cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Component separation in the management of the difficult abdominal wall.

Abstract Background Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) and mesh implantation in abdominal wounds are creating abdominal wall problems not seen in the past. Component separation (CS) is an alternative technique used to manage these difficult wounds. Methods From January 2001 to July 2003, 27 patients were identified who had undergone CS. Charts were reviewed for defect etiology and characterization, surgical results, and outcome from reconstruction. Results Etiology of the defect was ACS in 14, infected mesh in 5, and multiple failed repairs in 8 patients. Twenty-three were closed completely with CS, 2 required prosthetic mesh, and 2 had a porcine implant placed. Three wound complications occurred that required reoperation. Three hernia recurrences have been identified. All patients are completely recovered and are currently functioning without limitation. Conclusions Large and/or complex abdominal wall defects can be managed with a single-stage procedure using CS, thus many complications associated with implantation of prosthetic mesh are avoided. Functional outcome is excellent.
The impact of unions on municipal elections and urban fiscal policies

Abstract The efficient decentralized provision of public goods requires that special interest groups, such as municipal unions, do not exercise undue influence on the outcome of municipal elections and local fiscal policies. We develop a new political economy model in which a union can endorse one of the candidates in a local election. A politician that prefers an inefficiently large public sector can, therefore, win an election if the union can provide sufficiently strong support during the campaign. We have assembled a unique data set that is based on union endorsements that are published in leading local newspapers. Our empirical analysis focuses on municipal elections in the 150 largest cities in the U.S. between 1990 and 2012. We find that challengers strongly benefit from endorsements in competitive elections. Challengers that receive union endorsements and successfully defeat an incumbent also tend to adopt more union friendly fiscal policies.
X-ray microbeam quantification of grain subdivision accompanying large deformations of copper

This work reports the application of X-ray microbeam diffraction to quantifying grain subdivision processes in copper. Polychromatic synchrotron X-radiation was used to study samples in the as-received (low deformation) and 100% torsion strained material. The large range of domain disorientations (within individual grains) observed in the highly strained material agrees with results on other f.c.c. materials obtained by electron beam methods; it is not surprising, therefore, that models of texture development which do not include this effect predict too rapid sharpening of preferred orientation compared to experimental pole figures.
Physical mapping of distinct 7q22 deletions in uterine leiomyoma and analysis of a recently annotated 7q22 candidate gene

Uterine leiomyoma (UL) is a benign, smooth muscle tumor of the uterus affecting a significant proportion of women of reproductive age. Deletions involving chromosome 7q22 are common in UL and vary in length. Previously reported 7q22 deletion intervals were physically mapped using information from the recently completed human genome sequence. Four distinct deletion intervals, which included a microdeletion reported by our laboratory, were identified. This microdeletion contains two known genes, ORC5L and LHFPL3. The single deleted marker in the microdeletion was mapped within the LHFPL3 locus. The ORC5L gene has been studied in UL. Conversely, LHFPL3 has been annotated only recently, and has therefore not been studied in UL. The predicted LHFPL3 protein sequence contained a polyalanine domain, and a signature sequence for the PMP22 Claudin protein family. Members of this family are transmembrane proteins with roles in differentiation, proliferation, and extracellular matrix formation, and have been implicated in other tumors. Differences in LHFPL3 expression were observed in both human and Eker rat UL. Our results provide evidence for four distinct 7q22 deletion intervals, each with multiple candidate genes, including the recently identified LHFPL3 gene.
Configurable hardware-based radio interferometric node localization

Wireless ad-hoc sensor networks are typically deployed randomly in space to gather information about the physical world. 12In these spatially random sensor networks, one of the fundamental problems is precise node localization along with the key requirement to keep node cost at minimum. Existing radio interferometry-based node localization techniques achieve cm resolution using only low-cost radio chips readily available on sensor nodes. This paper proposes an alternative hardware-based solution for the signal processing part of such a technique. We show that our approach tolerates a much wider range of interference frequencies while freeing up precious computational and storage resources on the sensor node. The proposed ranging functionality can eventually be included in current COTS radio transceiver chips, thus accurate localization will be available on the nodes, without a significant additional cost in computation or price.
Hypercompetition: Managing the Dynamics of Strategic Maneuvering

The article reviews the book “Hypercompetition: Managing the Dynamics of Strategic Maneuvering,” by Richard A. D'Aveni.
Broadcast traffic in ad hoc networks with directional antennas

We explore the use of directional antennas to improve the performance of broadcasting in ad hoc networks. We investigate both the performance of unicast traffic in the presence of broadcast traffic and the performance of broadcast traffic when mixed with unicast traffic, which is different from previous investigations reported in the literature in which broadcast traffic is investigated in isolation. Through extensive simulation experiments with three MAC schemes, we show that throughput and delay can vary widely even in networks in which nodes are uniformly distributed. We also show that the use of a MAC protocol that utilizes directional antennas can help to improve the performance of broadcast traffic in ad hoc networks, in terms of both throughput and delay, through a more aggressive channel access scheme that maximizes spatial reuse.
Designing AGRIS 2010: information linking and agricultural research

1. Background This poster presents recent work on the redesign of a bibliographic database of research literature (AGRIS) to emphasise the interconnected, relational nature of modern Web metadata. Through exploring the evolving role of databases such as AGRIS, it has become clear that the connectivity patterns amongst the things described in the database (researchers, topics, institutes, places) can be better reflected online through a more explicit representation both in Web metadata and in user-facing Web sites. The distributed nature of the world described by AGRIS naturally fits a "linked data" deployment model, in which AGRIS becomes more than a document discovery portal - it becomes an entry point and map of the entire research landscape around some topic or theme.
A Hybrid Approach for the Modal Analysis of Continuous Systems With Localized Nonlinear Constraints

The analysis of continuous systems with nonlinearities in their domain have previously been limited to either numerical approaches, or analytical methods that are constrained in the parameter space, boundary conditions, or order of the system. The present analysis develops a robust method for studying continuous systems with arbitrary boundary conditions and nonlinearities using the assumption that the nonlinear constraint can be modeled with a piecewise-linear force-deflection constitutive relationship. Under this assumption, a superposition method is used to generate homogeneous boundary conditions, and modal analysis is used to find the displacement of the system in each state of the piecewise-linear nonlinearity. In order to map across each nonlinearity in the piecewise-linear force-deflection profile, a variational calculus approach is taken that minimizes the L2 energy norm between the previous and current states. To illustrate this method, a leaf spring coupled with a connector pin immersed in a viscous fluid is modeled as a beam with a piecewise-linear constraint. From the results of the convergence and parameter studies, a high correlation between the finite-time Lyapunov exponents and the contact time per period of the excitation is observed. The parameter studies also indicate that when the system’s parameters are changed in order to reduce the magnitude of the velocity impact between the leaf spring and connector pin, the extent of the regions over which a chaotic response is observed increases.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Assessment of total head excursion and resting head posture.

Clinicians typically evaluate head posture and cervical range of motion in both standing and sitting positions. There are currently few quantitative data available regarding resting head posture (RHP) or total head excursion (THE), a retraction-protraction gliding range of head motion in the sagittal plane, and where the RHP lies within THE. The purposes of this study were to describe quick and simple methods to determine quantitative measurements of THE, RHP while sitting, and RHP while standing, to provide preliminary data on these postural measurements for men and women in four age categories; and to determine the effects of gender and age on these measurements. Subjects included 218 able-bodied adults. Measurements of THE, RHP while sitting, and RHP while standing were taken. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance followed by two-way analyses of variance showed only the main effect of gender to be significant (p less than .05) for each of the dependent measurements. Across the age groups, men had a greater excursion distance from retraction to protraction than women. Within THE, women held their heads more forward than men. Men held their heads farther from the vertical than women while standing. These results indicate that normal head and neck posture is different for men and women and should not be judged by the same standard. The methods used in this study are clinically advantageous in that they produce objective, quantitative measurements of THE and RHP that may be obtained quickly and with minimal equipment.
The Somatics of Syncretism: Tying Body and Soul in Haitian Religion:

The convergence of African religion and Christianity in the Atlantic world has inspired some of the most significant and most analyzed examples of syncretism in the study of religion. Scholarly discussions of these phenomena, however, tend to portray religions like Vodou in Haiti and Candomble in Brazil as mergers of various Euro-Christian and ‘‘traditional’’ African elements that chiefly result from processes of cognitive ideation, thereby blurring the integrative somatic dimensions of religious syncretism. Modes of embodying knowledge, power, and morality are thus largely absent from the discussion of religious syncretism in Haitian Vodou and Catholicism, as well as other contact-cultural religions, whose congregational and performance spaces now span national boundaries. Drawing upon the historiography of Kongolese and Haitian religion, and on our multi-site ethnographic research among religious communities in Haiti, to think about religious syncretism in the African diaspora, this paper focuses on two...
CD4 T-helper cells engineered to produce IL-10 prevent allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity and inflammation

Abstract Background : T H 2 cells play a critical role in the pathogenesis of asthma, but the precise immunologic mechanisms that inhibit T H 2 cell function in vivo are not well understood. Objective : The purpose of our studies was to determine whether T cells producing IL-10 regulate the development of asthma. Methods : We used gene therapy to generate ovalbumin-specific CD4 T-helper cells to express IL-10, and we examined their capacity to regulate allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity. Results : We demonstrated that the CD4 T-helper cells engineered to express IL-10 abolished airway hyperreactivity and airway eosinophilia in BALB/c mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin and in SCID mice reconstituted with ovalbumin-specific T H 2 effector cells. The inhibitory effect of the IL-10-secreting T-helper cells was accompanied by the presence of increased quantities of IL-10 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, was antigen-specific, and was reversed by neutralization of IL-10. Moreover, neutralization of IL-10 by administration of anti-IL-10 mAb in mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin seriously exacerbated airway hyperreactivity and airway inflammation. Conclusion : Our results demonstrate that T cells secreting IL-10 in the respiratory mucosa can indeed regulate T H 2-induced airway hyperreactivity and inflammation, and they strongly suggest that IL-10 plays an important inhibitory role in allergic asthma. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;110:460-8.)
An Information Theoretic Approach to Predicting Software Faults

Software measurement and modeling is intended to improve quality by predicting quality factors, such as reliability, early in the life cycle. The field of software measurement generally assumes that attributes of software products early in the life cycle are somehow related to the amount of information in those products, and thus, are related to the quality that eventually results from the development process. Kolmogorov complexity and information theory offer a way to quantify the amount of information in a finite object, such as a program, in a unifying framework. Based on these principles, we propose a new synthetic measure of information composed from a set of conventional primitive metrics in a module. Since not all information is equally relevant to fault-insertion, we also consider components of the overall information content. We present a model for fault-insertion based on a nonhomogeneous Poisson process and Poisson regression. This approach is attractive, because the underlying assumptions are appropriate for software quality data. This approach also gives insight into design attributes that affect fault insertion. A validation case study of a large sample of modules from a very large telecommunications system provides empirical evidence that the components of synthetic module complexity can be useful in software quality modeling. A large telecommunications system is an example of a computer system with rigorous software quality requirements.
Chlamydia pneumoniae Inclusion Membrane Protein Cpn0585 Interacts with Multiple Rab GTPases

Chlamydiae are intracellular bacteria that develop within a membrane-bound vacuole called an inclusion. To ensure that the inclusion is a safe niche for chlamydial replication, chlamydiae exploit a number of host cell processes, including membrane-trafficking pathways. Recently, several Rab GTPases were found to associate with the inclusions of various chlamydial species. Here we report that Cpn0585, a Chlamydia pneumoniae inclusion membrane protein (Inc), interacts with multiple Rab GTPases. The results from yeast two-hybrid experiments revealed that an amino-terminally truncated form of Cpn0585 (Cpn0585102-651) interacts with Rab1, Rab10, and Rab11 but not with Rab4 or Rab6. Cpn0585-Rab GTPase interactions are direct and GTP dependent as shown in glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays using native and recombinant Cpn0585. In C. pneumoniae-infected HEp-2 cells transfected with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged Rab GTPases, the colocalization with Cpn0585 at the inclusion membrane was partial for EGFP-Rab1 and EGFP-Rab10, but extensive for wild-type EGFP-Rab11A and the constitutively active GTPase-deficient EGFP-Rab11AQ70L. Moreover, Cpn0585 colocalized with EGFP-Rab11AQ70L as early as 2 h postinfection. Upon delivery into live C. pneumoniae-infected cells, Cpn0585628-651-specific antibodies bound to the inclusion membrane, demonstrating that the Rab GTPase-interacting domain of Cpn0585 faces the host cell cytosol. Finally, ectopic expression of Cpn0585102-651 partially inhibited the development of C. pneumoniae inclusions in EGFP. but not in EGFP-Rab11AQ70L-expressing HEp-2 cells. Collectively, these data suggest that Cpn0585 is involved in the recruitment of Rab GTPases to the inclusion membrane and that interfering with this function may adversely impact the fitness of the C. pneumoniae inclusion for chlamydial replication.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Receipt of Antidepressants and Psychotherapy by Veterans With Chronic Depression

ObjectiveThis study characterized racial-ethnic differences in treatment of veterans with chronic depression by examining antidepressant and psychotherapy use among non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian–Alaska Native (AI/AN) veterans.MethodsLogistic regression models were estimated with data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical records for a sample of 62,095 chronically depressed patients. Data (2009–2010) were from the VA External Peer Review Program. Three primary outcome measures were used: receipt of adequate antidepressant therapy (≥80% medications on hand), receipt of adequate psychotherapy (at least six sessions in six months), and receipt of guideline-concordant treatment (either of these treatments).ResultsCompared with whites, nearly all minority groups had lower odds of adequate antidepressant use and guideline-concordant care in unadjusted and adjusted models (antidepressant adjusted odds ratio [AOR] range=.53–.82, p<.05; guideline-co...
Room‐Temperature Isothermal Elastic Constants of Single‐Crystal Magnesia

Isothermal technical elastic moduli for three crystallographic orientations of magnesium oxide single crystals were determined. Excellent correlation between these isothermal moduli and reported adiabatic moduli was realized. Non-Hookean behavior at low stresses was not observed.
Goal-contact relaxation graphs for contact-based fine motion planning

In many robotic assembly tasks, fine motions are contact motions among parts which are inevitable because of uncertainties and are even desired to reduce uncertainties. Knowledge of the related contact states is extremely important in planning such motions. Representing contact states as contact formations based on the notion of principal contacts, this paper introduces goal-contact relaxation graphs (GCR graphs) to represent and organize neighboring contact formations of typical "goal" contact formations. The GCR graphs carry concisely the information essential to contact motion planning and can be generated automatically. A task-independent algorithm for generating major subgraphs of GCR graphs is given in this paper.
Bounded Solidarity Confirmed? How Korean Immigrants' Mobile Communication Configures Their Social Networks

A hierarchical regression analysis of U.S.-based Korean immigrants' mobile communication use i.e., voice calling and texting and their social network characteristics i.e., network size, diversity, and centrality revealed significant associations between texting with coethnic strong ties and network centrality within the ethnic community. Korean immigrants who texted frequently with both coethnic and host weak ties had larger networks. Network diversity was, however, associated only with voice calling with host ties both strong and weak. These findings have implications for theories of bounded solidarity. Specifically, the results suggest that mobile communication is significantly associated with a denser social networks, and b an important and unique source of social capital embedded in immigrant communities.
Ground-Penetrating Radar

This chapter discusses the design of a pulsed-ground penetrating radar (GPR) system, radar transmitters, radar receivers and radar antennas.
Pharmacological Treatment of Insomnia

About 35% of the American population complain of difficulty going to sleep or maintaining sleep, and perhaps half of this group consider it a major problem (Mellinger and Balter, 1983). As a consequence, many persons consult a physician, and 4.3% of them receive a prescription for a sleep medication each year. (About 60% of these persons receive a traditional hypnotic; the remainder receive anxiolytics and antidepressants.) Of those who obtain medication, roughly three-fourths take it for less than two weeks; 11%, however, use it nightly for over a year. Although the utilization of hypnotics is widespread, the total number of prescriptions is less than in past years. Since careful data were first collected in 1964, the number of prescriptions rose from 32.5 million to a peak of 42 million in 1971 and gradually declined to 23 million in 1982. In 1985, there were approximately 24 million prescriptions for barbiturates (excluding long-acting forms), chloral hydrate, and other nonbarbiturate hypnotics combined.* Of the nonbarbiturate prescriptions (21 million), 94% were for benzodiazepines.
Complex I subunit gene therapy with NDUFA6 ameliorates neurodegeneration in EAE.

Purpose To address the permanent disability induced by mitochondrial dysfunction in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Methods Mice sensitized for EAE were rescued by intravitreal injection of adeno-associated viral vector serotype 2 with the complex I subunit gene scAAV-NDUFA6Flag. Controls were injected with a mitochondrially targeted red fluorescent protein (scAAV-COX8-cherry). Another group received scAAV-COX8-cherry, but was not sensitized for EAE. Serial pattern electroretinograms (PERGs) and optical coherent tomography (OCT) evaluated visual function and structure of the retina at 1, 3, and 6 months post injection (MPI). Treated mice were killed 6 MPI for histopathology. Immunodetection of cleaved caspase 3 gauged apoptosis. Complex I activity was assessed spectrophotometrically. Expression of NDUFA6Flag in the retina and optic nerve were evaluated between 1 week to 1 month post injection by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. Results Reverse transcription-PCR and immunoblotting confirmed NDUFA6Flag overexpression with immunoprecipitation and blue native PAGE showing integration into murine complex I. Overexpression of NDUFA6Flag in the visual system of EAE mice rescued retinal complex I activity completely, axonal loss by 73%, and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss by 88%, RGC apoptosis by 66%, and restored the 33% loss of complex I activity in EAE to normal levels; thereby, preventing loss of vision indicated by the 43% reduction in the PERG amplitudes of EAE mice. Conclusions NDUFA6 gene therapy provided long-term suppression of neurodegeneration in the EAE animal model suggesting that it may also ameliorate the mitochondrial dysfunction associated with permanent disability in optic neuritis and MS patients.
Mapping Theorems in Complex Analysis

(1984). Mapping Theorems in Complex Analysis. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 91, No. 7, pp. 413-414.
Variations in Auriculoventricular Conduction Time in Rheumatic Carditis with Salicylate Therapy.

It is now generally believed that the drugs employed in the treatment of acute rheumatic fever (sodium salicylate, acetylsalicylic acid and neocincophen) probably exert an antisymptomatic rather than a specific action in this disease. Following their administration, the pain and exudation of arthritis are usually controlled, high fever is reduced, the heart rate becomes slower and there is often a concomitant fall in the leucocyte count. The mechanism by means of which these results are accomplished, is not understood.No direct effect of medication upon the cardiac lesions of rheumatic fever has been demonstrated. Auscultatory signs do not afford an accurate index of slight modification in a valvulitis. Electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial involvement is frequent; and the most readily measurable graphic change is auriculoventricular conduction time (P-R interval).In three cases of acute rheumatic carditis with arthritis, prolonged P-R interval (0.23-0.24 seconds) was found on admission to the hospi...
The Cyclical Fluctuations of China's Pig Prices:Empirical Analysis and Policy Thinking

The trends and cycles were extracted from the time series of pig prices,,piglet prices,and pork prices by means of H-P filter method,which covered the period from January 2000 to September 2014.We combined the trends and the pig/grain price ratios to analysize the cyclical characteristics of pig prices.The main research findings are as follows:The price fluctuation cycles of pig prices,,piglet prices,and pork prices mostly lasts more than 40 months.The durations of price falling are generally longer than the durations of price rising.The pig/grain price ratios have directional function that could help to identify prices cycles.External shocks(such as animal epidemics,financial crisis) caused sharp cyclical fluctuations of pig prices.The pig prices are recently falling in choppy trading.The emergency plan that could be used to prevent excessive prices falling has some effects in short term.We had conducted the policy thinking of building long-term mechanism to tame pig prices sharp fluctuations,which based on the findings of empirical analysis and new national policies,such as "New Land Policy" and financial reform.
Effect of exposure to environmental lead and cadmium on intelligence of children aged 9 to 11 years in an industrial zone of Guangdong Province

Objective To evaluate the possible effect of environmental lead and cadmium exposure on intelligence of children aged 9- 11 years in an industrial zone of Guangdong Province. Methods A town,where the industrial zone of Guangdong Province lay,was selected as exposure area and another town adjacent to the windward side of the exposure area,as a control one. Subjects were children aged 9 to11 years from primary schools in the two towns. IQ of the children was assessed using the Combined Raven's Test in China( CRT-C2). Meanwhile,their urine levels of lead and cadmium were detected. Results Contents of lead and cadmium in urine of children in exposure area were 4. 040 and 1. 434 μg / L,and those in the control area,2. 136 and 1. 023 μg / L,respectively( P 0. 01 for both). IQ of children in the exposure area( 103. 38) was lower than that in the control area( 106. 23)( P 0. 01). Multivariate logistic regression showed that urinary lead was negatively associated with children's IQ( β =- 4. 442,P 0. 05),but urine cadmium was not associated with children's IQ( β =- 1. 277,P 0. 05),after adjustment for other influencing factors. Meanwhile,no interaction was observed between urine lead and cadmium effects on IQ of the children( P 0. 05). Conclusion Environmental heavy metal pollution has induced negative impact on children's mental development. The treatment of heavy metal pollution in the environment should be intensified to reduce the health risk caused by heavy metal exposure in children.
Importance of water for the health and productivity of the dairy cow.

Four lactating Friesian cows (average weight 485 kg, milk yield 22 kg d−1) were maintained in completely controlled circumstances and deprived of water for 72 hours. During this period they were carefully monitored and lost 100 kg in bodyweight, principally accounted for by cumulative losses of water in milk, urine, faeces and respired air. The mean rates of respiration and rumen contraction decreased by approximately 50 per cent. Mean body temperature increased by 0·5°C, but pulse rate did not change significantly. Dry matter intake, particularly of hay, decreased rapidly to less than 10 per cent of normal on the third day. Milk yield decreased only slightly during the first 24 hours but on the third day the average yield was only 28 per cent of normal; the composition of the milk did not change significantly. There were significant progressive increases in serum sodium concentration (after four hours water deprivation), osmolality (after 24 hours), urea (after 38 hours), copper (after 48 hours) and magnesium and total protein concentration (after 62 hours); Packed cell volume (measured with a Coulter Counter) increased after 38 hours but packed cell volume (determined in a microhaematocrit centrifuge) increased only after 62 hours. In spite of the dehydration the cows showed no signs of distress. Within 48 hours of the cows being given free access to water, bodyweight. appetite, milk yield and blood composition had returned almost completely to normal.
Aberrant plasticity and "learned" motor inhibition in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by severe loss of substantia nigra dopamine (DA) neurons. The target region of substantia nigra DA neurons is the dorsal striatum. According to the classic model, activation of DA receptors on striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) modulates their intrinsic excitability. Activation of D1 receptors makes MSNs in the direct "Go" pathway more excitable, whereas activation of D2 receptors makes MSNs in the indirect "NoGo" pathway less excitable. Therefore increased DA increases the responsiveness of the Go pathway while decreases the responsiveness of the NoGo pathway. Both mechanisms increase motor output. Conversely, diminished DA will favor the inhibitory NoGo pathway. Therefore, DA has direct, "on-line" effect on motor performance. However, in addition to modulating the intrinsic excitability of MSNs "on-line", DA also modulates corticostriatal plasticity, therefore could potentially produce cumulative and long-lasting changes in corticostriatal throughput. Studies in my lab suggest that DA blockade leads to both direct motor performance impairment and D2 receptor dependent NoGo learning ("learned" motor inhibition) that gradually deteriorates motor performance. NoGo learning is expe- rience dependent and task specific. It is different from blocked learning since NoGo learning impairs future performance even after DA is restored. More recent data from my lab suggest that NoGo learning in the absence of DA arises from increased LTP at the indi- rect pathway corticostriatal synapses and contributes significantly to PD-like motor symptoms. Our data and hypotheses suggest a novel therapeutic strategy for PD that targets directly signaling molecules for corticostriatal plasticity (e.g. the cAMP pathway and downstream signaling molecules) and prevents aberrant plasticity under conditions of DA denervation.
Fenestrated Fontan operation with delayed transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect. Improved results in high-risk patients.

Ten patients, each with two or more risk factors for morbidity and death, underwent a fenestrated Fontan procedure in which a 4 to 6 mm circular fenestration was left between the systemic and pulmonary venous chambers. None died; a similar group of high-risk patients without fenestration had a mortality rate of 2 of 8. Patients with fenestration had significantly less drainage from the chest tube, less need for inotropic support, and shorter intensive care and hospital stays than did patients without fenestration. Comparison with a group of low-risk patients undergoing the Fontan operation showed no statistical difference in these postoperative parameters. Fenestrations were closed in all 10 patients at from 9 days to 6 months after operation by means of the transcatheter clamshell occluder device. Two patients had left pulmonary artery balloon angioplasty and three patients had other atrial communications closed with additional clamshell devices. During short-term follow-up periods averaging 18 months, all patients were clinically well; however, one patient with mitral atresia required reoperation for obstruction between the left atrium and the tricuspid valve, not related to the clamshell device. These data indicate that fenestration may be one method of achieving lower morbidity and mortality rates among high-risk patients undergoing the Fontan procedure. (J T horac C ardiovasc S urg 1992;103:1039-48)
The Classical Inverse Problem

The classical inverse problem (CIP) assumes no model structure error and, thus, only model parameters need to be identified. In this chapter, we consider the solution of CIP for single state variable models. Using the “fitting data” criterion of inverse problem formulation, we can obtain a quasi-solution by solving an optimization problem. We will show that when the inverse problem is extended well-posed and the conditions of quasi-identifiability are satisfied, thequasi-solution will approach the accurate inverse solution when the observation error reaches zero. The singular value decomposition (SVD) is introduced for linear model inversion, followed by a general procedure of linearization for mildly nonlinear model inversion. Optimization problems resulting from nonlinear inversion can be difficult to solve and the solutions are generally not unique. In this chapter, we shall restrict ourselves to cases in which the CIP is extended well-posed in a known region and the objective function for optimization is convex in the region. Consequently, the inverse solution can be found by using a local optimization algorithm. Common numerical methods for local optimization and norm selection problems will be briefly discussed.
Artistic Creativity as Creative Evolution

Within philosophy it is a rarity to find an analogy that argues from God to man. From Hesiod to the present, most arguments have been just the reverse. However, what I propose here is an argument from God to man: man creates like God creates. Yet, my proposal is not as odd as might appear because I am arguing within the context of another philosopher’s system. Indeed, Peirce worked the analogy between God and man in the standard way. He maintained that the anthropomorphizing of God, although (or perhaps because) it led to a vague conception, was indeed the only way we have to talk about God. In a letter to William James in 1905, he said, “To Schiller’s [F.C.S] anthropomorphism I subscribe in the main. And in particular if it implies theism, I am an anthropomorphist” (8.262). Thus, when I make my analogy from God to man within Peirce’s system, I am not arguing that we know God better and therefore can argue backwards to man. Rather, I am arguing that we get a better picture of what Peirce meant by creativity through his discussions of God than we do through his discussions of man. Peirce did not develop the idea of human artistic creativity at any length. Therefore, my analogy is not so much from God to man as it is from Peirce’s God to Peirce’s man, and the distinction is an important one.
Transcription Modulation of Mitochondrial Function and Related Pathways as a Therapeutic Opportunity in Parkinson’s Disease

As outlined in prior chapters, the etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is complex, involving both genetic and environmental factors, necessitating the development of multiple models to study PD. Mounting evidence has established that α-synuclein plays a central role in PD pathogenesis (Brain Pathology 9:707–720, 1999). In α-synucleinopathies, toxic oligomeric forms of α-synuclein may target intracellular organelles and cellular pathways, including mitochondria, the ubiquitin–proteasome system, and the autophagy–lysosome pathway, leading to neuron dysfunction and cell death. In addition, mitochondrial toxins have been identified in epidemiological studies as contributing to “sporadic” PD, and following the discovery of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced parkinsonism, mitochondrial-based toxin models (paraquat, maneb, rotenone) were developed (Science 219:979–980, 1983; Cell 155:1351–1364, 2013). Mitochondrial dysfunction is thus a common pathological hallmark of PD and may contribute to disease pathogenesis along with altered mitochondrial turnover or reduced mitochondrial biogenesis. Thus, regulators of mitochondrial function are appealing targets for therapeutic strategies to halt or reverse PD neurodegeneration.
The Decline of the Dormant Commerce Clause

A profound transformation has been worked in the law of the dormant Commerce Clause. Much contemporary scholarship and many modern decisions of the Supreme Court present the essential structure and content of the doctrine in the form that it held through the middle decades of the 20th century (hereafter the “Traditional Framework”). But in truth the Court has dramatically eroded the dormant Commerce Clause since the mid-1980s, leaving it today a slender remnant of the traditional model. This article tracks three dimensions of the doctrine’s precipitous decline. First, the Court has profoundly eroded the rule against discriminatory regulation, focusing almost exclusively on “intentional” protectionism. Second, the Court has virtually retired the practice of burden review, in which the balance between the commercial burden of a State measure and its social benefits is judicially scrutinized for reasonableness. Third, the Court has created and expanded exceptions to the reach of the doctrine with remarkable speed. The first and second of these dimensions accord closely with prescriptions offered by Donald Regan in a seminal 1986 article, but the third dimension marks a decisive step beyond even Regan’s prophetic vision. Today, the path ahead remains unclear. Justice Scalia was a powerful and influential critic of the dormant Commerce Clause, and much may turn on whether his successor continues his project of opposition to the doctrine. But whatever happens next, the Traditional Framework is now hopelessly out of date, and the dormant Commerce Clause is in remarkable decline.
Disentangling the role of neutrophil extracellular traps in rheumatic diseases.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW A breakdown of immune tolerance to self-antigens in a genetically predisposing background, precipitated by environmental triggers, contributes to the development of systemic autoimmune diseases. Renewed interest in the immunomodulatory capabilities of neutrophils in systemic autoimmunity has identified neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation as a distinguishing action of neutrophils in afflicted hosts. RECENT FINDINGS Oxidation of nucleic acids and posttranslational modifications of proteins distinctly occur during NET formation and may promote enhanced immunogenicity. Various autoantibodies, immune complexes, and other inflammatory stimuli have been recently reported to promote NET formation in individuals with autoimmune diseases. Associations between level of NETosis and adverse outcomes in systemic autoimmune diseases, including thrombosis, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and renal disease, continue to be investigated. SUMMARY Understanding the putative pathogenic role and sequelae of NETosis in rheumatic diseases is a major focus of ongoing research efforts. Mechanisms elucidated by these discoveries may provide novel therapeutic targets to inhibit NET formation and/or promote the clearance of immunogenic NET material.
The mammal-specific Pdx1 Area II enhancer has multiple essential functions in early endocrine cell specification and postnatal β-cell maturation

Much evidence supports the idea that the Pdx1 transcription factor is required for multiple aspects of pancreatic organogenesis, including early growth of the entire pancreatic epithelium, islet β-cell lineage allocation, and maintenance of fate and function in adult β cells. It remains unclear, however, to what extent Pdx1 expression and function depend upon trans -activation focused through 5' upstream conserved cis -regulatory regions and, in particular, if the mammal-specific Area II (located at -2139 to -1958 bp) affects minor or major aspects of organogenesis. We show that Area II is a primary effector of endocrine-selective transcription in epithelial multipotent cells, nascent endocrine progenitors, and differentiating and mature β cells in vivo . Pdx1 ΔAREAII/NULL mice exhibited a massive reduction in endocrine progenitor cells and progeny hormone-producing cells, indicating Area II activity as fundamental to mounting an effective endocrine lineage-specification program within the multipotent cell population. Moreover, creating an Area II-deleted state within already-specified Neurog3 -expressing endocrine-progenitor cells increased the proportion of glucagon+ α relative to insulin+β cells, associated with the transcriptional and epigenetic derepression of the α-cell-determining Arx gene in endocrine progenitors. There were also glucagon/insulin coexpressing cells, and β cells that were incapable of maturation. Creating the Pdx1 ΔAREAII state after cells entered an insulin-expressing stage also led to immature and dysfunctional islet β cells carrying abnormal chromatin marking in vital β-cell-associated genes. Therefore, trans -regulatory integration through the mammal-restricted Area II mediates a surprisingly extensive range of progenitor and β-cell-specific functions of the Pdx1 gene.
Structural Insight into the Molecular Mechanism of TRPA1 Inhibition and Activation

Pain, while serving the beneficial function of provoking our attention to dangerous situations, is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channel family and is localized in nerve fibers called “nociceptors” where it plays a key role in the transduction of chemical, inflammatory and neuropathic pain signals from the periphery to the brain.TRPA1 is a non-selective ion channel, which is activated by a variety of structurally diverse compounds. TRPA1 agonists are exogenous electrophilic compounds and endogenous thiol-reactive inflammatory mediators, all of which target and activate the channel via a cluster of cysteine residues at the N-terminus. Activation is clearly dependent on a thiol-reactive moiety, thus explaining the structural diversity of this group. Although near-atomic resolution structures of TRPA1 were resolved recently by cryo-EM, both in the presence of agonist and antagonists, detailed mechanisms of channel activation and inhibition by these modulators could not be determined.To determine the structural details of TRPA1 conformation upon agonist and antagonist binding, we used limited proteolysis and mass spectrometry. Our study indicates that conformational rearrangements of the N-terminus ankyrin repeats and the linker region between C-terminus and the transmembrane domain contribute to the channel modulation.
Microcystin in Lake Erie fish: Risk to human health and relationship to cyanobacterial blooms

Abstract Microcystin (MC) is a cyanobacteria-produced liver toxin that has been found in fish from Lake Erie, sometimes in excess of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe consumption. Even so, few studies have quantified MCs in Lake Erie fishes, and these studies have drawn different conclusions concerning the risk that fish consumption poses to public health. To address this gap in knowledge, we used Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) to evaluate the MC concentration in muscle tissue from three commonly harvested fish in Lake Erie: walleye ( Sander vitreus , n = 29); yellow perch ( Perca flavescens , n = 52); and white perch ( Morone americana , n = 55), collected during summer 2013. Satellite remote sensing was used to compare MC concentrations in fish tissue to bloom conditions in Lake Erie at the time of harvest. We found a significant difference among mean MC concentrations in walleye (71 ng MC/g wet weight), white perch (37 ng MC/g), and yellow perch (8.1 ng MC/g). In addition, MC levels in white perch appeared to depend on local bloom conditions. While few of the fish collected contained MC in excess of WHO guidelines, our results indicate that more toxic blooms could increase MC in fish to levels that pose a greater risk to public health.
Using Hidden Markov Models to Predict Terror Before it Hits (Again)

This chapter presents auto-coded events data used for monthly predictions of force in Iraq and Afghanistan using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). They were estimated and trained by the Baum-Welch and the Viterbi algorithms. Predictions were made using the HMMs in their generative capacity as opposed to past, static pattern matching. Along with our novel generation procedure, this chapter illustrates a set of empirically derived guidelines aimed at improving the accuracy of prediction as well as their practicality by using root mean squared forecast error tests. The cases of Iraq and Afghanistan were chosen with data through January 31 2009 not only because they are high on the decision maker agendas, but also because the on-going conflicts.
Incidence, Risk Factors, and Management of Blindness after Orbital Surgery.

Purpose Severe vision loss is a risk of orbital surgery which physicians should counsel patients about, but the overall risk rate is unknown. This research was conducted to determine the risk of severe vision loss related to orbital surgery. Design Retrospective review. Participants Patients who underwent orbital surgery at either of 2 academic medical centers between January 1994 and December 2014. Methods A billing database search was conducted to identify all patients who had orbital surgery during the study period, cross-checked against diagnostic codes related to vision loss. Charts were screened to determine baseline demographic and medical history, surgical procedure, intraoperative and perioperative management, and visual acuity. Patients with preoperative visual acuity ≥20/200 that worsened ≤20/400 after orbital surgery were included for detailed review. Statistical analysis was conducted to identify factors posing particular risk or benefit to visual outcome in these patients. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity after orbital surgery. Results A total of 1665 patients underwent orbital surgery during the inclusion period, with 14 patients sustaining severe vision loss ranging from counting fingers at 1 foot to no light perception (overall risk, 0.84%). The causes of vision loss included retrobulbar hemorrhage, malpositioned implant, optic nerve ischemia, or direct optic nerve insult. When stratified by surgical approach, the risk of a blinding surgical complication was significantly higher for patients undergoing orbital floor repair in the setting of multiple facial fractures (subgroup risk, 6.45%), bony decompression of the optic canal (subgroup risk, 15.6%), or intracranial approach to the orbital roof (subgroup risk, 18.2%). Seven of 8 patients with a potentially reversible cause of postoperative vision loss underwent urgent repeat surgery, and 2 regained substantial vision (20/20 and 20/25). Administration of intravenous corticosteroids had no significant effect on visual acuity outcome. Conclusions The overall risk of severe vision loss after orbital surgery is 0.84%. The subgroup risk is higher in patients undergoing facial polytrauma repair, optic canal decompression, or orbital apex surgery from an intracranial approach. Close postoperative monitoring and urgent assessment and management of acute vision loss may improve visual outcome in some patients.
An Application of Circular Definitions: Rational Decision

The concept of rational decision sometimes leads to paradoxical conclusions. The Surprise Exam, the Prisoner’s Dilemma, Newcomb’s Problem, The Centipede, are some of the well-known examples. Game theorists have debated these problems for almost fifty years with a variety of diagnoses and/or resolutions offered. The main obstacle to a satisfactory solution has been the essential ingredient of such games or decision situations: the interdependence of the decisions. This was noted very early on by the economist Carl Kaysen in his review [Kay146–47] of von Neumann and Morgenstern’s Theory of Games and Economic Behavior.