cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lysophospholipids and their receptors in the central nervous system.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), two of the best-studied lysophospholipids, are known to influence diverse biological events, including organismal development as well as function and pathogenesis within multiple organ systems. These functional roles are due to a family of at least 11 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), named LPA1–6 and S1P1–5, which are widely distributed throughout the body and that activate multiple effector pathways initiated by a range of heterotrimeric G proteins including Gi/o, G12/13, Gq and Gs, with actual activation dependent on receptor subtypes. In the central nervous system (CNS), a major locus for these signaling pathways, LPA and S1P have been shown to influence myriad responses in neurons and glial cell types through their cognate receptors. These receptor-mediated activities can contribute to disease pathogenesis and have therapeutic relevance to human CNS disorders as demonstrated for multiple sclerosis (MS) and possibly others that include congenital hydrocephalus, ischemic stroke, neurotrauma, neuropsychiatric disorders, developmental disorders, seizures, hearing loss, and Sandhoff disease, based upon the experimental literature. In particular, FTY720 (fingolimod, Gilenya, Novartis Pharma, AG) that becomes an analog of S1P upon phosphorylation, was approved by the FDA in 2010 as a first oral treatment for MS, validating this class of receptors as medicinal targets. This review will provide an overview and update on the biological functions of LPA and S1P signaling in the CNS, with a focus on results from studies using genetic null mutants for LPA and S1P receptors. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Advances in Lysophospholipid Research.
Modeling Motion of Body Parts for Action Recognition.

This paper presents a simple and computationally efficient framework for human action recognition based on modeling the motion of human body parts. Intuitively, a collective understanding of human part movements can lead to better understanding and representation of any human action. In this paper, we propose a generative representation of the motion of the human body parts to learn and classify human actions. The proposed representation combines the advantages of both local and global representations, encoding the relevant motion information as well as being robust to local appearance changes. Our work is motivated by the pictorial structures model and the framework of sparse representations for recognition. Human part movements are represented efficiently through quantization in the polar space. The key discrimination within each action is efficiently encoded by sparse representation to perform classification. The proposed method is evaluated on both the KTH and the UCF action datasets and the results are compared against other state-of-the-art methods.
Influence of dump voltage and allowable temperature rise on stabilizer requirements in superconducting coils

The authors present some simple relations between the dump voltage and the stored energy, temperature rise, and coil geometry that are useful in scoping the required amount of stabilizer. Comparison with some recently proposed fusion magnet system designs indicate that excessive dump voltages could result in some cases. High-temperature superconductors may require more stabilizer than the conventional alloys. Calculations with simple model coil systems indicate how tradeoffs between between various coil parameters affect the dump voltage. >
Early vs late midline sling lysis results in greater improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms.

Objective Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) occur in 5-20% of women after antiincontinence procedures. Symptoms include complete urinary retention or storage, voiding, and postmicturition symptoms. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of time from sling placement to midline sling lysis on overall improvement in LUTS. Study Design After institutional review board approval, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 112 subjects undergoing midline sling lysis from January 1997-September 2007. The inclusion criteria were women with a vaginal midline sling lysis for LUTS after a prior pubovaginal or midurethral sling. We excluded any subject with sling erosion without LUTS and those who underwent a repeated sling at the time of lysis. We compared subjects who had an early sling lysis (≤ 1 year from sling to lysis) to a late sling lysis (> 1 year). The primary outcome was based on the subject's report of overall improvement in symptoms. We abstracted data on demographics, presenting symptoms, physical examination, date of antiincontinence procedure, date of midline sling lysis, and postoperative symptoms. Statistical analysis consisted of Student t test, χ 2 test, Fisher exact test, and multivariate logistic regression. Results Of 112 subjects, 74 (66%) had an early sling lysis and 38 (34%) had a late sling lysis. These 2 groups were similar in age, menopausal status, presence of preoperative LUTS, anterior colporrhaphy at the time of lysis, and presence of an eroded sling. The early lysis group had a higher percentage of midurethral slings (36% vs 8%; P = .001), a lower rate of preoperative complete retention (70% vs 89%; P = .001), and a lower rate of prior urethrolysis (16% vs 45%; P = .003). No significant difference in follow-up time was found between early lysis compared with late lysis (49 ± 89 months vs 43 ± 71 months; P = .73). Ten (8.9%) subjects developed recurrent stress urinary incontinence after sling lysis, which was independent of time to lysis. In all, 94 (84%) subjects had improvement in their LUTS after midline sling lysis. Overall improvement occurred more often in the early sling lysis group compared with the late sling lysis group (91% vs 71%; P = .01). This finding retained significance in a multivariate logistic regression model, which included age, prior urethrolysis, preoperative complete retention, and type of sling (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-13.2). Conclusion Based on this large cohort, patients may benefit from earlier midline sling lysis within 1 year for LUTS after a pubovaginal or midurethral sling procedure. The development of recurrent stress urinary incontinence after midline sling lysis is relatively low.
The tactile context of a mother’s caregiving: implications for attachment of low birth weight infants☆

Abstract This study examined the degree to which specific properties of maternal touch may be associated with a low birth weight infant’s security of attachment at one year of age, considering the potential modifying effects of maternal sensitivity and history of touch as well as infant gender and biological vulnerability. One hundred and thirty one socioculturally diverse infants and their mothers were evaluated for medical complications during the neonatal period. Videotapes were made of the infant-mother dyads during an infant feeding at three months of age. Each videotape was analyzed for a mother’s properties of touch and her sensitivity as well as for infant responsiveness. When the infant was six months old, each mother completed a questionnaire to determine felt security regarding her own history of touch as a child. Researchers completed the Attachment Q-Set for each infant at one year of age. Analysis of covariance indicated that sheer frequency of touch had no relationship to infant attachment but use of nurturing touch by mothers was associated with security of attachment. However, the degree of infant vulnerability (i.e., perinatal complications, birthweight, and responsiveness) moderated the effects of nurturing touch. Nurturing touch was associated with more secure attachment for robust infants but with less secure attachment for highly vulnerable babies. Neither maternal sensitivity nor gender appeared to moderate the relationship of touch to attachment or to have any direct relationship to attachment outcomes. Infant vulnerability decreased the likelihood of a secure attachment while a mother’s felt security regarding her own tactile experience as a child increased her infant’s chances of having a secure attachment.
Critical Issues Concerning Cultural Competence

Sue’s contribution concerning cultural competence is reviewed and critiqued. General issues provoked by Sue and found in the emergent discourse on the topic are discussed, including concerns about its operationalization, its purpose, its parameters, issues pertaining to training, and considerations for evaluation. Specific issues related to Sue’s model are highlighted with suggestions for improvement and clarification. The specific issues critiqued include the following strengths: continued leadership in the field, inclusion of social justice, multidimensionality of cultural competence, and the tripartite conception of personal identity. Issues of concern include the lack of a solid rationale for the model, definitional difficulties, the lack of prescription, and limitations based on the race-based group perspective. Suggestions for future scholarship are offered.
Effects of Interleukin-1β and Nitric Oxide on Cardiac Myocytes

Abstract Using cultured neonatal ventricular myocytes, we investigated whether nitric oxide (NO) directly influences myocyte growth. Treatment of myocytes with phenylephrine stimulated growth, as indicated by increases in atrial natriuretic factor, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) mRNA and BNP secretion, activator protein 1 activity (activation of early-response genes), and total cellular protein content. NO was stimulated by treatment of myocytes with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or was generated by the NO donor nitroglycerin, and its effects on total protein content and BNP secretion were measured. Treatment of cardiocytes with 3.4 nmol/L IL-1β for 24 hours stimulated NO (nitrite) production by threefold, which resulted from an increase in the inducible isoform of NO synthase mRNA. Dexamethasone inhibited IL-1β induction of nitrite production, whereas the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine had no effect. IL-1β had no effect on either basal or phenylephrine-stimulated protein content but inhibited phenylephrine-stimulated BNP secretion. Nitroglycerin (10−7 to 10−3 mol/L) dose-dependently increased NO production; however, only the highest dose (10−3 mol/L) reduced basal and phenylephrine-stimulated total protein content and BNP secretion. cGMP, a second messenger of NO, had no effect on either basal or phenylephrine-stimulated BNP secretion or total protein content. In conclusion, our data indicate that BNP mRNA is stimulated by phenylephrine as shown previously for atrial natriuretic factor. Although both BNP and total protein content are increased by phenylephrine, these effects are not inhibited by NO. However, IL-1β inhibits phenylephrine-stimulated BNP secretion but not total protein content, suggesting that regulation of BNP secretion can be dissociated from total protein synthesis during myocyte growth.
Structural properties of solution processed Ge23Sb7S70 glass materials

Solution-processing of chalcogenide glass materials has many benefits for the fabrication of photonic devices. We report on the structural properties of Ge23Sb7S70 glass during solution-processing. The molecular and micro-structure of the bulk glass and the n-propylamine solution, as well as the spin-coated thin films and post-irradiated films are analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. We find the vibrational spectral fingerprint of Ge4S104−-units in the amine solutions as well as in the spin-coated films, indicating a similar molecular structure of solutions and solution-processed films, which differs from the bulk glass. Moreover, the spin-coated films exhibit nanopores, and change their composition during irradiation such that sulfur escapes from the film while oxygen gets absorbed.
Effect of Pod Maturity and Plant Age on Pod and Seed Size Distributions of Florunner Peanuts

Abstract Florunner peanut pods (Arachis hypogaea L.) were sampled at nine weekly intervals from 92 to 148 days after planting (DAP) in crop year 1979. The fresh pods were divided into six maturity categories according to the color and structure of the mesocarp. After drying, individual pods and seed for each maturity class and date were sized over a series of screen slots conforming to official grade standards. The cumulative distribution function (CDF) for the logistic distribution was used to quantify the cumulative percentage by weight of pods and seed which rode a designated screen. The parameters of the logistic CDF were regressed separately by maturity class as functions of plant age. These relationships provide a mathematical approach for a better understanding of the influence of pod maturity and plant age on pod and seed sizes.
Allergy and Health-Related Quality of Life:

Objective: We asked patients with allergies to complete the SF-36 Health Survey, a health-related quality-of-life (QOL) measure, to determine the impact of allergy on QOL. Study Design and Setting: In total, 377 adults—140 men (37%) and 237 women (63%)—seen in a tertiary care private neurotologic practice allergy clinic completed the questionnaire before beginning immunotherapy and dietary management. One hundred patients completed both initial and 1-year follow-up questionnaires. The SF-36 measures 8 health concepts ranging from physical to mental health, and scale scores range from 0 to 100. Results: Initial mean scores ranged from a high of 79.1 for the physical functioning scale to a low of 47.2 for the vitality scale, lower (poorer) on all scales than norms for the general US population. Significant improvement occurred from initial to follow-up on all scales. The largest improvements were in role functioning-physical, role functioning-emotional, and social functioning. Conclusion: Findings suggest that allergy symptoms can affect QOL and that treatment with specific immunotherapy and/or dietary management may lead to measurable improvements. Significance: The significant impact of allergy must be recognized, and treatment should be offered. The SF-36 can be used to evaluate treatment outcome. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000; 123:393-9.)
Introducing educational computer programmes through evaluation: A case in South African disadvantaged schools

I report on benefits from teacher-participant evaluation and mode of introducing educational computer programmes (ECPs) in disadvantaged schools in South Africa. 26 teachers from 23 schools participated in evaluating a biology computer game designed to motivate and ease conceptual understanding. The evaluation comprised teachers training, which simultaneously provided a platform for introducing the ECP into the schools. The paper recommends that an evaluation of ECPs that includes the value system of end-users (through social dialogue); curriculum issues (learning theories in the ECP and those the education authorities recommend, as well as ECP-curriculum integration); the concepts which the ECP presents; and the compatibility of the ECP with school computers, can provide useful methods of introducing ECPs into curricula of disadvantaged schools.
Meiosis I Arrest Abnormalities Lead to Severe Oligozoospermia in Meiosis 1 Arresting Protein (M1ap)-Deficient Mice

Meiosis 1 arresting protein (M1ap) is a novel vertebrate gene expressed exclusively in germ cells of the embryonic ovary and the adult testis. In male mice, M1ap expression, which is present from spermatogonia to secondary spermatocytes, is evolutionarily conserved and has a specific spatial and temporal pattern suggestive of a role during germ cell development. To test its function, mice deficient in M1ap were created. Whereas females had histologically normal ovaries, males exhibited reduced testicular size and a myriad of tubular defects, which led to severe oligozoospermia and infertility. Although some germ cells arrested at the zygotene/pachytene stages, most cells advanced to metaphase I before arresting and entering apoptosis. Cells that reached metaphase I were unable to properly align their chromosomes at the metaphase plate due to abnormal chromosome synapses and failure to form crossover foci. Depending on the state of tubular degeneration, all germ cells, with the exemption of spermatogonia, disappeared; with further deterioration, tubules displaying only Sertoli cells reminiscent of Sertoli cell-only syndrome in humans were observed. Our results uncovered an essential role for M1ap as a novel germ cell gene not previously implicated in male germ cell development and suggest that mutations in M1AP could account for some cases of nonobstructive oligozoospermia in men.
Phonetic activity in reading: an experiment with kanji.

Reading seems to require phonetic short-term storage even if the writing system is logographic. A short-term memory probe paradigm was used to test the ability of Japanese subjects to recall kanji ...
Tapping the Promise of Genomics in Species with Complex, Nonmodel Genomes

Genomics is enabling a renaissance in all disciplines of plant biology. However, many plant genomes are complex and remain recalcitrant to current genomic technologies. The complexities of these nonmodel plant genomes are attributable to gene and genome duplication, heterozygosity, ploidy, and/or repetitive sequences. Methods are available to simplify the genome and reduce these barriers, including inbreeding and genome reduction, making these species amenable to current sequencing and assembly methods. Some, but not all, of the complexities in nonmodel genomes can be bypassed by sequencing the transcriptome rather than the genome. Additionally, comparative genomics approaches, which leverage phylogenetic relatedness, can aid in the interpretation of complex genomes. Although there are limitations in accessing complex nonmodel plant genomes using current sequencing technologies, genome manipulation and resourceful analyses can allow access to even the most recalcitrant plant genomes.
Dynamical modeling of cellular response to short-duration, high-intensity electric fields

The interaction of ultra-short duration, high-intensity electric fields with biological cells has recently begun to generate significant interest due to the possibility for non-thermal manipulation of cellular functions. It is clear that a full understanding requires a dynamical model for both electroporation and the electrostatic potential evolution. Here, dynamical aspects related to electroporation are reviewed. The simple model used in the literature is somewhat incorrect and unphysical for a variety of reasons. Our model for the pore formation energy, E(r), includes a dependence on pore population, density, a variable surface tension, and is dynamic in nature. It is shown that membranes can survive a strong electric pulse and recover provided the pore distribution has a relatively large spread. If, however, the population consists predominantly of larger radii pores, then irreversibility can result. Physically, such a distribution could arise if pores at adjacent sites coalesce. Results show that a finite time delay exists for pore formation, and can lead to a transient overshoot of the transmembrane potential V/sub mem/ beyond 1.0 V. Pore re-sealing is shown to consist of an initial fast process, a 10/sup -4/ s delay, followed by a much slower closing at a time constant of about 10/sup -1/ s. This establishes a time-window for effective killing by a second pulse.
Anion Binding within the Cavity of π-Metalated Calixarenes

The synthesis of a range of bi- and tetrametalated macrocyclic complexes based upon calix[4]arene, p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene and related tetraalkoxy derivatives, of type [{M(L)}2(calixarene-nH)]X4-n and [{M(L)}4(calixarene-2H)]X6 (M = Rh, Ir, Ru; L = Cp*, p-MeC6H4CHMe2; n = 0, 1, 2; X = BF4, CF3SO3, HSO4, I, ReO4, H2PO4, etc., not all combinations) is reported. A related trimetallic calix[5]arene derivative [{Ir(η5-C5Me5)}3(p-tert-butylcalix[5]arene-H)][BF4]5 has also been synthesized. In all cases, the presence of the transition metal centers results in a significant enhancement in the acidity of the hydroxyl functionalities at the calixarene lower rim. For the tri- and tetrametalated derivatives, the host−guest behavior of the calixarene is drastically altered such that anionic guest species are included within the molecular cavity. The function of the new tetrametallic hosts [{Ru(η6-p-MeC6H4CHMe2)}4(η6:η6:η6:η6-C28H22O4)]6+ (15) and [{Ir(η5-C5Me5)}4(η6:η6:η6:η6-C28H22O4)]6+ (16) as anion receptors has ...
CONTACT PROBES FOR MAP RECORDING: A COMPUTATIONAL STUDY

In this computational study, we investigate the effects of a contact probe's design on the monophasic action potential (MAP) it records. Particularly, we focus on tip size and electrode geometry. A MAP is recorded when the tip of the contact probe is pressed against myocardial tissue and an action potential propagates through the tissue. Our 2-dimensional tissue model incorporates Luo–Rudy I membrane kinetics to simulate the transmembrane action potential (TAP), and the tissue injury induced by the contact probe is modeled after ischemic conditions. We compare our simulated MAPs to the TAPs in the model. Our results show that the correlation between MAP and TAP signals is affected by both the shape of the contact probe's active electrode and the size of the probe's tip. We found that an asymmetrical active electrode which records MAPs from the downstream region of injury (e.g., right side of injury for a wave propagating across the tissue from left to right) very accurately reflects the TAP of the healthy tissue. Further, our findings suggest that the optimal size for a contact probe's tip is between 0.64 and 1 mm2. If the tip is very small (0.04 mm2), the resulting region of injury is too small to maintain a stable transmembrane potential, and the recorded MAPs are distorted. On the other hand, very large probe tips (>1 mm2) covered with standard active electrodes focus their measurements too much on the interior of the injury and thus do not accurately describe the behavior of the injury currents. The results of our study could have implications on the design of contact probes used for recording MAPs in vivo.
Zfp36l3, a Rodent X Chromosome Gene Encoding a Placenta-Specific Member of the Tristetraprolin Family of CCCH Tandem Zinc Finger Proteins

Members of the tristetraprolin (TTP) family of CCCH tandem zinc finger (TZF) proteins can bind directly to AU-rich elements (ARE) in mRNA, causing deadenylation and destabilization of the transcripts to which they bind. We describe here a novel fourth mammalian member of the TTP protein family, designated ZFP36L3, which could also bind directly to ARE-containing RNAs and could promote the deadenylation and degradation of ARE-containing target RNAs. Zfp36l3 transcript expression was detected only in placenta and extraembryonic tissues in the mouse. It was expressed throughout development in the placenta and was particularly highly expressed in the cells of the labyrinthine layer of the trophoblastic placenta. Unlike the other family members, the expression of a ZFP36L3-green fluorescent protein fusion protein was entirely cytoplasmic when expressed in 293 cells, even in the presence of the CRM1-dependent nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B. Zfp36l3 was located on the mouse X chromosome; a similar predicted gene was present on the rat X chromosome, but there was no evidence for a similar gene in humans. ZFP36L3 may thus be a rodent-specific or even murine-specific member of the TTP protein family. Its presumed role in placental physiology may be unique to rodents or murine rodents, but this role may be subsumed by other family members in nonrodents.
CSF dopamine, serotonin, and biopterin metabolites in patients with restless legs syndrome.

PURPOSE To evaluate the role of CNS dopaminergic systems in Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), homovanillic acid (HVA), tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and neopterin (NEOP), were assayed in CSF from RLS patients. The serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), was also measured. METHODS CSF was taken from 16 RLS patients after 2 weeks off medication and from 14 control subjects. The CSF metabolites were determined using HPLC techniques. RESULTS There was no significant difference in HVA or 5-HIAA, but NEOP and BH4 were higher in RLS patients. The RLS group was significantly older than the control group (64.2 ± 9.2 years vs. 51.4 ± 6.3 years; P < 0.001). A multiple regression analysis showed a strong correlation between age and 5-HIAA (r = 0.46, P = 0.04) and between age and NEOP (r = 0.61, P < 0.01). To eliminate the potential error created by the age difference between groups, an age-adjusted subgroup of RLS and control subjects were compared. There was still no difference found for HVA; however, 5-HIAA was now significantly lower (P < 0.01) in the RLS subgroup. Age-adjustment eliminated the differences previously found for NEOP, (P = 0.12), but BH4 continued to remain higher in the RLS group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Differences in CSF HVA concentrations were not found. The changes in 5-HIAA and BH4 are of unclear clinical significance and require further assessment with appropriate age-matched controls. Mov. Disord. 16:144–149, 2001. © 2001 Movement Disorder Society.
Complete disproportionation of duplex poly(dT)·poly(dA) into triplex poly(dT)·poly(dA)·poly(dT) and poly(dA) by coralyne

Coralyne is a small crescent-shaped molecule known to intercalate duplex and triplex DNA. We report that coralyne can cause the complete and irreversible disproportionation of duplex poly(dT)·poly(dA). That is, coralyne causes the strands of duplex poly(dT)·poly(dA) to repartition into equal molar equivalents of triplex poly(dT)·poly(dA)·poly(dT) and poly(dA). Poly(dT)·poly(dA) will remain as a duplex for months after the addition of coralyne, if the sample is maintained at 4°C. However, disproportionation readily occurs upon heating above 35°C and is not reversed by subsequent cooling. A titration of poly(dT)·poly(dA) with coralyne reveals that disproportionation is favored by as little as one molar equivalent of coralyne per eight base pairs of initial duplex. We have also found that poly(dA) forms a self-structure in the presence of coralyne with a melting temperature of 47°C, for the conditions of our study. This poly(dA) self-structure binds coralyne with an affinity that is comparable with that of triplex poly(dT)·poly(dA)·poly(dT). A Job plot analysis reveals that the maximum level of poly(dA) self-structure intercalation is 0.25 coralyne molecules per adenine base. This conforms to the nearest neighbor exclusion principle for a poly(dA) duplex structure with A·A base pairs. We propose that duplex disproportionation by coralyne is promoted by both the triplex and the poly(dA) self-structure having binding constants for coralyne that are greater than that of duplex poly(dT)·poly(dA).
A Methodology for Autonomous Radio Repeating Based on the A* Algorithm

In the event of a disaster, rst responders must rapidly gain situational awareness about the environment in order to plan e ective response operations. Unmanned ground vehicles are well suited for this task but often require a strong communication link to a remote ground station to e ectively relay information. When considering an obstacle-rich environment, non-line-of-sight conditions and na ve navigation strategies can cause substantial degradations in radio link quality. Therefore, this paper incorporates an unmanned aerial vehicle as a radio repeating node and presents a path planning strategy to cooperatively navigate the vehicle team so that radio link health is maintained. This navigation technique is formulated as an A*-based search and this paper presents the formulation of this path planner as well as an investigation into strategies that provide computational e ciency to the search process. The path planner uses predictions of radio signal health at di erent vehicle con gurations to e ectively navigate the vehicles and simulations have shown that the path planner produces favorable results in comparison to several conceivable na ve radio repeating variants. The results also show that the radio repeating path planner has outperformed the na ve variants in both simulated environments and in eld testing where a Yamaha RMAX unmanned helicopter and a ground vehicle were used as the vehicle team.
An Economic Analysis of the Universal Varicella Vaccination Program in the United States

Frequent varicella outbreaks with sizable impact on the US public health system have continued to occur despite the success of the country's 1-dose varicella vaccination program. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently recommended adding a routine second dose of varicella vaccine and weighed economic projections as well as public health goals in their deliberations. This decision-tree-based analysis was conducted to evaluate the economic impact of the projected 2-dose varicella vaccination program as well as the existing 1-dose program. The analysis used population-based vaccination coverage and disease incidence data to make projections for a hypothetical US birth cohort of 4,100,000 infants born in 2006. Compared with no vaccination, both the 1-dose program (societal benefit-cost ratio [BCR], 4.37) and 2-dose program (BCR, 2.73) were estimated to be cost saving from the societal perspective. Compared with the 1-dose program, the incremental second dose was not cost saving (societal incremental BCR, 0.56). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the second dose was $343 per case prevented, or approximately $109,000 per quality-adjusted life-year saved, and these results were sensitive to assumptions about vaccine effectiveness and prices.
Ethnicity and the Biopolitics of Intersex in Jeffrey Eugenides's Middlesex

transition suggest that the successful assimilation of the ethnic subject into the American middle class also points to the domestication of intersex phenomena. Middlesex brings mainstream attention to intersex conditions precisely at the moment when intersex is being invalidated as the medical term for individuals born with mixed genital attributes in favor of a clas sification as a "Disorder of Sex Development (DSD).'" While many activ ists regard this change as an abandonment of identity politics and an act of self-pathologization, DSD proponents—including prominent figures in the international intersex rights movement—claim access to appropri ate and effective medical care as their motivating principle. Because it stands to alter the terms of intersexed subjectivity, however, this waning of the relevance of intersex in medical circles also predicts the departure of intersex identity from the alliance of sexual minorities represented in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement.2 In this essay, I historicize Eugenides's novel against these developments in order to shed new light on Callie's refusal of corrective surgery and on Cal's subsequent choice to live as a "stealth" man, to employ the term used by transgender and intersexed communities to describe individuals who do not publicly disclose the fact of their gender transition. Changes in the meaning of intersex over the last twenty years pro vide an important cultural context for understanding the absence of inter sex identity as a viable social formation in Middlesex. At the same time, the novel's adoption of a post-identity framework to represent the inter sexed experience points to major shifts in the contemporary meaning and uses of race and ethnicity. Specifically, the role, that stealth plays in Cal's romantic pursuit of a fellow ethnic American, Julie Kikuchi, reveals an alternate and frequently overlooked genealogy for intersex genitalia: the sexing of racialized or ethnic bodies. Cal's successful courtship of Julie
Getting to the What, How, and Why of Diversity on Campus

What kinds of diversity initiatives and cross-racial interactions foster learning among diverse students? In response to that question, the authors trace various social psychological theories that inform campus diversity programs. Making a case for moving beyond traditional intergroup harmony or intragroup solidarity approaches, the authors elaborate on a model that uses group identities as resources for intergroup understanding and collaboration. This model, which we call intergroup dialogue, engages students in exploring commonalities and differences in group identities and experiences, working constructively with intergroup conflicts, and building collective identities as socially just people. The article concludes with an agenda for future research addressing both substantive and methodological issues.
MicroRNA network changes in the brain stem underlie the development of hypertension

Hypertension is a major chronic disease whose molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We compared neuroanatomical patterns of microRNAs in the brain stem of the spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR) to the Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY, control). We quantified 419 well-annotated microRNAs in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), from SHR and WKY rats, during three main stages of hypertension development. Changes in microRNA expression were stage- and region-dependent, with a majority of SHR vs. WKY differential expression occurring at the hypertension onset stage in NTS versus at the prehypertension stage in RVLM. Our analysis identified 24 microRNAs showing time-dependent differential expression in SHR compared with WKY in at least one brain region. We predicted potential gene regulatory targets corresponding to catecholaminergic processes, neuroinflammation, and neuromodulation using the miRWALK and RNA22 databases, and we tested those bioinformatics predictions using high-throughput quantitative PCR to evaluate correlations of differential expression between the microRNAs and their predicted gene targets. We found a novel regulatory network motif consisting of microRNAs likely downregulating a negative regulator of prohypertensive processes such as angiotensin II signaling and leukotriene-based inflammation. Our results provide new evidence on the dynamics of microRNA expression in the development of hypertension and predictions of microRNA-mediated regulatory networks playing a region-dependent role in potentially altering brain-stem cardiovascular control circuit function leading to the development of hypertension.
Resident involvement in laparoscopic procedures does not worsen clinical outcomes but may increase operative times and length of hospital stay

Surgical procedures have a learning curve regarding the number of cases required for proficiency. Consequently, involvement of less experienced resident surgeons may impact patients and the healthcare system. This study examines basic and advanced laparoscopic procedures performed between 2010 and 2011 and evaluates the resident surgeon participation effect. Basic laparoscopic procedures (BL), appendectomy (LA), cholecystectomy (LC), and advanced Nissen fundoplication (LN) were queried from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Cases were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes. Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics v.22, α-level = 0.05. Multiple logistic regression was used, accounting for age, race, gender, admission status, wound classification, and ASA classification. In total, 71,819 surgeries were reviewed, 66,327 BL (37,636 LC and 28,691 LA) and 5492 LN. Median age was 48 years for LC and 37 years for LA. In sum, 72.2 % of LC and 49.5 % of LA patients were female. LN median age was 59 years, and 67.7 % of patients were female. For BL, resident involvement was not significantly associated with mortality, morbidity, and return to the OR. Readmission was not related to resident involvement in LC. In LA, resident-involved surgeries had increased readmission and longer OR time, but decreased LOS. In LC, resident involvement was associated with longer LOS and OR time. Resident involvement was not a significant factor in the odds of mortality, morbidity, return to OR, or readmission in LN. Surgeries involving residents had increased odds of having longer LOS, and of lengthier surgery time. We demonstrate resident involvement is safe and does not result in poorer patient outcomes. Readmissions and LOS were higher in BL, and operative times were longer in all surgeries. Resident operations do appear to have real consequences for patients and may impact the healthcare system financially.
Mcdonald's Success Strategy And Global Expansion Through Customer And Brand Loyalty

The McDonalds Corporation is one of the most successful global restaurant chains around the world. They have used effective management and global expansion strategies to enter new markets and gain a share of the foreign fast food market. This case presents how McDonalds has achieved this enormous success, its best practices in the global food industry, international growth trends and challenges, and various lessons that have been learned from their expansion in foreign countries. Overall, the case provides a discussion of how McDonalds creates both customer and brand loyalty for their products and services. This case focuses on McDonalds international success, challenges and strategies.
The Implications of Unintended Pregnancies for Mental Health in Later Life

Despite decades of research on unintended pregnancies, we know little about the health implications for the women who experience them. Moreover, no study has examined the implications for women whose pregnancies occurred before Roe v. Wade was decided--nor whether the mental health consequences of these unintended pregnancies continue into later life. Using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, a 60-year ongoing survey, we examined associations between unwanted and mistimed pregnancies and mental health in later life, controlling for factors such as early life socioeconomic conditions, adolescent IQ, and personality. We found that in this cohort of mostly married and White women, who completed their pregnancies before the legalization of abortion, unwanted pregnancies were strongly associated with poorer mental health outcomes in later life.
An Intelligent Attitude Determination and Control System Concept for a CubeSat Class Spacecraft

An attitude determination and control system (ADCS) is used to orient a spacecraft for a wide variety of purposes (e.g., to keep a camera facing Earth or orient the spacecraft for propulsion system use). The proposed intelligent ADCS has several key features: first, it can be used in multiple modes, spanning from passive stabilization of two axes and unconstrained spin on a third to three-axis full active stabilization. It also includes electromagnetic components to ‘dump’ spin from the reaction wheels. Second, the ADCS utilizes an incorporated autonomous control algorithm to characterize the effect of actuation of the system components and, thus, learns its movement model. This allows it to respond to changing conditions (such as damage, deployable parts, depleted fuel, etc.) that impact the movement model as well as facilitating the learning of the initial model, based on craft manufacturing nuances.
Fine Structure of the Unwalled Thallus of Rozella Polyphagi in its Host Polyphagus Euglenae

The endoparasitic chytrid, Rozella polyphagi, was found infecting another chytrid, Polyphagus euglenae, which is itself an epiparasite ofEuglena viridis and E. gracilis. An electron microscopic study revealed the unwalled, multinucleate thallus of the endoparasite in prosporangia and sporangia of P. euglenae where the plasma membrane of the endoparasitic thallus was in direct contact with the cytoplasm of P. euglenae. Profiles of degenerating host mitochondria in vacuoles of the endoparasite and of cytoplasmic projections of the endo? parasite around portions of host cytoplasm suggest that the endoparasite phagocytizes host protoplasm. A discussion of interfaces between unwalled endoparasites and their hosts show that the absence of host enveloping membranes around endoparasites and the capability of endoparasites to phagocytize host cytoplasm is more common than generally recognized.
The impact of electrophoretic genotype on life history traits in Pinus taeda

Reports of positive associations between allozymic heterozygosity and measures of fitness are routine, but it has not been possible to distinguish between the two preeminent explanations of the phenomenon, dominance and overdominance. We tested several of the assumptions of these hypotheses in our study of the relationship between electrophoretic genotype and three life history traits in loblolly pines (Pinus taeda L.). Traits examined included the survival and growth of selfed and outcrossed progeny of 45 maternal trees, and maternal fecundity, measured as the number of surviving progeny per mother tree. Inbreeding depression was severe; the relative fitness of the selfed progeny was only 8% that of the outcrossed progeny. We found a heterozygote fecundity advantage, which should have resulted in an excess of rare alleles in the progeny. Instead, there was evidence of severe survival selection against rare alleles in both heterozygous and homozygous forms. The deficit of rare alleles averaged 69 and 50% in the selfed and outcrossed progeny, respectively. The one allele in the sample that we should have suspected of being maintained by overdominance (a PGI2 mid-frequency allele) appeared to be overdominant for outcrossed height growth and probably for fecundity as well. Multiple-locus genotype explained very little of the variation in growth, however, and rather than seeing evidence for overdominance as a force in maintaining most of the observed polymorphism, we were left to explain, in the face of the severe survival selection, why the rare alleles were present at all. Projection of the stand into the future through computer simulation showed how balancing selection acting on differential growth, fecundity, and mortality among genotypes could, over the life of the stand, account for the maintenance of the rare alleles in the population.
Hydraulic architecture and water relations of a flood-tolerant tropical tree, Annona glabra

Hydraulic architecture parameters, water relation parameters and wood anatomy were studied in roots and shoots of the flood-tolerant tree Annona glabra L. on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Hydraulic conductivity, leaf specific conductivity, and Huber value were similar to the corresponding values for tree species living in non-flooded habitats. The vulnerability of stems to loss of hydraulic conductivity resulting from embolism was low (50% loss of conductivity at -3.3 MPa). The lowest leaf water potential measured in the field was about -1.0 MPa, indicating that A. glabra has a large margin of safety from embolism, which may provide protection against rare drought events, or may be an adaptation to brackish mangrove habitats. Low absolute conductivity of roots was compensated for by an increase in the number of roots. More than two-thirds of whole-plant resistance to water flow was located in the roots.
Functional Topography of Human Auditory Cortex.

Functional and anatomical studies have clearly demonstrated that auditory cortex is populated by multiple subfields. However, functional characterization of those fields has been largely the domain of animal electrophysiology, limiting the extent to which human and animal research can inform each other. In this study, we used high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging to characterize human auditory cortical subfields using a variety of low-level acoustic features in the spectral and temporal domains. Specifically, we show that topographic gradients of frequency preference, or tonotopy, extend along two axes in human auditory cortex, thus reconciling historical accounts of a tonotopic axis oriented medial to lateral along Heschl's gyrus and more recent findings emphasizing tonotopic organization along the anterior–posterior axis. Contradictory findings regarding topographic organization according to temporal modulation rate in acoustic stimuli, or “periodotopy,” are also addressed. Although isolated subregions show a preference for high rates of amplitude-modulated white noise (AMWN) in our data, large-scale “periodotopic” organization was not found. Organization by AM rate was correlated with dominant pitch percepts in AMWN in many regions. In short, our data expose early auditory cortex chiefly as a frequency analyzer, and spectral frequency, as imposed by the sensory receptor surface in the cochlea, seems to be the dominant feature governing large-scale topographic organization across human auditory cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In this study, we examine the nature of topographic organization in human auditory cortex with fMRI. Topographic organization by spectral frequency (tonotopy) extended in two directions: medial to lateral, consistent with early neuroimaging studies, and anterior to posterior, consistent with more recent reports. Large-scale organization by rates of temporal modulation (periodotopy) was correlated with confounding spectral content of amplitude-modulated white-noise stimuli. Together, our results suggest that the organization of human auditory cortex is driven primarily by its response to spectral acoustic features, and large-scale periodotopy spanning across multiple regions is not supported. This fundamental information regarding the functional organization of early auditory cortex will inform our growing understanding of speech perception and the processing of other complex sounds.
Cytologic and histologic features of superficial bladder cancer

Despite technologic advances in diagnostic skills, cytologic and histologic evaluation is still the standard for the identification of bladder cancer, and these two techniques are critical in therapy selection and post-treatment surveillance. The key to the proper interpretation of cytologic specimens lies in appropriate collection and handling of the sample. Because treatment differs according to the histologic type of a tumor, when a mixture of types is found, all should be listed with their relative proportions. Both pathologists and urologists must be aware of the importance of the muscularis mucosae; a transitional-cell carcinoma may invade this layer without extending into the true muscle.
Comparison of continuous-wave lasers for endarterectomy of experimental atheromas

The standard surgical lasers, argon ion, neodymium-yttrium aluminum garnet, and carbon dioxide, are often operated as continuous wave lasers with specific uses. Clinical trials of laser therapy for arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease are underway with all three lasers. Therefore, we compared these three lasers under controlled experimental conditions. A thoracoabdominal exploration was performed in 17 arteriosclerotic rabbits. The aorta was isolated, heparin administered, and multiple endarterectomies were performed in each rabbit with each of the lasers. A line of laser craters was created at the proximal and distal ends of an atheroma. Continuous-wave laser radiation was used to connect the craters and thereby form proximal and distal end points. The plaques were dissected free from the aorta with laser light and the end points were fused by laser. The aortas were removed for light microscopy and the animals were killed. The endarterectomy surfaces and end points were serially sectioned and graded according to light microscopic findings (1 = worst, 4 = best). Argon ion laser endarterectomy (N = 16) required 106 +/- 10 J/cm2. The surface score was 3.5 and end point score 3.4. Neodymium-yttrium aluminum garnet laser endarterectomy (N = 13) required 1,289 +/- 115 J/cm2 with a surface score of 2.4 (p less than 0.001 from argon ion) and an end point score of 1.3 (p less than 0.001 from argon ion). Carbon dioxide laser endarterectomy (N = 9) required 30 +/- 5J/cm2 with a surface score of 2.0 (p less than 0.001 from argon ion) and and end point score of 1.6 (p less than 0.001 from argon ion). Perforation occurred in one of 16 argon ion studies (technical error, not laser), in 11 of 13 neodymium-yttrium aluminum garnet studies, and in six of nine carbon dioxide studies. This study demonstrates that of the currently available clinical continuous-wave lasers, the argon ion laser is superior for endarterectomy of experimental atheromas.