cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contrasting Ocular Effects of Local versus Systemic Endotoxin

PURPOSE. A marked cellular infiltrate has been observed when endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) is injected into the mouse eye, but systemically injected LPS does not produce a comparable effect. Several hypotheses were tested to reconcile this discordance. METHODS. BALB/c mice were injected intravitreally (ivt) or intraperitoneally (ip) with Escherichia coli LPS. Uveitis was assessed by traditional and intravital microscopy. Cytokine levels in the eye, plasma, or spleen were measured by single or multiplex ELISA assays. RESULTS. The eye's higher sensitivity was confirmed to local LPS exposure, as 250 ng ivt LPS produced a brisk leukocytic infiltrate whereas ip injection of 100 μg LPS did not. The hypothesis was tested that the lack of a cellular infiltrate after ip LPS is explained by less induction of cytokines in the eye, but surprisingly, ip LPS resulted in comparable cytokine levels to ivt LPS. The hypothesis was disproved that the eye's sensitivity to local LPS is due to lack of expression of intracellular inhibitors of LPS such as A20, IRAK-M, or SARM. Finally, the hypothesis that systemic LPS inhibits diapedesis was tested by injection of LPS ip and ivt simultaneously, a strategy that did not significantly reduce leukocyte rolling or sticking in iris vessels but blocked the cellular infiltrate normally seen with ivt LPS. CONCLUSIONS. Systemic and local LPS exposures produce discordant effects within the murine eye. The hypothesis that systemic LPS desensitizes leukocytes to the stimuli responsible for transmigration offers a plausible explanation for this discordance.
When does nutrition impact respiratory function

Nutrition therapy is an essential aspect of patient care and an important determinant of outcomes in the ICU. Nutrition can impact respiratory function in a myriad of ways. Under- and overfeeding are two well-established ways by which nutrition impinges on respiratory function. Route of feeding, method of feeding, and carbohydrate composition of the diet are also other key factors regarding nutrition that influence outcomes in ICU patients. Recent studies are now elucidating the role of immune therapy in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. In the ICU, nutrition dogmas, such as the necessity of checking gastric residual volumes or utilizing full-calorie enteric feeds, as opposed to trophic feeds, are constantly being challenged by innovative clinical studies. Basic research brings the prospect of testing new approaches for ICU patients, such as the use of antioxidants to prevent diaphragm weakness in these patients. In this review article, we evaluate the recent observational and randomized control trials to critically appraise the evidence regarding nutrition in the ICU.
Prevention and treatment of osteoporosis: efficacy of combination of hormone replacement therapy with other antiresorptive agents.

Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD) leading to fractures. It primarily affects postmenopausal women and elderly men. Prevention of osteoporosis is very important because present therapies do not have the potential to mend damage to the bone microarchitecture caused by osteoporosis. The first line of prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). All of the approved drugs for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis act as inhibitors of bone resorption; these drugs include HRT, selective estrogen receptor modulators, calcitonin, and bisphosphonates. The latter two drugs have also been shown to prevent fractures. This article discusses data from nine controlled prospective clinical studies. Study 1 was designed to assess the efficacy of combined HRT and bisphosphonate in preventing osteoporosis during the early stages of menopause. This combined therapy increased the lumbar spine BMD by 10.9% and femoral BMD by 7.3% over 4 yr, compared with 6.8 and 4.0% with HRT alone, and 6.8 and 1.2% with bisphosphonate alone. Study 2 was conducted on postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis. These results showed a 10.4 and 7.0% increase in BMD in vertebrae and femora, respectively, compared with 7.3 and 4.8% increases in the HRT group, and 6.8 and 0.9% in the bisphosphonate group. Data from study 3 demonstrated similar findings in that the combination of alendronate and HRT also enhanced BMD values. Studies 4 and 5 assessed the efficacy of the combined therapy of HRT and calcitonin in the prevention of early postmenopausal bone loss. Both studies demonstrated a significant increase in BMD over and above that observed with either HRT or calcitonin alone. Studies 6, 7, and 8 demonstrated that the addition of testosterone to estrogen therapy further increased BMD when compared to estrogen therapy alone, and also prevented the expected decreases in markers of bone formation in early postmenopausal women. Study 9 demonstrated a synergistic effect on BMD in postmenopausal women, when HRT was coadministered with monofluorophosphate. Other combination therapies may also enhance BMD (e.g., the combination of alendronate and parathyroid hormone [PTH]). However, some agents either lose their efficacy or have no added effects on BMD when they are coadministered (e.g., tiludronate and PTH, calcitonin and PTH, calcitonin and anabolic steroids). These studies illustrate that in a subgroup of patients (i.e., patients with high bone turnover and/or severe osteoporosis), specific combination treatments such as HRT with bis-phosphonates, calcitonin, or androgens (and perhaps also with PTH, fluoride, nitric oxide donors) provide additional beneficial effects over a single-drug therapy. Whether these combination therapies are more effective than individual drugs in reducing fractures still needs to be determined.
Rethinking Butterfly Eyespots

Evo-devo seeks to explain the origins of novelties in terms of genetics. Butterfly eyespots offer a fertile subfield for such investigations. Previous explanations for the origin of eyespots are reviewed, and a new hypothesis is presented. According to this new “Recursion Model,” eyespots are ectopic versions of the wing margin. Evidence for this equivalence includes: (1) secretion of the morphogen Wingless, (2) expression of the homeobox gene Distal-less, and (3) specification of outlying contours that take the form of stripes or rings. These three steps constitute a modular program that was initially executed only at the margin. The model proposes that eyespots were created when the program was accidentally rebooted (recursively) at certain points in the wing blade by a fortuitous mutation that occurred at the dawn of the Nymphalid family. Those points are located wherever two interacting genes are expressed. Gene A is expressed midway between adjacent wing veins, while gene B is expressed at a certain distance from the wing margin. The mutation is thought to have installed a new cis-enhancer at the wingless gene locus, which was uniquely responsive to the combination of A and B inputs. Because the postulated enhancer should be easy to pinpoint by transgenic in vivo assays of reporter constructs, this new model is directly testable. If it proves correct, then eyespots would become one of only a few putative cases where a novel feature arose suddenly.
Stressful life events and risk for depression in the family

In a prospective epidemiologic study of risk for depression in a random sample of 43 families, we interviewed adults and children in their homes at baseline, six months later, and nine months after the second interview. At time-1 and time-3, a 28-item stressful life events (SLE) inventory was given to each adult and child over the age of 11, and at time-2, to the family as a whole. Risk for depression was evaluated by screening instruments and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. At time-1, the mean number of SLE reported as occurring in the last six months was 4.43 ± 3.55. For the 34 families that were interviewed all three times, almost two more SLE per family (5.82 ± 3.70) were reported at time-3 than at time-1 (3.97 ± 2.59). Methodologic factors, as well as being in ‘risk’ status at some time during the study, were responsible for the greater number of events reported at time-3 than at time-1. There was surprisingly little agreement among family members about the number and type of SLE that had occurred. Children's reports of SLE added approximately 20 per cent to those reported by parents.
Guided-wave Health Monitoring of Aircraft Composite Panels under Changing Temperature

This study deals with the health monitoring of fiber-reinforced composite panels using ultrasonic guided waves and flexible piezocomposite transducer patches in a changing temperature environment c...
Pullout resistance of rough rigid piles in granular soil.

ABSTRACT Laboratory pullout test results on rough rigid model piles in dry sand are presented. Tests were conducted for various pile embedment ratios in loose, medium, and dense sands.
WebTOP: an X3D-based, web-delivered, interactive system for optics instruction

The Optics Project on the Web (WebTOP) is a 3D, interactive computer graphics system that visualizes optical phenomena. Its purpose is to help instructors teach and students learn about waves and optics. Originally, WebTOP was implemented using VRML, Java, and the External Authoring Interface, and required the use of the Microsoft Virtual Machine. This paper provides an introduction to a new version of WebTOP that uses X3D, Java, the Scene Access Interface, and the Sun Virtual Machine. The interface, modules, and implementation of this version are discussed.
Teacher Education in Japan: An Historical and Comparative Perspective:

In this article, the author first de scribes the historical development of teacher education in Japan. He then analyzes selected similarities and dif ferences between past and present Japanese and ...
The Hyperbow controller: real-time dynamics measurement of violin performance

In this paper, the design and construction of a new violin interface, the Hyperbow, is discussed. The motivation driving the research of this instrument was the desire to create a violin bow capable of measuring the most intricate aspects of violin techniquethe subtle elements of physical gesture that immediately and directly impact the sound of the instrument while playing. In order to provide this insight into the subtleties of bow articulation, a sensing system has been integrated into a commercial carbon fiber bow to measure changes in position, acceleration, and the downward and lateral strains of the bow stick. The sensors were fashioned using an electromagnetic field sensing technique, commercial MEMS accelerometers, and foil strain gauges. The measurement techniques used in this work were found to be quite sensitive and yielded sensors that were easily controllable by a player using traditional right hand bowing technique.
Ascending aortic aneurysm in a fetus due to a benign nodular myofibroblastic lesion

A fetal echocardiogram at 20 weeks of gestation revealed a large ascending aortic aneurysm in the presence of a normal aortic root and normal intracardiac anatomy. No other abnormalities were noted in the fetus. Upon termination of pregnancy, histopathological examination revealed an isolated benign nodular myofibroblastic lesion of likely hamartomatous origin, a first description of such pathology contributing to the formation of an aneurysm in the ascending aorta.
Dietary Treatments of Obesity

Dietary treatment of obesity is based on one or another of two premises: that the obese eat too much or that they eat the wrong things. The first is a tautology lacking explanatory power. The second is a meaningful and promising hypothesis but has yet to be effectively applied. At present, virtually all outpatient treatments of obesity, including behavior modification, are based on the first premise and consist of strategies for reducing the subject's caloric intake. Most such interventions produce short-term weight loss. Regain after the end of treatment remains the usual outcome. A survey of studies published in the period 1977-1986 and reporting on dietary or behavioral treatment of obesity reveals that the maximum percentage of body weight lost is, on average, 8.5 percent--no different from the value, 8.9%, in similar studies from 1966-1976, as reviewed by Wing and Jeffery. The principal determinant of success in such programs appears to be the intake weight of the subjects: the higher the intake weight, the more successful the intervention will appear to be. The goals and research methods of studies on dietary treatments for obesity are overdue for ethical as well as scientific reevaluation. The same may be said for the numerous programs providing such treatment outside the context of research.
Phylogeography of the longhorn cactus beetle Moneilema appressum LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): was the differentiation of the Madrean sky islands driven by Pleistocene climate changes?

Although it has been suggested that Pleistocene climate changes drove population differentiation and speciation in many groups of organisms, population genetic evidence in support of this scenario has been ambiguous, and it has often been difficult to distinguish putative vicariance from simple isolation by distance. The sky island communities of the American Southwest present an ideal system in which to compare late Pleistocene range fragmentations documented by palaeoenvironmental studies with population genetic data from organisms within these communities. In order to elucidate the impact of Pleistocene climate fluctuations on these environments, biogeographic patterns in the flightless longhorn cactus beetle, Moneilema appressum were examined using mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Gene tree relationships between haplotypes were inferred using parsimony, maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian analysis. Nested clade analysis, Mantel tests, and coalescent modelling were employed to examine alternative biogeographic scenarios, and to test the hypothesis that Pleistocene climate changes drove population differentiation in this species. The program MDIV was used to estimate migration and divergence times between populations, and to measure the statistical support for isolation over ongoing migration. These analyses showed significant geographic structure in genetic relationships, and implicated topography as a key determinant of isolation. However, although the coalescent analyses suggested that a history of past habitat fragmentation underlies the observed geographic patterns, the nested clade analysis indicated that the pattern was consistent with isolation by distance. Estimated divergence times indicated that range fragmentation in M. appressum is considerably older than the end of the most recent glacial, but coincided with earlier interglacial warming events and with documented range expansions in other, desert-dwelling species of Moneilema .
A Queue-Aware Scheduling Algorithm for Multihop Relay Wireless Cellular Networks

This work centers on the downlink scheduling algorithmfor such cellular wireless networks with relays as IEEE802.16j. We propose an efficient algorithm to discover concurrent transmission scenarios under a multihop relay environment, while applying the back-pressure flow control mechanism to reflect the dynamic queue status of each relay station. Then, we develop a linear programming algorithm for scheduling, aiming at maximizing network throughput and achieving fairness. In this linear programming model, we consider the frame-based transmission in wireless cellular networks and the queue dynamics at the relay stations. Simulations are carried out based on IEEE 802.16 OFDMA mode for performance evaluation and comparison in terms of throughput and fairness. The results show the effectiveness of our proposed scheduling algorithm against other cheduling schemes.
Orogenic Convection in Subtropical South America as Seen by the TRMM Satellite

AbstractExtreme orogenic convective storms in southeastern South America are divided into three categories: storms with deep convective cores, storms with wide convective cores, and storms containing broad stratiform regions. Data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite’s Precipitation Radar show that storms with wide convective cores are the most frequent, tending to originate near the Sierra de Cordoba range. Downslope flow at upper levels caps a nocturnally enhanced low-level jet, thus preventing convection from breaking out until the jet hits a steep slope of terrain, such as the Sierra de Cordoba Mountains or Andean foothills, so that the moist low-level air is lifted enough to release the instability and overcome the cap. This capping and triggering is similar to the way intense convection is released near the northwestern Himalayas. However, the intense storms with wide convective cores over southeastern South America are unlike their Himalayan counterparts in that they exhibit leadi...
Precombustion Chamber Design for Emissions Reduction From Large Bore NG Engines

Precombustion chambers (PCCs) are an ignition technology for large bore, natural gas engines, which can extend the lean operating limit through improved combustion stability. Previous research indicates that the PCC is responsible for a significant portion of engine-out emissions, especially near the lean limit of engine operation. In this work, six concept PCC designs are developed with the objective of reducing engine-out emissions, focusing on oxides of nitrogen (NO x ). The design variables include chamber geometry, chamber volume, fuel delivery, nozzle geometry, and material thermal conductivity. The concepts are tested on a single cylinder of a large bore, two-stroke cycle, lean burn, natural gas compressor engine, and the results are compared with stock PCC performance. The pollutants of interest include NO x , carbon monoxide, total hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The results indicate that PCC volume has the largest effect on the overall NO x -CO tradeoff. Multiple nozzles and electronic PCC fuel control were found to enhance main chamber combustion stability, particularly at partial load conditions. The PCC influence on VOCs was insignificant; rather, VOCs were found to be heavily dependent on fuel composition.
Late results with local bone graft donor sites in hand surgery

In 124 reconstructive hand procedures requiring bone grafts, the hand and forearm were used exclusively as a donor site for autologous cortical and cancellous bone. In 78 cases, the bone was obtained from the distal radius; in 19 it was obtained from the proximal ulna; and in the remaining 27 it was obtained from the metacarpals, carpals, and phalanges. The graft size, graft composition, and the age of the patient determined the donor site. The bone grafts were ample in size to provide good structural support and osteogenic stimulation. After an average follow-up period of 22 months, there were no donor site complications. These findings establish that the local bone graft donor site provides sufficient bone and is clinically safe for use in most procedures in reconstructive hand surgery.
Transmissible Plasmid Coding Early Enzymes of Naphthalene Oxidation in Pseudomonas putida

The capacity of Pseudomonas putida PpG7 (ATCC 17,485) to grow on naphthalene, phenotype Nah+, is lost spontaneously, and the frequency is increased by treatment with mitomycin C. The Nah+ growth character can be transferred to cured or heterologous fluorescent pseudomonads lacking this capacity by conjugation, or between phage pf16-sensitive strains by transduction. After mutagenesis, strains can be selected with increased donor capacity in conjugation. Clones which use naphthalene grow on salicylate and carry catechol 2,3-oxygenase, the initial enzyme of the aromatic α-keto acid pathway, whereas cured strains grow neither on salicylate nor naphthalene and lack catechol 2,3-oxygenase, but retain catechol 1,2-oxygenase and the aromatic β-keto adipate pathway enzymes.
The role of episodic memory and emotion in a cognitive robot

The design and creation of an episodic memory system for a cognitive robot is detailed. This memory system is interfaced with a machine emotion system with the goal of producing intelligent behaviors in a cognitive humanoid robot. The design of the system is tested and analyzed through the explanation of a case in which emotion assists in the retrieval of an episode.
Vulnerability of Drinking-Water Wells in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to Enteric-Virus Contamination from Surface Water Contributions

Human enteric viruses can contaminate municipal drinking-water wells, but few studies have examined the routes by which viruses enter these wells. In the present study, the objective was to monitor the municipal wells of La Crosse, Wisconsin, for enteric viruses and determine whether the amount of Mississippi River water infiltrating the wells was related to the frequency of virus detection. From March 2001 to February 2002, one river water site and four wells predicted by hydrogeological modeling to have variable degrees of surface water contributions were sampled monthly for enteric viruses, microbial indicators of sanitary quality, and oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. 18O/16O and 2H/1H ratios were used to determine the level of surface water contributions. All samples were collected prior to chlorination at the wellhead. By reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), 24 of 48 municipal well water samples (50%) were positive for enteric viruses, including enteroviruses, rotavirus, hepatitis A virus (HAV), and noroviruses. Of 12 river water samples, 10 (83%) were virus positive by RT-PCR. Viable enteroviruses were not detected by cell culture in the well samples, although three well samples were positive for culturable HAV. Enteroviruses detected in the wells by RT-PCR were identified as several serotypes of echoviruses and group A and group B coxsackieviruses. None of the well water samples was positive for indicators of sanitary quality, namely male-specific and somatic coliphages, total coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, and fecal enterococci. Contrary to expectations, viruses were found in all wells regardless of the level of surface water contributions. This result suggests that there were other unidentified sources, in addition to surface water, responsible for the contamination.
Political economy of China and India: dealing with air pollution in the two booming economies

China and India are two booming economies today, but both are suffering from environmental damages. To achieve sustainable develpment, the two countries have to pay more attention to the protection of environment. This article first examines the causes and consequences of the serious air pollution problems in China and India. It then discusses how China and India are dealing with the air pollution problem and suggests ways for improvement. The author argues that air pollution control and environmental protection in general are a comprehensive project that requires concerted efforts by governments at all levels, the scientific communtity, businesses, legal scholars, non-governmental and grass-roots groups, the international community, and individual citizens. Education and stricter law enforcement remain the key to success. China and India''s experience in air pollution control provides some useful lessons for other developing countries.
A random-field model-based algorithm for anomalous complex image pixel detection

Random-field model-based algorithms for the detection of anomalous pixels associated with complex valued imagery may be essential to robust focus of attention, target detection, and curing. The described algorithm includes the fitting of a specific class of causal, two-dimensional autoregressive random-field models to image data over specified estimation windows, and then subsequent construction of prediction error samples over specified detection windows. Statistical testing of the calculated prediction error samples is then used to localize anomalous image pixels. Experimental results obtained from running the described algorithm on SAR (synthetic aperture radar) imagery are included. >
History of Human Biology (1929–2009)

This is the published version. The published version can be found here http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol82/iss3/6/
Strategies to engage stakeholders in research to improve acute care delivery

Many families involved in research are well versed in the care system due to chronic conditions. Engagement of families of children with serious acute illnesses is infrequent, and no studies have documented the feasibility or acceptability of different methods of family engagement. We describe a model used in the Hospital-to-Home Outcomes study, which utilized a novel approach of short-term focused engagement of families and other stakeholders to incorporate the unique viewpoints of families whose care experience is primarily focused around the period surrounding their child's hospitalization for acute illness.
Aggregate efficiency and interregional equity

The potential conflict between aggregate efficiency and interregional equity is perhaps the most crucial dilemma in regional economics and a major obstacle in the way of effective implementation of regional policies. The aims of this chapter are to identify cases where this conflict exists, to elaborate on the nature of the trade-off, and to offer suggestions for regional policy that help to minimize its effects. However, efficiency and spatial equity are sometimes compatible, and the paper will also examine these cases.
Judgment: Balancing Principle and Policy

Judgment is an element of decision-making that is of critical importance to both ethics and economics but remains underappreciated in both. In this paper, I describe one conception of moral judgment, drawn from the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant and the legal philosophy of Ronald Dworkin, in which an agent weighs and balances the various moral duties and principles relevant to a choice situation in a way that maintains the integrity of her moral character. After explaining the foundations and uses of judgment in ethics, I discuss its importance to two areas of economic modeling, individual choice and policy-making, both of which can be enhanced by incorporating judgment alongside more basic ethical motivations and concerns.
Bioassay techniques : An ecological perspective.

Research in plant-herbivore interactions relies heavily on bioassays as analytical tools. Successful bioassay experiments are difficult to design because of the need to reconcile the exacting requirements of hypothesis testing with the dynamic nature of the plant and insect test organisms. Several research protocols are discussed that utilize ecologically flawed techniques to answer ecologically important questions.
Masculine norms about emotionality and social constraints in young and older adult men with cancer

Beliefs that men should restrict their display of emotions, or restrictive emotionality, might contribute to adjustment to cancer and this might be sensitive to social receptivity to disclosure. The present research examined relationships of restrictive emotionality, social constraints, and psychological distress in young adults with testicular cancer (N = 171; Study 1) and older men with prostate cancer (N = 66; Study 2). Study 1: positive associations were observed for social constraints and restrictive emotionality with depressive symptoms. Social constraints moderated the relationship, such that high restrictive emotionality was associated with higher depressive symptoms in those with high constraints. Study 2: only social constraints (and not restrictive emotionality) was positively associated with depressive symptoms and cancer-related intrusive thoughts. The social constraints × restrictive emotionality interaction approached significance with depressive symptoms, such with high social constraints low restrictive emotionality was associated with higher depressive symptoms compared to those with less constraints. No significant associations were found for intrusive thoughts in either study. Findings demonstrate unique relationships with psychological distress across the lifespan of men with cancer given perception of constraints and adherence to masculine norms about emotionality.
CHANGE OF CARBON STORAGE IN FOREST VEGETATION AND CURRENT SITUATION ANALYSIS OF QINGHAI PRONVINCE IN RECCENT 20 YEARS

The forest is one of the important carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems,it plays an irreplaceable role in reducing the accumulation of greenhouse gases and slowing global warming.So accurately estimating and analysing vasious carbon storage of terrestrial ecosystem,carbon density,realistic assessment of the different types of vegetation and soil carbon storage capacity played the important role played in treasonable evaluation of terrestrial ecosystems in the global carbon cycle.Forest carbon sequestration is the key parameters to researching the relationship between forests and atmospheric carbon exchange and estimateing the forest absorption or the emission of carbon-containing gas.We can study them through traditional harvest method,the method of sample investigation,the method of tree rings,the method of estimation by Remote Sensing,the method of flux measurement and model simulation.The biomass of forest communities is the best indicator of the productivity of the forest.The biomass of forest communities which is also the most direct expression of the level of ecosystems.Forest ecosystem structure and function is also a comprehensive reflection of the quality of the environmental quality of the forest ecosystem.Forest carbon storage is the basic parameters of studying the exchange of carbon between the forest and the atmosphere.Based on ecological function and forest resources inventory data in Qinghai province and the Biomass Expansion Factor(BEF)method we estimated carbon storage and carbon density of forest vegetation in Qinghai Province,China.We found the results showed that the carbon storage of arbor forest in Qinghai Province is 11 182 642.22t,the date accounting for 1.98% of the same period of the country's total carbon storage.Accounting to our analysis,the middle-aged forest type is a larger proportion of carbon storage which have not yet reached the maximum,and if people utilize a better management it will have its development space in forest ecosystem of Qinghai Province.The first four natural forest types in carbon storage of Qinghai Province in the past 20 years are:Chamaecyparis funebris Betula spp Populus Picea asperata,which shows that these types of natural forests in Qinghai forest vegetation occupies an important position.The estimation method of The carbon storage in this paper still have problems that we should consider different forest types and use different methods of calculation.
Does endoscopy of difficult to catheterize channels spare some patients from formal open revision

Summary Introduction Patients with continent catheterizable channels (CCC) may develop difficulty catheterizing postoperatively. In complex cases, endoscopic evaluation with indwelling catheter placement may be indicated, but the risk factors for subsequent formal channel revision are not well defined. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for formal channel revision after attempted endoscopic management of difficulty catheterizing. Materials and methods We performed an IRB-approved retrospective review of pediatric ( U test for continuous variables to examine the association between endoscopic intervention and subsequent formal revision. Results Sixty-three of 434 patients (14.5%) underwent at least one endoscopy for reported difficulty catheterizing their CCC, with 77.8% of these requiring additional intervention during endoscopy (catheter placement, dilation, etc.). Of these, almost half with functioning channels (43.5%, 27/62) were managed successfully with endoscopy without formal revision; six (22.2%) of whom underwent more than one endoscopy. These 27 patients continued to catheterize well at a median follow-up of 3.2 years (interquartile range 2.0–6.0). Patients requiring revision had a median of 1.7 years between CCC creation and first endoscopy, versus 1.6 years in those who were not revised ( p = 0.60). There was no statistically significant difference between revised and non-revised channels in terms of patient age at CCC creation, underlying patient diagnosis, status of bladder neck, stomal location, or channel type ( p ≥ 0.05) (see Table ). Conclusion Approximately half of our patients did not require a formal channel revision after endoscopic management. We did not identify any specific risk factors for subsequent formal revision of a CCC. We recommend performing at least one endoscopic evaluation for those with difficulty catheterizing prior to proceeding with formal open revision. Table . Patient demographics. Revised ( n = 35) Not revised ( n = 27) Patient age (years) at CCC creation, median (IQR) 7.3 (5.4–9.8) 7.2 (5.8–10.4) p = 0.93 Gender p = 0.62 Female, n (%) 16 (45.7) 14 (51.9) Male, n (%) 19 (54.2) 13 (48.1) Diagnosis p = 0.36 Spina bifida, n (%) 29 (82.8) 19 (70.4) Other, n (%) 6 (17.1) 8 (29.6) Bladder neck p = 0.86 Closure, n (%) 3 (8.6) 2 (7.4) Sling or reconstruction, n (%) 16 (45.7) 10 (37.0) Native, n (%) 16 (45.7) 15 (55.6) Stomal location p = 0.10 Umbilical, n (%) 14 (40.0) 5 (18.5) Non-umbilical, n (%) 21 (60.0) 22 (81.5) Channel type p = 0.11 Appendicovesicostomy, n (%) 4 (11.4) 8 (29.6) Monti ileovesicostomy, n (%) 31 (88.6) 19 (70.4)
Response to Linares et al. on Personalized Oxycodone Dosing.

Dear Editor, We appreciate the detailed responses and insights of Dr. Linares and colleagues [1] regarding our comments [2] recently published in Pain Medicine . We would like to comment that although there is no controversy regarding the effectiveness of opioids as analgesics, problematic associated events are perplexing. In addition, there is the societal cataclysm of escalating rates of addiction, drug diversions, and fatal overdoses involving opioids, which confounds their important role for pain control [3]. Effective pain care must be based on proper education, training, clinical judgment, and continuous learning of advances in this specific field of practice. Unfortunately, much of what has been published over the years on chronic pain management, especially with regards to opioid drug use, has uncertain validity because of various forms of bias [3]. Indeed, there has been increasing concern that a significant number of published research findings in medicine have been later disproved [4]. More than a decade ago, in one of the most cited scientific articles (cited 3,377 in Google Scholar) entitled “Why Most Published Research Findings Are False,” John Ioannidis, MD, opined that most research designs are flawed, and that the claimed research findings are often accurate …
High Performance Two Dimensional Separations of Tryptic Digests on Microfluidic Devices

High-efficiency, two-dimensional separations of tryptic digests were performed with a microfluidic device. The first dimension separation was micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) and the second dimension separation was capillary electrophoresis (CE). To maintain a small footprint, the microchip was designed with a 20-cm long serpentine channel for the first dimension and a 1.3-cm long channel for second dimension. The turns in the serpentine channel were asymmetrically tapered to minimize geometrical dispersion. The separation efficiency was 200,000 and 25,000 plates for MEKC and CE separations, respectively. In analysis times under 15 min, peak capacities up to 4500 were generated.
Water and Yield

This chapter presents the relationship between evapotranspiration ( ET ) or transpiration and yield. Water-use efficiency is defined. The difference between ET efficiency and transpiration efficiency is pointed out. Equations developed by de Wit in 1958 for the relation between dry matter production and transpiration are presented. Figures illustrate the relationship between dry matter and water transpired, which is often linear—i.e., the more the water that is transpired, the greater the dry matter production. The relation between water and quality is discussed, and it is pointed out water deficits may be necessary to increase the quality of a crop, such as the amount of rubber or sugar it produces. The difficulty in increasing water-use efficiency is stated, and it is shown, through a calculation using sorghum as an example, that, as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the water-use efficiency increases. An appendix gives the biography of de Wit.
Promising Practices and Programs: Current Efforts and Future Directions.

The final chapter of the issue provides a synthesis of the first eight chapters, offers conclusions and recommendations, and considers future directions regarding practices and programs with promise for high impact at community colleges around the country.
KirrelL, a member of the Ig-domain superfamily of adhesion proteins, is essential for fusion of primary mesenchyme cells in the sea urchin embryo

In the sea urchin embryo, primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) adhere to one another and fuse via filopodia, forming cable-like structures within which skeletal rods are deposited. Although this process was first described more than a century ago, molecules that participate in PMC adhesion and fusion have not been identified. Here we show that KirrelL, a PMC-specific, Ig domain-containing transmembrane protein, is essential for PMC fusion, probably by mediating filopodial adhesions that are a pre-requisite for subsequent membrane fusion. We show that KirrelL is not required for PMC specification, migration, or for direct filopodial contacts between PMCs. In the absence of KirrelL, however, filopodial contacts do not result in fusion. kirrelL is a member of a family of closely related, intronless genes that likely arose through an echinoid-specific gene expansion, possibly via retrotransposition. Our findings are significant in that they establish a direct linkage between the transcriptional network deployed in the PMC lineage and an effector molecule required for a critically important PMC morphogenetic process. In addition, our results point to a conserved role for Ig domain-containing adhesion proteins in facilitating cell fusion in both muscle and non-muscle cell lineages during animal development.
APOL1 genetic variants are not associated with longitudinal blood pressure in young black adults

Whether APOL1 polymorphisms contribute to the excess risk of hypertension among blacks is unknown. To assess this we evaluated whether self-reported race and, in blacks, APOL1 risk variants (high-risk [2 risk alleles] versus low-risk [0-1 risk allele]) were associated with longitudinal blood pressure. Blood pressure trajectories were determined using linear mixed-effects (slope) and latent class models (5 distinct groups) during 25 years of follow-up in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. Associations of race and APOL1 genotypes with blood pressure change, separately, using linear mixed-effects and multinomial logistic regression models, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and traditional hypertension risk factors, anti-hypertensive medication use, and kidney function were evaluated. Among 1700 whites and 1330 blacks (13% APOL1 high-risk, mean age 25 years; 46% male) mean mid–, ([systolic + diastolic blood pressure]/2), systolic, and diastolic blood pressures were 89, 110, and 69 mm Hg, respectively. One percent of participants used anti-hypertensive medications at baseline. Compared to whites, blacks, regardless of APOL1 genotype, had significantly greater increases in mid-blood pressure and were more likely to experience significantly increasing mid–blood pressure trajectories with adjusted relative risk ratios of 5.21 and 7.27 for moderate-increasing and elevated-increasing versus low-stable blood pressure, respectively. Among blacks, longitudinal mid–blood pressure changes and mid–blood pressure trajectory classification were similar by APOL1 risk status. Modeling systolic and diastolic blood pressure as outcomes yielded similar findings. From young adulthood to mid-life, blacks have greater blood pressure increases versus whites that are not fully explained by traditional risk factors. Thus APOL1 variants are not associated with longitudinal blood pressure in blacks.
Copper import in Escherichia coli by the yersiniabactin metallophore system

Copper plays a dual role as a nutrient and a toxin during bacterial infections. While uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains can use the copper-binding metallophore yersiniabactin (Ybt) to resist copper toxicity, Ybt also converts bioavailable copper to Cu(II)-Ybt in low-copper conditions. Although E. coli have long been considered to lack a copper import pathway, we observed Ybt-mediated copper import in UPEC using canonical Fe(III)-Ybt transport proteins. UPEC removed copper from Cu(II)-Ybt with subsequent re-export of metal-free Ybt to the extracellular space. Copper released through this process became available to an E. coli cuproenzyme (the amine oxidase TynA), linking this import pathway to a nutrient acquisition function. Ybt-expressing E. coli thus engage in nutritional passivation, a strategy of minimizing a metal ion's toxicity while preserving its nutritional availability. Copper acquisition through this process may contribute to the marked virulence defect of Ybt-transport-deficient UPEC.
Rosette-Forming Glioneuronal Tumor of the Fourth Ventricle in Children: Case Report and Literature Review.

Background Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor (RGNT) of the fourth ventricle is a rare World Health Organization (WHO) grade I neoplasm. Gross total resection (GTR) is the treatment of choice, and there is no firm evidence supporting other treatment options when GTR is not feasible. Case Description We report a 6-year-old boy who, following an initial subtotal resection of a fourth ventricular RGNT, received an individualized chemotherapy protocol with vincristine, etoposide, and carboplatin for 3 cycles. The tumor was stable for 2 years after the completion of chemotherapy but then began to progress, at which point GTR was successfully performed. In addition, we completed a comprehensive literature review of RGNT cases. To date, a total of 104 cases have been reported, 33 of which are pediatric cases. Recurrence has been reported in only 7 cases of all ages (4 in the pediatric population). Radiotherapy has been used in several cases, but adjuvant chemotherapy has been reported only once following a recurrence. Conclusions We report a case of chemotherapy administration as a first-line treatment for a subtotally resected RGNT. Chemotherapy may be considered as an adjuvant therapy option for RGNT when GTR cannot be achieved. Furthermore, increased incidence of recurrence in the pediatric population may suggest that the tumor biology of RGNT in children differs from that in adults.
Racial Barriers in Eurocentric Sport(ing) Institutions Countering the White Racial Frame

The authors combine their sociological understanding of systemic racism and their disciplinary expertise in the field of Sport Management to critically assess the sport industry. Drawing on the racialized framing of elite sport, they demonstrate how sport systemically serves the interests of the white American elite male. An examination of the history of US football shows how this particular sport responded to a white masculine desire to display superiority in the late 1800s. In addition to the racist framing of elite sport, the authors draw from a conference session at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport to discuss contemporary resistance to this dominant framing through a discussion of counter-framed efforts in research. They also explore how counter-framing manifests in the organizational setting.
Atmospheric Probe for Real Time Weather Monitoring

Abstract This work outlines the development and testing of novel in-situ atmospheric sensors. The system is designed for deployment of the sensors en masse to increase the geospatial density of atmospheric measurements. This sensor system is being designed to replace the costly, larger atmospheric sensors currently in use. Improvement in sensor technologies, substrates, and additive manufacturing techniques have allowed for such a device to be realizable. The devices contain a sensor suite that gathers temperature, relative humidity, and pressure from microsensors as well as position, velocity, and heading from a compact GPS receiver. This data is then sent to a base station for analysis by atmospheric scientists, with the potential for real time analysis.
THE RELIABILITY OF A NOVEL HEEL-RISE TEST VERSUS GONIOMETRY TO ASSESS PLANTARFLEXION RANGE OF MOTION.

Background Ankle plantarflexion (PF) active range of motion (ROM) is traditionally assessed in a non-weight-bearing (NWB) position with a universal goniometer. However, a convenient, reliable, low-cost means of assessing functional PF active ROM in a weight-bearing (WB) position has yet to be established. Purpose To compare the intra- and interrater reliability of PF active ROM measurements obtained from a goniometric NWB assessment, and a functional heel-rise test (FHRT) performed in WB. Study design Reliability study. Methods Two physical therapy student examiners, blinded to each other's measurements, assessed PF active ROM through a NWB goniometric technique and a FHRT on all subjects within the same test session. Intra- and interrater reliability values were calculated using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1, ICC2,k) and 95% confidence intervals. Standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC) were recorded for each method. Results 43 healthy participants (mean ± SD, age: 22.7 ± 1.7 years, height: 1.7 ± 0.1 m, mass: 77.8 ± 17.2 kg) completed testing procedures. The within-session intrarater reliability (ICC2,1) estimates were observed for goniometry (right: 0.96, left: 0.95 - 0.97) and FHRT (right: 0.99, left: 0.99), as well as the interrater reliability (ICC2,k) of goniometry (right: 0.79, left: 0.79) and FHRT (right: 0.79, left: 0.87). Goniometry SEM (3.3 - 3.6 °) and MDC (9.2 - 9.8 °) were observed, in addition to FHRT SEM (0.6 cm) and MDC (1.6 - 1.7 cm). A weak correlation was found between FHRT and goniometric measurements (r = -0.03 - 0.13). Conclusions The FHRT was found to have good to excellent intra- and interrater reliability, similar to goniometric measurement. The lack of agreement between these measurements requires further exploration of a WB assessment of ankle PF active ROM. Level of evidence 2b.
Latent inhibition and schizophrenia

Comprehensive reviews of the biological basis of schizophrenia point to abnormalities in the limbic system of schizophrenic patients and suggest that these abnormalities are concentrated in the hippocampal formation. The notion of an anomalous hippocampus is further supported by data showing that many hippocampal-dependent behaviors are impaired in schizophrenic patients and that some of these impaired behaviors can be normalized by neuroleptic administration (Schmajuk, 2001).