cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 15 Descending pain modulation as a component of homeostasis.

Publisher Summary This chapter explores pathology of the medullary raphe that has been implicated in two human diseases: sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and multiple systems atrophy (MSA). Both of these diseases primarily involve dysfunction of homeostatic systems. MSA is a neurodegenerative condition that disrupts a number of homeostatic processes and can occur with either Parkinsonism or cerebellar atrophy. The chapter reviews that the pathological links between SIDS and serotonergic transmission have led to the suggestion that a deficit in the ability of serotonergic raphe neurons to sense CO 2 contributes to SIDS pathophysiology. It explains that while pathological contributions from medullary raphe dysfunction to MSA and SIDS are currently inconclusive, two points are important. First, if the ventromedial medulla (VMM) functioned primarily or exclusively as a pain modulatory center, a malfunction of pain sensation is predicted. Second, the medullary raphe has been implicated in playing a role in all of the homeostatic functions disrupted in these two diseases. Finally, several of the problems encountered by MSA and SIDS patients involve the disruption of the sleep-wake associated regulation of a homeostatic function. The chapter concludes that in the absence of noxious stimulation, the medullary raphe may still be a critical modulator of numerous homeostatic functions, while mediating none of them.
Choosing objectives in over-subscription planning

Many NASA planning problems are over-subscription problems – that is, there are a large number of possible goals of differing value, and the planning system must choose a subset that can be accomplished within the limited time and resources available. Examples include planning for telescopes like Hubble, SIRTF, and SOFIA; scheduling for the Deep Space Network; and planning science experiments for a Mars rover. Unfortunately, existing planning systems are not designed to deal with problems like this – they expect a well-defined conjunctive goal and terminate in failure unless the entire goal can be achieved. In this paper we develop techniques for over-subscription problems that assist a classical planner in choosing which goals to achieve, and the order in which to achieve them. These techniques use plan graph cost-estimation techniques to construct an orienteering problem, which is then used to provide heuristic advice on the goals and goal order that should be considered by a planner.
Data Mining for Generating Predictive Models of Local Hydrology

The problem of downscaling the effects of global scale climate variability into predictions of local hydrology has important implications for water resource management. Our research aims to identify predictive relationships that can be used to integrate solar and ocean-atmospheric conditions into forecasts of regional water flows. In recent work we have developed an induction technique called second-order table compression, in which learning can be viewed as a process that transforms a table consisting of training data into a second-order table (which has sets of atomic values as entries) with fewer rows by merging rows in consistency preserving ways. Here, we apply the second-order table compression technique to generate predictive models of future water inflows of Lake Okeechobee, a primary source of water supply for south Florida. We also describe SORCER, a second-order table compression learning system and compare its performance with three well-established data mining techniques: neural networks, decision tree learning and associational rule mining. SORCER gives more accurate results, on the average, than the other methods with average accuracy between 49% and 56% in the prediction of inflows discretized into four ranges. We discuss the implications of these results and the practical issues in assessing the results from data mining models to guide decision-making.
The Evolution of a Web Accessibility Testing Protocol

In early 2007, the California State University (CSU) system initiated a program to make all information technology accessible to persons with disabilities; the authors were appointed to lead the Web portion of this effort. Campuses initially hoped to rely on automated testing of Web sites to evaluate their level of accessibility and determine what repairs would be needed. However, we found that automated testing tools were severely limited both in their ability to identify relevant problems and, surprisingly, in their scalability to sites of CSU magnitude. The first manual (non-automated, human intelligence based) testing protocols that we developed proved to be awkward in practice; this paper reports our substantial recent refinements after extensive use and incorporation of the newest accessibility guidelines. We also suggest how this protocol can become part of the Web development workflow, rather than being used solely to check legacy sites.
Efficacy and safety of mitomycin-C in primary trabeculectomy: five-year follow-up.

Abstract Purpose To examine the 5-year complications and results of primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin-C (MMC). Design Retrospective, noncomparative interventional case series. Participants One hundred twenty-three eyes that underwent primary trabeculectomy with MMC between December 1991 and March 1995. Methods All patients received standard trabeculectomy performed by one of two surgeons, using a Weck cell-soaked pledget of MMC, 0.25, 0.33, or 0.5 mg/ml, for 0.5 to 5 minutes. Laser suture lysis was performed postoperatively for intraocular pressure control. Main outcome measures The incidence of complications, including hypotony with or without maculopathy, bleb leak or blebitis, pressure control, and medication reduction at yearly intervals. Results Mean preoperative and year 5 postoperative intraocular pressures (IOP) were 25.79 and 9.91 mmHg ( P t test). Hypotony (IOP P Conclusions Primary mitomycin trabeculectomy significantly lowers IOP at 5 years but is associated with a high incidence of delayed hypotony.
Attributes of parallel and cascade microprocessor implementations of digital signal processing

Microprocessors have achieved great popularity because they are inexpensive, convenient, and flexible. A microprocessor with an architecture chosen to efficiently perform digital signal processing algorithms would retain these advantages when used to implement digital signal processing. One such architecture is the Research Signal Processor (RSP) which was designed by Abraham Peled and constructed at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. In order for the RSP to be cost effective, however, it must be capable of implementing a wide range of problems so that the cost of developing an LSI version can be borne by many applications. The potential applications, however, vary greatly in size. A microprocessor capable of implementing the largest of these applications would be expensive and underutilized for many others. The approach we have chosen is to implement modestly sized applications with a single RSP, and to distribute larger applications over several RSPs. In the hope of keeping the cost of this distribution small, two simple structures, the parallel and cascade clusters were first investigated. This paper presents the attributes of these structures when used to implement the FFT, FIR filters and IIR filters. The types of data transfers required to implement these algorithms are also found, and the I/O capabilities of the RSP chosen to perform these transfers are presented.
Capital One: exploiting an information-based strategy

Capital One has exploited an innovative approach to targeted marketing, based on customer profitability analysis, to achieve impressive performance as a leading credit card issuer. It is sustaining its advantage through investment in infrastructure and personnel, and through constantly improving its expertise through a practice known as test-and-learn. Moreover, it is attempting to generalize this information-based strategy to other industries.
Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymia at the Intersection of Nativity and Racial–Ethnic Origins

Immigrants often have lower rates of depression than US-natives, but longitudinal assessments across multiple racial-ethnic groups are limited. This study examined the rates of prevalent, acquired, and persisting major depression and dysthymia by nativity and racial-ethnic origin while considering levels of acculturation, stress, and social ties. Data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions were used to model prevalence and 3-year incidence/persistence of major depression and dysthymia (DSM-IV diagnoses) using logistic regression. Substantive factors were assessed using standardized measures. The rates of major depression were lower for most immigrants, but differences were noted by race-ethnicity and outcome. Furthermore, immigrants had higher prevalence but not incidence of dysthymia. The associations between substantive factors and outcomes were mixed. This study describes and begins to explain immigrant trajectories of major depression and dysthymia over a 3-year period. The continuing research challenges and future directions are discussed.
Impact of CK-MB testing policies on hospital length of stay and laboratory costs for patients with myocardial infarction or chest pain

We obtained data on hospital length of stay (LOS) and total laboratory charges for Medicare patients admitted to 82 hospitals in Massachusetts during 1994. Five Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) were selected: surviving acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with, and without, complications; AMI with death; angina pectoris; and chest pain. The hospitals were grouped according to their laboratory policies for testing CK-MB (e.g., frequency of assay runs; information obtained by telephone survey). The study was conducted to determine whether there was an association between turnaround times for results and LOS for cardiac DRGs. The mean LOS for AMIs with complication for 1513 patients admitted to 22 hospitals whose laboratories perform CK-MB testing once or twice daily was 8.4 days [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.2–8.7]. In contrast, the mean LOS for hospitals with CK-MB test policies of at least 3 runs daily or random-access stat was significantly ( P <0.05) lower, 7.7 days (CI: 7.4–8.0 and 7.5–7.9, respectively). Overall laboratory charges were lower in the hospitals with shorter LOS. With one exception, there was no significant difference in LOS between patients with DRGs of angina pectoris or chest pain or other AMI DRGs. For AMI, a CK-MB testing policy that produces shorter turnaround times may be justified because of an association with reductions in LOS and overall laboratory costs.
Privacy, Big Data, and the Public Good: Enabling Reproducibility in Big Data Research: Balancing Confidentiality and Scientific Transparency

Introduction The 21st century will be known as the century of data . Our society is making massive investments in data collection and storage, from sensors mounted on satellites down to detailed records of our most mundane supermarket purchases. Just as importantly, our reasoning about these data is recorded in software, in the scripts and code that analyze this digitally recorded world. The result is a deep digitization of scientific discovery and knowledge, and with the parallel development of the Internet as a pervasive digital communication mechanism we have powerful new ways of accessing and sharing this knowledge. The term data even has a new meaning. Gone are the days when scientific experiments were carefully planned prior to data collection. Now the abundance of readily available data creates an observational world in itself suggesting hypotheses and experiments to be carried out after collection, curation, and storage of the data has already occurred. We have departed from our old paradigm of data collection to resolve research questions – nowadays, we collect data simply because we can . In this chapter I outline what this digitization means for the independent verification of scientific findings from these data, and how the current legal and regulatory structure helps and hinders the creation and communication of reliable scientific knowledge. Federal mandates and laws regarding data disclosure, privacy, confidentiality, and ownership all influence the ability of researchers to produce openly available and reproducible research. Two guiding principles are suggested to accelerate research in the era of big data and bring the regulatory infrastructure in line with scientific norms: the Principle of Scientific Licensing and the Principle of Scientific Data and Code Sharing. These principles are then applied to show how intellectual property and privacy tort laws could better enable the generation of verifiable knowledge, facilitate research collaboration with industry and other proprietary interests through standardized research dissemination agreements, and give rise to dual licensing structures that distinguish between software patenting and licensing for industry use and open availability for open research.
The development of a program generator for programmable logic controllers

Abstract Programmable logic controllers (PLC) are very widely used for sequential logic control in manufacturing environments. PLCs serve to integrate materials handling and processes in automated manufacturing systems. Due to changing demands on manufacturing systems, frequently new control software needs to written and changes need to be made to existing control software. The productivity of such software development efforts can benefit from a software generation tool. We present an approach for the development of such a tool.
Continued pharmacologic analysis of consummatory behavior in the albino rat.

Abstract In continuation of the pharmacological analysis of consummatory behavior in the albino rat, it was established that the mechanisms of the response to peripherally injected serotonin, namely copious drinking and simultaneous inhibition of the urine flow, is closely related to that of the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. In 23-hr food deprived rats, peripheral serotonin (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) like isoproterenol (0.1 mg/kg, s.c.), caused a more than 50% inhibition of the one hour food intake, which like the drinking was obviated by propranolol and enhanced by tolazoline. In contrast, the almost equipotent anorexic effect of peripheral d-amphetamine (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) remained unaltered by the same α- and β-adrenergic blockade. Direct application to the perifornical hypothalamus of isoproterenol (30 μg) or serotonin (18 μg) elicited highly significant inhibition of the food intake, which was likewise obviated by central pretreatment with propranolol and enhanced by tolazoline. The close similarity of effects upon eating behavior obtained with the peripheral and central route of administration are interpreted as evidence for the existence of β-adrenergically coded satiety circuits. The central dipsogenic activity of angiotensin II was inhibited by pretreatment of the intracerebral site with tolazoline but not by phenoxybenzamine, phentolamine, propranolol or atropine, whereas chlorpromazine produced exaggeration of water intake. Peripheral administration of atropine (5 mg/kg, s.c.), on the other hand, dramatically reduced the intracerebral dipsogenic activity of angiotensin II, whereas methylatropine was without effect, suggesting that cholinergically coded circuits are involved in the mediation of angiotensin-induced drinking. Since peripheral atropine (5 mg/kg, s.c.) had no effect on drinking elicited by peripheral isoproterenol, it is concluded that angiotensin does not constitute the final mediator in the brain of thirst evoked by systemic β-adrenergic activation.
India's Growth Slowdown: End of an Era?

This article examines the sources of rapid economic growth in India in the 2000s and explanations for the growth slowdown in more recent years. We use the Indian national accounts and the National Sample Survey (NSS) to perform a growth accounting analysis. We disaggregate the total economy into agriculture, industry and services and separately identify the contributions of labor, capital and improvements in productivity. Services account for the largest share of the acceleration in 2000-10. Industry, on the other hand, is the sector most reflective of the recent slowdown. The high growth of the 2000s can be traced to strong capital accumulation, improvements in labor skills and large productivity gains. A slowing in the pace of economic reform and a general deterioration in fiscal and monetary policies appear to be the major factors responsible for the slower pace of growth since 2010.
Introduction to the fastbus

Abstract Fastbus is a modular data bus system for data acquisition and data processing. It is a multiprocessor system with multiple bus segments which operate independently but link together for passing data. It operates asynchronously to accommodate very high and very low speed devices over long or short paths, using handshake protocols for reliability. It can also operate synchronously with pipelined handshakes for transfer of data blocks at maximum speed. The paper summarizes the goals, history and motivation for the Fastbus. The structure of the Fastbus system is described in general and some details of its operation are introduced.
EXTENSION OF MAMMARY GLANDS TO THE POPLITEAL AND CUBITAL FOSSAE.

THE development and histology of the mouse mammary gland have been studied in detail1–3. The glands develop along the milk line and branch in the subcutaneous fat between the skin and skeletal muscle. The quantity of fat in the subcutaneous fat pad is greatest where the milk ducts later develop4. During lactation the distribution of the mammary glands visibly follows the subcutaneous fat tissue, the second inguinal mammary gland being reported to spread only into the inguino-genital area and the cubital only to the level of the fore-limbs.
Hermaphroditism in archibenthic and Pelagic Fishes of the Order Iniomi

Abstract Ovotestes, with both male and female components in advanced stages of maturation, were found in ten species of the iniomous familes Chlorophthalmidae, Bathypteroidae, Alepisauridae and Paralepididae. Both male and female elements were apparently normal, and several species contained sperm-filled vas deferens and mature but unfertilized ova. There is insufficient material of these uncommon deep-sea fishes to provide satisfactory data on possible protandry, proterogeny, or the seasonal reproductive cycle.
A continuous spectrophotometric assay for thymidine and deoxycytidine kinases.

Abstract We have developed a continuous spectrophotometric assay for thymidine and deoxycytidine kinase activities by coupling nucleoside 5′-monophosphate formation to a methylation reaction which generates a product absorbing at 340 nm. With thymidine kinase, we used the alternate substrate deoxyuridine and coupled the reaction to thymidylate synthase. For deoxycytidine kinase, we coupled the reaction to a thymidylate synthase mutant which converts the product 2′-deoxycytidine-5′-monophosphate (dCMP) to m 5 dCMP. In both cases, the methylation reactions are accompanied by conversion of 5,10-methylene-5,6,7,8-tedrahydrofolate to 7,8-dihydrofolate and can be continuously monitored by the increase of absorbance at 340 nm. The assay should be particularly useful for kinetic studies, and for the purification of these enzymes from various sources.
Reinforcement of high-risk anastomoses using laser-activated protein solders: a clinical study

Anastomotic leakage or breakdown can result in catastrophic complications and significantly increased post-operative morbidity and mortality. Certain anastomoses are subject to a higher incidence of disruption and are therefore termed high risk. In an attempt to decrease the risk of anastomotic leaks, we reinforced sutured anastomoses with a laser activated protein solder in patients undergoing esophagojejunostomies (n equals 2), lung transplantation (n equals 2), and pancreaticojejunostomies (Whipple procedure, n equals 5). The protein solder was composed of 1.0 ml of a 25% human albumin solution, 1.0 ml of sodium hyaluronate, and 0.1 ml of Cardiogreen dye. This composition was applied to the sutured anastomosis and activated with an 860 nm pulsed diode laser. Drains were placed when appropriate and patients were followed for up to 10 months post-operatively and assessed for clinical signs of anastomotic leaks. Results to data demonstrated that there were no immediate complications as a result of the procedure. Operative time was not significantly lengthened. There were no cases of clinically significant leakage from any of the reinforced anastomoses. Laser activated protein solders may help to reduce the incidence of leakage in high risk anastomoses. Large numbers of patients and longer follow-up is needed however, to draw significant conclusions.
Structure-Invariant Perturbation Theory in Three-Particle Scattering

A perturbation theory for three-particle scattering is formulated which in each order of approximation leaves invariant the essential structural features of the scattering amplitudes. The correct primary and secondary singularity structure is reproduced along with unitarity (both off shell and on shell), the correct threshold behaviors, and the correct residues of the double-scattering poles in the 3-to-3 amplitude. The only integral equations to be solved are of the sort which appear in the case of finite-rank two-particle interactions. The formalism, which is related to some recent work by Noyes, depends crucially on the proof of the existence of a decomposition of the two-particle transition operators into so-called essential and residual parts. The special case when the residual part is ignored provides a practical exploitation of the separable expansions found by Fuda and Osborn.
A unified model for metasearch and the efficient evaluation of retrieval systems via the hedge algorithm

We present a unified framework for simultaneously solving both the pooling problem (the construction of efficient document pools for the evaluation of retrieval systems) and metasearch (the fusion of ranked lists returned by retrieval systems in order to increase performance). The implementation is based on the Hedge algorithm for online learning, which has the advantage of convergence to bounded error rates approaching the performance of the best linear combination of the underlying systems. The choice of a loss function closely related to the average precision measure of system performance ensures that the judged document set performs well, both in constructing a metasearch list and as a pool for the accurate evaluation of retrieval systems. Our experimental results on TREC data demonstrate excellent performance in all measures---evaluation of systems, retrieval of relevant documents, and generation of metasearch lists.
FRUIT, a scar-free system for targeted chromosomal mutagenesis, epitope tagging, and promoter replacement in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica.

Recombineering is a widely-used approach to delete genes, introduce insertions and point mutations, and introduce epitope tags into bacterial chromosomes. Many recombineering methods have been described, for a wide range of bacterial species. These methods are often limited by (i) low efficiency, and/or (ii) introduction of “scar” DNA into the chromosome. Here, we describe a rapid, efficient, PCR-based recombineering method, FRUIT, that can be used to introduce scar-free point mutations, deletions, epitope tags, and promoters into the genomes of enteric bacteria. The efficiency of FRUIT is far higher than that of the most widely-used recombineering method for Escherichia coli. We have used FRUIT to introduce point mutations and epitope tags into the chromosomes of E. coli K-12, Enterotoxigenic E. coli, and Salmonella enterica. We have also used FRUIT to introduce constitutive and inducible promoters into the chromosome of E. coli K-12. Thus, FRUIT is a versatile, efficient recombineering approach that can be applied in multiple species of enteric bacteria.
A Developmentally Eliminated Sequence in the Flanking Region of the Histone H1 Gene in Tetrahymena thermophila Contains Short Repeats

In Tetrahymena, as in other ciliated protozoans, a transcriptionally active, 'somatic' macronucleus develops from a transcriptionally inactive 'germline' micronucleus after conjugation. The process of development involves elimination of germline DNA segments at thousands of locations in the genome. The characterization of one of these segments in Tetrahymena thermophila is described here. This micronucleus-specific DNA has been identified by comparing the sequence of the corresponding micronuclear and macronuclear regions. The micronucleus-specific DNA is over I kb long, is AT-rich and has TTT direct repeats at its termini. At one end of the micronuclear sequence there is a 130 bp duplication, and at the other end there are several related repeats of a 13-mer. Short G-rich sections are found in the middle of the eliminated DNA, as well as on one side of the rearrangement junction. Short G-rich segments are also detectable in three previously described micronucleus-specific sequences. The micronuclear sequence described here is a member of a repeat family. Cross-hybridizing sequences are also detectable in some other Tetrahymena species. The distribution of cross-hybridizing sequences among related species is not consistent with the phylogenetic tree.
Identification of Bridge Movement Mechanisms

Bridge behavior is highly dependent upon the movement mechanisms present throughout the structure. These mechanisms (e.g. bearing, joints, etc.) have a substantial impact on the long-term durability and potential safety of the structure. A major distinguisher between the varieties of movement systems is their operating timescale. In some cases, they function rapidly, within fractions of a second, and in other cases gradually over days, months or even years. However, in nearly all cases, the lifecycle of the movement system is shorter than that of the bridge assuring the need for future intervention. Breakdown of a movement system can produce unintended forces/deformations that progressively degrade the structure. Identification and tracking of movement mechanisms proactively address long-term durability by helping to avoid these unintended consequences. A general framework for characterization of these mechanisms was developed. This framework was applied to an operating bridge that includes several critical mechanisms operating over different timescales. As a result of this and other studies, recommendations are provided for identification of bridge movement systems.
A modified aldehyde perfusion technique for preventing certain artifacts in electron microscopy of the central nervous system.

SUMMARY The production of vacuolated mitochondria and myelin figures can be markedly reduced with aldehyde perfusion fixation by perfusing a concentrated aldehyde solution before the conventional perfusate. A method is presented for accomplishing this with no practical time delay. Factors causing myelin figures and damaged mitochondria are discussed. Gum acacia helps prevent ‘washed-out’ cells and processes, and seems to aid myelin preservation. A clear solution is necessary for a good perfusion. Techniques for accomplishing this are presented. A concentrated formaldehyde solution perfused as a small volume immediately prior to the conventional perfusate causes alterations of the endoplasmic reticulum, including the subsurface cisterns, and an increase in numbers of spine apparatuses. Evidence is presented by using tubes of gelatin containing Schiff's reagent that formaldehyde is the fastest penetrating aldehyde but that it only fixes about half the distance it penetrates. Acrolein penetrates more rapidly than glutaraldehyde but fixes only as far as formaldehyde. Glutaraldehyde fixes as far as it penetrates.
Comparison of a Passive Aerosol Sampler to Size-Selective Pump Samplers in Indoor Environments

The objective of this work was to investigate the ability of the Wagner-Leith passive aerosol sampler to measure indoor exposures over periods of 24 hours to 2 weeks. An automated analysis technique was developed so that lower aerosol concentrations could be sampled over shorter time periods. A test of the new analytical method against a manual method showed good agreement. The passive sampler was tested alongside three pump-operated, size-selective samplers in indoor environments. Generally, good correlation with the active samplers was observed. Correlation with a personal impactor with uncoated substrates was not statistically significant, but the cyclone, MS&T impactor, and overall correlations had R2 values of 0.73–0.88. Combining these data with a previous study produced an R2 of 0.96 between passive and active results. Large discrepancies (up to 147%) between passive and personal impactor results were observed and were attributed to particle bounce in the impactor, passive sampler imprecision due t...
Cylindrical microemulsions: a polymer-like phase ?

The regions of stability of spherical, cylindrical, and lamellar phases of microemulsions are calculated within mean-field theory. In the cylindrical phase, thermal fluctuations determine a temperature dependent persistence length below which the cylinders are rigid (rod-like) and above which the cylinders are flexible (polymer-like). The length of the polymer-like chains depends on concentration and temperature. The radii of gyration of these flexible microemulsions are also calculated.
Cystic Adventitial Disease of the Common Femoral Vein A Case Report and Review of the Literature

We report on a 52-year-old female patient who presented with a 6-month history of right lower extremity swelling and tenderness. The patient was treated as an outpatient with full anticoagulation, without any improvement. Her medical history was significant for hypertension and high cholesterol, and she had a full coagulopathy profile that was negative for any hypercoagulable syndrome. On examination, the patient was moderately obese, with significant tenderness over the medial aspect of the right groin. A venous duplex examination revealed hypoechoic structure ± acute deep vein thrombosis of right common femoral vein (CFV). A computed tomography of the venous phase revealed an eccentric compression over the medial wall of the right CFV. During surgical exploration, adventitial cystic mucinous disease was enucleated from the medial wall of the right CFV, and the pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis. The postoperative course was uneventful, and all swelling and tenderness were completely resolved. The patient continued to do well, and she had an unremarkable venous duplex evaluation at her 6-month follow-up.
The mechanical properties of high purity chromium

This paper presents a study of the mechanical properties of high purity chromium. The results show that if interstitial content is sufficiently high in the material, brittle fracture is observed at temperatures above room temperature. In particular, our results show that carbon has a very damaging effect. However, it was found that a single crystal of ultra-high purity chromium showed notch ductility at room temperature. When this material was rolled and recrystallized to put grain boundaries into the sample, it maintained notch ductility at room temperature. Thus we conclude that high purity chromium can have ductility at room temperature.
Tacrolimus and cyclosporinein vitro and in vivo induce osteopontin mRNA and protein expression in renal tissues.

The mechanism of immunosuppression-linked nephrotoxicity in organ transplantation remains to be solved. Expression of osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional secreted glycoprotein, has been associated wi
The scalp topography of human somatosensory and auditory evoked potentials.

Abstract The waveform and topography of components of the scalp recorded somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) to right median nerve stimulation, and the auditory evoked potential (AEP) to click stimulation of the right ear, were determined for scalp electrode locations of the 10–20 system and for locations at the eye, mastoids, and posterior neck. Twenty-one SEP and twenty-two AEP components were analyzed. Differentiation of neurogenic and myogenic components was attempted on the basis of localization and variability. Some components of extracranial origin, apparently originating in frontal musculature, were small in most experienced subjects and large in most experimentally naive subjects. These and other presumptive myogenic potentials can distort adjacent neurogenic components. These data should aid in predicting SEP and AEP characteristics and in assessing myogenic distortion of neurogenic components.
Death in the Field: Teaching Paramedics to Deliver Effective Death Notifications Using the Educational Intervention “GRIEV_ING”

AbstractIntroduction. Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are rarely trained in death notification despite frequently terminating resuscitation in the field. As research continues to validate guidelines for the termination of resuscitation (TOR) and reputable organizations such as NAEMSP lend support to such protocols, death notification in the field will continue to increase. We sought to test the hypothesis that a learning module, GRIEV_ING, which teaches a structured method for death notification, will improve the confidence, competency, and communication skills of EMS personnel in death notification. Methods. The GRIEV_ING didactic session consisted of a 90-minute education session composed of a didactic lecture, small group breakout session, and role-plays. This was both preceded and followed by a 15-minute case role-play using trained standardized survivors. To assess performance we used a pre–post design with 3 quantitative measures: confidence, competency, and, communication. Paramedics fro...
Thrombelastographic pattern recognition in renal disease and trauma.

Abstract Background Thrombelastography (TEG) is a viscoelastic hemostatic assay. We have observed that end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) produce distinctive TEG tracings. We hypothesized that rigorously definable TEG patterns could discriminate between healthy controls and patients with ESRD and TIC. Methods TEG was performed on blood from ESRD patients (n = 54) and blood from trauma patients requiring a massive blood transfusion (n = 16). Plots of independent TEG parameters were analyzed for patterns coupled to disease state, compared with controls. Decision trees for taxonomic classification were then built using the “R-Project” statistical software. Results Minimally overlapping clusters of TEG results were observed for the three patient groups when coordinate pairs of maximum amplitude (MA) and TEG-activated clotting time (ACT) were plotted on orthogonal axes. Based on these groupings, a taxonomical classification tree was constructed using MA and TEG ACT. Branch points were set at an ACT of 103 s, and these branches subdivided for MA at 60.8 mm for the high ACT branch and 72.6 mm for the low ACT branch, providing a correct classification rate of 93.4%. Conclusions ESRD and TIC demonstrate distinct TEG patterns. The coagulopathy of ESRD is typified by a prolonged enzymatic phase of clot formation, with normal-to-elevated final clot strength. Conversely, TIC is typified by prolonged clot formation and weakened clot strength. Our taxonomic categorization constitutes a rigorous system for the algorithmic interpretation of TEG based on cluster analysis. This will form the basis for clinical decision support software for viscoelastic hemostatic assays.
Synthesis of optically active ring-A substituted tryptophans as IDO inhibitors

Abstract The first synthesis of optically active 7-methoxy- d -tryptophan as well as other ring-A substituted tryptophans is described.
Evolution of Anaerobe Susceptibility Testing in the United States

Susceptibility testing of anaerobes has been described for ∼45 years, some 15 years fewer than descriptions for aerobic organisms. During that time period, >16 methods, >16 media, and a host of other variables have been described in the United States literature, culminating in the most recent standards published by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) in 2001. These new guidelines include a single agar dilution reference method as well as an alternative minimal inhibitory concentration method validated by extensive multilaboratory collaborative trials. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration-approved E-test has proved valuable as a user-friendly alternative to NCCLS methods. Highlights of the evolution of various methods, their variations and their failures, factors that affected the development of the current standards, and the rationale for susceptibility testing of anaerobes are discussed herein.
Improving the start-up behavior of a congestion control scheme for TCP

Based on experiments conducted in a network simulator and over real networks, this paper proposes changes to the congestion control scheme in current TCP implementations to improve its behavior during the start-up period of a TCP connection.The scheme, which includes Slow-start, Fast Retransmit, and Fast Recovery algorithms, uses acknowledgments from a receiver to dynamically calculate reasonable operating values for a sender's TCP parameters governing when and how much a sender can pump into the network. During the start-up period, because a TCP sender starts with default parameters, it often ends up sending too many packets and too fast, leading to multiple losses of packets from the same window. This paper shows that recovery from losses during this start-up period is often unnecessarily time-consuming.In particular, using the current Fast Retransmit algorithm, when multiple packets in the same window are lost, only one of the packet losses may be recovered by each Fast Retransmit; the rest are often recovered by Slow-start after a usually lengthy retransmission timeout. Thus, this paper proposes changes to the Fast Retransmit algorithm so that it can quickly recover from multiple packet losses without waiting unnecessarily for the timeout. These changes, tested in the simulator and on the real networks, show significant performance improvements, especially for short TCP transfers. The paper also proposes other changes to help minimize the number of packets lost during the start-up period.
Classical and Inverse Regression Methods of Calibration in Extrapolation

In an earlier paper (Krutchkoff, 1967) the Inverse Method of calibration is compared to the Classical Method by a Monte Carlo technique and found to have a uniformly smaller average squared error in the range of the controlled variable. This note presents some results obtained when using these procedures for extrapolation. Situations are shown to exist in extrapolation in which the Classical Method is superior to the Inverse Method.
Romibo robot project: an open-source effort to develop a low-cost sensory adaptable robot for special needs therapy and education

The Romibo Robot Project is an evolving robot for motivation, education and social therapy. Our project goal is to improve research techniques through the use of robots and social therapies while providing value to the Do-It-Yourself movement and STEM education initiatives. The robot has been designed around applications for individuals with conditions including autism, traumatic brain injury and dementia. Romibo includes features taken from other therapeutic robots currently used in research, such as Keepon, Pleo and Paro. The Romibo Project stands out by providing a low-cost development platform while providing the necessary features for use in a wide range of social therapies. The platform features a fully customizable design, allowing for individual creativity, ease of assembly and experimentation. Romibo is a social robot, able to convey emotions, communicate socially, and form relationships with individuals.
Parent Involvement, African American Mothers, and the Politics of Educational Care

This paper explores the relationship between notions of parent involvement and conceptions of care as they relate to educators’ deficit perceptions of African American mothers. Black feminist and womanist interpretations of the ethic of care are used to reframe the biased discourse on parent involvement in schools. Specific consideration is given to how educational scholarship can better acknowledge African American mothers’ race-based, gendered, and class-related contexts. Data from an in-depth, qualitative study of the educational experiences, values, and choices of low-income and working-class African American mothers inform the discussion. The study offers insight about the care and justice-seeking efforts of African American women. Implications for revising parent involvement typologies and strengthening school-family relationships according to a culturally relevant framework are emphasized.
Tailed pooled suppression subtractive hybridization (PSSH) adaptors do not alter efficiency

Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) and its derivative, Pooled Suppression Subtractive hybridization (PSSH), are powerful tools used to study variances larger than ~100 bp in prokaryotic genome structure. The initial steps involve ligating an oligonucleotide of known sequence (the “adaptor”) to a fragmented genome to facilitate amplification, subtraction and downstream sequencing. SSH results in the creation of a library of unique DNA fragments which have been traditionally analyzed via Sanger sequencing. Numerous next generation sequencing technologies have entered the market yet SSH is incompatible with these platforms. This is due to the high level of sequence conservation of the oligonucleotide used for SSH. This rigid adherence is partly because it has yet to be determined if alteration of this oligonucleotide will have a deleterious impact on subtraction efficiency. The subtraction occurs when non-unique fragments are inhibited by a secondary self-pairing structure which requires exact nucleotide sequence. We determine if appending custom sequence to the 5′ terminal ends of these oligonucleotides during the nested PCR stages of PSSH will reduce subtraction efficiency. We compare a pool of ten S. aureus clinical isolates with a standard PSSH and custom tailed-PSSH. We detected no statistically significant difference between their subtraction efficiencies. Our observations suggest that the adaptor’s terminal ends may be labeled during the nested PCR step. This produces libraries labeled with custom sequence. This does not lead to loss of subtraction efficiency and would be invaluable for groups wishing to combine SSH or PSSH with their own downstream applications, such as a high throughput sequencing platform.
Measurement of fluid velocity using temperature profiles: Experimental verification

Abstract Temperature profiling has been used to predict the rate and direction of groundwater movement. A controlled field experiment was conducted to ascertain the validity of the rate calculations made using this method. The vertical velocity, or leakage, of groundwater between two aquifers was calculated utilizing both hydrologic and temperature measurements in a well drilled into the Paw Paw buried bedrock valley in northern Illinois. The experiment showed that accurate estimates of leakage can be made in stable boreholes where there are no geologic complications. Estimates utilizing temperature and hydrologic methods produced similar results for one of two aquicludes. However, the methods produced dissimilar results for the second aquiclude. It is speculated that the presence of a thin organic silt caused most of the problem; other complicating factors were lithologic variation and a very low hydraulic gradient. Nevertheless, the method appears to have great promise in many geologic environments.
Supramolecular structure of {C6H2[CH2OCH2C(pz)3]4[Mn(CO)3]4}(BF4)4 based on tetrametallic organometallic building blocks constructed from a multitopic tris(pyrazolyl)methane ligand

The compound {C6H2[CH2OCH2C(pz)3]4[Mn(CO)3]4}(BF4)4 forms a 3D sinusoidal architecture with 16 × 7 A channels organized by π–π stacking and weak C–H⋯F hydrogen bonds.
Seepage in Soils—Principles and Applications.

LAKSHMI N. REDDI. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Hardcover, $110.00. ISBN 0-471-35616-6. Seepage is a well-established course of instruction in civil engineering and the earth, environmental, soil, and agricultural sciences. Students learn about seepage in courses such as hydrology,
Developments and Applications of Multielement Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Introduction Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) is widely used for the determination of trace elements in numerous and complex matrices. It offers excellent detection limits, high precision, high sensitivity, and acceptable accuracy. One drawback of AAS has been its lack of ability to simultaneously determine several elements. If knowledge of several elements in a sample is desired, an analysis must be run for each sample separately. This leads to an increase in the time required to complete the analysis. It also requires that a separate sample be used for every analysis. This can prove to be difficult when the available sample is small in quantity or is difficult to obtain.
Liberal fundamentals: invisible, invasive, artful, and bloody hands

Returning to liberalism's Scottish Enlightenment precursors suggests that the liberal order might best be described by the tension between its assertions about the smoothing natural harmonies within the social order and its doubts about whether those harmonies can appear spontaneously and therefore require aggressive projects of reform and correction. Although committed to the inevitability and inexorability of progress, such doubts led Scottish Enlightenment figures to strategies that even today continue to mark liberalism's effort to purify modern progress of tragedy's taint. We continue to justify apparent social failings as necessary to the natural order, regarding them instead as advantages in a Providentialist manner (Smith and Hume). We preserve our faith in commercial society by aggressively reforming and correcting those inside and outside others who resist the inevitabilities we have embraced (Millar). We accept the disorders and instabilities inherent in modern market society, but replace our hope in the automaticity of adjustment with a belief in the capacity of the state or some form of international governance to resolve tensions in some higher-order liberalism (Steuart). We call for a moral revival to restore values that our contemporary liberal institutions cannot possibly sustain (Ferguson). In sum, maintaining liberalism's idealised vision of itself in the face of these necessary limits and ill consequences calls forth the purificatory zeal of the fundamentalist. If we wish to move past a response that offers us more liberalism and more zeal as a solution to the problems of liberalism, we need something that is both within and beyond liberal fundamentals: a liberalism that accepts truths beyond itself; that looks to multiple ontologies for political and ethical resources; and that accepts plural and multiple versions of virtue and progress negotiated between liberalism's fundamentals and varying local ideals and conditions.