cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diaspora: A New Paradigm for Music Education

The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the concept of diaspora and how it departs from the current framework for the music education curriculum, multiculturalism. The proposed new paradigm avoids the fragmentation of music by categories of origin whether racial, ethnic, or national. The book’s fundamental breakthrough is to illuminate musical contributions submerged in history and to suggest the existence of unknown sources even beyond those that have been granted authenticity by ethnic group, space on the globe, or racial lineage.
Real-World Experience of the MANTA Closure Device: Insights From the FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) Database.

Abstract Background/purpose The MANTA vascular closure device (VCD) is the first commercially available dedicated closure device for large-bore femoral arterial access-site closure and was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2019. Real-world data on the most commonly reported complications and modes of failure associated with the MANTA closure device are limited. We analyzed post-marketing surveillance data from FDA's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database for the MANTA VCD (Teleflex, Wayne, Pennsylvania). Methods/materials Post-marketing surveillance data from the FDA MAUDE database from February 2019 through March 2020 were analyzed, yielding 170 reports. Results Of the 170 reports of major complications involving MANTA devices, 141 reports involved either injury (136) or death (5) related to the device. Of the 141 reports, bleeding was the most common adverse outcome described (45), followed by vessel occlusion (30) and vessel dissection (21). Device malfunction incidents (29 reports) were reported in 4 main categories: failed deployment (16 reports), malposition of the collagen (9), insufficient information (3), and device dislocation (1). Conclusions Our analysis of the MAUDE database demonstrates that in real-world practice, the MANTA VCD was found to be associated with complications, including death, vascular injury , and difficulties with the device itself. Ongoing user education, proctoring, and pre-procedural patient selection are important to minimize risks associated with the MANTA VCD.
National and Global Trends of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, Morbidity, and Risk

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the most common cause of death in the USA. The burden of cardiovascular mortality is now increasing once again after decades of persistent declines and has contributed to a reduction in overall life expectancy in the USA. The prevalence of CVD (including hypertension) in the USA is estimated to be 48%, which represents 121.5 million American adults. However, significant heterogeneity in rates of CVD across race-sex groups exists, and these disparities are strongly influenced by social and structural determinants of health and disease (e.g., education, income, racism). As part of the American Heart Association Strategic Impact Goal for 2020, the construct of cardiovascular health (CVH) was developed to monitor, target, and improve the health of our nation. While progress has been made in the last two decades in lowering population-level cholesterol levels and reducing rates of cigarette smoking, growing rates of obesity and diabetes have offset these gains, and disparities have persisted in poor CVH and CVD morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, the burden of CVD is growing in many low- and middle-income countries undergoing rapid economic development, such as India, China, and South Africa. A large proportion of preventable CVD deaths are estimated to be attributable to poor dietary quality, hypertension, obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and physical inactivity by the Global Burden of Disease program. Therefore, reversing these unfavorable trends nationally and internationally will require coordination and aggressive action focusing on CVD risk factor prevention across the life course, which informs the new American Heart Association Strategic Impact Goal for 2030 to strive to equitably increase healthy life expectancy by 2 years in the USA and 3 years worldwide together by 2030.
Association of a Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use With Antibiotic Use and Hospital-Onset Clostridioides difficile Infection Rates Among US Hospitals.

Importance Regulatory agencies and professional organizations recommend antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) in US hospitals. The optimal approach to establish robust, sustainable ASPs across diverse hospitals is unknown. Objective To assess whether the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use is associated with reductions in antibiotic use across US hospitals. Design, Setting, and Participants A pragmatic quality improvement program was conducted and evaluated over a 1-year period in US hospitals. A total of 437 hospitals were enrolled. The study was conducted from December 1, 2017, to November 30, 2018. Data analysis was performed from March 1 to October 31, 2019. Interventions The Safety Program assisted hospitals with establishing ASPs and worked with frontline clinicians to improve their antibiotic decision-making. All clinical staff (eg, clinicians, pharmacists, and nurses) were encouraged to participate. Seventeen webinars occurred over 12 months, accompanied by additional durable educational content. Topics focused on establishing ASPs, the science of safety, improving teamwork and communication, and best practices for the diagnosis and management of infectious processes. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was overall antibiotic use (days of antibiotic therapy [DOT] per 1000 patient days [PD]) comparing the beginning (January-February 2018) and end (November-December 2018) of the Safety Program. Data analysis occurred using linear mixed models with random hospital unit effects. Antibiotic use from 614 hospitals in the Premier Healthcare Database from the same period was analyzed to evaluate contemporary US antibiotic trends. Quarterly hospital-onsetClostridioides difficilelaboratory-identified events per 10 000 PD were a secondary outcome. Results Of the 437 hospitals enrolled, 402 (92%) remained in the program until its completion, including 28 (7%) academic medical centers, 122 (30%) midlevel teaching hospitals, 167 (42%) community hospitals, and 85 (21%) critical access hospitals. Adherence to key components of ASPs (ie, interventions before and after prescription of antibiotics, availability of local antibiotic guidelines, ASP leads with dedicated salary support, and quarterly reporting of antibiotic use) improved from 8% to 74% over the 1-year period (P Conclusions and Relevance The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program appeared to enable diverse hospitals to establish ASPs and teach frontline clinicians to self-steward their antibiotic use. Safety Program content is publicly available.
Gamma cleavage is a rate-determining step in the gamma-elimination reaction of L-methionine analogues catalyzed by methionine-gamma-lyase.

Abstract Methionine-γ-lyase (MGL) is a pyridoxal-5′-phosphate dependent enzyme found in bacteria and protozoa that catalyzes a variety of reactions, including the γ-elimination of L-methionine (L-Met). Here we report experimental kinetic data and density functional theory (DFT) computational data for the γ-elimination reaction of L-Met and several other substrate analogues by a recombinant MGL from P. gingivalis (MGL_Pg). UV–Visible spectrophotometry experiments revealed a heavily populated species with maximum absorbance at 478 nm during steady-state catalysis of L-Met, L-ethionine, L-methionine sulfone and L-homoserine, which we assign to a late crotonate intermediate formed after the γ-cleavage step in the reaction and thus common to all substrates. A more red-shifted (498 nm) species was observed during the reaction of L-homoserine lactone, which we assign to an early quinonoid intermediate with the aid of time-dependent self-consistent field calculations. Significant differences in both binding and the rate of turnover were observed for the substrates. MGL_Pg's highest catalytic efficiency was recorded for L-vinylglycine (kcat/Km = 6455 s−1 M−1), exceeding that of L-Met (kcat/Km = 4211 s−1 M−1), while L-Met sulfone displayed the largest turnover number (kcat = 1638 min−1). A direct correlation between experimental kcat values and DFT-calculated γ-cleavage Gibbs activation energies was identified for the various substrates. In light of these data, we propose that the γ-cleavage step in the catalytic reaction pathway is rate-limiting. This conclusion has direct implications for the rational design of substrates or inhibitors aimed at regulating MGL activity.
Sensitivity of Hypersonic Dusty Flows to Physical Modeling of the Particle Phase

The presence of dust in the Mars atmosphere can adversely affect heat shields of entry vehicles by enhancing erosion and increasing surface heat fluxes. However, the accuracy of numerical simulatio...
Pharmacological blockade of the EP3 prostaglandin E2 receptor in the setting of type 2 diabetes enhances β-cell proliferation and identity and relieves oxidative damage.

Abstract Objective Type 2 diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia and inflammation. Prostaglandin E2, which signals through four G protein-coupled receptors (EP1-4), is a mediator of inflammation and is upregulated in diabetes. We have shown previously that EP3 receptor blockade promotes β-cell proliferation and survival in isolated mouse and human islets ex vivo. Here, we analyzed whether systemic EP3 blockade could enhance β-cell mass and identity in the setting of type 2 diabetes using mice with a spontaneous mutation in the leptin receptor (Leprdb). Methods Four- or six-week-old, db/+, and db/db male mice were treated with an EP3 antagonist daily for two weeks. Pancreata were analyzed for α-cell and β-cell proliferation and β-cell mass. Islets were isolated for transcriptomic analysis. Selected gene expression changes were validated by immunolabeling of the pancreatic tissue sections. Results EP3 blockade increased β-cell mass in db/db mice through enhanced β-cell proliferation. Importantly, there were no effects on α-cell proliferation. EP3 blockade reversed the changes in islet gene expression associated with the db/db phenotype and restored the islet architecture. Expression of the GLP-1 receptor was slightly increased by EP3 antagonist treatment in db/db mice. In addition, the transcription factor nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and downstream targets were increased in islets from db/db mice in response to treatment with an EP3 antagonist. The markers of oxidative stress were decreased. Conclusions The current study suggests that EP3 blockade promotes β-cell mass expansion in db/db mice. The beneficial effects of EP3 blockade may be mediated through Nrf2, which has recently emerged as a key mediator in the protection against cellular oxidative damage.
Evaluation of Routine Postoperative Labs Following Robotic Assisted Partial Nephrectomy in Patients with Normal Preoperative Renal Function.

Abstract Objective: To evaluate predictors of abnormal routine postoperative day 1 (POD1) labs in patients with normal pre-operative renal function following robotic assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and the associated clinical outcomes of these lab results. Methods: We analyzed 500 consecutive RAPN from a single surgeon series. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) III or greater were excluded from the study. 393 RAPN were included in the analysis. Routine POD1 lab tests including hemoglobin (Hgb), creatinine, potassium, and sodium were evaluated to determine rates of abnormal values and rates of clinical intervention. Abnormal Hgb at POD1 was defined as 145 mEq/L. Abnormal potassium (K) was defined preoperatively and POD1 as 5 mEq/L. Results: 37.4% (147/393) had one or more abnormal labs at POD1. Of the 101 patients with abnormal Hgb, 15 patients required blood transfusion. 26 patients had abnormal sodium for which two were treated with IV fluids. 27 patients had potassium abnormalities (12/25 were hypokalemia). Acute kidney injury stage 1 was seen in 27 patients (6.9%) and stage II in 3 (0.8%). Patients with abnormal labs were more likely to have larger renal mass, higher R.E.N.A.L. scores, intraoperative complications, longer operative times, and higher EBL on multivariate analysis. Conclusions: POD1 serum laboratory tests appear to be necessary following RAPN in patients with normal pre-operative renal function.
Fiber Optic Communication Standards

There have been several international standards adopted for optical communications. One of the main goals of a standardization effort is to create a minimal set of requirements that will achieve a maximum amount of interoperability. To encourage innovation, it is important that the minimum standards not be overly restrictive; there are often multiple technical solutions to a design problem, and different design points are desired for different applications. This chapter presents a brief introduction to the concepts behind standardization, including some of the major standards bodies relevant to the fiber optic industry. It also aims to provide an overview of several major optical communication standards, including: Enterprise System Connection/Serial Byte Connectivity (ESCON/SBCON), Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Fiber Channel Standard and FICON (Fiber Connection), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)/Synchronous Optical, Network (SONET), Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and InfiniBand.
Isomerization and ligand exchange in solids—II: Trans-dichlorobis(n-substituted ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) diaquohydrogen chloride, trans-[Co(AA)2Cl2](H5O2)Cl2, complexes

Abstract Radiochloride exchange in trans -[Co(dimeen) 2 Cl 2 ](H 2 O 2 )Cl 2 (dimeen=N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine) was studied in static air at 120 and 130°C. It was found that exchange between coordinated and ionic chlorides occurred during dehydration-dehydrochlorination of the compound. However, trans -to- cis isomerization did not accompany this ligand exchange. In contrast, trans -[Co(meen) 2 Cl 2 ](H 5 O 2 )Cl 2 and trans -[Co(eten) 2 Cl 2 ](H 5 O 2 )Cl 2 (meen = N-methylethylenediamine; eten = N-ethylethylenediamine) were found to isomerize to the cis form during dehydration-dehydrochlorination. Unfortunately, chloride exchange in these compounds could not be studied because of difficulties in selectively labeling them. The results of the studies of the chloride exchange and isomerization behavior of these N-substituted ethylenediamine complexes are compared with earlier studies on trans -[Co(en) 2 Cl 2 ](H 5 O 2 )Cl 2 and trans -[Co(pn) 2 Cl 2 ](H 5 O 2 )Cl 2 (en = ethylenediamine; pn = propylenediamine). The ease of radiochloride exchange is pn > meen > en while the ease of isomerization is pn > meen ∼ eten a en and dimeen. The results are interpreted in terms of a dissociative ligand exchange mechanism.
A family of pseudo metrics on B^3 and its application

Let B^3 be the closed unit ball in R^3 and S^2 its boundary. We define a family of pseudo metrics on B^3. As an application, We prove that for any countable-to-one function f:S^2\to [0,a], the set NM^n_f={x\in S^2 | there exists y\in S^2 such that f(x)-f(y)>nd_E(x,y)} is uncountable for all natural number n, where d_E is the Euclidean metric on R^3.
Avoiding file system micromanagement with range writes

We introduce range writes, a simple but powerful change to the disk interface that removes the need for file system micromanagement of block placement. By allowing a file system to specify a set of possible address targets, range writes enable the disk to choose the final on-disk location of the request; the disk improves performance by writing to the closest location and subsequently reporting its choice to the file system above. The result is a clean separation of responsibility; the file system (as high-level manager) provides coarse-grained control over placement, while the disk (as low-level worker) makes the final fine-grained placement decision to improve write performance. We show the benefits of range writes through numerous simulations and a prototype implementation, in some cases improving performance by a factor of three across both synthetic and real workloads.
Growth of the rat somatic sensory cortex and its constituent parts during postnatal development

We have compared the size and arrangement of the primary somatic sensory cortex (SI) and its constituent parts in juvenile (1 week old) and mature (10–12 weeks old) rats using succinic dehydrogenase histochemistry and digital image analysis. Our goal was to determine whether some regions of the maturing cortex grow more than others. To this end, we examined (1) the growth of barrels and the surrounding (interbarrel) cortex, (2) the growth of the major somatic representations within SI, and (3) the overall growth of SI compared to the neocortex as a whole. With respect to the first of these issues, SI barrels and barrel-like structures grow more than the intervening cortex. The growth of these elements varies according to region: barrels in the head representation more than double in size, whereas the barrel-like structures in the paw representations increase by only about half this amount. The growth of the major somatic representations within SI is also heterogeneous, the representation of the head enlarging to a greater extent than the representations of the paws. Thus, the ratio of the total area of head representation to the combined paw representation is 15% greater in adults than in juveniles. Finally, the primary somatic sensory cortex grows to a somewhat greater extent than the neocortex as a whole. These observations demonstrate that postnatal cortical growth is not uniform; it varies among cortical barrels and the immediately surrounding (interbarrel) cortex, among the representations of different body parts, and between SI and the rest of the neocortex. As an explanation of this differential growth, we suggest that the neuropil of metabolically (and/or electrically) more active cortical regions grows to a greater extent during maturation than that of less active regions.
Encouraging Rural Youth to be Sexually Responsible

AbstractRural isolation may make it especially difficult to encourage youth to use contraception effectively or delay sexual activity. Research with nonmetropolitan high school and college students suggests three strategies that could be employed by sex educators and counselors who reside in these areas. First, we can reinforce sexually inactive adolescents by pointing out that half their peers prefer to delay sex and give a variety of sensible reasons for doing so. Second, we can accept the fact that the condom is the favorite contraceptive method of rural youth who have sex sporadically and have less access to family planning facilities than do their urban counterparts. Adults in rural communities can facilitate responsible contraception by making sure that condoms are accessible at the local drug store. Third, we can train rural youth to be sex counselors for their peers. These young people may be more persuasive than adults in convincing a friend to use contraception by forcefully arguing about the gr...
Evaluation of Effect of Weekend Admission on the Prevalence of Hospital-Acquired Conditions in Patients Receiving Cervical Fusions.

Background Hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) are defined by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) as preventable adverse events that do not qualify for reimbursement of resulting hospital costs. HACs have been employed as a metric for quality of patient care. Patients undergoing cervical spine fusions are at risk for occurrence of HACs because of limited mobility and potential extended hospital length of stay (LOS). Previous studies have not evaluated the contribution of weekend admission on the rate of HACs in this patient population. We abstracted data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to evaluate rate of HACs as a function of weekend admission among patients admitted for cervical fusions. Methods Patients undergoing anterior and posterior cervical fusions were identified from the 2002–2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. HACs as defined by the CMS were collected via International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Multivariate analysis, including adjustment for demographics, disease severity, admission acuity, and admission source, was used to evaluate the effect of weekend admission on HAC occurrence, prolonged LOS, and higher inpatient costs. Results During the period 2002–2010, 1,404,181 admissions for cervical fusion were identified. HACs occurred at a frequency of 4.6%. After multivariate adjustment for demographics, disease severity, and urgency of admission, weekend admissions were associated with a 56% increased risk of HAC occurrence compared with weekday admissions (relative risk = 1.56, 95% confidence interval = 1.51, 1.62, P P Conclusions Patients undergoing cervical fusions who are admitted on weekends have an increased rate of HACs. HACs were associated with increases in LOS and hospital costs. Further study is warranted to evaluate disparities and potential improvement among weekend admissions.
Why Ethnic Parties Succeed, Patronage and Ethnic Head Counts in India

List of maps figures, and tables List of abbreviations A note on terminology Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Part I. Theory: 2. Limited information and ethnic categorization 3. Patronage-democracy, limited information and ethnic favouritism 4. Counting heads: why ethnic parties succeed in patronage-democracies 5. Why parties have different ethnic head counts: party organization and elite incorporation Part II. Data: 6. India as a patronage-democracy 7. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Scheduled Castes (SCs) 8. Why SC elites join the BSP 9. Why SC voters prefer the BSP 10. Why SC voter preferences translate into BSP votes 11. Explaining different head counts in the BSP and congress 12. Extending the argument to other ethnic parties in India: the BJP, the DMK and the JMM 13. Ethnic head counts and democratic stability Appendices Bibliography Index.
Maternal Alcohol Ingestion and Blood Cord IgE Concentrations

Previous reports have implicated maternal ethanol ingestion as a cause of immunoglobulin abnormalities in children. We investigated the relationship between self-reported alcohol ingestion in 98 women during pregnancy and serum cord Immunoglobulin E (IgE). We found that mean cord IgE concentrations were significantly lower among newborns born to drinking mothers (0.15 IU/ml) than nondrinking mothers (0.27 IU/ml), p < 0.05. The difference of serum cord IgE means remained significant among infants with a positive family history of allergic disease, 0.15 IU/ml for infants of drinking mothers and 0.40 IU/ml of nondrinking mothers. There was a significant trend for lower mean cord IgE with increasing ethanol ingestion (p < 0.05). Maternal alcohol drinking should be considered a potential influence on cord blood IgE concentrations at birth.
Magnetic Bearing Design for Reduced Power Consumption

Magnetic bearings have relatively low power consumption compared to fluid film and rolling element bearings. They are now candidates for supporting gas turbines and aeropropulsion engines. This paper describes the design and construction of permanent magnet biased, actively controlled magnetic bearings for a flexible rotor. The rotor was originally supported in fluid film bearings consuming as much as 3000 watts of power. For the magnetic bearing, both permanent magnets and electromagnets are used in a configuration which effectively provides the necessary fluxes in the appropriate air gaps to support the rotor. The theoretical development related to the bearing design is presented along with some experimental performance results. The results include measurements of power consumption, load capacity, bearing linearized coefficients, and the dynamic response of the rotor. The measured total power consumption, excluding shaft losses, was 210 watts in the permanent magnet biased bearing.
Mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease: subtypes and motor characteristics.

Abstract The aims of this project were to determine the risk factors for and clinical characteristics of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson's disease (PD). We performed a retrospective record review of 72 non-demented PD patients (age: 57.79 ± 10.57, duration of PD: 7.32 ± 4.97) who completed a standardized neurological assessment, including a full neuropsychological battery, as part of their diagnostic work-up. Of these participants, 47.2% were cognitively normal and 52.8% met criteria for MCI. The majority of MCI patients had single domain MCI (23/38), the affected domains being memory ( n = 9), executive function ( n = 6), visuospatial skills ( n = 6), and language ( n = 2). The MCI group had longer duration of disease and higher postural instability and gait disorder subscale scores than the cognitively normal group. This report provides further support for use of the concept of MCI in PD research. There may be certain disease characteristics that could alert practitioners to the emergence of cognitive changes in patients. Future studies should focus on additional risk factors for MCI subtypes and their possible progression to frank dementia.
A simple modification of Blum's silver stain method allows for 30 minite detection of proteins in polyacrylamide gels

A simple and rapid protocol for silver staining of proteins following electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels (PAGE) is described. We have reduced the number of steps in the procedure of Blum et al. (Electrophoresis (1987) 8, 93-99), and shortened fixation and washing times so that efficient detection of proteins can be achieved within 30 min. In common with more time-consuming silver-staining methods, the present protocol is capable of detecting nanogram quantities of proteins on a colorless background and is suitable for rapid screening of large numbers of samples.
Venous angiomas of the posterior fossa should be considered as anomalous venous drainage

Venous angioma of the posterior fossa has been described, and the existing literature has been reviewed. The patient presented had a venous angioma located in the pons, and both cerebellar hemispheres and was drained by an enlarged and anatomically anomalous vein within the fourth ventricle. The patient had a "cough headache" and later had signs of cerebellar involvement. A surgical attempt at collapsing the anomalous vein resulted in death in the immediate postoperative period due to venous infarction of the brain stem and cerebellum. Emphasis has been given to the following: 1. "Cough Headache" can be a presenting feature for venous angiomas of the posterior fossa. 2. Venous angiomas of the posterior fossa are developmental anatomic anomalies with enlargement of certain venous structures as a result of inadequate alternative venous drainage. 3. The enlarged vein, which is the pathognomonic feature of venous angiomas, serves a vital function in drainage of blood from structures in the posterior fossa as the usual drainage pathways are inadequate or absent. 4. Operative intervention aimed at resection or collapse of such large veins, which has been successful in treatment of venous angiomas of the frontal lobe, can be disastrous in the treatment of those lesions occurring in the posterior fossa.
John Paul II’s vision of the social economy from an urban perspective

Pope John Paul II has been a prolific writer on social economic issues. In particular, three encyclicals, Laborem Exercens, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis and Centesimus Annus directly address that topic. While John Paul, as leader of a global church, tends to address these issues from a global perspective, much of what he writes can be applied to the local, urban level of analysis. This essay applies many of John Paul’s premises to the urban poverty problem, including: the preferential option for the poor; the principle of the common use of goods; solidarity; and subsidiarity. It concludes that all of these principles can be used to analyze the problem of urban poverty, especially its spatial elements, and their application suggests a major re‐thinking of the relationship between suburbs and inner cities.
The RNA-activated Protein Kinase Enhances the Induction of Interferon-β and Apoptosis Mediated by Cytoplasmic RNA Sensors

Detection of foreign RNA by the innate immune system can trigger the induction of type I interferon (IFN) and apoptosis. Important antiviral defense pathways that result in type I IFN production following the recognition of foreign double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) include the RIG-I family helicases and IPS-1 adaptor cytosolic pathway and the Toll-like receptor 3 and TIR domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-β (TRIF) adaptor membrane-associated pathway, both of which activate IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). In addition to triggering an innate immune response, dsRNAs are widely used to mediate gene-selective silencing in mammalian cells by the RNA interference pathway. We investigated the ability of short interfering RNAs, including T7 phage polymerase-synthesized RNA (PRNA), which like some viral RNAs contains a 5′-triphosphate, to selectively silence gene expression and to cause induction of IFN-β and apoptosis. We found that PRNA-mediated gene silencing and associated nonspecific pro-apoptotic and IFN-inducing effects were dependent on the cell line and RNA length. Double-stranded PRNAs 50 nucleotides long as well as polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid activated the RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) and induced significant levels of IFN-β and apoptosis, whereas shorter PRNAs and chemically synthesized dsRNAs did not. Effector caspase activation and apoptosis following RNA transfection was enhanced by pretreatment with IFN, and removal of the 5′-phosphate from PRNAs decreased induction of both IFN-β and apoptosis. PKR, in addition to IPS-1 and IRF3 but not TRIF, was required for maximal type I IFN-β induction and the induction of apoptosis by both transfected PRNAs and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid.
H2 production through the water-gas shift reaction: An in situ time-resolved X-ray diffraction investigation of manganese OMS-2 catalyst

Manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2) catalyst prepared by the reflux method was investigated for hydrogen generation via the water-gas shift reaction. Catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and determination of average oxidation state (AOS). The OMS-2 catalyst showed very good catalytic activity for the water-gas shift reaction to generate hydrogen under laboratory conditions. An in situ study was conducted to monitor the structural changes in the catalyst during the water-gas shift reaction using synchrotron radiation-based time-resolved X-ray diffraction (TR-XRD). During the water-gas shift reaction, the mixed valent OMS-2 catalyst undergoes a structural transformation to form Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} and finally to form MnO. The study showed that OMS-2 catalysts can be used as inexpensive catalysts for hydrogen generation.
The Technique and Clinical Application of Endometrial Cytology in Mares

Experimental studies of endometrial smears from 26 normal mares showed that after a period of sexual rest exceeding 7 days smears were generally free from inflammatory cells. Smears from 9 mares showing signs of persistent endometritis contained inflammatory cells in 91 per cent while bacterial culture was positive in only 45 per cent. Smears were also taken from 242 Thoroughbred mares as a routine procedure in 1977. It was concluded that endometrial cytology provides a better guide to uterine inflammation than bacteriology. The routine clinical use of endometrial cytology is recommended to aid the interpretation of both positive and negative bacterial cultures from the cervix.
Flight Phenology of Male Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at Different Latitudes in the Southeastern United States

ABSTRACT Long term trapping studies of the invasive moth Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) were conducted at various latitudes from Puerto Rico to South Carolina. Three flight periods per year were identified at the 5 temperate sites studied, which covered the majority of the infested range on mainland United States. In general, the 3 flight periods across a latitudinal gradient from south Florida to central, coastal South Carolina were a spring flight during Feb–-May, a summer flight during Jun–Aug, and a fall flight during Sep–Nov. At any 1 site, each flight period lasted about 2 months. In the tropical areas of the Florida Keys and a Caribbean Island, the insect exhibited overlapping generations. Previous studies of this insect (as a biological control agent) report 2 flight periods per year in its native range of Argentina and its introduced range of Australia and South Africa. A synthetic pheromone-baited trap was a good indicator of generational time, and we suggest that trapping assays in these areas wi...
Results of Linear Accelerator-based Radiosurgery for Intracranial Meningiomas

OBJECTIVE: We report the outcomes of patients treated with linear accelerator-based radiosurgery for intracranial meningiomas at our institution. METHODS: We reviewed 127 patients with 155 meningiomas treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) at the study institutions between October 1988 and December 1995. RESULTS: There were 86 female and 41 male patients (median age, 61.5 yr; range, 19.9-87.9 yr). The median follow-up period was 31 months (range, 1.2-79.8 mo). The median tumor volume was 4.1 cc (range, 0.16-51.2 cc), and the median marginal dose was 15 Gy (range, 9-20 Gy). The tumor locations were as follows: convexity, 31 tumors; parasagittal/falcine, 39 tumors; cranial base, 82 tumors; and ventricular/pineal, 3 tumors. There were 106 benign, 26 atypical, and 18 malignant meningiomas and 5 cases of meningiomatosis. SRS was performed on 48 lesions as the initial treatment and on 107 lesions as adjunct therapy. Freedom from progression was observed in 107 patients (84.3%) at a median time of 22.9 months (range, 1.2-79.8 mo). Twenty patients (15.7%) had disease progression (16 marginal [12.6%] and 4 local [3.1%]) at a median time of 19.6 months (range, 4.1-69.3 mo); the median time for freedom from progression for the benign, atypical, and malignant meningiomas was 20.9, 24.4, and 13.9 months, respectively. Actuarial tumor control for the patients with benign meningiomas was 100, 92.9, 89.3, 89.3, and 89.3% at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years, respectively. Six patients (4.7%) had permanent complications attributable to SRS (median time, 10.3 mo; range, 4.3-18.0 mo); 13 patients died as a result of causes related to the meningiomas (median, 17.5 mo; range, 4.3-37.3 mo). The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year survival probability for the entire group of patients was 90.3, 82.6, 73.6, 70.5, and 68.2%, respectively; for patients with benign meningiomas, excluding death resulting from intercurrent disease, the survival probability was 97.6, 94.8, 91.0, 91.0, and 91.0%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year survival probability for the patients with atypical and malignant meningiomas was 91.7, 83.3, 83.3, and 83.3% and 92.3, 64.6, 43.1, and 21.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Even though complications from SRS are expected more frequently with large tumors near critical structures, SRS is a safe and effective means of treating selected meningiomas.
An Evidence Based Learning and Teaching Strategy for Computer Science Classrooms and Its Extension into a Mobile Classroom Response System

Evidence-based instructional practices were incorporated in class, which gave immediate indication on student's problem solving skills and class participation information. This pedagogy showed positive results and broader acceptance by students in several semesters of intervention. Significant usage of mobile devices during class motivates the extension of this pedagogical approach of asynchronous problem solving using mobile devices. We believe that use of such devices in the classroom for solving interactive problems will enhance student's abilities to solve problems by using their preferred interaction mode. This paper presents the results of the evidence based pedagogy and development of a mobile classroom response system that extends this pedagogy to help student solve interactive problems in their mobile devices to improve their class engagement and problem solving skills.
Laser cooling in solids

Laser cooling in optical solids can lead to the realization of all-solid state cryocoolers. We present new results on Yb- and Tm-doped glasses and crystals and describe progress toward achieving net cooling in GaAs heterostructures.
Linkage of monovalent and divalent ion binding in the folding of the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena ribozyme.

We have explored the linkage of monovalent and divalent ion binding in the folding of the P4−P6 domain of Tetrahymena thermophila ribozyme by examining the Mg2+-induced folding and the urea-induced denaturation of the folded state as a function of Na+ under equilibrium folding conditions using hydroxyl radical footprinting. These studies allowed a thermodynamic examination of eight discrete protection sites within P4−P6 that are involved in several tertiary structure contacts. Monovalent ions compete with Mg2+ ions in mediating P4−P6 folding. The urea denaturation isotherms demonstrated ΔΔG values of >2 kcal mol-1 in experiments conducted in 10 versus 200 mM NaCl at a constant 10 mM MgCl2. However, the individual-site isotherms reported by footprinting revealed that larger than average changes in ΔG values were localized to specific sites within the Mg2+-rich A-bulge. The competitive effects of monovalent ions were less when K+ rather than Na+ was the monovalent cation present. This result indicates the i...
Nebular condensation of Ga, Ge and Sb and the chemical classification of iron meteorites

The quantization of the Ga and Ge contents in iron meteorites, which is used as a key parameter in the chemical classification of iron meteorites, is discussed in terms of nebular condensation. The calculation of nebular equilibrium condensation is examined, taking into account the dependence of the activity coefficient on temperature and composition, and recent calculations of the condensation temperatures of Ga, Ge, Sb, Au, As and Cu are presented, noting that Ge is the most volatile siderophile, followed by Ga and Sb. The narrow intragroup ranges of Ga and Ge are interpreted in terms of minimal fractionation during core crystallization, while the larger ranges of Sb are attributed to its significantly smaller solid/liquid distribution coefficient in IIIAB meteorites.
A developmental constructivist approach to pre-service teachers' ways of knowing

Abstract The purpose of this study is to apply the Women's Ways of Knowing (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986; New York: Basic Books) conceptualization to the thinking exhibited in interviews of preservice teachers. Thirty two students (24 female, 8 male; aged 20–53 years) near the end of their teacher education program at an urban university were interviewed and their thinking was classified as predominantly received, subjective, procedural, constructed, or a mixture of two categories. More than half the students demonstrated significant amounts of procedural or constructed thinking. Examples of how students used different kinds of thinking in their teacher education program are provided and implications for teacher educators are suggested. The implications for teacher education of the Women's Ways of Knowing approach is also discussed.
Modeling of internet usage in large mobile societies using self-organizing maps

User online behavior and interests will play a central role in future mobile networks. We propose a systematic method based on self-organizing maps (SOM) for multi-dimensional modeling and analysis of online activity for thousands of mobile users over a variety of web domains across several buildings. We find surprisingly that users' trends based on domains and locations can be accurately modeled using self-organizing maps with clearly distinct characteristics. We also find many non-trivial correlations between different types of web domains and locations. The results of our work can be applied for realistic simulation and design of large mobile societies.
Fermentation optimization for the production of lipid by Cryptococcus curvatus: Use of response surface methodology

Abstract Cryptococcus curvatus is able to grow on crude glycerol derived from the biodiesel production process. Through Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology, the optimal temperature, pH, and glycerol concentration for yeast growth and lipid production on pretreated crude glycerol was identified as 30.2 °C, 6.0, and 19.8 g/l, respectively. Adopting these optimal parameters, the biomass density obtained was 7.11 ± 0.36 g/l with a lipid content of 38.53 ± 1.88%, which matched well with predicted values of 6.98 g/l and 41.31%, respectively. The resulting parameters of the response surface method optimization were used in a fed-batch fermentation where crude glycerol was automatically pumped in responding to exhausted oxygen levels in the fermentor. At the end of 12 days, the biomass concentration was 44.53 g/l and the lipid content was 49.0%. Compared with our previous fed-batch experiment which was conducted under un-optimized condition and manual feeding, the yield of biomass and lipid increased 35.26% and 25.29%, respectively. The optimal parameters and the automatic pumping scheme developed from this study will assist greatly in future industrial scale application of producing microbial oils from crude glycerol.
At the edge.

Life at the Limits: Organisms in Extreme Environmentsby David A. Wharton. Cambridge University Press, 2002. £18.95 hbk (307 pages) ISBN 0 521 78212 0View Large Image | Download PowerPoint SlideSince I was a child, I have been romanced by life that exists in extreme environments. My first relationship was with the myriad invertebrates that make a living under the salty rigors of estuarine life. As I grew older, I followed the seabed ever deeper, to submarine hot springs, sustaining my passion for life that exists so far outside the bounds of my own tolerance as to seem otherworldly. David Wharton, a New Zealand nematologist and filmmaker, tracked a different path to the extreme, first studying the survival strategies of nematodes living under extreme thermal and chemical insult in the laboratory. In recent years, he has hunted wild nematodes in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, where a lack of precipitation for at least the past two million years connotes extreme.In Life at the Limits, Wharton presents a zoologist's natural history of a range of tolerant organisms. It is an easy read, accessible to the nonexpert, and is suitable as reading for a seminar discussion for undergraduates not specializing in biology. The focus of Life at the Limits is mostly on invertebrates, but there is scattered attention to vertebrates (e.g. Antarctic teleosts and Emperor penguins, overwintering frogs and turtles), and even some notice of vegetation, such as mosses and lichens above the treeline, resurrection plants, and the giant lobelias of Mt Kenya. Bacteria and Archaea, which can be most catholic in their extremes, are not particularly featured, although there are a few pages devoted to the subsurface biosphere and to the Archaea and Bacteria of deep-sea hot springs.As an instructor of invertebrate biology, I take no exception to the invertebrate-centric modus operandi. I enjoyed a harvest of exemplars of cryobiosis, anhydrobiosis, thermobiosis, and so on, that I might use to enhance my teaching, although much of what is presented can be found in any good invertebrate zoology text. As for mechanistic underpinnings, Wharton's work falls short and the lay reader who wishes to be guided in this direction might choose to supplement Life at the Limits with Life on the Edge: Amazing Creatures Thriving in Extreme Environments by Michael Gross [1xGross, M. See all References[1]. Both Wharton and Gross include the obligatory chapter (ultimate in Life on the Edge; penultimate in Life at the Limits) on the potential for life on other planets, introducing budding scientists to the rapidly developing field of astrobiology.
Precision Limits to Emission-Line Profile Measuring Experiments

Spectra, such as astrophysical spectra, can provide detailed diagnostics on the state of their emitting volume. Emission-line diagnostics are found by assuming a model for the spectral emission line and then fitting the model to the data. It is shown for Poisson noisy emission-line data, via the application of Cramer-Rao lower bounds, that there are limits to the precision that line fitting can achieve. The limits depend on the spectral line model and the noise properties of the data. A Cramer-Rao lower bound treatment introduces a framework in which questions of line fitting in particular and spectrometers in general may be posed. Some example applications are given and their implications for the design of spectrometric observations are discussed.
Brominated flame retardants in offices in Michigan, U.S.A.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are now ubiquitous contaminants with large reservoirs and high concentrations in buildings. Most of the information documenting BFR levels has been obtained in residences, and other environments that can lead to exposure have received relatively little attention, including offices that contain numerous BFR sources and where individuals spend considerable time. The aim of this study is to characterize BFR concentrations, potential emission sources, and migration pathways in office environments. We measure BFR levels in floor dust, indoor air, ventilation filter dust, and carpets in ten commercial and institutional buildings in Michigan, U.S.A. The median concentration of total BDEs in settled dust was 8754 ng g(-1), at the upper range of levels previously reported. Especially elevated levels were found in offices in buildings that contained known or likely BFR sources, e.g., computer servers. A trends analysis in a newly constructed building showed remarkable increases in concentrations of BFRs in settled dust and indoor air, and apparent steady-state levels were reached 5 to 8 months after building completion, a particularly striking finding given that the building was constructed and furnished several years after the voluntary phase-out of the penta- and octa-mixtures. Airborne particulate matter collected in a building's HVAC system filters contained PBDEs, including BDE-209, at levels exceeding the concentration of floor dust. In conjunction with estimates of building air flow rates, filter efficiency and other parameters, mass balance calculations for this building were used to estimate the emission rates and reservoirs of PBDEs. The widespread distribution of BFRs found in offices in both new and old buildings suggests the significance of workplace exposures, the need for controls to minimize human exposure, intra-building migration, and environmental releases of these chemicals, and the need for monitoring in new buildings to confirm the effectiveness of the PBDE phase-out.
Managing Semi-Structured Data: I vividly remember during my first college class my fascination with the relational database.

In that class I learned how to build a schema for my information, and I learned that to obtain an accurate schema there must be a priori knowledge of the structure and properties of the information to be modeled. I also learned the ER (entity-relationship) model as a basic tool for all further data modeling, as well as the need for an a priori agreement on both the general structure of the information and the vocabularies used by all communities producing, processing, or consuming this information.