cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of motor and somatosensory evoked potentials during thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Objectives Use of motor evoked potentials (MEP) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) monitoring during thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery is controversial. This study evaluated the intraoperative use of SSEP and MEP during thoracoabdominal repair and assessed their role in decreasing the risk of spinal cord ischemia and paralysis. Methods We conducted paired SSEP and MEP monitoring to assess agreement between the methods and their ability to predict neurologic outcome in 233 patients. Changes in SSEP and MEP monitoring were classified as no change, reversible change, or irreversible change during the intraoperative period and by the conclusion of surgery. Agreement between the methods was computed using the Cohen κ statistic. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were computed for each method on the immediate and delayed neurologic deficit. Results Immediate neurologic deficit, determined immediately upon awakening from anesthesia and confirmed by a neurologist, occurred in eight of 233 (3.4%) patients. For any change (reversible plus irreversible), agreement between MEP and SSEP was relatively low (κ = 0.53), despite being highly statistically significant ( P P P P P 98% for immediate deficit. No evoked potential variables were associated with delayed deficit. Conclusions SSEP and MEP monitoring were highly correlated only when intraoperative changes were irreversible. Reversible changes were not significantly associated with immediate neurologic deficit. Irreversible changes were significantly associated with immediate neurologic deficit, and the findings were identical for SSEP and MEP in this variable, indicating that the more complex MEP measures do not add further information to that obtained from SSEP. Normal SSEP and MEP findings had a strong negative predictive value, indicating that patients without signal loss are unlikely to awake with neurologic deficit.
The effect of gender on measures of electroglottographic contact quotient.

Summary Objectives/Hypothesis The purpose of this study was to reevaluate the possible effect of gender on measures of electroglottographic contact quotient (CQ). In addition to criterion threshold methods frequently used for the computation of CQ's via electroglottography (EGG), derivative based methods of computing the EGG CQ that have not been previously evaluated in regard to their effectiveness in discriminating between male versus female EGG waveforms were also examined. Study Design Causal, mixed design. Methods EGG waveforms were recorded during sustained vowel production from normal voice men and women (total N = 50). Measures of EGG CQ were calculated using eight criterion thresholds (25–60% in 5% increments). In addition, CQs were computed using the EGG derivative (DEGG) as well as via two hybrid methods that combine thresholds with measures from the DEGG. Results Only CQs calculated via the DEGG showed a statistically significant difference in the direction anticipated via previous research (ie, men > women). In addition, the DEGG was the only method to show statistically significant differences in CQ useful in discriminating between “knee”-shaped opening phases observed in 76% of the men versus no “knee” opening phases observed in 64% of the women. Conclusions The DEGG may provide advantages over other methods of EGG CQ analysis that are useful in revealing possible gender differences in vocal physiology. Further studies that examine the relationship between EGG, DEGG, and visualization of vocal fold dynamics via high-speed video may provide further insight into the possible differences between adult male versus female contacting and decontacting points during comfortable pitch and loudness phonation.
Dynamic response of molybdenum shock compressed at 1400°C

Wave profile measurements are reported for pure molybdenum initially heated to 1400 °C and shock compressed to stresses between 12 and 81 GPa. The Hugoniot states are consistent with previous results and all data can be described by the parameters: c_0=4.78(2) km/s and s=1.42(2), where the numbers in parentheses are one standard deviation uncertainties in the last digits. The amplitude of the Hugoniot elastic limit is 1.5–1.7 GPa at 1400 °C compared with 25 °C values of 2.3–2.8 GPa. Unloading wave velocities range from 6.30(22) km/s at 12.0 GPa to 7.91(24) km/s at 80.7 GPa and are 4%–8% below extrapolated ultrasonic values and Hugoniot measurements from a room temperature initial state. These differences can be explained by the effect of temperature on the compressional elastic wave velocity. No temperature dependence of the dynamic tensile strength can be resolved from the present data.
Ex situ vapor phase boron doping of silicon nanowires using BBr3

An ex situ vapor phase technique for doping vapor–liquid–solid grown silicon nanowires (NWs) based on the reduction of BBr3 by H2 has been demonstrated. Electron microscope images show that the excellent crystal quality of the nanowires is preserved with minimal alteration of their surface morphology. Fano resonance in the Raman spectra for single nanowires indicates that active boron concentrations over two orders of magnitude and as high as 1020 cm−3 are achievable in a well-controlled manner, with excellent axial uniformity. Electrical resistance measurements from single nanowires confirm that incorporated boron is electrically active, and doping of epitaxial bridging Si NWs is successfully demonstrated. By avoiding the pitfalls of nonuniform concentration profiles and drastic morphological changes that often accompany in situ boron doping, this technique provides a valuable alternative doping route for the development of single Si NW devices in a reliable manner.
Observation of thick biofilm accumulation and structure in porous media and corresponding hydrodynamic and mass transfer effects

A series of flat plate, porous media reactor studies was performed to characterize the development and structure of thick biofilms in porous media and the subsequent effects on porous media hydrodynamics and mass transport variables including average pore velocity, hydrodynamic dispersivity, and (dye tracer) breakthrough curve features. Biofilms composed of either a mucoid strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa or a non-mucoid strain of Ps. aeruginosa were established in the reactors over a 2-3 week period. Analysis of porous media biofilms was performed using a combination of image analysis, photography, microbial vital stains, enumerations, and microscopy. Bulk fluid flow and flow channel distribution in the porous media/biofilm matrix were monitored by imaging a pulse of nigrosine dye. Hydrodynamics of the systems were determined by evaluating fluorescein dye breakthrough curves. Destructive sampling of the flat plate reactors at the end of each study provided additional information on the distribution and cell density of the porous media biofilms. Imaging results indicated the creation and closure of flow channels within the biofilm/porous media matrix for both mucoid and non-mucoid strains. Both systems exhibited accelerated tracer breakthrough and slightly increased hydrodynamic dispersivity as the biofilm matrix developed. Gray scale analysis of nigrosine pulses, along with fluorescein dye studies, suggests that biofilm development transforms the flow regime within the reactor from well defined porous media flow with a symmetric breakthrough curve to a skewed breakthrough curve with accelerated time to breakthrough.
Consistent global structures of complex RNA states through multidimensional chemical mapping

Accelerating discoveries of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) in myriad biological processes pose major challenges to structural and functional analysis. Despite progress in secondary structure modeling, high-throughput methods have generally failed to determine ncRNA tertiary structures, even at the 1-nm resolution that enables visualization of how helices and functional motifs are positioned in three dimensions. We report that integrating a new method called MOHCA-seq (Multiplexed •OH Cleavage Analysis with paired-end sequencing) with mutate-and-map secondary structure inference guides Rosetta 3D modeling to consistent 1-nm accuracy for intricately folded ncRNAs with lengths up to 188 nucleotides, including a blind RNA-puzzle challenge, the lariat-capping ribozyme. This multidimensional chemical mapping (MCM) pipeline resolves unexpected tertiary proximities for cyclic-di-GMP, glycine, and adenosylcobalamin riboswitch aptamers without their ligands and a loose structure for the recently discovered human HoxA9D internal ribosome entry site regulon. MCM offers a sequencing-based route to uncovering ncRNA 3D structure, applicable to functionally important but potentially heterogeneous states. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07600.001
Compatibilism and Doxastic Control

Sharon Ryan has recently argued that if one has compatibilist intuitions about free action, then one should reject the claim that agents cannot exercise direct voluntary control over coming to believe. In this paper I argue that the differences between beliefs and actions make the expectation of direct voluntary control over coming to believe unreasonable. So Ryan's theory of doxastic agency is untenable.
An Experimental Study on the Influence of Sub-Core Scale Heterogeneities on CO2 Distribution in Reservoir Rocks

This article presents the results of CO2/brine two-phase flow experiments in rocks at reservoir conditions. X-ray CT scanning is used to determine CO2 saturation at a fine scale with a resolution of a few pore volumes and provide 3D porosity and saturation maps that can be use to correlate CO2 saturations and rock properties. The study highlights the strong influence of sub-core scale heterogeneities on the spatial distribution of CO2 at steady state and provides useful relative permeability data on a sample originated from an actual storage site (CO2CRC-Otway project, Victoria, South-West Australia). Two different samples tested, although different in nature, present strong heterogeneities, but differ in the detail of the connectivity of high porosity layers. In both samples, the results of the investigations show that sub-core scale heterogeneities control the sweep efficiency and may cause channeling through the porous medium. In one of the samples, CO2 saturation appears uncorrelated to porosity close to the outlet end of the core. This observation is understood as a result of the position and the orientation of high porosity layers with respect to the inlet face of the core. Finally, in the operating conditions of the two experiments, the saturation maps demonstrate that gravity does not play a major role since no detectable buoyancy driven flow is observed.
Injury in the first year of life: risk factors and solutions for high-risk families.

BACKGROUND: Injury is one of the leading causes of death for infants younger than 1 year of age. We investigated potential contributing factors for injury among children born to high-risk families. METHODS: The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study is a longitudinal cohort of approximately 5000 children from mostly unwed parents across the United States. Data from interviews with mothers conducted shortly after birth and follow-up surveys at 1year were used for this analysis. Injuries sustained in the first year of life that required medical attention were studied. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for injury in this population. RESULTS: A total of 13.7% of mothers reported that their child had sustained an injury in the first year of life. We identified 17 potential maternal, paternal, and environmental risk factors for injury, including socioeconomic, mental health, relationship violence, criminal justice system involvement, and substance abuse challenges. Multivariate regression analyses revealed two significant independent risk factors, maternal alcohol use (odds ratio 2.15, P = 0.044) and mother spanking child in the previous month (odds ration 2.32, P = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: Among this higher-risk group, injury in the first year of life is more than twice the national incidence. Predisposing factors to injury often are complex and interrelated, but with focused education and prevention efforts, including discussions of maternal alcohol use and attitudes toward physical discipline, we may decrease the burden of infant injury in this vulnerable population.
Mechanisms of lead and manganese neurotoxicity

Human exposure to neurotoxic metals is a global public health problem. Metals which cause neurological toxicity, such as lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn), are of particular concern due to the long-lasting and possibly irreversible nature of their effects. Pb exposure in childhood can result in cognitive and behavioural deficits in children. These effects are long-lasting and persist into adulthood even after Pb exposure has been reduced or eliminated. While Mn is an essential element of the human diet and serves many cellular functions in the human body, elevated Mn levels can result in a Parkinson's disease (PD)-like syndrome and developmental Mn exposure can adversely affect childhood neurological development. Due to the ubiquitous presence of both metals, reducing human exposure to toxic levels of Mn and Pb remains a world-wide public health challenge. In this review we summarize the toxicokinetics of Pb and Mn, describe their neurotoxic mechanisms, and discuss common themes in their neurotoxicity.
Minirhizotron imaging reveals that nodulation of field-grown soybean is enhanced by free-air CO2 enrichment only when combined with drought stress

TherateofN2 fixationbyaleguminousplantisaproductoftheactivityofindividualnodulesandthenumberof nodules.InitiationofnewnodulesandN2 fixationpernodulearehighlysensitivetoenvironmentalconditions.However,the effects of global environmental change on nodulation in the field are largely unknown. It is also unclear whether legumes regulatenodulationinresponsetoenvironmentsolelybyvaryingrootproductionoralsobyvaryingnoduledensityperunitof rootlength.Thisstudyutilisedminirhizotronimagingasanovelinsitumethodforassessingthenumber,sizeanddistribution of nodules in field-grown soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2 ((CO2)) and reduced precipitation. We found that nodule numbers were 134-229% greater in soybeans grown at elevated (CO2) in combination with reduced precipitation, and this response was driven by greater nodule density per unit of root length. The benefits of additional nodules were probably offset by an unfavourable distribution of nodules in shallow, dry soil in reduced precipitation treatment under elevated (CO2) but not ambient (CO2). In fact, significant decreases in seed and leaf nitrogen concentration also occurred only in elevated (CO2) with reduced precipitation. This study demonstrates the potential of minirhizotron imaging to reveal previously uncharacterised changes in nodule production and distribution in response to global environmental change.
A Psychology of Intellectual Property

This Article analyzes how the strict standard for protectability in patent law - novelty, nonobviousness, and utility - looks so different from the undemanding standard of originality in copyright law, even though they derive from the same constitutional power, “To promote the Progress of Science and Useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” This Article argues that this difference accords with the psychological literature on creativity, something these laws seek to induce. This literature explores both how scientists and engineers - ultimately protected by patent - and artists - ultimately protected by copyright - go about creating their works and how individuals in the audience for these works value the different components of creativity. This Article suggests that creativity in scientific and engineering inventions is distinguished by an emphasis on problem solving and individuals’ tolerance and willingness to embrace large degrees of newness. By contrast, artistic creativity is characterized by an emphasis on problem finding and individuals’ psychological preference that artistic works be new, but not too new. These differences accord with the dissimilar protectability standards for copyright and patent. These distinctions in protectability standards are also normatively desirable, but only to the extent that the law addresses how to treat protected forms of creativity that do not fit the archetype of creativity for the relevant intellectual-property regime.
The Assessment of Athletic Ability at the Junior College Level

The means by which coaches select, develop, and evaluate their athletes is a topic of interest among sport scholars. Expectancy theory is one framework implemented to further understand the leadership behaviors of coaches. Results from previous research suggest that coaches use a wide variety of sources to develop and evaluate their players. Unfortunately, junior (also called community) college coaches have been omitted from this important work. The purpose of the present study was to query junior college coaches and their athletes regarding impression cues utilized to judge athlete ability. Thirty-four coaches and 210 athletes completed the Solomon Expectancy Sources Scale (SESS). Results determined that head and assistant coaches are consistent in their prioritization of expectancy sources. Coaches and athletes are also congruent; however, coaches rated Coachability significantly higher than athletes. These results are discussed in light of the unique position of the junior college coach.
Use of a Virus-Encoded Enzymatic Marker Reveals that a Stable Fraction of Memory B Cells Expresses Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen throughout Chronic Gammaherpesvirus Infection

An integral feature of gammaherpesvirus infections is the ability to establish lifelong latency in B cells. During latency, the viral genome is maintained as an extrachomosomal episome, with stable maintenance in dividing cells mediated by the viral proteins Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) for Epstein-Barr virus and latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) for Kaposi9s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. It is believed that the expression of episome maintenance proteins is turned off in the predominant long-term latency reservoir of resting memory B cells, suggesting that chronic gammaherpesvirus infection is primarily dormant. However, the kinetics of LANA/EBNA-1 expression in individual B-cell subsets throughout a course of infection has not been examined. The infection of mice with murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68, γHV68) provides a model to determine the specific cellular and molecular events that occur in vivo during lifelong gammaherpesvirus latency. In work described here, we make use of a heterologously expressed enzymatic marker to define the types of B cells that express the LANA homolog (mLANA) during chronic MHV68 infection. Our data demonstrate that mLANA is expressed in a stable fraction of B cells throughout chronic infection, with a prominent peak at 28 days. The expression of mLANA was detected in naive follicular B cells, germinal-center B cells, and memory B cells throughout infection, with germinal-center and memory B cells accounting for more than 80% of the mLANA-expressing cells during the maintenance phase of latency. These findings suggest that the maintenance phase of latency is an active process that involves the ongoing proliferation or reseeding of latently infected memory B cells.
TENSILE FATIGUE BEHAVIOR OF STAPLE YARNS

The failure of warp yarns on a loom is often caused by repeated cyclical elongation at small stresses well below the breaking point applied under static load. The phenom enon, commonly known as fatigue, is caused by the gradually diminishing resistance of the material, attributable to cumulative damage. Generally, there is no prior indi cation of impending failure due to fatigue. In this work, we have studied the fatigue behavior of warp yarn under cyclical elongation accompanied by abrasion action as measured on a Sulzer-Ruti Webtester on the basis of three criteria—failure, damage rate, and visual appearance. Fatigue behavior expressed in terms of cycles at failure exhibits a wide scatter, displaying a pattern that deviates from normal distribution. A three-parameter Weibull distribution fitted to experimental results consistently displays a unimodal pattern. The rate of fatigue damage expressed in terms of loss in tensile property indicators has proven useful in assessing the fatigue-sustaining capacit...
Prevalence and predictors of residential health hazards: a pilot study.

Abstract This article reports the results of a pilot study designed to ascertain the prevalence of lead-based paint (LBP), vermin, mold, and safety conditions and hazards and to validate observations and self-reports against environmental sampling data. Data are based on a convenience sample of 70 dwellings in a low-income, urban neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The vast majority of residences (96%) contained multiple conditions and/or hazards: LBP hazards (80%), vermin (79%), elevated levels of airborne mold (39%), and safety hazards (100%). Observations and occupant reports were associated with environmental sampling data. In general, the more proximate an observed condition was to an actual hazard, the more likely it was to be associated with environmental sampling results (e.g., peeling LBP was associated with windowsill dust lead levels, and cockroach sightings by tenants were associated with Blatella germanica [Bla g 1] levels). Conversely, the more distal an observed condition was to an actual h...
Structure determination of a membrane protein with two trans-membrane helices in aligned phospholipid bicelles by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

The structure of the membrane protein MerFt was determined in magnetically aligned phospholipid bicelles by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. With two trans-membrane helices and a 10-residue inter-helical loop, this truncated construct of the mercury transport membrane protein MerF has sufficient structural complexity to demonstrate the feasibility of determining the structures of polytopic membrane proteins in their native phospholipid bilayer environment under physiological conditions. PISEMA, SAMMY, and other double-resonance experiments were applied to uniformly and selectively 15N-labeled samples to resolve and assign the backbone amide resonances and to measure the associated 15N chemical shift and 1H−15N heteronuclear dipolar coupling frequencies as orientation constraints for structure calculations. 1H/13C/15N triple-resonance experiments were applied to selectively 13C‘- and 15N-labeled samples to complete the resonance assignments, especially for residues in the nonhelical regions of the protein. A ...
In Vivo Versus In Vitro Airway Surface Liquid Nicotine Levels Following Cigarette Smoke Exposure

Whole cigarette smoke (WCS) is composed of approximately 5% particulates and 95% vapors by weight and is difficult to reproduce quantitatively in the laboratory, where typically, routine in vitro application of smoke normally only utilizes the particulate phase. In this study, we used a system for exposing epithelial cells cultured at an air-liquid interface to WCS. We hypothesized that the use of WSC in vitro was more relevant to what is seen in vivo than methods of cigarette smoke application that only use a small fraction of WCS [i.e., aqueous extract or cigarette smoke condensate (CSC)]. To test this hypothesis, we compared nicotine and cotinine concentrations (measured by mass spectrometry) in the airway surface liquid (ASL) of human primary bronchial epithelial cultures (HBECs) exposed to serial dilutions of WCS to the concentrations found in induced sputum of human subjects who had recently smoked a cigarette; this was also compared to the concentrations found after an exposure to a concentration of CSC commonly used in vitro. When measured by mass spectrometry, nicotine levels were not significantly different in induced sputum versus the ASL of HBECs exposed in vitro to a 1:30 exposure of WCS. However, HBECs that had been exposed to CSC returned significantly lower concentrations of ASL nicotine. These results suggest that nicotine is a good dosimetry marker of WCS exposure and provides direct evidence that the use of WCS is more relevant than the use of CSC for in vitro systems.
The development of a MEMS six-port reflectometer calibration standard

This research investigates electrically actuated microelectromechanical standards for the calibration of a six-port reflectometer. The effects of a non-ideal standard are studied with a computer model and the results show nominal operation by constraining the amplitude variation of the reflection coefficient of the sliding short below 0.03. A W-Band (75–110 GHz) Distributed MEMS Transmission Line (DMTL) variable phase shifter satisfying this constraint is designed and fabricated. Measurements show sufficient phase shift for a calibration but the amplitude variation is slightly above the ideal value found by the computer model.
Cognitive Aging and Rate of Hospitalization in an Urban Population of Older People

Background. The association of age-related cognitive change with hospitalization is not well understood.
Irinotecan: A New Antineoplastic Agent for the Management of Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacologic, pharmacokinetic, therapeutic, and safety aspects of irinotecan, a new antineoplastic agent, and to assess its role in the treatment of colorectal and lung cancer.DATA SOURCES:English-language articles from the MEDLINE database, January 1990–March 1998; Pharmacia & Upjohn Company; published articles and meeting abstracts.STUDY SELECTION:Studies in humans with cancer, clinical case reports, and open clinical studies were reviewed. Efficacy studies were limited to trials with at least 20 evaluable patients.DATA EXTRACTION:Relevant data were extracted from published reports and abstracts.DATA SYNTHESIS:Irinotecan is an effective agent for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. It demonstrates significant activity as a first-line agent and in patients with disease that is refractory to fluorouracil-containing regimens. Activity against lung cancer has also been demonstrated. Limited data indicate activity against cancers of the ovary, cervix, stomach, and in non-Hod...
Optimal adaptive scalar quantization and image compression

A novel optimal adaptive scalar quantization method is proposed, and its performance is investigated in the context of quantization for image compression. The idea is to perform frequent and complete (non-incremental) block-optimal quantizer redesign, but under a codebook constraint which assures that the overhead required to specify the new quantizer is small. The intuition is that a few levels are usually sufficient to accurately describe a small image block, provided these are chosen optimally and independently for each block. In addition to limiting overhead, the codebook constraint can be exploited to derive an efficient dynamic programming algorithm for block-optimal quantizer design. Some experimental results and comparisons are also included.
Multipath error mitigation using self-encoded spread spectrum for binary-offset-carrier signals

Self-encoded spread spectrum (SESS) incorporated with binary-offset-carrier modulation can significantly improve the navigation accuracy exploiting the inherent temporal diversity of iterative detection (ID). ID is the natural realisation of the detection scheme based on the unique SESS spreading sequence that comes from the data source itself. The enhanced precision is presented in terms of multipath error envelope, running average error and root-mean-square error for early-minus-late and elary/late slope. SESS is a promising technology that can substantially mitigate detrimental effects of multipath on tracking error for position location or navigation. The accuracy of SESS with ID is superior to other conventional correlation detection schemes with a similar or minimally increased computational complexity.
Decoding of trellis-encoded signals in the presence of intersymbol interference and noise

A novel receiver for data transmission systems using trellis-coded modulation (TCM) is investigated. It comprises a whitened matched filter and a trellis decoder which combines the previously separated functions of equalization and TCM decoding. TCM encoder, channel, and whitened matched filter are modeled by a single finite-state machine with combined ISI (intersymbol interference) and code states. Using ISI-state truncation and the self-partitioning principles inherent in TCM, a systematic method is developed for reducing the state complexity of the corresponding combined ISI and code trellis. A modified branch metric is used for canceling those ISI terms which are not represented by the trellis states. The approach leads to a family of Viterbi decoders which offer a tradeoff between complexity and performance. An adaptive version of the receiver is discussed, and simulation results are presented for channels with severe linear distortion. It is shown that the adaptive receiver achieves a significant gain in noise margin. >
Successful treatment of fluconazole-resistant oropharyngeal candidiasis by a combination of fluconazole and terbinafine

Increasing incidence of resistance to conventional antifungal therapy has demanded that novel therapies be introduced. Recent in vitro studies have shown that combinations involving azoles and allylamines may be effective in inhibiting fluconazole-resistant fungi. In this report, we describe the case of a 39-year-old woman who presented with white patches on her buccal mucosa, tongue, and palate with a bright erythematous erosive base. A fungal culture revealed Candida albicans. The patient failed to respond to the initially prescribed fluconazole therapy. Failure of therapy can be attributed to a developed resistance to fluconazole from the patient's intermittent use of this antifungal agent at varying dosages for the preceding 2 years due to a diagnosis of onychomycosis. In vitro testing of the culture from the patient showed elevated MICs of fluconazole, itraconzole, and terbinafine (MICs were 32, 0.5, and 64 microg/ml, respectively). Our goal was to combine therapies of fluconazole and terbinafine in an attempt to clear the fungal infection. Impressively, this combination resulted in the clearing of the clinical symptoms and the patient has successfully been asymptomatic for more than 12 months posttreatment.
Oryza sativa Chloroplast Signal Recognition Particle 43 (OscpSRP43) Is Required for Chloroplast Development and Photosynthesis

A rice chlorophyll-deficient mutant w67 was isolated from an ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)–induced IR64 (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) mutant bank. The mutant exhibited a distinct yellow-green leaf phenotype in the whole plant growth duration with significantly reduced levels of chlorophyll and carotenoid, impaired chloroplast development and lowered capacity of photosynthesis compared with the wild-type IR64. Expression of a number of genes associated with chlorophyll metabolism, chloroplast biogenesis and photosynthesis was significantly altered in the mutant. Genetic analysis indicated that the yellow-green phenotype was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene located on the short arm of chromosome 3. Using map-based strategy, the mutation was isolated and predicted to encode a chloroplast signal recognition particle 43 KD protein (cpSRP43) with 388 amino acid residuals. A single base substitution from A to T at position 160 resulted in a premature stop codon. OscpSRP43 was constitutively expressed in various organs with the highest level in the leaf. Functional complementation could rescue the mutant phenotype and subcellular localization showed that the cpSRP43:GFP fusion protein was targeted to the chloroplast. The data suggested that Oryza sativa cpSRP43 (OscpSRP43) was required for the normal development of chloroplasts and photosynthesis in rice.
Medical Therapy of Claudication and Lower Extremity Arterial Disease

The new millennium found lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) and intermittent claudication in particular, pharmacotherapeutically orphan. Pharmacologically, intermittent claudication has been an orphan since it was first described many decades ago. Intermittent claudication, the cardinal symptom of LEAD occurs in 35 to 50% of patients with known LEAD documented by noninvasive diagnostic methods (1). The development of effective pharmacotherapy for treating claudication has lagged behind that for treating angina pectoris and other manifestations of myocardial ischemia.
Owain Glyndŵr: A Casebook ed. by Michael Livingston and John K. Bollard (review)

Review of Livingston, Michael and John K. Bollard, eds. Owain Glyndwˆr: A Casebook. Exeter Medieval Texts and Studies. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2013.
Is Guidance a Macro Factor? the Nature and Information Content of Aggregate Earnings Guidance

Although a great deal of research documents the information content of management earnings forecasts at the firm level, there is little research on the informativeness of aggregate earnings guidance. We argue that aggregate earnings guidance is potentially informative at the market/economy level through its effects on expectations about market-level expected future cash flows and expected returns. We find that aggregate guidance, especially relative levels of quarterly downward guidance, is associated with analyst- and time-series-based measures of aggregate earnings news. We also find some evidence that guidance - again, largely downward guidance - is associated with market returns.
"Stat" Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Its Role in Clinical Microbiology

In the laboratory, the department most affected by the introduction of molecular diagnostic tools has been the clinical microbiology laboratory. For organisms such as Clostridium difficile , polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the gold standard for diagnosis. Incorporation of molecular diagnostic techniques into microbiology laboratories of differing sizes has been hastened by the development of simplified technological methods, individual cassettes incorporating all reagents necessary for diagnosis, and instruments allowing multiple tests to be run at the same time. Companies, such as Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA), with its GeneXpert technol ogy, even advertise that their tests can be run in a physician’s office. Pressure by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on companies such as Roche has pushed them to change their offerings in molecular diagnosis from analyte-specific reagent kits to a commercially prepared, prepackaged assay with detailed instructions for performance of the test. This change has hastened adoption of molecular methods into the testing menu of laboratories that do not have the resources and staff to perform the extensive and time-consuming validations of assays that are not approved by the FDA. Molecular methods have probably found their greatest use in microbiology laboratories in the diagnosis of viral infections. The reasons for the movement to molecular methods in this arena are varied. The rapid assays for agents such as influenza A and B and respiratory syncytial virus …
Magnetic Imaging via Scanning Electron Microscopy with Polarization Analysis

Scanning Electron Microscopy with Polarization Analysis (SEMPA) is a relatively new technique for obtaining images of magnetic microstructure. We will summarize the method and give a few examples of its application in this brief paper. A new review of the technique provides extensive additional information and references [1].
Clifford Algebraic Symmetries in Physics

This talk reviews some of the many appearances of Clifford algebras in Theoretical Physics. The full extent of the role of Clifford algebras is not easy to appreciate, since the various applications are disguised by an entirely distinct notation in each case. We propose that based on the almost universal application of the Clifford algebras, this is a mathematical scheme which is somehow intrinsic to the physical world.
The Carrot or the Stick? Strategies of Violence in Burundi's 2010 Election

This paper advances the study of electoral violence in ethnically divided societies by positing that violence is employed not as a deterrent to vote, but rather as an incentive. As such, violence constitutes a last-resort option, used to coerce voters when other forms of persuasions are not expected to suffice. To explore these claims empirically, I focus on the subnational variation of violent and non-violent electoral campaigns perpetrated by the ruling party during the 2010 Burundi elections. The statistical analysis shows, first, that violence was strategically limited to uncertain seats: the ruling party was most violent in the districts where it expected to win or to lose by a small margin (rather than to win handily or lose massively). Second, violence was used in districts where the party had an ideological disadvantage. In these districts, violence was predominately directed against voters and candidates of the same ethnic group as the incumbent in order to mobilize the partys ethnic constituency.
A Nanophotonic Quantum Phase Switch with a Single Atom

We discuss a new platform for cavity QED consisting of a single Rubidium atom trapped near a nanoscale optical resonator. The combination of good atomic coherence and strong atom-photon interactions enables a variety of applications.
Short-term transient radiation effects in optical fibers

Many previous studies have dealt with radiation-induced absorption in optical fibers. Only a few of these studies,1-4 however, have dealt with short-term effects occurring within the first 100 nsec after fiber irradiation. These previous studies have shown that plastic-clad silica (PCS) fibers exhibit relatively little radiation-induced optical absorption, while germanium-doped fibers exhibit.
Analyzing the relationship between single base flipping and strand slippage near DNA duplex termini.

Insertion–deletion (indel) mutations are caused by strand slippage between pairing primer and template strands during nucleic acid strand extension. A possible causative factor for such strand slippage is base flipping in the primer strand or template strand, for insertion or deletion mutations, respectively. A simple mechanistic description is that the “hole” in the nucleic acid duplex left behind by a flipping base is occupied by a neighboring base on the same strand, resulting in slippage with respect to its paired strand. The extent of single base flipping required for occupation of its former place in the double helix by a neighboring base is not fully understood. The present study uses restrained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations along a pseudohedihedral base flipping parameter to construct two-dimensional free energy profiles along base flipping and strand slippage geometric parameters. These profiles, generated for both cytosine and guanine single base flipping in a short repetitive indel mutati...
On the Origin and Evolution of the Hermit Poetry before the Sui Dynasty

Ancient Chinese hermit poetry went through a very long and tortuous process.It originated in the Pre-Qin Dynasty,formed in the Han and Wei Dynasties and developed to its summit in the East Jin Dynasty because of the great poet Tao Yuan-ming.It had remained as one of the major themes until the Sui Dynasty.Before it the hermit poetry had changed four times.
Effect of Location within the Nest on Acceptance of Queen Cells in Honeybee Colonies

SummaryThe probability that an egg in a queen cell cup will be reared as a potential queen in a honeybee (Apis mellifera) colony depends on its location within the rearing colony. Eggs in cells near the centre are reared more frequently than those on the edges, and those near the top of the frame more frequently than those lower down. The importance of this effect is greater when bees are more selective among potential queens; when larvae are grafted into queen-cell cups acceptance is greater than when eggs are used, and there is a non-significant tendency for cells near the centre to be accepted in preference to those near the edges.
Mechanical Risk Factors for Stress Fracture in Elite Runners

Objectives: Bone stress injuries (BSI) are responsible for significant missed competition and training in distance runners. A recent review of our institution’s injury database revealed that one-fifth of NCAA-level runners sustained one or more BSI over a three-year period. While much is known about certain risk factors for stress injury such as the Female Athlete Triad, little is known about biomechanical risk factors including dynamic loading of the foot during running differs between athletes with history of BSI and those without. The aims of this study were: 1) characterize the dynamic loading patterns of elite distance runners during athletic movement, 2) determine the difference in dynamic loading magnitude and location in runners who have history of a BSI compared to non-injured runners and 3) establish a database to be used for follow-up evaluation. We hypothesized that athletes with a history of BSI in the lower extremity apply greater dynamic loads during athletic movements compared to uninjured athletes.
Neurotensin stimulates sortilin and mTOR in human microglia inhibitable by methoxyluteolin, a potential therapeutic target for autism

We had reported elevated serum levels of the peptide neurotensin (NT) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Here, we show that NT stimulates primary human microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, and the immortalized cell line of human microglia-SV40. NT (10 nM) increases the gene expression and release (P < 0.001) of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 8 (CXCL8), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and CCL5 from human microglia. NT also stimulates proliferation (P < 0.05) of microglia-SV40. Microglia express only the receptor 3 (NTR3)/sortilin and not the NTR1 or NTR2. The use of siRNA to target sortilin reduces (P < 0.001) the NT-stimulated cytokine and chemokine gene expression and release from human microglia. Stimulation with NT (10 nM) increases the gene expression of sortilin (P < 0.0001) and causes the receptor to be translocated from the cytoplasm to the cell surface, and to be secreted extracellularly. Our findings also show increased levels of sortilin (P < 0.0001) in the serum from children with ASD (n = 36), compared with healthy controls (n = 20). NT stimulation of microglia-SV40 causes activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling kinase, as shown by phosphorylation of its substrates and inhibition of these responses by drugs that prevent mTOR activation. NT-stimulated responses are inhibited by the flavonoid methoxyluteolin (0.1-1 μM). The data provide a link between sortilin and the pathological findings of microglia and inflammation of the brain in ASD. Thus, inhibition of this pathway using methoxyluteolin could provide an effective treatment of ASD.
Introduction: Concepts from Set Theory the System of Natural Numbers

The purpose of this volume is to give an introduction to the basic algebraic systems: groups, rings, fields, groups with operators, modules. and lattices. The study of these systems encompasses a major portion of classical algebra. Thus, in a sense our subject matter is old. However, the axiomatic development which we have adopted here is comparatively new. A beginner may find our account at times uncomfortably abstract since we do not tie ourselves down to the study of one particular system (e.g., the system of real numbers). Supplementary study of the exercises and examples should help to overcome this difficulty. At any rate, it will be obvious that much time is saved and a clearer insight is eventually achieved by the present method.
Translational Pharmacology of the Metabotropic Glutamate 2 Receptor–Preferring Agonist LY2812223 in the Animal and Human Brain

LY2812223 [(1R,2S,4R,5R,6R)-2-amino-4-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylsulfanyl)bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid] was identified via structure-activity studies arising from the potent metabotropic glutamate mGlu2/3 receptor agonist LY354740 [(+)-2-aminobicyclo[3.1.0] hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid] as an mGlu2-preferring agonist. This pharmacology was determined using stably transfected cells containing either the human mGlu2 or mGlu3 receptor. We extended the pharmacological evaluation of LY2812223 to native brain tissues derived from relevant species used for preclinical drug development as well as human postmortem brain tissue. This analysis was conducted to ensure pharmacological translation from animals to human subjects in subsequent clinical studies. A guanosine 5′-O-(3-[35S]thio)triphosphate (GTPγS) functional binding assay, a method for measuring Gi-coupled signaling that is inherent to the group 2 mGlu receptors, was used to evaluate LY2812223 pharmacology of native mGlu receptors in mouse, rat, nonhuman primate, and human cortical brain tissue samples. In native tissue membranes, LY2812223 unexpectedly acted as a partial agonist across all species tested. Activity of LY2812223 was lost in cortical membranes collected from mGlu2 knockout mice, but not those from mGlu3 knockout mice, providing additional support for mGlu2-preferring activity. Other signal transduction assays were used for comparison with the GTP binding assay (cAMP, calcium mobilization, and dynamic mass redistribution). In ectopic cell line–based assays, LY2812223 displayed near maximal agonist responses at the mGlu2 receptor across all assay formats, while it showed no functional agonist activity at the mGlu3 receptor except in the cAMP assay. In native brain slices or membranes that express both mGlu2 and mGlu3 receptors, LY2812223 displayed unexpected partial agonist activity, which may suggest a functional interplay between these receptor subtypes in the brain.
Quinoa quandary: Cultural tastes and nutrition in Peru

Abstract Using a model of household food demand that incorporates regional preferences (tastes) for culturally appropriate food, I investigate whether tastes for quinoa in the Puno region of Peru reduced household nutrition intakes when quinoa prices dramatically increased between 2004 and 2012. Adapting a model from Atkin (2013) and utilizing data from a national Peruvian household survey (ENAHO), I am able to deconstruct regional changes in household nutrition over time into several general equilibrium effects; in particular, I isolate the effect of regional tastes for quinoa on nutrition outcomes. This effect is identified by an exogenous spike in quinoa prices driven by international demand for quinoa. While I find evidence that regional tastes for quinoa do exist in the Puno region, these tastes do not have a statistically significant impact on nutrition outcomes. My results lend support to the conjecture that tastes for culturally appropriate food do not meaningfully affect household nutrition if the food in question is a sufficiently small component of a household’s overall diet.
Disparities in parental human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine awareness and uptake among adolescents

Abstract Trends in HPV vaccine awareness among parents of adolescent girls and boys (ages 13–17) and HPV vaccine uptake (≥1 dose) among girls (ages 13–17) were evaluated in Los Angeles County, California. Between 2007 and 2011, parental HPV vaccine awareness increased from 72% to 77% overall, with significant increases among mothers, Latinos, and respondents with daughters and Medi-Cal insured children. In 2011, parents who were male, older, less educated, Asian/Pacific Islander, and had sons remained significantly less likely to be aware. HPV vaccine initiation among daughters nearly doubled from 25% in 2007 to 48% in 2011, and girls who were older, uninsured, and had access-related barriers showed the largest improvements. In 2011, daughters who were younger and who had older and African American parents were at risk for low uptake. Thus, initiatives targeting male and younger adolescents, culturally-relevant information, and access to vaccination may help to reduce identified disparities.