cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microglia drive pockets of neuroinflammation in middle age

ABSTRACT During aging, microglia produce inflammatory factors, show reduced tissue surveillance, altered interactions with synapses, and prolonged responses to insults, positioning these cells to have profound impact on the functional integrity of nearby neurons. We and others recently showed that microglial attributes differ significantly across brain regions and CNS insults in young adult mice. However, the degree to which microglial properties vary during aging is largely unexplored. Here, we analyze and manipulate microglial aging within the basal ganglia, brain circuits that exhibit prominent regional microglial heterogeneity and where neurons are vulnerable to functional decline and neurodegenerative disease. We demonstrate that microglia in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) exhibit unique and premature responses to aging, compared to microglia elsewhere. This is associated with ‘pockets’ of VTA/SNc neuroinflammation that are likely to compromise local synaptic function as early as middle age. Surprisingly, these early aging responses of VTA and SNc microglia do not appear to be driven by systemic inflammation, local neuron death, or early responses of astrocytes to aging. Finally, CX3CR1 receptor knockout can exacerbate and microglial ablation/repopulation can suppress early VTA microglial aging; these manipulations have been shown to affect brain-wide microglial aging, and our data demonstrate that their impact is not uniform throughout the CNS. Our findings reveal a previously unappreciated regional variation in the onset and magnitude of microglial aging responses and suggest that there may be important links between local microglial aging and vulnerability of nearby neurons to functional decline and disease.
Toward a postbiotic era of microbiome science: opportunities to advance immunotherapies for hepatocellular carcinoma

The microbiome has revolutionized the field of cancer immunology and checkpoint therapeutics for gastrointestinal malignancies. Combating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is a unique challenge due in part to chronic complications that arise from local and systemic metabolic dysfunctions. Gut microbial metabolites modulate key immunological processes that influence liver cancer susceptibility and resistance to ICB. This review discusses recent progresses in linking microbiota functions to HCC tumor immunity and highlights their therapeutic potential.
Light-cone PDFs and GPDs from Lattice QCD

In this article, we review recent lattice calculations on the $x$-dependence of PDFs and GPDs from lattice QCD.
Solar, Geothermal, Hydrogen, and Hydraulic Power

Mankind faces a world-wide power dilemma. A comprehensive energy policy must be adopted here and abroad to solve this dilemma. Certain features of such a policy are considered including solar, geothermal, hydro-electric, and wind power plant applications. The possible use of weightless balloon collectors to reduce cost of solar-electric power plants is described. Present status of geothermal power plants is reviewed. The use of hydrogen as a fuel and for energy conversion, transmission, and storage is described. Possible uses of untapped or remote sources of hydro-electric power are listed. The possible use of wind power is referred to.
Stimulus Properties of Drugs

A physical stimulus is any change in the environment that can be quantified through empirical means, whereas a functional stimulus is a physical stimulus that demonstrably affects behavior. Chapter 3 provided an overview of operant and respondent conditioning and emphasized that the functional properties of a physical stimulus are not immutable but depend critically upon prior and current circumstances. Electric shock, for example, may affect behavior by acting as a positive reinforcer, a negative reinforcer, an unconditional stimulus, or a discriminative stimulus. Given this, the behavioral effects of electrical stimulation are (a) complex, (b) situation-specific, and (c) amenable to analysis in terms of operant and respondent conditioning.
Wireless devices for mobile commerce: user interface design and usability

Well-designed and usable interfaces for mobile commerce applications are critical. But given the uniqueness of the wireless environment, usability becomes even harder to ensure. This chapter describes the benefits and limitations of various wireless device interface technologies. It provides guidance on determining the usability of wireless devices, emphasizing the fact that context will factor heavily into the use of mobile applications. Some of the additional challenges that developers face when designing applications for wireless devices, such as infrastructure and software issues, are also discussed.
Heart and Mediastinum

When evaluating the cardiac/pericardial outline and mediastinal contours, it is easiest to follow the right and left borders that these structures make with the aerated lung. Although the mediastinum is optimally visualized by various cross-sectional imaging techniques, the initial stage of evaluation is often through plain radiographs.
Five degree of freedom measuring arm for resolving spatial relationships within TFTR vacuum vessel

To optimize power loading on the first wall components in the TFTR (Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor), parts must be carefully aligned with the toroidal magnetic field (TF) surfaces. First, the location of a template with six fixed positions was established with respect to the TF using measurements of magnetic field strength at several positions on the template. Next, a measuring arm was installed at each of these locations and manually positioned in order to resolve relative and absolute coordinates of the in-vessel components with respect to the TF. The measuring arm is a flexible linkage consisting of six links and five joints instrumented with absolute optical encoders. Prior to use in the vacuum vessel, the arm was calibrated to determine the best fit for the 23 unknowns involving link lengths, encoder zero positions, and shaft-to-link angles. The position of the indicator point with respect to the measuring arm base is known to +or-0.75 mm after this calibration process. During operation, the shaft encoder positions are processed by an algorithm to determine the relative and global coordinates of the indicator point for real-time use and stored for later detailed analysis. Data obtained with this device are shown. >
An Efficient Method for Analysis of Beam Waveguide Fed Cassegrain Reflector Antennas

Beam Waveguide Fed Cassegrain Reflector (BFCR) antennas are increasingly being used in space communication applications. Using a shooting and bouncing ray approach based on geometrical optics and aperture integration the far field pattern of the BFCR is calculated. This method is computationally efficient and is not restricted by the number of reflecting surfaces in the antenna configuration. The diffraction loss in the beam waveguide structure is calculated separately by the conventional near field physical optics integration. The present computation scheme is applied to design of a BFCR that scans its beam by the motion of a reflector in the beam waveguide structure. For an aperture diameter of 2000λ, the scan loss is 1 dB for 30 and 22 beamwidth scan in E- plane and H- plane, respectively.
Colloid crystal self-organization and dynamics at the air/water interface

The properties of two-dimensional arrays of micrometre-sized particles are of interest in relation to a wide range of phenomena, including self-organization and phase behaviour in colloid science and condensed-matter physics1,2,3, the behaviour of dusty plasmas4 and the templating of ordered structures for photonic applications5. Most studies have used pre-existing particles such as monodisperse latex spheres, which may be manipulated with electric or magnetic fields. In contrast, we report here an inorganic solution that spontaneously precipitates a self-organized two-dimensional colloid crystal at the air/water interface. A solution of calcium hydroxide exposed to air reacts with dissolved carbon dioxide to precipitate microcrystals of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite. These aggregate at the surface to form a disordered gel mat with fractal characteristics6. We find, however, that in aged solutions a second population of charged microcrystals with the ‘dogtooth spar’ morphology appears on the surface. These crystallites, which can be observed by optical microscopy, become organized into a regular triangular lattice. The competition between electrostatic and capillary forces between particles leads to lattice spacings of the order of 125 to 175 µm, 5 to 7 times the diameter of the particles. These structures are stable for around 24 h, but eventually aggregate with the fractal gel. The mechanism of their self-organization, as yet incompletely understood, might provide some insights into similar phenomena in colloid science2,3,7,8,9.
The systems approach to school administration: Some perceptions on the state of the art in 1967

Abstract Some of the salient administrative activities consistent with systems are clear delineation of objectives; recognition of the dynamic nature of goals and priorities; generation of alternative means for allocating resources; generation of models of the system under study; utilization of quantitatively oriented tools in analysis; and in decision making, and employment of interdisciplinary teams of specialists in problem analysis. Hard data on the implementation of these systems oriented approaches in education are not available as yet. School administrators in late 1967 were on the threshold of awareness of concepts, vehicles, and procedures related to systems. They have not as yet perceived systems as an approach to better define, comprehend, or resolve perplexing educational issues or operational problems. Those aspects of school administration most amenable to operations analysis such as transportation, school plant planning and construction, inventory control or food services are less likely to be classified as crucial problems of administrators. The more significant long-range policy problems in instruction, race relations, adapting the institution to change, teacher militancy, or amelioration of social injustices have been considered by too many to be outside the range of quantitative analysis. Not everyone talking about systems uses the same data base. The systems approach is more likely to flourish where certain conditions prevail. Some pressing improvements in education are needed to create readiness and use of systems.
Religious Education Beyond the Schooling Model

I am grateful for the invitation and opportunity to reflect in this “Forum” on current challenges and possibilities for the field and scholarship of religious education as this journal moves into i...
Transnational Networks and Policy Diffusion: The Case of Gender Mainstreaming

How can we account for the global diffusion of remarkably similar policy innovations across widely differing nation-states? In an era characterized by heightened globalization and increasingly radical state restructuring, this question has become especially acute. Scholars of international relations offer a number of theoretical explanations for the cross-national convergence of ideas, institutions, and interests. We examine the proliferation of state bureaucracies for gender mainstreaming. These organizations seek to integrate a gender-equality perspective across all areas of government policy. Although they so far have received scant attention outside of feminist policy circles, these mainstreaming bureaucracies—now in place in over 100 countries—represent a powerful challenge to business-as-usual politics and policymaking. As a policy innovation, the speed with which these institutional mechanisms have been adopted by the majority of national governments is unprecedented. We argue that transnational networks composed largely of nonstate actors (notably women's international nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations) have been the primary forces driving the diffusion of gender mainstreaming. In an event history analysis of 157 nation-states from 1975 to 1998, we assess how various national and transnational factors have affected the timing and the type of the institutional changes these states have made. Our findings support the claim that the diffusion of gender-mainstreaming mechanisms has been facilitated by the role played by transnational networks, in particular by the transnational feminist movement. Further, they suggest a major shift in the nature and the locus of global politics and national policymaking.
Compact spiral antenna for space based applications

This paper presents printed spiral antennae for use in CubeSats and PocketQubes (Small Satellites). The antenna is designed to operate in the 70 cm HAM band under the maximum return loss of 10 dB. Design of the antenna was conducted through CST Microwave Studio, while the fabrication process was carried out through chemical etching. The resulting frequency was at 503 MHz.
Development or decolonization in the andes

Abstract This article presents the work of a group of indigenous intellectuals in Peru who have formed an NGO called PRATEC (Proyecto Andino de Tecnologias Campesinas). PRATEC has created a postgraduate course, accredited in two Peruvian universities, aimed mostly at technocrats of rural development. That course not only teaches indigenous Andean knowledges and practices but also attempts to deconstruct the claim to universality of dominant modern Western knowledges. The author has met many graduates of PRATEC's course in Peru and been able to appreciate the transformative power of that course. This experiment is of potential interest in any postcolonial situation.
Recent Developments in Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular MRI

Since the start of this millennium, cardiovascular MRI (CMR) has made large strides toward technical optimization, and the impressive range and capability afforded by CMR has gained its widespread acceptance as the gold standard cardiac imaging technique for a range of diagnostic indications. Such has been the pace of developments in the field, both software and hardware related, that for the initial years of this decade the focus of most research was on novel techniques and applications. However, as these techniques have become refined and established, and the technique has become more widely available in clinical settings, there is a growing body of work addressing the prognostic implications of CMR findings. This article explores recent developments in the evaluation of clinical outcomes according to CMR and how this builds on our current knowledge in the field.
Analysis of Discretionary Lane Changing Parameters on Freeways

A lane changing event, at the instant when a vehicle crosses the lane marker, involves up to five vehicles: the subject vehicle, preceding and following vehicles in the original lane, and the preceding and following vehicles in the target lane. Understanding the interactions of the subject vehicle with the surrounding vehicles is fundamental to the study of the safety and modeling of lane changing behavior. This research studies the statistical properties of 10 lane changing parameters. These parameters describe the gaps, times to collision between vehicles and the subject vehicle's speed. The parameter values were extracted from the vehicle trajectory data in the Next Generation Simulation data sets. The results show that (i) all the parameters are positively correlated with each other; (ii) the gaps and distance are best described by the log-normal distribution; (ii) the times to collision are best described by the Laplace distribution; (iii) the speed may be described by the log-logistic distribution and the normal distribution. The results suggest that using one or few selected parameters may be sufficient to quantify the risk of a lane changing event.
CT Measurements of Mesial Temporal Lobe Herniation in Epileptics

The purpose of this study was to develop a quantitative method for describing preoperatively herniation of the mesial temporal lobe structures in epileptic patients. This was done by opacifying the CSF of the basal cisterns with metrizamide and measuring the position and contour of the mesial temporal lobe. The measurements were fitted to complex polynomial curves, which were then analyzed. The shapes of the curves, the surface area between the curves and the x axis, and the angles at which the curves intersected the x axis were all found to be reliable indicators of the presence or absence of herniation of the mesial temporal structures. In the 18 patients studied, chronic herniation of the mesial temporal lobe was found at the time of surgery in 13 cases and had been assessed correctly preoperatively with the aid of the polynomial curves in each instance.
Slowing-down-tail enhancement of the neoclassical energy flux of α's

The retention of both drag and pitch-angle scattering of the energetic slowing-down-tail $\ensuremath{\alpha}'\mathrm{s}$ by the background ions can dramatically increase the radial energy flux of the $\ensuremath{\alpha}'\mathrm{s}$ in an ignited tokamak and can prevent the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ energy from being deposited into the background plasma via electron drag. The condition that the enhanced neoclassical fluxes have negligible impact on the ignition can impose a more severe design constraint than drift loss.
Seismic interferometry for sparse data: SVD-enhanced Green's function estimation

Seismic interferometry (SI) is a technique used to estimate the Green's function (GF) between two receivers, as if there were a source at one of the receiver locations. The GF obtained in this way, the interferometric GF (IGF), is estimated here by crosscorrelating the signals from two receivers for many sources and averaging these crosscorrelations over sources. However, in many applications, the conditions needed to recover the exact GF are not met and thus the estimated IGF is inaccurate. For such cases, we improve the IGF by summing lower-rank approximations of the crosscorrelations obtained via the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), instead of averaging the original crosscorrelations. SVD allows us to enhance low-rank, coherent signals; these are the signals needed to reconstruct the GF. We apply this method to a field dataset where seismic signals from active sources are transformed to simulate passive seismic recordings. In this data set we find that filtering with SVD allows for IGF recovery in cases where standard SI does not.
Effect of prostaglandin E1 on transmural potential difference and short-circuit current in isolated frog (Rana Catesbeiana) skin

Abstract 1. Addition of prostaglandin F2α to the inside bathing solution elicited sustained decreases in transmural potential difference and short-circuit current. 2. Addition of indomethacin to the inside bathing solution partially inhibited transmural potential difference and short-circuit current. 3. Addition of indomethacin to the inside bathing solution further decreased the prostaglandin Fα effect on transmural potential difference and short-circuit current. 4. The prostaglandin F2α-induced effects on short-circuit current were carried by a net active sodium transfer from the outside to the inside bathing solution.
Screwworm Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Analysis of Sterile Mating Frequencies and Covariates

Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) case incidence in the southwestern USA suggests a failure in the sterile male method of suppression in 1972–1976. Estimates of sterile mating frequencies from 1954 to 1981 in Curacao, Florida, Texas, Tamaulipas, Chiapas and Veracruz were examined for evidence of premating isolation between released and wild flies. Sterile fly release indices and native fly population densities accounted for 67% of the variance in the sterile mating frequencies. Analysis of covariance was used to correct class variables of fly strain and region for the continuous variables. Statistically significant heterogeneity according to region was detected. No significant strain effects were detected. The data do not support the idea that the prolonged screwworm epizootic was related to genetically-determined factors of strain deterioration or assortative mating.
A Semi-Analytical Method for Determining the Energy Release Rate of Cracks in Adhesively-Bonded Single-Lap Composite Joints

A semi-analytical method for determining the strain energy release rate due to a prescribed interface crack in an adhesively-bonded, single-lap composite joint subjected to axial tension is presented. The field equations in terms of displacements within the joint are formulated by using first-order shear deformable, laminated plate theory together with kinematic relations and force equilibrium conditions. The stress distributions for the adherends and adhesive are determined after the appropriate boundary and loading conditions are applied and the equations for the field displacements are solved. Based on the adhesive stress distributions, the forces at the crack tip are obtained and the strain energy release rate of the crack is determined by using the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT). Additionally, the test specimen geometry from both the ASTM D3165 and D1002 test standards are utilized during the derivation of the field equations in order to correlate analytical models with future test results. The system of second-order differential field equations is solved to provide the adherend and adhesive stress response using the symbolic computation tool, Maple 9. Finite element analyses using J-integral as well as VCCT were performed to verify the developed analytical model. The finite element analyses were conducted using the commercial finite element analysis software ABAQUS. The results determined using the analytical method correlated well with the results from the finite element analyses.
Role of species identity in plant invasions: experimental test using Imperata cylindrica

The role of species richness, functional diversity and species identity of native Florida sandhill understory species were tested with Imperata cylindrica, an exotic rhizomatous grass, in mesocosms. I. cylindrica was introduced 1 year after the following treatments were established: a control with no native species, five monocultures, a grass mix treatment, a forb mix treatment, and a 3-species treatment and a 5-species treatment. Monthly cover, final biomass, root length, root length density (RLD) and specific root length (SRL) of all species were determined for one full growing season. There was a significant negative linear relationship between the cover of native species and I. cylindrica (r 2 = 0.59, P = 0.01) and a negative logarithmic relationship between the biomass of native species and I. cylindrica (r 2 = 0.70, P = 0.003). There was no diversity–invasibility relationship. Grasses proved to be the most resistant functional group providing resistance alone and in mixed functional communities. Repeated measures analysis demonstrated that treatments including Andropogon virginicus were the most resistant to invasion over time (P < 0.001). Significantly greater root length (P = 0.002), RLD (P = 0.011) and SRL (P < 0.001) than all of the native species and I. cylindrica in monocultures and in mixed communities made A. virginicus successful. The root morphology characteristics allowed it to be a great competitor belowground where I. cylindrica was most aggressive. The results suggest that species identity could be more important than species or functional richness in determining community resistance to invasion.
Robust, Efficient, and Orthogonal Synthesis of Dendrimers via Thiol-ene “Click” Chemistry

Dendrimers up to the fourth generation were successfully prepared via the divergent growth strategy using a combination of thiol-ene “click” chemistry and traditional esterification reactions. The thiol-ene reactions were conducted under solvent-free, ambient conditions at room temperature by irradiating with UV light. The fourth-generation dendrimers were subsequently functionalized with carboxylic acid, pyrene, and Fmoc-protected cysteine moieties via thiol-ene reactions.
Hos1 Is a Lysine Deacetylase for the Smc3 Subunit of Cohesin

Chromosome cohesion is a cell-cycle-regulated process in which sister chromatids are held together from the time of replication until the time of separation at the metaphase-to-anaphase transition, ensuring accurate chromosome segregation [1-9]. Chromosome cohesion is established during S phase, and this process requires the four subunits of the cohesin complex (Smc1, Smc3, Mcd1/Scc1, and Irr1/Scc3) and the acetyltransferase Eco1 [10-13]. Acetylation of Smc3 by Eco1 at two evolutionarily conserved lysine residues promotes cohesion establishment during S phase in budding yeast and humans [14-16]. Here we report that Hos1, a member of the evolutionarily conserved class I histone deacetylase family, acts as a deacetylase for Smc3 in S. cerevisiae. We examine the Smc3 acetylation level in nine histone deacetylase deletion strains and find that the acetylation level is increased specifically in a hos1Δ strain post-S phase. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments show that Hos1 interacts with Smc3 and that the interaction is most pronounced as cells reach anaphase. We provide direct evidence that Hos1 can deacetylate Smc3 and retains a soluble pool of deacetylated Smc3. Overexpression of Hos1 results in less acetylation of Smc3 and cohesion defects in both WT and eco1 mutant strains; mutation of the Hos1 active site abolishes the defects. Hos1 may help to maintain a pool of unacetylated Smc3 that can be used for new chromosome cohesion.
MUSIC IN SPECIAL EDUCATION BEFORE 1930: HEARING AND SPEECH DEVELOPMENT

This paper examines the ways music has, historically, been used to treat two problems that cut across the boundaries of many areas of exceptionality: retarded speech development and impaired hearing. To support the hypothesis that music played an important role in hearing and speech development in early special classrooms, evidence is presented of actual nineteenth-century classroom practices. Pictures of classrooms in the first schools for the deaf in the United States show evidence of music activities and the presence of music instruments. Early diagnostic uses of music to determine hearing capacity and an analysis of texts written in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries covering the uses of music in the special classroom to develop speech are also presented. Since the inception of the belief that exceptional children benefit from special training and education, music has been an intrinsic part of the special education process. The role of music in special education, however, has been largely ignored by historians. Birge, for example, writing about public school music education in the United States, limited his history to nonhandicapped children (Birge, 1928/1966). Music in publicly supported schools for handicapped children is not mentioned. Other histories deal with topical educational philosophies and omit details and evidence of nineteenth-century classroom practices. That music was included in early special education is undeniable. Witty and Beamon (cited in Featherstone, 1932) indicated that music was used in 91% of the 540 special classes surveyed, which included over 11,000 pupils. Music was used in more special classrooms than many academic subjects, such as spelling (79%), history (74%), and geography (73%). One of the earliest recorded uses of music in the diagnosis of hearing and speech impairment is the work of Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (17751838). Originally considering music as a diagnostic tool, Itard used music to develop auditory discrimination skills with "the wild boy of Aveyron" (1806/1962). His organ of hearing was equally insensible to the loudest noises and to the most
Pseudofolliculitis barbae with keloids

Pseudofolliculitis barbae is a common cutaneous infection occurring in the bearded area of the face of black men. The infection is caused by ingrown hairs that produce an inflammatory foreign body reaction characterized by papules and pustules at the point of hair penetration that may result in permanent scarring, usually in grooved patterns, and occasionally in keloids. The purpose of this article is to describe the successful treatment of a patient with pseudofolliculitis with keloids that was based on the pathophysiology of the disease and the biology of wound repair.
Behavioral regulation in methamphetamine abusers: An fMRI study

The goal of this study was to extend our previous findings of abnormal prefrontal function in methamphetamine (MA) abusers and controls and to link the imaging data to behavioral, demographic and drug use variables. We used a fast event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design to examine trial-to-trial reaction time (RT) adjustments in 30 MA abusers and 30 controls. A variant of the Stroop task was employed to measure influence of response conflict on RT, including the level of trial-to-trial RT adjustments seen after conflict trials. Compared to control subjects, MA abusers exhibited reduced RT adjustments and reduced activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) after conflict trials. RT adjustment correlated negatively with PFC brain activity in the MA group, while a trend for a positive correlation was observed in controls. No correlations were observed between task performance or brain activity and age, education or drug use variables. These data support our previous findings that the ability to adapt a behavioral response based on prior experience is compromised in MA abusers. Interestingly, these impairments do not appear to be linked to drug use patterns or to educational levels.
A 160000 transistor GaAs microprocessor

Describes a single-chip GaAs microprocessor that includes a Ling-adder-based ALU (arithmetic and logic unit), a 32-bit shifter, a 32-word register file, a 4-word write buffer, a 32-word on-chip instruction cache, support for 2 levels of off-chip instruction and data caches, and an asynchronous system interface. It uses direct-coupled FET logic and integrates 160000 transistors on a 13.9-mm*7.8-mm die. When operating from a 2-V supply, the chip typically dissipates 24 W. Portions of the chip operate at 200 MHz. Full functionality is verified at 100 MHz. >
Ranks of Boolean matrices

Abstract We denote by M n (0, 1) the set of all n × n Boolean matrices. For any Boolean matrix X in M n (0, 1) has row rank r and column rank s , and we denote it by rank( K ) = r − s . Let V be the set of all X in M n (0, 1) such that rank( X ) = n − s , where n is fixed and s is not fixed. We find the lower bound s for X in V .
Tumors of the intraoral minor salivary glands: A demographic and histologic study of 426 cases

In a demographic and histologic study of 426 oral minor salivary gland tumors, 57.5% were classified as benign and 42.5% were classified as malignant or potentially malignant. There was an overall female preponderance (1.59/1). The mean age for females was 53.1 years and for males was 50.6 years. The mean age for patients with malignant tumors was 5.4 years greater than for patients with benign tumors and was statistically significant. The palate was the most common site for oral minor salivary gland tumors followed by the upper lip and the buccal mucosa. These three sites accounted for 76.1% of all cases. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most common benign tumor (41% of all cases and 71% of benign tumors) followed by monomorphic adenoma of the canalicular and basal cell subtypes (10% of all tumors and 18.9% of benign lesions). Mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most commonly encountered malignant tumor, accounting for 15.2% of all tumors and 35.9% of malignant lesions. Low-grade (terminal duct, lobular, polymorphous) adenocarcinoma was the most second most common type, making up 11% of all tumors and 26.4% of all malignant tumors. The results of this study are compared with other recent studies.
Downregulation of leptin and resistin expression in blood following bariatric surgery.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) resolves rapidly after bariatric surgery, even before substantial weight is lost. However, the molecular pathways underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. Microarray data has shown that numerous genes are differentially expressed in blood after bariatric surgery, including resistin and leptin. Resistin and leptin are circulating hormones derived from adipose tissue, which are associated with obesity and insulin resistance. This study examined expression of these genes before and after bariatric surgery in diabetic and nondiabetic obese patients. The study included 16 obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery, either Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or adjustable gastric banding. Eight patients had T2D. Preoperative blood samples were collected in PAXgene tubes to stabilize mRNA. Postoperative samples were collected 3 months after surgery. Total RNA was isolated and cDNA was synthesized. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to quantify mRNA. Results were analyzed using Student’s t test with a P < 0.05 considered significant. Postoperatively, five diabetic patients had discontinued hypoglycemic medications and one showed improved glycemic control. Both leptin and resistin mRNA levels were elevated in the diabetic group but decreased after surgery to levels near those of the nondiabetic group. Greater downregulation of resistin and leptin expression occurred in patients who lost more excess body weight (EBW), while patients who lost less than 10% EBW had a mean increase in expression of the two genes. Downregulation of both genes was more pronounced after RYGB compared to gastric banding. Downregulation of resistin and leptin gene expression after bariatric surgery may play a role in normalizing obesity-associated insulin resistance. Interestingly, downregulation is greater after RYGB and in patients who lose a greater proportion of EBW. Targeted therapies for obesity and diabetes may be developed by understanding the pathways by which these adipocytokines contribute to obesity and T2D.
The value of control: Evidence from full and partial acquisitions in the real estate industry

We investigate the differential wealth effects of (1) full and partial control acquisitions, (2) nonreal estate, real estate and REIT participants, and (3) single- and multiple-bidder events. We find that target firms earn positive excess returns at the announcement of partial and full acquisitions, but acquisitions that result in control earn larger excess returns than noncontrol acquisitions. An examination of industry differences shows that real estate firms or REITs do not earn higher returns relative to nonreal estate firms. Our analysis of market structure finds that bidders that are not involved in an acquisition program earn greater announcement period returns than prior acquirers. For target firms, we find that those with a single offer earn higher returns than those with subsequent offers. A cross-sectional regression analysis shows that while market structure is important in explaining returns, the main determining factor for target firms is the degree of control sought.
The relevance of laboratory studies on delayed ettringite formation to DEF in field concretes

Abstract Many laboratory studies of delayed ettringite formation (DEF) have been conducted on thin mortar bar specimens, heat treated, and then immersed in water. Under these conditions, rapid diffusion of alkali hydroxide into the surrounding water occurs and necessarily reduces the alkali hydroxide concentration of the mortar pore solution. Results reported recently by Famy indicate that the DEF process is triggered as a consequence of such leaching. When it is prevented by immersion into alkali hydroxide solution instead of water DEF expansion is delayed or prevented entirely. Results reported by Zhang indicate that 51-mm mortar cubes behave differently than more leaching-susceptible mortar bars when exposed to the same wet environment. Mortars that show severe DEF as mortar bars remain almost free of DEF symptoms if they are stored as cubes, even after 900 days. Attention is called to the fact that DEF in concrete is found commonly in thick concrete members where the possibility of leaching is remote. For such concrete, the reduction in internal alkali hydroxide concentration that occurs with ASR can substitute for the effect of leaching. It is postulated that without effective reduction of alkali hydroxide concentration by one or the other process, DEF remains latent.
Calculus of one and more variables with Maple

This is a guide to using Maple in teaching fundamental calculus of one, two and three variables (limits, derivatives, integrals, etc.), also suitable for Maple beginners. It outlines one of the ways to effective use of computers in the teaching process. It scans advantages and disadvantages of using Maple in relation to students and teacher. The guide includes hints for creating teaching materials. This article is supported by the author's 10-year experience of teaching calculus with Maple.
Multivariate discrimination, tooth measurements and early hominid taxonomy

Abstract It is argued that the value of the various multivariate approaches in dealing with functional, taxonomic, and phylogenetic problems can only be determined empirically. A review of three studies dealing with multivariate analyses of the early hominid dentition suggests that at best, the multivariate statistics used are inappropriate and the results contradictory.
Designing an Anglophone University Undergraduate Library Collection for a Francophone West African Environment

SUMMARY In 1997, the Office of West Africa Programs at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and the Ministry of Education of Cote d'Ivoire embarked on a venture called Project Link to develop an English-speaking international university in Grand Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire. The mission of the proposed International University for Development in West Africa in Cote d'Ivoire is to offer educational opportunities based on the American Higher Education Model presented in English to Ivorians and other West African students within the West Africa region. The proposed undergraduate university curriculum is designed to offer life-long educational opportunities that appeal to the whole West African region as well as to the prospective students living in and near Grand Bassam, Abidjan, and Yammousoukro. In January 2002, the Agency for Education and Development of Abidjan, one of the sponsors of the international university, invited a group of six specialists from Georgia State University (GSU) to visit the ...
Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity in the neurological intensive care unit.

Abstract Objective: To assess the incidence and associations of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) among febrile patients in the neurological intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: Prospective data collection of consecutive patients admitted to an academic NICU for >48 hours. Fever was defined as body temperature >38.3°C (101.0° F) on at least one measurement for two consecutive days. PSH was defined by the transient presence of four of the following six criteria: fever, tachycardia, hypertension, tachypnea, excessive diaphoresis and extensor posturing or severe dystonia in the absence of other potential causes for these clinical signs. Methods: Ninety-three patients were included. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was the primary diagnosis in 43 patients (46%). PSH were diagnosed in 17 patients (18%). It occurred in 14/43 patients (33%) with TBI but only 3/50 patients (6%) with other primary disorders (p = 0.01). Patients with PSH were younger (mean age: 35 ± 14 versus 51 ± 18 years old in the rest of t...
New Challenges for Putin's Foreign Policy

Abstract This article evaluates Russia's foreign policy after Vladimir Putin's reelection as president in March 2004. New challenges, such as the intensification of terrorist activities in the Northern Caucasus, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the destabilization of Central Asia, and the refusal by some European states to attend the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of victory over fascism hosted in Moscow became important tests of Putin's strategy of great-power pragmatism. That strategy reflected a desire for Russia to be a normal great power and focused on cooperating with Western nations on a range of economic and security issues. This course had to be defended against criticisms at home in the context of intensified efforts by Western nations, particularly the United States, to influence developments in the former Soviet states. The article concludes by reflecting on some dilemmas that Putin's strategy is likely to encounter in the future.
Platelet activity and cardiovascular risk in apparently healthy individuals: a review of the data

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Numerous risk scores exist to identify healthy individuals at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Although platelets are a key mediator in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, the role of platelet activity measurements and the incidence of cardiovascular disease are uncertain. Platelet aggregometry—the most well studied method of platelet function testing—is associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, data supporting platelet aggregation and incident cardiovascular disease is conflicting. Plasma markers of platelet activation are promising candidates. Soluble CD40L and P-selectin are easily measured with a standardized ELISA, and there is some data to suggest an association with cardiovascular disease, but further studies are required. While mean platelet volume is a promising candidate, platelet count and bleeding time are not specific for platelet activity nor are they associated with cardiovascular disease in a healthy population. For this field to progress, we recommend large-scale, prospective studies that measure a battery of these platelet function tests in individuals without cardiovascular disease to better understand the associations, if any, between platelet activity and cardiovascular disease.
Dietary vitamin E reduces labile iron in rat tissues.

Previous studies have shown that dietary vitamin E reduced generation and/or levels of superoxide. As superoxide has potential to release iron from its transport and storage proteins, and labile or available form of iron is capable of catalyzing the formation of reactive hydroxyl radicals, the effect of dietary vitamin E on labile iron pool was studied in rats. One-month-old Sprague-Dawley male and female rats were fed a basal vitamin E-deficient diet supplemented with 0, 20, 200, or 2,000 IU vitamin E/kg diet for 90 days. The levels of labile iron were measured in the liver, kidney, spleen, heart and skeletal muscle. Additionally, the levels of lipid peroxidation products were measured. The results showed that, except for labile iron in the heart of male rats, dietary vitamin E dose dependently reduced the levels of labile iron and lipid peroxidation products in all tissues of male and female rats. The findings suggest that dietary vitamin E may protect against oxidative tissue damage by reducing the generation and/or level of superoxide, which in turn attenuates the release of iron from its protein complexes. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 19:298–303, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20094
Elevated BAL fluid histamine levels and parenchymal pulmonary disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

To determine the amount of histamine in BAL fluid in subjects with RA and to ascertain if elevated histamine levels were associated with parameters of active pulmonary disease, we measured BAL fluid histamine levels in 31 subjects with RA and 36 normal subjects. The subjects with RA had a significantly greater mean BAL histamine level than the normal subjects, (313±154 pg/ml vs 18±8 pg/ml; p
Manipulating the aggregation and oxidation of human SPARC in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli

Human SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine), an extracellular matrix protein containing 14 cysteine residues, was found to partition equally between soluble and insoluble cellular fractions when overexpressed in the Escherichia coli cytoplasm. While the growth temperature and medium pH had little effect on inclusion body formation, co-overproduction of the dnaKJ operon, but not of the groE operon, suppressed aggregation at the expense of intracellular accumulation. Although both forms of the protein were fully reduced in wild-type cells, 70% to 85% of soluble and insoluble SPARC could be converted into oxidized species in a thioredoxin reductase (trxB) null mutant following incubation on ice. Approximately 15% to 20% of SPARC exhibited the electrophoretic mobility of the biologically active protein. Overproduction of the dnaKJ operon in trxB cells decreased the formation of disulfide-bonded SPARC multimers in the aggregated material but not in its soluble counterpart. Our results suggest that the activity responsible for disulfide bond formation in trxB mutants acts at the post-translational level and is able to freely diffuse within inclusion bodies.
Oligomerization Chemistry of a Metallabenzene Cycloadduct. Synthesis and Structure of an Organometallic Crown Compound1

The CS2 adduct of “iridabenzene” undergoes dimerization and cyclotrimerization reactions by linking subunits through thiocarbonyl sulfur centers. The cyclotrimerization product (compound 4) has been structurally characterized and contains a novel organometallic trithia-12-crown-3 ring system.
Histological evaluations following 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser resurfacing.

Background and Objectives The long pulse 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser is used clinically to decrease rhytid formation. The dermal level at which this change occurs has not been established. This study attempts to answer these questions using a porcine skin model. Study Design/Materials and Methods Non-randomized prospective experimental trial involving the domestic piglet treated serially with the long pulse 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser. Results Collagen formation occurred at the level of the reticular dermis. After one laser treatment, a significant level of collagen formation was induced in the reticular dermis compared to controls. The greatest gain was observed after four laser treatments. Energy levels of 20, 30, 40, and 50 J/cm2 were evaluated. Although not statistically significant, 30 J/cm2 had the greatest effect on collagen formation. However, at 50 J/cm2, marked ablative changes to the epidermis were observed. Conclusions The long pulse 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser induces collagen formation in the reticular dermis in porcine skin. Lasers Surg. Med. 33:126–131, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Unequal-area facility layout by genetic search

This paper applies genetic optimization with an adaptive penalty function to the shape-constrained unequal-area facility layout problem. We implement a genetic search for unequal-area facility layout, and show how optimal solutions are affected by constraints on permitted department shapes, as specified by a maximum allowable aspect ratio for each department. We show how an adaptive penalty function can be used to find good feasible solutions to even the most highly constrained problems. We describe our genetic encoding, reproduction and mutation operators, and penalty evolution strategy. We provide results from several test problems that demonstrate the robustness of this approach across different problems and parameter settings.