cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery in the Management of Complex Lesions Involving the Skull Base

Since the repopularization of the transsphenoidal approach by Guiot and Hardy, most surgeons have adopted this technique as the primary method for the removal of pituitary adenomas. With the development of modern microinstrumentation, the use of the operating microscope, and advances in endoscopic endonasal instrumentation and navigation, the endonasal transsphenoidal approach has become the preferred method for targeting sellar and parasellar lesions. Exposure beyond the parasellar region in the sagittal and coronal planes can be achieved when the extended transsphenoidal approach is performed using a purely endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) without a nasal speculum. With the recent advent of extended EEAs, access to a variety of skull base lesions outside of the sella and sphenoid sinus can be accomplished. In the sagittal plane, ventral pathology can be accessed from the frontal sinuses anteriorly to the odontoid process posteroinferiorly. In the coronal plane, lateral access can be achieved to remove lesions occupying the cavernous sinus, infratemporal fossa, middle fossa, and petrous apex. Various endoscopic endonasal corridors have been developed to access a desired target of the ventral skull base. The majority of these EEAs share a common initial transsphenoidal approach to the ventral skull base before branching out into their respective paths along the sagittal or coronal plane. In this chapter, the authors discuss the various endoscopic endonasal corridors that allow access to a wide variety of complex skull base lesions.
A comprehension-based framework for measuring semantic similarity

We present a comprehension-based framework for measuring semantic similarity between documents of text. In various situations, vector-based similarity measures fail to capture deep semantic relations between terms. Our computational comprehension model processes textual content in a way that resembles human readers, paying attention to context, location, and acquisition time of semantic concepts. The model extracts key semantic structures that are representative of the document. These semantic structures are compared using the WordNet WUP measure giving a Semantic-similarity score of the processed documents. Three experiments are illustrated comparing our results with three popular vector-based similarity measures and human readers. Our framework provided correct results in cases where vector-based methods fail. These results highlight the importance of using computational cognitive methods, such as comprehension models, in semantic analysis and text mining.
A comparison of bonding and epitaxial growth for heterogeneous photonic integrated circuits

A wide variety of III-V on silicon devices have been demonstrated using direct bonding to achieve high performance, high yield and excellent lifetimes. Examples include a 2.54 Tbit/s network on chip, fully integrated optical gyroscopes and 100 Gbit/s optical transceivers. A related approach is to epitaxially grow III-V quantum dot lasers on silicon. This approach has made excellent progress, with submilliamp laser thresholds demonstrated. Recent advances include growth on on-axis (001) Si, threading dislocation density reduction, and improvement in laser lifetimes.
Refractory Schizophrenia, Attempted Suicide, and Withdrawal of Life Support: A Clinical Ethics Case Report.

Abstract Background Withdrawal of life support for an individual with refractory schizophrenia after attempted suicide remains controversial. Discussion regarding prognosis of mental illness and the distinction between somatic and mental illness brings out many ethical issues. This article will examine the role and weight of severe persistent mental illness in the withdrawal of life support after attempted suicide. Case Description A 30-year-old gentleman with deafness and schizophrenia was admitted with multiple self-inflicted visceral stab wounds. He developed postoperative complications necessitating ongoing critical care. The parties involved were as follows: the patient, his parents, the critical care trauma service, the palliative and psychiatry consult services, and the ethics committee. Over the patient's hospital course, his parents struggled to reconcile his poor preinjury quality of life with his ongoing need for intensive medical intervention. The primary and consulting teams were required to integrate differing perspectives on the patient's past responsiveness to treatment and the extent to which additional efforts might advance his quality of life and limit his future suffering and suicidality. The patient's surrogate decision makers unanimously requested withdrawal of life support. An ethics committee convened to address the question of whether refractory schizophrenia can produce so poor a quality of life as to merit the withdrawal of life-sustaining measures after a suicide attempt. Consensus was achieved, and life-sustaining measures were subsequently withdrawn, allowing the patient to pass away peacefully in an inpatient hospice facility.
Complexity analysis of a top down algorithm motivated by power product expansions

This paper introduces the Binomial Expansion Cryptosystem, a prototype for a crpytosytem which could also be of interest to small elite organizations. Let be a set of positive integers. The Binomia...
The Role of Structural Enthalpy in Spherical Nucleic Acid Hybridization.

DNA hybridization onto DNA-functionalized nanoparticle surfaces (e.g., in the form of a spherical nucleic acid (SNA)) is known to be enhanced relative to hybridization free in solution. Surprisingly, via isothermal titration calorimetry, we reveal that this enhancement is enthalpically, as opposed to entropically, dominated by ∼20 kcal/mol. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the observed enthalpic enhancement results from structurally confining the DNA on the nanoparticle surface and preventing it from adopting enthalpically unfavorable conformations like those observed in the solution case. The idea that structural confinement leads to the formation of energetically more stable duplexes is evaluated by decreasing the degree of confinement a duplex experiences on the nanoparticle surface. Both experiment and simulation confirm that when the surface-bound duplex is less confined, i.e., at lower DNA surface density or at greater distance from the nanoparticle surface, its enthalpy of...
How Cockroaches Employ Wall-Following for Exploration

Animals such as cockroaches depend on exploration of unknown environments, and the complexity of their strategies may inspire robotic approaches. We have previously shown that cockroach behavior with respect to shelters and the walls of an otherwise empty arena can be captured with a stochastic state-based algorithm. We call this algorithm RAMBLER, Randomized Algorithm Mimicking Biased Lone Exploration in Roaches. In this work, we verified and extended this model by adding a barrier to our cockroach experiments. From these experiments, we have generalized RAMBLER to address an arbitrarily large maze. For biology, this is a model of the decision-making process in the cockroach brain. For robotics, this is a strategy that may improve exploration for goals in certain environments. Generally, the cockroach behavior seems to recommend variability in the absence of planning, and following paths defined by the walls.
Neoliberal Governmentality: Foucault on the Birth of Biopolitics

Foucault’s overriding interest was not in’ knowledge as ideology’, as Marxists would have it, where bourgeois knowledge, say, modern liberal economics was seen as false knowledge or bad science. Nor was he interested in ’knowledge as theory’ as classical liberalism has constructed disinterested knowledge, based on inherited distinctions from the Greeks, including Platonic epistemology, and endorsed by the Kantian separation of schema/content that distinguishes the analytic enterprise. Rather Foucault examined practices of knowledge produced through the relations of power.1 He examined how these practices, then, were Merleau-Ponty; Heidegger; Derrida; and Foucault). He summarises Foucault’s notion as folused to augment and refine the efficacy and instrumentality of power in its exercise over both individuals and populations, and also in large measure helped to shape the constitution of subjectivity. Fundamental to his governmentality studies was the understanding that Western society professed to be based on principles of liberty and the Rule of Law and said to derive the legitimation of the State from political philosophies that elucidated these very principles. Yet as a matter of historical fact, Western society employed technologies of power that operated on forms of disciplinary order or were based on biopolitical techniques that bypassed the law and its freedoms altogether. As Colin Gordon (2001: xxvi) puts it so starkly: Foucault embraced Nietzsche as the thinker,,who transforms Western philosophy by rejecting its founding disjunction of power and knowledge as myth”. By this he means that the rationalities of Western politics, from the time of the Greeks, had incorporated techniques of power specific to Western practices of government, first, in the expert knowledges of the Greek tyrant and, second, in the concept of pastoral power that characterized ecclesiastical government.
Association of Early Palliative Care With Chemotherapy Intensity in Patients With Advanced Stage Lung Cancer: A National Cohort Study

Abstract Introduction Patients with advanced lung cancer have a poor prognosis, but both chemotherapy and early palliative care (EPC) have been shown to improve survival and quality of life (QOL). The relationship between palliative care and receipt of chemotherapy receipt is understudied. We sought to determine if EPC is associated with chemotherapy receipt and intensity among patients with advanced stage lung cancer. Methods Retrospective cohort study of patients in the national Veterans Health Administration (VA) with stage IIIB or IV lung cancer diagnosed between January 2007- December 2013. EPC was defined as a specialist-delivered palliative care received within 90 days of cancer diagnosis. Outcomes included any chemotherapy receipt and high-intensity chemotherapy receipt defined as: i) more than 4 cycles of a platinum-based doublet, ii) ≥3 lines of chemotherapy, iii) Bevacizumab/Cetuximab triplet therapy, iv) Erlotinib use prior to 2011, and v) chemotherapy in the last days of life. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between EPC and chemotherapy receipt after adjustment for patient and tumor characteristics. Results Among the entire cohort (N=23,566), 37% received EPC and 45% received any chemotherapy. Among those with EPC, 34% received chemotherapy compared to 51% among those without EPC (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.51-0.58). Patients who received EPC had reduced receipt of high-intensity chemotherapy including >4 cycles of platinum-based doublet (AOR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.60-0.77), ≥ 3 lines of chemotherapy (AOR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.53-0.71), triplet therapy (AOR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.56-0.82) and use of erlotinib prior to 2011 (AOR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.55-0.79). Patients with EPC were more likely to receive chemotherapy in the last 14 (AOR=1.65, 95% CI: 1.44-1.87) and 30 days (AOR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.51-1.85) of life compared to those without EPC. Conclusions EPC was associated with reduced receipt of both any chemotherapy and high-intensity chemotherapy. However, receipt of chemotherapy at the very end-of-life was increased among patients with EPC compared to those without EPC. Among patients with advanced lung cancer, EPC may optimize patient selection for chemotherapy receipt leading to reduced use of high-intensity therapy by focusing on quality of life in accordance with patients' performance, preferences and goals of care.
Sustainable tourism and the role of festivals in the Caribbean – case of the St. Lucia Jazz (& Arts) Festival

In this paper, one of the most renowned festivals in the Eastern Caribbean, the St. Lucia Jazz (& Arts) Festival is discussed in the context of its contribution to sustainable tourism development. ...
Energy-Efficient Computing: Datacenters, Mobile Devices, and Mobile Clouds

Energy consumption is a key design driver for electronic systems ranging from warehouse-size datacenters to battery-powered mobile devices to mobile clouds. It is well known that energy efficiency is best achieved by an application-specific mix of power-efficient hardware and runtime energy governance. Power efficient hardware requires low power devices, cell libraries, circuits, and architectures whereas effective energy governance needs significant hardware and software support e.g., to achieve dynamic power/performance scaling, power gating, core consolidation, and computation offloading. In my talk I will discuss three example problems to illustrate the range of low power solutions that can be employed and the kind of power savings which are achievable. These problems are: (i) Power-efficient resource management and job scheduling in a geo-distributed cloud infrastructure, (ii) Design of low-power application processors exploiting the temperature effect inversion of deeply scaled devices, and (iii) Energy-efficient computation offloading for deep neural networks in a mobile cloud computing environment. I will conclude my talk with a list of best power-efficient design practices.
The Samd14 Sterile Alpha Motif Domain Promotes Stress-Induced Cellular Signaling and Survival

More than 200 mammalian proteins contain Sterile Alpha Motif (SAM) domains. While some of these domains are reported to mediate protein, lipid or RNA binding, the majority have not been analyzed. Our prior work discovered that Samd14, a SAM-domain containing protein, was transcriptionally activated by the GATA2 and Scl/TAL1-occupied Samd14 enhancer (Samd14-Enh). Deletion of Samd14-Enh lowers Samd14 expression in mouse bone marrow and spleen and causes lethality in a mouse model of severe hemolytic anemia. In anemia, stress erythroid progenitors respond to a multitude of paracrine signals, including erythropoietin (Epo) and stem cell factor (SCF), to induce rapid expansion and differentiation until homeostasis is re-established. Mechanistic analyses revealed that Samd14 regulates SCF/c-Kit signaling, erythroid progenitor function and promotes erythrocyte regeneration in anemia. Ex vivo, Samd14-Enh-/- erythroid progenitors (CD71+Ter119-Kit+) exhibited 2.1-fold and 1.6-fold lower phospho (Serine 473) AKT (pAKT) vs. WT in response to 5 min and 10 min SCF stimulation, respectively. To rigorously establish whether the Samd14-Enh deletion reduces anemia-dependent c-Kit signaling by lowering Samd14 levels in erythroid progenitors, we restored Samd14 expression in Samd14-Enh-/- primary erythroid precursor cells. Defective SCF/c-Kit signaling in Samd14-Enh-/- spleen progenitors could be rescued by reestablishing expression of Samd14. To test the role of the SAM domain in Samd14-mediated promotion of stress-induced erythroid progenitor function, we generated a SAM-domain deleted construct of Samd14 (Samd14 Δ SAM) to replace endogenous expression in cells from Samd14-Enh-deleted bone marrow and spleen ex vivo. In colony assays, full-length Samd14 increased GFP+ colony formation 2.7-fold, whereas there was no significant increase in colonies when expressing Samd14 Δ SAM vs. EV. Compared to expression of full-length Samd14, Samd14 Δ SAM exhibited 1.9-fold fewer (p=0.0006) BFU-E colonies (Figure 4B). Together, these results indicated that the Samd14 SAM domain is required for maximal promotion of colony forming ability, cell signaling and survival of erythroid progenitors. As the Samd14 SAM domain mediates SCF/c-Kit signaling, and cells lacking Samd14-Enh have impaired c-Kit signaling following anemia, this protein motif controls anemia-dependent erythroid progenitor cell genesis and/or function. Ongoing analyses to fuse the SAM structural domains of related proteins Neurabin-1 and SHIP-2 will test the sequence requirements of the Samd14 SAM domain on c-Kit signaling and stress erythroid progenitor function. These findings reveal a vital SAM domain-dependent molecular mechanism in stress erythroid progenitors whereby a GATA2 and anemia-activated protein facilitates SCF/c-Kit signaling during regenerative erythropoiesis. Given the importance of GATA2 and GATA2-dependent mechanisms in hematopoiesis, determining the role of the GATA2-Samd14-c-Kit axis in hematologic diseases may reveal unique functions. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Legal Fictions in Gestational Surrogacy

Though seldom discussed amongst acquaintances, infertility in the United States is a hot topic for investors and entrepreneurs. One assisted reproductive technology that is growing in popularity is gestational surrogacy, wherein the surrogate mother is not (as) genetically related to the child she is carrying. Gestational surrogacy has become the most popular form of surrogacy in the United States, and generally costs between $75,000-150,000 per attempt. Alone amongst developed nations, the United States has left this vast industry largely untouched. No federal laws address the practice or regulate the agencies that facilitate it, and a patchwork of extant state laws run the gamut from criminalization and bans of commercial surrogacy to wholesale authorization of it. Courts, where they have been asked to decide issues related to gestational surrogacy, have been likewise sparse and varied in their approaches. Where courts and lawmakers have addressed gestational surrogacy, they have often oversimplified a complex biological phenomenon and cultural experience in favor of idealized fictions about reproductive biology and family structures. As a result, the policies surrounding gestational surrogacy do not align with what actually happens during pregnancy, or how its commercial industry appears to operate. A better understanding of the science of gestational pregnancy has the potential to animate legal policy that allocates rights amongst the parties involved more equitably, and in a way that reflects the reality of risks borne during the surrogacy process. It may also help prevent the development of unsound case law in the realms of contracts, torts, criminal law, and other legal genres, given that gestational surrogacy until now has been limited to custody disputes and questions of legal parentage.
A redox cascade of NOx− complexes: Structures and nitrogen deoxygenation thermodynamics

Abstract The pincer ligand PNNH contains pyridine with its ortho carbons bearing one tBu2PCH2 donor and one pyrazole donor. A DFT study of the energies and structures of (PNNH)Mn(CO)n(NOx) (n = 0–2, x = 0–3) reveals thermodynamic preferences over the suite of compounds. In every NOx case, the cis positioning of two carbonyls gives a more stable isomer than does the trans, which is understood as avoiding the trans conflict of two strong π acid ligands. The calculations also reveal a preference for nitrito ( ONO) linkage isomers over the nitro ( NO2) alternative. Additionally, the calculations predict loss of one CO when the nitrosyl oxidation level is reached, forming the five-coordinate (PNNH)Mn(CO)(NO). Nitrosyl ligand bending is evaluated with changing manganese coordination number, and diagnostic infrared frequencies are also discussed. We also investigate the thermodynamics of deoxygenation of the original coordinated nitrate. It is shown that reductive deoxygenations among these species are thermodynamically favored using a bis silyl dihydropyridazine reagent (oxygen removed as O(SiMe3)2).
Count Data in Finance

This paper assesses different econometric approaches to working with count-based outcome variables and other outcomes with similar distributional properties, which are increasingly common in corporate finance applications. We demonstrate that the common practice of adding a constant to the outcome and then estimating log-linear regressions produces estimates with no natural interpretation that can easily have the wrong sign. In contrast, a simple fixed-effects Poisson model produces consistent and reasonably efficient estimates under more general conditions than commonly assumed. We also show through replication of existing papers that economic conclusions are frequently sensitive to the econometric approach employed.
A Review of Adult-Onset Hearing Loss: A Primer for Neurologists.

The goal of this review is to highlight current approaches to diagnosis and treatment for adult-onset hearing loss in patients likely to present to a neurologist’s office. The review will discuss primary and secondary causes of acute and chronic hearing loss, and will discuss common situations that can be managed by a neurologist as well as situations that require immediate care and referral for further management by an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon. Hearing screening assessments using mobile applications and tablet devices are now available and can be integrated into many clinical practice settings, including in the evaluation of hearing concerns related to various neurological pathologies. For patients presenting with a sudden worsening in hearing, bedside evaluation, including objective measures of hearing, can inform neurologists about diagnosis and subsequent management. For patients who present with gradual worsening in hearing, particularly those related to neurologic disorders, hearing care can be an important adjunct to ongoing neurologic care. More commonly encountered, age-related hearing loss is highly prevalent among older adults and may affect overall neurological assessment, including neurocognitive testing, as well as patient-provider communication, patient satisfaction, and care outcomes. Hearing loss is increasingly recognized as a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia. Neurologists can support the hearing health of their patients through the routine use of communication strategies and by integrating simple, low-cost technology with their current clinical practices. Both acute and chronic hearing loss can be a symptom of many conditions managed by neurologists. Few conditions are emergent, requiring immediate referral to and treatment by an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon. Despite the range of hearing interventions available, including hearing aids, over-the-counter devices, and aural rehabilitation, hearing loss is a common and under-treated chronic health condition. By promptly addressing a patient’s hearing concerns, neurologists can improve patients’ awareness of the deficit and support the overall importance of maintaining sensory health across the life course.
Association between ezetimibe usage and hepatitis C RNA levels in uninfected kidney transplant recipients who received hepatitis C infected kidneys.

Kidney transplantation (KT) from hepatitis C virus infected(HCV+) donors to HCV negative recipients achieve excellent graft function but have relatively higher rates of post-KT co-infections presumably due to prolonged HCV viremia in transmission-and-treat approach. Ezetimibe acts as an antagonist of Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 receptor required for HCV entry and theoretically can reduce HCV viremia. However, no data is available to examine the role of ezetimibe as a bridge therapy between KT surgery and direct acting antiviral(DAA) initiation. A retrospective cohort study including 70 HCV+ to HCV negative KT recipients from Methodist University Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center was performed to determine the association between ezetimibe usage and HCV viremia. Twenty patients received ezetimibe daily while 50 patients didn't. Primary outcome of study was mean HCV RNA level at 1-2 weeks post-KT and before initiation of DAA. Median(IQR) viral load(VL) in log copies/ml was one log lower in ezetimibe group versus non-ezetimibe group [4.1 (3.7-5.3) vs. 5.1 (4.4-5.5), p = 0.01], and highest VL was also lower in ezetimibe group [4.2 (3.7-5.4) vs. 5.4 (4.7-5.9), p = 0.006]. We concluded that ezetimibe bridge therapy might be associated with reduction in HCV VL while waiting for DAA initiation in HCV+ to HCV negative KT recipients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Associations between Experiences of Police Contact and Discrimination by the Police and Courts and Health Outcomes in a Representative Sample of Adults in New York City.

Communities marginalized because of racism, heterosexism, and other systems of oppression have a history of being aggressively policed, and in those contexts, researchers have observed associations between a range of negative experiences with police and poor physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes. However, past studies have been limited in that experiences of police contacts were aggregated at the neighborhood level and, if police contacts were self-reported, the sample was not representative. To address these limitations, we employed NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene 2017 Social Determinants of Health Survey (n = 2335) data to examine the associations of self-reported police contacts and discrimination by police and the courts with measures of physical (poor physical health), mental (poor mental health, serious psychological distress), and behavioral health (binge drinking). Residents marginalized because of racial, ethnic, and sexual minority status were more likely to be stopped, searched, or questioned by the police; threatened or abused by the police; and discriminated against by the police or in the courts; those experiences were associated with poor physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes. The associations between experiences with police and poor health outcomes were strongest among Black residents and residents aged 25-44. Our findings suggest that the health of NYC residents who have had exposure to police and experienced discrimination by the police and courts is poorer than those who have not, and build on a growing body of evidence that aggressive policing practices have implications for public health.
Einsatz der KI- und CAD/CAM Technik im Konstruktionsbereich

Heutige CAD-Anwendungen werden hauptsachlich bei der Varianten- (auf Ahnlichkeit basierende) und Anpassungskonstruktion eingesetzt. Bei einem grosen deutschen Unternehmen wurden Untersuchungen uber die Haufigkeitsverteilung nach Konstruktionsarten durchgefuhrt. Etwa 25% der Konstruktionsarbeit ist Variantenkonstruktion, 50% ist Anpassungskonstruktion und etwa 25% sind Neukonstruktionen. Die Erfahrung zeigt, das sich im Bereich der Neukonstruktion durch den Einsatz der CAD-Technik keine Produktivitatssteigerungen gegenuber der konventionellen Technik erreichen last.
North-South Trade, Property Rights, and the Dynamics of the Environment

The global environment can be described by the physical dynamics and the economic use of the earth's resources. It has become - to a certain extend - a North-South issue.
Examination of enzyme and metabolic activity in yeast expressing mutant alleles of triose phosphate isomerase (578.1)

Glycolysis is a highly conserved metabolic pathway by which the enzymatic breakdown of glucose occurs to yield energy in the form of ATP. Our research focuses on a mutation in an enzyme involved in...
Mosaic and hypermodal cells in amniotic fluid cell cultures

Abstract Karyotypic results from a series of 975 consecutive amniotic fluid specimens studied for prenatal diagnosis are reported. In only 32% of specimens were all cells analyzed euploid. Two thirds (63%) of the specimens studied were hypomodal in at least one cell; 25% of the studies were hypomodal in three or more cells. In contrast, only 3.5% of the studies were hypermodal in one or more cells. Most frequently an additional chromosome 2 was present in these hypermodal cells. Cells with other than a diploid chromosome constitution may be mistakenly identified as evidence of mosaicism. This is especially likely when the involved chromosome is one associated with a clinically defined syndrome.
Hyphal Wall Compositions of Marine and Terrestrial Fungi of the Genus Leptosphaeria

Hyphal wall compositions of six Leptosphaeria species were compared to assess whether gross changes have occurred in the hyphal wall chemistry of closely related fungi which have become ecologically restricted to marine or terrestrial habitats. Unfractionated, lipid-extracted hyphal walls of each Leptosphaeria species had qualitatively identical compositions consisting of glucose, mannose, galactose, glucosamine, amino acids, and traces of galactosamine. Quantitative analyses showed that the hyphal wall components varied from species to species. Qualitative compositions of alkali-soluble wall fractions from each species were identical and contained the same sugars found in the unfractionated walls. The alkali-insoluble residues contained glucose, glucosamine, and amino acids. The alkali-soluble fractions were composed predominantly of glucose, galactose, and mannose. The alkali-insoluble fractions contained high concentrations of glucose and glucosamine and relatively low concentrations of amino acids.
Food web structure in the high Arctic Canada Basin: evidence from δ13C and δ15N analysis

The food-web structure of the Arctic deep Canada Basin was investigated in summer 2002 using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope tracers. Overall food-web length of the range of organisms sampled occupied four trophic levels, based on 3.8‰ trophic level enrichment (δ15N range: 5.3–17.7‰). It was, thus, 0.5–1 trophic levels longer than food webs in both Arctic shelf and temperate deep-sea systems. The food sources, pelagic particulate organic matter (POM) (δ13C=−25.8‰, δ15N=5.3‰) and ice POM (δ13C=−26.9‰, δ15N=4.1‰), were not significantly different. Organisms of all habitats, ice-associated, pelagic and benthic, covered a large range of δ15N values. In general, ice-associated crustaceans (δ15N range 4.6–12.4‰, mean 6.9‰) and pelagic species (δ15N range 5.9–16.5, mean 11.5‰) were depleted relative to benthic invertebrates (δ15N range 4.6–17.7‰, mean 13.2‰). The predominantly herbivorous and predatory sympagic and pelagic species constitute a shorter food chain that is based on fresh material produced in the water column. Many benthic invertebrates were deposit feeders, relying on largely refractory material. However, sufficient fresh phytodetritus appeared to arrive at the seafloor to support some benthic suspension and surface deposit feeders on a low trophic level (e.g., crinoids, cumaceans). The enriched signatures of benthic deposit feeders and predators may be a consequence of low primary production in the high Arctic and the subsequent high degree of reworking of organic material.
SYNTHESIS OF PYRUVATE ESTERS BY THE REACTION OF SODIUM PYRUVATE WITH ORGANIC HALIDES IN DMSO

(1978). SYNTHESIS OF PYRUVATE ESTERS BY THE REACTION OF SODIUM PYRUVATE WITH ORGANIC HALIDES IN DMSO. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 101-102.
Sliding-horizon optimal and certainty-equivalent controllers for stabilizing stochastic-parameter systems

This paper introduces novel control schemes to stabilize linear discrete stochastic-parameter systems. It is shown that under some mild conditions, controllers that are optimal in the sense of minimizing a finite sliding-horizon performance index subject to linear stochastic-parameter system constraint are stabilizing for the system in both senses of almost-sure and mean-square asymptotic stability. Moreover, if the uncertainties of stochastic parameters are small enough, the designer can even stabilize these systems by the use of controllers that are designed on the basis of the deterministic equivalent of these systems.
A finite element investigation of the elastostatic state near a three dimensional edge crack

Abstract The elastostatic state near a three dimensional edge crack in a plate is investigated using the finite element method. Standard isoparametric eight node brick elements are employed, precluding any erroneous results due to the imposition of an incorrect singularity. As is typical with three dimensional finite element analysis, a large matrix equation results from the discretization of the problem (61,659 degrees-of-freedom). This equation is efficiently solved using a multigrid method. The three dimensional nature of the computed elastostatic state near the crack front is discussed, and is compared to the corresponding full field two dimensional plane strain, generalized plane stress, and plane stress problems (which are also solved numerically). The results are also compared with the associated two dimensional asymptotic solution. It is found that generalized plane stress conditions prevail at distances from the crack front greater than half the specimen thickness, while no plane strain region is detected. An examination of the solution to the residual problem of plane strain highlights the three dimensional effects present in the elastostatic state near the crack front. The out-of-plane displacements at the plate's free surface have their maximum magnitude at the crack front.
A transient expression assay for tissue-specific gene expression of alcohol dehydrogenase in Drosophila

The regulation of expression of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene of Drosophila was examined by injecting plasmids containing the gene directly into preblastoderm embryos and subsequently staining for alcohol dehydrogenase activity in somatic cells of larvae and adults. The alcohol dehydrogenase genes introduced in this manner were expressed normally in both adults and larvae; i.e., alcohol dehydrogenase activity was found exclusively in tissues where it would normally be expressed. Activity was found in some cells in more than 90% of all surviving third instar larvae, but not all cells which would normally express the enzyme were positive, presumably due to the random distribution of the injected DNA to the cells of the embryo. Regulated expression was not dependent on the vector used: tissue-specific expression was obtained from alcohol dehydrogenase genes inserted in the P-element vector, Carnegie-4; in pBR322; in pUC18; or in bacteriophage lambda. The bulk of the injected DNA was not integrated into the chromosome and appeared to persist throughout development as supercoiled and nicked circles. Using the procedure and in vitro mutagenesis, we were able to show that the alcohol dehydrogenase gene was expressed in a normal tissue-specific manner in larvae if there were 777 nucleotides of upstream information present.
Supplemental Carbohydrate Sources for Lactating Dairy Cows on Pasture

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate steam-flaked corn and nonforage fiber sources as supplemental carbohydrates for lactating dairy cows on pasture. Cows were allotted to a new paddock of an orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) pasture twice daily in one group in both trials. In experiment 1, 28 Holstein cows, averaging 216 d in milk, were randomly assigned to either a cracked-corn (CC) or a steam-flaked (SFC) supplement in a split plot design. The supplement contained 66.7% of corn and a protein/mineral pellet. In experiment 2, 28 Holstein cows, averaging 182 d in milk, were randomly assigned to either a ground corn (GC) or a nonforage fiber (NFF)-based supplemented in a single reversal design. The GC supplement contained 85% ground corn plus protein, mineral, and vitamins. The NFF supplement contained 35% ground corn, 18% beet pulp, 18% soyhulls, 8% wheat middlings plus protein, mineral, and vitamins. In both experiments, cows were fed the grain supplement twice daily after each milking at 1 kg/4 kg milk. In experiment 1, milk production (24.3 kg/d) and composition did not differ between treatments; however, plasma and milk urea N were lower with the SFC supplement. In experiment 2, milk production (27.5 kg/d) was not affected by treatments, which may be related to the medium quality of pasture grazed. The GC supplement tended to reduce plasma and milk urea N and increased milk protein percentage (3.23 vs. 3.19%). Pasture dry matter intake, measured using Cr2O3, did not differ between treatments in either experiment 1 (15.1 kg/d) or experiment 2 (12.2 kg/d). Milk production did not differ when mid-late lactation cows on pasture were supplemented with SFC or NFF instead of dry corn.
Cosmological particle creation

We present a simple alternative derivation of cosmological particle production in models with an initial singularity using the Lewis invariant for the time-dependent harmonic oscillator.
Role of VMH ketone bodies in adjusting caloric intake to increased dietary fat content in DIO and DR rats

The objective of this study was to determine the potential role of astrocyte-derived ketone bodies in regulating the early changes in caloric intake of diet induced-obese (DIO) versus diet-resistant (DR) rats fed a 31.5% fat high-energy (HE) diet. After 3 days on chow or HE diet, DR and DIO rats were assessed for their ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) ketone bodies levels and neuronal ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN) sensing using microdialysis coupled to continuous food intake monitoring and calcium imaging in dissociated neurons, respectively. DIO rats ate more than DR rats over 3 days of HE diet intake. On day 3 of HE diet intake, DR rats reduced their caloric intake while DIO rats remained hyperphagic. Local VMH astrocyte ketone bodies production was similar between DR and DIO rats during the first 6 h after dark onset feeding but inhibiting VMH ketone body production in DR rats on day 3 transiently returned their intake of HE diet to the level of DIO rats consuming HE diet. In addition, dissociated VMN neurons from DIO and DR rats were equally sensitive to the largely excitatory effects of β-hydroxybutyrate. Thus while DR rats respond to increased VMH ketone levels by decreasing their intake after 3 days of HE diet, this is not the case of DIO rats. These data suggest that DIO inherent leptin resistance prevents ketone bodies inhibitory action on food intake.
How to evaluate plaque vulnerability in animal models of atherosclerosis

Prevention of heart attack and stroke depends on detection of vulnerable plaques and development of plaque-stabilizing therapies. In turn, progress in diagnostics and treatment is contingent on our understanding of molecular mechanisms of plaque vulnerability. Animal models are essential for testing mechanistic hypotheses in a controlled manner. Currently, there is no single, golden standard animal model of a vulnerable plaque. However, the whole range of experimental approaches is readily available. It includes traditional models of atherosclerosis combined with new ‘vulnerability endpoints’, as well as several models featuring spontaneous or induced plaque rupture/thrombosis. This review summarizes current literature on the animal models of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques.
Hypercube Architecture For Singular Value Decomposition And Other Fast Transforms

The hypercube architecture is a form of concurrent processing that uses many tightly coupled processors connected in an N-dimensional cube. It can be a multiple-instruction or a single-instruction and multiple-data machine. Using a three-dimensional cube as an example for visual convenience, this paper describes the algorithms for performing the singular value decomposition (SVD), the fast Fourier transform (FFT), the fast Hartley transform (FHT), and the cosine transform on this 3-D cube architecture. Because these algorithms when implemented on a hypercube require only the nearest neighborhood communications, not only is the communication overhead greatly reduced, but the architecture becomes modular. An additional advantage is the programming flexibility. This paper demonstrates that the same hypercube configuration can be used to process such algorithms as SVD, FFT, FHT, and cosine transforms.
Corruption hierarchies in higher education in the former Soviet Bloc

Abstract Corruption in higher education is known but not described theoretically. Decentralization and privatization of higher education and the increasing scale and scope of corruption in higher education in the former Soviet Bloc, as well as numerous other countries, urges better understanding of the problem within the context of socio-economic transformations as it touches upon issues of access, quality, and equity. This article presents an overview of the problem of corruption in education and develops models of corrupt organizations in higher education, including the vertical structure, the horizontal structure, and the vertical hierarchy. Possible future structures of corrupt organizations are presented as forms evolving from the horizontal structures.
Differential regulation of astrocyte plasminogen activators by insulin-like growth factor-I and epidermal growth factor.

Rat astrocytes synthesize and secrete two types of plasminogen activators (PAs), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), whose functions are related to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation during development. The regulation of PAs produced by brain astrocytes is poorly understood. In a previous report we demonstrated that t-PA and u-PA are each independently regulated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase-C. In the present study we examined the effects of three well characterized astrocyte mitogens, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), on the PA activities produced and secreted by rat astrocytes in vitro. We found that IGF-I and EGF increase cell-associated total PA activity in astrocyte-conditioned medium (CM). The effects of both growth factors were dose and time dependent, and maximal stimulation was achieved after 72 h of treatment with the highest do...
Polymer BioMEMS for implantable drug delivery systems

Novel micro- and nanotechnologies enable translational engineering solutions for next generation therapies to address vital unmet medical needs. In particular, they are uniquely suited to address challenges in achieving highly effective drug delivery central to the management of incurable diseases. Our research focuses on the application of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabricated from biocompatible polymers to enable advance drug delivery platforms. These platforms are refillable for chronic use, can deliver unaltered therapeutics, target tissues to reduce dose volume and diffusion distance, and minimize unintended systemic absorption and the associated side effects. The precise temporal and spatial control of drug delivery enabled by our MEMS platform is harnessed for management of incurable ocular diseases (glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa) and small animal research (neuroimaging of behavior).
Pinhole plugging characteristics of silica/iron/silver protective coatings in atomic oxygen environments

Abstract Coatings using repeating Fe/Ag sandwich layers underneath silica provide enhanced protection against atomic oxygen attack on both volatile and non-volatile substrates. Use of the appropriate amount of silver, sandwiched between rigid iron layers, provides a unique system for plugging pinholes which result from manufacture, transport, deployment or contact by micrometeoroids and space debris. Details of the protection mechanism were obtained using conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, static secondary-ion mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. Silver preferentially migrated out of the layered metal network, nucleated as AgO at and within the pinholes and served to block the transport of reactive oxygen toward the substrate. Iron appeared to provide a rigid support matrix, enabling silver to migrate laterally toward the pinholes. A higher silver content was found to create more severe pinhole damage, whereas smaller amounts of silver were insufficient to cause pinhole blockage.
Photovoltaic powered water purification — challenges and opportunities

One third of the world population does not have access to clean water sources and most of these people are not connected to the electrical grid at the same time. Therefore, photovoltaic (PV) powered water purification suggests itself to be one of the solutions in areas with high sun radiation like India or the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Furthermore, the environmental impact of the process can be reduced substantially as no fuel supply is required. The paper presents a concept of combining a membrane filtration plant with PV power supply only. As PV is a fluctuating energy source and the conventional membrane process needs a constant power input to maintain pressure and flow on the membranes to guarantee their lifetime, some challenges in the system design need to be addressed. Mere coupling of off-the-shelf components does not do the job. A full-scale system for sustainable water purification has been designed and tested in the lab and a pilot location. The results are presented in the paper. Beyond the environmental benefits, the system also competes with standard systems on the market. Based on the experimental results, a cost model has been derived, the main cost factors for the system will be established and a design strategy for a small-scale PV powered system, able to supply a farm or village with safe potable water, is presented.
A turbulence model for three dimensional turbulent shear flows over curved rotating bodies

There exists currently considerable interest in the development of numerical procedures for solving the equations governing three-dimensional fluid flows. In particular, improved calculations of viscous flows on rotating bodies such a turbomachinery rotors are of great importance. The present investigation is mainly concerned with the analysis of the effect of rotation on the dissipation rate equation and the Reynolds stress equations. Attention is given to governing equations and modelling, algebraic Reynolds stress equations, a procedure for implementing the turbulence closure scheme, results for a model representative of centrifugal turbomachinery, and results for axial turbomachinery. The proposed turbulence model is valid for three-dimensional, rotating, and curved flows. The model has all the essential physics of turbulence, mean flow, rotation, and the curvature.
Development and initial validation of an instrument for human capital planning

This article reports on development and validation of an instrument for use in human capital approaches for organizational planning. The article describes use of a team of subject matter experts in developing a measure of human capital planning, and use of exploratory factor analysis techniques to validate the resulting instrument. These data were obtained from a national survey of 494 human resource management and human resource development respondents. The article presents an instrument for assistance with human capital planning as a strategic human resource management tool and further reports on the initial validity and reliability measures resulting from the analysis. In addition, the usefulness of this instrument for human resource management and human resource development professionals is explored.
Legislative Oversight in the Ukrainian Rada: Assessing the Effectiveness of Parliamentary Committees

This study analyses factors associated with the perceived effectiveness of committee oversight in the Ukrainian Rada. Based on two waves of original survey data, it attempts to discern whether Ukrainian MPs view the committee oversight process primarily as an extension of partisan politics, a forum for constituency representation and resource distribution, or a politically independent process of information acquisition and regulation. The findings of the analysis suggest that partisan political considerations do not play a significant role in shaping MP attitudes towards committee oversight. Rather, deputy evaluations of the oversight process are influenced mainly by distributional and informational factors, suggesting that committee oversight is one area in which legislative institutionalisation appears to be taking root in post-communist Ukraine.