cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The contribution of astrocytes to the neuroinflammatory response in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Neuroinflammation is the coordinated response of the central nervous system (CNS) to threats to its integrity posed by a variety of conditions, including autoimmunity, pathogens and trauma. Activated astrocytes, in concert with other cellular elements of the CNS and immune system, are important players in the modulation of the neuroinflammatory response. During neurological disease, they produce and respond to cellular signals that often lead to dichotomous processes, which can promote further damage or contribute to repair. This occurs also in multiple sclerosis (MS), where astrocytes are now recognized as key components of its immunopathology. Evidence supporting this role has emerged not only from studies in MS patients, but also from animal models, among which the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model has proved especially instrumental. Based on this premise, the purpose of the present review is to summarize the current knowledge of astrocyte behavior in MS and EAE. Following a brief description of the pathological characteristics of the two diseases and the main functional roles of astrocytes in CNS physiology, we will delve into the specific responses of this cell population, analyzing MS and EAE in parallel. We will define the temporal and anatomical profile of astroglial activation, then focus on key processes they participate in. These include: (1) production and response to soluble mediators (e.g., cytokines and chemokines), (2) regulation of oxidative stress, and (3) maintenance of BBB integrity and function. Finally, we will review the state of the art on the available methods to measure astroglial activation in vivo in MS patients, and how this could be exploited to optimize diagnosis, prognosis and treatment decisions. Ultimately, we believe that integrating the knowledge obtained from studies in MS and EAE may help not only better understand the pathophysiology of MS, but also uncover new signals to be targeted for therapeutic intervention.
Ventenata and Other Coexisting Exotic Annual Grass Control and Plant Community Response to Increasing Imazapic Application Rates

Abstract Ventenata (Ventenata dubia [Leers] Coss.) is an exotic annual grass that can invade intermountain rangeland plant communities, where it can form monotypic stands, degrade wildlife habitat, and reduce livestock forage. There is limited information on ventenata control in rangelands as it has only recently been identified as a substantial problem. Imazapic is a pre-emergent herbicide commonly used to control other exotic annual grasses and, therefore, is likely to control ventenata in rangelands. We evaluated five application rates of imazapic (0 − 175 g ae ∙ ha− 1) on ventenata and other exotic annual grass control and plant community response at two rangeland sites in 2 yr (2014 and 2015). Imazapic reduced exotic annual grass (largely ventenata) cover and density, with greater control with increasing imazapic rates. Exotic annual grass density at the highest levels of control (82%−94%) was 184 − 299 plants ∙ m− 2 the first yr after imazapic application. Exotic annual grasses fully recovered in the second or third yr after imazapic application. Bare ground generally increased with imazapic application. However, density of perennial vegetation (grasses and forbs) did not vary among treatments. Perennial vegetation cover generally did not increase with imazapic control of ventenata and other exotic annual grasses. Imazapic can control ventenata; however, even at the highest rates, control was not enough to shift the dominance from exotic annual species to perennial species. Integrating other treatments with imazapic application may be a strategy to improve ventenata control and increase perennial vegetation and will require further investigation. The difficulty and likely expense of achieving substantial and lasting control of ventenata suggest, similar to other exotic annual grasses, that preventing ventenata invasion and dominance should be a high management priority.
Effect of dietary taurine in the performance of broodstock and larvae of California yellowtail Seriola dorsalis

Abstract The roles of dietary taurine on fish reproductive output and larval development remain poorly understood. A 2-year experiment was conducted where broodstock where fed a taurine-supplemented (2.67% dry diet) or non-supplemented (0.28% dry diet, control) diet, and larvae were fed taurine-enriched or standard-enriched prey, resulting in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Buoyancy, fertilization rate, and fecundity were the main drivers in characterizing eggs from each broodstock group. All these metrics were improved in the taurine-supplemented treatment. Newly-hatched larvae from the taurine-supplemented broodstock had significantly larger yolk-sac volume and 53% more likely to survive to 1st-feeding than those from the control broodstock. All larvae from the control broodstock and fed the control larval diet died by 15 dph, highlighting the essentiality of taurine in this species. However, 30 dph larvae from the treatment where both broodstock and larvae received supplemental taurine were significantly shorter and lighter than those from the other treatments. In conclusion, these results support the importance of dietary taurine in reproductive performance in yellowtail broodstock. Further research is necessary to better understand the interaction between supplementation in broodstock and larval diets.
The Aesthetics of X-Junctions: Cognitive Constraints in the Art of Continuous-Line Caricature

This article exposes cognitive constraints in production and perception of caricatures drawn with one continuous line. Constraints in production enable an artist to overcome the complexity of conne...
CMU CS Academy: A Browser-based, Text-based Introduction to Programming through Graphics and Animations in Python

There are a great number of resources to introduce CS in the K-8 space, most notably Scratch and code.org. There are two AP CS courses at the High School level, but there are not nearly as many resources to bridge the gap between the engaging, fun, K-8 resources and those AP courses. And what is available tends to lack continuity and rigor. It is generally accepted that coding and creativity go hand-in-hand. This is apparent in the learning opportunities in the K-8 space but as programming courses get more challenging, they tend to lose the creative aspect. In this demo, attendees will be able to unpack how students can learn to code as they learn to create, They will also discover resources that support creativity while introducing students to text-based programming through coding in Python with CMU Graphics. The goal of this session is to provide teachers with an opportunity to learn how they can bridge the gap from block-based coding experiences to the AP courses with a text-based, year-long, introduction to programming course whose only recommended prerequisite is algebra readiness. We will be using CMU CS Academy which teaches students to code in Python through a browser-based graphics and animation framework that provides instant, automated feedback and has a strong focus on creativity and problem-solving.
An on-line equivalent system identification scheme for adaptive control

A prime obstacle to the widespread use of adaptive control is the degradation of performance and possible instability resulting from the presence of unmodeled dynamics. The approach taken is to explicitly include the unstructured model uncertainty in the output error identification algorithm. The order of the compensator is successively increased by including identified modes. During this model building stage, heuristic rules are used to test for convergence prior to designing compensators. Additionally, the recursive identification algorithm as extended to multi-input, multi-output systems. Enhancements were also made to reduce the computational burden of an algorithm for obtaining minimal state space realizations from the inexact, multivariate transfer functions which result from the identification process. A number of potential adaptive control applications for this approach are illustrated using computer simulations. Results indicated that when speed of adaptation and plant stability are not critical, the proposed schemes converge to enhance system performance.
How Have Stock Markets Responded to 35 Years of Analyst Reports? Evidence from Machine Learning and Textual Analysis

Using machine learning (ML) and contrasting with simple textual sentiment score and principal components analysis (PCA) methods, we examine the time series of content within over 700,000 sell-side analyst research reports from 1983 to 2017. We find that analyst reports have significantly changed across a variety of dimensions including length and content of four existing and two new dictionaries related to valuation and alternative metrics. We find that the naive net tone of reports only explains contemporaneous, not future, equity returns. On the other hand, we find that ML methods provide substantially different results from naive sentiment and PCA approaches on determining the impact of analyst reports on financial markets. We also examine the ability of reports to predict changes in firm short interest and volatility. Overall, we find that sell-side analyst reports have stronger impact on smaller cap stocks.
Protein disulfide isomerase inhibition impairs Keap1/Nrf2 signaling and mitochondrial function and induces apoptosis in renal proximal tubular cells

Renal proximal tubular apoptosis plays a critical role in kidney health and disease. However, cellular molecules that trigger renal apoptosis remain elusive. Here, we evaluated the effect of inhibiting protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a critical thioredoxin chaperone protein, on apoptosis as well as the underlying mechanisms in human renal proximal tubular (HK2) cells. HK2 cells were transfected with PDI-specific siRNA in the absence and presence of an antioxidant, tempol. PDI siRNA transfection resulted in a decrease of ~70% in PDI protein expression and enzyme activity. PDI inhibition increased caspase-3 activity and induced profound cell apoptosis. Mitochondrial function, as assessed by mitochondrial cytochrome c levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, oxygen consumption, and ATP levels, was significantly reduced in PDI-inhibited cells. Also, PDI inhibition caused nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2; a redox-sensitive transcription factor) cytoplasmic sequestration, decreased superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase activities, and increased oxidative stress. In PDI-inhibited cells, tempol reduced apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, and oxidative stress and also restored Nrf2 nuclear translocation and mitochondrial function. Silencing Nrf2 in the cells abrogated the beneficial effect of tempol, whereas Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (an Nrf2 regulatory protein) silencing protected cells from PDI inhibitory effects. Collectively, our data indicate that PDI inhibition diminishes Nrf2 nuclear translocation, causing oxidative stress that further triggers mitochondrial dysfunction and renal cell apoptosis. This study suggests an important role for PDI in renal cell apoptosis involving Nrf2 and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Adding Beer to the Geography Curriculum

The University of New Mexico (UNM) is home to a robust Department of Geography & Environmental Studies (GES). With curricula and research programs that span both environmental studies and geographi...
Risk-Adjusted Poverty in Argentina: Measurement and Determinants

Relying on a Constant Relative Risk Aversion utility function, we use panel data for Argentina to compute risk-adjusted income and poverty measures and to analyze their determinants. Taking risk into account increases poverty. The regression analysis suggests that many household characteristics are correlated not only with the average income of the household over time, but also with income variability.
Advance care planning among Medicare beneficiaries with dementia undergoing surgery.

Importance Advance care planning (ACP), in which patients or their surrogates discuss goals and preferences for care with physicians, attorneys, friends, and family, is an important approach to help align goals with actual treatment. ACP may be particularly valuable in patients with advanced serious illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) for whom surgery carries significant risks. Objective To determine the frequency, timing, and factors associated with ACP billing in Medicare beneficiaries with ADRD undergoing nontrauma inpatient surgery. Design This national cohort study analyzes Medicare fee-for-service claims data from 2016 to 2017. All patients had a 6-month lookback and follow-up period. Setting National Medicare fee-for-service data. Participants All patients with ADRD, defined according to the Chronic Conditions Warehouse, undergoing inpatient surgery from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Exposures Patient demographics, medical history, and procedural outcomes. Main outcome ACP billing codes from 6 months before to 6 months after admission for inpatient surgery. Results This study included 289,428 patients with ADRD undergoing surgery, of whom 21,754 (7.5%) had billed ACP within the 6 months before and after surgical admission. In a multivariable analysis, patients of white race, male sex, and residence in the Southern and Midwestern United States were at the highest risk of not receiving ACP. Of all patients who received ACP, 5960 (27.4%) did so before surgery while 12,658 (52.8%) received ACP after surgery. Timing of ACP after surgery was associated with an Elixhauser comorbidity index of 3 or higher (1.23, p = 0.045) and major postoperative complication or death (odds ratio 1.52, p Conclusions and relevance Overall ACP billing code use is low among Medicare patients with ADRD undergoing surgery. Billed ACP appears to have a reactive pattern, occurring most commonly after surgery and in association with postoperative mortality and complications. Additional study is warranted to understand barriers to use.
Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding

This chapter examines how concepts of amnesty traverse transitional justice and post-conflict peacebuilding practices in Nigeria’s oil region. The effectiveness of amnesty is evaluated against its ability to create a stable and secure post-conflict environment that is conducive for the implementation of DDR. More importantly, this chapter places the DDR program in context to deepen analytical understanding of the degree to which it promises to fulfill or impair the state’s obligation to ensure the stability and security of the oil region.
A Conjectured Generalized Permanent Inequality and a Multiaccess Problem

Let k and n be positive integers, and let I denote the set of k-tuples, I = {1, 2, ..., n} k . For 1 ≤ j ≤ k, let S j denote the collection of subsets L of I such that L has cardinality n and no two elements of L have the same jth coordinate. Let \(S = \mathop{ \cup }\limits_{j} {{S}_{j}}\). Finally, let F nk be the multinomial in variables x = (xi : i ∈ I) defined by $${{F}_{{n,k}}}(x) = \sum\limits_{{L \in S}} {\prod\limits_{{i \in L}} {{{x}_{i}}.} }$$
The Spectral Theorem

The study of Pick functions has long been associated with certain problems in analysis, in particular the Moment Problem and the theory of the spectral representation of self-adjoint operators in Hilbert space. The traditional proof of the spectral theorem deduces it from the integral representation of Pick functions given in Chapter II, and this argument has the advantage that the self-adjoint operator under study need not be supposed continuous. This chapter is devoted to that proof.
Training strategy for backpropagation neural networks using input weighting

Presents a new strategy for training feedforward backpropagation neural network, this strategy is based on weighting (repeating) particular pairs of the input-output vectors. These particular pairs are the ones that produces the largest error after each training cycle, and therefore this training strategy is called "W_eighted I_nput". The proposed training strategy has been tested for three simple cases, and it is shown that it does provide savings in training time in two of the three cases, while it fails for the third case.
Reliability specialists-a critical need

Summary form only given. The author describes how the result of electronics industry downsizing has been that reliability, availability and safety, quality, failure analysis and purchasing quality engineers are extremely scarce and very much needed. We find today we are reassigning people from other areas like circuit and systems designers, to help contain the shortfall created by the combination of right sizing and market requirements.
Consequences of intermittent calcitriol therapy in pediatric patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.

T he renal bone diseases represent a spectrum of skeletal disorders ranging from the high-turnover lesions of secondary hyperparathyroidism to the lowturnover lesions of osteomalacia and adynamic bone. Secondary hyperparathyroidism is the most common skeletal lesion in pediatric patients undergoing regular dialysis; in contrast, the adynamic lesion of renal osteodystrophy without aluminum has become pre dominant in adult patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (1-3). Peritoneal dialysis, on the other hand, is the most common dialytic modality for children with end-stage renal disease, and persistent bone disease remains a major challenge in the clinical management of these patients. Treatment with daily doses of calcitriol or with 1,25dihydroxyvitamin D has been recommended for pediatric patients with chronic renal failure to improve linear growth and to prevent bone deformities. However, secondary hyperparathyroidism persists in a substantial proportion of patients treated with daily calcitriol therapy and receiving peritoneal dialysis (1,4). More recently, large intermittent doses of calcitriol given two or three times per week have been used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism in both children and adults (5-7). Most studies have employed the oral or intravenous routes of calcitriol adminis tration, but there is little available information about the effect of intraperitoneal (IP) doses of calcitriol on bone and mineral metabolism in patients undergoing regular peritoneal dialysis. We have recently completed a prospective randomized clinical trial to evaluate the biochemical and his tological responses to intermittent calcitriol therapy using thrice weekly IP or oral (PO) doses in pediat
Association Between the Menstrual Cycle and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes

Anterior cruciate ligament injury rates are four to eight times higher in women than in men. Because of estrogen's direct effect on collagen metabolism and behavior and because neuromuscular performance varies during the menstrual cycle, it is logical to question the menstrual cycle's effect on knee injury rates. Of 40 consecutive female athletes with acute anterior cruciate ligament injuries (less than 3 months), 28 (average age, 23 +/- 11 years) met the study criteria of regular menstrual periods and noncontact injury. Details concerning mechanism of injury, menstrual cycle, contraceptive use, and previous injury history were collected. A chi-square test was used to compute observed and expected frequencies of anterior cruciate ligament injury based on three different phases of the menstrual cycle: follicular (days 1 to 9), ovulatory (days 10 to 14), and luteal (day 15 to end of cycle). A significant statistical association was found between the stage of the menstrual cycle and the likelihood for an anterior cruciate ligament injury (P = 0.03). In particular, there were more injuries than expected in the ovulatory phase of the cycle. In contrast, significantly fewer injuries occurred in the follicular phase. These hormones may be a factor in the knee ligament injury dilemma in women.
Paleomagnetism of the Beemerville (New Jersey) Alkaline Complex

Stable remanent magnetism in the Late Ordovician Beemerville (New Jersey) alkaline complex (435 m.y.) is carried by secondary hematite resulting from supergene weathering prior to deposition of the Lower Silurian Shawangunk Conglomerate. The mean vector from four stable sites (of eight sampled) is D = 163°, I = 22° (κ = 23, α 95 = 20°) and gives a virtual geomagnetic pole at 35°N., 126°E., δ p = 9°, δ m = 18°.
Novel acid-activated fluorophores reveal a dynamic wave of protons in the intestine of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Unlike the digestive systems of vertebrate animals, the lumen of the alimentary canal of Caenorhabditis elegans is unsegmented and weakly acidic (pH ∼4.4), with ultradian fluctuations to pH > 6 every 45–50 s. To probe the dynamics of this acidity, we synthesized novel acid-activated fluorophores termed Kansas Reds. These dicationic derivatives of rhodamine B become concentrated in the lumen of the intestine of living C. elegans and exhibit tunable pKa values (2.3–5.4), controlled by the extent of fluorination of an alkylamine substituent, that allow imaging of a range of acidic fluids in vivo. Fluorescence video microscopy of animals freely feeding on these fluorophores revealed that acidity in the C. elegans intestine is discontinuous; the posterior intestine contains a large acidic segment flanked by a smaller region of higher pH at the posterior-most end. Remarkably, during the defecation motor program, this hot spot of acidity rapidly moves from the posterior intestine to the anterior-most intestine w...
Frequency organization and cellular lamination in the medial geniculate body of the rabbit

Abstract Cellular laminae within the tonotopically organized ventral division of the medial geniculate body (MGV) of the cat have been proposed as the anatomical substrate for physiologically defined isofrequency contours. In most species, the laminae are not visible with routine Nissl stains, but are defined by the dendritic fields of principal cells and the terminal arbors of afferents arising from the inferior colliculus. In the present study, we have used the rabbit to directly examine the relationship between the laminar and tonotopic organization of the MGV. Best frequency maps of the MGV in anesthetized adult New Zealand white rabbits were generated from cluster responses recorded at 30–100 μm intervals to randomly presented tone bursts. Parallel vertical penetrations, roughly perpendicular to the laminae, revealed a low-to-high frequency gradient within the MGV. Non-laminated regions of the ventral division, generally found at the rostral or caudal poles, did not demonstrate a systematic frequency gradient. In contrast to a predicted smooth gradient, best frequencies shifted in discrete steps across the axis of the laminae. A similar step-wise frequency gradient has been shown in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus of the cat. It is proposed that the central laminated core of the MGV represents an efficient architecture for creating narrow frequency filters involved in fine spectral analysis.
Investigations of far infrared generated nonequilibrium phonons in LaF3:Pr3+

The dynamics of nonequillibrium phonon populations in LaF 3 :Pr 3+ are investigated by monitoring the induced coherence loss of a coherently prepared state. Following creation of nonequilibrium phonons with a high power nanosecond far-infrared (FIR) superradiant laser, a two pulse photon echo is generated on the 3 H 4 − 3 P 0 Pr 3+ transition with a Nd:YAG pumped dye laser. For a range of FIR pulse energies, the echo intensity is monitored as the FIR pulse is temporally scanned with respect to the echo generation pulses
The Biodiversity Community Action Project: An STS Investigation

The Biodiversity Community Action Project is a stimulating and vigorous project that allows students to gain an in-depth understanding of the interconnection between organisms and their environments as well as the connection of science to their lives and society. It addresses key content standards in the National Science Education Standards and integrates research, writing, and communication.
Attaining academic department status for emergency medicine within medical schools

The specialty of emergency medicine has emerged as a separate academic department within medical schools. These academic departments were contacted and asked to submit information on the process they undertook to attain department status. The path taken by each department was unique and dependent on many factors. Information about these departments is summarized, and ten broad recommendations for academic emergency physicians to consider when seeking department status are given.
Electric-field assisted assembly of core-shell nanoparticle arrays for contact hole patterning

In this paper, we investigate an electric-field assisted assembly approach to create dense arrays of contact hole patterns with complex feature geometries. This hybrid strategy uses a spatially varying dielectrophoretic (DEP) force created by lithographically defined guiding features to assemble dense arrays of nanoparticles within the features, thereby replicating features within the starting pattern. For close-packed particle arrays, the half- and full-pitch of the contact hole array is defined by the starting nanoparticle core and shell diameter.
Women in Multinational Corporations: Old Myths, New Constructions and Some Deconstruction

When compared with domestic business operations, multinational corporations include fewer women at managerial levels in their foreign subsidiaries. Debates have ensued regarding whether women's absences from these positions are due to lack of the particular managerial abilities required for international assignments. In this article we argue that too much has been assumed about the sociopsychological requirements for international management, both for men and women. Through critical re-analyses of data from a previous study we contend that understanding `women's advantages/disadvantages' in international management requires understanding women's structural positions in the First World-Third World political economy.
Adenosine depresses spontaneous transmitter release from frog motor nerve terminals by acting at an A1-like receptor.

Abstract Adenosine (1μM to 1mM) depressed spontaneous transmitter release from frog motor nerve terminals without producing any observable postsynaptic effects. Since this action of adenosine was blocked by 20μM theophylline and 1μM 8-phenyltheophylline, adenosine probably acts at a specific receptor on motor nerve terminals to reduce spontaneous transmitter output. The effects of the adenosine analogs, L-N 6 -phenylisopropyladenosine (L-PIA, 100pM to 1μM), D-PIA (100nM to 100μM), and 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA, 10nM to 100μM), were tested on spontaneous transmitter release at the frog neuromuscular junction. L-PIA The rank-order potency of these analogs indicates that adenosine acts at an A 1 -like receptor to depress spontaneous transmitter release. Inhibitory actions of maximally effective concentrations of adenosine and L-PIA were also blocked by the A 1 -specific antagonist, 1-3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX) at a concentration of 100nM. Micromolar concentrations of NECA, an agonist with approximately equal affinity for the A 1 and A 2 receptors, produced biphasic effects on mepp frequency. Thus, a second adenosine receptor, perhaps of the A 2 subtype, may be present on motor nerve terminals and may mediate an icnreaaspontaneous transmitter release. spontaneous transmitter release.
Role of GABA in the Actions of Ethanol in Rats Selectively Bred for Ethanol Sensitivity

Rats from the N/Nih heterogeneous stock have been selectively bred for high (HAS) or low (LAS) initial sensitivity to injected ethanol as measured by duration of the loss of the righting reflex. The selection for ethanol sensitivity in these lines apparently has reached a maximum. These lines are useful to elucidate the central nervous system mechanisms of the genetic differences between the lines and also provide clues to the mechanisms of ethanol's action. We have found that: 1) ethanol, etomidate, and ketamine but not propofol produce different sleep times and brain levels of the drug on awakening between these two lines; 2) only ethanol, etomidate, and ketamine produced significant differences between the HAS and LAS rats in GABA-mediated stimulation of chloride uptake into brain microsacs; 3) GABA, propofol, and etomidate decreased the Kd for flunitrazepam binding to whole-brain membranes but equally in both lines. Neither ethanol nor ketamine had an effect; 4) only GABA, ethanol, and etomidate increased the Kd for TBPS binding and only GABA decreased Bmax of TBPS binding. As with the previous selection for ethanol sensitivity in mice (short and long sleep) these lines of rats have very marked line differences in GABA-mediated events, and these are correlated with the sedative effects of ethanol. From these and previous studies we know that the major differences between selected lines of mice and rats are that the mouse lines are not differentially sensitive to halothane or pentobarbital while the rat lines are. However, the mouse lines are differentially sensitive to propofol and the rat lines are not. These data should be useful in dissecting the actions of ethanol at the GABA(A) receptor.
The distribution postulate in Bohm's theory

On Bohm's formulation of quantum mechanics particles always have determinate positions and follow continuous trajectories. Bohm's theory, however, requires a postulate that says that particles are initially distributed in a special way: particles are randomly distributed so that the probability of their positions being represented by a point in any regionR in configuration space is equal to the square of the wave-function integrated overR. If the distribution postulate were false, then the theory would generally fail to make the right statistical predictions. Further, if it were false, then there would at least in principle be situations where a particle would approach an eigenstate of having one position but in fact always be somewhere very different. Indeed, we will see how this might happen even if the distribution postulate were true. This will help to show how loose the connection is between the wave-function and the positions of particles in Bohm's theory and what the precise role of the distribution postulate is. Finally, we will briefly consider two attempts to formulate a version of Bohm's theory without the distribution postulate.
Quantification of Discretization Error in Wall Shear Stress Calculations for Aneurismal Flows Using CFD

Many recent studies suggest that hemodynamic factors such as wall shear stress (WSS) and pressure contribute to the genesis and growth of intracranial aneurysms. Recently there have been a number of computational hemodynamics studies that calculate the values of wall shear stress in arterial and aneurismal flows. However there is a lack of comprehensive error analysis in many of the computational hemodynamics studies. This is perhaps the reason for speculative and ambiguous conclusions drawn by various studies as to the nature of wall shear stress responsible for aneurysm growth. In the current study, geometry involving an actual aneurysm is built from angiogram images. Another geometry consisting of the primary artery where the aneurysm formed is also built by removing the aneurysm volume. The two geometries are meshed using three different grid densities. Second order schemes are used to simulate the pulsatile hemodynamics through each of the geometries. Various representative planes along the geometries are considered and the major flow variables and WSS are plotted as a function of grid densities. The procedure for estimation of discretization error, suggested by ASME Journal of Fluids Engineering, is applied at various representative locations along the aneurysm and arterial geometry. The results suggest high dependence of calculated WSS on local grid density. The contours of WSS in the arterial geometry suggest that high WSS does not necessarily occur at the location where the aneurysm originated. Possible remedies are suggested so that this uncertainty could be eliminated from future studies.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Urodele spinal cord regeneration and related processes.

Urodele amphibians, newts and salamanders, can regenerate lesioned spinal cord at any stage of the life cycle and are the only tetrapod vertebrates that regenerate spinal cord completely as adults. The ependymal cells play a key role in this process in both gap replacement and caudal regeneration. The ependymal response helps to produce a different response to neural injury compared with mammalian neural injury. The regenerating urodele cord produces new neurons as well as supporting axonal regrowth. It is not yet clear to what extent urodele spinal cord regeneration recapitulates embryonic anteroposterior and dorsoventral patterning gene expression to achieve functional reconstruction. The source of axial patterning signals in regeneration would be substantially different from those in developing tissue, perhaps with signals propagated from the stump tissue. Examination of the effects of fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor on ependymal cells in vivo and in vitro suggest a connection with neural stem cell behavior as described in developing and mature mammalian central nervous system. This review coordinates the urodele regeneration literature with axial patterning, stem cell, and neural injury literature from other systems to describe our current understanding and assess the gaps in our knowledge about urodele spinal cord regeneration.
Progress toward heavy-ion IFE

Abstract Successful development of heavy-ion fusion (HIF) will require scientific and technology advances in areas of targets, drivers and chambers. Design work on heavy-ion targets indicates that high gain (60–130) may be possible with a ∼3–6 MJ driver depending on the ability to focus the beams to small spot sizes. Significant improvements have been made on key components of heavy-ion drivers, including sources, injectors, insulators and ferromagnetic materials for long-pulse induction accelerator cells, solid-state pulsers, and superconducting quadrupole magnets. The leading chamber concept for HIF is the thick-liquid-wall HYLIFE-II design, which uses an array of flibe jets to protect chamber structures from X-ray, debris, and neutron damage. Significant progress has been made in demonstrating the ability to create and control the types of flow needed to form the protective liquid blanket. Progress has also been made on neutron shielding for the final focus magnet arrays with predicted lifetimes now exceeding the life of the power plant. Safety analyses have been completed for the HYLIFE-II design using state-of-the-art codes. Work also continues on target fabrication and injection for HIF. A target injector experiment capable of >5 Hz operation has been designed and construction will start in 2002. Methods for mass-production of hohlraum targets are being evaluated with small-scale experiments and analyses. Progress in these areas will be reviewed.
Searching for new cell wall protein genes in Arabidopsis

The objective of this study was to test an approach that combines bioinformatic and subcellular localization analysis to identify novel cell wall protein genes in Arabidopsis. Proteins with unknown function in the Arabidopsis genome were first identified and scanned for the presence of N-terminal signal peptides. The signal peptide-containing function-unknown proteins were further analyzed to eliminate the ones containing other sequences, such as endoplasmic reticulum and vacuole retention signals, that may prevent a protein from secretion into cell walls. The top ten genes passing the bioinformatic analysis were selected for protein subcellular localization using green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a reporter. A vector was constructed for high throughput gene-GFP fusion protein generation and overexpression in Arabidopsis for gene function analysis. Transformants of six genes showed reasonable expression of GFP fusion protein. However, none of the transformants showed GFP localization in cell walls. The low rate of new cell wall protein discovery suggests that the number of unidentified cell wall proteins in the Arabidopsis genome may be small.
Photointermediates of visual pigments

Much progress has been made in recent years toward understanding the interactions between various proteins responsible for visual transduction which are initiated by an activated state of visual pigments. However, the changes which take place in the visual pigments themselves to convert them to the activated state are more poorly understood. Many spectroscopic techniques have been applied to this problem in recent years and considerable progress has been made. A major goal of these efforts is to understand at which stages protein change occurs and to characterize its structural features. In the visual system evidence is accumulating, for example, that chromophore independent protein change begins immediately prior to lumirhodopsin formation. Considerable insight has been gained recently into the early intermediates of visual transduction and the stage is set to achieve similar understanding of the later intermediates leading to rhodopsin's activated state.
Diversification strategy and systematic risk

This paper addresses the relationship between diversification strategy and systematic risk (beta). Beta values are examined for six diversification categories, and it is found that betas for unrelated diversifiers are significantly higher than those of other firms. Possible contributions to this difference, including market power, capital structure, and capital intensity are explored.
The sensitivity function for shielded magnetoresistive heads by conformal mapping

The sensitivity function for symmetric, shielded magnetoresistive heads is obtained using the Schwarz-Christoffel transformation. Various aspects of reading by these heads is then discussed including the previously reported dependance of pulsewidth on shield thickness.
A novel method for oxidative desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbon fuels based on catalytic oxidation using molecular oxygen coupled with selective adsorption

Abstract The present study explored a novel oxidative desulfurization (ODS) method of liquid hydrocarbon fuels, which combines a catalytic oxidation step of the sulfur compounds directly in the presence of molecular oxygen and an adsorption step of the oxidation-treated fuel over activated carbon. The ODS of a model jet fuel and a real jet fuel (JP-8) was conducted in a batch system at ambient conditions. It was found that the oxidation in the presence of molecular oxygen with Fe(III) salts was able to convert the thiophenic compounds in the fuel to the corresponding sulfone and/or sulfoxide compounds at 25 °C. The oxidation reactivity of the sulfur compounds decreases in the order of 2-methylbenzothiophene > 5-methylbenzothiophene > benzothiophene ≫ dibenzothiophene. The alkyl benzothiophenes with more alkyl substituents have higher oxidation reactivity. In real JP-8 fuel, 2,3-dimethylbenzothiophene was found to be the most refractory sulfur compound to be oxidized. The catalytic oxidation of the sulfur compounds to form the corresponding sulfones and/or sulfoxides improved significantly the adsorptivity of the sulfur compounds on activated carbon, because the activated carbon has higher adsorptive affinity for the sulfones and sulfoxides than thiophenic compounds due to the higher polarity of the former. The remarkable advantages of the developed ODS method are that the ODS can be run in the presence of O 2 at ambient condition without using peroxides and aqueous solvent and thus without involving the biphasic oil–aqueous-solution system.
Angels of death

Fish thieves, riverbank wreckers, alien invaders. Cormorants have been despised and persecuted for decades – but they are terribly misunderstood, says conservation biologist Linda Wires
Photonic analog-to-digital conversion with electronic-photonic integrated circuits

Photonic Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC) has a long history. The premise is that the superior noise performance of femtosecond lasers working at optical frequencies enables us to overcome the bottleneck set by jitter and bandwidth of electronic systems and components. We discuss and demonstrate strategies and devices that enable the implementation of photonic ADC systems with emerging electronic-photonic integrated circuits based on silicon photonics. Devices include 2-GHz repetition rate low noise femtosecond fiber lasers, Si-Modulators with up to 20 GHz modulation speed, 20 channel SiN-filter banks, and Ge-photodetectors. Results towards a 40GSa/sec sampling system with 8bits resolution are presented.
Novel mixed polyanions lithium-ion battery cathode materials predicted by high-throughput ab initio computations

The discovery of new chemistries outperforming current lithium intercalation cathodes is of major technological importance. In this context, polyanionic systems with the potential to exchange multiple electrons per transition metal are particularly interesting because they could combine the safety of polyanion systems with higher specific energy. In this paper, we report on a series of new mixed polyanions compounds of formula AxM(YO3)(XO4) (with A = Na, Li; X = Si, As, P; Y = C, B; M = a redox active metal; and x = 0 to 3) identified by high-throughput ab initio computing. The computed stability of both lithium and sodium-based compounds is analyzed along with the voltage, specific energy and energy density of the lithium-based compounds. This analysis suggests several novel carbonophosphates and carbonosilicates as potential high capacity (>200 mAh/g) and specific energy (>700 Wh/kg) cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
Nanotechnology: High-speed integrated nanowire circuits

Inexpensive sophisticated circuitry can be ‘painted’ on to plastic or glass substrates. Macroelectronic circuits made on substrates of glass or plastic could one day make computing devices ubiquitous owing to their light weight, flexibility and low cost1. But these substrates deform at high temperatures so, until now, only semiconductors such as organics and amorphous silicon2 could be used, leading to poor performance. Here we present the use of low-temperature processes to integrate high-performance multi-nanowire transistors into logical inverters and fast ring oscillators on glass substrates. As well as potentially enabling powerful electronics to permeate all aspects of modern life, this advance could find application in devices such as low-cost radio-frequency tags and fully integrated high-refresh-rate displays.
Modeling and estimation of stage-specific daily survival probabilities of nests

In studies of avian nesting success, it is often of interest to estimate stage-specific daily survival probabilities of nests. When data can be partitioned by nesting stage (e.g., incubation stage, nestling stage), piecewise application of the Mayfield method or Johnson's method is appropriate. However, when the data contain nests where the transition from one stage to the next occurred during the interval between visits, piecewise approaches are inappropriate. In this paper, I present a model that allows joint estimation of stage-specific daily survival probabilities even when the time of transition between stages is unknown. The model allows interval lengths between visits to nests to vary, and the exact time of failure of nests does not need to be known. The performance of the model at various sample sizes and interval lengths between visits was investigated using Monte Carlo simulations, and it was found that the model performed quite well: bias was small and confidence-interval coverage was at the nominal 95% rate. A SAS program for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of parameters, and their standard errors, is provided in the Appendix.
Microbial Induction of Vascular Pathology in the CNS

The central nervous system (CNS) is a finely tuned organ that participates in nearly every aspect of our day-to-day function. Neurons lie at the core of this functional unit and maintain an active dialogue with one another as well as their fellow CNS residents (e.g. astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia). Because of this complex dialogue, it is essential that the CNS milieu be tightly regulated in order to permit uninterrupted and efficient neural chemistry. This is accomplished in part by anatomical barriers that segregate vascular components from the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and brain parenchyma. These barriers impede entry of noxious materials and enable the CNS to maintain requisite protein and ionic balances for constant electrochemical signaling. Under homeostatic conditions, the CNS is protected by the presence of specialized endothelium/epithelium, the blood brain barrier (BBB), and the blood-CSF barrier. However, following CNS infection these protective barriers can be comprised, sometimes resulting in severe neurological complications triggered by an imbalance or blockage of neural chemistry. In some instances, these disruptions are severe enough to be fatal. This review focuses on a selection of microbes (both viruses and parasites) that compromise vascular barriers and induce neurological complications upon gaining access to the CNS. Emphasis is placed on CNS diseases that result from a pathogenic interplay between host immune defenses and the invading microbe.
Predation by Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) on Fish Eggs in Lake Superior

Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) were introduced to North America in the Duluth, Minnesota—Superior, Wisconsin harbor, which is the westernmost point on the Laurentian Great Lakes. The species proliferated in the harbor and became the subject of research which has gradually revealed certain characteristics of the biology and population growth of the ruffe. In this study ruffe in Southwestern Lake Superior were found to have eaten benthic organisms and eggs of lake herring (Coregonus artedii). Overwinter predation by ruffe on eggs of lake herring and of other fall spawning Great Lakes fishes might pose a substantial new source of overwinter mortality.
Cost of hospitalizations for heart failure: sodium retention versus other decompensating factors.

Abstract Objective: To determine the cost of heart failure–related hospital admissions and to compare the cost of admissions for sodium retention with the cost of admissions for other decompensating factors. Design: Retrospective, non-experimental, cost analysis. Setting: Midwestern university-affiliated, tertiary care, medical center. Sample: Two hundred seven heart failure–related admissions, 117 (57%) of which were for sodium retention leading to volume overload. Outcome Measures: Cost of hospitalization. Procedure: Data obtained from the patient and financial records of patients hospitalized for heart failure in 1992 were analyzed using the ratio of cost-to-charge accounting procedure. Results: The total cost was $2,442,720 for the 207 heart failure–related admissions; the average cost was $12,400 per admission. Approximately half of the cost of the hospitalizations was expended in the 4 cost centers comprising routine and critical care services, which incorporate room charges and nursing care. Another one third of the cost was for supplies, medications, and laboratory tests. Admissions as a result of sodium retention had lower costs than admissions as a result of other factors. Conclusion: The cost of hospitalization for heart failure is high. Routine services, supplies, medications, and laboratory tests used by these patients contribute to the high cost of care. Improved outpatient management strategies are necessary to reduce hospital admissions as a result of sodium retention. (Heart Lung® 1999;28:102-9)