cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of mosses in the phosphorus cycling of an Alaskan black spruce forest

Mosses account for 75% of the annual phosphorus accumulation in aboveground parts of an Alaskan black spruce forest, although they comprise only 17% of the phosphorus pool in aboveground vegetation. Sphagnum subsecundum and feathermosses (Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi) have a higher capacity to absorb phosphate than do the fine roots of black spruce (Picea mariana) that are situated beneath the moss layer. In three of the four moss species studied, phosphate absorption capacity increases with increasing age of green tissue and decreases with increasing age of brown tissue. In the two feathermosses, which acquire moisture primarily from the air, and in Sphagnum, phosphate absorption is more rapid in green than in brown tissue. In contrast, the endohydric moss Polytrichum commune, which transports water through stem tissue from soil, absorbs phosphate most rapidly from stems in mineral soil. Two treatments designed to reduce activity of mycorrhizae (cutting of roots extending beneath the moss carpet or application to the moss surface of a fungicide that kills mycorrhizal hyphae) tended to increase phosphate retention by mosses and reduce phosphate transfer out of the experimental plots. This suggests that mycorrhizae are an important avenue of phosphorus movement out of the moss carpet and a means by which the black spruce competes with the overlying mosses for nutrients.
Association of visual field severity and parapapillary retinal blood flow in open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE To examine the association of the parapapillary blood flow parameters with severity of visual field loss (VFL) in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients. DESIGN Observational clinical study. METHODS Fifty-two patients with OAG and 30 normal subjects were studied prospectively. Parapapillary blood flow parameters were obtained for superotemporal and inferotemporal quadrants using the scanning laser Doppler flowmeter. Mean deviation score was used to determine the severity of VFL both as continuous variable and stratified by severity: no VFL (OAG A) 6 dB. In the OAG patients with an abnormal Glaucoma Hemifield Test, the hemifield with a predominant VFL was determined. Linear regression analysis and analysis of covariance were used to assess the relationship between the severity of the VFL and the parapapillary blood flow parameters. The variance in mean parapapillary blood flow was assessed using standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (COV). RESULTS There was no correlation between the severity of VFL and parapapillary blood flow parameters. Variance in the mean parapapillary blood flow was significantly greater in OAG patients with VFL compared with OAG patients without VFL and normal subjects for the superotemporal quadrant (SD, P=0.04; COV, P=0.02) and the inferotemporal quadrant (SD, P<0.02; COV, P=0.02). Results for COV were confirmed for the inferotemporal quadrant in analysis of covariance after adjusting for age and intraocular pressure (F=1.60, P=0.04). CONCLUSION The parapapillary blood flow did not correlate with VFL. However, the variance in meanparapapillary blood flow was significantly larger in OAG patients with VFL, thus suggesting vascular abnormality.
Gluconeogenic dependence on ketogenesis in isolated sheep hepatocytes.

Abstract Dependence of gluconeogenesis on β;-oxidation and ketogenesis from long-chain fatty acids was examined in isolated sheep hepatocyles. Hepatocytes were incubated with a combination of gluconeogenic precursors (2m M pyruvate, 20m M lactate, and 5m M propionate) plus other fatty acids, in the presence and absence of tetradecylglycidic acid, an inhibitor of the carnitine palmitoyltransferase reaction. Palmitate oxidation to total acid-soluble metabolites or β;-hydroxybutyrate was markedly inhibited by the addition of tetradecylglycidic acid. In general, oxidation of palmitate to carbon dioxide was not altered by tetradecyiglycidic acid. Glucose production was inhibited 38 to 50% in the presence of tetradecylglycidic acid. Addition of acetate and butyrate inhibited gluconeogenesis, but octanoate addition had a slight stimulatory effect. In the presence of tetradecyiglycidic acid, butyrate, but not acetate, addition further reduced gluconeogenesis. In contrast, addition of octanoate in the presence of tetradecylglycidic acid restored gluconeogenic rates to control values. The results are consistent with observations in several nonruminant species and suggest that, as in those species, ruminant gluconeogenesis requires at least a basal rate of β;-oxidation and ketogenesis from long-chain fatty acids to support maximum gluconeogenic rates.
Incidence of various classes of removable partial dentures

The purpose of a classification for removable partial dentures (RPDs) is to simplify identification and enhance its teaching. A classification also allows a longitudinal comparison of various classes of RPDs to determine whether the teaching of RPD design is consistent with the relative frequencies of RPD use. This study surveyed the types of removable partial dentures being fabricated in a regional dental laboratory and compared these findings with data from previous studies. Results indicate that mandibular RPDs are more common than maxillary RPDs and the class I mandibular RPD is the most common type of RPD for either dental arch. A palatal strap was the most frequently used maxillary major connector and a lingual bar was used three times more often than a lingual plate in the mandibular arch. Cast circumferential clasps were used twice as often as RPI clasp designs. The percentage of Kennedy class I RPDs was 40%, class II 33%, class III 18%, and class IV 9%. Comparisons with a previous study indicate the percentage of Kennedy class II has increased, whereas class I, class III and class IV RPDs have not changed significantly. Findings of the study indicate that the frequency of use of the various types of RPDs have changed in the past 30 years.
Does Varenicline Worsen Psychiatric Symptoms in Patients With Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder? A Review of Published Studies

Objective To review published cases and prospective studies describing the use of varenicline in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Data sources PubMed, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Database were searched in July 2011 using the key words schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychosis, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, aggression, hostility, suicidal ideation AND varenicline to identify reports published between January 2006 and July 2011 in English. Study selection Five case reports, 1 case series, 1 retrospective study, 10 prospective studies (17 publications), and 1 meeting abstract describing the use of varenicline in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were identified. Review articles and articles describing findings other than the use of varenicline in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were excluded. Thirteen reports were included in the final analysis. Data extraction Information on each study's patient population, age, diagnosis, medication treatment, tobacco use history, adverse effects, and outcome was collected from the published reports. Results Of the 260 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who received varenicline in these published reports, 13 patients (5%) experienced the onset or worsening of any psychiatric symptom, although 3 of the 13 patients experienced a very brief negative effect after 1 dose. No patients experienced suicidal ideation or suicidal behaviors. Conclusions Published reports suggest that, in most stable, closely monitored patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, varenicline treatment is not associated with worsening of psychiatric symptoms. Current, prospective studies are assessing effectiveness and further assessing safety in this population.
New rovibrational kinetic energy operators using polyspherical coordinates for polyatomic molecules

We illustrate how one can easily derive kinetic energy operators for polyatomic molecules using polyspherical coordinates with very general choices for z-axis embeddings arid angles used to specify relative orientations of internal vectors. Computer algebra is not required.
Metatarsal Head Resurfacing for Advanced Hallux Rigidus

Background:Advanced stages of first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) arthritis have traditionally been treated with various arthroplasties or arthrodesis. Studies suggest the outcomes of arthrodesis are s...
Biodegradation of bisphenol A and other bisphenols by a gram-negative aerobic bacterium

A novel bacterium designated strain MV1 was isolated from a sludge enrichment taken from the wastewater treatment plant at a plastics manufacturing facility and shown to degrade 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol or bisphenol A). Strain MV1 is a gram-negative, aerobic bacillus that grows on bisphenol A as a sole source of carbon and energy. Total carbon analysis for bisphenol A degradation demonstrated that 60% of the carbon was mineralized to CO2, 20% was associated with the bacterial cells, and 20% was converted to soluble organic compounds. Metabolic intermediates detected in the culture medium during growth on bisphenol A were identified as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxyacetophenone, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanol, and 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2-propanediol. Most of the bisphenol A degraded by strain MV1 is cleaved in some way to form 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 4-hydroxyacetophenone, which are subsequently mineralized or assimilated into cell carbon. In addition, about 20% of the bisphenol A is hydroxylated to form 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanol, which is slowly biotransformed to 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2-propanediol. Cells that were grown on bisphenol A degraded a variety of bisphenol alkanes, hydroxylated benzoic acids, and hydroxylated acetophenones during resting-cell assays. Transmission electron microscopy of cells grown on bisphenol A revealed lipid storage granules and intracytoplasmic membranes.
Transaction Cost and Institutional Drivers of Supplier Adoption of Environmental Practices

Research concerning a supplier’s voluntary adoption of environmental practices has focused on buyer influence and supplier leadership values. These explanations are pertinent to early adopters, but other theoretical perspectives are needed to understand why later adopters, who tend to be more conservative, may or may not be likely to adopt environmental practices. Two theoretical lenses may be used to better understand later adoption processes. First, transaction cost economics examines implementation costs that have not been considered in previous research. A transaction cost economics perspective suggests that suppliers are more likely to adopt environmental practices if their information seeking, bargaining, and enforcement costs are minimized. Second, institutional theory can be applied to drivers within the supply base. The institutional theory analysis reveals that supplier adoption of environmental practices is more likely if coercive, normative, and mimetic institutional forces are in play.
A dielectric study of poly(ethylene‐co‐vinylacetate)–poly(vinyl chloride) blends. I. Miscibility and phase behavior

Measurements of the complex permittivity were used to study miscibility and phase behavior in blends of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with two random ethylene—vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers containing 45 and 70 wt % of vinyl acetate. The dielectric β relaxation of the pure polymers and blends was followed as a function of temperature and frequency for different blend compositions and thermal treatments. Blends of EVA 70/PVC were found to be miscible for compositions of about 25% EVA 70 and higher. Blends of lower EVA 70 content showed evidence of two-phase behavior. EVA 45/PVC blends were found to be miscible only at the composition extremes; at intermediate compositions these blends were two-phase, partially miscible. Both blend systems showed lower critical solution temperature behavior. Phase separation studies revealed that in the EVA 45/PVC blends, PVC was capable of diffusing into the higher Tg phase at temperatures below the Tg of the upper phase. In the blends, ion transport losses were significant above the loss peak temperatures, and in the two-phase systems, often obscured the upper temperature loss process. It was shown possible, however, to correct the loss curves for this transport contribution.
Food reinforcement versus social reinforcement in timber wolf pups

Completion times for food-reinforced trials and socially reinforced trials were recorded for problem-solving tasks performed by 4 Eastern timber wolf pups (Canis lupus lycaon) at 6 and at 13 weeks of age. All subjects posted shorter times for socially reinforced trials on both tasks. Results are discussed in terms of species-specific constraints on learning.
Outsourcing: Pros and cons

Abstract Overseas outsourcing of jobs is far more complicated than is generally understood. Pressures to outsource range from better-serving overseas markets to increasing the competitiveness of American business. Outsourcing—domestic and international—responds to management's desire to focus the firm's in-house activities on its core competence. A negative side to outsourcing results from companies doing so simply because “everybody is doing it.” They may be surprised by accompanying factors such as unexpected costs and complications, as well. Governmental policymakers need to realize that foreign companies outsource more business services to the United States than American firms send overseas.
Altered signal transduction in SLE T cells

T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus display numerous signalling abnormalities. The T cell receptor complex is rewired with the common FcRgamma chain replacing the CD3 zeta chain while the T cell surface membrane lipid rafts are aggregated. These two aberrations result in enhanced early signalling events and altered downstream signalling events. These are in turn responsible for an altered expression of cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, IL-2, IFNy and CD40 ligand. While some of these abnormalities explain the enhanced ability of T cells to help B cells to produce autoantibodies, decreased IL-2 production results in enhanced susceptibility to infections, reduced activation-induced cell death and prolonged survival of autoreactive T cells, which promote help to autoreactive B cells.
The Treatment of Capped Queen Cells by Honeybees

SUMMARYWorker bees remove the tip of a capped queen cell at some time before the emergence of the queen from it. In contrast, worker and drone cells are not interfered with. The observations described support the hypothesis that a secretion produced by the larva spinning its cocoon has an inhibitory action which prevents workers chewing its wax covering. The queen's cocoon does not reach to the lower end of her cell, and it is the tip beyond the surface of contact between cocoon and cell that is removed by the bees.
Influences on Women's Reproductive Lives: Unexpected Ecological Underpinnings

Modern women's reproductive lives vary considerably, in a patterned fashion. Although cultural factors are important, across societies—even across species— there exist strong patterns predicted by life history theory. For example, the shorter life expectancy e0 is at birth, the earlier it pays in biological terms to reproduce. Few factors analyzed in women's life patterns in more than 170 nations influence the divergence. Studies on other species assume that (a) the variation is species specific and (b) the conditions are at equilibrium; the relationship between life expectancy and age at first birth is strong, but varies across populations, and is frequently not at equilibrium. Human patterns, like those of other species, may have ecological or life history underpinnings. The answers we find may have policy implications for women's lives and fertility.
Harvesting, rumination, digestion, and passage of fruit and leaf diets by a small ruminant, the blue duiker

Because small ruminants (<15 kg) have a high ratio of metabolic rate to fermentation capacity, they are expected to select and require low-fiber, nutrient-dense concentrate diets. However, recent studies suggest that small ruminants may not be as limited in their digestive capacity as previously thought. In this study, we examined harvesting, rumination, digestion, and passage of three diets (domestic figs Ficus carica, fresh alfalfa Medicago sativa, and Pacific willow leaves Salix lasiandra) ranging from 10 to 50% neutral detergent fiber content (NDF) in captive blue duikers (Cephalophus monticola, 4 kg). Harvesting and rumination rates were obtained by observing and videotaping animals on each diet, and digestibility and intake were determined by conducting total collection digestion trials. We estimated mean retention time of liquid and particulate digesta by administering Co-EDTA and forages labelled with YbNO3 in a pulse dose and monitoring fecal output over 4 days. Duikers harvested and ruminated the fig diet faster than the alfalfa and willow diets. Likewise, they achieved higher dry matter, energy, NDF, and protein digestibility when eating figs, yet achieved a higher daily digestible energy intake on the fresh willow and alfalfa than on the figs by eating proportionately more of these forages. Duikers maintained a positive nitrogen balance on all diets, including figs, which contained only 6.3% crude protein. Mean retention time of cell wall in the duikers’ digestive tract declined with increasing NDF and cellulose content of the diet. Digestibility coefficients and mean retention times of these small ruminants were virtually equivalent to those measured for ruminants two orders of magnitude larger, suggesting that they are well adapted for a mixed diet.
From discs to planetesimals: Evolution of gas and dust discs

Abstract I review the processes that shape the evolution of protoplanetary discs around young, solar-mass stars. I first discuss observations of protoplanetary discs, and note in particular the constraints these observations place on models of disc evolution. The processes that affect the evolution of gas discs are then discussed, with the focus in particular on viscous accretion and photoevaporation, and recent models which combine the two. I then discuss the dynamics and growth of dust grains in discs, considering models of grain growth, the gas–grain interaction and planetesimal formation, and review recent research in this area. Lastly, I consider the so-called “transitional” discs, which are thought to be observed during disc dispersal. Recent observations and models of these systems are reviewed, and prospects for using statistical surveys to distinguish between the various proposed models are discussed.
Graphic representation of electrocardiographic leads by means of fluid mappers.

A new method for the study of electrocardiographic leads is described. It makes use of plaster models having the same shape as the body in the frontal (or other) planes through which water flows in sheets. The flow of water is approximately analogous to the flow of electric currents through the body, and the flow lines are made visible by small crystals of soluble dye. If fluid passes in and out of the flow space from points that correspond to the location of electrodes of the electrocardiographic leads, the flow lines may be used to study the effects that electromotive forces arising in the heart have on these leads. With these models it is possible to study many different kinds of leads and the effects of variations of body shape, position of the heart, and electric conductivity of the tissues on them. Preliminary observations largely concerned with standard, unipolar extremity and chest leads are reported.
Support Controlled Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been grown by catalytical chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) with a thin iron layer as the catalyst. High surface tension metal, tantalum (Ta), and low surface tension, SiC2, have been deposited as the supporting layers before depositing the catalysts. SEM, TEM, STEM and EELS have been used to examine the morphology, structure, and chemical profile of iron nanoparticles and CNTs. The results have shown that the catalyst nanoparticle morphologies were distinctly different on two supports. In particular, Fe nanoparticles on SiC2 were found to follow a Vollmer-Weber (VW) growth mode and a Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode on Ta. It was also found that CNT growth varied significantly on two supports in terms of morphology, growth rate and growth mode. Dense CNTs were grown on Ta with fast growth rates (> 1µm/min) and vertical alignment for the iron thicknesses of 1.5-9 nm. In contrast, CNTs grown on SiC2 exhibited a slow growth rate (< 100 nm/min) with all deposited iron thicknesses, indicating a severe catalyst poisoning. The results suggested that the catalyst morphology in combination with the presence of an iron wetting layer contributed to the enhanced CCVD growth of CNTs on Ta.
Recurrences of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patient, Despite Potent Antiretroviral Therapy and Apparent Immune Reconstitution

We describe a 42-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus infection who developed multiple recurrences of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis despite receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy and having apparent immune reconstitution as evidenced by CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts of > 200 cells/mm(3). Laboratory investigation during one recurrence of retinitis confirmed that there was active CMV replication in the plasma and vitreous fluid. In addition, lymphoproliferative responses to CMV antigens were absent despite evidence of reactivity to Candida antigen and pokeweed mitogen. The clinical significance of this case and of other recently reported cases is discussed.
Using Nanometer Platinum Films as Temperature Sensors (Constraints From Experimental, Mathematical, and Finite-Element Analysis)

It has been recognized that metallic films can be used for temperature sensing. It has been recently reported that the relationship between electrical resistance and temperature for thin platinum films (of nanometer size thicknesses) is linear provided that the temperature is below a certain level. However, when temperatures are above this level, the electrical resistance remains relatively constant. To get a better understanding of the properties of these nanometer-sized films, further characterization was performed. This characterization includes mathematical calculations and finite-element analysis to determine the relationships between the thermal properties and the electrical properties. Evaluation of these thin-film sensors shows that the sensitivity (i.e., change in resistance with respect to temperature) is approximately half of the bulk value and the measurement error due to Joule heating should not be an issue.
Behavioral Treatments in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Know?

Although there are a large and growing number of scientifically questionable treatments available for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intervention programs applying the scientific teaching principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) have been identified as the treatment of choice. The following article provides a selective review of ABA intervention approaches, some of which are designed as comprehensive programs that aim to address all developmental areas of need, whereas others are skills based or directed toward a more circumscribed, specific set of goals. However, both types of approaches have been shown to be effective in improving communication, social skills, and management of problem behavior for children with ASD. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to critical areas of research that have yet to be fully explored.
Clinical Implications of the Contrasting Effects of In Vivo Thrombin Receptor Activation (Protease-Activated Receptor Type 1) on the Human Vasculature⁎

Thrombin is the ultimate protease in the coagulation cascade whose pleiotropic actions can lead to thrombosis after tissue injury. Thrombin is the key effector of the coagulation cascade and converts fibrinogen to fibrin, which is essential for laying the meshwork for clot formation. In addition,
Taurine transport by rat intestine

Rat intestinal transport of taurine was studied using jejunal brushborder membrane vesicles and everted jejunal sacs. Membrane vesicle experiments showed that the initial rate (at 10 s) of 10 microM taurine uptake was stimulated 3.5-fold by an inwardly directed Na+ gradient when compared with a K+ gradient. The Cl- salt of Na+ supported uptake to a significantly greater degree than did more (SCN-) or less (SO2-4) permeant salts. Na+-stimulated uptake at 1 min achieved a value 2.5 times greater than equilibrium ("overshoot"). When 10 s taurine uptake was determined over a range of taurine concentrations (10-1,000 microM) and plotted using the Woolf-Hofstee equation, a diffusive and carrier-mediated component was apparent. Half-maximal, carrier-mediated uptake occurred at 25 +/- 9 microM taurine (Km). An inside-negative, valinomycin-induced K+ diffusion potential stimulated 10-s taurine uptake when compared with voltage-clamped conditions (4.9 vs. 2.6 pmol/mg protein; P less than 0.05). Incubation with a structural analogue, hypotaurine, reduced 10-s taurine uptake by 89%. Uptake by everted jejunal sacs also demonstrated Na+ stimulation and inhibition by hypotaurine. These data confirm the existence of a high-affinity rat jejunal brush-border membrane-associated taurine transport mechanism that is electrogenic, stimulated by a Na+ gradient, and modified by external Cl-.
High-Speed Photodiodes

To meet the challenge of broad bandwidth and high-responsivity numerous photodetector approaches have been investigated. Normal-incidence photodiodes have the advantages of relatively simple structures, high responsivity, and relaxed packaging constraints for bandwidths of a few gigahertz. Achieving acceptable responsivity at higher speed necessitates the use of waveguide structures. The emergence of Si photonics has also relied on developing suitable waveguide photodiodes. This paper reviews the technologies employed for high-speed photodiodes and state-of-the-art performance.
The neuroscience of human relationships: Attachment and the developing social brain (2nd Ed.), By Louis Cozolino

When you think about neuroscience, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Neurons? Studying? Boring? Fascinating? For most, “the brain” or “the study of the brain” would be among the first tho...
A New Framework for Combining a Condenser and Reboiler in a Configuration To Consolidate Distillation Columns

Heat and mass integration to consolidate distillation columns in a configuration is often characterized by elimination of a reboiler and condenser associated with the same components. Here, we study a new and more general approach to column consolidation, of which the conventional approach is a special case. In the new approach, the reboiler of a column is coupled with the condenser of another, through heat and mass integration in an additional section (HMA-section). The introduction of an HMA-section eliminates multiple connecting streams/valves, reduces the number of reboilers, condensers, and distillation columns by one each, and reduces the heat duty of the configuration. We exhaustively enumerate HMA-sections, and lay out a framework to identify all configurations with HMA-sections. Through examples, we show that both heat integration and mass integration resulting from introducing an HMA-section contribute to reduce the heat duty significantly.
Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is the most common ulcerative disease of the oral mucosa. The lesions of aphthous stomatitis are mucosal manifestations of a variety of conditions, 30 per cent of which may be discerned by history, physical examination, and appropriate laboratory testing. Correction of underlying conditions or deficiencies results in improvement or remission in aphthous disease activity. Treatment of lesions for which an underlying cause cannot be discerned is discussed.
Quasi-equivalent feedforward system in asymptotic ΣΔ modulation.

It was previously shown that sigma–delta ( ) modulators of “asymptotic” type theoretically yield an equivalent feedforward system where the recursive nonlinear mechanisms are extracted from the feedback loop and reduced to a memoryless function. With time-varying inputs, we show in this paper, partially by mathematical derivations and partially by experiment, that this system is quasi-equivalent to the original modulator in a sense that we explain. This reduction of the nonlinear mechanisms should permit more refined modeling of the errors in future research, with a better account of the original nonlinearities of asymptotic modulation.
20-Year MRI and CT Scan Follow-up of Pituitary Adenomas: Tumor Regression and the Implications for Radiotherapy

Purpose/Objective: Pituitary adenomas are benign endocrine tumors that represent 10% of all intracranial neoplasms. These tumors have a variable growth rate and a variable response to hormonal manipulation, radiotherapy, or surgery. Surprisingly, very little information is available documenting regression of pituitary adenomas after surgery with serial imaging studies. To clearly define the postoperative regression rate of pituitary adenomas, we analyzed a group of 35 patients who had undergone surgery and pre- and postoperative imaging over a 20-year period. Materials and Methods: Between 1977 and 1997, 125 patients with pituitary macroadenomas were managed at our institution. Fourteen patients were observed without surgery or radiation. Follow-up MR and CT data were available for 73 patients; 38 patients received postoperative radiation; 38 patients were without adequate follow-up. The remaining 35 patients who underwent trans-sphenoidal hypophysectomy (TSH) alone comprise the cohort for analysis. To follow the changes in tumor size with time, individual measurements were obtained on all patients from CT and MR using standard response criteria, namely, the product of the two maximal orthogonal dimensions. Results: The mean follow-up period for all patients was 24.4 months. The age at diagnosis for all patients ranged from 20 to 78 years (mean 46.4 years). The mean initial and postoperative tumor maximal cross-sectional areas were 5.4 cm2 and 3.6 cm2, respectively. The mean time period to achieve a mean maximal decrease in postoperative tumor size of 2.9 cm2 was 3 months. Subsequently, at 6, 12, and 24 months, there was a 4%, 17%, and 21% respective increase in tumor size. Conclusion: Serial MRIs and CTs document that a significant decrease in tumor size is possible after TSH for pituitary macroadenomas. There appears, however, to be no benefit in observing patients beyond 3 months postoperatively as this is the nadir of tumor regression. Furthermore, tumor size appears to increase on 2-year follow-up. Since maximal tumor shrinkage is desired prior to XRT to reduce the RT dose received by the optic apparatus and normal brain tissues, these data may aid in determining when to administer postoperative radiation. Additional follow-up data on the value of observation and/or postoperative radiation may add to the current knowledge that is available on the natural history of treated or untreated pituitary macroadenomas.
Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy Using a Portable, Noncontact, Nonmydriatic Handheld Retinal Camera.

Background:Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of low vision and blindness. We evaluated the feasibility of using a handheld, noncontact digital retinal camera, Pictor, to obtain retinal images in dilated and undilated eyes for DR screening. We also evaluated the accuracy of ophthalmologists with different levels of training/experience in grading these images to identify eyes with vision-threatening DR.Methods:A prospective study of diabetic adults scheduled to have dilated eye exams at Duke Eye Center from January to May 2014 was conducted. An imager acquired retinal images pre- and postdilation with Pictor and selected 1 pre- and 1 postdilation image per eye. Five masked ophthalmologists graded images for gradability (based on image focus and centration) and the presence of no, mild, moderate, or severe nonproliferative DR (NPDR) or proliferative DR (PDR). Referable disease was defined as moderate or severe NPDR or PDR on image grading. We evaluated feasibility based on the graders’ evaluation ...
Self-Consciousness and Music in the Late Enlightenment

How can I say I! without self-consciousness? – Friedrich Holderlin, “Judgment and Being” No other philosophical concept so clearly defines the end of the Enlightenment and the beginning of Romanticism as self-consciousness, the process by which the self becomes aware of its status as a thinking, knowing entity, and the precondition, according to the Idealists and Romantics, for all knowledge. In a limited sense, the concept goes much farther back into the history of philosophy, to Plato or even Parmenides, and one could even make a case for the presence of poetic or musical self-consciousness in the Homeric epics. However, by the seventeenth century, Descartes appeared to have made the definitive statement about self-consciousness with the cogito , the well-known “I think therefore I am” argument of the Meditations on First Philosophy . Enlightenment philosophical investigations after Descartes generally turned outward, toward the systematic acquisition and organization of all possible knowledge about the world, following Newton's and Leibniz's mathematical models of understanding, the alphabetical tendencies of Voltaire, Diderot, and the Philosophes , or the British empiricists’ distrust of metaphysics. Immanuel Kant, at the time an obscure professor at the University of Konigsberg, returned to the problem with the Critique of Pure Reason in 1781 by focusing his considerable analytic power on knowledge itself and separating it into two central categories: a priori knowledge, that which is known prior to experience, and a posteriori knowledge, that which is known as a result of experience.
Association between coronary microvascular function and the vasa vasorum in patients with early coronary artery disease.

Abstract Background and aims The vasa vasorum (VV) plays a role in the initial phase of atherosclerosis, and abnormalities in microvascular function may be sensitive measures of the early development of atherosclerosis. The current study was designed to access the association between coronary microvascular function and VV density in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Methods Twenty-four patients with early coronary artery disease underwent endothelium-dependent (coronary blood flow, CBF) and endothelium-independent (coronary flow velocity reserve, CFVR) coronary microvascular function testing, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Using an intracoronary Doppler guidewire, CBF was examined by evaluating changes in blood flow in response to acetylcholine and CFVR in response to adenosine. VV density (VV volume/vessel volume × 100, %VV) of the proximal 10 mm of the LAD was quantified by OCT. Results The median values (Q1, Q3) of CFVR, % changes in CBF in response to acetylcholine, and the %VV were 2.70 (2.30, 2.90), −16.82 (−42.34, 54.52), and 2.62 (2.35, 3.35), respectively. %VV correlated inversely with CBF (r = −0.614, p = 0.001) and directly with CFVR (r = 0.423, p = 0.040). Multivariate analysis showed that only %VV was significantly correlated with CBF and the association was independent of other clinical variables, Framingham risk score, body mass index, and a family history of coronary heart disease. Conclusions This study demonstrates that VV density has negative correlation with endothelium-dependent microvascular function in patients with early coronary atherosclerosis. These observations link adventitial VV structure and function to microvascular dysfunction in early coronary atherosclerosis.
Emerging targeted therapies for glioma.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Gliomas are the most common malignant primary brain tumors in adults. Despite aggressive treatment with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, these tumors are incurable and invariably recur. Molecular characterization of these tumors in recent years has advanced our understanding of gliomagenesis and offered an array of pathways that can be specifically targeted.Areas covered: The most commonly dysregulated signaling pathways found in gliomas will be discussed, as well as the biologic importance of these disrupted pathways and how each may contribute to tumor development. Our knowledge regarding these pathways are most relevant to Grade IV glioma/glioblastoma, but we will also discuss genomic categorization of low grade glioma. Further, drugs targeting single pathways, which have undergone early phase clinical trials will be reviewed, followed by an in depth discussion of emerging treatments on the horizon, which will include inhibitors of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and r...
Loose Governance in Action: Tinkering Around in a Shrinking City

Eva Sorensen noted that “liberty is a way of governing not an opposing concept.” This is a powerful statement for public administration to contemplate as American society drifts further toward networked governance approaches. This article considers the role of public administration in community economic development projects when tinkering around with new ideas in legacy cities. Focusing on a worker-owned cooperative case in Cleveland, Ohio, we use in-depth interviews, observations, and document reviews to analyze the structural, conceptual, and contextual conditions leading to the formation of the cooperative. We discovered that innovative initiatives are not always well planned, can happen in the shadow of administration, and, in fact, might need to be structurally and functionally loose to enable social entrepreneurial bricoleurs (tinkerers) optimal space to play around with ideas. We argue that public administrators need to be aware of the overarching conditions framing community economic development p...
XRec: Behavior-Based User Recognition Across Mobile Devices

As smartphones and tablets become increasingly prevalent, more customers have multiple devices. The multi-user, multi-device interactions inspire many problems worthy of investigation, among which recognizing users across devices has significant implications on recommendation, advertising and user experience. Unlike the binary classification problem in user identification on a single device, cross-device user recognition is essentially a set partition problem. The app back-end aims to divide user activities on devices hosting the app into groups each associated with one user. In this paper, we present XRec which leverages user behavioral patterns, namely when, where and how a user uses the app, to achieve the recognition. To address the user-device partition problem, we propose a classification-plus-refinement algorithm. To validate our approach, we conduct a field study with an Android app. We instrument the app to collect usage data from real users. We provide proof-of-concept experimental results to demonstrate how XRec can provide added value to mobile apps, with the ability to correctly match a user across multiple devices with 70% recall and 90% precision.
How Do We Solve a Problem Like the Donald

Political observers have debated whether and how to remove Donald J. Trump from the office of the presidency. This article explains the difficulties associated with both the Twenty-Fifth Amendment’s incapacity route and impeachment. These difficulties illuminate a larger underlying problem with American democracy that the Trump presidency both crystallizes and reinforces: the emergence of an energized core of political participants who unite around racialized identity and reject some core principles of democracy.
NUMERICAL GRID GENERATION THROUGH SECOND ORDER DIFFERENTIAL-GEOMETRIC MODELS

SUMMARY In this paper the problem of numerical coordinate generation through elliptic PDE's has been considered. In the first part of the paper the basic equations, which eventually form the coordinate generation models either in R 2 or R 3 and on curved surfaces, have been developed. In the second part the results of numerical solution of the model equations for various body shapes have been discussed.
Insulin suppression of fatty acid skeletal muscle enzyme activity in postmenopausal women, and improvements in metabolic flexibility and lipoprotein lipase with aerobic exercise and weight loss.

Obesity and insulin resistance are characterized by metabolic inflexibility, a condition described as an inability to switch from fat oxidation during fasting to carbohydrate oxidation during hyperinsulinemia. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of metabolic flexibility in 103 obese (37–59% fat), sedentary (VO2max: 19.4 ± 0.5 ml/kg/min), postmenopausal (45–76 years) women, and changes in metabolic flexibility with exercise and weight loss interventions. Insulin sensitivity (M) and metabolic flexibility via an 80 mU/m2/min hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp, VO2max, and body composition were measured. Metabolic flexibility was measured after 6-months aerobic training + weight loss (AEX + WL: n = 43) or weight loss (WL: n = 31). Basal and insulin-stimulated vastus lateralis skeletal muscle samples were available from a subset of these women (n = 45). Metabolic flexibility correlated inversely with glucose120 min of OGTT, fasting insulin, and the percent change (insulin–basal) in lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and positively with M, but not with VO2max, total body fat, visceral fat, or subcutaneous abdominal fat. Skeletal muscle acyl-CoA synthase and citrate synthase activities decreased during hyperinsulinemia. Metabolic flexibility increased after AEX + WL but not WL, and the percent change in metabolic flexibility was inversely related to the percent change in insulin’s effect on LPL activity. Metabolic flexibility is related to insulin sensitivity and insulin’s action on LPL. Furthermore, metabolic flexibility and insulin suppression of skeletal muscle LPL activity increase with AEX + WL in overweight and obese, sedentary older women.
Reactive Stroma and Evolution of Tumors: Integration of Transforming Growth Factor-β, Connective Tissue Growth Factor, and Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 Activities

Reactive stroma is generated in response to the development of carcinoma foci in the major cancers. Reactive stroma is made up of both fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, with myofibroblasts evolving as a key cell type as cancer progresses. Reactive stroma exhibits elevated expression of several growth factors known to regulate wound repair and angiogenesis. Moreover, reactive stroma expresses matrix remodeling activity and synthesis of key matrix proteins including the collagens. Considerable evidence implicates elevated carcinoma cell expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) as a principle inducer and regulator of reactive stroma. TGF-β1 induces most fibroblasts to a myofibroblast phenotype and stimulates expression of key growth factors including connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). Each of these factors regulates reactive stroma biology, matrix remodeling, and stimulate rate of angiogenesis. In addition, considerable evidence shows that signaling pathways and biological responses between TGF-β1, CTGF, and FGF-2 are interregulatory. More recent evidence suggests the rather universal biology of reactive stroma may be owing to a common circulating progenitor cell derived from bone marrow. Reactive stroma may evolve from circulating fibrocytes, which are recruited to sites of stromal response and differentiate to myofibroblasts. As the reactive stroma microenvironment is usually associated with tumor progression, targeting this compartment with novel therapeutics may lead to a common intervention.
Spine Surgery: Choosing the Patient and Handling the Surgery

Neck and back pain is one of our society’s most common medical problems. According to the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases, about one-fourth of U.S. adults experience at least 1 day of back pain in a 3-month period. The first episode of low back pain typically occurs between the ages of 30 and 40 and becomes more common with age. As the number of elderly persons in the United States increases, so will the number of symptomatic age-related degenerative disorders of the spine. Back pain is a symptom of a medical condition, not a diagnosis itself. Common causes of back pain include mechanical problems such as degenerative disc, injuries, acquired conditions and diseases, and infections and tumors.
Certifying the True Error: Machine Learning in Coq with Verified Generalization Guarantees.

We present MLCERT, a novel system for doing practical mechanized proof of the generalization of learning procedures, bounding expected error in terms of training or test error. MLCERT is mechanized in that we prove generalization bounds inside the theorem prover Coq; thus the bounds are machine checked by Coq’s proof checker. MLCERT is practical in that we extract learning procedures defined in Coq to executable code; thus procedures with proved generalization bounds can be trained and deployed in real systems. MLCERT is well documented and open source; thus we expect it to be usable even by those without Coq expertise. To validate MLCERT, which is compatible with external tools such as TensorFlow, we use it to prove generalization bounds on neural networks trained using TensorFlow on the extended MNIST data set.
Correlation of tumor programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression and response to treatment with high-dose interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) in clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma (ccmRCC).

e15584 Background: Increased expression of PD-L1 may propagate tumor progression by downregulating the immune system. Immunotherapy with HD IL-2 results in long-term survival in 16-20% of patients ...
Rheology of liquid metal particle-based polymer composites: A comparative study

Using room-temperature liquid metal particles as fillers in polymer composites (PCs) has recently been of utmost interest as the resultant composites exhibit improved toughness along with electrical and thermal conductivity. This paper presents a comprehensive study on shear and extensional rheology of the aqueous solutions (inks) of liquid EGaIn (eutectic gallium-indium) particle and poly(ethylene oxide)-based PCs. The rheology of this material system is compared to solid-state, rigid graphene-based PC inks having the same polymer matrix and filler concentrations. Results show that EGaIn-based PC inks exhibit unique rheological behavior that is inconsistent with that of the conventional rigid filler-based Polymer Nanocomposites (PNs), exemplified by increased extensional flow capability and elasticity. We postulate that the source of this behavior is the elastic nature of the oxide covered EGaIn particles. EGaIn-based PCs eliminate common trade-offs for conductive PCs and thus can have a significant impact in several technologies including solid-state energy storage and 3D-printing.Using room-temperature liquid metal particles as fillers in polymer composites (PCs) has recently been of utmost interest as the resultant composites exhibit improved toughness along with electrical and thermal conductivity. This paper presents a comprehensive study on shear and extensional rheology of the aqueous solutions (inks) of liquid EGaIn (eutectic gallium-indium) particle and poly(ethylene oxide)-based PCs. The rheology of this material system is compared to solid-state, rigid graphene-based PC inks having the same polymer matrix and filler concentrations. Results show that EGaIn-based PC inks exhibit unique rheological behavior that is inconsistent with that of the conventional rigid filler-based Polymer Nanocomposites (PNs), exemplified by increased extensional flow capability and elasticity. We po...