cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
550. Developing an Optimal Insulin Augmentation Therapy to Improve AAV Gene Transfer to Skeletal Muscle and Liver in Mice

We previously reported a novel finding that showed an insulin augmentation therapy can improve rAAV transduction of skeletal muscle and liver in cultured cells and mice. The insulin augmentation therapy in this earlier report was given just prior to AAV administration and was sustained for 28 days. The use of a long-term insulin augmentation was to determine if mice showed early signs of insulin resistance due to prolonged hyperinsulinemia. From the initial study we concluded that long-term insulin augmentation therapy improved AAV gene transfer to skeletal muscle and liver but that the mice showed a lack of elevated insulin activity and an increase in cortisol over time which are signs of insulin resistance. Additionally, our initial findings also suggested that an acute insulin augmentation therapy during the window of AAV administration would be sufficient without the concern for developing insulin resistance. The purpose of this new study was to investigate if an acute insulin augmentation therapy during the window of AAV delivery was sufficient to improve AAV transduction of skeletal muscle and liver. Additionally, we wanted to determine if an insulin augmentation therapy given after AAV infection would also enhance AAV gene transfer. Another aspect of this follow up study was to determine if an insulin augmentation therapy protocol would improve AAV transduction of lung tissue in mice. Finally, we wanted to investigate if fasting mice (which promotes reduced insulin activity) would result in sub-optimal AAV gene transfer. Our results showed an acute insulin augmentation therapy (4 hr treatment) given 30 minutes prior to intramuscular (IM) injection of AAV1-CMV-sc-hFIX or liver-directed delivery (via splenic capsule injection) of AAV8-CMV-sc-hFIX significantly improved (up to 5 Fold) sustained transduction for the length of the study (56 days).View Large Image | Download PowerPoint SlideThe acute therapy showed a minor (but significant) 1.7 Fold increase in AAV1-CMV-EGFP transduction in lung. In-vitro AAV2-CMV-LacZ transduction of HuH7 (human liver) and differentiated C2C12 (mice myofibers) also showed improvement with an acute insulin treatment. A 2hr treatment (5 ug/ml) resulted in a 2.7 fold increase while 8hr, 24hr & 72hr treatments had a 3.5 fold increase and giving insulin 24 hrs after AAV infection had no impact of AAV transduction.View Large Image | Download PowerPoint SlideFinally, prolonged fasting will reduce insulin levels which could impact AAV gene transfer. Fasting mice for 12 hrs prior to and 4 hrs after IM delivery of AAV1-CMV-sc-hFIX or at weekly intervals after administration timed around blood collection did not have an impact on AAV transduction of skeletal muscle.
Images every American should know: developing the Cultural Image Literacy Assessment-USA

AbstractThis paper describes the evolution of the Cultural Image Literacy Assessment-USA©. This assessment represents an important first step in measuring image literacy within a culture. Visual literacy is an integral part of all cultures. The framework used in creating an assessment of cultural image literacy in the United States could be employed in developing measures of visual literacy for other cultures. In so doing, image literacy can be compared within and across cultures. This survey study explores the effects today’s visual environments have on knowledge levels, and more importantly, knowledge gaps. The study builds on research relating to knowledge gap theory by describing the evolution of cultural image literacy assessment and providing current levels of image literacy within the United States. The final version of the assessment was distributed to undergraduate students (N = 309) at a public university in the Southeast. Overall, respondents correctly identified an average of 68% of the images...
Heme Trafficking by the Cytochrome C Biogenesis Pathways

Cytochromes function in electron transport chains to perform critical cellular functions, such as respiration and photosynthesis. Cytochromes c are unique due to their requirement for the covalent attachment of heme via two thioether bonds at a conserved CXXCH motif. Three pathways have been identified for cytochrome c maturation: System I (prokaryotes), System II (prokaryotes) and System III (eukaryotes). System I consists of 8 integral membrane proteins (CcmABCDEFGH), System II is comprised of 2 membrane proteins (CcsBA) and these pathways will be the focus of this presentation. Trafficking of heme from the site of its synthesis (cytoplasm) to the site of attachment to apocytochrome c (periplasm) is critical for cytochrome c biogenesis, yet little direct evidence of heme trafficking exists. The study of heme trafficking has proved elusive in this and most other systems due to tight cellular regulation, as well as the cytotoxic and amphipathic nature of heme. Here, we use key putative heme transporters in the prokaryotic pathways as model systems to develop a novel technique to covalently ‘trap’ heme during the trafficking process. First, the conserved WWD domain, which is predicted to interact with heme in the periplasmic space and is found in both System I and System II pathways, was used to develop the heme trapping technique. Heme was covalently trapped in the WWD domains of CcmC (System I) and CcsA (System II), providing the first direct evidence of how heme is trafficked to the periplasm in cytochrome c biogenesis. Currently, this trapping approach is being used on other integral membrane proteins in the pathway to capture heme intermediates and delineate the exact paths for trafficking in vivo. We envision that this approach will be applicable to other heme transporters and trafficking pathways from prokaryotes through eukaryotes.
The Complexities of "Struggling to Live Life".

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to explore and describe perceptions and experiences of young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) living in Appalachia, Tennessee.MethodsQualitative descriptive analysis of in-depth interviews of 9 young adults (male = 3, female = 6) 18 to 30 years of age living in Appalachian counties in Tennessee provided the basis of identifying the salient concerns from the perspective of this diverse group related to living daily with T1DM. Data analysis was facilitated by using NVivo 11 Pro and consisted of iterative review of the accounts in 3 phases: immersion, reduction, and interpretation.ResultsFindings revealed that young Appalachian adults had some common, consistent experiences living with T1DM. Major themes included the struggle toward adulthood, the daily struggle of living with diabetes, the strong desire to live life, the supportive environment, the development of one’s identity by diabetes, the disruptiveness of diabetes’ demands, and the pros and cons of techn...
The Adult Monteggia Fracture: Patterns and Incidence of Annular Ligament Incarceration Among 121 Cases at a Single Institution Over 19 Years

Purpose The purposes of this study were to identify the relative frequency of Monteggia fracture patterns and to investigate the required frequency of open reduction of the proximal radiocapitellar joint. Methods We identified 121 Monteggia fractures at a Level I trauma center from 1996 to 2015 and included 119 in this study. These fractures were identified using a database search for the appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes as well as individual surgeons' logs. Two fellowship-trained hand surgeons reviewed the identified patients' x-rays and operative notes. Each fracture was classified using Bado's original description, excluding transolecranon and Monteggia variants. Results Bado I lesion represented 68% (81 of 119) of Monteggia fractures. Annular ligament incarceration preventing radial head reduction occurred in approximately 17% (14 of 81) of this Bado type. Revision fixation of the ulna was not necessary (none of 119 cases) and functional range of motion (average arc, 117°) was recovered in most patients. The reoperation rate of 20% (23 of 119) was related to the severity of the presenting injury and hardware prominence. Conclusions Most radial head dislocations associated with Monteggia fractures occur anteriorly and will reduce with anatomic plating of the ulna. In cases where the radial head fails to reduce, entrapment of the annular ligament can be expected and open reduction is required. Revision fixation of the ulna to achieve reduction of the radial head is uncommon in our experience. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic IV.
SMC Numbers at Varying Depths in Intima of Thoracic Aorta

In the negative binomial distribution of SMC’s over the lateral thoracic aorta, the parameters of the distribution are governed by the mean and the ratio of variance:mean. Estimates of the variance can be obtained several ways, giving alternative estimates of the parameters. One way to estimate of variance derives from the “within sites” or “error” variance, and this way, in particular, offers evidence that foam cell infiltrates (AHA types IIa and III lesions) mark the transition from aggressive fibroplasia to atheroma.
A robust optimaiztion-based strategy for optimal power system protection considering uncertainties

Developing efficient strategies for defending electric power systems against attacks is a major concern, especially when uncertainties are involved. This paper addresses the allocation of the defensive resource to minimize the damage when there are uncertainties regarding the resource the attacker has. A Multiple-Attack-Scenario (MAS) defender-attacker-defender model is proposed by extending the conventional tri-level defender-attacker-defender model. The proposed model considers the uncertainties related to the offensive resource and the interactions involving the security personnel at the top-level, the attacker at the middle-level and the power system operator at the bottom-level. The Column-and-Constraint Generation (C&CG) algorithm is implemented by decomposing the MAS defender-attacker-defender model into an upper-level problem for the security personnel, and a lower-level problem for the attacker involving the optimal power flow analysis-based corrective power re-dispatch implemented by the power system operator. Case studies are performed based on the IEEE RTS79 system, and the results validate that the proposed method is able to minimize the damage when uncertainties are involved in the offensive resource. This work can offer meaningful insights into power system protection involving uncertainties in a cyber-physical environment.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Quantway®: A Multilevel Model With Propensity Score Matching:

Objective: Quantway is a Carnegie Math Pathways initiative, which redesigns the content, pedagogy, and structure of traditional developmental mathematics courses to simultaneously tackle traditiona...
Peroneal bypass versus endovascular peroneal intervention for critical limb ischemia.

Abstract Objective The peroneal artery is a well-established target for bypass in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of peroneal artery revascularization in terms of wound healing and limb salvage in patients with CLI. Methods Patients presenting between 2006 and 2013 with CLI (Rutherford 4-6) and isolated peroneal runoff were included in the study. They were divided into patients who underwent bypass to the peroneal artery and those who underwent endovascular peroneal artery intervention. Demographics, comorbidities, and follow-up data were recorded. Wounds were classified by Wound, Ischemia, foot Infection (WIfI) score. The primary outcome was wound healing; secondary outcomes included mortality, major amputation, and patency. Results There were 200 limbs with peroneal bypass and 138 limbs with endovascular peroneal intervention included, with mean follow-up of 24.0 ± 26.3 and 14.5 ± 19.1 months, respectively (P = .0001). The two groups were comparable in comorbidities, with the exception of the endovascular group's having more patients with cardiac and renal disease and diabetes mellitus but fewer patients with smoking history. Based on WIfI criteria, ischemia scores were worse in bypass patients, but wound and foot infection scores were worse in endovascular patients. Perioperatively, bypass patients had higher rates of myocardial infarction (4.5% vs 0%; P = .012) and incisional complications (13.0% vs 4.4%; P = .008). At 12 months, the bypass group compared with the endovascular group had better primary patency (47.9% vs 23.4%; P = .002) and primary assisted patency (63.6% vs 42.2%; P = .003) and a trend toward better secondary patency (74.2% vs 63.5%; P = .11). There were no differences in the rate of wound healing (52.6% vs 37.7% at 1 year; P = .09) or freedom from major amputation (81.5% vs 74.7% at 1 year; P = .37). In a multivariate analysis, neuropathy was associated with improved wound healing, whereas WIfI wound score, cancer, chronic renal insufficiency, and smoking were associated with decreased wound healing. Treatment modality was not a significant predictor (P = .15). Conclusions Endovascular peroneal artery intervention results in poorer primary and primary assisted patency rates than surgical bypass to the peroneal artery but provides similar wound healing and limb salvage rates with a lower rate of complications. In appropriately selected patients, endovascular intervention to treat the peroneal artery is a low-risk intervention that may be sufficient to heal ischemic foot wounds.
Emotion Recognition Biases in Alcohol Use Disorder.

Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been associated with impairments in cognitive and emotional function, including difficulty identifying emotional facial expressions. However, it is unclear whether these deficits are associated with alcohol consumption or related anxious and depressive symptoms. Methods We compared the recognition of emotional faces expressing happiness, surprise, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust in 19 AUD participants and 19 healthy volunteers using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Emotion Recognition Task. We analyzed group differences in response latency, accuracy, and misidentification patterns (as defined by the tendency to mislabel facial expressions as exhibiting specific emotions). To assess whether misidentification patterns were associated with drinking severity, we also examined associations with alcohol consumption over the past 90 days. Results There were no differences in response latency or accuracy between groups. However, there were group differences in misidentification patterns. While controls tended to misidentify emotional expressions as happy, those with AUD tended to misidentify expressions as angry or disgusted. In AUD participants, the degree to which individuals were biased toward anger or disgust was positively correlated with the number of drinks they consumed in the past 90 days but was not associated with depression or anxiety scores. Conclusions Our findings suggest that individuals with AUD have a bias toward misidentifying emotional facial expressions as hostile, which is not mediated by associated mood changes. This provides further evidence of disrupted social cognition in AUD.
Motion Compensated Spatiotemporal Kalman Filter

In the recent past there has been much research in spatial-interaction models (i.e. 2-D random field models) [1, 2]. They have been used in image restoration, image coding, and image analysis. In the field of image sequence processing much attention is currently being given to noise reduction and deblurring. Noise can occur in the storage, transmission, or processing of image sequences. The reduction of this noise is very important for improving visual quality and also potentially to the success of subsequent image processing.
Morgan Asset Management

It is 2010 and Guillermo Araoz, the equity research director at Morgan Asset Management (MAM), is considering his research budget for the year. Due to recent declines in the equity markets and MAM's sale of its mutual funds business, MAM has seen a decline in its assets under management, and consequently, in its research budget. The case describes the investment process at MAM, including how stocks are selected and portfolios are constructed, and discusses the way in which the research budget supports this process. Araoz is faced with the challenge of how best to allocate this smaller research budget without negatively impacting the firm's investment process and investment performance.Learning Objective: Provide students with insight into the investment management process. Discussion of financial planning and resource allocation at a firm level.
Weapons Grade Plutonium Destruction In The Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR)

The Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR), when fueled with surplus weapons grade plutonium, has the unique capability to destroy 90% of the initially charged plutonium-239 and 65% of the intitially charged total plutonium in a once through reactor cycle while generating electricity at plant efficiencies of nearly 50%. The plutonium content and quality in the spent fuel is so low that there is little or no military or commercial incentive for reprocessing and recycle. The spent fuel is well suited for disposal as whole elements in a geologic repository. The unique inherent passive safety characteristics of the GT-MHR result in a design that is meltdown proof and insensitive to operator errors. The high efficiency of the GT-MHR results in minimal environmental impact and substantial advantages in plant economics.
Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC): status update

Here we report on the status of the The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC), which is an on-going series of upgrades to the W.M. Keck II adaptive optics system and instrument suite focused on exoplanet imaging and spectroscopic characterization. The KPIC infrared pyramid wavefront sensor and fiber injection unit to high-resolution infrared spectrograph NIRSPEC have been assembled, integrated and are under-going tests at the University of Hawaii before installation at the Summit in the Fall of 2018.
Chronic intrauterine hypoxia alters neurodevelopment in fetal sheep.

Abstract Objective We tested the hypothesis that chronic fetal hypoxia, at a severity present in many types of congenital heart disease, would lead to abnormal neurodevelopment. Methods Eight mid-gestation fetal sheep were cannulated onto a pumpless extracorporeal oxygenator via the umbilical vessels and supported in a fluid-filled environment for 22 ± 2 days under normoxic or hypoxic conditions. Total parenteral nutrition was provided. Control fetuses (n = 7) were harvested at gestational age 133 ± 4 days. At necropsy, brains were fixed for histopathology. Neurons were quantified in white matter tracts, and the thickness of the external granular layer of the cerebellum was measured to assess neuronal migration. Capillary density and myelination were quantified in white matter. Data were analyzed with unpaired Student t tests or 1-way analysis of variance, as appropriate. Results Oxygen delivery was reduced in hypoxic fetuses (15.6 ± 1.8 mL/kg/min vs 24.3 ± 2.3 mL/kg/min, P Conclusions Chronic fetal hypoxia leads to white matter hyper-vascularity, decreased neuronal density, and impaired myelination, similar to the neuropathologic findings observed in children with congenital heart disease. These findings support the hypothesis that fetal hypoxia, even in the setting of normal caloric delivery, impairs neurodevelopment.
Medical experimentation on captive populations in the United States.

Medical experimentation on humans is generally subjected to detailed ethical and legal limitations and safeguards. These safeguards should be even more stringent and more meticulously followed when captive populations are used. The narrow definition of captive population includes inmates of prisons and correctional institutions, and patients in psychiatric institutions and hospitals for the mentally retarded. The broader definition also includes children and fetuses whose medical destinies are under the nearly complete control of parents or legal guardians.
Abstract 2: Cardiac Arrest During Aeromedical Transport: A 5-year Retrospective Case Review

Objectives Air emergency medical services (AEMS) are regularly employed in many parts of the world to transport severely ill or injured patients rapidly to definitive care. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a potentially catastrophic event that may occur among a subset of the most severely ill patients that are encountered. This study describes the pre-arrest characteristics, treatments applied, and short-term outcomes of patients with OHCA treated by AEMS. Methods All adult patients who experienced OHCA at a single, academic aeromedical transport service between 2013–2017 were included in this retrospective analysis. All cases during which an adult patient suffered cardiac arrest occurring from the time of AEMS arrival at the scene or sending facility to hand off at the receiving facility were included. Data including standard Utstein variables, treatments, and short-term outcome were extracted by the authors. Univariate descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS ver. 25. Results During the 5-year period, 92 cases of adult OHCA were identified among 16,779 transports. The median age of patients experiencing OHCA was 64.5 years [55.3, 63.3]. Among patients transported, the average transport time was 75.4 minutes [63.4, 87.3]. 60 OHCA cases (65.2%) were of medical etiology and 32 (34.8%) were traumatic. Scene calls were the origin for 51.1% of calls; the rest were interfacility transfers. 36/92 patients (39.1%) had multiple cardiac arrests under AEMS care, and OHCA occurred for the first time most often before take-off: 39.1% at the initial scene, 29.3% in transit or loading to aircraft, and in flight 31.5% of the time. 17.4% of the cohort had an initial shockable rhythm and 42.4% achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) by arrival at the destination facility; an additional 5.4% achieved ROSC and were not transported. Conclusions In this cohort, OHCA occurred in 92 adult patients over 5 years, with approximately two thirds medical and one third traumatic in nature. Initial rhythm was rarely shockable, but sustained ROSC was achieved in almost half the patients. Almost 4 in 10 patients had multiple cardiac arrests under AEMS care, and initial arrest was most likely to occur prior to air transport as opposed to in flight. A high proportion of patients achieving ROSC is possible, even with relatively low rates of shockable initial rhythm. This study suggests that while cardiac arrest in flight is rare, medical teams must be prepared to handle both medical and traumatic arrests as well as multiple arrests during the course of air transport.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis Prescribing Patterns of Pediatric Urologists for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux and other Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract

ABSTRACT Objective To determine pediatric urologists’ antibiotic prophylaxis prescribing practices for children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and other congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT). Methods Web-based survey of pediatric urologists about their practice of antibiotic prophylaxis in children with CAKUT. Results We had a response rate of 17.8% (n = 73). The majority of respondents always or often prescribe prophylactic antibiotics for grade IV or V VUR, while greater variability was seen for lower grades of VUR. 47.9% of respondents report that they often or always prescribe antibiotics for patients with grade 4 hydronephrosis, and most respondents report that they never or rarely prescribe antibiotics for grade 1 or 2 hydronephrosis. The majority of respondents never or rarely prescribe antibiotics for horseshoe or solitary kidney (88% and 86%, respectively), but frequently prescribed antibiotic for ureterocele. For ectopic ureter, almost half of respondents prescribe prophylactic antibiotics always or often, whereas only 18% prescribe antibiotics always or often for duplication anomalies. Only 11% reported prescribing antibiotics for prophylaxis always or often for children with myelomeningocele. Conclusion We report notable variability in antibiotic prescribing patterns for children with CAKUT. Given the lack of guidelines around the use of prophylaxis in the majority of these conditions, standardization of care may be warranted to decrease this variability.
Electronic Fraud on Campus.

Changing grades, falsifying documents, creating bogus diplomas—these used to be harder to do. In today's electronic environment, it's surprisingly easy. The author explores the extent of the proble...
Gender moderates the association of military sexual trauma and risk for psychological distress among VA-enrolled veterans.

Abstract Background Military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression diagnoses, as well as suicidal ideation/behavior (SI/B). Little is known about the differential effect of gender on the association of MST and the aforementioned mental health outcomes. As females are the fastest growing subpopulation of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), it is imperative to assess possible between-gender differences in the association of MST with PTSD, depression, and SI/B. Methods Participants were 435,690 (n = 382,021, 87.7% men) 9/11 era veterans seen for care at the VHA between 2004 and 2014. Demographics, gender, PTSD and depression diagnoses, SI/B, and MST screen status were extracted from medical records. Adjusted logistic regression models assessed the moderating effect of gender on the association of MST with PTSD and depression diagnoses, as well as SI/B. Results Women with MST had a larger increased risk for a PTSD diagnosis (predicted probability =0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.56, 0.56]) and comparable risk for a depression diagnosis (predicted probability = 0.63, 95% CI [0.63, 0.64]) compared to men with MST. Men were more likely to have evidence of SI/B (predicted probability = 1.07, 95% CI [0.10, 0.11]) relative to women, but the interaction between gender and MST was nonsignificant. Limitations Data were limited to veterans seeking care through VHA and the MST screen did not account for MST severity. Conclusions Non-VHA settings may consider screening for MST in both men and women, given that risk for PTSD and depression is heightened among female survivors of MST.
Exploring the Role of Employers’ Onboarding Programs in Preparing Early-Career Engineers

In this work-in-progress research paper, we report an exploratory study on the role of onboarding programs in preparing early-career engineers for engineering practice. For many years, undergraduate engineering programs have focused primarily on the classroom experience. To provide more authentic pre-professional preparation, however, undergraduate programs have increasingly encouraged outof-class experiences such as senior design capstone projects, project-based learning, and service learning. While engineering students now graduate with stronger preparation for professional practice, employers still invest significant resources in onboarding programs for early-career engineers. These onboarding programs may include a combination of classroom experiences, technical department rotations, and mentorship. Employers like the Indiana State Department of Transportation, Caterpillar Inc., and General Electric describe their onboarding programs as including technical elements like design, professional skill development such as leadership, and in some cases, mentorship.Although many research studies suggest that project-based learning and service learning programs enhance student preparedness for engineering practice, little is known about how onboarding programs develop the knowledge and skills of early-career engineers, and how these programs build upon the knowledge that they acquired as undergraduates. Preliminary findings suggest that the transitional onboarding programs in engineering practice strengthen competencies such as working on multicultural teams, networking skills, and develop project management skills.
When the Boss is far away and there is shared pay: The effect of monitoring distance and compensation interdependence on performance misreporting

Abstract This study examines the joint effect that probabilistic reviews and compensation interdependence have on misreporting. These two controls are often found in distributed work settings where employees have opportunity to misreport. In an experiment that holds the true detection rate equal, I find participants perceive a probabilistic review to be more effective (i.e., more likely to detect misreporting) when there is low versus high monitoring distance between a supervisor and employee. I also find low monitoring distance reduces misreporting when compensation interdependence is low. However, high compensation interdependence attenuates the effect of monitoring distance on misreporting. This suggests that, with respect to misreporting, probabilistic reviews and compensation interdependence are substitutes rather than complements within a control system. My study advances academics’ knowledge of this complex relationship and highlights the need for managers to consider this relationship when designing both control and compensation systems.
The economic value of an on-call neurosurgical resident physician.

Objective The cost of training neurosurgical residents is especially high considering the duration of training and the technical nature of the specialty. Despite these costs, on-call residents are a source of significant economic value, through both indirectly and directly supervised activities. The authors sought to identify the economic value of on-call services provided by neurosurgical residents. Methods A personal call log kept by a single junior neurosurgical resident over a 2-year period was used to obtain the total number of consultations, admissions, and procedures. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were used to estimate the resident's on-call economic value. Results A single on-call neurosurgical resident at the authors' institution produced 8172 work relative value units (wRVUs) over the study period from indirectly and directly supervised activities. Indirectly supervised procedures produced 7052 wRVUs, and directly supervised activities using the CPT modifier 80 yielded an additional 1120 wRVUs. Using the assistant surgeon billing rate for directly supervised activities and the Medical Group Management Association nationwide median neurosurgery reimbursement rate, the on-call activities of a single resident generated a theoretical billing value of $689,514 over the 2-year period, or $344,757 annually. As a program, the on-call residents collectively produced 39,550 wRVUs over the study period, or 19,775 wRVUs annually, which equates to potential reimbursements of $1,668,386 annually. Conclusions Neurosurgery residents at the authors' institution theoretically produce enough economic value exclusively from on-call activities to far exceed the cost of their education. This information could be used to more precisely estimate the true overall cost of neurosurgical training and determine future graduate medical education funding.
Art as a tool for science.

Artistic techniques are essential tools to visualize, understand and disseminate the results of scientific research. The field of structural biology has enjoyed a particularly productive marriage of art and science.
Empirical and Semi-Empirical Diffusion Relations

Many empirical relations between the diffusion parameters Q and D0 and other physical properties of materials have been proposed during the past 30 to 40 years. In general the relations are of two types: (a) those derived without any consideration of diffusion mechanism, and (b) those derived on the basis of some assumed mechanism.
The growth potential of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in dairy manure‐based compost in a greenhouse setting under different seasons

Aim: The pathogen growth in dairy compost was studied in a greenhouse setting under different seasons. Methods and Results: The five-strain mixtures of each Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were inoculated separately into dry compost to yield c. 1 log CFU g−1. After acclimation at room temperature, the inoculated compost was initially adjusted to moisture levels of 10–50% and then kept in a greenhouse under different seasons. The populations of all three pathogens increased by 2·1–3·9 log CFU g−1 within 3 days in autoclaved compost with initial moisture content of at least 40%. Listeria monocytogenes multiplied up to 2·4 log CFU g−1 in compost with initial moisture content of 30% and was detected up to 28 days for all seasons, whereas populations of both E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella increased by c. 1 log in compost with initial moisture content of 30% during winter months only. No pathogen growth in nonautoclaved compost was detected. Conclusion: Bacterial species, temperature, light intensity and moisture content affected the growth potential and survival of pathogens in compost when the population of background microflora was low. Significance and Impact of the Study: Keeping compost as dry as possible and maintaining certain levels of background microflora may be critical to prevent the growth of pathogens.
Labor Markets and Dynamic Comparative Advantage

In many economies, domestic migration has been one of the primary forces animating economic modernization. In other contexts, it has intensified urban and rural poverty and led to chronic social and economic problems. Although internal migration has largely run its course in the industrialized countries, it will still exert a dramatic influence on the economic future of large and populous developing countries such as China, India, and Indonesia. This paper presents a framework for incorporating migration into a dynamic general equilibrium model. The model is then used to appraise the role migration might play Chinese development over the next two decades.
Exotic (anti)ferromagnetism in single crystals of Pr 6 Ni 2 Si 3

The ternary intermetallic compound, ${\text{Pr}}_{6}{\text{Ni}}_{2}{\text{Si}}_{3}$, is a member of a structure series of compounds based on a triangular structure where the number of Pr atoms in the prism cross section can be systematically varied. ${\text{Pr}}_{6}{\text{Ni}}_{2}{\text{Si}}_{3}$ contains two distinct Pr lattice sites which result in complex interactions between the magnetic ions. Extensive measurements of specific heat and magnetization on single-crystal samples indicate that ${\text{Pr}}_{6}{\text{Ni}}_{2}{\text{Si}}_{3}$ orders with both a ferromagnet and an antiferromagnet component, with ordering temperatures of 39.6 and $\ensuremath{\sim}32\text{ }\text{K}$, respectively. The ferromagnetic component $\ensuremath{\parallel}$ $c$ axis is accompanied by a large hysteresis, and the antiferromagnetic component $\ensuremath{\perp}$ $c$ axis is accompanied by a spin-flop-type transition. More detailed measurements, of the vector magnetization, indicate that the ferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic order appear independent of each other. These results not only clarify the behavior of ${\text{Pr}}_{6}{\text{Ni}}_{2}{\text{Si}}_{3}$ itself but also of the other members of the structure series, ${\text{Pr}}_{5}{\text{Ni}}_{2}{\text{Si}}_{3}$ and ${\text{Pr}}_{15}{\text{Ni}}_{7}{\text{Si}}_{10}$.
Orientation embedded high order shape functions for the exact sequence elements of all shapes

A unified construction of high order shape functions is given for all four classical energy spaces (H1, H(curl), H(div) and L2) and for elements of all shapes (segment, quadrilateral, triangle, hexahedron, tetrahedron, triangular prism and pyramid). The discrete spaces spanned by the shape functions satisfy the commuting exact sequence property for each element. The shape functions are conforming, hierarchical and compatible with other neighboring elements across shared boundaries so they may be used in hybrid meshes. Expressions for the shape functions are given in coordinate free format in terms of the relevant affine coordinates of each element shape. The polynomial order is allowed to differ for each separate topological entity (vertex, edge, face or interior) in the mesh, so the shape functions can be used to implement local p adaptive finite element methods. Each topological entity may have its own orientation, and the shape functions can have that orientation embedded by a simple permutation of arguments.
LABOR AND OCCUPY WALL STREET: COMMON CAUSES AND UNEASY ALLIANCES

Forty-two years after the Hard Riot of May 1970, organized labor seems to have embraced the goals of a new social movement, Occupy Wall Street (OWS). Both movements have benefited from mutual association, with labor finding new vitality in its connection with a mobilized social movement. And OWS has been able to dismiss the charge that this is a counterculture movement, by connecting itself with labor. Labor helped mobilize a successful action in Wall Street on May 12, 2011, which anticipated OWS. Still, challenges remain if labor is to maintain its uneasy alliance with this anarchist-inspired movement. Labor must learn to show solidity and respect not only to the message of OWS but to the movement's nonhierarchical organizing process if the alliance to endure.
Biofilms in the normal human large bowel: fact rather than fiction

Studies from a variety of scientific fields point at the importance of biofilms in the gut. For example, Jeffrey Gordon and colleagues,1 evaluating data from immunologists, environmental engineers and glycobiologists, proposed that “symbionts inhabiting the polysaccharide-rich mucus gel layer overlying the gut epithelium constitute a biofilm-like community and that retention in such a matrix benefits the host by promoting functions served by the microbiota, including digestion of luminal contents and fortification of host defenses.” Evaluating our own immunological data, data from microbiologists and the medical literature, we independently came to the same conclusions.2 Direct observations of biofilms in the normal gut were lacking as recently as five years ago, probably because preservation of the epithelial glycocalyx, like the preservation of other glycocalyx structures, is technically challenging, as has long been known.3–5 In fact, we have found that manipulations as seemingly …
Activity of Cyclic AMP Phosphodiesterases and Adenylyl Cyclase in Peripheral Nerve after Crush and Permanent Transection Injuries

Recent studies demonstrate that cAMP levels are tightly controlled during demyelination and remyelination in Schwann cells as cAMP decreases to 8–10% of normal following both sciatic nerve crush or permanent transection injury and only begins to increase in the crushed nerve after remyelination (Poduslo, J. F., Walikonis, R. S., Domec, M., Berg, C. T., and Holtz-Heppelmann, C. J. (1995) J. Neurochem. 65, 149–159). To investigate the mechanisms responsible for this change in cAMP levels, cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) and adenylyl cyclase activities were determined before and after sciatic nerve injury. Basal cAMP PDE activity in soluble endoneurial homogenates of normal nerve was 34.9 ± 1.9 pmol/mg of protein/min (χ ± S.E.; n = 10). This activity increased about 3-fold within 6 days following both injuries. Basal PDE activity remained elevated in the transected nerve, but declined to 70 pmol/mg of protein/min in the crushed nerve at 21 and 35 days following injury. Isozyme-specific inhibitors and stimulators were used to identify the PDE families in the sciatic nerve. The lowK_m cAMP-specific (PDE4) and the Ca^(2+)/calmodulin-stimulated (PDE1) families were found to predominate in assays using endoneurial homogenates. The PDE4 inhibitor rolipram also increased cAMP levels significantly after incubation of endoneurial tissue with various isozyme-specific inhibitors, indicating that PDE4 plays a major role in determining cAMP levels. PDE4 mRNA was localized by in situ hybridization to cells identified as Schwann cells by colabeling of S100, a Schwann cell specific protein. Adenylyl cyclase activity declined following injury, from 3.7 pmol/mg of protein/min in normal nerve to 0.70 pmol/mg/min by 7 days following injury. Both decreased synthesis and increased degradation contribute, therefore, to the reduced levels of cAMP following peripheral nerve injury and are likely critical to the process of Wallerian degeneration.
Microsomal oxidase activities in relation to age and chlorcyclizine induction in American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, fat body, midgut and hindgut

Abstract Female adult American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana L., showed definite age-dependent changes in levels of activity of the microsomal mixed-function oxidases. Cytochrome P-450 levels, EPN-detoxication, and p -nitroanisole O -demethylation activities were very low in young adult insects but increased steadily reaching a natural peak at about 100 days in fat body and at about 90 days in midgut and hindgut. The activities then declined rapidly reaching levels of young insects at about 130 to 140 days of age. NADPH-neotetrazolium-reductase activity was high in young insects, declined later in adult life, and returned to a peak at about 100 days. Injections of chlorcyclizine, a known microsomal enzyme inducer, significantly increased levels of cytochrome P-450, EPN-detoxication, p -nitroanisole O -demethylation, and NADPH-NT-reductase activities in young cockroaches. The drug injections were effective, however, only before the natural activity peak was reached. Beyond this point the injections had no inductive effect indicating that the microsomal oxidases in this insect are uninducible when normal enzyme levels are falling. NADPH-NT-reductase activity in male cockroaches, while being somewhat higher than in females, showed a similar age-dependent curve with the peak occurring at about 120 days. Age-dependent carbaryl resistance in male and female insects tended to follow levels of the microsomal oxidase activities. Fifty to 60-day-old insects, however, tended to be more resistant to the insecticide than microsomal enzyme levels would indicate. RNA levels of normal female insects showed age-dependent curves similar to those of the microsomal enzyme activities, being low in young adults and reaching a peak at about 100 days. Chlorcyclizine injections had little or no effect on total microsomal RNA levels.
Neonatal gut injury and infection rate: impact of surgical debridement on outcome

Infectious burden of gut injury (G-INJ) associated with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or with spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) in neonates has not been ascertained. We sought to test the hypotheses that: (1) infants with G-INJ develop higher number of infections including non-concurrent infections than infants without G-INJ in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); (2) surgical debridement (DEB) of infants with severe G-INJ is associated with lower infectious morbidity and mortality. All infants admitted to the regional NICU from October 1991 to February 2003 were included in this prospective prevalence investigation of G-INJ and infections. Non-viable (<23 week gestational age) infants, infants with congenital anomalies, and those who developed NEC after SIP were excluded. Standard definitions of National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were used for different categories of infections. Episodes of infections were classified as concurrent or non-concurrent (post G-INJ) based upon their timing in association with G-INJ. Infants with G-INJ associated with Bell stage II or higher NEC or with SIP were further stratified by DEB into two subgroups. A previously described 7-point clinical score was used to divide G-INJ into mild (0–2), moderate (3–5), and severe (6–7) categories. Surgical outcomes were determined by using χ2 and logistic regression analyses. Data are expressed as mean ± SD or as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI); P<0.05 was considered significant. Of all 5,481 infants, 954 (17.4%) developed 1,734 episodes of infections. Prevalence of G-INJ was 4% (n=222); of these, 33% (n=73) underwent DEB. Infants with G-INJ had lower mean birth weight (1,414±766 vs. 2,153±104 g; P<0.0001) and lower mean gestational age (29.6±4.2 vs. 32.9±4.8 weeks; P<0.0001) than their peers (n=5,259). Controlling for birth weight and gestational age, odds for non-concurrent blood stream infections (BSIs) in G-INJ infants were higher (OR 13.98, CI 10.289–19.01, P<0.0001) than the remaining population without G-INJ. Forty-four percent of all episodes of fungemia, 32% of all episodes of BSIs occurred in G-INJ infants (P<0.0001). Within the G-INJ group, there were no demographic differences between the DEB and non-DEB infants. Controlling for severity of G-INJ, odds for non-concurrent BSIs (OR 3.45, CI 1.04–11.36, P<0.05) and for mortality (OR 3.35, CI 1–10, P<0.05) among non-DEB infants were higher than in DEB infants. Infants with G-INJ suffered from a disproportionate number of all blood-stream infections in our intensive care nursery. Infants with severe G-INJ whose management includes DEB are more likely to survive and to incur less infectious morbidity.
Wide bandpass monochromators for synchrotron radiation

Abstract The bandwidth (Δλ/λ) of perfect single crystal monochromators can be on the order 10−3 to 10−5. For certain experiments where wavelength definition is not crucial, significant gains in diffracted power can be achieved at synchroton radiation sources by using wider bandpass X-ray optics. For bandwidths as large as 0.1 to 1, the monochromated power increase can be as large as 350 to 10 000 over (220) silicon at 1.5 A when using mosaic crystals, synthetic layered microstructures, transmission/reflection X-ray mirrors or an absorption filter/reflection mirror combination.
Abstract B71: Residential racial segregation and prostate cancer treatment decisions

Residential racial segregation, or the relative degree to which members of two or more racial groups are spatially distributed throughout a defined geographical area, is associated with the health status of individuals living in racially segregated communities. Despite pronounced racial disparities in prostate cancer incidence and mortality, no known study has investigated the association between racial residential segregation and prostate cancer post-diagnosis treatment. The objective of this study is to evaluate the independent effect of residential racial segregation as measured by the isolation index on prostate cancer treatment decisions. Incident prostate cancer cases among men living in metropolitan statistical areas that were reported to the SEER-Medicare linked database between 1995 and 2002 were identified. Differences between individual and area-level characteristics at varying degrees of residential segregation were statistically evaluated using Chi Square and Student9s t tests and ANOVA. Hierarchical logistic regression models with MSA- level random effects were used to characterize the relationship between level of residential segregation and post-diagnosis prostate cancer treatment received. African American men living in metropolitan areas with high segregation were statistically significantly more likely to receive expectant management (OR=1.42, 95% CI= 1.09, 2.23) and were statistically significantly less likely to receive radiation therapy (OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.34, 0.93) compared to white men living in areas of low segregation. Black men living in metropolitan areas with high segregation were more likely to receive radical prostatectomy (OR=1.59, 95% CI= 0.57, 4.45) and hormone therapy (OR= 2.08, 95% CI=0.91, 4.77) than white men living in areas of low segregation, although these differences were not statistically significant. Researchers should continue to investigate the implications of access to care and healthcare utilization by various populations and their effect on prostate cancer treatment decisions. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B71.