cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonvestibular schwannomas: an evaluation of functional outcome after radiosurgical and microsurgical management

Purpose Nonvestibular cranial nerve schwannomas (NVCNS) are relatively rare tumors. We evaluated our experience with radiosurgical and microsurgical treatment alone and in combination for the management of NVCNS.
Exciton Transport and Andreev Reflection in a Bilayer Quantum Hall System

We demonstrate that counterflowing electrical currents can move through the bulk of the excitonic quantized Hall phase found in bilayer two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) even as charged excitations cannot. These counterflowing currents are transported by neutral excitons which are emitted and absorbed at the inner and outer boundaries of an annular 2DES via Andreev reflection.
Introduced species and their missing parasites

Damage caused by introduced species results from the high population densities and large body sizes that they attain in their new location1,2,3,4. Escape from the effects of natural enemies is a frequent explanation given for the success of introduced species5,6. Because some parasites can reduce host density7,8,9,10,11,12,13 and decrease body size14, an invader that leaves parasites behind and encounters few new parasites can experience a demographic release and become a pest4,15. To test whether introduced species are less parasitized, we have compared the parasites of exotic species in their native and introduced ranges, using 26 host species of molluscs, crustaceans, fishes, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Here we report that the number of parasite species found in native populations is twice that found in exotic populations. In addition, introduced populations are less heavily parasitized (in terms of percentage infected) than are native populations. Reduced parasitization of introduced species has several causes, including reduced probability of the introduction of parasites with exotic species (or early extinction after host establishment), absence of other required hosts in the new location, and the host-specific limitations of native parasites adapting to new hosts.
Principles for placing the tibial tunnel and avoiding roof impingement during reconstruction of a torn anterior cruciate ligament

Reconstruction of a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) cannot be successful without a properly placed tibial tunnel. Preventable complications such as anterior knee pain, effusions, extension loss, and recurrent instability can occur when the tibial tunnel is improperly placed and the roof and notchplasty are insufficient. This article reviews the principles for anatomic placement of the tibial tunnel so that complications associated with impingement of the ACL graft on the intercondylar roof can be prevented. Five factors that contribute to roof impingement are discussed, including differences in the size and shape of the ACL and the graft, variability in knee extension and roof angle between patients, inability to view the contact between the intercondylar roof and the graft, accentuation of roof impingement from anterior tibial translation caused by quadriceps contraction, and the use of tibial guides that rely on soft-tissue landmarks. A surgical technique is presented which consistently places the tibial tunnel in the pathway of the normal ACL (i.e., anatomic placement) and avoids roof impingement. The indications and need for roof- and wallplasty are discussed.
Acute Renal Failure in the Armenian Earthquake

A destructive earthquake devastated northwestern Armenia on December 7, 1988. The size of the affected area (radius of 50 miles), the time of the day when it occurred (11:41 a.m.), deficiencies in the design and construction of buildings, and inadequate initial rescue and relief capabilities resulted in one of the most lethal and traumatic natural disasters of the century. A large but unknown number (estimated at 225 to 385) of the extricated victims who had sustained crush injury developed myoglobinuric acute renal failure requiring dialytic support. The limited number (8-10 dialysis machines) of antiquated dialysis facilities available locally were overwhelmed. International dialysis relief efforts resulted in meeting the immediate acute needs and provided the motivation and elements of the more efficient system for the future delivery of maintenance dialysis.
ON ASYMPTOTIC VALUES OF CANONICAL QUADRATIC L-FUNCTIONS

We establish an asymptotic for the first moment of Hecke L-series associated to canonical characters on imaginary quadratic fields. This provides another proof and improves recent results by Masri and Kim–Masri–Yang.
Matching Mitochondria to Metabolic Needs at Nodes of Ranvier

Myelinated axons conduct nerve impulses at high speed using a unique mode of excitation, referred to as saltatory conduction, which is enabled structurally by the narrowing of the site of action potentials to a tiny gap in the axon called the node of Ranvier. With this structural specialization comes an interesting metabolic matching problem. How do mitochondria find and supply energy to these tiny nodes of Ranvier distributed sparsely along a myelinated axon? Does the intense Na+ influx at the node, which is produced by the highest known sodium channel density in all excitable membranes, help guide where mitochondria stop? Evidence suggests that during excitation in the peripheral nervous system, Na+ influx recruits mitochondria to the node by triggering Ca2+ elevation and activating Na+ pumps. Intriguingly, indirect evidence suggests that in the central nervous system, activity recruits mitochondria to the internode (myelin-covered portion of the axon). Metabolic dysfunction thus might produce spatially...
Explaining disasters: the case for preventive ethics

In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded during launch, taking the lives of six astronauts and one teacher. The disaster virtually stopped U.S. space exploration for two years. How should this disaster be explained? The article discusses three types of explanation and considers the application of preventive ethics. People should be informed about unusual dangers to which they might be subjected, and given the chance to consent or not consent to the dangers. >
Calculated response of intrinsic germanium detectors to narrow beams of photons with energies up to ∼300 keV☆

Abstract The response of small intrinsic Ge detectors has been calculated for photons incident with energies up to ∼300 keV. The results include the effects of scattering and escape from the detector of the photons and of Ge characteristic X-rays produced in photoelectric absorption. Included also are the effects of the backscattering of photons from material behind the detector. The results, based on Monte Carlo calculations for various photon energies and detector sizes, have been generalized on the basis of a single-scatter model and are given as a set of formulae that can be evaluated for any photon energy and detector size in the range of interest. The predictions obtained with the formulae are shown to agree well with available data from measurements and from Monte Carlo calculations made by other authors. The formulae are used to tabulate photopeak efficiencies for a large number of commercially available detectors, and to generate response functions for unfolding measured pulse-height distributions obtained for continuous incident spectra.
The evolution of SANE/SART-are there differences?

Keywords: Forensic nursing; SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner); SART (Sexual Assault Response Team)
A new compact wideband balun

A novel wideband balun has been developed for MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) applications. Simple RF reflection and coupling principles are used to achieve a wideband performance in a simple microstrip configuration. The design was intended for 8- to 18-GHz wideband mixer applications. According to the predicted performance the insertion loss was better than 2 dB from 7 to 19 GHz, the amplitude balance was less than 1 dB, and the phase balance was less than 5 degrees from the 180 degrees phase difference. Experimental results show very good agreement with the predicted performance. >
History in the Digital Domain

What is at stake in the alteration of the material structure of cultural objects from the paper forms of manuscript and print to the digital form of computer files? In particular, how is the change affecting academic disciplines which rely upon stable forms of symbolic records? More specifically still, how is the discipline of History affected by the digitization of writing? Is digitization simply a more efficient means of reproduction, storage and transmission of documents, whose availability in space and time is enhanced for the application by historians of research techniques and methods? Or does digitization cause an alteration for historians in the constitution of truth?
Experimental proof of the feasibility of using an angled fiber-optic probe for depth-sensitive fluorescence spectroscopy of turbid media

An angled fiber-optic probe that facilitates depth-sensitive fluorescence measurements was developed for enhancing detection of epithelial precancers. The probe was tested on solid, two-layered phantoms and proved to be effective in selectively detecting fluorescence from different layers. Specifically, a larger illumination angle provides greater sensitivity to fluorescence from the top layer as well as yielding an overall higher fluorescence signal. Monte Carlo simulations of a theoretical model of the phantoms demonstrate that increasing the illumination angle results in an increased excitation photon density and, thus, in increased fluorescence generated in the top layer.
The effect of temperature on the electrical conductivity of seawater

Abstract A new method of measuring the variation with temperature of the electrical conductivity of seawater is described. The sample water driven by low air pressure through a fine-tube heat exchanger is brought to thermal equilibrium with a thermostatted bath containing the cell. By operating two exchanger-cell pairs in different baths but supplied from the same sample the ratio of conductances (Ct1/Ct2) at any two temperatures t1 and t2 is obtained directly. Measurements were carried out on standard seawater, synthetic seawater ( 35‰ S ), and a lot of Atlantic water (33.2‰) from below the freezing point to 35°C. In each case the results can be fitted by a 4th order equation with a maximum deviation of any measured point of less than 1 ppm S. The new equation for standard seawater can be introduced into a number of C, T, P → S conversion formulae.
Cultural Aspects of Pain in Childbearing Women

As the American population increases in ethnic diversity, nurses must prepare to care for women from various cultures. The American Nurses Association has stated that a is vital at all levels of nursing. Culture is known to affect the patient's perception of pain and the nurse's inference of pain in the patient. Pain is expected in childbirth, and nurses should learn how culture influences individual women in their expression of pain. Because each woman is unique, nurses must combine information about culture with clinical assessment of the patient to provide culturally sensitive care. JOGNN, 25, 67–72; 1996.
Accurate taxonomy assignments from 16S rRNA sequences produced by highly parallel pyrosequencers

The recent introduction of massively parallel pyrosequencers allows rapid, inexpensive analysis of microbial community composition using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences. However, a major challenge is to design a workflow so that taxonomic information can be accurately and rapidly assigned to each read, so that the composition of each community can be linked back to likely ecological roles played by members of each species, genus, family or phylum. Here, we use three large 16S rRNA datasets to test whether taxonomic information based on the full-length sequences can be recaptured by short reads that simulate the pyrosequencer outputs. We find that different taxonomic assignment methods vary radically in their ability to recapture the taxonomic information in full-length 16S rRNA sequences: most methods are sensitive to the region of the 16S rRNA gene that is targeted for sequencing, but many combinations of methods and rRNA regions produce consistent and accurate results. To process large datasets of partial 16S rRNA sequences obtained from surveys of various microbial communities, including those from human body habitats, we recommend the use of Greengenes or RDP classifier with fragments of at least 250 bases, starting from one of the primers R357, R534, R798, F343 or F517.
Feedbacks of soil inoculum of mycorrhizal fungi altered by N deposition on the growth of a native shrub and an invasive annual grass

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition causes shifts in vegetation types as well as species composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and other soil microorganisms. A greenhouse experiment was done to determine whether there are feedbacks between N-altered soil inoculum and growth of a dominant native shrub and an invasive grass species in southern California. The region is experiencing large-scale loss of Artemisia californica shrublands and replacement by invasive annual grasses under N deposition. Artemisia californica and Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens were grown with soil inoculum from experimental plots in a low N deposition site that had (1) N-fertilized and (2) unfertilized soil used for inoculum, as well as (3) high-N soil inoculum from a site exposed to atmospheric N deposition for four decades. All treatments plus a nonmycorrhizal control were given two levels of N fertilizer solution. A. californica biomass was reduced by each of the three inocula compared to uninoculated controls under at least one of the two N fertilizer solutions. The inoculum from the N-deposition site caused the greatest growth depressions. By contrast, B. madritensis biomass increased with each of the three inocula under at least one, or both, of the N solutions. The different growth responses of the two plant species may be related to the types of AM fungal colonization. B. madritensis was mainly colonized by a fine mycorrhizal endophyte, while A. californica had primarily coarse endophytes. Furthermore, A. californica had a high level of septate, nonmycorrhizal root endophytes, while B. madritensis overall had low levels of these endophytes. The negative biomass response of A. californica seedlings to high N-deposition inoculum may in part explain its decline; a microbially-mediated negative feedback may occur in this system that causes poor seedling growth and establishment of A. californica in sites subject to N deposition and B. madritensis invasion.
Training myths: False beliefs that limit training efficiency and effectiveness, part 2

How we provide training follows from the beliefs we hold about the effectiveness of different training approaches and methodologies. To be effective, the concepts and principles that guide how we develop and deliver training should be rooted in research. This article describes some of the myths about training that drive the design and delivery of many training programs and that can ultimately limit their impact on learning and performance goals.
Aesthetic Value: A Reconstruction of the Literature

“The music is beautiful.” “Beauty is in the object, possessed by it somehow.” “It is aesthetic.” These sentences seem like, “It is loud,” or “It is green.” Formalists appear to think that this is the case, for example, Hanslick (1957).1 For Davies (1994: 199) there are emotions in the qualities of sounds independently: We locate expressionism in the music itself, not in the listener. “Aesthetic” is treated like a perceptual quality, as if we could see it. So the problem arises as to how all this is possible. It will be argued here that it is not possible at all. The “aesthetic” is not a quality, it is not in the object, and is not a thing at all.
Practical performance model for bar buckling

A practical model has been developed to predict, for a given level of lateral deformation, the likelihood that longitudinal bars in a reinforced concrete column will have begun to buckle. Three relationships linking plastic rotation, drift ratio, and displacement ductility with the onset of bar buckling were derived based on the results of plastic-hinge analysis, moment-curvature analysis, and the expected influence of the confinement reinforcement. These relationships, which account for the effective confinement ratio, axial-load ratio, aspect ratio, and longitudinal bar diameter, were calibrated using observations of bar buckling from cyclic tests of 62 rectangular-reinforced and 42 spiral-reinforced concrete columns. A version of the drift ratio relationship is proposed for earthquake engineering applications. The ratios of the measured displacements at bar buckling to the displacements calculated with the proposed model had a mean of 1.01 and a coefficient of variation of 25% for rectangular-reinforced concrete columns. The corresponding mean and coefficient of variation for spiral-reinforced columns were 0.97 and 24%, respectively.
Anomalous transport by magnetohydrodynamic Kelvin‐Helmholtz instabilities in the solar wind‐magnetosphere interaction

The high latitude, or downstream flank, and dayside low latitude magnetospheric boundaries are modeled in an MHD simulation of Kelvin-Helmholtz instablities in a compressible plasma for parallel and transverse configurations. Detailed attention is given to the nonlinear consequences of the instabilities for several different Alfven and sound Mach numbers in both configurations. Emphasis is given to the anomalous transport of momentum and energy by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities across the magnetospheric boundary, which is crucial in evaluating the instabilities' contribution to magnetospheric convection. It is concluded that the anomalous tangential stress at the magnetospheric boundary caused by the instability may be of the order of 1 percent of the magnetosheath flow momentum adjacent to the boundary, and gives a contribution to the convection potential drop over the polar cap of 10-30 kV.
Kant on Just War and ‘Unjust Enemies’: Reflections on a ‘Pleonasm’

The following remarks are intended to help clarify Kant's position on international right and, specifically, the so-called ‘right of war’. They are part of a more general study of Kant's politics; but I also make them here in the hope that Kant's view of international law (or right) can furnish us with some much-needed practical help and guidance. More specifically, I will try to show that Kant is less averse to the use of force, including resort to pre-emptive war, and far more attuned to possibilities for political catastrophe, than he is often taken to be. A greater appreciation for Kant's actual position can, I hope, make a small contribution toward mending the growing rift between so-called ‘Kantians’ who underrate the need for force, and self-styled ‘Hobbesians’ who underestimate the power of moral principle.
Age- and Hypertension-Associated Protein Aggregates in Mouse Heart Have Similar Proteomic Profiles

Neurodegenerative diseases are largely defined by protein aggregates in affected tissues. Aggregates contain some shared components as well as proteins thought to be specific for each disease. Aggregation has not previously been reported in the normal, aging heart or the hypertensive heart. Detergent-insoluble protein aggregates were isolated from mouse heart and characterized on 2-dimensional gels. Their levels increased markedly and significantly with aging and after sustained angiotensin II-induced hypertension. Of the aggregate components identified by high-resolution proteomics, half changed in abundance with age (392/787) or with sustained hypertension (459/824), whereas 30% (273/901) changed concordantly in both, each P<0.05. One fifth of these proteins were previously associated with age-progressive neurodegenerative or cardiovascular diseases, or both (eg, ApoE, ApoJ, ApoAIV, clusterin, complement C3, and others involved in stress-response and protein-homeostasis pathways). Because fibrosis is a characteristic of both aged and hypertensive hearts, we posited that aging of fibroblasts may contribute to the aggregates observed in cardiac tissue. Indeed, as cardiac myofibroblasts "senesced" (approached their replicative limit) in vitro, they accrued aggregates with many of the same constituent proteins observed in vivo during natural aging or sustained hypertension. In summary, we have shown for the first time that compact (detergent-insoluble) protein aggregates accumulate during natural aging, chronic hypertension, and in vitro myofibroblast senescence, sharing many common proteins. Thus, aggregates that arise from disparate causes (aging, hypertension, and replicative senescence) may have common underlying mechanisms of accrual.
Convex Polygons That Cannot Tile the Plane

(1978). Convex Polygons That Cannot Tile the Plane. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 85, No. 10, pp. 785-792.
The Effect of Cyclic AMP on Heme Synthesis by Rat Bone Marrow Cells in Vitro

SummaryCyclic AMP, db-cAMP, epinephrine, and MIX failed to stimulate heme synthesis in rat marrow cultures at all concentrations tested and in relatively large amounts (10-3M) greatly inhibited both base line and Ep-stimulated 59Fe incorporation into heme. The inhibition may be nonspecific since identical concentrations of ATP and AMP produce a similar effect. Insulin, which is known to lower cyclic AMP levels, was the only material tested other than Ep that stimulated heme synthesis. The possibility that cAMP mediates the action of Ep is discussed.
Geon theory as an account of shape recognition in mind and brain

In a fraction of a second humans are able to comprehend novel images of objects and scenes. Indeed, the human represents the only existence proof that a general shape recognizer is even possible. G...
Generation of Transgenic Xenopus Using Restriction Enzyme-Mediated Integration

Transgenesis, the process of incorporating an exogenous gene (transgene) into an organism's genome, is a widely used tool to develop models of human diseases and to study the function and/or regulation of genes. Generating transgenic Xenopus is rapid and involves simple in vitro manipulations, taking advantage of the large size of the amphibian egg and external embryonic development. Restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) has a number of advantages for transgenesis compared to other methods used to produce transgenic Xenopus, including relative efficiency, higher transgene expression levels, fewer genetic chimera in founder transgenic animals, and near-complete germ-line transgene transmission. This chapter explains the REMI method for generating transgenic Xenopus laevis tadpoles, including improvements developed to enable studies in the mature retina.
Attitudes of American and English Preservice Teachers Toward Gifted Learners

AbstractAt a time when proponents of reform call for teachers to be ready to teach all children well, the needs of academically diverse learners are of primary concern. In striving for equity without sacrificing excellence, we must attend to the individual and diverse needs of all students. In order to educate well, we must teach to the individual rather than to the ambiguous "average" student. Since teacher attitudes can facilitate or impede this process, it is critical to understand the attitudes teachers hold toward academically diverse learners in general and gifted learners in particular. Of primary importance is a measure of these attitudes during the teacher preparation program.To investigate the issue of preservice teachers’ attitudes toward academically diverse learners and to discern areas of agreement/disagreement with respect to gifted learners, this study addressed the following research questions:1. What kind of attitudes (positive, negative, neutral) do preservice teachers hold toward gifte...
Activated Protein C

Since the initial descriptions of trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) as a recognized clinical phenomenon, substantial efforts have been dedicated to identifying its underlying causal mechanisms. The activated protein C (APC) pathway serves as the primary anticoagulant brake on normal hemostasis, and also plays a major cytoprotective role in inflammation. Through clinical, animal model, and in vitro investigations over the past decade, the APC pathway has been implicated as a central mechanistic driver of TIC. These studies indicate that in the setting of significant tissue injury and shock, increased activation of protein C leads directly to the hypocoagulable milieu that characterizes TIC. Such findings also raise the intriguing possibility that the aberrant activation of this pathway might be susceptible to targeted therapeutic interventions to reverse or attenuate TIC. In this chapter, we will review the biology of protein C, the components and mechanisms of the protein C pathway, and the clinical importance of APC in the etiology of TIC.
Explanation-Based Learning

The mechanism by which the ARMS system increases its planning ability belongs to that category of machine learning known as explanation-based learning (hereafter EBL) [2–6]. Explanation-based learning is a fairly recent addition to the machine-learning toolbox; relatively few systems have been implemented, and most are small prototypes.
Complicated Burn Resuscitation

More than 4 decades after the creation of the Brooke and Parkland formulas, burn practitioners still argue about which formula is the best. So it is no surprise that there is no consensus about how to resuscitate a thermally injured patient with a significant comorbidity such as heart failure or cirrhosis or how to resuscitate a patient after an electrical or inhalation injury or a patient whose resuscitation is complicated by renal failure. All of these scenarios share a common theme in that the standard rule book does not apply. All will require highly individualized resuscitations.
Maternal exposure to childhood maltreatment and risk of stillbirth

Abstract Purpose To determine the association between maternal exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) and risk of stillbirth (fetal death at or after 20 weeks' gestation). Methods Population-based case-control study from the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network (SCRN) conducted in 2006–2008, and the follow-up study, SCRN-Outcomes after Study Index Stillbirth (SCRN-OASIS), conducted in 2009 in the United States. Cases (n = 133) included women who experienced a stillbirth, excluding stillbirths attributed to genetic/structural or umbilical cord abnormalities and intrapartum stillbirths. Controls (n = 500) included women delivering a healthy term live birth (excluding births less than 37 weeks gestation, neonatal intensive care unit admission, or death). CM exposure was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, administered during the SCRN-OASIS study. Dichotomized scores for five subscales of CM (physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse) and an overall measure of CM exposure were analyzed using logistic regression. Results Generally, there was no association between CM and stillbirth, except for the emotional neglect subscale (OR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.19). Conclusions Childhood neglect is understudied in comparison to abuse and should be included in the future studies of associations between CM and pregnancy outcomes, including stillbirth.
Tissue culture of avian hematopoietic cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a method for growing cells derived from hematopoietic tissues of the chicken embryo. This method has been employed for studying some avian tumor viruses, in particular avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV). This virus has the unique property of inducing morphological changes in vitro in certain target cells derived from mesodermal tissues. The chapter focuses on a description of how to grow cells from the yolk sac, which is the largest embryonic organ with hematopoietic activity. The method is also applicable to other avian species. The entire yolk sac is washed several times with Tris-buffered saline to remove as much as possible of its fat content. Secondary cultures of yolk sac cultures may be inoculated with AMV within 4 hours after seeding. The cultures can be used for viral transforming activity up to 1 week after seeding without reducing the efficiency of the assay. Transformation of cells by AMV can be assayed by two methods: (1) endpoint dilutions of the virus where titers are expressed in 50% transforming doses per milliliter (TD 50/ml) calculated according to the method of Reed and Muench; and (2) scoring transformed foci under an agar overlay.
The duplicated collecting system of the urinary tract: embryology, imaging appearances and clinical considerations

Duplication anomalies of the urinary collecting system are common and can be discovered and characterized with multiple imaging modalities. The embryology, imaging manifestations and clinical ramifications of duplicated ureters and renal collecting systems vary from a normal anatomical variant to urological pathology and are discussed and illustrated in this review.
Development, validation, and implementation of the elementary mathematics motivation inventory (EMMI): examining motivational constructs in elementary mathematics

This article details the development, validation, and implementation of the elementary mathematics motivation inventory, a survey instrument designed to measure motivational constructs related to mathematics in elementary students. Early elementary years are critical in students’ development of a wide range of attitudes toward schooling, including their academic motivation. Currently, there is limited research on elementary students’ motivation for mathematics since this construct was difficult to measure in young children. During Year One of this 2-year study, a 17-item survey was developed based on theoretical constructs of motivation and piloted with a small sample of third grade students (N = 79). Revisions were made based on pilot data and the subsequent survey was administered to a larger sample of first through fifth grade students (N = 1018) during Year Two. In addition to describing the development and validation process for the elementary mathematics motivation inventory (EMMI), the authors present a discussion of the findings from Year Two of this study. Future research directions and implications for classroom practice are also discussed.
Are dopamine receptor and transporter changes in Rett syndrome reflected in Mecp2-deficient mice?

Abstract We tested the claim that the dopaminergic dysfunction of Rett Syndrome (RTT) also occurs in Mecp2-deficient mice that serve as a model of the syndrome. We used positron emission tomography (PET) to image dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) and transporters (DAT) in women with RTT and in Mecp2-deficient mice, and D1R and D2R density was measured in postmortem human tissue by autoradiography. Results showed 1) significantly reduced D2R density in the striatum of women with RTT compared to control subjects. 2) PET imaging of mouse striatum similarly demonstrated significant reductions in D2R density of 7–10 week-old hemizygous (Mecp2-null) and heterozygous (HET) mice compared to wild type (WT) mice. With age, the density of D2R declined in WT mice but not HET mice. 3) In contrast, postmortem autoradiography revealed no group differences in the density of D1R and D2R in the caudate and putamen of RTT versus normal control subjects. 4) In humans and in the mouse model, PET revealed only marginal group differences in DAT. The results confirm that dopaminergic dysfunction in RTT is also present in Mecp2-deficient mice and that reductions in D2R more likely explain the impaired ambulation and progressive rigidity observed rather than alterations in DAT.
Altered expression of the H+ ATPase in Streptococcus faecalis membranes

Abstract Evidence is presented that expression of the H+ ATPase in S. faecalis is influenced by the extracellular pH and K+ level during growth. Altered expression was detected by assay of F1 ATPase and electrophoretic analysis of membrane proteins. K+-limited growth caused about a 2-fold increase in the F1 ATPase. The effect of growth at pH 6,7 and 9 was studied. Compared to cells grown at pH 7, growth at pH 6 increased the F1 ATPase about 2-fold while growth at pH 9 reduced the F1 ATPase by nearly 4-fold. The elevated F1 ATPase activity in the pH 6 cells was associated with an increase in the F1 ATPase α and β subunits in the membrane while the decrease in F1 ATPase in the pH 9 cells was associated with a marked loss of the α subunit. It is suggested that intracellular protons may act as effectors which regulate expression of the F1Fo gene cluster at the level of translation.
The use of salicylic acid to prevent the adherence of Escherichia coli to silastic catheters.

Abstract We studied the effect of salicylic acid on the attachment of Escherichia coli to silastic catheters. Silastic catheters were exposed to organisms grown in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations (1 and 5 mM.) of salicylic acid. An agar rolling technique demonstrated 59% and 79% inhibition of adherence with the 2 concentrations, respectively. Silastic catheters were also pretreated by heating and then incubating in 200 mM. and 600 mM. salicylic acid in 95% ethanol at —20C. After incubation in 104 CFU/ml. E. coli for 5 hours at 37C, 62% and 93% inhibition of adherence was observed. Acetylsalicylic acid and ibuprofen did not demonstrate similar results. Similar inhibition (82% and 95%) was observed despite preincubation of the treated catheters in sterile urine for 4 days. A bioluminescent assay of bacterial adherence also revealed inhibition only with salicylic acid. Studies using 3H-leucine demonstrated a decrease in adherence with higher concentrations of salicylic acid. Finally, tridodecylmethylammonium was used to bind salicylic acid to silastic catheters. After a 5-hour incubation in 104 CFU/ml. at 37C, 94% and 99% inhibition were observed with 200 and 600 mM. salicylic acid. Salicylic acid decreases adherence of E. coli to silastic catheters. This observation may be of value in designing catheters less likely to cause urinary tract infection.
Learning and inferring transportation routines

This paper introduces a hierarchical Markov model that can learn and infer a user's daily movements through an urban community. The model uses multiple levels of abstraction in order to bridge the gap between raw GPS sensor measurements and high level information such as a user's destination and mode of transportation. To achieve efficient inference, we apply Rao-Blackwellized particle filters at multiple levels of the model hierarchy. Locations such as bus stops and parking lots, where the user frequently changes mode of transportation, are learned from GPS data logs without manual labeling of training data. We experimentally demonstrate how to accurately detect novel behavior or user errors (e.g. taking a wrong bus) by explicitly modeling activities in the context of the user's historical data. Finally, we discuss an application called ''Opportunity Knocks'' that employs our techniques to help cognitively-impaired people use public transportation safely.
Anatomy of a new dollar van route: Informal transport and planning in New York City

Abstract Despite nearly eight million rides per day on formally planned and legally sanctioned buses and subways, dollar vans provide service that shadow some of the busiest bus lines in Brooklyn and Queens. Dollar vans are an informal transport service that occupy an awkward liminal space between legal and illegal—some are licensed and some are not, but all dollar vans operate illegally. It is this legal confusion that renders them informal. It is because of this informality that dollar van operators and drivers can also adapt their routes and service as they deem necessary. This “generative” mode of planning introduces a second dimension of informality; however, I argue that dollar van operators follow a similar logic as formal transportation operators when planning service. I demonstrate this by examining the case of a dollar van operator in Brooklyn developing a new route. I juxtapose his method with that of bus planners from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to show how both groups of planners rely on prompts they encounter, be it anecdotal stories about West Indians in Flatbush moving away or an angry letter from a state legislator, rather than a systematic approach that is taught in classrooms. By examining the planning of a new dollar van route in Brooklyn, I trace the operator's planning process and compare his data against quantitative datasets to show that his generative planning process is supported by the quantitative data and deepens its meaning when combined with his local knowledge. Seen in this light, it is clear that the distance between informal and formal transit is artificial rather than inherent.
Flood hazards and perceptions – A comparative study of two cities in Alabama

Abstract How does physical history of flood-related hazards affect individuals’ perceptions? The present study represents a unique effort to understand perceptions of flood hazards in light of the geographic background. Situated in Alabama, the United States, the cities of Mobile and Huntsville display two different physical geographic contexts. Despite one being a coastal city (Mobile) and the other being an inland city, both are similarly vulnerable to flooding. We first present results of historical analyses of heavy precipitation in both cities and analysis of storm surge history in the city of Mobile. We then report results of both descriptive statistical and inferential statistical analyses based on a two-city residents’ survey that was conducted in the spring of 2016. We find that residents in both cities are able to connect the particular natural hazard of flooding with their physical environments. Residents in both cities are influenced by their perceptions of precipitation when making assessments of flooding. Despite the fact that Huntsville has not experienced heavy precipitation events as much as Mobile in recent history, residents of Huntsville tend to link heavy rainfall – the most frequent cause of flooding in that city, with flooding. In contrast, residents of Mobile tend to link hurricanes, more particularly hurricane number, with flooding. These results show that people are attuned to their physical environments and take into consideration their personal observations when forming perceptions of natural hazards. More studies need to be conducted to further investigate the dynamics of physical exposure to hazards and risk perceptions in other geographic areas.
Perspective on airway stenting in inoperable patients with tracheoesophageal fistula after curative-intent treatment for esophageal cancer.

The term esophago-respiratory fistula, aero-digestive and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) have been used to describe the abnormal connection of the airways with the digestive system as this connection can be between the bronchus or the trachea and the esophagus or stomach. In patients who are post esophagectomy, aero-gastric fistula (usually tracheo-gastric) can develop between the gastric pull up and the airway (trachea or main stem bronchi).
Research software citation in the Data Citation Index: Current practices and implications for research software sharing and reuse

Abstract The aim of this study is to explore the phenomenon of research software citation and, in particular, to draw attention to the increasing importance of this form of citation in scholarly communication. This research sheds light on the current status of formal software citation that is captured by citation databases. Data for the study were gathered from more than 67,000 research software records available in public repositories indexed by Clarivate Analytics’ Data Citation Index (DCI). The metadata characteristics of the indexed records and citation data were then analyzed. Research software was rarely cited in the DCI, suggesting that the documented reuse of research software rarely occurs or is not well documented. Institutional repositories attracted few citations and had low rate of citation. It proved impossible, however, using the available data to isolate specific identifiers that can promote formal software citation. The findings presented here offer insights into research software citation that will be of interest to funding agencies, publishers, researchers, and research organizations.
Autism and toe-walking: are they related? Trends and treatment patterns between 2005 and 2016

Abstract Purpose This study quantified toe-walking trends and treatment decisions in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States between 2005 and 2016 using a large national p...
Stable Engraftment with Haploidentical Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

The widespread application of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to cure patients with clinically aggressive sickle cell disease (SCD) has been limited by a lack of HLA-matched sibling donors. HSCT from a haploidentical donor represents a feasible option to increase transplant availability to a majority of the patients. However, current published studies using haploidentical donors in adults with SCD have resulted in long-term event-free survival rates of only 50-57%. Here we describe 10 consecutive haploidentical HSCT (haplo-HSCT) performed in adult patients with clinically aggressive SCD lacking an HLA-matched sibling donor. The median age of recipients was 27 years (range, 20-52 years) and all 10 patients met at least two standard SCD eligibility criteria for HSCT (Table 1). Based on our successful experience in matched related peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) HSCT using a nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen with alemtuzumab 1mg/kg and 3 Gy total body irradiation (TBI), we initially performed two haplo-HSCT using the same conditioning regimen followed by high dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) at 50mg/kg on day+3 and +4. Both SCD patients failed to engraft donor cells and recovered autologous neutrophils on day +39 and day +34, respectively. In the following 8 patients, transplanted between September 2015 and March 2017, we utilized a modified version of the Hopkins protocol with: fludarabine 30mg/m2, Cy 14.5mg/kg, 3 Gy TBI (increased from the original 2 Gy dose), antithymocyte globulin 0.5mg/kg, PT-Cy 50mg/kg, and infusing mobilized PBSC instead of marrow cells (Table 1). G-CSF at 5µg/kg was administered starting on day +12 post-HSCT in neutropenic patients with HbS 90% donor cell chimerism with an improved median hemoglobin concentration from 8.8g/dL (range, 6.4-12.8g/dL) to 13.3g/dL (range, 9.9-15.3g/dL). Our study demonstrates that modifying the Hopkins conditioning regimen by increasing the TBI dose from 2Gy to 3Gy and using PBSC instead of bone marrow grafts allows 88% of SCD patients to achieve stable donor engraftment without severe toxicity. We also demonstrate that G-CSF can be safely administered to adult patients with SCD after HSCT. Haploidentical HSCT is the only curative option for many adult patients with clinically advanced SCD and our study suggests a basis for larger, multicenter clinical studies. Disclosures Patel: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Khan: Takeda: Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy; Teva: Speakers Bureau. Gordeuk: Emmaus Life Sciences: Consultancy.
Development of a Risk Score for Atrial Fibrillation in Adults With Diabetes Mellitus (from the ACCORD Study).

We aimed to develop a novel risk score predicting 5-year atrial fibrillation (AF) risk for diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. We included subjects from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes study cohort without AF at baseline. Potential risk factor and demographic predictors were collected at baseline and incident AF was defined from ECG during follow-up. A 5-year risk score for incident AF was developed using Cox regression with internal validation. We studied 9,240 subjects with DM (62% male, mean age 62.6 years) of which 1.8% (n = 165) developed AF over a median follow-up of 4.9 years. Subjects developing AF were more likely male, of white ethnicity and with more obesity and poorer kidney function, but with lower diastolic blood pressure and low density-lipoprotein cholesterol. In the risk prediction model, age, gender, race, body mass index, heart failure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, hemoglobin A1c, duration of DM, serum creatinine and hypertension medication were included as important predictors. The Harrell's C-statistic was 0.79 with excellent internal calibration (goodness-of-fit test p = 0.99 and calibration slope = 1.01). Our risk model may be useful for assess future AF risk in DM patients.
Edgify: Resource Allocation Optimization for Edge Clouds Using Stable Matching

As more Internet of Things (IoT) devices become increasingly ubiquitous, dynamic resource allocation for edge computing environments becomes extremely time consuming and challenging task. To overcome these challenges, edge computing environments need to dynamically scale based on the availability of accessible edge clouds within existing IoT infrastructure. In this paper, we introduce Edgify: a dynamic resource provisioning model that can efficiently allocate resources across a distributed edge computing environment. We evaluate Edgify through a number of experiments that demonstrate usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Pyrrole-Containing Semiconducting Materials: Synthesis and Applications in Organic Photovoltaics and Organic Field-Effect Transistors

Organic semiconducting materials derived from π-electron-rich pyrroles have garnered attention in recent years for the development of organic semiconductors. Although pyrrole is the most electron-r...
“Lost Inside Empire”: Self-Orientalization in the Animation and Sounds of Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises

Japan as a colonial power at the beginning of the twentieth century fell outside of the Eurocentric empires of the West. However, the country found itself preoccupied with ways of elevating its status in the hope of being equal to and, eventually, surpassing the West. The Wind Rises (2013), an anime film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, tells the story of Jiro Horikoshi, an aeronautical engineer who created the Mitsubishi A6M Zero used by the Japanese Empire during World War II. The animation and the sound design of the film are two formal elements that paint Jiro as a pacifist with a desire to create airplanes. It is a portrayal of an individual aspiring to be disparate from a colonial power, but the narrative suggests that it is, perhaps, impossible to completely align oneself outside of the imperial force of the Japanese Empire. The article explores how The Wind Rises, through the formal elements of anime and its sound design, carefully navigates Japan’s historical and colonial tensions.
Maximalist shoes do not alter performance or joint mechanical output during the countermovement jump

This study examined potential differences between maximally cushioned (MAX) shoes and standard cushioned (STND) shoes during countermovement vertical jump (CMVJ) performance. Twenty-one males (23[2...