cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What to Anticipate With Experience in Pediatric Laparoscopic Ablative Renal Surgery

Purpose: Laparoscopic renal surgery in pediatric urology is moving forward at a slower pace than desired. To guide beginning surgeons in what to expect in their first years of surgical experience, we present our first 6 years of pediatric laparoscopic ablative renal surgery experience to highlight the changing laparoscopic surgical parameters during this interval.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all children who underwent laparoscopic ablative renal surgery (nephrectomy and heminephroureterectomy) performed by 1 surgeon between January 2000 and December 2005. After searching the medical, operative and anesthesia records we compared patient characteristics and operative parameters such as blood loss and operative time through the years.Results: A total of 39 children (25 girls, 14 boys) with a mean age of 6.9 years underwent laparoscopic renal surgery. Mean operative time was 204 minutes for nephrectomy (26 cases) and 291 minutes for heminephroureterectomy (14). A statistically significan...
Expert System for Compactor Selection

This paper describes an expert system that helps the construction or highway engineer choose the most appropriate compactor under a set of job conditions. Selecting the suitable compactor is affected by numerous field variables. Most of the time, the construction engineer uses his or her experience and intuition to choose a compactor. Expert systems are well suited for formulating and organizing this type of experience-based knowledge. The system developed in this research takes into consideration the degree of compaction required, job size, soil type, plasticity, moisture conditions, and breakage of aggregates. Recommendations made by the expert system apply to jobs specified to standard AASHTO densities. The system can be used as a tutorial tool for inexperienced personnel. Guidelines have been provided for future work and development of a data base of compactor information.
Regulation of glomerular angiotensin II receptors in hypertensive salt-sensitive Dahl rats: absence of response to variations in salt intake.

In Sprague-Dawley rats (SD) with hypertension due to an aortic constriction there is an abnormal regulation of glomerular angiotensin II (AII) receptors in response to changes in dietary salt content. The question of whether a changed AII receptor regulation also occurs in other forms of hypertension has led to this study of Dahl rats. The salt-sensitive strain becomes hypertensive on a highsalt diet but the salt-resistant strain remains normotensive
The mechanism of flame inhibition by sodium salts

A study has been conducted to determine whether the mode of action by the “dry chemical” flame inhibitors, sodium bicarbonate and sodium tartrate, was heterogeneous or homogeneous. The method used was the correlation of the amount of inhibitor vaporized in the flame zone with a measure of the degree of inhibition. For the first, Na atoms were determined by absorption spectroscopy at the end of the reaction zone of partially quenched premixed CH4/air flames burning at atmospheric pressure on a flat flame burner. The degree of inhibition was indicated by the extent of the temperature rise of the quenched flame on addition of inhibitor. Tests were conducted on six “siliconized” and size classified salt fractions three each of the two salts. Four of the six powder samples completely evaporated by the end of the reaction zone. The results for all six fractions can be represented by an approximately linear relationship between Na concentration at the end of the reaction zone and the temperature rise on inhibition. It is shown that this correlation is much better than one based on surface area presented to the flame. These results are interpreted as an essentially conclusive proof of the homogeneous mechanism. In addition, measurements of hydroxyl concentrations have shown that addition of inhibitor reduces peak OH concentrations and catalyzes radical recombination. Na atoms are unusually effective in this regard. While a complete mechanism has not been worked out, some discussion is given of the limitations on such a scheme. The existance of dipole-induced dipole stabilized complexes between alkali atoms and water molecules is suggested as a means by which recombination might very effectively be catalyzed.
Probiotics for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Probiotics are organisms which provide a desired and beneficial effect on human health. With recent evidence implicating a disruption in the balance of the gastrointestinal microbiome and intestinal immunity as a potential trigger for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there has been growing interest in using probiotics as an adjunct to standard anti-inflammatory and immune suppressing therapy. Animal models describe potential and plausible mechanisms of action for probiotics to counter inflammation of colonic mucosa. Although there are insufficient data to recommend probiotics in ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, good evidence supports the use of specific probiotics for maintenance of remission in pouchitis. Although there are limited regulatory standards for the agents, probiotics are relatively safe with minimal reported side effects or contraindications. More rigorous studies need to be published supporting efficacy and safety of these agents before they become a mainstay of IBD medical treatment.
Raman scattering from individual, isolated metallic carbon nanotubes

We have obtained Raman spectra of the high-energy (G) modes from individual metallic carbon nanotubes. The Raman lines are broadened to widths up to 100 cm?1, indicating strong phonon damping by electron-hole pairs.
Orbital tuning chronology for the Vostok climate record supported by trapped gas composition

Abstract We present data on the O2/N2 ratios of trapped gas samples for the entire length of the Vostok climate record. As in other cores, O2/N2 ratios in these samples are less than the atmospheric ratio, by a small and variable amount, because O2 is selectively excluded during the gas trapping process, and because O2 is also preferentially lost in poorly preserved core samples. Samples younger than 150 ka have large and variable O2 depletions. Samples older than 200 ka have O2/N2 ratios that replicate well and vary smoothly with depth. We plot O2/N2 ratios of well replicated samples older than 160 ka, using a chronology derived by matching the δ18O of paleoatmospheric O2 (δ18Oatm) to northern hemisphere June insolation. On this timescale, O2/N2 varies coherently with local (78°S) summertime insolation. Based on time series analysis of the O2/N2 record and the dynamics of snow metamorphism at the surface, we conclude that summertime insolation influences physical properties of ice grains that control the degree of O2 exclusion during bubble closeoff. O2/N2 in Vostok is thus arguably a property that records local summertime insolation and can be used to test independent chronologies for the core. We show that the δ18Oatm chronology, supported by the coincidence of O2/N2 ratios with insolation, is also compatible with recent radiometric dating of corals from high sea stands. We further successfully test the δ18Oatm tuning chronology by showing that it predicts a chronology for the GISP2 core which is essentially indistinguishable from the standard GISP2 chronology and, therefore, in excellent agreement with the radiometric chronology of Hulu Cave, China. An accurate chronology for the Vostok ice core is now in place.
The influence of natural sleep on focal spiking in experimental temporal lobe epilepsy in the monkey

In 12 rhesus monkeys, made epileptic by injection of alumina cream into the temporal lobe structures, the changes of spike frequency were studied in wakefulness and natural sleep on 78 occasions. Five monkeys had a focus in the lateral surface of the temporal lobe and seven had a focus in the mediotemporal structures. Basic cortical and subcortical EEG patterns, recorded through chronic indwelling electrodes, showed fairly consistent changes in the course of natural sleep, allowing a classification of the sleep into stages. During slow wave sleep, the focal spikes increased in all 12 cases. The increase was more prominent during the light stage of slow wave sleep in the neocortical foci and during deep stage in the mediotemporal foci. During REM sleep, the mediotemporal foci showed a marked decrease of spiking, whereas changes in the neocortical foci were inconsistent.
The Disease Progression of Mecp2 Mutant Mice Is Affected by the Level of BDNF Expression

Mutations in the MECP2 gene cause Rett syndrome (RTT). Bdnf is a MeCP2 target gene; however, its role in RTT pathogenesis is unknown. We examined Bdnf conditional mutant mice for RTT-relevant pathologies and observed that loss of BDNF caused smaller brain size, smaller CA2 neurons, smaller glomerulus size, and a characteristic hindlimb-clasping phenotype. BDNF protein level was reduced in Mecp2 mutant mice, and deletion of Bdnf in Mecp2 mutants caused an earlier onset of RTT-like symptoms. To assess whether this interaction was functional and potentially therapeutically relevant, we increased BDNF expression in the Mecp2 mutant brain with a conditional Bdnf transgene. BDNF overexpression extended the lifespan, rescued a locomotor defect, and reversed an electrophysiological deficit observed in Mecp2 mutants. Our results provide in vivo evidence for a functional interaction between Mecp2 and Bdnf and demonstrate the physiological significance of altered BDNF expression/signaling in RTT disease progression.
Fractures of the greater trochanter: intertrochanteric extension shown by MR imaging.

Objective. To demonstrate the MR depiction of the intertrochanteric or femoral neck extension of fractures of the greater trochanter, when standard radiographs show only a fracture of the greater trochanter.
Higgs boson pair production from gluon fusion

Abstract We calculate Higgs-boson pair production from gluon fusion at future hadron colliders. We find that the box diagram is appreciably larger then the triangle diagram for Higgs-boson masses which are experimentally accessible. This obscures the observation of the three-Higgs-boson vertex, which is present in the latter diagram.
Identification of Pediatric Brain Neoplasms Using Raman Spectroscopy

Purpose: Raman spectroscopy can quickly and accurately diagnose tissue in near real-time. This study evaluated the capacity of Raman spectroscopy to diagnose pedi
Placental histopathology in the extremely low birth weight infants.

Our objective was to evaluate the placental histopathology (PH) in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBW, birth weight or = 37 weeks). Additionally PH of ELBW infants who expired within 28 days of life was compared with those who survived beyond 28 days. Student's t test, chi(2) test and Pearson's correlation coefficient tests were utilized for data analysis. The occurrences of placental infection (chorioamnionitis, HCA), umbilical cord inflammation (funisitis, vasculitis, and subacute necrotizing funisitis, analyzed collectively as HFV), and abruption were higher in ELBW (n = 105) compared to term infants (n = 61, p = 0.001, 0.0002, and 0.0002, respectively). Placental findings did not differ between the surviving (n = 71) and nonsurviving (n = 51) ELBW infants. Birth weight and gestational age were higher in the surviving group (p = 0.003 and 0.001, respectively). Placental abruption was found more commonly in the presence of HCA and HFV in ELBW infants as opposed to maternal hypertension in term infants. All ELBW placentas with HFV had concomitant findings of HCA whereas only 42% of ELBW placentas with HCA had findings of HFV compared to 24% in term infants (p = 0.09). There was a weak inverse correlation between HCA and birth weight in all (r = - 0.3, p = 0.01) but not in ELBW infants (r = 0.2, p = 0.07). We conclude that placental and umbilical cord inflammation and placental abruption are more commonly present in ELBW compared to term infants. However, these findings do not contribute to neonatal mortality in ELBW infants. Forty-two percent of placental (maternal) inflammation cases have concomitant cord (fetal) inflammation in ELBW infants. Finally HCA correlates inversely with birth weight in neonates.
Ever since Gould

By my count, Stephen Jay Gould changed the way that evolutionary biologists think three times: (i) introducing punctuated equilibrium [1]; (ii) rescuing and jumpstarting the long-discredited field of evolution and development in Ontogeny and Phylogeny [2]; and (iii) catalyzing a debate on contingency, determinism and morphological disparity in Wonderful Life [3]. Gould's death in 2002 prevented his final work from changing the way we think for a fourth time. I doubt that a living Gould would have allowed two lukewarm but influential book reviews written by microevolutionists [4,5] to give evolutionary biologists ‘permission’ to avoid reading his admittedly long The Structure of Evolutionary Theory [6].
Assessing Managers’ Ethical Decision-making: An Objective Measure of Managerial Moral Judgment

Recent allegations of unethical decision-making by leaders in prominent business organizations have jeopardized the world’s confidence in American business. The purpose of this research was to develop a measure of managerial moral judgment that can be used in future research and managerial assessment. The measure was patterned after the Defining Issues Test, a widely used general measure of moral judgment. With content validity as the goal, we aimed to sample the domain of managerial ethical situations by establishing links to dimensions of managerial performance, as well as to the types of organizational justice issues managers encounter. Proposed scenarios were evaluated for realism by ethics officers and human resource managers. Results indicated that the new measure is reliable and correlates with a number of relevant variables in the hypothesized manner, demonstrating evidence of construct validity. Implications for future research and for human resources management are discussed.
Hypercoagulability markers predict thrombosis in single ventricle neonates undergoing cardiac surgery.

Background Incidence of thrombosis in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery is as high as 20%, and single ventricle physiology (SVP) may present an even higher risk. We hypothesize that SVP is a risk factor for thrombosis in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery, and hypercoagulability biomarkers are predictive of postoperative thrombosis. Methods Records of 512 neonates undergoing cardiac surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Thrombosis was defined by clinical events (shunt thrombosis, limb ischemia, and stroke) or intravascular or cardiac thrombus by echocardiography. Clinical variables, including SVP and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. A hypercoagulability biomarker panel was obtained in a subset of patients with SVP and compared between neonates with and without thrombosis. Results Thrombosis was detected in 51 of 512 neonates undergoing cardiac surgery. Intensive care and hospital lengths of stay were longer in patients who experienced thrombosis compared with those who did not (14 ± 13 vs 6 ± 1 days, 23 ± 4 vs 13 ± 1 days, p p = 0.038). Thrombin generation, plasminogen activator inhibitor, and thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor were significantly elevated in SVP patients with thrombosis compared to without thrombosis (p . Conclusions Single ventricle physiology patients are at higher risk for thrombosis compared with other neonates after cardiac surgery. Hypercoagulable panel testing may help risk stratify patients and guide patient specific anticoagulation management in the postoperative period.
The Sociology of Civilisations: Ibn Khaldun and a Multi-Civilisational World Order

Due to advancements in telecommunications and transportation over the past century, the world is shrinking and physical boundaries are being eroded. The advent of globalization has facilitated the flow of ideas, values, goods, and people from one part of the world to another. This hyperbolic human activity has altered the structure of inter-civilizational relations and has spawned a spirited debate on how to create a multi-civilizational world order. This paper is critical of contemporary approaches on the subject that envisage the primacy of one civilization on the one hand and a clash among civilizations on the other. By examining Ibn Khaldun's theory of 'Umrān and the discipline of Fiqh, it argues that these concepts remain relevant for our understanding of the human condition today. While the theory of Umrān analyzes political and economic relations at the macro-level, Fiqh tries to arrange societal relations at the micro-level. This paper also studies the Ottoman legacy since the Ottoman state was founded on Fiqh and the Millet system. It proved to be successful in preserving pluralistic communities based on principles of autonomy and mutual coexistence. Even though Ibn Khaldun was one of the pioneers in the field of civilizational studies, his seminal work is largely neglected in scholarly circles today, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike. The present inquiry seeks to address this shortcoming.
Onset of Surface Damage in Modular Orthopedic Implants: Influence of Normal Contact Loading and Stress-assisted Dissolution

Surface damage at interfaces of modular implants results from repeated fretting contacts between metallic surfaces in a corrosive environment. As a first step in understanding this complex process, multi-asperity contact experiments were conducted to characterize roughness evolution due to action of contact loads and exposure to a reactive environment. Cobalt–chromium specimens with surface roughness similar to modular implant were first subjected to only contact loading and subsequently, to alternating contact loads and exposure to reactive environment. During repeated normal contact loading, amplitude of surface roughness reached a steady value after decreasing during the first few cycles. However during the second phase surface roughness amplitude continuously evolved—decreasing during contact loading and increasing on exposure to corrosive environment. The increase in roughness amplitude during surface reaction depended on the magnitude of applied contact loads. A damage mechanism that incorporates contact-induced residual stress development and stress-assisted dissolution is proposed to elucidate the measured surface roughness evolution.
Speaking in poetry: Community service-based business education

This is a story of the development of a community service for business education project in Florida International University's Business Environment Program. The Project, as it is called, had its practical origins in student involvement in community activism-type projects. Its theoretical foundation is found in the concept of increasing community discourse — following Dewey (1954) — as a vehicle for strengthening the business and society bond. Student community service projects are described including the largest group to evolve, a group dedicated to feeding Miami's homeless and taking the name the FIU Foodrunners. The Project is now in its third year with approximately five-hundred students per year working twenty-five hours per semester on community service projects. The community service requirement directly as a result of experiences with the Project has expanded beyond the Business Environment courses to offerings in other departments and is now part of a University-wide recently institutionalized structure designed to stimulate student community service efforts.
A Method for Study of Timed-Release Films

A procedure for the in vitro evaluation of timed-release film compositions was investigated. The procedure consisted of measuring release rates of films cast from solutions of selected polymer compositions and physically examining the films. Films with varying, proportions of ethylcellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose were used as the model system. The effect of film thickness, film composition, and drying process was investigated. A special film holder was used for release rate studies. A high concentration solution of FD&C Red No. 2 was used as the model solute. Release rate studies were done in a rotating-bottle apparatus. Films were characterized for their release properties by measuring the rate of transport of the dye as the release rate constant, K. Quantitative data on variation in release characteristics as a function of the experimental parameters are presented. Microscopic examination showed maldistribution of hydrophilic polymer under certain drying conditions. However, release rates did not change appreciably with variation in the drying process under the conditions of this study.
Nutrition and Function: Is There a Relationship Between Body Mass Index and the Functional Capabilities of Community-Dwelling Elderly?

Objective: To determine if there is a relationship between body mass index and the ability to perform the usual activities of living in a sample of community-dwelling elderly. Design: Secondary data analysis of The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (1982–1984). Follow-up home interview of a population-based sample originally interviewed between 1971 and 1975 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-I (NHANES-I). Participants: Survivors of the original NHANES-I cohort who were 65 years of age or older and who were living at home at the time of the second interview (n = 3061). Excluded were those who could not be found, refused participation, or were institutionalized (n = 220), and those without complete height and weight data (n = 194). Main Outcome Measure: Functional status as measured by a 26-item battery. Results: Bivariate analysis revealed a greater risk for functional impairment for subjects with a low body mass index or a high body mass index. The greater the extreme of body mass index (either higher or lower), the greater the risk for functional impairment. Logistic regression analysis indicated that both high and low body mass index continued to be significantly related to functional status when 22 other potential confounders were included in the model. Conclusion: The body mass index is related to the functional capabilities of community-dwelling elderly. The inclusion of this simple measurement in the comprehensive assessment of community-dwelling elderly is supported.
StegoTorus: a camouflage proxy for the Tor anonymity system

Internet censorship by governments is an increasingly common practice worldwide. Internet users and censors are locked in an arms race: as users find ways to evade censorship schemes, the censors develop countermeasures for the evasion tactics. One of the most popular and effective circumvention tools, Tor, must regularly adjust its network traffic signature to remain usable.We present StegoTorus, a tool that comprehensively disguises Tor from protocol analysis. To foil analysis of packet contents, Tor's traffic is steganographed to resemble an innocuous cover protocol, such as HTTP. To foil analysis at the transport level, the Tor circuit is distributed over many shorter-lived connections with per-packet characteristics that mimic cover-protocol traffic. Our evaluation demonstrates that StegoTorus improves the resilience of Tor to fingerprinting attacks and delivers usable performance.
Global sensitivity analysis for stochastic ground motion modeling in seismic-risk assessment

Abstract Seismic risk assessment requires adoption of appropriate models for the earthquake hazard, the structural system and for its performance, and quantification of the uncertainties involved in these models through appropriate probability distributions. Characterization of the seismic hazard comprises undoubtedly the most critical component of this process, the one associated with the largest amount of uncertainty. For applications involving dynamic analysis this hazard is frequently characterized through stochastic ground motion models. This paper discusses a novel, global sensitivity analysis for the seismic risk with emphasis on such a stochastic ground motion modeling. This analysis aims to identify the overall (i.e. global) importance of each of the uncertain model parameters, or of groups of them, towards the total risk. The methodology is based on definition of an auxiliary density (distribution) function, proportional to the integrand of the integral quantifying seismic risk, and on comparison of this density to the initial probability distribution for the model parameters of interest. Uncertainty in the rest of the model parameters is explicitly addressed through integration of their joint auxiliary distribution to calculate the corresponding marginal distributions. The relative information entropy is used to quantify the difference between the compared density functions and an efficient approach based on stochastic sampling is introduced for estimating this entropy for all quantities of interest. The framework is illustrated in an example that adopts a source-based stochastic ground motion model, and valuable insight is provided for its implementation within structural engineering applications.
Magnetic resonance imaging implications of metal-reinforced spinal microcatheters.

Abstract Study Objective: To estimate the magnetic behavior of ferrous-alloy, wire-reinforced microcatheters for subarachnoid anesthesia and the possible hazards of exposing patients to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after accidental catheter fracture within the subarachnoid space. Design: Open, qualitative in vitro study. Setting: MRI facility of a university-affiliated medical center. Measurements and Main Results: Measurements were made of the angular deflection of 28-gauge and 32-gauge TFX catheters from their resting alignment by a small bar magnet. Mobility of 28-gauge catheter fragments 3.0 to 3.5 cm in length and 3.3 to 4.0 mg in mass were tested (1) when lying free on a polished surface in an MRI magnetic field of 1.5 tesla and 60 cm from the magnetic casing, and (2) when mounted on a mildly viscous agar surface 40 to 50 cm from the magnetic casing. Catheters were attracted to a small bar magnet and could be pulled out of alignment by the magnetic attraction to a degree inversely proportional to their caliber. Catheter fragments released in a magnetic field of 1.5 tesla flew from a glass surface and attached themselves firmly to the magnet casing, while catheter fragments adhering to an agar surface were not levitated but were rotated from their resting orientation. Conclusions: The microcatheters under test exhibited marked magnetic properties. Two questions arise: First, should MRI be avoided in patients where broken TFX catheter fragments may lie partly or completely within the subarachnoid space? Second, should ferrous metallic strengthening wire be replaced by a nonmetallic fiber of comparable or greater tensile strength? Further in vitro studies are indicated to answer these questions.
Chromogranin A biosynthetic cell populations in bovine endocrine and neuronal tissues: detection by in situ hybridization histochemistry.

Chromogranin A is a highly acidic protein that is found in the secretory granules of many endocrine and neuronal cells. To localize bovine cell populations involved in chromogranin A biosynthesis, the distribution of the mRNA encoding this protein was determined with in situ hybridization histochemistry. In the adrenal gland, the mRNA was found in the chromaffin cells of the medulla but was absent from the cortex. The distribution of the mRNA in the medulla was uneven; cells located at the periphery were more heavily labeled than those in the center of the gland. Because the adrenal medulla is composed of several cell types, the chromogranin Acontaining cells were further characterized for the presence of neuropeptide and adrenergic markers. Adjacent sections were examined for the mRNAs encoding enkephalin and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), the enzyme that catalyzes the formation of epinephrine from norepinephrine. Both mRNAs were present in a narrow band of cells at the periphery of the m...
Remodeling in peripheral vein graft revisions: Serial study with three-dimensional ultrasound imaging

Abstract Objective: Remodeling of vein grafts in the lower limb can lead to stenotic lesions that threaten long-term graft patency. Progressive changes in vein graft geometry were measured at sites of repaired stenoses with three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging. Methods: Ten vein graft revisions with patch angioplasty were followed up for 31 to 47 weeks. Four revisions were at valve sites, and six were at sites of diffuse intimal hyperplasia. Sets of spatially registered two-dimensional (2D) cross-sectional ultrasound images were assembled to create 3D computer models of each vein graft. Cross-sectional area measurements in planes normal to the vessel center axis were calculated from the 3D surface reconstructions. Data sets from serial studies were registered in a common coordinate system, and cross-sectional area measurements were compared at matched sites. Results: Three of the four vein graft revisions at valve sites changed by less than 18%, and one decreased in cross-sectional area by 61%. Five of the six revisions at sites of diffuse intimal hyperplasia demonstrated significant decreases in lumen area ranging from 26% to 61%, and one revision exhibited no significant change in cross-sectional area. Reproducibility of the cross-sectional area measurements derived from the 3D imaging technique was 6.9%. Conclusions: Sequential area measurements from 3D ultrasound scans demonstrated different remodeling patterns and rates of change among revision sites within the vein grafts. Lumen narrowing documented with 3D scanning was not associated with consistent flow velocity changes on conventional duplex graft surveillance scans. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:798-807.)
Educational Exceptionalism in Small (and Micro) States: Cooperative Educational Transfer and TVET.

Since 2002, the 15 member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have shifted human resource development reforms from focusing on providing basic, mass primary and secondary education and limited tertiary education toward diverting resources to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to accommodate labor mobility. This shift fixated on facilitating the creation of the Caribbean Single Market (CSM) in 2006, which was premised upon the free movement of service, capital, goods, people, and the right to establishment (ability of any CARICOM national to establish a business). The motivation was to create an optimal frontier at the regional level to aid in the development of the ‘ideal Caribbean person.’ This article will examine how CARICOM members relied upon the non-economic policy process of functional cooperation and the policy tool of what I call ‘cooperative educational transfer’ at the regional level to move ideas and practices collaboratively to stimulate national education reform. ...
Agrobacterium tumourigenesis in potato: effect of added Agrobacterium lipopolysaccharides and the degree of methylation of added plant galacturonans

Abstract The sensitivity of Agrobacterium tumour formation in potato (Solarium tuberosum L.) to soluble Agrobacterium lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and to plant galacturonans was measured. When supplied at 2·5 μg of ketodeoxyoctonate ml−1 of inoculum containing 107 Agrobacterium cells, partially purified LPS from three oncogenic and two non-oncogenic A. tumefaciens strains did not significantly influence tumourigenesis. Compared to phosphate-buffered saline controls, LPS from a third non-oncogenic strain, NT-1, caused a statistically significant reduction of 25% in tumour number. Four galacturonans derived from citrus pectin and differing in degree of methyl esterification were prepared. There was a linear relationship between the logarithm of galacturonan concentration (0·1 to 10·0 mg ml−1 of inoculum containing 107 bacteria) and the decrease in tumour number, and tumour formation was virtually abolished by high concentrations of each of the galacturonans. Although the extent of methylation of the galacturonans varied from 0 to 11·7% methoxy by weight, tumour-inhibitory activities of the compounds were nearly identical over the entire range of concentrations tested.
Synthesis, biologic and toxic properties of 2,3,7,8-TCDD metabolites

Abstract 2-Hydroxy-3,7,8-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin has been identified as a major urinary metabolite of 2,3,7,8-TCDD in several laboratory animal studies. This compound was synthesized via coupling of 2,5-dichloro-4-nitroanisole with 4,5-dichlorocatechol in HMPA. The resultant 3-methoxy-3,7,8-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin product was demethylated in boron tribromide/methylene chloride to give 2-hydroxy-3,7,8-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. The metabolite was administered at dose levels of 100, 1000 and 5000 ug/kg to immature male Wistar rats and the effects of this compound on body weight loss, thymic atrophy and hepatic microsomal monooxygenase enzyme induction were determined. Comparable dose-response studies for 2,3,7,8-TCDD were also carried out. At dose levels of 4–8 ug/kg 2,3,7,8-TCDD caused significant body weight loss and thymic atrophy in the Wistar rats whereas 2-hydroxy-3,7,8-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin did not elicit these toxic effects at a dose level of 5000 ug/kg. The ED 50 values for the induction of hepatic microsomal benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase were 1.25 and 2.35 ug/kg for 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,820 and 3550 ug/kg for 2-hydroxy-3,7,8-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin respectively. These results demonstrated that 2-hydroxy-3,7,8-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin is at least 3 orders of magnitude less toxic than 2,3,7,8-TCDD and this is consistent with the lower receptor binding affinity of the metabolite coupled with the expected more rapid clearance of this compound.
Detection of tumor-specific antigen and antibody in kidneys of neuroblastoma-bearing mice.

SummaryImmune deposits were observed in the glomerular mesangium of neu-roblastoma-bearing mice which was associated with a mesangial proliferative reaction. Employing specific heterologous antisera and an eluate obtained from neuroblastoma cells, neuroblastoma antigen was identified in kidneys of tumor-bearing mice. Immuno-globulin-containing eluates from kidneys of neuroblastoma-bearing mice were shown to specifically react with viable neuroblastoma cells. These data suggest that the immune deposits noted in kidneys of neuroblastoma-bearing mice are composed of neuroblastoma antigen together with specific antibody and lend further support to the role of tumor-specific immune reactants as causative factors in the pathogenesis of glomerular inflammatory reactions in neuroblastoma-bearing mice.
Participatory design with older adults: an analysis of creativity in the design of mobile healthcare applications

Researchers often use participatory design -- involving endusers in technology ideation -- as this is found to lead to more useful and relevant products. Researchers have sought to involve older adults in the design of emerging technologies like smartphones, with which older adults often have little experience. Therefore, their effectiveness as co-designers could be questioned. We examine whether older adults can create novel design ideas, and whether critiquing existing applications prior to ideation helps or hinders creativity. Panelists from industry and academia evaluated design ideas generated by focus groups of older adults. Out of five groups, the most creative design idea came from one with no smartphone experience or critique exposure. We found that while only some designs scored high on the novelty dimension of creativity, participants were enthusiastic about participating and adapted quickly. We found evidence that critiquing existing applications prior to ideation did more harm than good, potentially due to design fixation. We recommend continuing to involve older adults in the technology design ideation phase.
SOI MESFET RF power amplifiers at the 45nm node

A high voltage compliance silicon metal-semiconductor-field-effect-transistor (MESFET) fabricated using a 45nm SOI CMOS process has been designed for RF power amplifier applications requiring P out greater than 1W. The breakdown voltage of the MESFET is more than 15V and allows a large-signal drain voltage swing that greatly exceeds the breakdown of the 45nm CMOS. The DC and AC characteristics of the MESFET have been used to extract an Angelov Spice model of the device for simulation of the RF power amplifier. A Class AB MESFET PA was designed for operation at 900 MHz and demonstrated a peak power added efficiency of 37.6 %, gain of 11.1 dB, OIP3 of 39.3 dBm and 1 dB compression point at an output power of 31.6 dBm. The first measurements of a SOI MESFET 2GHz RF power amplifier are also shown.
Intracranial migration of a fractured intrathecal catheter from a baclofen pump system: case report and analysis of possible causes.

OBJECTIVE: This case report describes a new complication associated with a baclofen pump in which its fractured intrathecal catheter migrated into the patient's ventricular system. A thecal model was developed to evaluate catheter buoyancy in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).The literature was reviewed to identify possible mechanical and physiologic causes of catheter migration. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 16-year-old boy with cerebral palsy presented with cervical pain, nausea, and vomiting. He was known to have a nonfunctioning baclofen pump with a 1-piece intrathecal catheter. Imaging studies showed mild ventriculomegaly and a fractured segment of the intrathecal catheter that extended from the cervical subarachnoid space into the third and fourth ventricles. INTERVENTION: The patient had complete symptom resolution after undergoing urgent surgical removal of the catheter segment. Manufacturer analysis of the retrieved catheter revealed a crushed, jagged proximal end. In an experimental thecal sac model, catheter segments in lengths of 0.5 to 89 cm were denser than the artificial CSF and, therefore, did not float in the thecal sac. This finding negates the role of buoyancy in migration. Review of the literature advocates for caudocranial CSF flow patterns as a plausible mechanism for migration. CONCLUSION:This complication alerts surgeons to the migration risk of loose intrathecal catheter segments into the ventricular system. CSF flow patterns and mechanical processes, but not material properties of the catheter, are likely causes.
Relationship between solute transport properties and tissue morphology in human annulus fibrosus.

Poor nutritional supply to the intervertebral disc is believed to be an important factor leading to disc degeneration. However, little is known regarding nutritional transport in human annulus fibrosus (AF) and its relation to tissue morphology. We hypothesized that solute diffusivity in human AF is anisotropic and inhomogeneous, and that transport behaviors are associated with tissue composition and structure. To test these hypotheses, we measured the direction-dependent diffusivity of a fluorescent molecule (fluorescein, 332 Da) in three regions of AF using a fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique, and associated transport results to the regional variation in water content and collagen architecture in the tissue. Diffusivity in AF was anisotropic, with higher values in the axial direction than in the radial direction for all regions investigated. The values of the diffusion coefficient ranged from 0.38 ± 0.25 × 10−6 cm2/s (radial diffusivity in outer AF) to 2.68 ± 0.84 × 10−6 cm2/s (axial diffusivity in inner AF). In both directions, diffusivity decreased moving from inner to outer AF. Tissue structure was investigated using both scanning electron microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy. A unique arrangement of microtubes was found in human AF. Furthermore, we also found that the density of these microtubes varied moving from inner to outer AF. A similar trend of regional variation was found for water content, with the highest value also measured in inner AF. Therefore, we concluded that a relationship exists among the anisotropic and inhomogeneous diffusion in human AF and the structure and composition of the tissue. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 27:1625–1630, 2009
Reaching agreement: The structure & pragmatics of critical care nurses’ informal argument

The hospital critical care unit provides an authentic, high-stakes setting for studying reasoning, argumentation, and discourse. In particular, it allows examination of structural and pragmatic features of informal collaborative argument created while participants are engaged in familiar, meaningful activities central to their work. The nursing change of shift report is a workplace ritual which includes communication of extensively detailed patient data and nursing decisions as well as the justifications for those decisions. Nurse pairs (N = 20 pairs) from three hospitals and four critical care units were observed and recorded during authentic change of shift reports, then interviewed or surveyed about the reporting process. The nurses in this study showed a number of argumentative strengths including frequent use of evidence to back claims and the construction of a complex and nuanced process for achieving agreement about the patient situation. Nursing variations from traditional structural argument models, including emphasis on first-hand information and efforts to reach agreement, are effective pragmatic strategies for justifying claims related to patient care in a dynamic, time-pressured environment. The study of nursing workplace discourse has implications for progress in argumentation and educational psychology as well as nursing education and health care delivery.
Duplication of C7orf58, WNT16 and FAM3C in an Obese Female with a t(7;22)(q32.1;q11.2) Chromosomal Translocation and Clinical Features Resembling Coffin-Siris Syndrome

We characterized the t(7;22)(q32;q11.2) chromosomal translocation in an obese female with coarse features, short stature, developmental delay and a hypoplastic fifth digit. While these clinical features suggest Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS), we excluded a CSS diagnosis by exome sequencing based on the absence of deleterious mutations in six chromatin-remodeling genes recently shown to cause CSS. Thus, molecular characterization of her translocation could delineate genes that underlie other syndromes resembling CSS. Comparative genomic hybridization microarrays revealed on chromosome 7 the duplication of a 434,682 bp region that included the tail end of an uncharacterized gene termed C7orf58 (also called CPED1) and spanned the entire WNT16 and FAM3C genes. Because the translocation breakpoint on chromosome 22 did not disrupt any apparent gene, her disorder was deemed to result from the rearrangement on chromosome 7. Mapping of yeast and bacterial artificial chromosome clones by fluorescent in situ hybridization on chromosome spreads from this patient showed that the duplicated region and all three genes within it were located on both derivative chromosomes 7 and 22. Furthermore, DNA sequencing of exons and splice junctional regions from C7orf58, WNT16 and FAM3C revealed the presence of potential splice site and promoter mutations, thereby augmenting the detrimental effect of the duplicated genes. Hence, dysregulation and/or disruptions of C7orf58, WNT16 and FAM3C underlie the phenotype of this patient, serve as candidate genes for other individuals with similar clinical features and could provide insights into the physiological role of the novel gene C7orf58.
A COMPARISON OF PHYTOPLANKTON DATA OBTAINED BY A MOBILE SAMPLING METHOD WITH THOSE OBTAINED FROM A SINGLE STATION

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Effects of dietary glycaemic response after exercise on blood concentrations of substrates used indirectly for muscle glycogenesis.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Exercise depletes muscle glycogen stores, which could subsequently impair performance. Muscle glycogen replenishment is determined by substrate availability. Objectives: To study the effects of feeding meals of varying glycaemic responses on blood concentrations of substrates used for glycogenesis in horses with exercise-induced glycogen depletion. Methods: In a 3-way crossover study, 7 horses received each of 3 isocaloric diets for 72 h after undergoing glycogen-depleting exercise: 1) a high soluble-carbohydrate diet, which induced a high-glycaemic (HGI) response; 2 and 3) a low soluble-carbohydrate or a mixed soluble-carbohydrate diet (control group), which both induced a similar low-to-moderate glycaemic (LGI) response. Muscle biopsies and venous samples were collected before and up to 72 h after exercise. Results: Feeding HGI diet resulted in a higher (P<0.001) rate of muscle glycogenesis over 72 h compared to LGI diets. Plasma glycerol, triglyceride, lactate, serum NEFA and total protein concentrations, and haematocrit were significantly (P<0.001) higher after compared to before exercise. Whereas no significant overall dietary effect was observed on these metabolites over 72 h, there was a tendency for glycerol, NEFA and triglyceride concentrations to be lower for LGI compared to HGI diets over 6 h after exercise (P<0.05; 1, 6 and 4–6 h after exercise, respectively). Conclusions: These data suggest that horses fed LGI meals after exercise had limited lipid utilisation without any significant shift of substrate utilisation toward gluconeogenesis, which could have contributed to the slower rate of muscle glycogenesis compared to horses fed HGI diets.
Development and Screening of Water-Soluble Analogues of Progesterone and Allopregnanolone in Models of Brain Injury

Preclinical and clinical research findings have revealed that the hormone progesterone, when acutely administered, can dramatically reduce cerebral edema, inflammation, tissue necrosis, and programmed cell death following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The poor aqueous solubility of progesterone, however, limits its potential use as a therapeutic. Several chemically novel analogues of progesterone and its natural metabolite allopregnanolone have been synthesized and screened using both in vitro and whole animal models of TBI. The new derivatives demonstrated greatly improved solubility and select compounds have shown equivalent effectiveness to progesterone in reducing cerebral edema after TBI.