cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neural regulation of sexual function in men

Male sexual response is controlled by a series of neurally mediated phenomena regulating libido, motivation, arousal and genital responses such as penile erection and ejaculation. These neural events that occur in a hormonally defined milieu involve different neurophysiological, neurochemical, and neuropsychological parameters controlled by central mechanisms, spinal reflexes and peripheral nervous system. Epidemiologic studies have suggested the high prevalence of male sexual dysfunction worldwide with significant impact on the quality of life of patients suffering from this problem. The incidence of sexual dysfunction is particularly high among men with neurologic disorders. Sexual dysfunction in men, such as loss of sexual desire, erectile dysfunction (ED), changes in arousal, and disturbances in orgasm and ejaculation may involve organic causes, psychological problems, or both. Organic male sexual disorders include a wide variety of neurologic, vasculogenic, neurovascular or hormonal factors that interfere with libido, erection, ejaculation and orgasm. Neurogenic sexual dysfunction may result from a specific neurologic problem or it could be the presenting symptom of a developing neurologic disease. Neurologic ED could result from complications of chronic neurologic disorders, trauma, surgical injury or iatrogenic causes. These etiologic factors and the underlying pathophysiologic conditions could overlap, which should be considered when making a diagnosis and selecting a treatment. A detailed history of physical examination, neurologic disorders, as well as any past history of psychological and psychiatric disturbances, and a thorough neurological examination will provide better understanding of the underlying causes of neurogenic sexual dysfunction. In patients with spinal cord injury, the location of the lesion and the time of onset of injury should be determined. Therapeutic strategies against erectile dysfunction are initiated with the least invasive options using the phosphodiesterase inhibitors. When oral medication options are exhausted, intraurethral and intracavernosal therapies and ultimately vacuum constriction devices and penile implants are considered. Recent basic research has suggested the potential role of stem cell-based therapeutic strategies to protect penile neural integrity and reverse cavernosal neurodegeneration in experimental models. Further insight into the central, spinal and peripheral neural mechanisms of male sexual response may help precise diagnosis and better management of neurogenic sexual dysfunction in men.
Effect of adrenergic blocking agents on the release of free fatty acids from rat adipose tissue.

Epididymal adipose tissue from epinephrine-treated rats release more fatty acids into the medium during in vitro incubation than do tissues from untreated rats. The effect of epinephrine was abolished when an adrenergic blocking agent was administered to the animals before epinephrine was injected. Experiments in vitro showed that increased release of free fatty acids from adipose tissue due to addition of ACTH, epinephrine, and norepinephrine was inhibited by addition of an adrenergic blocking agent to the medium. The results suggest that mobilization of fatty acids from fat depots is at least partly under the control of vasomotor nerves.
Utility of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring for Lumbar Pedicle Screw Placement Is Questionable: A Review of 9957 Cases

Instrumentation with pedicle screw constructs is used to achieve stabilization during posterolateral lumbar fusion (PLF) in patients with various lumbosacral spinal disorders. Neurologic injuries from iatrogenic pedicle wall breaches during screw placement are known complications of PLFs with an estimated risk of 0.8% to 6.1%.1–3 To minimize the risk of these complications, intraoperative neuromonitoring (ION) is often used. ION has been used clinically since the 1970s to detect injury to the neural elements.4 Electromyography (EMG), triggered or spontaneous, is a form of ION that monitors peripheral muscle activity from nerve root stimulation from pedicle screw malposition. Spontaneous EMG continuously monitors peripheral nerve roots responsible for muscle innervation using electrodes placed in the muscles corresponding to the level(s) of interest. Spikes, bursts, or trains of activity during surgery may indicate pulling, compression, or stretching of nerves. Triggered EMG helps identify a pedicle wall breach by measuring the amplitude of current intensity required to trigger a nerve root through pedicle screw stimulation, which has been shown to be <10 milliamps (mA) for screw stimulation and 7 mA for probe stimulation.5 While ION has been shown to decrease the risk of neurological injury in spinal deformity surgery, its routine use in PLF remains controversial.6–14 Proponents of the routine use of EMG for PLF claim that it improves both the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw implantation while opponents refute this claim by citing increased cost and no improvement in patient outcomes with EMG use. To date, there is a dearth of literature on how practice patterns vary across the United States with regards to the routine use of EMG for PLFs. The goal of this study was to 1). Evaluate the trends in the use of EMG for instrumented PLFs in the United States and 2). Assess the risk of neurological injury following PLF with and without EMG.
3D-printed biomaterials with regional auxetic properties.

Tissue engineering is replete with methods for inducing and mediating cell differentiation, which are crucial for ensuring proper regrowth of desired tissues. In this study, we developed a 3D-printed, non-positive Poisson's Ratio (NPPR) scaffold intended for future use in stretch-mediated cell differentiation applications, such as in muscle and tendon regeneration. We utilized dynamic optical projection stereolithography (DOPsL) to fabricate multi-layered, cell-laden NPPR scaffolds – these scaffolds can not only support aggregate cell growth, but can also be printed with locally-tunable force-displacement properties at length scales appropriate for tissue interaction. These NPPR multilayered mesh scaffolds can be embedded into highly elastic hydrogels in order to couple a reduced NPPR behavior to a normally Positive Poisson's Ratio (PPR) solid bulk material. This hybrid structure may potentially enable induced ‘auxetic’ behavior at the single-cell scale while tuning the Poisson's Ratio to a more isolated value. This would be uniquely suited for providing stretch-mediated effects for various cell-types within the tendon-to-muscle tissue transition.
A flexible graph pattern matching framework via indexing

In recent years, pattern matching has been an important graph analysis tool in various applications. In previous existing models, each edge in the query pattern represents the same relationship, e.g., the two endpoint vertices have to be connected or the distance between them should be within a certain uniform threshold. However, various real world applications may require edges representing different relationships or distances, some may be longer while others may be shorter. Therefore, we introduce the flexible pattern matching model where a range [mine, maxe] is associated with an edge e in the query pattern, which means that the minimum distance between the matched endpoints of e is in the range of [mine,maxe]. A novel pattern matching algorithm utilizing two types of indices is devised. In addition to the traditional pattern matching scheme, a top-k matches generation model is also proposed. Extensive empirical studies have been conducted to show the effectiveness and efficiency of our indices and methods.
A 63-Year-Old Woman With Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Pulmonary Hypertension With Worsening Hypoxemia.

Case Presentation A 63-year-old woman with a history of neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF-1) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) thought to be secondary to the NF-1 presented with a few weeks of worsening dyspnea on exertion. She took no medications other than sildenafil for her pulmonary hypertension (PH). She denied tobacco, alcohol, and illicit or anorectic drug use. She had previously worked as a waitress. Her mother and her brother had NF-1 but no PH or lung disease.
State Law Approaches to Facility Regulation of Abortion and Other Office Interventions.

Objectives. To compare the prevalence and characteristics of facility laws governing abortion provision specifically (targeted regulation of abortion providers [TRAP] laws); office-based surgeries, procedures, sedation or anesthesia (office interventions) generally (OBS laws); and other procedures specifically.Methods. We conducted cross-sectional legal assessments of state facility laws for office interventions in effect as of August 1, 2016. We coded characteristics for each law and compared characteristics across categories of laws.Results. TRAP laws (n = 55; in 34 states) were more prevalent than OBS laws (n = 25; in 25 states) or laws targeting other procedures (n = 1; in 1 state). TRAP laws often regulated facilities that would not be regulated under OBS laws (e.g., all TRAP laws, but only 2 OBS laws, applied regardless of sedation or anesthesia used). TRAP laws imposed more numerous and more stringent requirements than OBS laws.Conclusions. Many states regulate abortion-providing facilities differe...
High quality gate dielectric/MoS2 interfaces probed by the conductance method

Two-dimensional materials provide a versatile platform for various electronic and optoelectronic devices, due to their uniform thickness and pristine surfaces. We probe the superior quality of 2D/2D and 2D/3D interfaces by fabricating molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-based field effect transistors having hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and Al2O3 as the top gate dielectrics. An extremely low trap density of ∼7 × 1010 states/cm2-eV is extracted at the 2D/2D interfaces with h-BN as the top gate dielectric on the MoS2 channel. 2D/3D interfaces with Al2O3 as the top gate dielectric and SiOx as the nucleation layer exhibit trap densities between 7 × 1010 and 1011 states/cm2-eV, which are lower than previously reported 2D-channel/high-κ-dielectric interface trap densities. The comparable values of trap time constants for both interfaces imply that similar types of defects contribute to the interface traps. This work establishes the case for van der Waals systems where the superior quality of 2D/2D and 2D/high-κ dielectric interfaces can produce high performance electronic and optoelectronic devices.
Mechanisms of mammalian protein synthesis.

Most of the information on protein synthesis in mammalian cells has concerned the elongation of nascent polypeptide chains on ribosomes. This process represents the mechanism for translating the internal codons in mRNA which are expressed as amino acids, beyond the one which specifies initiation. Information that may relate to the initiation or termination of protein synthesis in eukaryotes is now becoming available (1–18), but these processes are not as well understood as they are in bacterial cells (19, 20).
Primates, Pathogens, and Evolution: A Context for Understanding Emerging Disease

The world is rife with potential pathogens. Of those that infect humans, it is estimated that roughly 20 % are of nonhuman primate origin. The same ease characterizes pathogen transmission in the other direction, from humans to nonhuman primates. This latter problem has increasingly serious ramifications for conservation efforts, as growing numbers of ecotourists and researchers serve as potential vectors of disease. Here, we present an analysis of major cross-species transmission events between human and nonhuman primates. In particular, we consider HIV and malaria as case studies in which nonhuman primate pathogens emerged and became permanent fixtures in human populations. The human practices that facilitate such events are considered, as well as the evolutionary consequences of these events. In addition, we describe human-to-nonhuman primate transmission events and discuss the potential of human pathogens to adapt to nonhuman primate hosts. The topic of emerging infections is addressed, in both human and nonhuman species, in light of changing patterns of contact and novel adaptations on the part of pathogens and hosts.
Reconstituting the Key Steps of the DNA Double-Strand Break Repair In Vitro

Abstract Double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB), the most harmful type of DNA lesions, cause cell death and genome instability. Homologous recombination repairs DSB using homologous DNA sequences as templates. Here we describe a set of reactions that lead to reconstitution of the double-stranded DNA break repair process in vitro employing purified human homologous recombination proteins and DNA polymerase η. Reconstitution of critical steps of DSB repair in vitro may help to better understand the mechanisms of recombinational DNA repair and the role of various human homologous recombination proteins in this process.
Feasibility and Safety of Systemic Anticoagulation-Free Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Adults Respiratory Failure Patients

Purpose Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is increasingly used as a bridge to lung transplant. Bleeding diasthesis resulting from standard anticoagulation is the predominant cause of morbidity associated with VV-ECMO during waiting lung transplant. Given the improvements in ECMO components reducing their thrombogenicity, we explored whether VV-ECMO can be utilized without therapeutic levels of anticoagulation. Methods Single center analysis of patients undergoing VV-ECMO between January 2016 and December 2017. Overall, 41 patients (mean age, 47.4 ± 15.2 year) with respiratory failure underwent VV-ECMO implantation: 18 anticoagulation free (AC-), 23 systemic anticoagulation (AC+). Anticoagulation levels were targeted to maintain activated clotting time (ACTs) of 160-180 seconds in the AC+. No ACTs were checked in AC- groups and they received standard venous thromboprophylaxis. Results One patient in AC- group (5.6%) and seven in AC+ group (26.0%) had GI bleeding requiring endoscopy (p=0.04). The events per patient-day (EPPD) of GI bleeding was 0.010 in anticoagulation free patients and 0.012 in systemic anticoagulation patients (p=0.04). Planned oxygenator change were 1 time (5.5%, 0.01 EPPD) in AC- group and 8 time (34.7%, 0.01 EPPD) in AC+ group (p=0.02). AC+ group received more blood transfusion during VV ECMO supports (pRBC; 10 AC- (66.7%), 22 AC+ (95.6%); p=0.01, FFP; 3 AC- (20.0%), 17 AC+ (73.9%); p=0.001, Plt; 7 AC- (46.7%), 21 AC+ (91.3%); p=0.002). Overall survival was not significantly different between the groups (p=0.41). No circuit thrombosis or heparin-induced thrombocytopenia were observed in any groups. No differences were found in the incidence of new pulmonary embolism or venous thrombosis in the two groups after initiation of ECMO. Conclusion VV-ECMO can be used without continuous systemic anticoagulation. Our approach can achieve less complication rate and less blood transfusion rate, which could be huge benefit for bridge to lung transplant patients.
Clinical Experience with Heart Transplantation from Hepatitis C Positive Donors

Purpose Advances in cure for active hepatitis C (HCV) have prompted consideration of HCV positive donors to address the continued shortage of organs. We have offered the option to accept HCV + donors, without any donor restrictions, to all patients on the waiting list. Methods From January to October 2018, 25 patients were transplanted, 12 patients from HCV viremic donors (NAT+). All recipients were seronegative at the time of transplantation. All patients were consented to receive an HCV donor as part of an IRB study. Survival and natural history of viral transmission and treatment were evaluated. Results 25 patients were transplanted with a mean age of 57 ± 12years, 28% females and 11 were blood type O (44%). All the recipients from HCV NAT + donors developed hep C viremia at 1-week postransplant. Therapy with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (Mavyret) was initiated once seroconversion was established for duration of 8 weeks. All patients received standard triple immunotherapy. The HCV viremia cleared at a mean of 2.8 ± 2.1 weeks after initiation of therapy with a sustained viremic response at last follow up. There were no differences in early rejection rate or grade between patients receiving hearts from viremic versus non viremic donors. There were no significant abnormalities of liver function tests in patients with viremia. The shortest time on the waiting list was 3 days and the longest time was 197 days with a mean of 62 days. Eight recipients (32%) waited less than one month. At a mean follow up of 147 ± 88 days there was 100% graft and patient survival in both groups with no PGD. Conclusion While experience continues to grow, heart transplantation from donors with active hepatitis C is safe with excellent short term survival and rapid clearance of viremia. All patients develop viremia and respond to current antiviral therapy. These hearts represent an important potential resource from an underutilized donor pool and should be considered for transplantation. Long-term follow up is necessary.
Mental health screening for athletes: Program development, implementation, and evaluation

The mental health of collegiate student-athletes is a growing concern within university athletics. Student-athletes experience a wide array of mental health concerns (e.g., depression, anxiety); ho...
289-OR: Aerobic Exercise Counteracts Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the Insulin Resistant Brain

Insulin resistance increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias; however, the underpinning mechanisms for this increased risk remain to be fully defined. Insulin resistance impairs mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skeletal muscle, both of which are counteracted by aerobic exercise (AE). Therefore, we considered whether similar events occur in the brain, specifically in regions such as cerebrum and hippocampus which are rich in insulin receptors and mitochondria. We determined whether AE would counteract mitochondrial deficits in hippocampal and cerebral mitochondrial function in high fat diet (HFD) induced insulin resistance. Four weeks of HFD in mice induced hippocampal insulin resistance which was corrected by AE. HFD decreased ATP production and increased ROS emission in isolated cerebral mitochondria, which were rescued with AE. Impairments in mitochondrial function with HFD were paralleled by reductions in mtDNA copy number, mRNA expression of mitochondrial genes, and oxidative enzyme activities (e.g., citrate synthase, COX) in the hippocampus, which were corrected by AE. We also observed excessive mitochondrial fission in the hippocampus following HFD, which was prevented by AE. Proteomic analysis of the hippocampus showed that HFD led to oxidative post-translational modifications (PTMs) of mitochondrial proteins; however, this increase in oxidative PTMs to mitochondrial proteins with HFD was almost completely reversed by AE. Further, intranasal administration of the insulin receptor antagonist S961 prevented AE-induced improvements in ATP production and ROS emission in isolated cerebral mitochondrial during HFD, demonstrating that AE enhances cerebral mitochondrial function during HFD by resensitizing brain insulin signaling. Disclosure G. Ruegsegger: None. P.M. Vanderboom: None. S. Dasari: Consultant; Self; The Binding Site. K. Klaus: None. K. Nair: None.
Trials of ganglioside therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and diabetic neuropathy.

In a number of experimental situations exogenously administered gangliosides have been demonstrated to speed recovery from axonotmesis. First demonstrated for the pre-and postganglionic sympathetic fibers of the cat nictitating membrane,1 it has now been demonstrated also for the rat sciatic nerve2 and rat tail nerve.3 The mechanism of action seems to be stimulation of the sprouting process.3,4 Hence, gangliosides would be expected to be beneficial in conditions such as traumatic nerve injury and mononeuritis from focal nerve infarction. Therapy would reduce the time of disability. Additionally, if regrowth of nerve is sometimes limited by fibrosis in the region of injury, then rapid growth out of this region would improve the quality of recovery.
Mitonuclear Compensatory Coevolution

In bilaterian animals, the mitochondrial genome is small, haploid, does not typically recombine, and is subject to accumulation of deleterious alleles via Muller's ratchet. These basic features of the genomic architecture present a paradox: mutational erosion of these genomes should lead to decline in mitochondrial function over time, yet no such decline is observed. Compensatory coevolution, whereby the nuclear genome evolves to compensate for the deleterious alleles in the mitochondrial genome, presents a potential solution to the paradox of Muller's ratchet without loss of function. Here, I review different proposed forms of mitonuclear compensatory coevolution. Empirical evidence from diverse eukaryotic taxa supports the mitonuclear compensatory coevolution hypothesis, but the ubiquity and importance of such compensatory coevolution remains a topic of debate.
Changes in prostate-specific antigen at the time of prostate cancer diagnosis after Medicaid expansion in young men.

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (January 1, 2014) on the epidemiology of high-risk prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (≥20 ng/mL) at the time of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis. The authors hypothesized that better access to care would result in a reduction of high-risk features at diagnosis. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was performed of 122,324 men aged <65 years who were diagnosed with PCa within the National Cancer Database. Difference-in-difference (DID) analyses adjusting for sociodemographic variables using linear regression compared PSA levels at diagnosis before expansion (2012-2013) and after expansion (2015-2016) between men residing in states that did or did not expand Medicaid. RESULTS From 2012 to 2016, the proportion of men with PSA levels ≥20 ng/mL increased (from 18.9% to 19.8%) in nonexpansion states and decreased (from 19.9% to 18.2%) in expansion states. Compared with men in nonexpansion states, men in expansion states experienced a decline in PSA ≥20 ng/mL (DID, -2.33%; 95% CI, -3.21% to -1.44%; P < .001). Accordingly, the proportion of men presenting with high-risk disease decreased in expansion states relative to nonexpansion states (DID, -1.25%; 95% CI, -2.26% to 0.25%; P = .015). A similar statistically significant decrease in PSA levels ≥20 ng/mL was noted among black men (DID, -3.11%; 95% CI, -5.25% to 0.96%; P = .005). CONCLUSIONS In Medicaid expansion states, there was an associated decrease in the proportion of young men presenting with PSA ≥20 ng/mL at the time of PCa diagnosis. These results suggest that Medicaid expansion improved access to PCa screening. Longer term data should assess oncologic outcomes.
Bidirectional influence of heroin and cocaine escalation in persons with dual opioid and cocaine dependence diagnoses.

Persons with dual severe opioid and cocaine use disorders are at risk of considerable morbidity, and the bidirectional relationship of escalation of mu-opioid agonists and cocaine use is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the bidirectional relationship between escalation of heroin and cocaine use in volunteers dually diagnosed with opioid and cocaine dependence (OD + CD). Volunteers from New York with OD + CD (total n = 295; male = 182, female = 113; age ≥ 18 years) were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV Axis I Disorders and Kreek-McHugh-Schluger-Kellogg scales for dimensional measures of drug exposure, which also collect ages of 1st use and onset of heaviest use. Time of escalation was defined as age of onset of heaviest use minus age of 1st use in whole years. Times of escalation of heroin and cocaine were positively correlated in both men (Spearman r = .34, 95% confidence interval [CI: .17, .48], p < .0001) and women (Spearman r = .51, [.27, .50], p < .0001) volunteers. After we adjusted for demographic variables, a Cox regression showed that time of cocaine escalation was a predictor of time of heroin escalation (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.97, 95% CI [0.95, 0.99], p = .003). Another Cox regression showed that this relationship is bidirectional, because time of heroin escalation was also a predictor of time of cocaine escalation (HR = 0.98, [0.96-0.99], p = .016). In these adjusted models, gender was not a significant predictor of time of escalation of either heroin or cocaine. Therefore, escalation did not differ robustly by gender when adjusting for demographics and other major variables. Overall, rapid escalation of cocaine use was a predictor of rapid escalation of heroin use, and vice versa, in persons with dual severe opioid and cocaine use disorders. These findings suggest a shared vulnerability to rapid escalation of these 2 drugs in persons with dual severe opioid and cocaine use disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Development of an In Vitro Membrane Model to Study the Function of EsxAB Heterodimer and Establish the Role of EsxB in Membrane Permeabilizing Activity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

EsxA and EsxB are secreted as a heterodimer and have been shown to play critical roles in phagosome rupture and translocation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis into the cytosol. Recent in vitro studies have suggested that the EsxAB heterodimer is dissociated upon acidification, which might allow EsxA insertion into lipid membranes. While the membrane permeabilizing activity (MPA) of EsxA has been well characterized in liposomes composed of di-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), the MPA of EsxAB heterodimer has not been detected through in vitro assays due to its negligible activity with DOPC liposomes. In this study, we established a new in vitro membrane assay to test the MPA activity of N-terminal acetylated EsxA (N-EsxA). We established that a dose-dependent increase in anionic charged lipids enhances the MPA of N-EsxA. The MPA of both N-EsxA and EsxAB were significantly increased with this new liposome system and made it possible to characterize the MPA of EsxAB in more physiologically-relevant conditions. We tested, for the first time, the effect of temperature on the MPA of N-EsxA and EsxAB in this new system. Interestingly, the MPA of N-EsxA was lower at 37 °C than at RT, and on the contrary, the MPA of EsxAB was higher at 37 °C than at RT. Surprisingly, after incubation at 37 °C, the MPA of N-EsxA continuously decreased over time, while MPA of EsxAB remained stable, suggesting EsxB plays a key role in stabilizing N-EsxA to preserve its MPA at 37 °C. In summary, this study established a new in vitro model system that characterizes the MPA of EsxAB and the role of EsxB at physiological-relevant conditions.
Trait-Based Modeling of Terrestrial Ecosystems: Advances and Challenges Under Global Change

We summarize the general structure of modern terrestrial ecosystem models and investigate how advances in trait-based modeling approaches help to better constrain predictions for ecosystem sensitivity to global change. In ecosystem models, empirical parameters are increasingly being replaced with plant physiological trait-based parameters, which can be directly measured in the field. The needs to predict long-term terrestrial ecosystem dynamics under climate change have spurred novel model developments including the representation of (i) vegetation processes across the critical zone, (ii) wood and belowground ecophysiology, and (iii) the effects of physiological trait acclimation. Trait-based modeling of terrestrial ecosystems allows for the direct integration of measured plant ecophysiology with model processes, increasing the potential to constrain uncertainty and improve predictions under novel climate regimes. However, such increased model complexity requires careful model design, standardized intercomparisons, and benchmarking for model responses to both climate extremes and long-term trends.
Robotic-Assisted Pancreatic Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer: Technical Aspects

Robotic pancreatic surgery is slowly being adopted around the globe for benign and malignant disease alike. With the growing interest of the surgical community, several techniques have been developed and propagated by a few major centers. Herein, we provide a detailed report on our surgical techniques for robotic assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy and distal pancreatectomy with and without celiac axis resection. In addition, a video illustrating the dissection and reconstruction phase of a robotic assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy is provided to supplement the text. The implementation of a robotic pancreas program requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary team as well as strong institutional support. This should be coupled with adequate patient selection in the early phase of the program and the continuous coordination between two faculties expert in pancreas surgery. Postoperative outcomes should be recorded in local registries to allow for an effective monitoring of the safety of the program and its success. Sharing the data with the international community will be paramount to disseminate the technology.
Carbonic anhydrase activity in the frontal lobe of human brain.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) plays an important role in many biological processes. Recent technological advances have demonstrated the feasibility of measuring CA activity in the occipital lobe of human subjects in vivo. In this work we report, for the first time, in vivo measurement of CA activity in the frontal lobe of human brain, where structural and function abnormalities are strongly associated with symptoms of major psychiatric disorders. Despite the much larger magnetic field distortion in the frontal lobe, the pseudo first-order bicarbonate dehydration rate constant was determined with high precision using in vivo 13 C magnetic resonance magnetization transfer spectroscopy following oral administration of [U-13 C6 ]glucose. Nuclear Overhauser effect pulses were used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio; no proton decoupling was applied. The unidirectional dehydration rate constant of bicarbonate was found to be 0.26 ± 0.07 s-1 , which is not statistically different from the dehydration rate constant in the occipital lobe determined in our previous study, indicating that CA activity in the two brain regions is essentially indistinguishable. These results demonstrate the feasibility of characterizing CA activity in the frontal lobe for future psychiatric studies.
Role of molecular polymorphism in defining tau filament structures in neurodegenerative diseases

Misfolding and aggregation of tau protein is implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases that are typified by the presence of large, filamentous tau inclusions. The aggregation of tau in human brain is disease-specific with characteristic filaments defining the neuropathology. An understanding of how identical tau isoforms aggregate into disparate filament morphologies in phenotypically distinct tau-related diseases remains elusive. Here, we determine the structure of a brain-derived twisted tau filament in progressive supranuclear palsy and compare it to a dissimilar tau fold found in corticobasal degeneration. While the tau filament core in both diseases is comprised of residues 274 to 380, molecular-level polymorphism exists. Potential origins of the molecular polymorphism, such as noncovalent cofactor binding, are identified and predicted to modulate tau filament structures in the brain.
Anaplastic Hemangiopericytoma of the Jugular Foramen: Case Report and Systematic Review

Background Hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) and solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare tumors of mesenchymal origin. Here, the authors present a rare case of anaplastic HPC in the jugular foramen (JF). The authors also conduct a systematic review of the literature to examine the current fund of knowledge on JF HPC/SFTs. Methods A systematic MEDLINE search was conducted using key words “hemangiopericytoma” OR “solitary fibrous tumor” AND “jugular foramen” OR “extracranial” OR “skull base.” Clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of the present case were reviewed and compared with those in the literature. Results A 41-year-old male, who had undergone stereotactic radiation therapy 6 years ago for a presumed glomus jugulare tumor, presented to our institution with worsening dysphagia, hoarseness, persistent tongue weakness, and radiographic evidence of tumor progression. The patient underwent uncomplicated gross total resection with sacrifice of the infiltrated hypoglossal nerve. Histopathologic evaluation revealed anaplastic HPC/SFT (World Health Organization grade III). Review of the literature yielded 9 additional cases of JF HPC/SFT in 5 males (56%) and 4 females (44%), with a mean age of 49.6 years old. Patients commonly presented with pain (37.5%) and lower cranial nerve deficits (100%). Preoperative diagnoses included glomus jugulare (n = 2) or JF schwannomas (n = 3). All patients underwent microsurgical resection of the lesion, except for 1 who refused all treatment after diagnostic biopsy. Conclusion The authors present the only reported case of anaplastic HPC of the JF. The illustrative case and those found on systematic review of the literature highlight the importance of tissue diagnosis and appropriate management.
Exposure Assessment Methodologies for Humans and Ecosystems

The principal components of exposure are the magnitude of the pollutant concentration, the duration of the exposure, and the frequency of the exposure (Sexton and Ryan, 1988). Human exposure assessments of these three components include measuring pollutant concentrations (outdoor, indoor, microenvironmental, personal), but also characterizing personal exposure scenarios, such as activity patterns and ventilation rates. Ecological exposure is the expression of the magnitude, duration, and frequency of contact between an ecological resource and a “stressor;” i.e., a physical, chemical, or biological entity that can induce an adverse response” (Risk Assessment Forum, 1992).
Hall viscosity revealed via density response

Quantum Hall systems have recently been shown to possess a quantity sensitive to the spatial geometry and topology of the system, dubbed the Hall viscosity ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{H}$. Despite the extensive theoretical discussions on its properties, the question of how to measure ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{H}$ still poses a challenge. In this paper, we present a general relation between Hall viscosity and susceptibility for systems with Galilean invariance. Thus, it allows for determination of ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{H}$ through density response signatures. The relations are verified in the integer quantum Hall example and are further illustrated in an effective hydrodynamic analysis. Since the derivation is based on Kubo formulas and assumes no more than conservation laws and translational symmetry, the results are applicable to a wide range of systems.
Partially Concurrent Sentences, Statutory Interpretation, and Legislative Intent: Amicus Brief filed in State v. Bryant Wilson (Indiana Supreme Court)

Indiana Code § 35-50-1-2 states that terms of imprisonment “shall be served concurrently or consecutively.” The Code’s plain language does not authorize courts to impose partially consecutive, blended, or “split" sentences. Partially consecutive sentences would impermissibly read into the Code a third sentencing option, thus contradicting Indiana’s well-settled jurisprudence and undermining the goal of reasonable uniformity in sentencing. The decision of the Indiana Court of Appeals should therefore be reversed.
Yeast as a Model Organism

Yeast have many genes with homologs in humans. Has our understanding of these genes helped our understanding of human biology or disease? In his Perspective, Botstein argues "yes" and, as an example, discusses a report in this week9s issue by Sinclair et al. on the yeast homolog of the gene whose dysfunction causes a disease of premature aging, Werner syndrome.
Structural basis of thermostability in hyperthermophilic proteins, or "there's more than one way to skin a cat".

Publisher Summary It has been fairly obvious for several years that many different factors contribute to the extreme thermostability of any given protein, yet studies continue whose stated goal is to discover a unifying set of rules. It seems hard for some to accept that there is no single dominating factor. Whether that is because scientists always hope to discover something universal, or because it is somehow unsatisfying to conclude that a single great property like extreme thermostability arises from a combination of many different small contributions, is best left for psychologists to ponder; the effect is that studies continue and there is a plethora of new data to examine. It is not the first time this sort of thing has happened in science: two recent examples are the code for protein recognition of DNA and the origin of diversity in the immune system. In both cases the search for a single unifying principle led instead to the discovery that several different contributors play a role. Hence, in the search for general or at least frequently employed factors that contribute to protein thermostability, one must first agree on the type of stability that is talked about.
Case Studies on Educational Administration

Preface Matrix Introduction 1 Who Needs Lesson Plans? 2 Who Should Create the School's Vision? 3 A Bully's Threat 4 Lounge Talk 5 The Career Center's Revolving Door 6 Let the Committee Decide 7 Old School Culture and a New Principal 8 School Improvement through Better Grading Practices 9 Sally's Socialization 10 A Matter of Honor 11 Individualizing Staff Development 12 Break the Rules and Pay the Price 13 An Ambitious Assistant Principal 14 Let's Get Strategic 15 Even on Saturdays 16 Appropriate Punishment versus Political Expediency 17 The Passive Principal 18 A Disillusioned Assistant Principal 19 Who Needs Career-Technical Education? 20 Illegal Drugs, In-School Suspension, and the Novice Principal 21 Let's Not Rap 22 Is the Devil Teaching Spelling? 23 The Dark Side of Decentralization 24 The Maverick School Board Member
Scientific Understandings of Postpartum Illness: Improving Health Law and Policy?

In its broadest sense, this Article examines the relationship between science and the law in the context of postpartum illness. From classical antiquity to the present day, physicians and scientists have investigated the causes, correlates, and consequences of the depressions and psychoses that develop in some women following their transition to motherhood. The scientific investigation of postpartum illness has been characterized by an open-ended search for knowledge with the recognition that scientific findings published one day are subject to revision the next. Legislators and judges also have sought to understand postpartum illness as necessary to make laws that affect and adjudicate disputes involving new mothers, although legal inquiries regarding postpartum illness have yielded factual findings that are fixed in time. When the results of scientific research and legal research are compared in the context of postpartum illness, several differences emerge, perhaps because science and law share neither a common process nor common goals. This Article resolves these differences and develops a new organizing principle for understanding illness; that is, a unified health law framework that limits distinctions between physical and mental illness.
Studies into the character of electronic coupling in electron transfer reactions

Abstract Two recent investigations into electron trans fer reactions are described. The first study probes solvent effects on intramolecular electron transfer of donor-bridge-acceptor systems. The study compares a molecule which possesses a molecular cleft between the donor and acceptor moiety to one without such a cleft. The influence on the electronic coupling of a solvent molecule between the donor and acceptor is discussed. The second study concerns heterogeneous electron transfer through self-assembled monolayer films on InP electrodes. The data show that the film inhibits oxidation of the semiconductor. Electron tunneling through the film is explored, and the chemical functionalization of the film is shown to modify the charge recombination processes in the electrode.
Development and evaluation of stage-matched written materials about lifestyle and structured physical activity.

Two sets of written materials about physical activity were developed, one promoting lifestyle exercise and the other promoting structured exercise. Both sets integrated the Transtheoretical Model of behavior-change concepts. Materials were evaluated by 8 women and 6 men (M age = 63.1 yr.) using a stratified (by gender) randomized group design. Participants evaluated the materials on 8 factors of a standardized instrument. Cronbach alpha was .97. No significant differences were found between the two sets of materials on the 8 factors evaluated. Effect size differences ranged from .16 to .84 (M =.46).
Retinal receptive field changes produced by auditory and somatic stimulation.

Abstract The existence of efferent influences on the cat retinal ganglion cell was shown in previous studies. Those experiments, utilizing both chronic macroelectrode and acute microelectrode techniques, demonstrated responses in the optic nerve to auditory and somatic stimuli. Afferent activity in the optic nerve was also found to be modified by these stimuli. The present experiments were undertaken as an extension of this effort. Retinal receptive fields were mapped in immobilized cats. The value of the mapping technique used for these experiments is that it provides an accurate definition of receptive field boundaries. Auditory or somatic stimuli were shown to induce reliable dimensional changes in 76% of the receptive fields examined. Changes in the firing strength of units were also produced by the nonvisual stimuli. These changes were not directly correlated with the dimensional changes observed. No lawful relationship was found between direction of change and the type of efferent stimulation or type of receptive field or both. Changes in receptive field dimension were also elicited by a change in ambient illumination. An interaction between the changes caused by nonvisual sensory stimulation and those brought about by a change in ambient illumination was found in two instances.
Acceleration of myosin light chain dephosphorylation and relaxation of smooth muscle by telokin. Synergism with cyclic nucleotide-activated kinase.

Abstract Incorporation of 32P into telokin, a smooth muscle-specific, 17–18-kDa, acidic (pI 4.2–4.4) protein, was increased by forskolin (20 μm) in intact rabbit ileum smooth muscle (ileum) and by 8-bromo-cyclic GMP (100 μm) in α-toxin-permeabilized ileum. Native telokin (5–20 μm), purified from turkey gizzard, and recombinant rabbit telokin, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to >90% purity, induced dose-dependent relaxation, associated with a significant decrease in regulatory myosin light chain phosphorylation, without affecting the rate of thiophosphorylation of regulatory myosin light chain of ileum permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100. Endogenous telokin was lost from ileum during prolonged permeabilization (>20 min) with 0.1% Triton X-100, and the time course of loss was correlated with the loss of 8-bromo-cyclic GMP-induced calcium desensitization. Recombinant and native gizzard telokins were phosphorylated, in vitro, by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, cGMP-dependent protein kinase, and p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase; the recombinant protein was also phosphorylated by calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Exogenous cGMP-dependent protein kinase (0.5 μm) activated by 8-bromo-cyclic GMP (50 μm) phosphorylated recombinant telokin (10 μm) when added concurrently to ileum depleted of its endogenous telokin, and their relaxant effects were mutually potentiated. Forskolin (20 μm) also increased phosphorylation of telokin in intact ileum. We conclude that telokin induces calcium desensitization in smooth muscle by enhancing myosin light chain phosphatase activity, and cGMP- and/or cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of telokin up-regulates its relaxant effect.
Making sensor networks immortal: an energy-renewal approach with wireless power transfer

Wireless sensor networks are constrained by limited battery energy. Thus, finite network lifetime is widely regarded as a fundamental performance bottleneck. Recent breakthrough in the area of wireless power transfer offers the potential of removing this performance bottleneck, i.e., allowing a sensor network to remain operational forever. In this paper, we investigate the operation of a sensor network under this new enabling energy transfer technology. We consider the scenario of a mobile charging vehicle periodically traveling inside the sensor network and charging each sensor node's battery wirelessly. We introduce the concept of renewable energy cycle and offer both necessary and sufficient conditions. We study an optimization problem, with the objective of maximizing the ratio of the wireless charging vehicle (WCV)'s vacation time over the cycle time. For this problem, we prove that the optimal traveling path for the WCV is the shortest Hamiltonian cycle and provide a number of important properties. Subsequently, we develop a near-optimal solution by a piecewise linear approximation technique and prove its performance guarantee.
Usefulness of plasma vitamin B6, B12, folate, homocysteine, and creatinine in predicting outcomes in heart transplant recipients

Abstract Atherothrombotic complications are frequently seen in patients undergoing heart transplantation. These patients have high plasma total homocysteine concentrations associated with lower folate and vitamin B 6 levels. The relation between these metabolic abnormalities and the development of vascular complications, however, remains unclear. Fasting plasma total homocysteine, folate, vitamin B 12 , vitamin B 6 , and creatinine were measured in 160 cardiac transplant recipients who were followed for a mean duration of 28 ± 9 months after blood draw (mean 59 ± 28 months after transplant). Cardiovascular events and causes of mortality were determined and Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors for cardiovascular events and mortality. Twenty-five patients developed cardiovascular events and 17 died (11 cardiovascular deaths). Mean ± SD total homocysteine value was 18.4 ± 8.5 (range 4.3 to 63.5 μmol/L). Hyperhomocysteinemia (≥15 μmol/L) was seen in 99 patients (62%). Levels were no different in patients with or without cardiovascular complications/death (16.8 ± 6.2 vs 18.9 ± 9 μmol/L, p = 0.4). However, vitamin B 6 deficiency was seen in 21% of recipients with and in 9% without cardiovascular complications/death (p = 0.05). The relative risk for cardiovascular events, including cardiovascular death, increased 2.7 times (confidence interval 1.2 to 5.9) for B 6 levels ≤20 nmol/L compared with those with normal B 6 levels (p = 0.02). Thus, hyperhomocysteinemia is common in transplant recipients but may have no causal role in the atherothrombotic vascular complications of transplantation. Deficiency of vitamin B 6 , however, may predict adverse outcomes, suggesting a possible role for supplementation with this vitamin.