cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Terry Darr. Combating Plagiarism: A Hands-On Guide for Librarians, Teachers, and Students. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2019. 307p. Paperback, $45.00 (ISBN 978-1-4408-6546-6).

With the topic of plagiarism blanketing both teaching and librarianship in K–12 and higher education, I was excited to see this one-volume book with an impressive table of contents and breadth of coverage. Combating Plagiarism is a practical guide for those teachers and librarians responsible for delivering how-to’s and competency exercises for students on how to avoid plagiarism. The book is structured with eight chapters and includes a host of appendices, the latter making up almost half the book’s total pages. The content is heavy on citations and style formats (APA, MLA, Chicago), with discussions also touching on micro-paraphrasing, the state of plagiarism, digital images, and identifying common knowledge. On page 4, I appreciated the blunt message that set the stage for the rest of the book: “As educators, we tell students not to plagiarize, but we do not explain how to stop. Instruction works.” Citations for a literature review follow, pointing to studies with the evidence to support that assertion.
Applying a Mindset of Spiritual Jihad to Religious/Spiritual Struggles: The Development of a Preliminary Measure

Religious and spiritual (R/S) struggles emerge when a person’s beliefs, practices, or experiences regarding R/S matters result in distress or conflict. Given this emphasis on distress and conflict, it is not surprising that many studies have found R/S struggles to be linked with indicators of psychological distress, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety. In contrast to the large amount of research conducted on the distressing aspect of R/S struggles, relatively little attention has been given to the growth aspect of R/S struggles. The current project focused on a specific response to struggle that is prominent within Islam: the phenomenon of struggling for growth purposes, referred to as spiritual jihad. A spiritual jihad approach towards struggles provides a framework for understanding, interpreting, and engaging with life experiences, and it encourages Muslims to make meaning of negative life experiences and cope in a proactive manner. The current study is a first attempt at measuring the mindset associated with spiritual jihad. Data were collected from an online survey of U.S. Muslim adults (N = 280). Results provided preliminary support for the measure’s psychometric properties. Findings indicated that Muslims who approached a moral struggle through a spiritual jihad mindset reported higher levels of spiritual growth and post-traumatic growth. Furthermore, greater endorsement of a spiritual jihad mindset was associated with virtues such patience, gratitude, and forgiveness. The findings suggest that a spiritual jihad mindset is linked with greater well-being and virtue among Muslims. They have both clinical and multicultural implications.
Regulated Tristetraprolin Overexpression Dampens the Development and Pathogenesis of Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis.

Non-infectious uveitis, a common cause of blindness in man, is often mediated by autoimmunity, a process in which cytokines play major roles. The biosynthesis and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines are regulated in part by tristetraprolin (TTP), an endogenous anti-inflammatory protein that acts by binding directly to specific sequence motifs in the 3'-untranslated regions of target mRNAs, promoting their turnover, and inhibiting synthesis of their encoded proteins. We recently developed a TTP-overexpressing mouse (TTPΔARE) by deleting an AU-rich element (ARE) instability motif from the TTP mRNA, resulting in increased accumulation of TTP mRNA and protein throughout the animal. Here, we show that homozygous TTPΔARE mice are resistant to the induction of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) induced by interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP), an established model for human autoimmune (noninfectious) uveitis. Lymphocytes from TTPΔARE mice produced lower levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-6, and TNFα than wild type (WT) mice. TTPΔARE mice also produced lower titers of antibodies against the uveitogenic protein. In contrast, TTPΔARE mice produced higher levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and had higher frequencies of regulatory T-cells, which, moreover, displayed a moderately higher per-cell regulatory ability. Heterozygous mice developed EAU and associated immunological responses at levels intermediate between homozygous TTPΔARE mice and WT controls. TTPΔARE mice were able, however, to develop EAU following adoptive transfer of activated WT T-cells specific to IRBP peptide 651-670, and naive T-cells from TTPΔARE mice could be activated by antibodies to CD3/CD28. Importantly, TTPΔARE antigen presenting cells were significantly less efficient compared to WT in priming naive T cells, suggesting that this feature plays a major role in the dampened immune responses of the TTPΔARE mice. Our observations demonstrate that elevated systemic levels of TTP can inhibit the pathogenic processes involved in EAU, and suggest the possible use of TTP-based treatments in humans with uveitis and other autoimmune conditions.
RIPK3 Facilitates Host Resistance to Oral Toxoplasma gondii Infection.

Toxoplasma gondii infection activates pattern recognition receptor (PRR) pathways that drive innate inflammatory responses to control infection. Necroptosis is a pro-inflammatory cell death pathway apart of the innate immune response that has evolved to control pathogenic infection. In this study, we further defined the role of Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) as a PRR and assessed its contribution to necroptosis as a host protection mechanism to T. gondii infection. We found that ZBP1 does not induce pro-inflammatory necroptosis cell death and ZBP1 null mice have reduced survival after oral T. gondii infection. In contrast, mice deleted in receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (RIPK3-/-), a central mediator of necroptosis, have significantly improved survival after oral T. gondii infection without a reduction in parasite burden. The physiological consequences of RIPK3 activity did not show any differences in intestine villi immunopathology but RIPK3-/- mice showed higher immune cell infiltration and edema in the lamina propria. The contribution of necroptosis to host survival was clarified with mixed lineage kinase domain like pseudokinase null (MLKL-/-) mice. We found MLKL-/- mice to succumb to oral T. gondii infection the same as wild type mice, indicating necroptosis-independent RIPK3 activity impacts host survival. These results provide new insights on the impacts of pro-inflammatory cell death pathways as a mechanism of host defense to oral T. gondii infection.
Low-dose preoperative radiation, resection, and reduced-field postoperative radiation for soft tissue sarcomas.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Radiotherapy (RT) enables conservative surgery for soft tissue sarcoma (STS). RT can be delivered either pre-operatively (PreRT) or postoperatively (PORT), yet in some patients, neither approach is fully satisfactory (e.g., urgent surgery or wound healing risk prevents PreRT, yet PORT alone cannot cover the entire surgical field). We hypothesized that, in such situations, low-dose PreRT (LD-PreRT) would decrease the risk of intraoperative tumor seeding and thus permit PORT to a reduced volume (covering the high-risk tumor bed but not all surgically manipulated tissues). METHODS We identified a single-institution retrospective cohort of 78 patients treated with LD-PreRT (10-30 Gy), resection, and PORT between 1980 and 2018. RESULTS At a median follow-up of 8.2 years, 8-year overall survival (OS) was 65.9%, disease-free survival (DFS) 50.5%, and local control (LC) 76.7%; in 45 patients with extremity/superficial trunk (E/ST) STS, 8-year LC was 80.9%. Both before and after propensity score adjustment, there were no differences in OS, DFS, or LC between this cohort and a separate cohort of 394 STS (221 E/ST-STS) patients treated with surgery and PORT alone. CONCLUSIONS In patients for whom neither PreRT nor PORT alone is optimal, LD-PreRT may prevent intraoperative tumor seeding and enable PORT to a reduced volume while preserving oncologic outcomes.
Short-Stay Hospitalizations for Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: Patients requiring hospital care for COVID-19 may be stable for discharge soon after admission. This study sought to describe patient characteristics associated with short-stay hospitalization for COVID-19. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with COVID-19 admitted to five United States hospitals from March to December 2020. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify patient characteristics associated with short hospital length-of-stay. Results: Of 3103 patients, 648 (20.9%) were hospitalized for less than 48 h. These patients were significantly less likely to have an age greater than 60, diabetes, chronic kidney disease; emergency department vital sign abnormalities, or abnormal initial diagnostic testing. For patients with no significant risk factors, the adjusted probability of short-stay hospitalization was 62.4% (95% CI 58.9–69.6). Conclusion: Identification of candidates for early hospital discharge may allow hospitals to streamline throughput using protocols that optimize the efficiency of hospital care and coordinate post-discharge monitoring.
Evolution and genetic basis of the plant-penetrating ovipositor, a key adaptation in herbivorous Drosophilidae

Herbivorous insects are extraordinarily diverse, yet are found in only one-third of insect orders. This skew may result from barriers to plant colonization, coupled with phylogenetic constraint on plant-colonizing adaptations. Physical barriers have been surmounted through the evolution of key morphological innovations, such as the plant-penetrating ovipositor. Despite their significance, the evolution and genetic basis of such innovations have not been well studied. Ovipositors densely lined with hard bristles have evolved repeatedly in herbivorous lineages within the Drosophilidae. Here, we focus on the evolution of this trait in Scaptomyza, an herbivorous radiation nested in a microbe-feeding clade, sister to Hawiian Drosophila. Our phylogenetic approach revealed that ovipositor bristle number increased as herbivory evolved. We then dissected the genomic architecture of variation in ovipositor bristle number within S. flava through a genome wide association study. Top associated variants were enriched for transcriptional repressors, and the strongest associations included genes contributing to peripheral nervous system development. Genotyping individual flies replicated the association at a variant upstream of Gαi, a neural development gene, contributing to a gain of 0.58 bristles/major allele. These results show that a key morphological adaptation required for plant colonization may have arisen through regulatory changes involving conserved developmental genes.
The technique of sleeve resection on the bronchial and pulmonary vascular tree

Sleeve resections of the lungs have affected the oncologic radicality, parenchyma and lung function-saving resections and extended the indications for operations in thoracic surgery. Whenever lung amputations can be avoided by bronchoplastic and/or angioplastic procedures with the same radicality, sleeve resection should be performed. In centrally located distinct malignomas, intraluminal tumor growth (T3) infiltrations of peribronchial or extrabronchial areas, the lobular ostia and the pulmonary artery (T2/T3) as well as lymph node involvement (N1/N2), these procedures give a better qualitative survival and lower morbidity and mortality rates. Broncoscope-guided localization of a double lumen tube and routine anesthesia monitoring are mandatory. Before performing sleeve resections a complete lymph node dissection should be done without denuding the area of the anastomosis and sparing the bronchial arteries. Preoperative endoscopic biopsies, knowledge of the topography and mobilization of the vascular and bronchial tree, subtile operation techniques, perioperative and postoperative videobronchoscopic guidance as well as intraoperative frozen sections and a tension-free and smooth anastomosis, avoid postoperative complications. Depending on the blood supply of the bronchial tree a vascularized flap is indicated. Operability can therefore be achieved in elderly patients with limited pulmonary function, particularly those under adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy who are no longer suitable for pneumonectomy.
Remote memory for visuospatial information in patients with Huntington’s disease

Remote memory for visuospatial information was studied in patients with Huntington’s disease (HD) using a recently developed test of geographical knowledge. When asked to locate places on a map of the region of the U.S. in which they were born and raised or on a map of California where they currently resided, the HD patients performed less accurately than controls, and the magnitude of their impairment was equally severe on both regional maps. The “flat” temporal gradient of the HD patients’ retrograde amnesia for visuospatial information was similar in form to their performance in a previous study in which remote memory was measured using identification of famous faces and recall of public events. A second experiment demonstrated that visuo-motor impairments could not account for the HD patients’ deficits in geographical knowledge.
Metabolic features of encephalitis in patients with cognitive decline as revealed by brain FDG PET

1237 Objectives Encephalitis can cause cognitive decline and atypical presentations of dementia, but establishing the diagnoses can be difficult. We examined cerebral metabolic features of encephalitis including rare antibody-mediated encephalitis. Methods Patients with cognitive decline (age 22-67 yrs; 4 males) with final diagnoses (serum; CSF; and/or autopsy) of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (NMDA; n=3); anti-voltage-gated potassium channel encephalitis (VGKC; n=1); limbic encephalitis (LE; n=1); and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD; n=1) as well as representative probable Alzheimer’s disease (pAD; n=10) and normal controls (NC; n=35) were examined. Standard [F-18]FDG PET brain images were obtained and analyzed quantitatively using 3D-SSP Z-score maps with pons normalization compared to NCs. Results Compared to NCs, anti-NMDA encephalitis patients showed hypometabolism involving medial (Z>4) and lateral (Z>4) occipital cortices and cerebellum (Z>3). All cases showed variable involvement of fronto-parieto-temporal association cortices (Z=2-5). Anti-VGKC encephalitis showed milder thalamic and brainstem hypometabolism (Z=2-3) while LE showed distinct 9hypermetabolism9 in the medial temporal cortex (Z>7). CJD showed asymmetric hypometabolism involving both primary and association cortices. Posterior cingulate cortex (Z>3) was involved in CJD, LE, and one NMDA case. Compared to pAD cases, in which known hypometabolism in parieto-temporal and frontal association cortices (Z=3-6) with sparing of primary cortices was seen, encephalitis cases exhibited involvement of primary cortices and subcortical structures. Conclusions Differential involvements of cortical and subcortical structures that were distinct from pAD were seen in various encephalitis cases. These metabolic features could potentially assist in the differential diagnoses of patients with cognitive decline. Regional vulnerability of altered brain metabolism associated with encephalitis warrants further mechanistic investigations. Research Support NIH/RO1NS04525
The Effect of 3He on Low Pressure Hydride Absorption Measurements with Tritium

Absorption isotherm data exists for a wide variety of hydrogen-metal systems. When working with high purity gases, appropriately sized equipment, and hydrides with equilibrium pressures above several hundred Pa, data collection is relatively straightforward. Special consideration must be given to experiments involving low equilibrium pressure hydrides, as even sub-ppm levels of gas impurities can generate partial pressures many times greater than the equilibrium pressures to be measured. Tritium absorption experiments are further complicated by the continuous generation of helium-3. The time required to transfer and absorb a known quantity of tritium onto a sample ultimately limits the minimum pressure range that can be studied using the standard technique. Equations are presented which show the pressure of helium-3 in a sample cell based on the amount of tritium to be absorbed, the sample cell volume and temperature, and the decay time of tritium. Sample calculations for zirconium show that at 300 C, the estimated helium-3 pressure in the cell will be equal to the hydrogen absorption pressure after only milliseconds of tritium decay. An alternate method is presented that permits the collection of equilibrium data at pressures orders of magnitude lower than possible using a direct approach.
Driving “Immunization” in Alienated Young Men

When driving workshops were conducted in classes of seniors in five high schools in southeastern Michigan, using non-directive discussion of trigger films and members' own highway experiences, young men appeared to drive somewhat more dangerously for the first nine months and then more safely, relative to control groups. A medical analogy is suggested: the workshops appeared to produce a mild “infection” of unsafe driving followed by an increase in “immunity.” These effects were more visible for workshop men who were relatively alienated from the school system in terms of having poorer grades and being older than average; during the second year their driving record was as good as that of their non-alienated peers.
Architectures for DACs

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Architectures for the Noise-Shaping Loop Design Example 1: A Fifth-Order Single-Bit Noise-Shaping Loop Design Example 2: A Third-Order (2+1) Multibit Cascade Noise-Shaping Loop Conclusion This chapter contains sections titled: References ]]>
XML web services: what, why, and how

The industry is rapidly moving towards adopting a model called "XML Web services" to provide a standard infrastructure for loosely-coupled large-scale distributed systems. The infrastructure encompasses both flat data and objects; it is evolving and deploying rapidly on an international scale. This talk describes, often from a Microsoft-centric point of view, the vision, the challenges, and the products that will make the vision a reality. Jim Miller holds a PhD in Computer Science from MIT (Parallel Processing under Bert Halstead), and served on the faculty at Brandeis University as well as on the research staff at MIT (both the AI Lab and the Lab for Computer Science).He has been on the research staff at Digital Equipment Corporation and the Open Software Foundation.Before joining Microsoft, he was on the senior management team of the World Wide Web Consortium, reporting to Tim Berners-Lee and in charge of work on security, electronic commerce, child protection, privacy protection, accessibility, and intellectual property protection. He has joined Microsoft in 1998, leading the program management team for the kernel of the .NET Common Language Runtime. His responsibility includes garbage collection, metadata definition and file formats, intermediate language (IL) definition, IL-to-native code compilation, and remote objects.He also serves as editor for ECMA TC39/TG3, which is charged with creating an international standard for a Common Language Infrastructure. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Distributed-Objects and Applications (DOA’01) 0-7695-1300-X/01 $10.00 © 2001 IEEE
Enhancing the longevity of microparticle-based glucose sensors towards 1 month continuous operation.

Abstract Luminescent microspheres encapsulating glucose oxidase have recently been reported as potential implantable sensors, but the operational lifetime of these systems has been limited by enzyme degradation. We report here that the longevity of these enzymatic microparticle-based sensors has been extended by the coimmobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) and catalase (CAT) into the sensor matrix. A mathematical model was used to compare the response and longevity of the sensors with and without catalase. To experimentally test the longevity, sensors were continuously operated under normoglycemic dermal substrate concentrations and physiological conditions (5.5 mM glucose and 140 μM O2, 37 °C and pH 7.4). The sensors incorporating CAT were experimentally shown to be ∼5 times more stable than those without CAT; nevertheless, the response of sensors with CAT still changed by approximately 20%, when operated continuously for 7 days. The experimentally determined trends obtained for the variation in sensor response due to enzyme deactivation were in close agreement with modeling predictions, which also revealed a significant apparent loss in enzyme activity upon immobilization. It was further predicted via modeling that by incorporating 0.1 mM each of active GOx and CAT, the sensors will exhibit less than 2% variation in response over 1 month of continuous operation.
Reversal of endocardial endothelial dysfunction by folic acid in homocysteinemic hypertensive rats

The role of L- and D-isomers of homocysteine (Hcy) in vascular versus endocardial endothelial (EE) remodeling and function is not well understood. The hypothesis is that Hcy decreases EE cell density by activating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and by inducing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in homocysteinemic hypertensive rats (HHR). And L- and D-isomers of Hcy have differential effects in vessel and myocardium. We used: 1) spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) in which endogenous total homocyst(e)ine (tHcy) levels are moderately high (18 micromol/L); 2) control age- and sex-matched normotensive Wistar rats (NWR) in which tHcy levels are normal (4 micromol/L); to create hyperhomocyst(e)inemia, 32 mg/day Hcy was administered for 12 weeks in 3) SHR (SHR-H), and in 4) NWR (NWR-H) rats; 5) endogenous tHcy levels were reduced (from 18 to 12 micromol/L) in SHR by folic acid administration (SHR-F). Plasma tHcy levels were measured by HPLC and spectrophometric methods. The MMP activity, measured by zymography, is increased by chronic Hcy administration, and folic acid treatment decreases MMP activity. The collagen and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, are increased by Hcy. Folic acid treatment decreases collagen expression and increases TGF-beta1. In vivo LV function was measured in anesthetized rats by a catheter in the left ventricle. The partial decrease in tHcy levels and no change in arterial pressure in SHR after folic acid administration, suggested that folic acid decreases one of the L- or D-isomer of Hcy, which is not responsible for an increase in arterial pressure, but may be responsible for myocardial dysfunction. The chronic Hcy administration decreases EE function in NWR and SHR. The treatment of folic acid in SHR improves LVH and EE function. Folic acid improves cardiac remodeling and EE function by decreasing one of the D- or L-isomer of Hcy and by decreasing MMP activity in HHR. These results may suggest a differential role of L- and D-isomers in vascular versus cardiac remodeling.
Accessing Digital Libraries: A Study of ARL Members' Digital Projects

To ensure efficient access to and integrated searching capabilities for their institution's new digital library projects, the authors studied Web sites of the Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) 111 academic, English-language libraries. Data were gathered on 1117 digital projects, noting library Web site and project access, metadata, and project types.
Comparison of early complications for patients with convexity and parasagittal meningiomas treated with either stereotactic radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with convexity and parasagittal (CPS) meningiomas treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) have been shown to be at risk for posttreatment symptomatic peritumoral edema (SPTE). We sought to analyze the pattern of this complication and compare it with the SPTE experienced in our patients treated with fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. METHODS: From January 2003 to October 2005, 32 patients with CPS meningiomas were treated. Thirty patients with a total of 38 lesions had sufficient follow-up for analysis. Group A (n = 14) patients were treated with single fraction SRS, and Group B (n = 16) patients were treated with fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. The lesion volume was different between the two groups with the Group B median volume (7.46 cm 3 ) being larger than that for Group A (2.84 cm 3 ) (P = 0.0008). Conversely age, follow-up, sex, prior surgical events, number of lesions, tumor location, and atypical histology did not differ between these groups. The median marginal dose for patients in Group A was 14 Gy (range, 12.5-18 Gy). For Group B, six patients received a median marginal dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions, and 10 patients received a marginal dose of 25 Gy in five fractions. RESULTS: Seven of the 30 patients treated in this series developed posttreatment SPTE. The incidence of SPTE in Group A (six of 14 patients) was significantly higher than that in Group B (one of 16 patients) (P = 0.031). The median time to onset of SPTE in the six patients in Group A was 4 months. In Group B, one patient had onset of SPTE in 3 months. On univariate analysis, larger tumor volume (P = 0.0014) and tumor margin dose >14 Gy in patients undergoing SRS (P = 0.031) was associated with onset of SPTE. Age, previous surgery, and tumor location were not associated with onset of SPTE. CONCLUSION: Despite larger lesion volumes, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy is associated with less risk of posttreatment SPTE than SRS for patients with CPS meningiomas in our series. For patients treated with SRS, smaller volume and dose <14 Gy seems to be safe. Longer follow-up will be required to compare late complications and tumor control rates in these patients.
Progonadotrophic property of dilute antigonadotrophic serums.

SummaryIt has been shown that the majority of the antigonadotrophic serums of rats and rabbits will augment the effect of a crude sheep pituitary extract upon the uterine weight of immature female test rats when administered in sufficiently small doses. A possible explanation of this phenomenon is discussed.
Forest responses to tropospheric ozone and global climate change: An analysis

In this paper an analysis is provided on: what we know, what we need to know, and what we need to do, to further our understanding of the relationships between tropospheric ozone (O3), global climate change and forest responses. The relationships between global geographic distributions of forest ecosystems and potential geographic regions of high photochemical smog by the year 2025 AD are described. While the emphasis is on the effects of tropospheric O3 on forest ecosystems, discussion is presented to understand such effects in the context of global climate change. One particular strong point of this paper is the audit of published surface O3 data by photochemical smog region that reveals important forest/woodland geographic regions where little or no O3 data exist even though the potential threat to forests in those regions appears to be large. The concepts and considerations relevant to the examination of ecosystem responses as a whole, rather than simply tree stands alone are reviewed. A brief argument is provided to stimulate the modification of the concept of simple cause and effect relationships in viewing total ecosystems. Our knowledge of O3 exposure and its effects on the energy, nutrient and hydrological flow within the ecosystem are described. Modeling strategies for such systems are reviewed. A discussion of responses of forests to potential multiple climatic changes is provided. An important concept in this paper is that changes in water exchange processes throughout the hydrological cycle can be used as early warning indicators of forest responses to O3. Another strength of this paper is the integration of information on structural and functional processes of ecosystems and their responses to O3. An admitted weakness of this analysis is that the information on integrated ecosystem responses is based overwhelmingly on the San Bernardino Forest ecosystem research program of the 1970s because of a lack of similar studies. In the final analysis, it is recommended that systems ecology be applied in examining the joint effects of O3, carbon dioxide and ultraviolet-B radiation on forest ecosystems.
Role of lipid peroxidation in the mechanism of membrane-associated disorders in edible plant tissue

Abstract Lipid peroxidation has been observed in various membrane-associated disorders of plant tissue, but it is not clear whether it is a cause or an effect of the disorders. This viewpoint reviews current knowledge about sources of oxidative stress and the defenses of plant membranes. A unified mechanism for the degradation of plant membranes is proposed in which peroxidation represents the critical, controllable event.
Preliminary screening for the potential of drinking water disinfection byproducts to alter male reproduction

There is increasing epidemiologic interest in the role drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs) may play in adverse reproductive outcomes such as inability to conceive, spontaneous abortion, and low birth weight. Although dozens of DBPs already have been identified, only a few studies have attempted to determine whether DBPs alter male reproductive parameters such as testicular and epididymal histology, testicular and epididymal sperm numbers, and epididymal sperm morphology and motility in laboratory animals. In these studies, alterations in epididymal sperm motility seemed to be predictive of more generalized toxicity of the male reproductive system. Because there is a need to prioritize DBPs for thorough reproductive and developmental toxicity testing, preliminary screening for the potential of DBPs to alter reproductive function seems warranted. Here, we elected to examine only cauda epididymal sperm motion parameters and testicular and epididymal histopathology. The effects of exposure to two commonly occurring DBPs, bromodichloromethane (BDCM) and chloral hydrate (CH), via drinking water were evaluated in F344 rats at an interim (52 week) necropsy during cancer bioassay studies. Exposure to 22 and 39 mg/kg BDCM and 55 and 188 mg/kg CH did not produce any systemic toxicity. Histopathologic evaluation revealed no gross lesions in the reproductive organs, and no tumors were detected in any tissues. In contrast, exposure to 39 mg/kg BDCM significantly decreased the mean straight-line, average path, and curvilinear velocities of sperm recovered from the cauda epididymidis. This BDCM exposure shifted the average path velocity distribution to a lower modal velocity range. Exposure to 188 mg/kg CH significantly decreased both the percentage of motile and progressively motile sperm. This CH exposure shifted the straight-line velocity distribution to a lower modal velocity range. These are the first reproductive toxicity data from exposure to BDCM and CH. The observed effects on sperm motion occurred in the absence of carcinogenesis. Because the effects of BDCM on sperm motility occurred at a lower exposure than that of other DBPs that compromise sperm motility, a thorough reproductive evaluation now is underway.
Actions of ventral cord pathways on spinal neurons

Abstract When axons in the ventral funiculus and ventral part of the lateral funiculus of the cat spinal cord were stimulated electrically, they generally produced excitatory postsynaptic potentials in interneurons of the ventral horn. Many of the neurons appeared to be excited monosynaptically or monosynaptically and disynaptically, but others were excited only disynaptically. The distribution of these cells was consistent with the anatomical data concerning the regions of termination within the ventral gray of fibers which travel in the ventral white matter and with the field potentials produced by neurons in response to stimulation of these fibers. Motoneurons were also excited monosynaptically, whereas Renshaw cells were generally unaffected. A few interneurons appeared to generate monosynaptic inhibitory postsynaptic potentials.
A Closer Look at D-Optimality for Screening Designs

One popular optimality criterion for computer-generated screening designs is D-Optimality. It excels at precise estimation of parameters. However, D-optimal designs are often very different in other criteria. This article considers optimality criteria t..
An in-situ electropolymerization based sensor for measuring salt content in crude oil.

Abstract Determining salt content is a vital procedure in the petroleum industry during the process of crude oil transportation, refining and production. Monitoring the salinity value using a fast and direct technique can substantially lower the cost of crude oil in its processing and its production stages. In the present work, a novel analytical method was developed to detect the amount of salt present in crude oil in a quick and reliable manner. The measurement is based on the rate of in-situ electropolymerization of a monomer such as aniline in association with the salt content in the crude oil. The salt dispersed in the hydrocarbon matrix is used as an electrolyte in the electrolytic system to induce an electropolymerization reaction upon the induction of voltages, in which the salt content is measured corresponding to the polymeric film formation on the working electrode surface. Acetonitrile and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) were used in the electrochemical cell as solvents, and cyclic voltammetry tests were performed for Arabian crude oil solutions in the presence of aniline. The method has shown an excellent detection response for very low concentrations of salt. Four Arabian crude oils with salt concentrations of 34.2, 28.5, 14.3 and 5.71 mg L−1 have produced current intensity of 180.1, 172.6, 148.1 and 134.2 µA at an applied current potential of 1.75 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), respectively. A Calibration curve was obtained in the range of 5–35 mg L−1, giving limits of detection and quantitation at 1.98 and 5.95 mg L−1, respectively. The in-situ electropolymerization based sensor has significant advantages over the existing techniques of salt monitoring in crude oil such as fast response, temperature independency, electrode stability, and minimum sample preparation.
Understanding and managing product line complexity: Applying sensitivity analysis to a large-scale MILP model to price and schedule new customer orders

This article analyzes a complex scheduling problem at a company that uses a continuous chemical production process. A detailed mixed-integer linear programming model is developed for scheduling the expansive product line, which can save the company an average of 1.5% of production capacity per production run. Furthermore, through sensitivity analysis of the model, key independent variables are identified, and regression equations are created that can estimate both the capacity usage and material waste generated by the product line complexity of a particular production run. These regression models can be used to estimate the complexity costs imposed on the system by any particular product or customer order. Such cost estimates can be used to properly price new customer orders and to most economically assign them to the production runs with the best fit. The proposed approach may be adapted for other long-production-run manufacturing companies that face uncertain demand and short customer lead times.
Functional recovery in the elderly after major surgery: assessment of mobility recovery using wireless technology.

Purpose Hospitalization and surgery in older patients often leads to a loss of strength, mobility, and functional capacity. We tested the hypothesis that wireless accelerometry could be used to measure mobility during hospital recovery after cardiac surgery. Description We used an off-the-shelf fitness monitor to measure daily mobility in patients after surgery. Data were transmitted wirelessly, aggregated, and configured onto a provider-viewable dashboard. Evaluation Wireless monitoring of mobility after major surgery was easy and practical. There was a significant relationship between the number of steps taken in the early recovery period, length of stay, and dismissal disposition. Conclusions Wireless monitoring of mobility after major surgery creates an opportunity for early identification and intervention in individual patients and could serve as a tool to evaluate and improve the process of care and to affect postdischarge outcomes.
DMRT1 prevents female reprogramming in the postnatal mammalian testis

Sex in mammals is determined in the fetal gonad by the presence or absence of the Y chromosome gene Sry, which controls whether bipotential precursor cells differentiate into testicular Sertoli cells or ovarian granulosa cells. This pivotal decision in a single gonadal cell type ultimately controls sexual differentiation throughout the body. Sex determination can be viewed as a battle for primacy in the fetal gonad between a male regulatory gene network in which Sry activates Sox9 and a female network involving WNT/β-catenin signalling. In females the primary sex-determining decision is not final: loss of the FOXL2 transcription factor in adult granulosa cells can reprogram granulosa cells into Sertoli cells. Here we show that sexual fate is also surprisingly labile in the testis: loss of the DMRT1 transcription factor in mouse Sertoli cells, even in adults, activates Foxl2 and reprograms Sertoli cells into granulosa cells. In this environment, theca cells form, oestrogen is produced and germ cells appear feminized. Thus Dmrt1 is essential to maintain mammalian testis determination, and competing regulatory networks maintain gonadal sex long after the fetal choice between male and female. Dmrt1 and Foxl2 are conserved throughout vertebrates and Dmrt1-related sexual regulators are conserved throughout metazoans. Antagonism between Dmrt1 and Foxl2 for control of gonadal sex may therefore extend beyond mammals. Reprogramming due to loss of Dmrt1 also may help explain the aetiology of human syndromes linked to DMRT1, including disorders of sexual differentiation and testicular cancer.
Optical Characterization of Myocardial Infarction: An in vivo Study

The effects of myocardial infarction on in vivo diffuse reflectance and fluorescence characteristics of myocardial tissue were investigated. Spectral alterations induced by infarct development in myocardial tissue are reported.
An epidemic equation with immigration

Abstract We formulate a model of single-species population growth in which there is immigration into the population at any prescribed rate and with any prescribed age distribution. Births are assumed to be density-dependent but not dependent on the age distribution in the population. Deaths may be according to any age distribution. The model results in a non-linear, non-homogeneous integral equation with delay. This equation is also shown to be a model for growth of capital and for certain epidemics. Behavior of solutions as t tends to infinity is investigated, with the aid of theorems of Levin, Shea, Londen, and Karlin, when the forcing term tends to a constant limit.
STRESS MODELS FOR TREES IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT

(1981). STRESS MODELS FOR TREES IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT. Arboricultural Journal: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 55-56.
Bringing stakeholders, scientists, and managers together through an integrated ecosystem assessment process

Abstract For decades, the scientific community has conducted essential background research and developed appropriate modeling tools in support of an ecosystem-based approach to natural resource management. Resource managers and the public, however, lack a clear roadmap for working with scientists to move beyond the traditional single-species approach. With current management processes so strongly focused on working in a species-by-species framework, there are entrenched cultural and institutional challenges to shifting those processes toward ecosystem-based management. We propose using the integrated ecosystem assessment process to both develop new management ideas for a particular ecosystem, and to help shift public policy processes and perceptions to embrace ecosystem approaches to management.
Fundamental relationships in gas chromatography

The exact definition of the compressibility correction factor,j, has been extensively discussed in recent literature. In this work, it is shown that this compressibility correction factor has several different interpretations; however, the simplest and most useful meaning involves a correction from the experimentally accessible pressure at the outlet of a column to the average pressure in the column. Also, an unconventional definition of the retention volume of a solute in terms of the sample size and the equilibrium concentration of the solute in the mobile phase is presented. This retention volume definition is presented as an alternative to the common definition ofV R as the volume of carrier gas which passes through the column in a period of time called the retention time. In this discussion, it is emphasized that the temeprature dependence of the specific retention volume is determined by the thermodynamics of the phase distribution process for the solute and not by an equation-of-state for the carrier gas. Finally, the conventional correction of the specific retention volume by a factor of 273/T c can be used to correct a volume of carrier gas to a pseudo-standard state of 273 K and the average pressure in the column; however, this corrected specific retention volume has no relation to the specific retention volume that would be experimentally obtained at this standard state temperature and pressure. compressibility correction factor, and specific retention volume, were examined with regard to the physical interpretation, exact definition and appropriate standard states to be applied to these commonly reported chromatographic parameters. Such arcane discussions are beneficial to the health of science but may lead to confusion among potential and practicing chromatographers. In order to prevent or at least help ameliorate this problem, the following discussion presents a somewhat unorthodox interpretation of the questioned terms along with a pseudo-physical explanation of the so-called retention volume which is ubiquitous throughout the chromatographic literature.
Effect of intervertebral changes of the spinal trabecular and cortical mineral content on the precision requirements in longitudinal single and dual energy computed tomography examinations

Statistical considerations related to the measuring and analyzing procedures in computed tomography(CT) scans indicate that determination of a 2.5% change in spinal mineral content (SMC) which is assumed necessary in clinical practice, requires a 0.9% combined precision in setting the location and direction of the scan plane through the vertebral body, and defining the region of interest. In single energy examinations the short‐term precision of CT scanners was found to be sufficiently high to achieve this goal, but the variability due to subjective finding of scan direction requires the automation of slice selection and additional averaging of data from more than one scan slice. The precision of calciumimages was much lower, and one conclusion of this study is that dual energy technology is not suitable for longitudinal examinations, where small changes in SMC have to be determined. The SMC of the vertebrae T12, Ll, L2, and L3 as measured in 41 subjects was compared and a significant decrease in trabecular bone in single energy examinations and increase in cortical bone was found from T12 to L3. This suggests that the comparison of SMC data should be done over time for each vertebra separately, in order to preserve diagnostic information.
Characterization of errors in cirrus simulations from a cloud resolving model for application in ice water content retrievals

Data available from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement-Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle (ARM-UAV) Spring 1999 experiment are used in this study to estimate errors in cirrus simulations from a 3D Cloud Resolving Model (CRM). The performance of the model, heritage of the CSU Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is assessed by direct comparison of modeled and observed fields. Results show that the CRM succeeds in placing the cloud at approximately the correct altitude, but consistently overestimates the Ice Water Content (IWC). A statistical approach is introduced and applied to quantify average model bias under the assumption of bias-free observations. An error covariance matrix associated with simulated fields is also computed, and used to identify model strengths and deficiencies. Model fields are then used in the context of an optimum estimation retrieval of IWC from a combination of radar and radiometric observations. The retrieval is based on the knowledge of an a priori profile and relative error covariance to ensure algorithm convergence and stability. RAMS average Ice Water Content, corrected for the bias, and the related error covariance matrix derived in this study are used to provide this a priori information to the retrieval.
Low-Frequency Patterns Induced by Stationary Waves

Abstract A linear nine-level primitive equation model is used to determine whether the nonuniform geographical distribution of low-frequency variability and the underlying structure of low-frequency patterns can be attributed to inhomogeneities in the time-mean state of the atmosphere. The linear model's behavior is compared with the low-frequency behavior of a long simulation that has been performed with a general circulation model (GCM) whose numerical formulation matches that of the linear model. The variance of upper tropospheric streamfunction among 1000 steady linear responses to random distributions of thermal forcing is shown to be maximized in the same locations (particularly the North Pacific) as the low-frequency variance in the GCM. The only mechanisms available for such localization of variance in the linear model result from the model's basic state being a function of all three space dimensions. Empirical orthogonal function analysis of horizontal structure indicates that several recurring l...
The Beam-Beam Interaction in e+e− Storage Rings

Colliders are designed for studying relatively rare, small impact parameter collisions that produce elementary particles. This is not the dominant interaction between the beams, however. That dominant interaction, the beam-beam interaction, is due to the electromagnetic fields of the beams.
Low-temperature sensitive, compressively strained InGaAsP active (/spl lambda/=0.78-0.85 μm) region diode lasers

This letter reports comparative studies between (Al)GaAs versus InGaAsP active region edge-emitting semiconductor lasers for emission wavelength in the IR regime (/spl lambda/=0.78-0.85 /spl mu/m). High characteristic temperature T/sub 0/(200 K) and T/sub 1/ (450 K) edge-emitting diode lasers have been demonstrated by using the compressively strained (/spl Delta/a/a=0,6%) Al-free (InGaAsP) active region with an emission wavelength of 0.85 /spl mu/m. The high T/sub 0/ and T/sub 1/ a result of low active-layer carrier leakage, will be beneficial for high-temperature and high-power operation. Implementation for InGaAsP-active VCSEL's with compressively strained InGaAsP-active layers and conventional DBR's is also discussed.