cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Genomic Comparison of in vivo and in vitro Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is composed of uniquely differentiated brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC). Often, it is of interest to replicate these attributes in the form of an in vitro model, and such models are widely used in the research community. However, the BMEC used to create in vitro BBB models de-differentiate in culture and lose many specialized characteristics. These changes are poorly understood at a molecular level, and little is known regarding the consequences of removing BMEC from their local in vivo microenvironment. To address these issues, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to identify 25 gene transcripts that were differentially expressed between in vivo and in vitro BMEC. Genes affected included those involved in angiogenesis, transport and neurogenesis, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) verified transcripts were primarily and significantly downregulated. Since this quantitative gene panel represented those BMEC characteristics lost upon culture, we used it to assess how culture manipulation, specifically BMEC purification and barrier induction by hydrocortisone, influenced the quality of in vitro models. Puromycin purification of BMEC elicited minimal differences compared with untreated BMEC, as assessed by qPCR. In contrast, qPCR-based gene panel analysis after induction with hydrocortisone indicated a modest shift of 10 of the 23 genes toward a more 'in vivo-like' gene expression profile, which correlated with improved barrier phenotype. Genomic analysis of BMEC de-differentiation in culture has thus yielded a functionally diverse set of genes useful for comparing the in vitro and in vivo BBB.
Hidden Progenitors Replace Microglia in the Adult Brain

Microglia are highly dynamic components of the innate immune system. In this issue of Neuron, Elmore et al. (2014) report that global depletion of microglia triggers mobilization of latent microglial progenitors throughout the CNS, resulting in rapid repopulation.
Thermal decomposition of lignin structural modification in termite digested softwood (II)

Abstract In light of increasing demand for renewable fuels and chemicals derived from nonfood biomass (lignocellulose), deciphering the mechanism of wood-cellulose utilization by wood-feeding termites became more imperative. To further explore lignin unlocking process of termite demonstrated in our previous investigations, study on thermal processing of termite digested softwood was continued using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at different heating rates from 2 to 50 °C min −1 , with the aid of the Friedman method. The differential thermogravimetry (DTG) curve was also deconvoluted using the Gauss and Lorentz model, into three fractions (lumps), each of which was represented by a single first-order reaction. The results showed that termite feces exhibited alterations in both the required activation energies at each thermal decomposition stage and the conversion rates of the three components of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, respectively. The activation energy for lignin decomposition decreased at its earlier decomposition stage, but increased when conversion reached 80%. The impact of structural modifications upon changes in kinetic parameters in different decomposition stages was then discussed. The fractional cellulose decomposition was decelerated but required higher temperature for the same thermal conversion extent as speculated to be a result of decrease in amorphous cellulose in termite feces. Moreover, termite digestion resulted in a more thermo-reactive hemicellulose, which possibly resulted from the bond cleavage within hemicellulose fraction and between hemicelluloses and lignin. It was proposed based on the active thermal behavior of the lignin fraction that preferential cleavage of bonds with higher dissociation energy as lignin structure unlocking process occurred within termite guts.
Evaluating sun–climate relationships since the Little Ice Age

Abstract From the coldest period of the Little Ice Age to the present time, the surface temperature of the Earth increased by perhaps 0.8°C. Solar variability may account for part of this warming which, during the past 350 years, generally tracks fluctuating solar activity levels. While increases in greenhouse gas concentrations are widely assumed to be the primary cause of recent climate change, surface temperatures nevertheless varied significantly during pre-industrial periods, under minimal levels of greenhouse gas variations. A climate forcing of 0.3 W m−2 arising from a speculated 0.13% solar irradiance increase can account for the 0.3°C surface warming evident in the paleoclimate record from 1650 to 1790, assuming that climate sensitivity is 1°C W−1 m−2 (which is within the IPCC range). The empirical Sun–climate relationship defined by these pre-industrial data suggests that solar variability may have contributed 0.25°C of the 0.6°C subsequent warming from 1900 to 1990, a scenario which time dependent GCM simulations replicate when forced with reconstructed solar irradiance. Thus, while solar variability likely played a dominant role in modulating climate during the Little Ice Age prior to 1850, its influence since 1900 has become an increasingly less significant component of climate change in the industrial epoch. It is unlikely that Sun–climate relationships can account for much of the warming since 1970, not withstanding recent attempts to deduce long term solar irradiance fluctuations from the observational data base, which has notable occurrences of instrumental drifts. Empirical evidence suggests that Sun–climate relationships exist on decadal as well as centennial time scales, but present sensitivities of the climate system are insufficient to explain these short-term relationships. Still to be simulated over the time scale of the Little Ice Age to the present is the combined effect of direct radiative forcing, indirect forcing via solar-induced ozone changes in the atmosphere, and speculated charged particle mechanisms whose pathways and sensitivities are not yet specified.
Factor Analysis of the Norwegian Version of the Test Anxiety Scale for Children

The factor structure of the Test Anxiety Scale for Children was compared for 484 boys and 486 girls in seventh grade of the Norwegian elementary public school system. Alpha factor analyses were performed, coupled with standard independent cluster rotations. The results did not support an a priori factor structure across sexes. Comparisons with American factor studies of the same scale were made, and the obtained sex difference was discussed in terms of cultural differences.
A Counterexample to the Generalization of Sperner’s Theorem

It has been conjectured that the analog of Sperner’s theorem on non-comparable subsets of a set holds for arbitrary geometric lattices, namely, that the maximal number of non-comparable elements in a finite geometric lattice is max w(k), where w(k) is the number of elements of rank k. It is shown in this note that the conjecture is not true in general. A class of geometric lattices, each of which is a bond lattice of a finite graph, is constructed in which the conjecture fails to hold.
Must We Treat Noncompliant ESRD Patients

Coping with the stress induced by ESRD patient noncompliance is a time consuming, nonproductive, demoralizing undertaking that is unavoidable. An orderly, non-confrontational approach encompassing measures to protect mentally incompetent and unaware patients as well as those too sick to comprehend and consent to therapy (dialysis) is provided. Individual practitioners should utilize all available resources including patient relatives and friends, collaborating psychiatrists, and institutional risk-management officers to assist in devising the best resolution to what may escalate into an onslaught against the renal care team. No single solution is applicable to the myriad variables that may impinge on a specific patient's seemingly apathetic or hateful behavior underlying noncompliance.
Variation in basement membrane topography in human thick skin

Samples of human plantar and palmar skin were excised and incubated in 20 mM EDTA after which the epidermis was gently separated from the dermis with the plane of separation occurring in the lamina lucida. Scanning electron microscopic examination of the dermal component revealed the classically described series of regularly spaced grooves and papillae that characterize the epidermal-dermal junction in thick skin. Primary dermal grooves exhibited evenly spaced tunnels that were originally occupied by sweat gland ducts. The basement membrane (basal lamina) in the primary grooves was relatively smooth but did exhibit a flattened, reticulated pattern at high magnifications. The basement membrane of secondary dermal grooves and papillae was in the form of numerous, elevated microridges off of which septae arose at roughly right angles. The surface appearance of the basement membrane in these areas was that of a honeycomb owing to the numerous compartments and recesses formed by the ridges and septae. Degradation of the basement membrane by trypsin demonstrated that the foundation for the highly folded and compartmentalized basement membrane was composed of dermal collagen fibrils, 60-70 nm in diameter, that were arranged in a series of variably sized, interconnected collagen bundles or walls. Epidermal basal cells extended cytoplasmic (foot) processes into two or more compartments, formed by the ridges and septae, which considerably amplified the basement membrane surface available for epidermal attachment. Scanning electron microscopic studies of the epidermal-dermal junction confirm the variable surface character of this interface previously reported by others using sectioned material.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Politics of Statutory Interpretation: The Hayekian Foundations of Justice Scalia's Jurisprudence

Over the years, Justice Scalia’s approach to statutory interpretation has generated both controversy and analysis. Yet while scholars have debated various aspects such as textualism, originalism, the use of dictionaries and so on, there has been no comprehensive account that seeks to harmonize these diverse strands into one, seamless web of overall justification. With the 2012 publication of Reading Law, Justice Scalia’s composite account of the canons of statutory interpretation, the need is now even more acute. This article aims to do just that. It argues that careful attention to Justice Scalia’s judicial and extra-judicial writings reveals that underlying all the rules, canons and principles is a particular, normative vision of the rule of law and formal equality, values that he considers paramount and guiding. Furthermore, at an even deeper level, these values are derived from a vision of the good society that was most famously – and completely – articulated by the conservative 20th century philosopher, Friedrich Hayek. Concrete interpretive techniques, such as Justice Scalia’s use of dictionaries, his antipathy towards legislative history, his approach to precedent – are ultimately derived, via the rule of law, from foundational values that are pervasively and inescapably normative and political. Thus, the intellectual success of his interpretive account depends ultimately on how convincing and persuasive we – his interlocutors – find his philosophical foundations. The broader point is that any clash between philosophies of statutory interpretation, in the final analysis, is a clash between norms; and it is only by interrogating those underlying norms can we fully understand – and thus, defend or critique, as the case may be – the statutory interpretation accounts of judges and scholars.
RECREATIONAL EXERCISE IN ARTHRITIS

For the person with arthritis, the consequences of prolonged inactivity add measurably, and unnecessarily, to disease-related impairments, functional limitation, and disability. Inadequate levels of regular physical activity also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. This article reviews the benefits of regular physical activity for general health as well as the literature on conditioning exercise in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Recommendations and guidelines are given for including conditioning exercise in comprehensive management.
The Current Level of Involvement of Urological Trainees and Faculty in Clinical Kidney Transplantation in the United States and Canada

ABSTRACTPurpose: We attempted to quantitate the level of participation of urology residents and faculty in clinical renal transplantation in the United States and Canada at the present time.Materials and Methods: All 123 urology residency program directors in the United States and all 13 in Canada were mailed a questionnaire requesting information about the participation of their residents and faculty in clinical renal transplantation at their institutions. All program directors (100%) returned the surveys.Results: In the United States 94% of residencies are affiliated with renal transplant programs and 81% provide a transplant rotation. In Canada each program provides a transplant experience. In the United States 22% and in Canada 85% of academic renal transplant programs are directed or codirected by urology. In the United States approximately 80% and in Canada more than 90% of residents are exposed to transplant surgery, although the majority have pre-urology or junior resident rotations. Approximately...
Neu–Laxova syndrome: Detailed prenatal diagnostic and post‐mortem findings and literature review

Neu-Laxova syndrome (NLS) is a lethal, autosomal recessive multiple malformation syndrome with many features resulting from severe skin restriction and decreased fetal movement. It is characterized by ichthyosis, marked intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), microcephaly, short neck, central nervous system (CNS) anomalies, limb deformities, hypoplastic lungs, edema, and abnormal facial features including severe proptosis with ectropion, hypertelorism, micrognathia, flattened nose, and malformed ears. We present two new patients with NLS with striking prenatal diagnostic findings and detailed post-mortem examinations and review the previously described cases in the literature. Data from these patients suggest that the NLS represents a heterogeneous phenotype. Prenatal ultrasound findings of marked ocular proptosis in a growth restricted, edematous fetus should prompt consideration of a diagnosis of the NLS.
Mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 cause Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome is an X-linked dominant neurodevelopmental disorder primarily affecting girls. About 80% of classic Rett syndrome is caused by mutations in the gene for methyl-CpG-binding protein (MeCP2) in Xq28. MeCP2 links DNA methylation to transcriptional repression, and MECP2 mutations likely cause partial or complete loss of function of the protein, leading to inappropriate transcription of downstream genes at critical times in brain development. More severe and milder variant forms can all be caused by similar mutations. Most classic Rett syndrome patients have random X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), but skewed patterns are present in a few. All asymptomatic or mildly mentally delayed female carriers studied to date have non-random XCI patterns, suggesting that this attenuates the deleterious effects of the MECP2 mutations in these women. The finding of non-random XCI patterns in some patients with very early truncations is consistent with this observation and supports that many mutations could cause partial and not complete loss of function. Our observation that the mutant mRNA is stable in three patients with truncating mutations supports this possibility. Further studies will have to be performed to better understand the functional consequences of MECP2 mutations in RTT.
Fast multiple shape correspondence by pre-organizing shape instances

Accurately identifying corresponded landmarks from a population of shape instances is the major challenge in constructing statistical shape models. In general, shape-correspondence methods can be grouped into one of two categories: global methods and pair-wise methods. In this paper, we develop a new method that attempts to address the limitations of both the global and pair-wise methods. In particular, we reorganize the input population into a tree structure that incorporates global information about the population of shape instances, where each node in the tree represents a shape instance and each edge connects two very similar shape instances. Using this organized tree, neighboring shape instances can be corresponded efficiently and accurately by a pair-wise method. In the experiments, we evaluate the proposed method and compare its performance to five available shape correspondence methods and show the proposed method achieves the accuracy of a global method with speed of a pair-wise method.
Comparative study of faculty evaluation of teaching practice between Chinese and U.S. Institutions of higher education

Along with the “massification” of higher education in China since the late 1990s, the issue of quality and excellence appeared at the top of China’s higher education agenda. Since faculty evaluation of teaching is one of the major approaches adopted by China’s higher education sector to pursue quality and excellence, it is valuable to examine the effectiveness of faculty evaluation of teaching practices adopted by the Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs). Study of current literature reveals some similarities and differences between the faculty evaluation of teaching policies and practices between Chinese and American higher education sectors. This paper examines the specific practices adopted by some top-tier Chinese HEIs and American elite colleges and universities, summarizes and analyzes the major differences and similarities of faculty evaluation of teaching practices between these two countries’ top-tier HEIs, and discusses the applicability of the American models to the Chinese setting of higher education. Finally, a set of best practices regarding faculty evaluation of teaching are proposed for Chinese HEIs.
STUDIES ON FRACTIONATED HYPERTHERMIA IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL SYSTEMS III. UNEVEN DAILY DOSES

Abstract The effect of daily hyperthermia on the murine normal and tumor tissues was investigated. Tumors were early generation isotransplants of a fibrosarcoms (FSa-II) and a mammary carcinoma (MCs) in C3Hf/Sed mice. Hyperthermia was given by immersing animal feet into a water bath at 45.5°C. Tumor response was studied by TG time assay (determination of the time required for half of the treated animals' tumors to reach 1000 mm 3 from the treatment day). Average peak foot reaction was also investigated to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of various fractionation regimens. In the first experiment the first dose (D 1 ) of 10 min was followed by 10, 20, or 30 min daily doses. The treatment regimen “D, of 10 min + daily 30 min” resulted in a significant therapeutic gain. The smaller doses were unable to overcome the repopulation of surviving tumor cells and the increasing magnitude of thermal resistance. To overcome tumor cell repopulation and thermal resistance, a regimen of increasing daily doses was attempted without success. These results indicated that doses following a D 1 of 10 min must be as large as 30 min to obtain a therapeutic gain. Any fractionation regimens for MCa tumors, which developed the greatest thermal resistance among our animal tumors tested, failed to result in a therapeutic gain.
Radiation resistance of fusion magnet materials

The ability of magnet materials to absorb neutrons and gamma rays without unacceptable damage determines the lifetime of burning plasma experiments and the shield thickness and size of fusion reactors. The insulation system is usually the component with the shortest lifetime in both superconducting and normal copper magnets. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) requires insulation that can withstand 10/sup 9/ rads, while the unshielded insulation of the fusion ignition research experiment (FIRE) must absorb 10/sup 10/ rads. Recent advances have been made in the development of high radiation resistant organics with good potting properties, wrappable ceramics, and ceramic-organic hybrids. Little progress has been made in hardening superconducting materials. Recent research focuses on characterizing the response to nuclear radiation of recently developed superconducting materials, including the high-temperature superconductors BSSCO and YBCO, and the medium temperature superconductor MgB/sub 2/.
Substrate effects on metal-oxide single electron transistors electrometer measurements.

Single electron tunneling transistors (SETs) are the most sensitive electrometers available, capable of measuring small fractions of electron charge, with sensitivities down to 10−6 e/√Hz [1]. This makes the SET the best device for applications which require sensing of small changes of charge in nanostructures. Typically, an SET is used to measure the change in charge within a system while some external voltage V in is swept, Fig. 1. Since there is a parasitic capacitance, C p , between the sweeping voltage and the SET, to keep the operating point of the SET stable, a compensating voltage, V canc , is added to the SET gate in order to cancel the effect of the sweeping voltage. Ideally, this makes the SET immune to the changes in sweeping voltage so that it only responds to other charge fluctuations in the surrounding area. This cancellation scheme is used in many applications where charge transfer events (Fig. 1) are induced by large external electric fields such as the charging of a memory node in single electron memory devices [2]. The majority of metal based SETs to date are fabricated on oxidized silicon substrates. However, for devices fabricated on oxidized Si substrates, the charge cancellation scheme breaks down once a certain threshold is exceeded and charging effects on the SET island are not controlled (Fig. 2a). These charging processes are revealed as Coulomb blockade oscillations (CBOs), which continue even when the gate voltage ramp is stopped. We believe that inversion/accumulation regions are created under the gate electrodes in the semiconductor substrate while the device is operating. This effect will mask the charge transfer events of interest that the SET is intended to detect; instead, the SET detects the parasitic charging from the semiconducting substrate.
Crystal structure of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 3 bound to lipoyl domain 2 of human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

The human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is regulated by reversible phosphorylation by four isoforms of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK). PDKs phosphorylate serine residues in the dehydrogenase (E1p) component of PDC, but their amino-acid sequences are unrelated to eukaryotic Ser/Thr/Tyr protein kinases. PDK3 binds to the inner lipoyl domains (L2) from the 60-meric transacetylase (E2p) core of PDC, with concomitant stimulated kinase activity. Here, we present crystal structures of the PDK3–L2 complex with and without bound ADP or ATP. These structures disclose that the C-terminal tail from one subunit of PDK3 dimer constitutes an integral part of the lipoyl-binding pocket in the N-terminal domain of the opposing subunit. The two swapped C-terminal tails promote conformational changes in active-site clefts of both PDK3 subunits, resulting in largely disordered ATP lids in the ADP-bound form. Our structural and biochemical data suggest that L2 binding stimulates PDK3 activity by disrupting the ATP lid, which otherwise traps ADP, to remove product inhibition exerted by this nucleotide. We hypothesize that this allosteric mechanism accounts, in part, for E2p-augmented PDK3 activity.
Biomimetic Catalysis for Hemicellulose Hydrolysis in Corn Stover

Efficient and economical hydrolysis of plant cell wall polysaccharides into monomeric sugars is a significant technical hurdle in biomass processing for renewable fuels and chemicals. One possible approach to overcoming this hurdle is a biomimetic approach with dicarboxylic acid catalyst mimicking the catalytic core microenvironment in natural enzymes. This paper reports developments in the use of a dicarboxylic acid catalyst, maleic acid, for hemicellulose hydrolysis in corn stover. Hemicellulose hydrolysis and xylose degradation kinetics in the presence of maleic acid was compared to sulfuric acid. At optimized reaction conditions for each acid, maleic acid hydrolysis results in minimal xylose degradation, whereas sulfuric acid causes 3-10 times more xylose degradation. These results formed the basis for optimizing the hydrolysis of hemicellulose from corn stover using maleic acid. At 40 g/L dry corn stover solid-loading, both acid catalysts can achieve near-quantitative monomeric xylose yield. At higher solids loadings (150-200 g dry stover per liter), sulfuric acid catalyzed hydrolysis results in more than 30% degradation of the xylose, even under the previously reported optimal condition. However, as a result of minimized xylose degradation, optimized biomimetic hydrolysis of hemicellulose by maleic acid can reach approximately 95% monomeric xylose yields with trace amounts of furfural. Fermentation of the resulting unconditioned hydrolysate by recombinant S. cerevisiae results in 87% of theoretical ethanol yield. Enzyme digestibility experiments on the residual corn stover solids show that >90% yields of glucose can be produced in 160 h from the remaining cellulose with cellulases (15 FPU/g-glucan).
Rapid Molecular Identification of Armored Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on Mexican ‘Hass’ Avocado

'Hass' avocado, Persea americana Mill., fruit imported into California from Mexico are infested with high levels of armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), constituting several species. The paucity and delicate nature of morphological characters traditionally used to diagnose armored scales often require careful preparation of slide-mounted specimens and expert knowledge of the group, for their accurate identification. Here, we present a simple, quick, and accurate means to identify armored scales on Mexican avocados, based on amplification of the internal transcribed spacer two of ribosomal DNA, by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This region seems to show a high level of intraspecific conformity among scale specimens originating from different localities. A suite of species-specific reverse PCR primers are combined in a single reaction, with a universal forward primer, and produce a PCR product of a unique size, that after standard gel electrophoresis, allows the direct diagnosis of six diaspidid species: Abgrallaspis aguacatae Evans, Watson & Miller; Hemiberlesia lataniae (Signoret); Hemiberlesia sp. near latania; Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock); Acutaspis albopicta (Cockerell); and Pinnaspis strachani (Cooley). Two additional species, Diaspis miranda (Cockerell) and Diaspis sp. near miranda, also are separated from the others by using this method and are subsequently diagnosed by secondary digestion of the PCR product with the restriction endonuclease smaI.
A New Approach to Quantum Computation

A general quantum machine is characterized to capture all the possible physical structures that may be employed for effective or efficient computation. As an illustration, a specific machine is described for the permanent evaluation problem. The contrast between quantum and classical parallelism is also discussed, as is the effect of quantum error correction against decoherence and loss.
Communication Control Procedures

The topics of this chapter have received scant attention prior to the 1970s. This was due primarily to the lack of options in constructing a communications network and to the lack of intelligent terminal devices for whatever networks were constructed. The early 1970s saw the introduction to the marketplace of logic capabilities in the form of mini- and microprocessors with a reduction of the costs of the circuit components. These events resulted in the development of minicomputers and intelligent terminals, that is, terminals that practically have a computer processor built into them.
An integrative analysis sheds light on methylation profiles

DNA methylation is an important mechanism for controlling gene expression, and DNA methylation alterations are associated with many common diseases. In mammalian somatic cells, DNA methylation occurs almost exclusively at cytosine nucleotides of CpG sites, in which a cytosine is located next to a
Directed Regression

When used to guide decisions, linear regression analysis typically involves estimation of regression coefficients via ordinary least squares and their subsequent use to make decisions. When there are multiple response variables and features do not perfectly capture their relationships, it is beneficial to account for the decision objective when computing regression coefficients. Empirical optimization does so but sacrifices performance when features are well-chosen or training data are insufficient. We propose directed regression, an efficient algorithm that combines merits of ordinary least squares and empirical optimization. We demonstrate through a computational study that directed regression can generate significant performance gains over either alternative. We also develop a theory that motivates the algorithm.
Analysis of the dynamics of a perturbed ring

This paper addresses the dynamic analysis of a thin ring, which is the prototype structure for the many variants of ring and disk resonators. First, a derivation of the coriolis coupling between pairs of degenerate ring modes is provided for a rotating uniform thin ring. Next, boundary conditions are determined for the case of a uniform thin ring perturbed by point masses. Finally, perturbation solutions of the exact solutions for a perturbed ring under different point mass perturbation scenarios are determined in which the quantity of added mass is the perturbation parameter. Case studies with one and two point masses are presented.
Action of Certain Drugs on the Sea-Star, Asterias forbesii:

Conclusions1. Atropine causes excitement in the sea-star resulting in protraction of the tube feet and flexure of the rays. 2. Caffeine produces two types of effects, an early excitement followed by muscular rigor. 3. Picrotoxin causes acceleration of locomotion accompanied by active waving of the tube feet. 4. Caffeine and picrotoxin are mutually antagonistic in the sea-star, either drug being capable of reversing the effects of the .other. 5. The effects of atropine, caffeine, strychnine, and picrotoxin are reversible in the sea-star lbecause the animals will readily return to a normal state when placed in running sea water, showing no apparent muscular damage resulting.
Comparative Reproduction of Crambus harpipterus and Agriphila plumbifimbriella in Northern New Mexico

Comparative reproduction was studied in sympatric populations of Agriphila plumbifimbriella Dyar and Crambus harpipterus Dyar at 2630 M elevation in the Jemez Mountains. Emergence from the pupa and mating are nocturnal events, with mating peaks possibly occurring at different times of night in the 2 species. Females of both species frequently mate twice. They oviposit maximally in mid afternoon in nature. Similar periodicity but increased oviposition occurs at 25°C and LD 14:10. Oviposition in darkness at 25°C in C. harpipterus , but not in A. plumbifimbriella , shows evidence of circadian control. Oviposition responsiveness to thoracic wounding is greater in C. harpipterus , which is twice as fecund as A. plumbifimbriella . Fore wing length is a better indicator of fecundity for C. harpipterus than for A. plumbifimbriella . Examination of reproductive tract morphology revealed basic similarities in the 2 species.
Addressing Future Epidemics: Historical Human Rights Lessons from the AIDS Pandemic

Introduction: The Ebola epidemic in West Africa sparked many ethical and polarizing public health questions on how to adequately control transmission of the virus. These deliberations had and will continue to influence patients, healthcare workers, public perceptions of disease, and governmental responses. Such extensive and potential ramifications warranted an analysis of prior epidemics to sufficiently inform policy makers and prepare them and other authorities for future epidemics. We analyzed how the general public, medical institutions, federal government, and patients themselves responded during the early stages of the AIDS pandemic in two different countries and cultures, the United States and India. Discussion: Our analysis identified four key findings pertaining to the human rights of patients and healthcare workers and to the crucial roles of the government and medical community. The first demands that authoritative officials acknowledge the presence of high-risk behaviors and properly educate the public without stigmatizing groups of individuals. For this task, the medical community and federal government must form and display to the public a respectful and collaborative partnership towards battling the epidemic. These two synergistic endeavors will then allow appropriate officials to implement effective, yet civil, interventions for limiting transmission. Finally, the same officials must ensure that their interventions maintain the human rights of high-risk populations and of healthcare workers. Conclusions: Applying these findings to future epidemics of infectious diseases can aid policy makers in navigating complicated ethical and public health questions, and help prevent them from repeating past mistakes in handling epidemics.
The surgical anatomy of Kent bundles based on electrophysiological mapping and surgical exploration

The development of the procedure for interruption of a Kent bundle for the correction of the tachyarrhythmias associated with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome has been hampered by the lack of anatomic descriptions of the pathways. Only 21 descriptions are given in enough detail for guidance to the surgeon. Our experience with our first 100 patients operated upon for serious dysrhythmias associated with Kent bundles has supplemented this information. In our first 40 patients the Kent was divided in 22 of 39, one having elective and four having forced interruption of the His bundle, with success in 28. In the next 60 the Kent was divided in 52 of 59 attempts, one had elective and three had forced His bundle interruption, and the success rate was 56 of 60 patients. This increased success occurred because we learned the following: (1) The anomalous pathways are best approached through the atrium and can be far out in the fat, even subepicardial in the coronary sulcus or adjacent to the anulus. (2) Interruption should be started with an incision made just above the anulus fibrosus. (3) Posterior septal pathways can be adjacent to the His bundle or in the septum from this point posteriorly to the crux. (4) Anterior septal pathways can be divided and the His bundle protected. The details for the approach to the right and left free wall, posterior septal, and anterior septal pathways will be given. The approach to all pathways is now safe enough to allow the surgeon to offer this operation to patients with life-threatening tachyarrhythmias as well as the ones with rhythm disturbances that are either burdensome or impossible to treat medically.
Review: human parathyroid hormone reduces fractures and increases bone mineral density in severe osteoporosis.

Source Citation Cranney A, Papaioannou A, Zytaruk N, et al. Parathyroid hormone for the treatment of osteoporosis: a systematic review. CMAJ. 2006;175:52-9. 16818910
Reversal of Fortune: Central Nervous System Blastomycosis

PRESENTATION When a patient presents with simultaneous lung and brain lesions, the clinician is likely to invokemetastatic malignancy as the unifying explanation, which will usually be the correct one—but not always. In our case, a 73-year-old man originally from Bangladesh with a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and curatively resected renal cell carcinoma and prostate adenocarcinoma, both more than 10 years before this presentation, was evaluated in the emergency department for an acutely depressed level of consciousness after involuntary movements of the left upper extremity. His level of consciousness rapidly improved in the course of his emergency department stay, and he experienced left upperextremity weakness when he regained speech. The working diagnosis was a partial seizure with secondary generalization followed by Todd’s paralysis of the left upper extremity.
Make It OK That This Life Is Ending.

Though an intervention may be physiologically futile, it may be able to meet other goals that are not strictly medical but are still valuable. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Quality Control: Struggles for Accountability and Value

Higher education was increasingly confronted by several interrelated anxieties, about the apparent diminishing “return on investment” of university degrees, the mismatch between the quality of graduates and needs of employers, the downward slide from elitism to massification, and the transferability of qualifications in a highly mobile world. This gave rise to the growth of the quality assurance and accountability movement analyzed in this chapter, which is divided into three parts. First, it examines the development of quality assurance systems and regulatory regimes in different world regions and at the international level and the challenges encountered. Second, it looks at the multiple responses by higher education institutions to pressures for them to demonstrate accountability and value. Third, it explores the implications and impact of these forces on institutional governance and the academic profession.
Directed evolution of a sphingomyelin flippase reveals mechanism of substrate backbone discrimination by a P4-ATPase

Phospholipid flippases in the type IV P-type ATPase (P4-ATPases) family establish membrane asymmetry and play critical roles in vesicular transport, cell polarity, signal transduction, and neurologic development. All characterized P4-ATPases flip glycerophospholipids across the bilayer to the cytosolic leaflet of the membrane, but how these enzymes distinguish glycerophospholipids from sphingolipids is not known. We used a directed evolution approach to examine the molecular mechanisms through which P4-ATPases discriminate substrate backbone. A mutagenesis screen in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has identified several gain-of-function mutations in the P4-ATPase Dnf1 that facilitate the transport of a novel lipid substrate, sphingomyelin. We found that a highly conserved asparagine (N220) in the first transmembrane segment is a key enforcer of glycerophospholipid selection, and specific substitutions at this site allow transport of sphingomyelin.
TICS, Methylphenidate, and ADHD

The effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on the frequency and severity of tics in 91 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, with and without comorbid tics, were determined in a 1-year prospective, placebo-controlled study at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
‘Slow to change’: Farmers’ perceptions of place-based barriers to sustainable agriculture

Smallholder farmers are an important and growing segment of the farm population in Indiana and in the USA. Past research regarding farmer decision-making has been inconsistent and has largely focused on the larger-scale, conventional farmer, leaving smallholders poorly understood. There is a need to better understand the management decisions of smallholder farmers within their regional context to promote efforts toward environmental, social and economic sustainability. Through in-depth qualitative inquiry, this study investigated the impact of regional factors that influence farmers’ decisions and the barriers and opportunities most relevant to farm viability and sustainability in the context of East Central Indiana (ECI). Semi-structured interviews with 15 key informants and 33 farmers informed our understanding of the factors most relevant to small-scale farming in the region. Several important themes emerged related to perceived barriers to sustainable farm management, including markets; structures and regulations; time and labor; environmental/ecological factors; and networking and access to educational support. The results of this study complement the findings of previous work that describe the complex framework farmers navigate when making decisions on the farm. Further, subtle regional factors emerged that significantly impact farmers’ decisions, emphasizing the importance of local context in crafting agricultural policies and outreach efforts. Implications and recommendations for ECI are discussed.
Extending Equitable Practices in Teacher Noticing: Commentary

In recent years, equitable pedagogy and professional noticing have intersected in mathematics education research (Erickson, 2011; Hand, 2012; Wager, 2014). Teachers can make assumptions about students from non-dominant races, cultures, languages, and low socioeconomic status that are deficit-oriented (DiME, 2007). Thus, it is critical for equity to be central to professional noticing to provide all students with high quality learning opportunities. Hand (2012) emphasized the significance of teacher disposition in equitable instruction and developed a model consisting of three practice features to include: promoting dialogic space in classroom interactions, blurring distinctions between mathematics and cultural activity, and reframing the system of mathematics education. However, questions continue to be raised about what noticing for equity looks like in diverse classroom contexts. While there was agreement in this section on professional noticing consisting of the three interrelated components of attending, interpreting, and deciding (Jacobs, Lamb, and Philipp, 2010), the authors provided varying perspectives on how to embed equity. In this commentary, the following are highlighted: (a) equity frameworks, (b) teacher disposition and identity, and (c) classroom-based practices. Then, final thoughts are presented to connect topics in these chapters with further questions and considerations for the field.
Notes on the Fauna of the Chipola Formation- XXXIX A New Species of the Genus Parametaria (Gastropoda:Columbellidae)

Not a great deal appears to be known about the genus Parametaria Dall, 1916. According to Jung (1994, p. 16) this genus has never been studied in detail. Reeve (1859) was the first investigator to describe these cone-like gastropods in his monograph on the genus Meta. In his presentation he noted that the members of this genus possess external morphological features that are intermediate in character between Swainson's two genera Stromboidea and Conella. In a subsequent study of the American Columbellidae, Dall (1916, p. 25) noted that the generic name Meta is preoccupied and proposed that it be replaced with Parametaria.
Is sexual dimorphism in singing behavior related to syringeal muscle composition

ABSTRACT The avian vocal organ, the syrinx, is located at the base of the trachea and is controlled by 4 intrinsic pairs of muscles, ventral and dorsal tracheobronchial and ventral and dorsal syringeal muscles. These muscles facilitate active regulation of airflow and sound features, and show exceptionally fast contraction kinetics, stemming from superfast and fast oxidative fiber type composition. Here we investigated to what degree fiber type composition varies across songbird species and whether or not singing ability is related to fiber type composition. In all 10 species studied, syringeal muscles are composed of fast and superfast muscle fibers in males and females. Syrinx size and muscle fiber diameter show some dependence on body size. Content of superfast fibers in the syrinx does not appear to be correlated with singing ability, because non-singing females do not consistently show lower superfast fiber content. Instead, the percentage of superfast fibers in syringeal muscles may be connected to ...
Teaching Without Lecturing: Evidence in the Case for Individualized Instruction

Teaching effectiveness of Keller-like individualized instructional programs developed from materials provided in teachers’ manuals accompanying textbooks was compared with traditional courses using the lecture method. Programs were developed in 2 undergraduate courses, general psychology and cultural anthropology, and observed over a period of 2 semesters. Program effectiveness was assessed with 5 or 6 hourly examinations and an opinion survey. The superiority of individualized instructional procedures was established by comparison of means of students’ raw hourly examination scores. Students taught by the programmed method enjoyed the course more and rated their mastery higher.
Freezing Fort Knox: Mesenteric Carcinoid Cryoablation.

Background Neuroendocrine malignancy is indolent, yet relentless in its propensity to metastasize to the liver, where it may cause bizarre paraneoplastic syndromes. The pathophysiologic mechanism behind this predilection for hepatic metastasis is twofold: the portal venous system drains the most likely primary sites for neuroendocrine tumors, and the relatively immunosuppressed environment within the hepatic parenchyma is permissive for tumor growth. The standard of care for patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumor is surgical resection of at least 90% of the tumor burden. Methods This report describes CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation of an inoperable mesenteric carcinoid tumor that had previously demonstrated hepatic metastases utilizing hydrodissection to safely and effectively prevent further metastasis while priming the immune system to eradicate this malignancy systemically. Results CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation is minimally invasive, has intrinsic analgesic properties, and may contribute to sensitization of the immune system against tumor antigens. Conclusion Percutaneous cryoablation with hydrodissection can be used to target intraabdominal malignancy in poor surgical candidates. This procedure is safe, effective, and minimally invasive.
A strange proximity: stage presence, failure, and the ethics of attention

As a teacher of performance, I am increasingly aware of how when I watch students present live work in class, I simultaneously scrawl notes of my observations in the form of tangential thoughts, re...
Women and the Making of the Mongol Empire

How did women contribute to the rise of the Mongol Empire while Mongol men were conquering Eurasia? This book positions women in their rightful place in the otherwise well-known story of Chinggis Khan (commonly known as Genghis Khan) and his conquests and empire. Examining the best known women of Mongol society, such as Chinggis Khan's mother, Ho'elun, and senior wife, Borte, as well as those who were less famous but equally influential, including his daughters and his conquered wives, we see the systematic and essential participation of women in empire, politics and war. Anne F. Broadbridge also proposes a new vision of Chinggis Khan's well-known atomized army by situating his daughters and their husbands at the heart of his army reforms, looks at women's key roles in Mongol politics and succession, and charts the ways the descendants of Chinggis Khan's daughters dominated the Khanates that emerged after the breakup of the Empire in the 1260s.