cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prognostic significance of microsatellite instability (MSI) and mismatch repair status (MMR) in African American (AA) patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and its impact on therapy with 5Fluorouracil.

e15634Background: MSI status remains an important clinical and prognostic marker and has been associated with better outcomes in CRC. AA patients are known to have more aggressive CRC at diagnosis ...
Hepatitis B and renal function: A matched study comparing non-hepatitis B, untreated, treated and cirrhotic hepatitis patients

Background & aim Renal impairment is associated with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). To overcome prior study design differences, we used propensity score matching to balance the non-CHB and CHB cohorts and generalized linear modelling (GLM, models using probit and logit linking functions for complex models) to evaluate the effect of CHB, treatment and cirrhosis on renal function. Methods A retrospective cohort (1996-2017) from one U.S. university medical centre. Included patients had ≥12 months of serial creatinine laboratories and a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 . Propensity score matching was performed using age, sex, ethnicity, diabetes, hypertension and baseline eGFR. GLM was performed to generate adjusted mean eGFR over time. Results Adjusted mean eGFR was significantly higher for non-CHB vs. untreated CHB patients (eGFR 87.4 vs. 85.6, P= 0.004, n = 580, median follow-up = 82 months). A significant difference in adjusted mean eGFR between untreated vs. entecavir (ETV)-treated CHB patients (eGFR 85.1 vs. 83.5, P= 0.02, n = 340, median follow-up = 70 months) was found among non-cirrhotic CHB. Among treated CHB, there was no difference in adjusted mean eGFR between non-cirrhotic vs. cirrhotic patients (eGFR 77.0 vs. 76.5; P= 0.66, n = 112, median follow-up = 58 months). Conclusion After PSM and GLM, the significant predictors for worsening renal function were age, hypertension and diabetes mellitus but not CHB, ETV or cirrhosis. However, given small sample size, data regarding the use of ETV in patients with cirrhosis should be interpreted with caution and requires additional investigation.
Against a Single Story: Diverse Trans* Narratives in Autobiographical Documentary Film

In opposition to the sensational, simplified, and pathological gender ideologies in twentieth and early twenty-first century documentary film, Jules Rosskam's Against a Trans Narrative [Rosskam, Ju...
Advice on using heteroskedasticity-based identification

Lewbel (2012, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics 30: 67–80) provides a heteroskedasticity-based estimator for linear regression models containing an endogenous regressor when no external i...
A half-century of research on free-living amoebae (1965–2017): review of biogeographic, ecological and physiological studies

A Half-century of Research on Free-living Amoebae (1965-2017): Review of Biogeographic, Ecological and Physiological Studies
Isosilybin B inhibits in vitro and in vivo growth of androgen-independent DU145 prostate cancer cells: A comparison with its isomers

3071 The development of androgen-independence often represents the terminal stage of prostate cancer (PCA) and leads to death. Urgent measures are needed to lower the burden of this malignancy which kills about 27,000 people every year in US alone. Cancer chemoprevention using phytochemicals has emerged as an attractive alternative strategy. In this regard, silymarin and its known active constituent silibinin have been shown to possess strong potential against PCA. In the present study, four isomers (silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A and isosilybin B) isolated, purified and characterized from silymarin were compared for their efficacy against human PCA DU145 cells under in vitro and in vivo conditions. At 45 μM and 90 μM concentrations, isosilybin B was most effective in a colony formation assay with 34 and 50% inhibition compared to silybin A (26 and 37%), silybin B (22 and 32%) and isosilybin A (27 and 47%), respectively (p
Assessing Mathematics Knowledge and Skill: What College Students Actually Know and Can Do?

This study developed an assessment that was used to evaluate the mathematics knowledge and skills that college students have mastered relative to what is supposedly needed for success in higher education as suggested by prior studies (Conley et al., Reaching the goal: The applicability and importance of the common core state standards to college and career readiness, 2011; NCEE, What does it really mean to be college and work ready? The English and Mathematics required by first year community college students, 2013). The assessment items were categorized according to three content strands associated with the domain of algebraic thinking: variables and patterns, linear equations, and linear functions. Quantitative analyses revealed highly variable performance within each strand but no strong performance differentiation across strands. For all strands, students pursuing STEM degrees outperformed those pursuing non-STEM majors. Qualitative analyses of performance strongly suggest that particular mathematics knowledge and skills can be articulated that do indeed differentiate between high-difficulty and low-difficulty items. The results are discussed relative to arguments and research about the mathematics knowledge and skills needed for success in different programs of study in higher education.
A simple method to establish antegrade cerebral perfusion during hemiarch reconstruction.

Abstract Objective We describe a novel and safe technique using a 12F–14F pediatric arterial cannula to establish unilateral, selective, antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) during open hemiarch reconstruction. Methods Between January 2015 and September 2018, 42 patients underwent elective aortic aneurysm repair requiring an open distal anastomosis and at least a hemiarch replacement via hypothermic circulatory arrest by 2 surgeons. All distal reconstructions were performed at moderate hypothermia (22°C–26°C) with direct cannulation of the innominate artery (IA) using a pediatric arterial cannula to allow ACP at 10–15 mL/kg/min. Data were collected by retrospective chart review. Results Thirty-one of the 42 patients (74%) were male. The mean patient age was 65 ± 13 years, and the mean body surface area was 2.1 ± 0.3 m2. Proximal repairs included a modified Bentall with a valve-graft composite (n = 17), valve-sparing root replacement (n = 2), and aortic valve replacement (n = 15). Perioperative mortality was 2% (n = 1), and the incidence of stroke was 0%. The mean lowest core body temperature reached during circulatory arrest was 23.8 ± 2.7°C with a mean ACP time of 21.8 ± 3.6 minutes. The mean aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were 160.6 ± 55.5 minutes and 204.7 ± 57.5 minutes, respectively. There were no cases of IA injury. Conclusions Direct IA cannulation with a pediatric arterial cannula is a safe and efficient method to allow ACP in aortic surgery requiring hypothermic circulatory arrest and may circumvent the potential complications of axillary cannulation.
Reading Symbolism and Leadership into Comics

This chapter also contains reading activities, but this chapter specifically centers on leadership and symbolism.
Invasive Procedural Treatments for Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids: A Cost Analysis.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the contemporary use of procedural interventions to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids and assess associated health care system costs. Methods Using the IBM Watson MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database for 2009 to 2015 and relevant International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes, women aged 18 to 55 years with clinically significant uterine fibroids were identified. Using Current Procedural Terminology codes, relevant procedural interventions were identified (hysterectomy, endometrial ablation, myomectomy, and uterine fibroid embolization [UFE]). Costs were defined as total actual payments by insurers and patients (per procedure and per episode of care) and were adjusted and compared using generalized linear models. Results Of 241,757 invasive procedures for fibroids, hysterectomy was most common (76.5%), followed by endometrial ablation (14.5%), myomectomy (4.7%), and UFE (4.3%). Hysterectomy was more common in older women and those in rural areas (65.2% of patients Conclusions Of invasive procedures for symptomatic uterine fibroids, hysterectomy was used more frequently than endometrial ablation, myomectomy, and UFE combined. Per procedure and per episode, ablation was least costly. Costs per episode were similar for hysterectomy, myomectomy, and UFE.
Two Roads Diverge: Treatment Choice in Coexisting Severe Aplastic Anemia and Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria

Aplastic anemia (AA) is a bone marrow failure syndrome of pancytopenia due to impaired hematopoiesis. It is strongly associated with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Each condition can cause the other, or occur simultaneously. There are no guidelines for treating concomitant AA and PNH; immunosuppressive therapy (IST) or hematopoietic stem cell therapy (HSCT) is first-line for the former, and eculizumab is first-line for the latter. New studies suggest that treating AA/PNH together versus sequentially should depend on AA severity. We report the case of a previously healthy male (31-year-old, Nigerian immigrant) who developed jaundice, scleral icterus, easy fatigability, and epistaxis. He was diagnosed with AA on bone marrow biopsy and with PNH on flow cytometry. He initially underwent chemotherapy due to increased infection risk with eculizumab in a neutropenic patient; however, he showed minimal response and thus began eculizumab pending allogeneic stem cell transplant. There are no guidelines for treating patients with both AA and PNH, and clinical decision making is generally individualized based on disease severity. Only one prior publication reported simultaneous treatment with eculizumab and chemotherapy, due to stated concern for pancytopenia, especially neutropenia, being the most immediate cause of morbidity/mortality. This demonstrates the individualized decisions that must be made when treating simultaneous PNH and AA, and the importance of PNH/severe AA patients as a separate subpopulation.
Crohn's disease in the elderly.

Surgical procedures for Crohn's disease of the small intestine, colon, or rectum were performed in 25 patients who were 65 years of age or older. In elderly patients with primarily small-bowel disease, good results were obtained uniformly by ileal resection and primary intestinal anastomosis. In 15 patients, Crohn's disease involved primarily the large intestine. Subtotal abdominal colectomy with end ileostomy restored health and permitted weight gain in six patients, although three required subsequent proctosigmoidectomy for recurrent rectal symptoms (average interval—18 months). Four patients underwent one-stage proctocolectomy, with one postoperative death and delayed healing of the perineal wound in the three survivors. Major complications frequently followed surgical procedures for suspected sigmoid diverticulitis in elderly patients with unrecognized Crohn's disease of the colon.
Neurologic complications of medical conditions in pregnancy.

Abstract This chapter discusses some of the neurologic complications of medical diseases that may occur in pregnancy. It reviews both the effects of pregnancy on the underlying disorder and how the medical condition may influence pregnancy outcomes. The most up-to-date information about risk stratification and disease management is presented. The specific disorders reviewed include sickle cell disease, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, cardiac valve diseases, HIV infection, systemic lupus erythematosus, and fibromuscular dysplasia.
The Opposing Viewpoints of Slavery in Nineteenth-Century American Poetry: An Anthology

This anthology delves into a critical time period in American history, illustrates various arguments for and against slavery in the nineteenth century, and showcases some of the most powerful and insightful poems of the era.
An English Composer and Her Opera: Harriet Wainewright’s Comàla (1792)

This paper discusses an opera by the English composer Harriet Wainewright (ca.1766-1843), namely Comala, which received its premiere at the Hanover Square Rooms, London on January 26, 1792. The com...
Nullities for a class of 0-1 symmetric Toeplitz band matrices

Let $S(n,k)$ denote the $n \times n$ symmetric Toeplitz band matrix whose first $k$ superdiagonals and first $k$ subdiagonals have all entries $1$, and whose remaining entries are all $0$. For all $n > k >0$ with $k$ even, we give formulas for the nullity of $S(n,k)$. As an application, it is shown that over half of these matrices $S(n,k)$ are nonsingular. For the purpose of rapid computation, we devise an algorithm that quickly computes the nullity of $S(n,k)$ even for extremely large values of $n$ and $k$, when $k$ is even. The algorithm is based on a connection between the nullspace vectors of $S(n,k)$ and the cycles in a certain directed graph.
Maternal systemic vascular dysfunction in a primate model of defective uterine spiral artery remodeling.

Maternal vascular dysfunction is a hallmark of abnormal human pregnancy, particularly early-onset preeclampsia, elicited by impaired UAR. The present study makes the novel discovery that maternal s...
Predicting Needs in Future Decentralized Networks through Analysis of Barrage Relay Networks

Improved routing algorithms are needed for the rapid proliferation of inexpensive, wireless network devices. In certain scenarios, decentralized wireless networks are either necessary or preferred over centralized ones. The barrage relay network (BRN) is an emerging ad hoc, decentralized wireless network designed to address issues of network reliability and routing overhead. In BRNs, the routing of unicast transmissions is controlled by the cooperative formation of controlled-barrage regions (CBRs), based on a simple set of rules. In this paper, we simulate CBR formation to study the routing reliability and node utilization, with the goal of predicting BRN utility in future scenarios. We have three specific aims which have not been addressed in other BRN studies: 1) we study the impact of channel effects on BRN routing, 2) we study the impact of node density significantly above the theoretical minimum density required to guarantee a fully connected network, and 3) we employ large ensembles of random networks to account for the wide variability that ad hoc networks may encounter. We find that CBRs tend to grow spatially as network density increases, leading to significant network utilization. Furthermore, we find with the most realistic fading model employed, a random channel model, requires the most network resources in high density networks. Then, we investigate a trade-off in network resources and reliability. Understanding these effects will lead to the design of more efficient and robust routing algorithms for high density decentralized networks for use in disaster relief, military, vehicle-to-vehicle and wireless sensor network applications.
An open framework supporting multimedia web services

With the rapid emergence of Web services, more and more Web services are published on the Internet as resources for Web application development. There may exist some relationships among different Web services, such as exact match, plug-in match, and irrelevant. In this paper, we discuss a set of requirements related to multimedia Web services, and propose a three-tier framework to establish an open environment supporting multimedia Web services, while partially implementing the requirements. This paper focuses on the design of the service broker tier that is essential for future Web services-oriented system design and integration and enabling Web services more transparent, interoperable, and fault-tolerate.
Longitudinal changes of financial hardship in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Objective : To measure the longitudinal changes in three domains of financial hardship (i.e., financial worry, cost-related care non-adherence, material hardship) in patients with MS. Methods : A convenience sample of 559 adult patients with a known diagnosis of MS visiting a single outpatient neurology clinic between July 2018 to February 2020 were approached. Patients completed surveys at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-enrollment. Outcomes included financial worry (using Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity Patient-Reported Outcome (COST)), cumulative cost-related care non-adherence, and cumulative financial hardship as adopted by Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Associations of financial worry with care non-adherence and material hardship were assessed using ANOVA. Results : A total of 242 (43.3%) participated at baseline. Mean age was 43.6 ± 13.6 years (76.9% female; 46.4% White); median months from diagnosis was 63 (IQR, 28–120). The mean COST score at enrollment was 17.43 (± 10.15) and increased to 19.41 (± 11.12) at 12 months (p = 0.09). Cumulative cost-related MS care non-adherence increased from 32.6% at baseline to 53.3% at 12 months (20.7% increase; p Conclusion and relevance : Cost-related care non-adherence and material hardship accumulate progressively over time and correlates with financial worry. Clinical practices should focus on screening those at risk and intervene with the goal of mitigating costs of care and improving patient outcomes.
Identifying robust functional modules using three-body correlations in Escherichia coli

Understanding the underlying structure of a gene regulatory network is crucial to understand the biological functions of genes or groups of genes. A common strategy to investigate it is to find community structure of these networks. However, methods of finding these communities are often sensitive to noise in the gene expression data and the inherent stochasticity of the community detection algorithms. Here we introduce an approach for identifying functional groups and their hierarchical organization in gene co-expression networks from expression data. A network describing the relatedness in the expression profiles of genes is first inferred using an information theoretic approach. Community structure within the inferred network is found by using modularity maximization. This community structure is further refined using three-body structural correlations to robustly identify important functional gene communities. We apply this approach to the expression data of Escherichia coli genes and identify 25 robust groups, many of which show key associations with important biological functions as demonstrated by Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis. Thus, our approach makes specific and novel predictions about the function of these genes.
VLSI Implemented Signal Processing Algorithms

The sophistication and complexity of signal processing algorithms which can be implemented at reasonable cost is increasing dramatically with time. This is due to the rapid advances in integrated circuit technology. If, however, the capabilities of the technology are to be fully exploited, certain inherent characteristics must be taken into account in the design of the signal processing system. Conversely, basic architectural decisions, such as whether the implementation is to include programmable or special-purpose chips, is to be analog or digital, etc., affect the choice of signal processing algorithms.
ORIGEN DE LAS ESTRATEGIAS DISTRIBUTIVAS POR REDUPLICACIÓN EN ESPAÑOL Y PORTUGUÉS ANTIGUOS

Our knowledge about the unusual history of the syntactic construction ReduplicaciA³n Numeral Distributiva (RND) in Medieval Latin, Old Spanish and Old Portuguese is very limited. A prefab example of RND is *E ovo [â€¦] en cada pared de amos los costados treinta varas de V V cobdosâ€¦; i.e., â€˜[â€¦] varas de V codos cada unaâ€™. Reduplicative numbers disambiguates collective and distributive semantic interpretations. This construction is documented throughout four centuries (10th C-13th C.) in western Spain and Portugal. Defining the nature of this structure and documenting its evolution are two major goals in this research.
Ripple effects: the groundnut scheme failure and railway planning for colonial development in Tanganyika, 1947–1952

While the reasons for the failure of the groundnut scheme are well understood, its effects on colonial development in Tanganyika are not. Drawing from the voluminous paper trail that development planning leaves in its wake, this paper traces the effects of the groundnut scheme demise on a contemporaneous plan to build a railway across Tanganyika to the Northern Rhodesian copperbelt. Tensions arose among the railway planners – civil servants, politicians, and consultants from Britain, Africa, and the United States – when, midway through the planning process, the scale of the groundnut scheme collapse became public. I demonstrate how this revealing crisis prompted planners to eschew the project's production-oriented impetus and embrace a welfare-oriented conclusion. By demonstrating the interlinked nature of development projects, this paper proposes a new angle for studying the history of development in an era characterised by the rapid proliferation of projects.
Traveling-Wave Switches and Marx Generators

This chapter considers a possible technique for reducing the rise time of high-voltage switches by placing an array of smaller voltage switches in a traveling-wave geometry. This same technique can also be incorporated in a Marx generator.
Photodissociation of metastable O2 (a¹Δg): Implications for stratospheric O3

The potential energy curves of Saxon and Liu (1977) are used to calculate nuclear radial wave functions for O2 in the a 1 Delta g and C 3 Delta u states. Franck-Condon factors are evaluated for both bound-bound and bound-free transitions. Observational values for the radiative lifetimes of discrete vibrational levels of the C 3 Delta u state are used to place constraints on the cross section for photodissociaation of a 1 Delta g. It is argued that the cross section for the dissociation of O2(a 1 Delta g) through the C 3 Delta u state is smaller by four orders of magnitude than values required by Frederick and Cicerone (1985) to resolve the apparent discrepancy between computed and measured concentrations for O3 in the upper atmosphere.
Continuous-flow liquid microjunction surface sampling probe connected on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for spatially resolved analysis of small molecules and proteins.

Rationale A continuous-flow liquid microjunction surface sampling probe extracts soluble material from surfaces for direct ionization and detection by mass spectrometry. Demonstrated here is the on-line coupling of such a probe with high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) enabling extraction, separation and detection of small molecules and proteins from surfaces in a spatially resolved (~0.5 mm diameter spots) manner. Methods A continuous-flow liquid microjunction surface sampling probe was connected to a six-port, two-position valve for extract collection and injection to an HPLC column. A QTRAP® 5500 hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap equipped with a Turbo V™ ion source operated in positive electrospray ionization (ESI) mode was used for all experiments. The system operation was tested with the extraction, separation and detection of propranolol and associated metabolites from drug dosed tissues, caffeine from a coffee bean, cocaine from paper currency, and proteins from dried sheep blood spots on paper. Results Confirmed in the tissue were the parent drug and two different hydroxypropranolol glucuronides. The mass spectrometric response for these compounds from different locations in the liver showed an increase with increasing extraction time (5, 20 and 40 s). For on-line separation and detection/identification of extracted proteins from dried sheep blood spots, two major protein peaks dominated the chromatogram and could be correlated with the expected masses for the hemoglobin α and β chains. Conclusions Spatially resolved sampling, separation, and detection of small molecules and proteins from surfaces can be accomplished using a continuous-flow liquid microjunction surface sampling probe coupled on-line with HPLC/MS detection.
‘The Character of Contemporary History’: Human Rights History and Early Modern Violence: Human Rights History and Early Modern Violence

This essay considers the significance of this special issue of History for modern historians of human rights with regard to three aspects of that history. First, there has been a division between those who seek to chronicle the history of human rights movements and those who focus on the history of human rights violations. The essays in this volume present a view of the early modern British empire that seems defined by the absence of human rights movements and a ubiquity of human rights violations. Second, modern historians of human rights have pursued two approaches: deploying a standard definition of human rights as a ‘plumb line’ by which past movements and violations are assessed, or mapping the genealogy of ‘human rights’ as an empty signifier whose content is indeterminate. This edited collection approaches the violence of the period with genealogical care. Nevertheless, these contributions are also marked by a concern with the conceptual categorization of different forms of violence, which while less bound to a specific legal code, are perhaps normative across period and geography. Third, this special issue illuminates, but does not resolve, the tension between historicism and universality that characterizes the history of human rights. Each of the authors, by engaging with the assumptions and preoccupations of the human rights field, presents evidence that for both themselves and their subjects there is often an aspiration to conceptual and moral standards by which local circumstances and contingencies might be judged.
A single pathway targets several health challenges of the elderly.

Abstract New avenues to modulate the autophagy–lysosomal route of protein clearance have the potential to help treat several disease states to which the elderly are particularly vulnerable. Two recent papers identified distinct ways to tap into the lysosomal degradation pathway of autophagy to reduce age-related protein accumulation events. Shoji-Kawata et al. (Nature 2013;494:201–206) describe a new autophagy-inducing peptide, Tat-Beclin 1, that enhances the clearance of polyglutamine aggregates related to Huntington's disease and, interestingly, suppresses viral and bacterial infections. Savolainen et al. (Neurobiol Dis 2014;68:1–15) describe a prolyl oligopeptidase inhibitor that reduces α-synuclein species related to Parkinson's disease and other α-synucleinopathies, and this inhibitor caused a concomitant increase in autophagic activation markers. Previous studies have also linked the autophagy–lysosomal pathway to the protective clearing of the Aβ peptides of Alzheimer's disease and tau species of t...
Air Pollution and Hospital Admissions for the Elderly in Birmingham, Alabama

Several studies have reported associations between airborne particles and/or ozone and hospital admissions for respiratory disease. This study examined whether such an association could be seen in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the few cities in the United States with daily monitoring of inhalable particles. Daily counts of hospital admissions were computed by date of admission from Medicare records for pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for the years 1986-1989. Classification was by discharge diagnosis. The daily average of ozone and particulate matter with an aerodiameter of < or = 10 microns (PM10) from all monitoring stations in Birmingham was computed. Approximately six admissions for pneumonia and two for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were observed each day. In Poisson regression analysis controlling for time trends, seasonal fluctuations, and weather, inhalable particles were a risk factor for admission for pneumonia (for an increase of 100 micrograms/m3 in daily concentration, relative risk (RR) = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.32) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (RR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.08-1.50). The results were not sensitive to alternative methods for controlling for seasonal patterns and weather, nor to the exclusion of very hot or cold days. Ozone was more weakly associated with admissions for pneumonia, with a 2-day lag (RR = 1.14, 95% CI 0.94-1.38), and for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with a 1-day lag (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 0.86-1.60). The risks are for an increase in ozone exposure of 50 parts per billion. Tests for nonlinearity in the relation between inhalable particles and admissions were not significant, and nonparametric smoothing found no evidence of a threshold in the relation.
Glutamate receptor expression in rat striatum: Effect of deafferentation

The cerebral cortex is the primary source of glutamatergic afferents to the neostriatum. We used in situ hybridization to examine the effect of removal of the glutamatergic input to the striatum by unilateral frontal cortical ablation on the expression of genes encoding subunits from three families of glutamate receptors: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR1, NMDAR2A, and NMDAR2B); alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors (GluR1-4, flip and flop splice variants); and metabotropic receptors (mGluR1-5). Significant changes were restricted to the dorsolateral quadrant of the ipsilateral striatum, the main projection area of the sensorimotor cortex. The expression of those messages which are normally abundant, NMDAR1, NMDAR2A, GluR1-4 flop and mGluR1, 3 and 5, was decreased in the deafferented dorsolateral striatum by 10-39% at 3 days after cortical ablation and subsequently increased to 120-165% of control at 15 and 60 days. mRNAs encoding the flip isoforms of GluR1-4, mGluR2 and 4, and an alternatively spliced region of NMDAR1 (Insertion I) which are undetectable or present at low levels in the striatum were not induced by cortical ablation. In contrast, both glial fibrillary acid protein and beta-actin mRNA expression were markedly enhanced at 3 and 15 days, returning to near normal at 60 days. Striatal NMDA, AMPA and metabotropic type 1 ligand binding sites were increased as early as 3 days after cortical ablation, reached a peak at 15 days and remained increased for up to 60 days, while metabotropic type 2 binding was slightly but significantly reduced at 3 and 15 days and [3H]kainate binding did not change significantly. These results demonstrate that cortical ablation, and subsequent loss of glutamatergic afferents to the striatum, results in alterations in the expression of genes encoding glutamate receptor subunits in striatal neurons. The regulation of these genes appears to be coordinate, so that the relative abundance of the different messages is preserved.
Primitive thermodynamics: A new look at the Clausius-Duhem inequality

Abstract New answers to an old question in a new context provide the basis for constructing a thermodynamics which is surprisingly simple and yet capable of modeling viscous fluids, viscoelastic bodies, elastic bodies, and heat conduction. The results obtain from a complete solution of the reduced dissipation inequality without considering functional dependences on histories. Constitutive relations are shown to take the form of a sum of two collections of terms; the first collection being the quasistatic part of classic thermodynamics, and the second is the dynamic part. This dynamic part consists of a gradient of a dissipation potential with respect to the dynamic variables and a collection of terms which gives an identically zero supply of entropy. Absolute minimia of the dissipation potential with respect to the dynamic variables are shown to be attained only in thermostatic states. The theory possesses a full system of symmetry relations and consistency with thermostatics is demonstrated.
Creative pedagogy for computer learning: eight effective tactics

Do your students seem uninterested in learning about computing? Do they complain that the subject matter has no relevant application to the "real world"? Do they appear baffled, bored, and inattentive? Your mission as a creative facilitator is not to assign a grade; your mission is to educate students to think, learn, and make new connections they never thought possible. A teacher's guidance, constructive feedback, and facilitated instruction should pave the way for students to meaningfully bridge prior knowledge with new knowledge. In this article, the authors suggest eight essential tactics on how teachers might teach creatively, particularly with respect to computing curricula, while they enjoy the teaching and learning processes and reap the pleasures of getting students to think creatively and productively in a complex information world.
Development of bioluminescence and photophores in the midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus

Correlative studies of luminescent responses, light and electron microscopy of Porichthys photophores during development were conducted. The photophores differentiate as an outgrowth of the basal cell layer of the epidermis, from which they delaminate into the dermis. Reflector cells are formed from dermal fibroblasts. Early photophore cells differentiate into three distinct cell types: photocytes, supportive and lens cells. Elaborate profiles of endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies and vesicles suggest intense secretory activity in the early photocytes, while supportive and lens cells differentiate by two different transformations of the microfilament arrangement of primordial photophore cells. Luminescent capabilities of Porichthys photophores arise in two successive phases: (1) an aneural phase during which photophores become fluorescent, photocytes are in process of maturation and respond only to chemical stimulation and (2) a neural phase in which photophores luminesce upon electrical and pharmacological stimulation and are densely innervated with terminals showing relatively narrow neurophotocyte gaps. The presence of neural elements intimately associated with the early photophore anlagen suggests the involvement of the peripheral nervous system in the formation of photophores.
Analysis of the Safety and Efficacy of Intra-Arterial Thrombolytic Therapy in Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose— Intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy (IAT) may be a treatment option for patients with ischemic stroke. We analyzed the safety and efficacy of IAT on the basis of published data. Methods— We searched computerized databases for studies using IAT in ≥10 patients with ischemic stroke. Some studies had control patients for comparison. Data were collected on age, stroke territory, time to treatment, medication, site of arterial occlusion and recanalization on angiogram, outcomes, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH). Results— The analysis included 27 studies with 852 patients who received IAT and 100 control subjects. There were more favorable outcomes in the IAT than in the control group (41.5% versus 23%, P=0.002), with a lower mortality rate for IAT (IAT, 27.2%; control group, 40%, P=0.004). The IAT group had an odds ratio of 2.4 (95% CI, 1.45 to 3.85) for favorable outcome. SICH was more frequent in the IAT group compared with the control group (9.5% versus 3%, P=0.046). Th...
Some factors affecting the complexity of children's sentences: The effects of modeling, age, sex, and bilingualism

Abstract The effects of the complexity of the sentences spoken by a model upon the length and complexity of sentences spoken by monolingual children hearing Englishssentences, bilingual children hearing Spanish and bilingual children hearing English, were assessed. Second and fourth grade boys and girls served as Ss. A clear modeling effect was found, as well as an effect of grade level on sentence length. No significant effects of sex or language were found. The results suggest that modeling can indeed affect the complexity of children's sentences even in the absence of reinforcement or instructions to imitate.
An investigation in parallel execution of answer set programs on distributed memory platforms: Task sharing and dynamic scheduling

Answer Set Programming (ASP) is a novel logic programming paradigm, that has already had a profound impact in several application domains, especially in the areas of knowledge representation and reasoning. In spite of the development of excellent inference engines for ASP, efficiency and scalability remain challenging aspects that prevent the use of ASP in various real-world domains. Parallelism has been identified as a natural avenue to address these problems. This paper describes the design of a complete ASP parallel engine, derived from the basic design of the Smodels architecture. The paper places emphasis on addressing the problem of the irregular structure of the search trees generated by typical ASP computations (in a Smodels-like computation), which requires the use of dynamic load balancing mechanisms. The paper provides a systematic investigation of alternative strategies for dynamic scheduling and task sharing. These are the two components that more directly affect the efficiency of a parallel engine.
Measuring the surface roughness of stream stones

Measuring the fine-scale heterogeneity of stones and other substrates is a challenge for benthic ecologists. I describe a method for measuring the roughness of stones that is based on the ratio of two surface area measurements: one that follows substrate contours and one based on a similar-sized modified spheroid. This roughness index is easily measured, assesses the entire surface of stones, and enables the measurement of replicate stones. Roughness measurements of 14 rock types demonstrated that values obtained were consistent with perceived roughness and porosity. Application of the roughness index to a published data set produced a curvilinear relationship between stone roughness and the biomass of algae in roughness-associated crevices.
FOREX: a fiber-optics diagnostic system for study of materials at high temperatures and pressures

We have successfully fielded a Fiber Optics Radiation EXperiment system (FOREX) designed for measuring material properties at high temperatures and pressures on an underground nuclear test. The system collects light from radiating materials and transmits it through several hundred meters of optical fibers to a recording station consisting of a streak camera with film readout. The use of fiber optics provides a faster time response than can presently be obtained with equalized coaxial cables over comparable distances. Fibers also have significant cost and physical size advantages over coax cables. The streak camera achieves a much higher information density than an equivalent oscilloscope system, and it also serves as the light detector. The result is a wide bandwidth high capacity system that can be fielded at a relatively low cost in manpower, space, and materials. For this experiment, the streak camera had a 120 ns time window with a 1.2 ns time resolution. Dynamic range for the system was about 1000. Beam current statistical limitations were approximately 8% for a 0.3 ns wide data point at one decade above the threshold recording intensity.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Classifier ensembles: Select real-world applications

Broad classes of statistical classification algorithms have been developed and applied successfully to a wide range of real-world domains. In general, ensuring that the particular classification algorithm matches the properties of the data is crucial in providing results that meet the needs of the particular application domain. One way in which the impact of this algorithm/application match can be alleviated is by using ensembles of classifiers, where a variety of classifiers (either different types of classifiers or different instantiations of the same classifier) are pooled before a final classification decision is made. Intuitively, classifier ensembles allow the different needs of a difficult problem to be handled by classifiers suited to those particular needs. Mathematically, classifier ensembles provide an extra degree of freedom in the classical bias/variance tradeoff, allowing solutions that would be difficult (if not impossible) to reach with only a single classifier. Because of these advantages, classifier ensembles have been applied to many difficult real-world problems. In this paper, we survey select applications of ensemble methods to problems that have historically been most representative of the difficulties in classification. In particular, we survey applications of ensemble methods to remote sensing, person recognition, one vs. all recognition, and medicine.
Pilot trial: pregabalin on colonic sensorimotor functions in irritable bowel syndrome.

Abstract Background In prior studies, pregabalin reduced rectal or colonic pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and healthy adults, suggesting reduction of afferent function. Aim To assess effects of pregabalin on colonic compliance, sensory and motor functions in patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Methods In a pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, we tested oral pregabalin, 200 mg, in 18 patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. With a barostatically controlled polyethylene balloon in the left colon, we assessed sensation thresholds and colonic compliance using ascending method of limits, sensation ratings over 4 levels of distension, fasting and postprandial colonic tone and phasic motility. Analysis of covariance (adjusted for the corresponding pre-drug response) was used to compare placebo and pregabalin. After 45% participants completed studies, we conducted an interim analysis to assess the conditional power to detect pre-specified treatment effects given the observed variation and treatment group differences based on the planned sample size for the trial. Results Pregabalin did not significantly affect colonic compliance, sensation thresholds, sensation ratings, fasting or postprandial tone or motility index. The study was stopped for futility to detect an effect on visceral pain with the planned design and sample size. Conclusion Pregabalin, 200 mg, might not reduce distension-related colonic pain in constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients.
Parotid Gland Tumors: A Comparison of Postoperative Radiotherapy Techniques Using Three Dimensional (3D) Dose Distributions and Dose-Volume Histograms (DVHs)

Abstract Purpose: To compare different treatment techniques for unilateral treatment of parotid gland tumors. Methods and Materials: The CT-scans of a representative parotid patient were used. The field size was 9 × 11 cm, the separation was 15.5 cm, and the prescription depth was 4.5 cm. Using 3D dose distributions, tissue inhomogeneity corrections, scatter integration (for photons) and pencil beam (for electrons) algorithms and dose-volume histogram (DVH), nine treatment techniques were compared. [1] unilateral 6 MV photons [2] unilateral 12 MeV electrons [3] unilateral 16 MeV electrons [4] an ipsilateral wedge pair technique using 6 MV photons [5] a 3-field AP (wedged), PA (wedged) and lateral portal technique using 6 MV photons [6] a mixed beam technique using 6 MV photons and 12 MeV electrons (1:4 weighting) [7] a mixed beam technique using 6 MV photons and 16 MeV electrons (1:4 weighting) [8] a mixed beam technique using 18 MV photons and 20 MeV electrons (2:3 weighting) [9] a mixed beam technique using 18 MV photons and 20 MeV electrons (1:1 weighting). Results: Using dose-volume histograms to evaluate the dose to the contralateral parotid gland, the percentage of contralateral parotid volume receiving ≥ 30% of the prescribed dose was 100% for techniques [1], [8] and [9], and Conclusion: The single photon lateral field [1] and the mixed electron-photon beams [8] and [9] are not recommended treatment techniques for unilateral parotid irradiation because of high doses delivered to the contralateral parotid gland and high exit doses which are associated with Xerostomia. The en face electron beam technique [2] and the mixed electron-photon beam technique [6] are unacceptable due to the excessive dose heterogeneity to the contiguous normal structures. In spite of optimal dose fall-off achieved using the en face technique [3], most patients cannot tolerate the resulting high skin doses. We conclude that the ipsilateral wedge pair [4], the 3-field [5], and the mixed electron-photon beam [7] techniques are optimal techniques in providing relatively homogeneous dose distributions within the target area and for minimizing dose to the relevant normal structures.
Proteolytic Activity of the Rat Thyroid Gland; Studies Using Thyroid Slices and Subcellular Fractions1

Thyroid slices from rats prelabeled With 131I were incubated for 3 hr in KRP, pH 7.4, fallowing which the tissue together with medium was homogenized and the mixture was subjected to paper chromatography. The increment in non-Origin 131I (i.e., 131I not protein-bound) above the value in unincubated tissue was taken as a Measure of in vitro proteolysis of glandular iodoprotein. TSH injection (1 U, 2 hr before thyroidectomy) enhanced proteolysis 9-fold as compared with controls. Proteolysis was greatly inhibited by incubation in N2 as well as by presence of dinitrophenol or antimycin A and was abolished by homogenization of tissue prior to incubation. Sulfhydryl blocking reagents inhibited, while GSH and cysteine stimulated, proteolysis. Results were unaffected by preheating the rats with compound 48/80, nor did addition of diisopropylfluorophosphate to the medium affect the proteolysis in slices. Thyroid subcellular particulate fractions from unlabeled rats incubated with 125I-thyroglobulin showed proteoly...
Multi-domain BEM for two-dimensional problems of elastodynamics

An advanced implementation of the boundary element technique for the periodic and transient dynamic analyses of two-dimensional elastic or visco elastic solids of arbitrary shape and connectivity is presented. For transient dynamic analysis the problem is first solved in the Laplace transform space and then the time domain solutions are obtained by numerical inversion of transformed domain solutions. The present analysis is capable of treating very large, multi-domain problems by substructuring and satisfying the equilibrium and compatibilities at the interfaces. With the help of this substructuring capability, problems related to the layered media and soil–structure interaction can all be analysed. This paper also introduces a new type of element called ‘Enclosing Element’, which has been developed and used to model the infinitely extending boundaries of a half-space or a layered medium. A number of numerical examples are presented, and through comparisons with available analytical and numerical results, the accuracy, stability and efficiency of the present analysis are established.
A Beginning Teacher's Search for Meaning: Teacher Socialization, Organizational Literacy, and Empowerment.

Abstract Drawing on the findings from an ethnographic case study, this paper seeks to examine the socialization of a “potentially empowered” beginning teacher as a means for better understanding the socialization process and the implications for teacher education more generally. Toward this end, the discussion focuses on how the “images” this teacher brought to her first year of teaching influenced her ability to make sense of the organizational context in which she found herself. Based on this, it is suggested that some form of organizational literacy be integrated into the curriculum of teacher education programs as one means for empowering teachers.