cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
APOE-modulated Aβ-induced neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease: current landscape, novel data, and future perspective

Chronic glial activation and neuroinflammation induced by the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. APOE4 is the greatest AD-genetic risk factor; increasing risk up to 12-fold compared to APOE3, with APOE4-specific neuroinflammation an important component of this risk. This editorial review discusses the role of APOE in inflammation and AD, via a literature review, presentation of novel data on Aβ-induced neuroinflammation, and discussion of future research directions. The complexity of chronic neuroinflammation, including multiple detrimental and beneficial effects occurring in a temporal and cell-specific manner, has resulted in conflicting functional data for virtually every inflammatory mediator. Defining a neuroinflammatory phenotype (NIP) is one way to address this issue, focusing on profiling the changes in inflammatory mediator expression during disease progression. Although many studies have shown that APOE4 induces a detrimental NIP in peripheral inflammation and Aβ-independent neuroinflammation, data for APOE-modulated Aβ-induced neuroinflammation are surprisingly limited. We present data supporting the hypothesis that impaired apoE4 function modulates Aβ-induced effects on inflammatory receptor signaling, including amplification of detrimental (toll-like receptor 4-p38α) and suppression of beneficial (IL-4R-nuclear receptor) pathways. To ultimately develop APOE genotype-specific therapeutics, it is critical that future studies define the dynamic NIP profile and pathways that underlie APOE-modulated chronic neuroinflammation. In this editorial review, we present data supporting the hypothesis that impaired apoE4 function modulates Aβ-induced effects on inflammatory receptor signaling, including amplification of detrimental (TLR4-p38α) and suppression of beneficial (IL-4R-nuclear receptor) pathways, resulting in an adverse NIP that causes neuronal dysfunction. NIP, Neuroinflammatory phenotype; P.I., pro-inflammatory; A.I., anti-inflammatory.
A cotyledon double inoculation technique for evaluating resistance to anthracnose (Colletotrichum orbiculare) and scab (Cladosporium cucumerinum) in cucumber.

SUMMARY A technique for simultaneous inoculation of cucumber cotyledons with Colletotrichum orbiculare race 1 and Cladosporium cucumerinum has been developed. The procedure permitted both resistant and susceptible plants to be recovered. Seedlings were grown at 20°C and inoculated 24 h after emergence with Colletotrichum orbiculare (200 spores in 2 μ1 of water) and Cladosporium cucumerinum (1000 spores in 5 μ1 of water) followed by 48 h of incubation in the dark at 20°C and 100% r.h., and 48 h in a 20°C lighted growth chamber. Seedlings were then moved to a growth chamber at 21°C at night and at 26°C during the day for 4 days and plants were rated as resistant or susceptible 8 days after inoculation. No interference in the expression of resistance or susceptibility of cultivars to either pathogen was detected in simultaneous inoculations.
Fracture Toughness of a Toughened Silicon Nitride by ASTM C 1421

The fracture toughness of a sintered reaction-bonded silicon nitride was measured by the single-edge precracked beam and surface crack in flexure methods, which are two of the three complementary test methods in ASTM C 1421. Results were compared with chevron-notched beam results that were available from another source. Precracks ranged from tiny artificial flaws introduced by Knoop indentation to millimeter-long precracks in single-edge precracked beams. The fracture toughness values from the three methods were in good agreement at 5.6 MPa·m1/2.
“Competition” in the 1991 budget process

Although Congress has just completed action on spending bills for fiscal year 1990, which started two months ago, federal agencies are finishing the budget submission for FY 1991 that President Bush sends to Congress in January. Making this complicated process even more difficult is a new system devised by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that is apparently causing many federal agencies to rethink their budgeting strategy. About a year and a half before the start of a new fiscal year OMB and federal agencies start preparing the budget—a multivolume report setting the future course and identifying the priorities for the administration. OMB, a part of the Executive Office of the President, is crucial in determining spending priorities. It is difficult to overemphasize the importance of OMB, yet it is an agency which maintains a very low profile (often refusing to testify before congressional committees).
The Effect of Functional Flow Diagrams on Apprentice Aircraft Mechanics' Technical System Understanding

Cognitive theory suggests that a key to expert performance lies in the internal organization of the expert's knowledge. The authors contend that the type of technical illustration used during instruction influences knowledge organization and greatly impacts students' understanding of the content. This paper describes an experimental study that tested the impact of one type of conceptual illustration on students' understanding of the structure, function, and behavior of complex technical systems. The results show that supplementing traditional technical instruction with functional flow diagrams can improve overall system understanding. The functional flow diagrams were also found to be an effective instructional aid for enhancing students' conceptual understanding of the causal behavior of systems. In addition, the use of the functional flow diagram was found to significantly improve the subjects' ability to construct conceptual models that were similar to those of an expert. The implications of using conceptual diagrams for technical instruction are discussed and recommendations for future research in this area are provided.
Iterative relaxation of constraints: a framework for improving automated motion planning

This paper presents a technique for improving the efficiency of automated motion planners. Motion planning has application in many areas such as robotics, virtual reality systems, computer-aided design, and even computational biology. Although there have been steady advances in motion planning algorithms, especially in randomized approaches such as probabilistic roadmap methods (PRMs) or rapidly-exploring random trees (RRTs), there are still some classes of problems that cannot be solved efficiently using these state-of-the-art motion planners. In this paper, we suggest an iterative strategy addressing this problem where we first simplify the problem by relaxing some feasibility constraints, solve the easier version of the problem, and then use that solution to help us find a solution for the harder problem. We show how this strategy can be applied to rigid bodies and to linkages with high degrees of freedom, including both open and closed chain systems. Experimental results are presented for linkages composed of 9-98 links. Although we use PRMs as the automated planner, the framework is general and can be applied with other motion planning techniques as well.
Transcription of retinoic acid receptor genes in transgenic mice increases CD8 T-cell subset

Retinoic acid (RA), a vitamin A derivative is known to have a number of effects on the immune system such as inducing cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in vivo and inducing the rejection of skin grafts. However, the molecular mechanisms of these actions are unclear. The retinoic acid receptors which belong to the steroid/thyroid receptor superfamily, are known to bind to regulatory elements of certain genes thereby regulating gene transcription. To determine if expression of retinoic acid receptors in vivo under normal physiological conditions is also regulating genes involved in immunological function, we assayed the human retinoic acid receptor gamma gene driven by a T-cell specific lck-promoter in transgenic mice. Using FACS analysis, we showed that mice expressing the RAR gamma-transgene had significantly increased numbers of CD4-/CD8+ cells compared to controls.
Surgeon-performed ultrasound is superior to 99Tc-sestamibi scanning to localize parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: results in 516 patients over 10 years.

Background Surgeon-performed cervical ultrasound (SUS) and 99Tc-sestamibi scanning (MIBI) are both useful in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). We sought to determine the relative contributions of SUS and MIBI to accurately predict adenoma location. Study Design We performed a database review of 516 patients undergoing surgery for PHPT between 2001 and 2010. SUS was performed by 1 of 3 endocrine surgeons. MIBI used 2-hour delayed anterior planar and single-photon emission computerized tomography images. Directed parathyroidectomy was performed with extent of surgery governed by intraoperative parathyroid hormone decline of 50%. Results SUS accurately localized adenomas in 87% of patients (342/392), and MIBI correctly identified their locations in 76%, 383/503 (p Conclusions When performed by experienced surgeons, SUS is more accurate than MIBI for predicting the location of abnormal parathyroids in PHPT patients. For patients facing first-time surgery for PHPT, we now reserve MIBI for patients with unclear or negative SUS.
A real-time analysis of growth cone-target cell interactions during the formation of stable contacts between hippocampal neurons in culture.

Mechanisms of cell-cell recognition and structural changes of growth cones (g.c.) and target membranes during contact formation are poorly understood. To examine these issues, we obtained a high magnification, real-time record of stable contact formation in cultured cells from the hippocampal CA1 area in the newborn rat. We used differential interference contrast (DIC) optics coupled to a video microscope for periods of over 24 h of continuous time-lapse recording. Our goal was to observe the sequential changes exhibited by afferent and target cells as they form a stable contact. Understanding the process of how stable contacts are made is important because such contacts are the first step in synapse formation. Four principal observations emerged from our study: (1) The target cell was receptive to a contact on a specific patch on its surface defined by the presence of lamellae and filopodia. This specific patch (named target site) was invariably present on the target cell surface before the time the growth cone arrived. (2) Stable adhesion between filopodia on the two cells initiated events leading to cell-cell contact formation. Specifically, the remaining filopodia on the growth cone and target cell were redirected toward the adhering filopodia, and the growth cone size decreased dramatically. (3) The axonal process then grew at a significantly accelerated rate (up to 50 times its baseline growth rate). (4) In addition, a number of observations were obtained on axonal turns towards the target cell, induction of target sites, and architectural remodelling of cells after the formation of a new contact. Our findings indicate that in this neuronal system, filopodia are the means used by cells to interact at stages prior to and during contact formation. We speculate that the molecules involved in cell recognition and the machinery that initiates contact formation are embedded in the fine structure of filopodia. Finally, our results provide possible clues as to some of the stages that may be involved in synapse formation in the mammalian central nervous system.
Long-distance bound local anaphors in Korean-An empirical study of the Korean anaphor caki-casin

Abstract In this paper we argue that the Korean anaphor caki-casin, taken thus far to be a local anaphor, can be bound long-distance in certain cases as an exempt anaphor. We make this argument on the basis of an experimental study where the subjects were asked to judge the grammaticality of sentences with long-distance bound caki-casin and to choose between the strict and sloppy readings in contexts of ellipsis/proform. A majority of subjects accepted long-distance bound caki-casin and preferred strict readings, indicating that long-distance bound caki-casin is behaving as an exempt anaphor. Speakers who accepted sentences with long-distance bound caki-casin were sensitive to logophoric factors that are known to influence exempt binding. These results imply that the core vs. exempt binding distinction (Pollard and Sag, 1992, 1994; Reinhart and Reuland, 1993) exists even in languages like Korean with a rich inventory of anaphors—local and long-distance—suggesting that the core-exempt dichotomy is orthogonal to the local vs. long-distance property of anaphors (Cole et al., 2001; Huang and Liu, 2001). More generally, the results indicate that both grammar and the interfaces are involved in anaphor binding.
Does low-frequency atmospheric variability exhibit regime-like behavior?

If the general circulation exhibits nonlinear, regime-like behavior, it should be reflected in the frequency distributions of the state of the atmospheric in phase space either in the form of bi- (or multi) modality or skewness. In order to determine whether the Northern Hemisphere winter circulation exhibits these characteristics, we examine frequency distributions of (1) the inner product or spatial covariance (2) the (spatial) “anomaly correlation”, and (3) the root mean squared difference or “distance” between each map and each other map in phase space. Our distributions are based on a sample of 702 10-day lowpass filtered, hemispheric 500 mb height anomaly maps (18 maps at 5-day intervals for the equivalent of 39 winter seasons). Excluding pairs of maps from the same winter season, the sample size for the distributions is 240,156. All the frequency distributions of (1) and (2) for the hemispheric maps exhibit a close fit to the corresponding randomly generated distributions based on 20 spatial degrees of freedom. There is no evidence of bimodality. However, the numbers of large positive spatial covariances and anomaly correlations greatly exceed the numbers of their counterparts in the negative tails of the frequency distributions (i.e. “analogues” outnumber “antilogues” of comparable quality). Using a simple form of cluster analysis we show that three rather distinctive blocking patterns account for a disproportionate share of the largest positive values in the frequency distributions. The asymmetries in our frequency distributions may be a reflection of regime-like behavior, but it is also conceivable that they could be the signature of more subtle forms of nonlinearity in the low frequency dynamics. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1991.t01-3-00004.x
Municipal costs and urban area

Abstract There are plausible reasons for believing that municipal service system costs will increase with urban “sprawl.” The costs of several municipal systems were thus analyzed, namely: water; sewage; roads and highways (capital outlays only); police, fire, and park systems; electricity distribution; gas distribution; and telephone service. The statistical relation between urban area and urban costs was weaker than a priori beliefs might suggest. Capital outlays for public municipal systems increase only about 1.6% for every 10% increment in land area. Public municipal operating costs, and the capital and operating costs of private utility systems are practically unaffected by urban area.
Perinatal behavior of a wild Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) mare and foal

This paper describes the postpartum behavior of a wild Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) mare and foal. The foal first attempted to stand within 5 min of birth and succeeded at approximately 10 min after birth. Within 40 min of birth, the infant could walk steadily. The foal did not suckle during the observation time. An ethogram of observed behaviors is provided.
Natural suppression of take-all disease of wheat in Montana soils

This research was initiated to determine whether soils suppressive to take-all of wheat caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt) occur in Montana, and to identify the organisms most likely involved in this suppression. From an initial screening of eight soils collected from different wheat growing areas of Montana, two were highly suppressive to take-all. Microbial characterization of these soils indicated that different mechanisms were involved in the suppression. In Larslan soil, mycoparasitism appeared to be the main mechanism. Two different fungi with exceptional ability to reduce the severity of take-all were isolated from this soil. One of these fungi could parasitize the hyphae of Ggt. Field tests with these fungi in Ggt infested soil showed increases of over 100% in both harvestble tillers and grain yield as compared to treatments without these two fungi. In tests with 48 different bacteria and 10 actinomycetes from Larslan soil, none were able to consistently reduce severity of take-all alone, or in mixtures. In Toston soil, antibiosis by actinomycetes and perhaps the involvement of Pseudomonas spp. in production of antibiotics and/or siderophores appeared to be the most likely mechanisms involved in take-all suppression. Increases in shoot dry weight over that in the Ggt infested control using mixtures of pseudomonads and actinomycetes ranged from 25% to 87%. Actinomycetes added individually or in mixtures to soil infested with Ggt consistently reduced the severity of the disease to a greater extent than did mixtures of Pseudomonas spp.
Point-symmetric graphs with a prime number of points

Abstract This paper discusses point-symmetric graphs which have a prime number of points. Isomorphism classes of these graphs are enumerated. It is shown that these graphs are characterized by the eigenvalues of their adjacency matrices. Finally it is shown hat point-symmetric graphs with a prime number of points are group-graphs.
Structural basis of galactose recognition by C-type animal lectins.

The asialoglycoprotein receptors and many other C-type (Ca2⁺-dependent) animal lectins specifically recognize galactose- or N-acetylgalactosamine-terminated oligosaccharides. Analogous binding specificity can be engineered into the homologous rat mannose-binding protein A by changing three amino acids and inserting a glycine-rich loop (Iobst, S. T., and Drickamer, K.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 15512-15519). Crystal structures of this mutant complexed with β-methyl galactoside and N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) reveal that as with wild-type mannose-binding proteins, the 3- and 4-OH groups of the sugar directly coordinate Ca2⁺ and form hydrogen bonds with amino acids that also serve as Ca2⁺ ligands. The different stereochemistry of the 3- and 4-OH groups in mannose and galactose, combined with a fixed Ca2⁺ coordination geometry, leads to different pyranose ring locations in the two cases. The glycine-rich loop provides selectivity against mannose by holding a critical tryptophan in a position optimal for packing with the apolar face of galactose but incompatible with mannose binding. The 2-acetamido substituent of GalNAc is in the vicinity of amino acid positions identified by site-directed mutagenesis (Iobst, S. T., and Drickamer, K.(1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 6686-6693) as being important for the formation of a GalNAc-selective binding site.
A GATED OSCILLOSCOPE BEAM INTENSIFIER FOR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL RECORDING.

Abstract A technique is briefly described for CRO beam intensification with provision for blanking of the beam between sweeps and for maintenance of a constant base level or brightness during the sweeps.
Hyperphagia and obesity produced by arcuate injection of NPY–saporin do not require upregulation of lateral hypothalamic orexigenic peptide genes

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) conjugated with a ribosomal inactivating toxin, saporin (SAP), is a toxin that targets NPY receptor-expressing cells. Injection of NPY–SAP into the rat arcuate nucleus (Arc) and basomedial hypothalamus (BMH) destroys two populations of NPY-receptor-expressing neurons important for the control of food intake and body weight, NPY and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and cocaine and amphetamine related transcript (CART) neurons, and produces profound hyperphagia and obesity. Here, we investigated the contribution of lateral hypothalamus (LHA) orexigenic peptides, orexins and melanocortin concentrating hormone (MCH), to these lesion effects. We microinjected NPY–SAP into two sites on each side of the Arc, causing a loss of NPY and POMC/CART neurons that was limited to the Arc. Lesioned rats rapidly became hyperphagic and obese. However, MCH and prepro-orexin mRNA expression were not increased in the LHA in the lesioned rats, but were decreased at some levels of the LHA or were unchanged. NPY–SAP-induced obesity therefore differs from dietary obesity and from obesity associated with leptin or leptin receptor deficiency in which MCH gene expression is increased. The Arc NPY–SAP lesion produces obesity and hyperphagia that does not require overexpression of hypothalamic neuropeptides currently considered to provide major stimulatory drive for food intake: NPY, agouti gene-related protein, MCH or orexins. The source of the seemingly unregulated stimulatory drive for feeding in these animals has not been identified, but may be associated with hindbrain or endocrine mechanisms.
The integrable XXZ Heisenberg model with arbitrary spin: Construction of the Hamiltonian, the ground-state configuration and conformal properties

Abstract The construction of an integrable generalization of the antiferromagnetic XXZ Heisenberg model with arbitrary spin and easy plane anisotropy is reconsidered. The fusion procedure which has been used to generate models with spin S > 1 2 is shown to give hermitian operators corresponding to the physical conserved quantities only in certain (allowed) regions of the anisotropy γ. The forbidden regions coincide with those where Kirillov and Reshetikhin find restrictions on string locations in a formal Bethe ansatz analysis. In each of the allowed regions for the anisotropy there exists a unique ground-state configuration that does not change with γ. The critical behaviour of the S = 1 and S = 2 spin chains is investigated by numerical solution of their associated Bethe ansatz equations. Our results agree with the known decomposition of the spin model into the semidirect product of a free bosonic (gaussian) and a parafermionic ( Z N ) theory with N = 2 S in the region of small anisotropy ( γ π /2 S ). They suggest that a similar decomposition holds in certain regions with γ > π /2 S . Here, however, N is given by the integer part of π/γ.
Use of Electronics in Package Design

Electronic devices have been used both for the measurement and laboratory simulation of mechanical and atmospheric phenomena which produce damage in packaged merchandise. These uses include: sensors to monitor velocity, acceleration and strain in the packaged part; analog computer to simulate the complete package system; and analysis of package atmosphere with the aid of humidity sensors, gas chromatography and odor detectors.
Traditional risk factors and D-dimer predict incident cardiovascular disease events in chronic HIV infection

Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) contributes significantly to HIV-related morbidity and mortality. Chronic immune activation and inflammation are thought to augment the progression of atherosclerotic disease. In this retrospective, case–control study of HIV-infected individuals, we investigated the association of traditional cardiac risk factors, HIV-related disease, and inflammation with CVD events. Methods: HIV-infected individuals who experienced an incident CVD event while enrolled in National Institutes of Health clinical protocols from 1995 to 2009 were matched 2: 1 to HIV-infected individuals without known CVD. Markers of inflammation and cell activation were measured in serum or plasma using ELISA-based assays and peripheral mononuclear cells by four-color flow cytometry. Results: Fifty-two patients experienced an incident CVD event. Events were related to smoking, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and family history as well as elevated D-dimer, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, and soluble tissue factor, but not high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. No significant differences in antiviral therapy, CD4+ T-cell count, or CD38 and human leukocyte antigen-DR expression were identified between patients and controls. In multivariable analysis, smoking, family history, D-dimer, and glucose were independently related to CVD risk. Conclusion: In this cohort, CVD risk was related to traditional CVD risk factors and markers of thrombosis and endothelial damage, but not to high-sensitivity C-reactive protein or markers of T-cell activation such as CD38/human leukocyte antigen-DR coexpression. D-dimer may help identify HIV-infected patients at elevated CVD risk.
The economic impact of nonresident students on West Virginia's economy

This paper describes a cost-benefit analysis of the impact of nonresident higher education students on the economy of West Virginia during the academic year 1985–86. During that year, the 10,091 FTE nonresident students enrolled in higher education institutions in West Virginia contributed to the state economy an estimated $72,182,000 through tuition and fees, living expenses, and travel expenses of parents and friends. The $72,182,000 flowing through the state's economy generated $86,618,318 in direct and indirect financial benefit to the state, while the state allocation attributed to the education of these nonresident students was $28,668,537. This return on investment, a benefit to cost ratio of 3.02, represents the net economic impact on West Virginia's state and local economies associated with higher education's nonresident enrollment in 1985–86. The ratio suggests that for each one dollar invested by the state in non-resident students, the state realized a return of $3.02 over the period of one academic year.
Hate Crimes as One Aspect of Workplace Violence: Recommendations for HRD:

This article utilizes an integrative literature review to raise awareness of hate crimes as a form of workplace violence in today’s global work settings. This inquiry defines hate crimes in work settings and its related consequences affecting organizations and their employees along with the role human resource development (HRD) practitioners and researchers can play in the mitigation of hate crime in the workplace. This review offers specific recommendations to HRD practitioners and researchers.
Energy of the first excited state of Sr86

Abstract The energy of the gamma-ray transition following the beta decay of Rb 86 has been determined. A lithium drifted surface barrier solid state detector was used to measure the K photoelectrons ejected from a tantalum converter by the gamma ray; comparison was made with the internal conversion lines for the 1.063 MeV transition in Bi 207 . The energy of the Sr 86 gamma ray has been found to be 1077.2±0.5 keV.
Manifold based analysis of facial expression

We propose a novel approach for modeling, tracking, and recognizing facial expressions on a low-dimensional expression manifold. A modified Lipschitz embedding is developed to embed aligned facial features in a low-dimensional space, while keeping the main structure of the manifold. In the embedded space, a complete expression sequence becomes a path on the expression manifold, emanating from a center that corresponds to the neutral expression. As an offline training stage, facial contour features are first clustered in this space, using a mixture model. For each cluster in the low-dimensional space, a specific ASM model is learned, in order to avoid incorrect matching due to non-linear image variations. A probabilistic model of transitions between the clusters and paths in the embedded space is then learned. Given a new expression sequence, we use ICondensation to track facial features, while recognizing facial expressions simultaneously, within the common probabilistic framework. Experimental results demonstrate that our probabilistic facial expression model on the manifold significantly improves facial deformation tracking and expression recognition. We also synthesize image sequences of changing expressions through the manifold model.
Kinect-based rehabilitation system for patients with traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the age group of 0-44 years. Though physical exercises have proven benefits in the rehabilitation process, the compliance rate of patients in the home environment is poor. In this paper we propose a system, MotionTalk, which captures and analyses motion data acquired using Microsoft Kinect. It is designed to give a real time quantitative assessment of the exercises performed by TBI patients at home with respect to the same exercises performed in the clinic by utilizing relatively inexpensive contactless sensing and dynamic programming techniques. In comparison to previous reminder systems, wearable systems, and motion capture systems, MotionTalk is less intrusive in nature and inexpensive to deploy at home because it is based on readily available hardware. This was developed and tested on able bodied volunteers and in the future we hope to test it on patients with TBI, after IRB approval.
NEUROCYTOMA OF THE VIIITH CRANIAL NERVE: CASE REPORT

Objective and importance Neurocytomas are uncommon tumors of the CNS. To date, none have been described in association with a cranial nerve. We described the clinicopathological features of an example arising in the cochlear-vestibular portion of the VIIIth nerve with extension into the cerebellopontine angle. Clinical presentation The patient, a 42-year-old female, presented approximately 6 months ago with several episodes of worsening dizziness. On magnetic resonance imaging studies, a 2-cm enhancing lesion occupying the left internal auditory canal and protruding into the cerebellopontine angle cistern was detected with signal characteristics suggestive of vestibular neuroma. Intervention At surgery, the tumor was seen to originate from the cochlear-vestibular nerve bundle lying within the internal auditory canal, extended laterally to the level of the fundus and 4 mm medially into the cerebellopontine angle. No dural attachment was noted. With use of sharp dissection and bipolar cautery, portions of the tumor within the auditory canal were debulked. Conclusion A unique example of a neurocytoma in association with a cranial nerve is documented. Possible explanations for the occurrence are explored. The topography of neurocytomas continues to expand.
Association of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, body composition, and physical fitness in independent community-dwelling older men and women.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), body composition, and physical fitness in independent community-dwelling men and women aged 60 to 80 years. DESIGN: Cross sectional analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Independent men and women, 60 years of age and older, living in urban and suburban communities of Southeastern Wisconsin. MEASUREMENTS: History, physical examination, physical activity level, and anthropometrics were measured for every subject. Total adipose mass (TAM) and lean body mass were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), total testosterone (TT), and free testosterone (FT) were measured using radioimmunoassay. Physical fitness was measured as VO2max using exercise stress tests. Blood for lipids was analyzed using standard assays. RESULTS: In men, the DHEAS was significantly correlated to age (r = -.32), TAM (r = -.27), percent fat (r = -.30), HDL cholesterol (r = .34), TT (r = .30), VO2max (r = .23), and percent lean body mass (% LBM) (r = .33). In women, the DHEAS was not significantly correlated to any of the variables examined except body mass index (BMI) (r = .23). In men, after partialling out age, DHEAS was significantly correlated to HDL, % fat, TAM, % LBM, and TT. Multivariate analysis for men revealed that high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) was the strongest predictor of serum DHEAS level, followed by % LBM, BMI, and age. The men in the highest quartile of serum DHEAS levels were different from those in the lowest quartile in terms of age, TT, FT, % fat, TAM, % LBM, HDL, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level. No such differences were found in the two groups of women. CONCLUSION: In this group of independent community-dwelling older men, several factors were found to be associated with the serum DHEAS concentration, whereas in a group of older women, no such associations were identified with the exception of BMI. Men in the highest quartile of serum DHEAS level, compared with those with a serum DHEAS level in the lowest quartile, were younger, leaner, more fit, had higher TT and FT levels, and had a favorable lipid profile. No such differences were identified between the women in the highest and the lowest quartiles of serum DHEAS level.
Ethnocentric Curricula and the Politics of Minority Incorporation at Tribal and Historically Black Colleges

Recent studies have analyzed the diffusion of ethnic studies programs at colleges and universities in the United States. This article explores a different trend: the infusion of “ethnocentric” content—perspectives that explicitly and exclusively focus on one ethnic group—throughout the curriculum at tribal, historically Black, and mainstream colleges and universities. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses indicate that ethnocentric courses are distributed more widely across fields of study at tribal colleges than at Black or mainstream colleges. To account for this difference, this article examines how tribal and historically Black colleges have been shaped by—and continue to reflect—the socio-political logics that prevailed at the time of their founding is examined. The exceptional quasi-sovereign status of Indian tribes empowers them to charter their own colleges and implement culturally distinctive curricula.
The Effect of a Common Purification Procedure on the Chemical Composition of the Surfaces of CdSe Quantum Dots Synthesized with Trioctylphosphine Oxide

This paper describes a quantitative analysis of the chemical composition of organic/inorganic interfaces of colloidal 3.1-nm CdSe quantum dots (QDs) synthesized with trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as the coordinating solvent and purified by successive precipitations from a chloroform/methanol solvent/nonsolvent system. A combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, and NMR (both 1H and 31P) reveals that the only ligands that form a stable population on the surface of the QDs are X-type alkylphosphonate and carboxylate ligands. n-Octylphosphonate (OPA), a known impurity in technical-grade (90%) TOPO, and P′-P′-(di-n-octyl) pyrophosphonate (PPA), the self-condensation product of OPA, cover ∼84% of the atoms on the surface of the QDs, whereas few of the L-type (datively bound) ligands hexadecylamine (HDA), TOPO, and trioctylphosphine selenide (TOPSe) are present as bound ligands once the excess free surfactant is removed from the reaction mixture. ...
Ultrafast optical tomography systems using coherence agility

Described are three types of optical imaging systems based on source coherence agility. On axis ultrafast microsecond sub-surface imaging is achieved by use of a broadband low coherence optical source to implement fast Doppler time domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). This system is formed as a combination of a fast scan acousto-optically implemented variable optical delay line with a single acousto-optic (AO) Bragg cell optical heterodyne interferometer. A second imaging system is introduced with a no-moving parts probe design and fast microsecond speed optical spatial scanning along one dimension implemented using a fixed wavelength high coherence source with a single Bragg cell AO interferometer. The third design involves realization of a spectral domain OCT system implemented via the use of a tunable laser in the proposed single AO cell heterodyne interferometer.
Use of microarrays to find novel regulators of periodontal ligament fibroblast differentiation

Periodontal regeneration requires the coordinated movement and differentiation of several cell types in order to re-establish the cementum, periodontal ligament (PDL), and alveolar bone. Cells in culture are often used as model systems for mature tissues, although they may represent expanded progenitor cell populations. Comparison of transcript expression between fresh PDL tissue and PDL cell isolates by MicroArray analysis has revealed numerous molecular differences. Several transcripts (including alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein, periostin, and fibromodulin) are expressed at higher levels in fresh PDL than in cultured PDL cells. In contrast, PDL cells in culture selectively express a variety of growth factors. Several of these growth factors alter PDL fibroblast behavior. Two members of the transforming growth factor β family of growth factors, namely, bone morphogenic protein-7 (BMP7) and growth differentiation factor-5 (GDF5), reduce cell proliferation and Stro-1 expression (a bone marrow stromal stem cell marker), whereas only BMP7 induces alkaline phosphatase activity. In contrast, fibroblast growth factor-5 induces enhanced cell proliferation and Stro-1 expression, while repressing alkaline phosphatase activity. The stimulation of PDL cells to differentiate (either by BMP7 or GDF5) inhibits cell motility. Thus, PDL cells in culture are regulated by several factors that differentially stimulate a mineralized (cementoblast-like) fate, a non-mineralized fate (mature fibroblasts), or the propagation of a more naive phenotype (potential progenitors).
The Polish economic collapse: Contributing factors and economic costs

Abstract The rapid expansion of industrial output in Poland during the 1970s came to an abrupt halt during the latter part of the decade. This paper examines the factors contributing to the economic collapse and measures the economic costs in terms of foregone output. The basic results indicate that, although a decline in hard-currency imports and labor-hours worked were substantial contributing factors, most of the decline in output is accounted for by factors such as planning, managerial difficulties, or political unrest. In addition the gap between actual and potential industrial output reached more than 35%.
Regulation of natural killer T‐cell development by deubiquitinase CYLD

Natural killer T (NKT) cells modulate immune responses against pathogens and tumours, as well as immunological tolerance. We show here that CYLD, a tumour suppressor with deubiquitinase function, has a pivotal and cell-intrinsic function in NKT cell development. Unlike other known NKT regulators, CYLD is dispensable for intrathymic NKT cell maturation but is obligatory for the survival of immature NKT cells. Interestingly, CYLD deficiency impairs the expression of ICOS, a costimulatory molecule required for the survival and homeostasis of NKT cells, and this molecular defect is associated with attenuated response to an NKT-survival cytokine, IL-7, due to reduced expression of IL-7 receptor. We show, for the first time, that IL-7 induces the expression of ICOS in NKT cells, which is largely dependent on CYLD. Interestingly, loss of CYLD causes constitutive NF-κB activation in developing NKT cells, which contributes to their defective IL-7 response and attenuated ICOS expression. These findings establish CYLD as a critical regulator of NKT cell development and provide molecular insights into this novel function of CYLD.
Conversion of carbon dioxide to few-layer graphene

Burning magnesium metal in dry ice resulted in few-layer nanosheets of graphene in high yields. These carbon nanomaterials were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. This work provides an innovative route for producing one of the most promising carbon nanostructures by capturing carbon dioxide that is popularly known as the greenhouse gas.
Optical and Vibrational Properties of Toroidal Carbon Nanotubes

Toroidal carbon nanotubes (TCNTs), which have been evaluated for their potential applications in tera- hertz communication systems, provide a challenge of some magnitude from a purely scientific perspective. A design approach to TCNTs, as well as a clas- sification scheme, is presented based on the definition of the six hollow sec- tions that comprise the TCNT, slicing each of them to produce a (possibly creased) planar entity, and projecting that entity onto a graphene lattice. As a consequence of this folding approach, it is necessary to introduce five- and seven-membered rings as defect sites to allow the fusing together of the six segments into final symmetric TCNTs. This analysis permits the definition of a number of TCNT geometry families containing from 108 carbons up to much larger entities. Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the energies of these structural candi- dates have been investigated and com- pared with (60)fullerene. The structures with the larger tube diameters are com- puted to be more stable than C60, whereas the smaller diameter ones are less stable, but may still be within syn- thetic reach. Computational studies reveal that, on account of the stiffness of the structures, the vibrational fre- quencies of characteristic low-frequen- cy modes decrease more slowly with in- creasing ring diameter than do the lowest optical excitation energies. It was found that this particular trend is true for the "breathing mode" vibra- tions when the diameter of the tubes is small, but not for more flexible toroi- dal nanotubes with larger diameters.
Effect of Buprenorphine and Antiretroviral Agents on the QT Interval in Opioid-Dependent Patients

Background:Cardiac arrhythmias have been linked to treatment with methadone and levacetylmethadol. HIV-positive patients often have conditions that place them at risk for QT interval prolongation including HIV–associated dilated cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease as a consequence of highly active antiretroviral (ARV) therapy–associated metabolic syndrome, and uncorrected electrolyte abnormalities. As of February 14, 2006, no cases of adverse events related to QT interval prolongation have been reported in patients receiving buprenorphine, an opioid partial agonist and the newest drug approved for the treatment of opioid dependence.Objective:To evaluate the effects of buprenorphine/naloxone alone and in combination with 1 of 5 ARV agents (efavirenz, nelfinavir, delavirdine, ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir) on the QT interval.Methods:This study was prospective, open-label, and within-subject in design, with subjects serving as their own controls. In 50 HIV-negative, opioid-dependent subjects, electrocar...
New England Dental Reports: Continuing Dental Education on Open-Circuit Television

The 1970 telecasts in the “New England Dental Reports” series were evaluated by a questionnaire survey of 563 dentists. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents viewed one or more of the programs. Restorative dentistry was the topic preferred by most respondents and the majority preferred an evening schedule for the dental series. Responses to the questionnaire indicate that more extensive publicity is needed for a televised dental series. Seventy-four percent of the respondents thought that television programs dealing with new information or review material could be an important part of the dentist’s continuing education.
New methods of studying regional seismicity and surface faulting

Description of Method. This study outlines the application of special aerial photography using low angle sun illumination for the study of surface faulting. This method is useful in determining both long-term regional seismicity and rate and nature of faulting for a given area. This technique is not completely new since many textbooks accentuate fault scarps by shadow effects, but our new modification is to select optimal sun illumination conditions for each fault by photographing at the ideal time of the year and time of day to enhance their presence and characteristic features.
Prevalence of increased serum total IgE and specific aeroallergen sensitivity in 5-8 year old Alaska Native children

Abstract Rationale The prevalence of atopy among children in subarctic regions has been described in Norway, Sweden, and Russia but not among native populations. Methods We studied the prevalence of atopy and aeroallergen sensitization in 206 5-8 year old Alaska Native children, part of a 517 infant cohort enrolled in a study to assess the sequelae of severe RSV infection. History, physical findings, review of all medical records, total IgE, H. pylori IgG, Mycoplasma serology, and RAST tests to 12 aeroallergens were compiled for each child. Results 58% of all children had IgE levels >70 IU/ml; 16% had IgE levels >1000 IU/ml. 62% had positive IgG levels to H. pylori and 22% had Mycoplasma+ serology in both groups. Only 7% of children had 1 or more + RAST Class III to aeroallergens. One aeroallergen affected >5% of the children ( D. pteronyssinus ). There was no association between IgE status and family history of asthma, wheezing the past year, productive cough, serum cotinine levels, or Mycoplasma or H. pylori serology. IgE levels were associated with pooled positive RAST tests. Conclusions Elevated IgE levels are common among Alaska Native children. Sensitization to aeroallergens is uncommon. IgE levels are not associated with smoke exposure, H. pylori or Mycoplasma infections or chronic respiratory symptoms.
Leakage current analysis of hydrothermal BaTiO 3 thin films

Hydrothermal processing can deposit crystalline ferroelectric films at low temperatures of less than 150°C to achieve permittivities above 100. Such a process, hence, can be attractive in integrating thin film capacitors in organic, silicon or flex substrates. However, their poor insulation strength leading to high leakage current can prevent their wide acceptance. Lattice defects such as hydroxyl groups are attributed to their high leakage currents and lower Breakdown Voltages (BDVs). With appropriate thermal treatments, majority of the OH groups can be removed, leading to improved insulation characteristics. The leakage current behavior of as-synthesized and post-baked hydrothermal thin films are analyzed with various conduction models. The room temperature I-V characteristics are attributed to a combination of ionic and Space-Charge-Limited (SCLC) conduction models for films baked at 160°C while higher baking temperatures of 350°C agree well with Poole-Frenkel type conduction, with an activation energy of 0.57 eV for the defects. The defects, which are presumably OH groups or oxygen vacancies embedded in the barium titanate lattice, act as shallow traps and the trapping and detrapping results in easier conduction. A brief perspective is provided on the suitability of such a hydrothermal thin film capacitor approach for power supply applications.
Reforms and Knowledge

This paper combines notions from the POST Model of Economic Geography and Learning Theory from International Business to study how firms may enhance their responsiveness to institutional processes ...