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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.09.025 Byline: Alvin Aaden Yim-Hol Chan (a), W. David Stahlman (b), Dennis Garlick (b), Cynthia D. Fast (b), Daniel T. Blumstein (a), Aaron P. Blaisdell (b) Abstract: Extraneous sounds have a variety of effects on animals; they may interfere with communication, cause physical harm, increase wariness, influence settlement decisions, or they may cause distractions in ways that increase vulnerability to predation. We designed a study to investigate the effects of changing both the amplitude and duration of an acoustic stimulus on distraction in a terrestrial hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus). In experiment 1, we replicated the key findings from a field result: crabs hid more slowly in response to a silent visual stimulus when we simultaneously broadcast a white noise than they did when in a silent condition. In experiment 2, we altered the noise duration and found that a long noise generated greater latencies to hide than a short noise. In experiment 3, we increased the noise amplitude and found that hide latency increased with higher-intensity auditory stimuli. These experiments demonstrate a variety of stimulus factors that influence distraction. Our results suggest that prey animals could be in greater danger from predators when in an environment with auditory distractions. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, U.S.A. (b) Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, U.S.A. Article History: Received 4 June 2010; Revised 20 August 2010; Accepted 20 September 2010 Article Note: (miscellaneous) MS. number: A10-00396R

An expanded conceptualization of ethnicity was constructed to better understand its influence and importance on buyer-seller behavior and consumer behavior in light of the increases in migration and international trade. The new conceptualization covers postulates, such as biological and physical traits, personality characteristics, and cultural values. The new model is seen as a useful tool in the creation of marketing strategies which are aimed at broader ethnic groups.

With the advent of minimally invasive techniques, minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) has become a realistic option for many spine cases. This study aims to evaluate the operative and clinical outcomes of MISS for total versus subtotal tumor resection from current evidence. A literature search was performed using the search term (Minimally invasive surgery OR MIS) AND (spine tumor OR spinal tumor). Studies including both minimally invasive total and subtotal resection cases with operative or clinical data were included. Seven studies describing 159 spinal tumor cases were included. Compared with total resection, subtotal resection showed no significant differences in surgical time (mean difference (MD), 9.44 minutes; 95% confidence interval [CI], –47.66 to 66.55 minutes; P = 0.37), surgical blood loss (MD, –84.72 mL; 95% CI, –342.82 to 173.39 mL; P = 0.34), length of stay (MD, 1.38 days; 95% CI, –0.95 to 3.71 days; P = 0.17), and complication rate (odds ratio, 9.47; 95% CI, 0.34–263.56; P = 0.12). Pooled analyses with the random-effects model showed that neurologic function improved in 89% of patients undergoing total resection, whereas neurologic function improved in 61% of patients undergoing subtotal resection. Our analyses show that there is no significant difference in operative outcomes between total and subtotal resection. Patients undergoing total resection showed slightly better improvement in neurologic outcomes compared with patients undergoing subtotal resection. Overall, this study suggests that both total and subtotal resection may result in comparable outcomes for patients with spinal tumors. However, maximal safe resection remains the ideal treatment because it provides the greatest chance of long-term benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidental or intentional durotomy in spine surgery is associated with a risk of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage and reoperation. Several strategies have been introduced, but the incomplete closure is still relatively frequent and troublesome. In this study, we review current evidence on spinal dural repair strategies and evaluate their efficacy. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were used to search primary studies about the repair of the spinal dura with different techniques. Of 265 articles found, 11 studies, which specified repair techniques and postoperative outcomes, were included for qualitative and quantitative analysis. The primary outcomes were CSF leakage and postoperative infection. The outcomes of different dural repair techniques were available in 776 cases. Pooled analysis of 11 studies demonstrated that the most commonly used technique was a combination of primary closure, patch or graft, and sealant (22.7%, 176/776). A combination of primary closure and patch or graft resulted in the lowest rate of CSF leakage (5.5%, 7/128). In this study, sealants as an adjunct to primary closure (13.7%, 18/131) did not significantly reduce the rate of CSF leakage compared with primary closure alone (17.6%, 18/102). The rates of infection and postoperative neurologic deficit were similar regardless of the repair techniques. Although the use of sealants has become prevalent, available sealants as an adjunct to primary closure did not reduce the rate of CSF leakage compared with primary closure. The combination of primary closure and patches or grafts could be effective in decreasing postoperative CSF leakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinopelvic parameters have hitherto dictated much of adult spinal deformity (ASD) correction. The Roussouly classification is used for the normal adult spine. We evaluated whether a correlation would be found between the Roussouly type and the rate of revision surgery in patients with ASD undergoing circumferential minimally invasive spinal (cMIS) correction. A multicenter retrospective review of patients who had undergone cMIS surgery for ASD was performed. The inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years and 1 of the following: coronal Cobb angle >20°, sagittal vertical axis >5 cm, pelvic tilt >20°, pelvic incidence (PI) to lumbar lordosis (LL) mismatch >10°, cMIS surgery, and a minimum of 2 years of follow-up data available. The patients were classified by Roussouly type, and the clinical and radiographic outcomes were evaluated. A total of 104 patients were included in the present analysis. Of the 104 patients, 41 had Roussouly type 1, 32 had type 2, 23 had type 3, and 8 had type 4. Preoperatively, the patients with type 4 had the highest PI (P = 0.002) and LL (P < 0.001). Postoperatively, the PI-LL mismatch, Cobb angle, and sagittal vertical axis were not different among the 4 groups. However, the patients with type 2 had had the highest rate of complications (type 1, 29.3%; type 2, 61.3%; type 3, 34.8%; type 4, 25.0%; P = 0.031). The reoperation rates were comparable (type 1, 19.5%; type 2, 38.7%; type 3, 13.0%; type 4, 12.5%; P = 0.097). The reoperation rates for adjacent segment degeneration or proximal junctional kyphosis were also comparable (P = 0.204 and P = 0.060, respectively). We did not find a clear correlation between Roussouly type and the rate of revision surgery for adjacent segment disease or proximal junctional kyphosis in patients who had undergone cMIS surgery for ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemispherectomy is a successful and well-described treatment option for pediatric patients with hemispheric ictal onset, but adult outcomes have been far less studied. We describe the outcomes in adult patients with medically refractory epilepsy and hemispheric disease and the relationship to cerebral peduncle volume. We retrospectively reviewed adult hemispherectomy patients at our institution from 2015 to 2018. Patient data including demographic information, pathologic changes, seizure-free outcomes, and ipsilateral (i.e., surgical side) and contralateral (i.e., functional side) cerebral peduncle volume data were collected. We identified 4 adult patients who underwent hemispherectomy. The mean age at surgery was roughly 25 years. All patients were categorized as Engel I or II, and motor scores at last follow-up were unchanged. The mean volume for contralateral and ipsilateral cerebral peduncle means were 1.42 and 0.78 cm3, respectively (P = 0.01). These findings suggest that smaller ipsilateral cerebral peduncle size could potentially be associated with unchanged postoperative hemiparesis. We hypothesize that smaller ipsilateral peduncle size could have represented corticospinal tract reorganization in childhood, implying that the removed brain matter was mostly noncontributory to contralateral motor function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose Damaged central venous catheters (CVCs) are commonly repaired to avoid line replacement and preserve vascular access. However, limited data suggest an increased risk for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) associated with the repair procedure. The purpose of this study was to describe outcomes of CVC repairs among parenteral nutrition (PN) dependent children with intestinal failure (IF). Methods A 2-year retrospective review was performed on children with IF on home PN > 6 months. Outcomes of interest were repair success and postrepair CLABSI incidence. Descriptive statistics included medians and frequencies. Results A total of 36 pediatric IF patients underwent 96 CVC repairs during the study period. The median CVC repair count was 1.5 repairs/patient (range, 1 to 16 repairs/patient) with > 1 repair in half the patients. Ninety-four broken catheters (98%) were successfully repaired with restoration of function. Of the unsuccessful repairs (2%), the two catheters eventually required surgical removal and replacement. One repair (1%) was followed by a CLABSI with Enterococcus faecalis in an immunocompromised patient. Conclusion CVC repair is a highly successful procedure with a low risk for infection. Catheter repair should be considered whenever possible as it may extend the lifetime of the catheter and decrease the risk for vascular access loss. Level of evidence Treatment study; level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Neurons expressing agouti-related protein (AgRP) are essential for feeding. The majority of these neurons are located outside the blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing them to directly sense circulating metabolic factors. Here, we show that, in adult mice, AgRP neurons outside the BBB (AgRP OBBB ) were rapidly ablated by peripheral administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG), whereas AgRP neurons inside the BBB and most proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons were spared. MSG treatment induced proliferation of tanycytes, the putative hypothalamic neural progenitor cells, but the newly proliferated tanycytes did not become neurons. Intriguingly, AgRP OBBB neuronal number increased within a week after MSG treatment, and newly emerging AgRP neurons were derived from post-mitotic cells, including some from the Pomc -expressing cell lineage. Our study reveals that the lack of protection by the BBB renders AgRP OBBB vulnerable to lesioning by circulating toxins but that the rapid re-emergence of AgRP OBBB is part of a reparative process to maintain energy balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Responses to innocuous stimuli often habituate with repeated stimulation, but the mechanisms involved in dishabituation are less well studied. found that hermit crabs were quicker to perform an anti-predator withdrawal response in the presence of a short-duration white noise relative to a longer noise stimulus. In two experiments, we examined whether this effect could be explicable in terms of a non-associative learning process. We delivered repeated presentations of a simulated visual predator to hermit crabs, which initially caused the crabs to withdraw into their shells. After a number of trials, the visual stimulus lost the ability to elicit the withdrawal response. We then presented the crabs with an auditory stimulus prior to an additional presentation of the visual predator. In Experiment 1, the presentation of a 10-s, 89-dB SPL noise produced no significant dishabituation of the response. In Experiment 2 we increased the duration (50s) and intensity (95dB) of the noise, and found that the crabs recovered their withdrawal response to the visual predator. This finding illustrates dishabituation of an antipredator response and suggests two distinct processes—distraction and sensitization—are influenced by the same stimulus parameters, and interact to modulate the strength of the anti-predator response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Anthropogenic stimuli are often viewed as disturbances that directly interfere with signal processing or communication, or directly harm animals. However, such sounds may also distract individuals and thus potentially interfere with their ability to make biologically important decisions about food selection, mate selection, and predator detection. This is because all of these decisions require animals to focus their attention on these tasks and the attention allocated to perceived stimuli is limited. We review the ways that attention is studied, the diversity of taxa in which this cognitive process has been studied, and how stimuli from one modality may interfere with attentional processes in another modality. Such distraction may increase the vulnerability of prey to predators and thus influence predation rates and, ultimately, both the population size, and the effective population size (through differential mortality). Recognizing that distraction is likely to be widespread is the first step towards managing it for wildlife conservation and the management of problem animals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In thrust belts, fluid flow through critically stressed fractures will occur at pressures less than the overburden stress, which is the minimum stress. We propose that low leak-off pressures obtained in active thrust belts may result from this mechanism, leading workers to infer that apparent minimum stresses are 30–60% less than the overburden stress in some compressional settings. Traditionally, leak-off pressure data have been used to constrain the magnitude of minimum stress, assuming that the rock is dilating against the minimum stress during a leak-off test. In our new interpretation, we constrain the stress state by assuming that the leak-off test causes shear failure along pre-existing weaknesses rather than tensile opening. While this mechanism has been discussed in a small number of borehole stability and hydraulic fracture papers, it has not been directly applied to leak-off tests. We considered this interpretation because we observed that some leak-off tests imply an apparent contradiction between the stress states from the standard interpretation of leak-off tests versus the stress state inferred from geologic and geophysical evidence in tectonically active thrust belts. We present two examples with one in an onshore fold–thrust belt and one in a deepwater fold–thrust belt. Our new interpretation of stresses based on shear failure resolves the contradiction and also provides a constraint on the maximum horizontal stress in the fold–thrust belts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We recently identified six neuroblastoma patients with constitutional or tumor-specific mutations in the homeobox gene Phox2B. Phox2B controls part of the differentiation program of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Mice with a homozygous inactivation of Phox2B fail in the proper differentiation of the chromaffin lineage of the SNS. Phox2B regulates HASH1 which can control expression of genes of the Delta–Notch pathway. We previously showed that a subset of neuroblastoma cell lines highly expresses Delta-like 1 (Dlk1), which is a marker for the chromaffin lineage of the SNS. Notch3 is expressed in another subset of neuroblastoma cell lines and marks tumors from an alternative differentiation lineage. Phox2B is also related to the TrkA differentiation pathway in neuroblastoma. Here we will review the role of Phox2B in differentiation programs of the SNS and in neuroblastoma pathogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dynamic configuration is a desirable property of a distributed system where dynamic modification and extension to the system and the applications are required. It allows the system configuration to be specified and changed while the system is executing. This paper describes a software platform that facilitates a novel approach to the dynamically configurable programming of parallel and distributed applications and systems. This platform is based on a graph-oriented model and it provides support for constructing reconfigurable distributed programs. We describe the design and implementation of a dynamic configuration manager for the graph-oriented distributed programming environment. The requirements and services for dynamic reconfiguration are identified. The architectural design of a dynamic configuration manager is presented, and a parallel virtual machine-based prototypical implementation of the manager, on a local area network of workstations, is described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the biological role of vitamin E in treating atherosclerosis. Role of low density lipoprotein oxidation on atherogenesis; Effects on endothelial arachidonic acid and metabolism; Factors affecting vitamin E status.

FXR agonists are used to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in part because they reduce hepatic lipids. Here, we show that FXR activation with the FXR agonist GSK2324 controls hepatic lipids via reduced absorption and selective decreases in fatty acid synthesis. Using comprehensive lipidomic analyses, we show that FXR activation in mice or humans specifically reduces hepatic levels of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFA and PUFA). Decreases in MUFA are due to FXR-dependent repression of Scd1 , Dgat2 , and Lpin1 expression, which is independent of SHP and SREBP1c. FXR-dependent decreases in PUFAs are mediated by decreases in lipid absorption. Replenishing bile acids in the diet prevented decreased lipid absorption in GSK2324-treated mice, suggesting that FXR reduces absorption via decreased bile acids. We used tissue-specific FXR KO mice to show that hepatic FXR controls lipogenic genes, whereas intestinal FXR controls lipid absorption. Together, our studies establish two distinct pathways by which FXR regulates hepatic lipids. [Display omitted] • Non-steroidal agonists of FXR significantly decrease intestinal lipid absorption • FXR decreases hepatic triglycerides independently of SHP and SREBP1C • FXR activation reduces expression of three key lipogenic genes, Scd1, Lpin1, and Dgat2 • Intestinal and hepatic FXR are both required to decrease hepatic triglycerides The nuclear receptor FXR lowers hepatic triglycerides to protect against the onset of NAFLD. Clifford et al. demonstrate that activation of FXR decreases hepatic triglycerides through two distinct mechanisms. First, via bile-acid-dependent decreases in intestinal lipid absorption and second, through selective changes in lipogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights the efficacy of vitamin E for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Relationship between vitamin E and coronary heart diseases; Physiologic effects of vitamin E; Factors affecting vitamin E status; Protective effects of vitamin E on lipoproteins and different cell types involved in atherogenesis.

Human platelet lipooxygenase converts arachidonic acid to 12-hydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HPETE), which is rapidly reduced by peroxidases to 12-hydroxy-eicosa-tetraenoic acid (12-HETE). This study was conducted to examine the effect of vitamin E supplementation on platelet 12-lipooxygenase activity. Sixteen healthy subjects were supplemented with 400 IU/day of either D-α-tocopherol (268 mg) or DL-α-tocopherol (364 mg) for 4 wk. Supplements elicited a transitory increase of lipooxygenase activity but a suppression of peroxidase activity, as indicated by increased 12-HETE production and 12-HPETE accumulation. Plasma-tocopherol concentration was double the presupplement value and remained stable during supplementation. Neither age, sex, nor isomeric form of tocopherol supplement significantly influenced the pattern of response. Results show that vitamin E exerts a differential effect on platelet lipooxygenase and peroxidase activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a deep recurrent convolutional neural network (CNN) approach to solve the problem of hockey player identification in NHL broadcast videos. Player identification is a difficult computer vision problem mainly because of the players' similar appearance, occlusion, and blurry facial and physical features. However, we can observe players' jersey numbers over time by processing variable length image sequences of players (aka 'tracklets'). We propose an end-to-end trainable ResNet+LSTM network, with a residual network (ResNet) base and a long short-term memory (LSTM) layer, to discover spatio-temporal features of jersey numbers over time and learn long-term dependencies. Additionally, we employ a secondary 1-dimensional convolutional neural network classifier as a late score-level fusion method to classify the output of the ResNet+LSTM network. For this work, we created a new hockey player tracklet dataset that contains sequences of hockey player bounding boxes. This achieves an overall player identification accuracy score over 87% on the test split of our new dataset. • Recurrent convolutional neural network proposed for hockey player identification. • Variable length image sequences of player bounding boxes (tracklets) are classified. • Spatial–temporal information across video frames improves jersey number predictions. • A secondary classifier added as a late score-level fusion method increases accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single neuron or unit recording enables researchers to measure the electrophysiologic responses of single neurons using a microelectrode system. This approach is widely used in cognitive science and has become more widespread in humans with the use of hybrid (micro-within-macrowire) depth electrodes that enable the implantation of microwires into the brain parenchyma. The authors describe their surgical technique in a total of 7 patients with intractable epilepsy who underwent robot-enhanced stereoencephalography in which both standard (nonhybrid) and hybrid depth electrodes were used for invasive chronic monitoring. The technique and accuracy of the procedure were evaluated with a total of 84 depth electrodes (46 hybrid, 38 standard) in 7 patients. No major complications, such as intracranial hemorrhage, infection or cerebrospinal fluid leakage, occurred regardless of the type of electrode used. The addition of hybrid depth electrodes for the purpose of in vivo single neuron recording in robot-enhanced stereoencephalography procedures is safe and does not impact the accuracy of targeting or patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Electrode implantation for deep brain stimulation (DBS) can be performed in numerous ways, but the current “gold standard” is the use of frame-based systems for accuracy. Robotic stereotactic procedures, however, have gained increased interest because of their ease of use and reliability, but there could be concern about their safety in the United States as the result of recent lawsuits (e.g., the da Vinci Surgical System). We report the first DBS implantation performed using a robot (ROSA robotic device) approved by Food and Drug Administration for use in North America. Case Description A 56-year-old, right-handed woman with a 12-year history of Parkinson disease is described. She was offered bilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS placement to address motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. DBS electrode implantation was implemented successfully with ROSA robotic stereotactic assistance. Using preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scan acquisitions, we targeted the patient's subthalamic nucleus bilaterally. Bone fiducials were placed and intraoperative computed tomography (CT) imaging was obtained. The magnetic resonance imaging and CT were fused, and the patient was registered to the ROSA software. Trajectories were obtained and a microdrive device was fixed to the robotic arm to advance the electrode to the correct location. Electrodes were then placed bilaterally. Intraoperative CT showed good placement with no complications encountered. Conclusions The advantages of robotic assistance in stereotactic procedures are as follows: 1) improved accuracy, 2) “arc-less” approach, and 3) minor adjustments can be made in multiple planes to the entry point without adjustment of a frame. The case demonstrates robotic stereotactic assistance viability as an alternative to traditional frame-based or frameless systems in U.S. hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconductor bond pads made from aluminum and small percentages of copper is susceptible to galvanic corrosion. In galvanic corrosion, the cathode (copper precipitate) is usually protected by the aluminum oxide that covers the surface of aluminum which acts as the anode. However, when the aluminum oxide thickness is reduced by plasma cleaning, the precipitates can be exposed. When exposed precipitates come in contact with de-ionized water, galvanic corrosion takes place. Therefore, though plasma cleaning in general is supposed to improve semiconductor bond pad surface in preparation for package level interconnection, adding the plasma clean step just before a process with de-ionized water can cause bond pad corrosion through the galvanic reaction between the exposed precipitate (cathode) and the surrounding aluminum (anode). This paper aims to investigate the mechanism of corrosion and characterize corroded bond pads by using wire bond ball shear method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been increased interest in patient satisfaction measures such as Press Ganey and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys. In this systematic review, the spine surgery literature is analyzed to evaluate factors predictive of patient satisfaction as measured by these surveys. A thorough literature search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases. All English-language articles from database inception to July 2020 were screened for study inclusion according to PRISMA guidelines. Twenty-four of the 1899 published studies were included for qualitative analysis. There has been a statistically significant increase in the number of publications across years (P = 0.04). Overall, the studies evaluated the relationship between patient satisfaction and patient demographics (71%), preoperative and intraoperative clinical factors (21%), and postoperative factors (33%). Top positive predictors of patient satisfaction were patient and nursing/medical staff relationship (n = 4; 17%), physician–patient relationship (n = 4; 17%), managerial oversight of received care (n = 3; 13%), same sex/ethnicity between patient and physician (n = 2; 8%), and older age (n = 2; 8%). Top negative predictors of patient satisfaction were high Charlson Comorbidity Index/high disability/worse overall health functioning (n = 7; 29%), increased length of hospital stay (n = 4; 17%), high rating for pain/complications/readmissions (n = 4; 17%), and psychosocial factors (n = 3; 13%). There is heterogeneity in terms of different factors, both clinical and nonclinically related, that affect patient satisfaction ratings. More research is warranted to investigate the role of hospital consumer surveys in the spine surgical patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the first to identify the most influential articles on medulloblastoma using the citation analysis methodology. To perform a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited articles on medulloblastoma. Using the Web of Science database, search criteria included the title-specific keyword "medulloblastoma" OR "cerebellar primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)" OR "cerebellar PNET." Publications from 1900 to 2020 labeled "article," "review," "data set," or "clinical trial" were chosen and ranked based on total number of citations in descending order. Each article was evaluated based on the following variables: total citations, average citations per year, first author, institution of first author, title, publication year, country of origin, SCImago Journal Rank, and Scopus SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper). Our search yielded 4928 articles on medulloblastoma. The 100 most-cited articles ranged from 192 to 2017 across 42 unique journals; Journal of Clinical Oncology accounted for the most publications (16%). Paul A. Northcott was first author of the most articles on the list (n = 7.7%), and the most widely cited article was "Altered neural cell fates and medulloblastoma in mouse patched mutants" by Goodrich et al., published in Science (1997). Because medulloblastoma represents the most common form of pediatric cancerous brain tumor, it is important to identify works that have significantly contributed to the body of knowledge regarding this disease. The 100 most-cited medulloblastoma articles comprise a significant collection of data regarding the histopathologic and molecular classification of medulloblastoma as well as clinical outcomes of therapeutics used to treat this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a debilitating disorder characterized by intermittent involuntary movement of muscles innervated by the facial nerve. HFS is caused by neurovascular compression along the facial nerve root exit zone and can be treated by microvascular decompression (MVD). The goal was to determine rates and predictors of spasm freedom after MVD for HFS. A literature search using the key terms "microvascular decompression" and "hemifacial spasm" was performed. The primary outcome variable was spasm freedom at last follow-up. Analysis was completed to evaluate for variables associated with spasm-free outcome. A total of 39 studies including 6249 patients were analyzed. Overall spasm freedom rate was 90.5% (5652/6249) at a follow-up of 1.25 ± 0.04 years. There was no significant relationship between spasm freedom versus persistent spasm and age at surgery, timing of follow-up, gender, disease duration, side of disease, or vessel type. Spasm freedom was more likely after an initial surgery versus a redo MVD (odds ratio 4.16, 95% confidence interval 1.99–8.68; P < 0.01). MVD works well for HFS with cure rates >90% at 1-year follow-up in 6249 patients from 39 studies. A significant predictor of long-term spasm freedom at 1 year was an initial MVD as compared to repeat MVD. The majority of published manuscripts on MVD for HFS are heterogeneous single-institutional retrospective studies. As such, a large-scale meta-analysis reporting outcome rates and evaluating significant predictors of spasm freedom provides utility in the absence of randomized controlled studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open circuit voltage of a photovoltaic system, in general, is constrained by the Schottky barrier (SB) heights formed at the electrodes. Here, the SB heights which are inhomogeneous in nature at the anode-semiconductor junction of a donor-acceptor-acceptor molecule, 2-[(7-(4-[N,N-bis(4-methylphenyl)amino]phenyl)-2,1,3-benzothia-diazol-4-yl)methylene] propane-dinitrile (DTDCPB), mixed with C 70 as a bulk heterojunction have been studied thoroughly by inserting an insulating layer of MoO 3 with different thicknesses (6 nm, 12 nm, 18 nm) and measuring the current density-voltage (J-V) and capacitance-voltage (C–V) characteristics of the photovoltaics under a large temperature range of 100K–300 K for proper estimation of open circuit voltage (V oc). Experimental results reveal a linear inverse temperature dependence of SB heights in the whole temperature range. The mismatch in the extracted values of SB heights from the independent measurements of J-V and C–V vanishes under the consideration of non-linear temperature dependence of built-in potential (V bi) leading to the legitimate prediction of V oc. The inhomogeneous Schottky barrier formed at the interface of the anode and the active layer of OPV limits the V oc of the device as revealed by the nonlinear temperature dependence of the built-in voltage estimated independently by C-V and J-V measurements. Image 1 • Schottky barrier formed at the anode of a small molecular photovoltaic was studied. • A varied MoO 3 insulating layer was inserted in between the anode and active layer. • J-V and C–V measurements were performed at low temperatures (100K – 300K). • A linear inverse temperature dependence of Schottky barrier heights was revealed. • A non-linear temperature dependence of built-in potential was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]