cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Auditory Evoked Potentials During Cerebellopontine Angle Tumor Surgery: Relative Value of Electrocochleography, Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials, and Cerebellopontine Angle Recordings

Recording short-latency auditory evoked potentials continuously throughout cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumor surgery with electrocochleography (ECochG) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) monitors the status of the cochlea, auditory nerve peripheral to the tumor, and neural activity central to the tumor. ECochG is a nearfield potential and provides rapid feedback, whereas BAEP are farfield potentials and their feedback is slower. Whenever the later components (wave V) of the BAEP are detectable, an electrode positioned within the CPA can usually record a negative potential due to neural activity central to the tumor. This recording technique will often detect a positive component from the generator of N1, but no cochlear potentials. The nearfield negative potential can provide much more rapid feedback than wave V, but it has the same predictive value for hearing as wave V: when present it predicts useful hearing, but when undetectable hearing outcome cannot be predicted. By contrast, when neural activity is present in the ECochG, hearing outcome cannot be predicted, but when it is undetectable, hearing is always lost. There is a fundamental limitation of electrophysiological monitoring: when neural activity can be detected peripheral to the tumor but not central to the tumor, the electrophysiological data cannot predict postoperative hearing.
Abstract 45: The Dark Side of Parkin: The Toxic Effects of Enhanced Parkin Levels

Parkin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that facilitates clearance of damaged mitochondria. We have previously shown that Parkin is important for cardiac adaptation to myocardial infarction and that loss of Parkin leads to accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria. As Parkin is upregulated in response to cardiac stress, we sought to determine the effect of overexpression of Parkin in response to hemodynamic stress. Wild type (WT) and cardiac-specific Parkin transgenic (Parkin-TG) mice were subjected to trans-aortic constriction. Surprisingly, Parkin-TG mice rapidly developed hypertrophy, pulmonary edema, and ventricular dysfunction compared to WT mice. We observed no differences in either mitochondrial content or LC3 levels in Parkin-TG hearts, suggesting that the early progression to heart failure was not due to excessive mitophagy. Cardiac contractility is regulated by intracellular calcium and abnormalities in calcium homeostasis are associated with cardiac dysfunction. To investigate whether Parkin affects calcium homeostasis in the heart, we performed a subcellular fractionation on Parkin -/- , WT, and Parkin-TG hearts. We found that Parkin localizes to the sarcoplasmic reticulum where it ubiquitinates proteins under baseline conditions. Furthermore, Parkin-TG mice had increased levels Phospholamban (PLB), but did not alter SERCA, suggesting that Parkin may alter calcium homeostasis via PLB. In addition, loss of-function mutations in Parkin are found in patients with familial Parkinson’s disease (PD). Because Parkin is upregulated in response to stress, we overexpressed either WT Parkin or PD-associated Parkin mutants in HeLa cells to evaluate how elevated Parkin affects cell function. Interestingly, Parkin mutants, but not WT Parkin, caused rapid cell death when overexpressed in HeLa cells. Overexpressing Parkin mutants also triggered elevated autophagic activity, and cells with impaired autophagy were more susceptible to toxicity induced by overexpression of the Parkin mutants. This suggests that cells upregulate autophagy to protect against toxic Parkin mutants. Therefore, in addition to defects in mitophagy, upregulation of mutant Parkin in patients may also detrimentally contribute to cell death and development of disease.
A Test of the Charnov and Finerty Hypothesis of Population Regulation in Meadow Voles

Charnov and Finerty (1980) hypothesized that the relatedness of individuals may influence their behavioral interactions and thus could play a role in regulating the density of microtine rodent populations. They predicted that the level of relatedness among neighboring voles should be high at low density and should decrease rapidly as density increases. We tested this prediction by determining the patterns of relatedness and dispersion among individual meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, using a radionuclide-electrophoresis technique. We did not find a consistently high level of relatedness among adult residents at low density nor did we find a consistent reduction in relatedness among neighbors as density increased. These results do not support the Charnov and Finerty hypothesis.
Urban Studies: Overview

Urban studies is the interdisciplinary field concerned with understanding cities. Scholars from the social and behavioral science disciplines of history, sociology, geography, economics, political science, and anthropology and the professional fields of urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design have produced most substantive urban studies knowledge. Many universities offer degrees in urban studies. Courses in urban sociology, geography, and other disciplines also teach urban studies material. There are many niche specialities in which two or more subfields within urban studies intersect. Urban studies employs methods from the social sciences. The field has its own professional associations, journals, and theory. Systematic study of cities began in the nineteenth century. The field gained academic acceptance in the early twentieth century, remained small through the 1950s, and expanded rapidly in response to the urban unrest of the 1960s and early 1970s. Twelve core urban studies concerns are: the evolution of cities; urban culture; urban society; urban politics and governance; urban economics, public finance, and regional science; urban and metropolitan space and form; mega cities and global city systems; technology and cities; urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture, and architecture; race, ethnicity and gender in cities; urban issues and policy; and urban futurism.
Metformin modulates innate immune-mediated inflammation and early progression of NAFLD-associated hepatocellular carcinoma in zebrafish

Background & Aims Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH) is an increasing clinical problem associated with progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The effect of a high-fat diet on the early immune response in HCC is poorly understood, while the role of metformin in treating NAFLD and HCC remains controversial. Herein, we visualized the early immune responses in the liver and the effect of metformin on progression of HCC using optically transparent zebrafish. Methods We used live imaging to visualize liver inflammation and disease progression in a NAFLD/NASH-HCC zebrafish model. We combined a high-fat diet with a transgenic zebrafish HCC model induced by hepatocyte-specific activated beta-catenin and assessed liver size, angiogenesis, micronuclei formation and inflammation in the liver. In addition, we probed the effects of metformin on immune cell composition and early HCC progression. Results We found that a high-fat diet induced an increase in liver size, enhanced angiogenesis, micronuclei formation and neutrophil infiltration in the liver. Although macrophage number was not affected by diet, a high-fat diet induced changes in macrophage morphology and polarization with an increase in liver associated TNFα-positive macrophages. Treatment with metformin altered macrophage polarization, reduced liver size and reduced micronuclei formation in NAFLD/NASH-associated HCC larvae. Moreover, a high-fat diet reduced T cell density in the liver, which was reversed by treatment with metformin. Conclusions These findings suggest that diet alters macrophage polarization and exacerbates the liver inflammatory microenvironment and cancer progression in a zebrafish model of NAFLD/NASH-associated HCC. Metformin specifically affects the progression induced by diet and modulates the immune response by affecting macrophage polarization and T cell infiltration, suggesting possible effects of metformin on tumor surveillance. Lay summary This paper reports a new zebrafish model that can be used to study the effects of diet on liver cancer. We found that a high-fat diet promotes non-resolving inflammation in the liver and enhances cancer progression. In addition, we found that metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes, inhibits high-fat diet-induced cancer progression in this model, by reducing diet-induced non-resolving inflammation and potentially restoring tumor surveillance.
Explaining Privacy Control on Instagram and Twitter: The Roles of Narcissism and Self-Esteem

A growing body of research examines the relationships between psychological traits and privacy behaviors on Social Networking Sites (SNSs) to understand why users control information about themselv...
Building a flexible simulation model for modeling multiple outpatient orthopedic clinics

Often large health care organizations will have multiple satellite clinics in addition to the primary flagship location. The value of having multiple clinics includes the ability to better serve patients by improving accessibility while also increasing efficiencies from common structures and policies. Unlike most simulation models of health care clinics, which are uniquely designed for one specific location and are not easily adapted without significant effort, we develop one flexible discrete-event simulation model to represent two orthopedic centers. In addition to demonstrating the validity of employing the same model for two clinics, a graphical user interface is constructed to enable the clinic managers to modify simulation parameters, minimizing the need for future model adaptations. The value of the simulation model is verified by evaluating the effects of new policies impacting the role of mid-level providers and results show that the best policy for improving timeliness of care varies among clinics.
Exploring social‐based discrimination among nursing home certified nursing assistants

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide the majority of direct care to nursing home residents in the United States and, therefore, are keys to ensuring optimal health outcomes for this frail older adult population. These diverse direct care workers, however, are often not recognized for their important contributions to older adult care and are subjected to poor working conditions. It is probable that social-based discrimination lies at the core of poor treatment toward CNAs. This review uses perspectives from critical social theory to explore the phenomenon of social-based discrimination toward CNAs that may originate from social order, power, and culture. Understanding manifestations of social-based discrimination in nursing homes is critical to creating solutions for severe disparity problems among perceived lower-class workers and subsequently improving resident care delivery.
Multicenter evaluation of colistin broth disk elution and colistin agar test: A report from the clinical and laboratory standards institute

Susceptibility testing of the polymyxins (colistin and polymyxin B) is challenging for clinical laboratories. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Subcommittee evaluated two methods to enable accurate testing of these agents. These methods were a colistin broth disk elution (CBDE) and a colistin agar test (CAT), the latter of which was evaluated using two inoculum volumes, 1 μl (CAT-1) and 10 μl (CAT-10). The methods were evaluated using a collection of 270 isolates of Enterobacterales, 122 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, and 106 Acinetobacter spp. isolates. Overall, 94.4% of CBDE results were in essential agreement and 97.9% in categorical agreement (CA) with reference broth microdilution MICs. Nine very major errors (VME; 3.2%) and 3 major errors (ME; 0.9%) were observed. With the CBDE, 98.6% CA was observed for Enterobacterales (2.5% VME, 0% ME), 99.3% CA was observed for P. aeruginosa (0% VME, 0.7% ME), and 93.1% CA was observed for Acinetobacter spp. (5.6% VME, 3.3% ME). Overall, CA was 94.9% with 6.8% VME using CAT-1 and improved to 98.3% with 3.9% VME using CAT-10. No ME were observed using either CAT-1 or CAT-10. Using the CAT-1/CAT-10, the CA observed was 99.4%/99.7% for Enterobacterales (1%/0.5% VME), 98.7%/100% for P. aeruginosa (8.3%/0% VME), and 88.5%/92.3% for Acinetobacter spp. (21.4%/14.3% VME). Based on these data, the CLSI antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) subcommittee endorsed the CBDE and CAT-10 methods for colistin testing of Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa.
Electronic Cigarette Use Among Young, Middle-aged, and Older Adults in the United States in 2017 and 2018

This study examines a trend in electronic cigarette use between 2017 and 2018 and stratifies results by sociodemographic categories.
G580(P) Tumour induced osteomalacia: delayed diagnosis of a rare disorder with a common presentation

Case history A 4 year old, previously well male child developed progressive weakness of lower limbs manifesting as frequent falls and difficulty in lifting himself up. Over the next nine months he lost his ability to climb stairs and run and became wheelchair bound. During this course he also developed bony deformity of knees. On examination there was profound proximal muscle weakness in the lower limbs. Bilateral genu valgum became more obvious during the later stages. He underwent extensive investigation for neuromuscular disease, but a definitive diagnosis could not be made initially. Investigations His 25 hydroxy Vitamin D level was insufficient (38 nmol/L) with a low serum phosphate level. Investigations for neuromuscular disorders were negative, with a normal CPK, SMN gene and MRI brain. A bone profile repeated almost a year after initial presentation, showed persistently low plasma phosphate (0.6 mmol/L) with normal calcium, mildly elevated alkaline phosphatase and normal PTH (parathyroid hormone) levels. Tubular reabsorption of phosphate was inappropriately low (86%). A knee X-ray confirmed rickets. Genetics for PHEX, ENPP1, DMP1 and SLC34A3 were negative. FGF 23 (fibroblast growth factor) levels 234 HRU/mL (normal Diagnosis A diagnosis of tumour induced osteomalacia was made based on marked muscle weakness with classical knee deformity, biochemistry, radiological features and negative genetics. Discussion Low phosphate level in this case, was initially attributed to Vitamin D deficiency. In addition as alkaline phosphatase and PTH levels were normal, rickets was missed, delaying diagnosis. X- linked hypophosphataemic rickets is the commonest cause of hypophosphataemic rickets. Negative genetics for hypophosphatemic rickets in this child raises the possibility of TIO. TIO is a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by tumours that secrete FGF 23. It is rare in children. Tumors may be difficult to locate, with a negative octreotide scan in 40% cases. Our patient has improved with alfacalcidol and phosphate supplements, but may benefit from the FGF23 antibody Burosumab. Learning points Muscle weakness is an unusual feature of hypophosphataemic rickets and should alert the clinician to this rare disorder.
Generation of a Liver Orthotopic Human Uveal Melanoma Xenograft Platform in Immunodeficient Mice

In recent decades, subcutaneously implanted patient-derived xenograft tumors or cultured human cell lines have been increasingly recognized as more representative models to study human cancers in immunodeficient mice than traditional established human cell lines in vitro. Recently, orthotopically implanted patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models in mice have been developed to better replicate features of patient tumors. A liver orthotopic xenograft mouse model is expected to be a useful cancer research platform, providing insights into tumor biology and drug therapy. However, liver orthotopic tumor implantation is generally complicated. Here we describe our protocols for the orthotopic implantation of patient-derived liver-metastatic uveal melanoma tumors. We cultured human liver metastatic uveal melanoma cell lines into immunodeficient mice. The protocols can result in consistently high technical success rates using either a surgical orthotopic implantation technique with chunks of patient-derived uveal melanoma tumor or a needle injection technique with cultured human cell line. We also describe protocols for CT scanning to detect interior liver tumors and for re-implantation techniques using cryopreserved tumors to achieve re-engraftment. Together, these protocols provide a better platform for liver orthotopic tumor mouse models of liver metastatic uveal melanoma in translational research.
Optimization models for assessing the peak capacity utilization of intelligent transportation systems

Abstract With limited economic and physical resources, it is not feasible to continually expand transportation infrastructure to adequately support the rapid growth in its usage. This is especially true for traffic coordination systems where the expansion of road infrastructure has not been able to keep pace with the increasing number of vehicles, thereby resulting in congestion and delays. Hence, in addition to striving for the construction of new roads, it is imperative to develop new intelligent transportation management and coordination systems. The effectiveness of a new technique can be evaluated by comparing it with the optimal capacity utilization. If this comparison indicates that substantial improvements are possible, then the cost of developing and deploying an intelligent traffic system can be justified. Moreover, developing an optimization model can also help in capacity planning. For instance, at a given level of demand, if the optimal solution worsens significantly, this implies that no amount of intelligent strategies can handle this demand, and expanding the infrastructure would be the only alternative. In this paper, we demonstrate these concepts through a case study of scheduling vehicles on a grid of intersecting roads. We develop two optimization models namely, the mixed integer programming model and the space–time network flow model, and show that the latter model is substantially more effective. Moreover, we prove that the problem is strongly NP-hard and develop two polynomial-time heuristics. The heuristic solutions are then compared with the optimal capacity utilization obtained using the space–time network model. We also present important managerial implications.
An observational field study on the effects of changes in shadow contrasts and noise on cattle movement in a small abattoir.

Abstract This observational field study examined the effect of changes in shadow contrasts on the floor and noise on balking behavior during handling. Seventy-four Bos taurus beef cattle were observed during handling at a small abattoir. Shadow contrast type (none, soft, sharp) was recorded during three stages of handling (unloading, lairage to single-file alley and into stun box). Cattle balking behavior (stop, put head down, back up) and aversive handling (electric prod, tail twist) were recorded for each shadow contrast type and the presence or absence of a noisy rendering truck. Sharp contrast shadows increased balking behavior compared to soft contrast shadows or none during unloading (X2 = 12.4, P
Heat Exchanger Fouling and Estimation of Remaining Useful Life

One of the challenges in data-driven prognostics is the availability of degradation data for application to prognostic methods. In real process management settings, failure data are not often available due to the high costs of unplanned breakdowns. This research presents a data-driven (empirical) modeling approach for characterizing the degradation of a heat exchanger (HX) and to estimate the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of its design operation. The Autoassociative Kernel Regression (AAKR) modeling was applied to predict the effect of fouling on the heat transfer resistance. The result indicates that AAKR model is an effective method to capture the HX fouling in the dynamic process. The AAKR residuals were fused to develop a prognostic parameter which was used to develop a General Path Model (GPM) with Bayesian updating. The results demonstrate the successful application of this approach for the heat exchanger RUL prediction.
How university students perceive emergency management: A case for marketing emergency management.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if university students understood the differences between first responders and emergency management as awareness of the differences informs the individual’s decision-making processes. Design: Convenience sampling, mixed methods data collection with descriptive analysis and means testing. Setting: US, Southeastern Conference University, during summer semester. Participants: 500 convenience sampled student volunteers. Intervention: Convenience sampled, mixed-mode survey administered May to July 2017. Main outcome measures: Population sampling of a minimum of n = 372 (actual n = 500 obtained) surveys to achieve a 95 percent confidence level of p ≤ 0.05 ± 4.29 percent. Results: 19.6 percent of the participants were able to associate response and recovery with emergency management. Word association with “Emergency Management” as the trigger word produced a 35.8 percent association with disasters and emergencies. 70.4 percent of the participants attended a university sponsored emergency preparedness course, but only 44.2 percent indicated they had received emergency preparedness training. Conclusions: There was a derivation of three issues: A lack of understanding in the differences between first responders and emergency management, a non-association of emergencies and disasters with emergency management, and a lack of understanding in what emergency preparedness training is. Results point to a need for further education on the duties and responsibilities of the emergency management profession. A form of information transfer that may be productive would be to administer an awareness campaign via social marketing. Further study is indicated, using a more rigorous sampling and analysis methodology.
Predicting downed woody material carbon stocks in forests of the conterminous United States.

Abstract Downed woody material (DWM) is a unique part of the forest carbon cycle serving as a pool between living biomass and subsequent atmospheric emission or transference to other forest pools. Thus, DWM is an individually defined pool in national greenhouse gas inventories. The diversity of DWM carbon drivers (e.g., decay, tree mortality, or wildfire) and associated high spatial variability make this a difficult-to-predict component of forest ecosystems. Using the now fully established nationwide inventory of DWM across the United States (US), we developed models, which substantially improved predictions of stand-level DWM carbon density relative to the current national-reporting model (‘previous’ model, here). The previous model was developed from published DWM carbon densities prior to the NFI DWM inventory. Those predictions were tested using NFI DWM carbon densities resulting in a poor fit to the data (coefficient of determination, or R2 = 0.03). We present new random forest (RF) and stochastic gradient boosted (SGB) regression models to prediction DWM carbon density on all NFI plots and spatially on all forest land pixels. We evaluated various biotic and abiotic regression predictors, and the most important were standing dead trees, long-term annual precipitation, and long-term maximum summer temperature. A RF model scored best for expanding predictions to NFI plots (R2 = 0.31), while an SGB model was identified for DWM carbon predictions based on purely spatial data (i.e., NFI-plot-independent, with R2 = 0.23). The new RF model predicts conterminous US DWM carbon stocks to be 15% lower than the previous model and 2% higher than NFI data expanded according to inventory design-based inference. The new NFI data-driven models not only improve the predictions of DWM carbon density on all plots, they also provide flexibility in extending these predictions beyond the NFI to make spatially explicit and spatially continuous estimates of DWM carbon on all forest land in the US.
Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Los Angeles County adults after vaccine authorization.

An equitable COVID-19 vaccine rollout is a necessary piece of the public health strategy to end the current pandemic; however, vaccine hesitancy may present a major hurdle. This study examines racial/ethnic and income-based disparities in vaccine hesitancy in Los Angeles County, a recent epicenter of the pandemic in the US, immediately after the Food and Drug Administration issued its emergency use authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine. We conducted online, stratified cross-sectional surveys of 1,984 adults living in Los Angeles County between December 2020 and January 2021 to assess hesitancy towards getting a COVID-19 vaccine. We used multivariable logistic regression to predict vaccine hesitancy after adjusting for covariates and calculated weighted population level estimates of hesitancy and reasons for hesitancy. Blacks and Hispanics were significantly more likely to be hesitant than Whites (AOR = 3.3, P $100,000) (AOR = 1.8, P = 0.009). Additionally, those having no confidence in doing things online (AOR = 3.3, P < 0.001) were less likely to accept the vaccine than those who were confident. Compared to hesitant White respondents, Black respondents had higher mistrust of the government (36.1% vs 22.1%, P = 0.03) and Black and Hispanic respondents were more likely to want to wait to see how the vaccine works (41.2% and 42.0% vs 27.3%, P = 0.02 and P = 0.006). Our study suggests that culturally appropriate messaging that addresses concerns for lower income and racial/ethnic minority communities, as well as alternatives to online vaccine appointments, are necessary for improving vaccine rollout.
Post-Theory and Beyond

Abstract This article surveys and assesses the eclectic trends in literary theory and criticism in the post-theory age with a focus on three rubrics: the cultural turn, the historic turn, and the affective turn. It concludes with a consideration of the current debate about symptomatic reading versus surface reading.
Controlling Solid-Gas Reactions at Nanoscale for Enhanced Thin Film Morphologies and Device Performances in Solution-Processed Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Solar Cells.

Using Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) as a model system, we demonstrate the kinetic control of solid–gas reactions at nanoscale by manipulating the surface chemistry of both sol–gel nanoparticles (NPs) and colloidal nanocrystals (NCs). Specifically, we first identify that thiourea (commonly used as sulfur source in sol–gel processes for metal sulfides) can transform into melamine upon film formation, which serves as surface ligands for as-formed Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) NPs. We further reveal that the presence of these surface ligands can significantly affect the outcome of the solid–gas reactions, which enables us to effectively control the selenization process during the fabrication of CZTSSe solar cells and achieve optimal film morphologies (continuous large grains) by fine-tuning the amount of surface ligands used. Such enhancement leads to better light absorption and allows us to achieve 6.5% efficiency from CZTSSe solar cells processed via a sol–gel process using nontoxic, low boiling point mixed solvents. We belie...
Maps and the internet.

Part 1 Introduction and contemporary issues: maps and the Internet - an introduction, M. Peterson geographic information literacy and the World Wide Web, J. Krygier, D. Peoples maps on the Web, W. Cartwright dissemination of census and other statistical data through Web maps, C.P.J.M. van Elzakker, F. Ormeling et al Internet cartography and official tourism destination Web sites, E.R. Richmond, C.P. Keller The Internet, cartographic surveillance, and locational privacy, M. Monmonier. Part 2 Technical development: developing cartographic applets for the Internet, A. Herzog GIS for everyone - the common GIS project and beyond, G. Andrienko, N. Andrienko, H. Voss beyond serving maps - serving GIS functionality over the Internet, Bin Jiang peer-to-peer sharing of cartographic data and software, Bin Li online cartography with XML, I. Zaslavsky Webmapping with scalable vector graphics, (SVG) - delivering the promise of high quality and interactive web maps, A. Neumann, A.M. Winter. A standards-based architecture for multi-purpose publishing of geodata on the web, L. Lehto an intelligent software agent architecture for distributed cartographic knowledge bases and Internet mapping services, Ming-Hsiang Tsou three-dimensional visualisation on the Internet, P. Ottoson supporting wayfinding in desktop geovirtual environments, S. Fuhrmann. Part 3 Applications and user issues: mapping and internet based public transportation journey planning and information systems, P. Mooney, A.C. Winstanley from maps to student interaction - creating a Web-based student atlas of Russia, J.S. Torguson, M.M. Blinnikov historical geoinformation on the Web - lessons learned from the chapter 91 pilot project, A. Giordano Web-based multimedia GIS - exploring interactive maps and associated multimedia information on the internet, S. Hu Internet, maps and public participation - contemporary limits and possibilities, S. Caquard Cartography, virtual reality, and the internet - integrating abstract models of the environment via the internet, R.G. Cammack QuickTime virtual reality maps for the Web, W. Schwertley telecartography - maps, multimedia and the mobile Internet, G. Gartner geodata communication on personal digital assistants, PDA), T. Wintges. Part 4 Theoretical development: the concept of cybercartography, D.R. Fraser Taylor modelling the visualization of Internet maps, L. Brodersen foundations of research in Internet cartography, M. Peterson.
Grouping, chunking, memory, and learning

An example of grouping is dividing a long series of digits into two or more smaller units by, for example, pausing for a short time between items within groups but for a longer time between groups....
Laparoscopic Approaches to Colonic Malignancy

The last decade has witnessed the surge and success of laparoscopic approaches in several surgical arenas. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the standard of care, Nissen fundoplication has replaced the open approach in many cases, and successful applications of the laparoscopic technique for splenectomy and adrenalectomy are increasingly reported. Although laparoscopic-assisted colectomy (LAC) has been shown to be technically safe and feasible, the laparoscopic approach to colonic malignancy remains controversial. Besides technical difficulties, the extent of patient-related benefits is unclear. In addition, concerns over the appropriateness of laparoscopic colectomy for cancer have been raised with regard to possible limitations in tumor staging, patterns of tumor recurrences related to the use of a pneumoperitoneum, and effective cost containment. The laparoscopic approach for palliative procedures appears attractive but has not been extensively reported. Therefore, it is increasingly clear that well-designed prospective randomized trials are necessary to support laparoscopic colectomy as an alternative technique for colon cancer. This chapter analyzes the technical aspects of laparoscopic colectomy as a cancer operation, discusses the results expected with LAC, addresses cancer staging and unusual patterns of tumor recurrence, and describes the design and purpose of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored prospective randomized trial.
Narcissism and Romantic Relationships

The term “narcissism” is etymologically rooted in Greek mythology and specifically a story of unrequited love, jealousy, and revenge. To some degree, what is old is new in terms of how narcissism is depicted in the romantic relationships empirical literature. That is, narcissism is mostly understood to be a predictor of relationship damaging behaviors and thoughts. However, unlike the mythological tale of Narcissus and Echo, things do not always end in tragedy when narcissism and romance intertwine. Indeed, there are some, more or less, positive findings in this literature. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of empirical findings showing the positive and negative sides of narcissism and relationships. In particular, this chapter focuses on grandiose narcissism, a type of narcissism characterized by generally positive and grandiose self-perceptions. In addition to reviewing the literature on narcissism and relationships, the chapter concludes by offering suggestions, both topical and methodological, for future research directions.
Near Shore Wave Processes

Abstract : Long-term goals are to predict the wave-induced three-dimensional velocity field and induced sediment transport over arbitrary bathymetry in the near shore given the offshore wave conditions.
NOVEL KINEMATICS FOR CONTINUUM ROBOTS

In this paper we address the kinematics of hyper-redundant robots known as continuum robots. Though research is not new in this area, there has not been an established kinematic model for these robots. We derive a new kinematic model that uses both differential geometry and the Denavit-Hartenberg procedure to provide not only an intuitive physical model, but also a model that can be used with standard redundancy resolution techniques. We give examples in both the planar and spatial cases to demonstrate our kinematic model.
Professional Responsibility for the Age of Obama: Reviewing David Luban, Legal Ethics and Human Dignity

The Essay, a review of David Luban’s Legal Ethics and Human Dignity, identifies both Luban and President Barack Obama as politically liberal thinkers who challenge philosophical liberalism’s position that individual freedom is maximized by relegating consideration of moral values to the private sphere. According to the Essay, “Luban’s perspective on legal ethics mirrors Obama’s critique of philosophical liberalism - recognizing that individuals are not atomistic, that substantive moral obligations exist beyond procedural justice, and that lawyers are responsible for the public good in all aspects of their work.” The Essay describes how the book builds upon Luban’s prior critique of the conception of lawyers as neutral partisans to offer a vision of legal ethics grounded in a relational conception of human dignity. The book, drawing on diverse sources, from Trollope to Fuller to social psychology literature, examines a wide-range of ethical dilemmas, including the Unabomber’s representation, the drafting of the Torture Memos, and the counseling of corporations regarding potential wrongdoing. While commending Luban’s “formidable and fundamental contribution to rethinking the lawyer’s role,” the Essay suggests that Obama’s perspective could advance Luban’s insights even further. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., an earlier progressive critic of philosophical liberalism, Obama finds moral responsibility and the potential for greatness in every person’s work. With the foundation of Luban’s observation that the conduct of lawyers in everyday practice is fundamental to construction of civil society, the Essay proposes that Obama’s additional insights could offer a way to overcome the professional dissatisfaction resulting from the perception that law practice has become a business. If infused with a sense of accountability and purpose, the practice of law can become newly meaningful and the question whether it is a business or a profession an inconsequential one.
REGION-SPECIFIC RECOMBINATION IN PHAGE T4. II. STRUCTURE OF THE RECOMBINANTS

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present results of crosses designed to elucidate the structure of recombinants in the tail-fiber region of bacteriophage T4, in which a glucosylation-dependent recombination mechanism is operative, and the cause of this "special" recombination in glucosylated crosses is discussed. We present evidence that, when phage are nonglucosylated, recombination in the tail-fiber region proceeds via long heteroduplex overlaps. Mismatched bases within such regions (in nonglucosylated phage) are repaired efficiently (as contrasted to those of glucosylated phage), bnt asymmetrically; that is, there may not be an equal probability of resolving the mismatch to mutant or wild type.
Personal Food Systems of Male Collegiate Football Players: A Grounded Theory Investigation

Context: Factors that affect food choices include the physical and social environments, quality, quantity, perceived healthfulness, and convenience. The personal food choice process was defined as ...
Nuclear-Structure Effects in Simple High-Energy Spallation Reactions

Cross sections for the ($p, \mathrm{pn}$), ($p, p2n$), ($p, 2pn$), and ($p, 2p2n$) reactions at 370 MeV with ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{50}$, ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{58}$, and ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{64}$ were determined in an investigation of the "anomalously low" ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{58}(p, pn){\mathrm{Ni}}^{57}$ cross section of \ensuremath{\sim}30 mb as compared to \ensuremath{\sim}60 mb for other medium mass nuclei. All of the cross sections for these corresponding reactions were found to be lower with ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{58}$ than with ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{64}$. These results rule out the explanation that the cross section for the ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{58}(p, pn){\mathrm{Ni}}^{57}$ reaction is low because of an anomalous excitation-energy spectrum following a ($p, \mathrm{pn}$) knockout reaction. Detailed consideration is given to the roles played by the one-step and two-step mechanisms and nuclear structure in determining the high-energy ($p, \mathrm{pn}$) cross section. It is concluded that the current theoretical models for simple spallation reactions are able to explain the anomalous ($p, \mathrm{pn}$) cross section, provided that previously ignored details of nuclear structure are taken into proper account. In the specific case of ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{58}$, a small nuclear skin thickness relative to neighboring nuclei can account for the low ($p, \mathrm{pn}$) cross section owing to the "surface localization" of the reaction.
Functional visual loss: I. A true psychiatric disorder?

A review of the literature describing patients with functional visual loss reveals that a significant proportion of them do not manifest psychiatric disease as defined by current nomenclature. Apparently, these individuals are highly suggestible and do not necessarily have psychological pathology. The ramifications of this finding are discussed.
Safety of Pulmonary Angiography in the 1990s

Purpose To examine the safety of pulmonary angiography with low-osmolar contrast material and modern angiographic techniques and to analyze periprocedural complications with respect to potential predictors. Patients and Methods A retrospective review was conducted of data from 547 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary angiography. Minor and major complications were analyzed by using several clinical parameters. Results There were five major (0.9%) and 26 minor complications (4.8%). Eleven of the 26 minor complications were contrast-induced nephrotoxicity. There were no periprocedural deaths. Patients with complications had an increased incidence of coexistent pulmonary morbidities and were of a poorer physical status according to the American Society of Anesthesiology criteria. Moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension was correlated with major complications. Age, volume of contrast material used, and presence of pulmonary embolism were not correlated with complications. Conclusion Pulmonary angiography is a safe procedure with an acceptable complication rate. These findings should be considered in the selection of an imaging method for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.
Accumulation of Labeled Cyanide in Neuronal Tissue

Since cyanide is a reactive chemical substance and has the potential of forming a variety of adducts in biological systems, the rate of accumulation of labeled cyanide was studied in neural tissue, a major target for the toxic action of cyanide. Accumulation of 14CN in mouse brain slices and in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells was about five times more rapid in the first few minutes than at later times. In both tissues, incubation at low temperature (4°C) decreased the secondary phase without affecting the initial phase. In PC12 cells, determination of the subcellular distribution of cyanide revealed that the cytoplasmic fraction was the least sensitive to temperature and therefore may represent the initial rapid phase of cyanide accumulation. Accumulation of cyanide in mitochondrial and microsomal fractions was temperature sensitive. Cyanide accumulation is proportional to the concentration ih the medium (0.1-1 mM) in both mouse brain and PC12 cells suggesting that the cyanide sinks in neural tissue have a large capacity and are nonspecific. Cyanide interaction with neural tissue is not uniform since cyanide accumulated more in hypothalamus than in other brain areas. Despite this, mitochondrial enzyme activity was no greater in hypothalamus than in other brain areas. No increase in thiocyanate, the main metabolite of cyanide, could be detected in brain tissue incubated 30 min with 1 mM cyanide, showing that accumulated 14C is not in the form of thiocyanate. Cyanide appears to equilibrate rapidly across the plasma membrane and then slowly accumulates in mitochondria and membrane elements of the neuronal cell. Competition for cyanide among subcellular elements may be a factor in the toxic action of cyanide.
Home-school literacy experiences of Latino preschoolers: Does continuity predict positive child outcomes?

Abstract The current study explored the literacy practices used by primary caregivers and Head Start teachers of low-income Latino children, examined the extent to which these practices are continuous, and investigated the role of continuity in home-school literacy practices on Latino preschoolers’ emergent literacy development. Results showed that continuity in home-school global literacy practices, as well as in the use of high-challenging talk during book sharing interactions, was predictive of children's emergent literacy skills at the end of the Head Start year. By contrast, discontinuity in home-school book sharing styles led to higher emergent literacy outcomes. Results are discussed in relation to the importance of the home and preschool environments in supporting low-income Latino children’s early literacy development.
Maternal bisphenol-A levels at delivery: a looming problem?

The objective was to determine whether bisphenol-A (BPA) is found in maternal circulation of pregnant women in the US population and is related to gestational length and birth weight. Circulating levels of BPA were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry at delivery in 40 southeastern Michigan mothers and correlated with gestational length and birth weight of offspring. Maternal levels of unconjugated BPA ranged between 0.5 and 22.3 ng ml−1 in southeastern Michigan mothers. There was no correlation between BPA concentrations and gestational length or birth weight of offspring. This is the first study to document measurable levels of BPA in maternal blood of the US population. Long-term follow-up studies of offspring are needed to validate or refute concerns over human fetal exposure to synthetic exogenous steroids.
Parameter Identification of Signals Composed of Delayed Exponentials

This paper develops an approach to the problem of parameter identification from a signal which is a finite sum of possibly delayed exponentials. The coefficients and exponents, as well as the time delays, are found using a noniterative algorithm based on a matrix formulation of discrete-time convolution. Two methods of application are discussed and an example is included.
Quantitative characterization of the microstructure of a porous material in the context of tortuosity

Abstract This paper focuses on the connection between the microstructure of a porous material saturated with electrolyte and the overall electric conductivity on examples of loamy sand and silt loam soils. We relate several micromechanical averaging methods (non-interaction approximation, differential scheme, Mori–Tanaka scheme and Kanaun–Levin method) to tortuosity and clarify the micromechanical meaning of this parameter. We also show how it can be estimated from the analysis of soil images. Tortuosity was evaluated from measurements of the bulk electrical conductivity of saturated soils at different levels of electrolyte content and different conductivities of the electrolyte. Image analysis has been done by image processing software Image J. It is shown that the geometrical parameter that describes tortuosity is the minimum value ψ min of the relative length of the cross-sectional line situated in the electrolyte domain.
Effects of ACTH on Adrenal RNA Synthesis1

ACTH administration enhances the activity of adrenal homogenates and purified nuclei for incorporation of ATP-14C and UTP-3H into RNA. The effect on homogenate activity can be seen within 30 min of ACTH administration, while the increase in purified nuclear activity is demonstrable somewhat later (after 4 hr). Both effects appear to involve nuclear, DNAdependent RNA synthesis. The homogenate effect persists despite the presence of high salt [(NH4)2SO4] concentrations, whereas the nuclear effect is either greatly narrowed or obliterated. Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, completely blocks these effects of ACTH on RNA polymerase activity, suggesting a requirement for newly synthesized protein in this action of ACTH. (Endocrinology 80: 872, 1967)
Hiatal hernia recurrence: 2004

Background The incidence of laparoscopic hiatal hernia recurrence is less than ideal. The reasons are more theoretical than objective, as the literature has little data in support of specific mechanisms of recurrence.
Renal and Extrarenal Predictors of Nephrectomy from the National Trauma Data Bank

Purpose: The kidney is injured in 1.4% to 3.0% of all trauma cases. The management of renal injuries is controversial, as reflected in regional and institutional variations in treatment preferences. Using a national trauma database we identified independent risk factors for nephrectomy.Materials and Methods: The population was selected from the National Trauma Data Bank, a voluntary data repository containing all trauma admissions to 268 participating trauma centers. Patients with renal injuries were identified by Abbreviated Injury Scale codes. Patient demographic, associated injuries and facility characteristics were recorded. Univariate and Poisson regression analysis with clustering by facility was performed.Results: Renal injury was present in 8,465 patients. Nephrectomy was performed in 4% of all blunt and 21% of all cases of penetrating renal injuries. Only 0.5% of blunt renal injury cases underwent repair compared with 15% of those of penetrating injuries. On multivariate analysis renal injury sev...