This research addresses two key issues. First, we examine whether individuals are equally price-sensitive when purchasing products for functional (e.g., purchasing frozen vegetables or paper towels) versus hedonic (e.g., purchasing ice cream or cookies) consumption situations and whether social context (i.e., consuming the product alone or with others) influences price sensitivity. Second, we explore the interaction effects of household income and consumption context on price sensitivity. We examine these issues across a series of three studies, finding that consumers’ price sensitivity is in fact attenuated by both hedonic and social consumption situations and that income moderates these effects. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.
Health-related quality of life and subjective neurocognitive function three months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Purpose We compared health-related quality of life (HRQL), including patient-perceived neurocognitive function at preoperative baseline and 3 months after coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery. Design The design was prospective and comparative. Setting The study took place in the cardiovascular units at two large metropolitan Midwestern hospitals. Sample The study included a consecutive convenience sample of 64 patients who underwent CABG. Methods Preoperative baseline and mailed survey at 3 months post-CABG included the Short-Form 12 (subjective health-status), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (state anxiety), Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression (depressive symptoms), and Cantril Ladder of Life Satisfaction (global life satisfaction). Investigator-developed questions assessed satisfaction in life domains, cardiac symptoms, and frequency of symptoms related to neurocognitive function. Results Significant improvements were demonstrated 3 months postoperatively, including the Physical Component Summary, Mental Component Summary, depression, anxiety, satisfaction with social and mental life domains, and patient-perceived neurocognitive function related to memory and concentration. Conclusions Patients reported improvements in HRQL measures, including two of three subjective neurocognitive measures. Health care providers facilitate preparation for the CABG recovery trajectory by discussing expected post-hospital experience and potential postoperative variations in emotions and neurocognitive function.
Detection of human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 E4 gene products in condylomata acuminatum.

Polyclonal antiserum to an Escherichia coli-produced beta-galactosidase/E4 fusion protein of human papillomavirus type 6b (antiserum 256), and affinity purified HPV 11 anti-E4 antibodies were tested for reactivity in Western blots with bacterially expressed trpE/E4 fusion proteins of HPV types 6b, 11, 16, and 18. To further characterize the affinity purified anti-E4 antibodies, a dot-immunobinding assay was performed using overlapping synthetic HPV 11 ETE4 peptides as antigens. Protein extracts of condylomata acuminatum from 18 patients containing HPV type 6 or 11 DNA sequences were tested in Western blots using antiserum 256 or affinity purified HPV 11 anti-E4 antibodies. In the Western blots of the trpE proteins, antiserum 256 identified the HPV types 6b and 11 fusion proteins; the affinity purified HPV 11 anti-E4 antibodies identified only the HPV 11 fusion protein. In the dot-immunobinding assay, three HPV 11 peptides were recognized, each containing a shared 8 amino acid sequence that differs significantly from the corresponding sequences of HPV types 6b, 16, or 18. In the Western blots of protein extracts from 18 condylomata acuminatum samples shown to contain HPV types 6 or 11 DNA, putative E4 gene products were identified in six samples by antiserum 256. The affinity purified HPV 11 anti-E4 antibodies identified putative E4 gene products in one of these same six lesions, which was shown to contain HPV 11 sequences by the Southern blot method. All six samples containing E4 gene products were from women. Three of these women were pregnant, one had serum antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus, and one was a renal transplant recipient receiving glucocorticoids. This study suggests that unique antigenic sites exist in E4 gene products of HPV types 6 and 11 that distinguish them from other HPV types. Antisera to bacterially expressed E4 fusion proteins can detect putative E4 gene products of HPV types 6 and 11 in condylomata acuminatum from certain patients infected with these HPV types. It may be possible to produce reagents that will detect HPV E4 gene products in a type specific manner in those tissues where these proteins are expressed. These reagents should be useful in determining the conditions leading to E4 gene expression.
The art of obtaining grants.

Purpose. The grantsmanship process is described from the perspective of the investigator. Summary. Successful grant writing involves considerable preparation. There are thousands of grant-making agencies, both public and private, and many of the grants offered can be found in online databases. Investigators should focus their grant-seeking efforts on firms and research subjects of interest. Factors that determine the type of funding pursued include the source of funds, the activity pursued by the investigator, the research subject area, the geographic area, the investigator’s career level, the investigator’s affiliation with a professional society, and the size of the grant. To strategize for long-term success, there are two ways a new investigator can begin—by serving as a coinvestigator on a grant held by a more-senior investigator or by pursuing a small grant as a principal investigator. When reviewing grant proposals, reviewers usually focus on a proposal’s significance and impact, originality, usefulness and generalizability, scope, approach to research, feasibility, and sufficiency of resources to complete the project. Once a grant is awarded, investigators must ensure they are well versed in conducting ethical research, complying with regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, preparing human subjects applications, managing grant budgets, and managing the project and personnel. Most grant makers require the presentation and publication of project results. Conclusion. Writing a grant proposal involves significant preparation. To be a successful grant writer, the investigator should have a strong interest in the research topic at hand. At the same time, he or she should have a clear understanding of the sponsor’s perspective and interests.
A Note on the Statistical Testability of ‘Explicit Causal Chains’ against the Class of ‘Interdependent’ Models

Abstract If two simultaneous equations economic models, each purporting to explain the same endogenous variable in terms of the same exogenous variable differ only in this respect, that one is in the form of an ‘interdependent’ representation and the other is an ‘explicit causal chain,’ then the question whether one is a more accurate representation of economic reality than the other cannot even in principle be settled by appeal to observations. The failure of proponents of ‘explicit causal chains’ to appreciate the significance of the foregoing theorem has led to the proposal of a remarkable interpretation of unfavorable outcomes of statistical tests of econometric hypotheses (which is mentioned in Section 3.2).
Comparison of laparoscopic transabdominal lateral versus posterior retroperitoneal adrenalectomy

Background For the past 14 years, we have been performing laparoscopic adrenalectomy via the lateral transabdominal as well as the posterior retroperitoneal approach. The aim of this study is to describe patient selection criteria for each approach with comparison of perioperative outcomes. Methods In patients with smaller tumors, low body mass index (BMI), history of previous abdominal operations, appropriate body habitus, and bilateral pathology, we have performed preferentially the posterior approach. Data regarding clinical pathology, tumor size, BMI, estimated blood loss (EBL), operating time (OT), morbidity, mortality, and duration of stay were analyzed retrospectively. Data are expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Results One hundred seventy-two laparoscopic adrenalectomy procedures were performed in 159 patients between 1994 and 2008. The lateral approach was used in 69 patients (right side: 39%, left side: 55%, bilateral: 6%) and the posterior approach in 90 patients (right side: 42%, left side: 48%, bilateral: 10%). The incidence of prior abdominal surgery was greater in the posterior group (26% vs 19%, NS). The lateral approach was used in 9% (3/34) of aldosteronoma, 38% (9/24) of Cushing's disease/syndrome, 47% (18/38) of nonsecreting cortical adenoma, 66% (23/35) of pheochromocytoma, 41% (7/17) of malignant lesions, and 73% (8/11) of others. Thirty percent of the bilateral adrenalectomies were performed via lateral and 70% via posterior approach. Two patients in the posterior approach were converted to the laparoscopic lateral approach, and 2 patients in the lateral approach were converted to open. Overall, patient age and sex were similar between groups. BMI was higher in patients undergoing adrenalectomy via lateral vs posterior approach (32.4 vs 28.4; P = .005). Tumor size was larger than 6 cm in 11 (16%) and 1 (1%) of the patients in the lateral and posterior groups, respectively. On univariate analysis, mean OT for lateral and posterior approaches was similar for unilateral cases (157 ± 7 vs 138 ± 6 min, respectively; P = NS). This was also true on multivariate analysis when corrected for patient selection factors. EBL was 35 ± 7 mL for lateral versus 25 ± 6 mL for posterior approach ( P = .05). The duration of stay in lateral and posterior approaches was 1 day in 56% vs 82%, 2 days in 29% vs 13%, and more than 2 days in 15% vs 5% of the patients, respectively. Two patients in the lateral group died postoperatively because of cardiac and pulmonary causes, and 2 patients in the posterior group developed temporary neuralgia. Conclusion This series compares 2 different approaches for laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Our study shows that the lateral and posterior techniques have a similar peri-operative outcome when patients are selected for each option based on certain criteria.
Cerium-activated BaF2 and CaF2 scintillators

Abstract We report the development of a new inorganic-scintillator system based on Ce-activated BaF 2 and CaF 2 single crystals. Measurements made on small test samples indicate that larger crystals will be useful as charged-particle and gamma-ray detectors. The new scintillators have the advantage over previous systems of being non-hygroscopic.
Effect of hypothermia upon induced bacteremia.

Conclusions1. Dogs cooled to 23°C 6 or 12 hours and then rewarmed, maintained sterility of blood during cooling and following rewarming, suggesting that the gastrointestinal tract and other bacterial foci maintained their integrity for at least 12 hours of hypothermia. 2. Hypothermic and normothermic animals intravenously inoculated with bacterial suspension were able to rid blood within 6 hours of 99% of the injected pathogens. Within 24 hours after injection of cultures of A. aerogenes and E. coli, normothermic animals cleared the blood completely of bacteria while dogs maintained hypothermic did not. However, within 12-24 hours after rewarming only 1 of 11 hypothermic animals had a bacteremia. 3. Inability to survive following prolonged hypothermia does not seem to be related to bacteremia.
Allosteric Activation of Brain Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uptake by Spermine and ty Ca2+: Brain Regional Differences

: Analysis of the initial rates of 45Ca21 uptake by rat brain mitochondria in Ca2+-1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N, N, N′,N′-tetraacetic acid buffers indicated t[hat nontelen-cephalic mitochondria exhibited both a mnch less pronounced stimulatory effect of spermine and signjificantly more hyperbolic kinetics of Ca2+ uptake than telencjephalic mitochondria. Nontelencephalic mitochondria were also markedly less susceptible to a Ca2+-induced hysteretic allosteric activation of the Ca2+ uniporter. A new Ca2+ loading procedure, which strikingly illustrates differences in mitochondrial Ca2+buffering characteristics, is also described. In thjis procedure, low concentrations of Ca2+ (1, 2, or 5 μM) were repetitively added to mitochondria every 30 s while changek in free Ca2+concentration were recorded. Spermine induced a marked attenuation of the rise in free Ca2+ level underj these conditions. Steady-state rates of Ca2+ uptake were determined by a quantitative analysis of the buffering of repetitive Ca2+ additions, and, again, brain regional differences Were qualitatively similar to those observed in the initial rate kinetics; Ca2+ uptake by nontelencephalic mitochondria in the steady state was markedly less responsive to stimulation by spermine and appeared to have a more hyperbolic dependence on Ca2in the absence of spermine. These results also suggested that there is a lag time in the activation of the uniporter by Ca2+, in addition to the hysteresis that has previously been observed in the deactivation of the uniporter. In summary, the present results indicate that the Ca2+ uniporter of nontelencephalic mitochondria is markedly less responsive to allosteric activation by both Ca2+ and spermine and that this is related to. but not entirely explained by, the more hyperbolic dependence of uptake on Ca2+ in nontelencephalic mitochondria. It is proposed that mitochondrial buffering of intracellular Ca2+ and the modulation of this process by spermine differ in telencephalic and nontelencephalic regions of brain.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 Early Intervention for Handwriting and Composing.

Abstract Three studies evaluated Tier 1 early intervention for handwriting at a critical period for literacy development in first grade and one study evaluated Tier 2 early intervention in the critical period between third and fourth grades for composing on high stakes tests. The results contribute to knowledge of research-supported handwriting and composing instruction that informs practice as school psychologists are empowered to embrace the role of intervention specialist. The first study found that neurodevelopmental training (orthographic-free motor activities and motor-free orthographic activities) led to improved accuracy and legibility of letter formation, but that direct handwriting instruction with visual cues and verbal mediation led to improved automatic handwriting (rate of writing legible letters) and transfer to improved word reading. The second study found that neither motor training nor orthographic training alone added value to direct instruction in automatic letter writing and composing practice in developing handwriting skills, which transferred to improved word reading; but the added motor training did improve performance on a grapho-motor planning task for sequential finger movements that is relevant to composing. A related analysis showed that direct instruction with visual cues and memory delays may reduce reversals. A third study found that adding handwriting to reading instruction improved handwriting but did not add value to reading outcomes for at risk readers; reading instruction alone was beneficial for word reading, decoding, and comprehension. The fourth study showed that comprehensive, explicit instruction in the processes of composition led to more significant improvement, based on group and individual data, than did the regular fourth grade program, on high stakes writing assessment.
Chemical traumatization of adult mouse olfactory epithelium in situ stimulates growth and differentiation of olfactory neurons in vitro

This study demonstrates that ZnSO4-induced chemical trauma results in an in situ regeneration of the olfactory epithelium which, when maintained in vitro, provides an enriched population of olfactory neurons. Therefore, the ability of the olfactory epithelium to respond to chemical trauma with increased mitotic activity can be used to increase growth of neurons in culture. Tissue obtained from normal or vehicle-treated adult mice produced few olfactory neurons, when maintained in culture, compared to cultures established from tissue following an in situ ZnSO4 trauma. Maximal neuronal yields were obtained in cultures established from tissue that was removed 4-6 days following chemical trauma. The morphological appearance and the presence of cell specific intermediate filament proteins were used to classify the cell types in these olfactory epithelial cultures. Single cells and aggregates of cells which were immunopositive for keratin, but immunonegative for neurofilament protein and GFAP, were identified as epithelioid. Flattened polygonal cells immunopositive for GFAP were identified as glia. A small population of flattened cells was immunonegative for all of the antibodies used in this study. Cells that had processes were immunonegative for GFAP and keratin. Some were immunopositive for 200 kDa and 160 kDa neurofilament proteins but immunonegative for the 68 kDa neurofilament protein. A few of these cells showed positive immunoreactivity with the olfactory marker protein (OMP) antibody and most likely represented the most mature olfactory neurons in the cultures. This trauma-induced culture model using olfactory tissue from adult mice can serve as a source of CNS neurons for comparison with cultured embryonic neurons.
Effect of sentence recital on implicit mediation in paired-associate learning

This study tested the conventional formulation of habit strength in S-R theories by devising an A-B, B-C, A-C paradigm in which a diametrically opposite prediction was generated and confirmed, namely, that S s who established a B-C link in fewer trials via explicit cues that were instigated by E demonstrated greater mediational facilitation in learning A-C than S s acquiring the B-C link in the customary manner. The explicit cues consisted of reciting once during an initial presentation trial to B-C a series of sentences, each containing the stimulus and response terms of a pair in a meaningful or a nonsensical interaction. The former was more favorable than the latter, but both types of explicit mediation yielded significantly greater facilitation of A-C than the traditional implicit paradigm for 4- and 7-year-old children and retarded adolescent and adult S s.
Metabolic acidosis after acute ibuprofen overdosage

poster) presented at the American Association of Poison Control Centers/American Academy of Clinical Toxicology/ American Board of Medical Toxicology/Canadian Association of Poison Control Centres Annual Scientific Meeting, Sept. 25-30, 1986, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Submitted for publication March 31, 1987; accepted June 10, 1987. Reprint requests: Christopher H. Linden, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01605. another hospital. Inspection of the vomitus revealed both intact pills and pill fragments. Approximately 11/2 hours after ingestion, vital signs were as follows: pulse 120 beats/min, blood pressure 110/80 mm Hg, and respiratory rate 16/min. The child was flaccid, pale, and responsive only to pain. An intravenous infusion of dextrose 5% in water was started and oxygen was administered by nasal cannula. After gastric lavage with 0.9% saline solution through a size 12F nasogastric tube, the patient was given 5 g of activated charcoal and transferred to our institution. Approximately 3 hours after ingestion, vital signs were as follows: pulse 140 beats/min, blood pressure, t00/80 mm H g , respiratory rate 32/min, and rectal temperature 37 ~ C. CheyneStokes respirations with occasional periods of apnea lasting up to 10 seconds were noted. Rubbing of the sternum abruptly terminated the apnea and resulted in crying and withdrawal of the BUN SGOT SGPT LDH hpf Blood urea nitrogen Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase Lactate dehydrogenase High-power field extremities. Results of the physical examination were otherwise urlchanged from those described above. Gastric lavage was repeated, and 15 g of activated charcoal with 15 ml of 70% sorbitol was administered by nasogastric tube. A Foley catheter was inserted, and the child was admitted to the intensive care unit. Laboratory evaluation yielded the following values: a[terial pH 7.27, Pr 36 mm Hg, and PO~ 110 mm Hg; serum sodium 140 mEq/L, potassium 3.6 mEq/L, chloride 106 mEq/L, bicarbonate 19 mEq/L, anion gap 15 mEq/L, and glucose 219 mg/dl (12.2 mmol/L). The complete blood cell count, the BUN, serum creatinine, SGOT, SGPT, LDH, and alkaline phosphatase levels, the prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times, and the urinalysis results were normal except for glucosuria (3+). Toxicologic analysis of blood and urine by thin-layer chromatography showed positive results only for ibuprofen. No salicylate was detected.
Attractancy of inoculated and incubated bovine blood fractions to screwworm flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae): role of bacteria.

Olfactometer tests in the laboratory with bacteria-contaminated citrated whole bovine blood, bacteria-inoculated sterile citrated whole blood, defibrinated blood, and blood plasma indicated that the attractancy of these materials to screwworm flies, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), resulted from the bacteria and/or from the compounds produced by them. Aseptically drawn blood incubated at 37°C for 7 days was no more attractive than unincubated blood held at 5°C. Ranking of attractiveness was bacteria-inoculated sterile defibrinated blood>bacteria-inoculated citrated whole blood>bacteria-inoculated plasma>sterile-incubated defibrinated blood distilled water.
Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies of sol to gel transition in K2O-Al2O3-SiO2 system

The structural evolution during a sol to gel transition reaction in the K20-AI203-SiO2 system was investigated by using in situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique. The results are interpreted as evidence of the presence of at least two different gel phases. The analysis shows that the primary phase is composed of small particles with characteristic size of ,-,3.0 nm, and considerable size and shape variation. The primary phase is identified as a random phase in the Debye sense. The primary particles aggregate into larger formations with spherical symmetry. The size of larger aggregates (second phase) increases continuously in the course of gelation and levels off after reaching ~ 15.0 nm. The volume fraction of the second phase keeps increasing until the end of the measurement which is far after the gelation (3-fold of the gelation time)~
How to produce a landmark point: the statistical geometry of incompletely registered images

The thin-plate spline can unwarp a data set of landmark-labelled medical images so that their landmarks are exactly superposed over an average landmark configuration. This pixel relabeling is highly nonlinear in the original image data. Nevertheless, for most biostatistical purposes, the resulting unwarped images can be treated as if they arose from raw measurements (in this case, pixel-by-pixel gray levels) by a covariate adjustment suppressing unwanted variation. Tasks of discrimination and classification of images can benefit greatly from the augmented precision of subsequent quantitative comparisons. These `adjusted mean differences'--pixelwise group mean differences of the unwarped images--may be combined with differences of landmark shape in prescriptions for new landmark locations that further sharpen the unwarping or classification. These considerations are exemplified in a detailed analysis of some midsagittal brain images of medical students and schizophrenics.
Remote sensing of ocean sound speed profiles by a perceptron neural network

A method is developed to estimate ocean sound speed profiles through synthesis of remotely measured environmental data and historical statistics of sound speed obtained at a remotely sensed location. Sound speed profiles are represented by an expansion of empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) of the historical sound speed variation, while the remotely sensed environmental data provide real-time information to determine the expansion coefficients. Environmental inputs are limited to sea surface temperature available from satellite infrared sensors, acoustic time-of-flight and ocean bottom temperature measurable from bottom mounted acoustic and thermal transducers. A multilayer perceptron neural network is implemented to learn the functional transformation from the measured environmental input to the desired EOF coefficient output on a set of representative sound speed profiles. Sea surface temperature, time-of-year, and time-of-flight from the acoustic multipath that maximally samples the vertical sound speed are found to be the dominant inputs. The trained network is computationally efficient and produces estimates for untrained environmental inputs with a mean error of 1.1-4.4 m/s.