cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward Robust Outlier Detector for Internet of Things Applications

Outliers in time‐series Internet of Things (IoT) data are frequent and may affect performance of the applications significantly. Therefore, their detection and mitigation are two important concerns to enable applications perform efficiently. This chapter discusses various state of the art anomaly detection techniques and provides their limitations in time‐series data analysis. We emphasize the need to investigate a robust method to detect anomalies in time‐series data for IoT applications. The chapter portrays a novel resilient outlier detector method that has potential to detect the anomalies injected by a nefarious adversary. We further provide the different modules of the proposed method and describe how they can be coupled together. Further, chapter delineates some of the open research issues that need to be tackled in the context of the proposed outlier detection method.
Macular Thickness in Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration Is Influenced by Disease Severity and Subretinal Drusenoid Deposit Presence

Purpose To investigate how macular thickness varies with intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD) severity and the presence of subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDDs). Methods A longitudinal prospective study of 143 participants >50 years of age with no to intermediate AMD who were followed with multimodal imaging and functional testing. Participants were stratified by iAMD severity according to imaging features. Macular thicknesses measurements over the central circles with 1-mm, 3-mm, and 6-mm diameters obtained from ocular coherence tomography imaging were compared across severity categories using cross-sectional (143 eyes) and longitudinal (subset of 77 eyes followed for 4 years) multivariate analyses. Results Compared with control eyes without large drusen or SDDs (Group 0), central maculas of lower risk eyes with unilateral large drusen (Group 1) were thicker (P = 0.014), whereas higher risk eyes with SDDs (Group SDD) were thinner (P = 0.02) in cross-sectional multivariate analyses. In longitudinal analyses, maculas with SDDs thinned more rapidly over 4 years relative to control eyes (P = 0.0058), which did not show significant thinning. More rapid central macular thinning was associated with worse baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (P = 0.016) and more rapid BCVA decline (P = 0.0059). Conclusions Macular thickness in iAMD varies with disease severity, showing small increases in eyes with large drusen and decreases in eyes with SDDs. Active processes possibly related to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration may be contributory. Longitudinal central macular thickness evaluation is an accessible outcome measure relevant to functional measures and is potentially useful for iAMD interventional studies.
Abstract CT231: Clinical study of the safety and tolerability of laser interstitial thermal therapy and avelumab for recurrent glioblastoma

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal disease with no standard care for disease progression and as other cancers is known to evade the immune system. Avelumab is a human IgG1 antibody that binds PD-L1 and blocks the interaction between PD-L1 and its receptors PD-1 and B7-1. Consequently, the suppressive effect on T cell function is inhibited and anti-tumor CD8+ T cells cytotoxicity is restored.Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) is a minimally invasive technique that allows the delivery of light energy causing disruption of the blood-brain barrier and hyperthermia of a brain lesion, initiating a cascade of events leading to coagulative necrosis and potentially triggering immunogenic death of cancer cells. It is hypothesized that avelumab combined with MRI-guided LITT has acceptable safety, tolerability and will generate robust immunomodulation and clinical activity to treat brain cancer. Methods: This phase 1 study is enrolling adult patients with first recurrence of GBM. The study follows a 3+3 design exploring safety and tolerability in part A, Avelumab alone and part B, Avelumab combined with LITT (NCT03341806). Objective response will be determined by iRANO criteria and secondary objectives include PFS and OS. Avelumab is administered intravenously within a week of LITT and every two weeks thereafter until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Tissue immune biomarkers, signature of plasma analytes, and circulating cellular signature profiling are assessed. Part A and B completed enrollment with no serious infusion or immune-related adverse events. The study will proceed with an expansion cohort on January 2020. A Simon minimax two-stage design will be used for efficacy. The first stage consists of the 6 subjects evaluable from the safety cohorts in Part 1B together with the first 8 subjects in the expansion cohort (total of 14 subjects). Citation Format: Adilia Hormigo, John Mandeli, Saadi Ghatan, Constantinos Hadjipanayis, Raymond Yong, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Sacha Gnjatic. Clinical study of the safety and tolerability of laser interstitial thermal therapy and avelumab for recurrent glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr CT231.
The Lawyer as Accomplice: Cannabis, Uber, Airbnb, and the Ethics of Advising 'Disruptive' Businesses

This Article examines the legal and ethical problems of corporate lawyers who advise businesses that operate just beyond the edge of legality. These include manufacturers and sellers of cannabis products (a felony under federal law, even if ostensibly permitted by state statutes) as well as a substantial number of startup companies, like Uber and Airbnb, whose “disruptive” business models involve deliberately violating local laws and ordinances, many of which carry criminal penalties. Under the current Model Rules of Professional Conduct, a lawyer “shall not counsel a client to engage, or assist a client, in conduct that the lawyer knows is criminal or fraudulent.” This poses serious problems for lawyers who do not wish to violate the ethics rules and may also worry about the potential consequences of such violations, such as loss of malpractice insurance coverage and attorney-client confidentiality. More broadly, it raises the complex question of what kinds of advice and assistance ethically conscientious corporate lawyers should give to startups and other businesses whose activities veer into the not-quite-legal. Is the absolute prohibition of the Model Rules on advising and assisting criminal conduct the correct standard, or should lawyers be permitted, under some circumstances, to provide legal services to businesses who deliberately violate existing laws in an effort to change those laws, develop new industries and provide popular new goods and services? The Article first provides a short history of corporate lawyering, explaining how the lawyers’ role has increasingly shifted toward that of an “accomplice,” expected to advise on questions of enforcement and detection as well as legality. It follows with three case studies: of cannabis businesses, Uber, and Airbnb, which each present different ethical and legal issues. It concludes with a general discussion of the philosophical and legal issues raised by these new forms of corporate law-breaking and a proposal of new ethical guidelines for lawyers confronting such issues.
Effects of Fuel Oxygenation and Ducted Fuel Injection on the Performance of a Mixing-Controlled Compression-Ignition Optical Engine with a Two-Orifice Fuel Injector

Abstract This paper describes results from an optical-engine investigation of oxygenated fuel effects on ducted fuel injection (DFI) relative to conventional diesel combustion (CDC). Three fuels were tested: a baseline, non-oxygenated No. 2 emissions certification diesel (denoted CFB), and two blends containing potential renewable oxygenates. The first oxygenated blend contained 25 vol% methyl decanoate in CFB (denoted MD25), and the second contained 25 vol% tri-propylene glycol mono-methyl ether in CFB (denoted T25). Whereas DFI and fuel oxygenation primarily curtail soot emissions, intake-oxygen mole fractions of 21% and 16% were employed to explore the potential additional beneficial impact of dilution on engine-out emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). It was found that DFI with an oxygenated fuel can attenuate soot incandescence by ~100X (~10X from DFI and an additional ~10X from fuel oxygenation) relative to CDC with conventional diesel fuel, regardless of dilution level and without large effects on other emissions or efficiency. This breaks the soot/NOx trade-off with dilution, enabling simultaneous reductions in both soot and NOx emissions, even with conventional diesel fuel. Significant cyclic variability in soot incandescence for both CDC and DFI suggests that additional improvements in engine-out soot emissions may be possible via improved control of in-cylinder mixture formation and evolution.
OPRD1 SNPs associated with opioid addiction are cis-eQTLs for the phosphatase and actin regulator 4 gene, PHACTR4, a mediator of cytoskeletal dynamics.

Several OPRD1 intronic variants were associated with opioid addiction (OD) in a population-specific manner. This follow-up study aims to further characterize the OPRD1 haplotype pattern of the risk variants in different populations and apply in silico analysis to identify potential causal variants. A population-specific haplotype pattern was revealed based on six OPRD1 eQTL SNPs and five common haplotypes were identified in a sample of European ancestry (CEU). A European-specific haplotype (‘Hap 3’) that includes SNPs previously associated with OD and is tagged by SNP rs2236861 is more common in subjects with OD. It is quite common (10%) in CEU but is absent in the African sample (YRI) and extends upstream of OPRD1. SNP rs2236857 is most probably a non-causal variant in LD with the causal SNP/s in a population-specific manner. The study provides an explanation for the lack of association in African Americans, despite its high frequency in this population. OD samples homozygous for ‘Hap 3’ were reanalyzed using a denser coverage of the region and revealed at least 25 potentially regulatory SNPs in high LD. Notably, GTEx data indicate that some of the SNPs are eQTLs for the upstream phosphatase and actin regulator 4 (PHACTR4), in the cortex, and others are eQTLs for OPRD1 and the upstream lncRNA ENSG00000270605, in the cerebellum. The study highlights the limitation of single SNP analysis and the sensitivity of association studies of OPRD1 to a genetic background. It proposes a long-range functional connection between OPRD1 and PHACTR4. PHACTR4, a mediator of cytoskeletal dynamics, may contribute to drug addiction by modulating synaptic plasticity.
Marketing Methods in the Middle East

The quintupling of crude oil prices in 1973–1975 caused a giant increase in Iran’s and Saudi Arabia’s oil revenues which are channeled to finance their ambitious five-year development plans. For example, the new Saudi Economic Development Plan (1975–1980) calls for an expenditure of approximately $142 billion. Consequently, Iran and Saudi Arabia now rank as the most rapidly growing import markets between Europe and Japan.
Fast synaptic fatigue in shibire mutants reveals a rapid requirement for dynamin in synaptic vesicle membrane trafficking.

Fast synaptic fatigue in shibire mutants reveals a rapid requirement for dynamin in synaptic vesicle membrane trafficking
Trawling Genetic Databases: When a DNA Match is Just a Naked Statistic

Genetic databases are highly controversial. Significant controversy followed a report by the National Research Council (1996) concluding that a DNA match resulting from a database trawl is less probative than when only a single test is conducted. Legal scholars and statisticians have demonstrated why this conclusion is specious, but there is no empirical research examining what impact a trawl match has on jurors. The current experiment demonstrates that mock jurors are less likely to convict when a DNA match arises from a database trawl compared to a conventional confirmation case. Interestingly, however, the probability judgments of guilt did not differ between the cases. The Wells effect (Wells 1992) is consistent with this disjunction, where a trawl match is more likely to be viewed as naked statistical evidence that influences the perception of guilt but not guilty verdicts. A second study examined mock jurors' perceptions of the arguments advanced by the Bayesian and frequentist camps over the probative value of trawl matches. The frequentist argument led to fewer convictions, while the Bayesian argument increased the conviction rate, as expected. The Bayesian argument also attenuated the Wells effect. Implications for the introduction of trawl matches are considered in light of these findings.
INHIBITION OF YEASTS BY A MARINE BACTERIUM

Abstract Buck, John D. (University of Miami, Miami, Fla.), Donald G. Ahearn, Frank J. Roth, Jr., and Samuel P. Meyers. Inhibition of yeasts by a marine bacterium. J. Bacteriol. 85:1132–1135. 1963.—Although investigations have shown the widespread occurrence of yeasts in the marine environment, notably members of the genus Rhodotorula, studies of a marine amphipod community revealed few, if any, pink yeasts. A gram-negative bacterium (designated AEB, a member of the genus Pseudomonas) isolated from the amphipod habitat showed marked selective ability to inhibit yeasts of both terrestrial and marine origin. Activity was demonstrated with both live cultures of the bacterium and untreated cell-free filtrates. Variously extracted and treated filtrates of the isolate have shown divergent patterns and spectra of inhibition of species of the genus Rhodotorula and of other genera.
Cervical Spine and Neck Injuries

Cervical spine and neck injuries are becoming increasingly recognized as significant contributors to morbidity and mortality in the USA and Coalition Armed Forces. Throughout history, combat-related spinal injury has been recognized as rare but severe, often associated with other devastating injuries and a high mortality rate. In today’s military, both atraumatic “spine pain” and combat injury have had deleterious effects on force readiness, while recent literature has suggested that the rate of cervical injury in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan may be the highest ever recorded. These injury patterns continue to be associated with significant mortality. Evolving literature is beginning to shed light on this previously under-recorded but substantial aspect of combat-related injury as well as the limits of intervention in hostile environments. It is therefore highly important to understand the history, epidemiology, characterization, and treatment protocols for these injuries to maximize military capabilities in the future.
Thromboelastography in healthy horses and horses with inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders and suspected coagulopathies.

Objectives – To evaluate the use of citrated recalcified (nonactivated) thromboelastography (TEG) in healthy horses and horses with colitis and suspected coagulopathies. Design – Prospective, observational study conducted between October 2007 and June 2009. Setting – Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Animals – Forty-five healthy adult horses and 12 sick adult horses with colitis and prolonged prothrombin time (PT) or activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Interventions – None. Measurements and Main Results – Whole blood was collected on admission. Coagulation profile (PT, aPTT, platelet count, and fibrinogen concentration) and citrated recalcified whole blood TEG analysis (R-time [R], Ktime [K], angle [a], maximum amplitude [MA], G value [G], lysis at 60min [LY60]) were evaluated. Mean values (SD) for TEG parameters in healthy horses were: R 510.4 (3.1) minutes; K 53.5 (1.2) minutes; a 546.3 (11.0)1 ;M A555.6 (5.1)mm; G 56,429 (1,341)dyn/cm 2 , and LY60 55.1 (2.4)%. Mean coefficients of variation for intra-assay/interindividual variability in healthy horses were: R 54.7%/30.7%, K 54.8%/35.3%, a 54.4%/23.8%, MA 51.4%/9.3%, G 53.4%/20.8%, and LY60 513.1%/47.7%, respectively. Horses with colitis and prolonged PT and/or aPTT had longer mean values for R (Po0.001) and K (Po0.001), narrower mean a (Po0.001), decreased mean MA (P 50.001), and smaller mean G (P 50.02); changes consistent with hypocoagulability. Conclusions – Citrated recalcified (nonactivated) TEG demonstrated changes consistent with hypocoagulability in horses with colitis that had preidentified coagulation abnormalities. This technique has high interindividual variability and low intra-assay variability. TEG may be useful for detecting hypocoagulable states in horses with colitis and suspected coagulopathies.
Do COPD severity parameters predict mood disorders

We evaluated the mood states disorders in COPD patients and their relationship with COPD severity parameters. We studied 60 consecutive stable COPD outpatients (39 M; aged 53-91) and 30 subjects without respiratory disease (control group) (14 M; aged 50-86). All subjects performed a spirometry and a six minutes walking test (6’WT). Dyspnea perception was evaluated by modified Medical Research Council questionnaire (mMRC). Depressive and anxious symptoms were investigated by Beck Depression Inventory-II and Stay Y, respectively. The COPD patients were classified on the basis of guidelines: 30 in group A, 8 in B, 13 in C, and 9 in D. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in COPD patients and in controls was 28% and 23%, respectively (NS). No significant difference was found between groups for depression severity. Among COPD patients, depressive symptoms distribution was: 5 in categorie A, 4 in B, 2 in C and 6 in D (p=.034). A higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and higher severity levels were found in B+D when compared to A+C subjects (p 6’WT and mMRC were inversely related only in COPD patients (p mMRC and depression were directly correlated (p Anxiety prevalence was not different between groups. Anxiety was not associated with mMRC, GOLD stages, exacerbation in the last year. We conclude that, among individual parameters of COPD severity, only mMRC score is a good, strong and direct predictor of depression in COPD patients. Depressive symptoms should be investigated in COPD when mMRC score is high.
Inhibition of calcium mobilization is an early event in opiate-induced immunosuppression.

Morphine administered as a subcutaneous implant inhibits the initial increase in cytoplasmic free-calcium [Ca2+]i induced by mitogens in mouse splenocytes. This effect was not reproduced by incubation of splenocytes with morphine (10(-8)-10(-4) M). Analysis of splenocyte subpopulations demonstrates that this effect was manifest in both B and T cells. However, within T cell subpopulations, CD4+ but not CD8+ cells were affected. Adrenalectomy abolished this effect of morphine in CD4+ T but not CD4-, CD8- spleen cells (most likely Thy 1.2- B cells). Moreover, simultaneous administration of the opiate antagonist naltrexone blocked the effect of morphine in CD4-, CD8- spleen cells, but not in CD4+ T cells. These data indicate that the effects of morphine on mitogen-stimulated increase in [Ca2+]i may be mediated through distinct glucocorticoid-dependent and -independent mechanisms. The morphine-induced inhibition of an increase in [Ca2+]i in immune cells reported here may be an early event mediating opiate-indu...
‘Clouds on a wall’: The Mirror of Speech in the Adagiorum Chiliades and the Moriae encomium

This article examines the topos of speech as the mirror of the mind (oratio speculum animi) in the Adagiorum Chiliades and the Moriae encomium. It has been argued that Erasmus uses this metaphor to express the idea that the ingenium of the speaker or writer emerges fully in language, which supposedly offers a transparent representation of a hidden essence. A topographical reading of the mirror image in the Chiliades, however, reveals that issues of illusion and obscurity unsettle the notion that speech offers clear access to an invisible interior. A close analysis of adages dealing with this theme shows, instead, that the reader or listener must piece together the pectus (mind, heart) of the speaker/writer from enigmatic clues left in language. Erasmus’s obsessive engagement with the theme of versatility in the Chiliades further complicates the mirror metaphor, for it juxtaposes the ambiguous ideal of adaptability to circumstances with the idea that speech provides access to a singular essence. Folly’s ironic citation of the mirror commonplace in the Moriae encomium shows to what extent language can suggest multiple essences, or even the absence of a fixed identity.
Electrical nerve stimulation using a stimulating catheter: what is the lower limit?

Objectives: To minimize the risk of intraneural injection when performing nerve blocks, some authors caution against injecting through a needle placed with motor responses observed at nerve stimulator output settings of 0.3 mA or less. We present a case of placing a continuous cervical paravertebral catheter with brisk motor response while stimulating the catheter at 0.05 mA, with no adverse sequelae. Case Report: A 56-year-old man scheduled for rotator cuff repair received a continuous cervical paravertebral block for intraoperative and postoperative pain control. A stimulating catheter was used for the block. During catheter placement, nerve stimulator output was decreased to 0.05 mA at 300 μs and the motor response remained brisk. The patient was not significantly sedated and experienced no pain during placement or with injection of 40 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine through the catheter. Narcotic drugs were not required during surgery, and the block provided excellent postoperative pain control. Catheter position was evaluated by fluoroscopy to further identify the catheter9s relationship to the brachial plexus. The nerve trunks of C5 and C6 were clearly visible after 1 mL of iohexol (Omnipaque) was injected through the catheter. The catheter was removed the following day. At the follow-up visit 2 weeks later, the patient9s neurological examination remained unremarkable. Conclusion: We present a single case of successful placement of a stimulating catheter with no neurological injury even when motor response occurred at very low nerve stimulator output settings.
d-Amphetamine, operant history, and variable-interval performance☆

The effects of d-amphetamine on the bar-pressing of rats maintained under a variable-interval schedule of water reinforcement were examined as a function of the operant history of the subjects. One group of rats initially received 51 sessions of exposure to a fixed-ratio 20 schedule, while a second group received equivalent exposure to an interresponse-time-greater-than-12-sec schedule. Mean group response rate when stable was over ten times as high under the fixed-ratio schedule as under the interresponse-time-greater-than-12-sec schedule. Response rates of the two groups largely converged across 47 sessions of exposure to a variable-interval 60-second schedule, at which time response rates for both groups appeared stable. Acute administration of d-amphetamine sulfate similary affected mean response rates of both groups: A 0.25 mg/kg dose did not obviously affect rate, while doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg produced dose-dependent rate decreases. These results indicate that the efficacy of operant history as a determinant of drug effects may be limited to circumstances where current contingencies do not exercise powerful and direct control over behavior.
2.6.2 Innovation in the Context of Systems Engineering

This paper analyzes the relationship between innovation and Systems Engineering. Innovation is essential in high technology companies. However, System Engineering's emphasis on process, documentation, and control is often perceived to inhibit innovation. We performed an in-depth literature search on the topics of innovation and Systems Engineering. This research led to the conclusion that Systems Engineering is basically consistent with innovation, with the recognition that radical innovation may require special consideration. We also provide suggestions for better accommodating innovation within Systems Engineering.
Small adsorbate dipole moments need not imply small charge transfers

Abstract It is pointed out that small, electronegative adatoms like H and O are able to exhibit very small dipole moments even though they may show appreciable charge transfer. This is true because the spatial separations of charge involved can be far less than 1 A.
Deciphering All Those Minimum Aberration Criteria for Experimental Designs

Since the concept of minimum aberration was proposed for regular two-level fractional factorial designs, there have been attempts to extend the criterion to wider applications. Recently, many minimum aberration criteria definitions have been developed, ..
Scalable parallel volume raycasting for nonrectilinear computational grids

A scalable approach to parallel volume raycasting of structured and unstructured computational grids is presented. The algorithm is general enough to handle non-convex grids and cells, grids with voids, grids constructed from multiple grids, and embedded geometrical primitives. The algorithm is designed for a highly parallel MIMD architecture which features both local memory and shared memory with nonuniform access times. It has been implemented on a BBN TC2000 and benchmarked on several datasets. A variation of the algorithm which provides fast image updates for a changing transfer function is also presented. A distributed approach to controlling the execution of the volume render is used and the graphical user interface designed for this purpose is briefly described.
Evaluation of data for Sinkhole-development risk models

Before risk assessments for sinkhole damage and indemnification are developed, a data base must be created to predict the occurrence and distribution of sinkholes. This database must be evaluated in terms of the following questions: (1) are available records of modern sinkhole development adequate, (2) can the distribution of ancient sinks be used for predictive purposes, and (3) at what areal scale must sinkhole occurrences be evaluated for predictive and risk analysis purposes?
Actinide thermodynamic predictions—II. Stabilities of actinide anions in liquid ammonia

Abstract The stabilities (as ΔGfo) of monatomic actinide anions in liquid ammonia are estimated from a simple electrostatic model. It is shown that, with the possible exception of Md−, the existence of actinide anions in this solvent is highly improbable.
Classwide Peer Tutoring: Practice, Theory, Research, and Personal Narrative.

Contemporary teachers need instructional practices that are (a) powerful enough to meet the needs of a rapidly diversifying student population, (b) feasible to implement on a classwide basis, and (c) socially acceptable to them and their pupils. Classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) is one such instructional practice. In addition to describing CWPT, its research base, and supporting theoretical perspectives, this article describes a project in which a classroom teacher in a remedial education program worked collaboratively with an educational researcher to examine the impact of CWPT on her pupils’ math computational fluency as monitored on district-adopted, curriculum-based assessments. Results indicated that all pupils, including those with disabilities, made substantial learning gains and improved their academic-related behavior in class. The teacher reported that CWPT was relatively easy to implement and that her students loved playing the tutoring game in math.
Unusually Cu-rich magmas associated with giant porphyry copper deposits : Evidence from Bingham, Utah

Mass-balance constraints indicate that formation of giant porphyry copper deposits (PCDs) requires either highly efficient collection of Cu from large volumes of magma or unusually Cu-rich parent magmas. Support for the second of these possibilities has been discovered in the form of mafic enclaves with abundant bornite and chalcopyrite in the Last Chance stock, one of the parent intrusions of the giant Bingham PCD, Utah, United States. Mineral assemblages and compositions indicate that the Last Chance enclaves are autoliths consisting of phases that crystallized from the intrusion, and that the intrusion was unusually enriched in Cu. One possible mechanism for generating Cu-rich magmas is fractional crystallization during pyrrhotite undersaturated conditions. The high fO 2 conditions observed for the Last Chance stock may have allowed such an evolution. Alternatively, if the magma has not undergone significant fractionation, early crystallization of chalcopyrite and bornite from the magma would indicate that the lower-crustal source region for the magma probably contained Cu-Fe sulfides. Possible Cu-rich source regions are a subcrustal mafic intrusion with sulfide cumulates, or a deeply buried metamorphic terrane containing Cu deposits such as those in the Curaca Valley (Brazil) or Okiep (South Africa). Heterogeneous distribution of Cu-Fe sulfides in an Okiep-type source terrane would produce local PCDs such as Bingham, or large accumulations of Cu-Fe sulfides, possibly in the form of cumulates in subcrustal intrusions at convergent margins, could produce giant PCD provinces such as those in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and central Chile.
Treatment of the small unruptured ectopic pregnancy: a cost analysis of methotrexate versus laparoscopy.

Objective To compare the economic costs between two strategies for management of the small unruptured ectopic pregnancy: initial treatment with methotrexate versus initial treatment with laparoscopic salpingostomy. Methods We assumed that both treatment strategies would result in identical clinical outcomes: resolution of the ectopic pregnancy without maternal mortality or long-term morbidity. Based on a literature review, estimates were derived for the likely clinical outcomes of a single injection of methotrexate (50 mg/m2) and for the likely clinical outcomes of the laparoscopy strategy. A range of values was evaluated for the initial success rate of each strategy and varying assumptions made about the type of treatment modality used for initial treatment failures. Direct medical costs of each strategy were estimated based on actual reimbursement rates of a third-party payer for the components of each strategy. The treatment strategies were compared in best-case/worst-case scenarios to determine the potential range of differences in costs between the two strategies. Results The cost of the methotrexate strategy ranged from $438 to $1390, and the cost of laparoscopic salpingostomy ranged from $2506 to $2974; therefore, the methotrexate strategy was less costly than laparoscopy, with a cost difference ranging from $1124 (best-case laparoscopy-worst-case methotrexate scenario) to $2536 (worst-case laparoscopybest-case methotrexate scenario). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that initial therapy with methotrexate was less costly over a wide range of probability and cost estimates. Conclusion Initial methotrexate is a cost-effective alternative to laparoscopic salpingostomy in the treatment of the small unruptured ectopic pregnancy.
Psychological services in a pediatric epilepsy clinic: Referral patterns and feasibility

Referral patterns for on-site psychological services were tracked in a pediatric epilepsy clinic at a university medical center. Results revealed that 84 children treated for seizures were referred to an on-site pediatric psychologist. Behavior problems were the overall most common reason for referral; however, boys were more likely to be referred for disruptive behaviors, and girls were more likely to be referred for internalizing symptoms. Following psychological assessment, brief cognitive-behavioral intervention services were provided on-site in the epilepsy clinic to 39% of children and families. Finally, referral rates for psychological assessment/intervention were likely far below the estimated prevalence rates for psychosocial maladjustment in children with epilepsy. Results, therefore, highlight the necessity of facilitating increased referrals to mental health providers and provide support for the feasibility of on-site mental health services.
Assistance and Accountability in Externally Managed Schools: The Case of Edison Schools, Inc.

Edison Schools, Inc., is the largest and most visible among a growing number of Education Management Organizations that have entered into contracts to manage public schools, including both conventional and charter schools. Edison's approach to managing schools is comprehensive, and it distinguishes itself from most other school improvement strategies by simultaneously addressing both the resources and assistance provided to schools and the accountability systems under which school staff operate. In this article we explore the ways in which the assistance and resources provided by Edison (including diverse professional development opportunities, materials, technology, and other tools), as well as accountability mechanisms (such as monitoring and rewards), have translated into principal and teacher actions, and the factors that facilitated or constrained educators' efforts to implement the Edison design and improve teaching and learning. Drawing on data gathered from extensive interviews, observations, and ...
Expression of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Human Periodontal Ligament Cells During Mineralization In Vitro

Periodontal regeneration is a complex process that requires coordinated responses from several cell types within the periodontium. It is generally accepted that the periodontal ligament (PDL) has a heterogeneous cell population, where some of the cells may be capable of differentiating into either cementoblasts or osteoblasts. Thus, it has been hypothesized that PDL cells play a role in promoting periodontal regeneration. However, definitive evidence to support this concept is lacking. Previously, we reported that PDL cells induce biomineralization as determined by Von Kossa histochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. To further determine the osteoblast-like properties of PDL cells, human PDL cells were exposed to dexamethasone (DEX) in order to promote an osteoblast phenotype, and then cell activity monitored during mineral nodule formation in vitro. For mineralization studies, cells were cultured in DMEM containing 10% FBS and a) vehicle only; b) ascorbic acid (50 micrograms/ml) and beta-glycerophosphate (10 mM); or c) ascorbic acid, beta-glycerophosphate and DEX (100 nM) for 30 days. In addition, the effects of DEX on PDL cells in non-mineralizing media were determined. Cells were stained weekly to evaluate mineral-like nodules, using the Von Kossa method. Northern blot analyses for mRNA steady state levels for several bone-associated proteins, i.e., osteopontin (OPN), bone sialoprotein (BSP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN), alpha 2(1)(type 1) collagen and osteonectin (ON), were performed. DNA levels were also determined during the 30-day mineralization period. Under phase contrast microscopy, PDL cells in non-mineralizing media treated with DEX exhibited a more spindle-shaped morphology when compared with similar cells not exposed to DEX. Mineralizing conditions were required to induce mineral nodule formation. However, in this situation, mineral induction was independent of DEX; and furthermore, DEX-treated cells did not exhibit a different morphological pattern when compared with non-DEX treated cells. Mineral-like nodules were first seen at day 15, in concert with an increase followed by a decrease in expression of type I collagen and ON mRNA in both DEX-treated and non-treated cultures. Using Northern blot analysis for detection of specific proteins, we found that PDL cells did not express OPN, BSP, OCN, or ALP under any of the conditions used in this study. DEX did not alter DNA content in the cultures during the mineralization period. These results confirm that human periodontal ligament cells can be induced to mineralize in vitro and indicate that dexamethasone does not significantly alter the extent and pattern of mineralization.
Cholecystectomy and right-sided colon cancer: an epidemiological study.

Abstract The relation between prior cholecystectomy and right-sided colon cancer was investigated in a case-control study of 150 patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the caecum or ascending colon and of two comparison groups. One comparison group consisted of 150 patients, matched for age, sex, and race, who had histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the descending or sigmoid colon and the other of 123 neighbourhood controls. Compared with left-sided cancer controls, the right-sided colon cancer cases had a relative risk of 1·87 for colon cancer after cholecystectomy. The relative risk was 1·86 when they were compared with the neighourhood controls. When compared with both control groups relative risk was 1·77, with 95% confidence limits of 0·95 and 3·3 (p = 0·07). The increased risk of right-sided colon cancer after cholecystectomy may be associated with changes in biliary metabolism occurring after removal of a gall bladder.
‘Quantifying the effects of forest canopy cover on net snow accumulation at a continental, mid‐latitude site’

Although many studies have investigated the effects of forest cover on streamflow and runoff, and several have examined the effects of canopy density on snowpack accumulation, the impacts of forest canopy density on spatial patterns of snowmelt input to catchments remain relatively underquantified. We performed an intensive snow depth and density survey during maximum accumulation in a mid-latitude montane environment in northern New Mexico, taking 900 snow depth measurements and excavating six snow pits across a continuum of canopy densities. Snow water equivalent (SWE) data are correlated with forest canopy density (R 2 = 0.21, p < 0.0001), with maximum snow accumulation in forests with density between 25 and 40%. Forest edges are shown to be highly influential on patterns of snow depth, with unforested areas shaded by forest to their immediate south holding approximately 25% deeper snow than either large open areas or densely forested areas. This indicates that the combination of canopy influences on throughfall and snowpack shading are key processes underlying snow distribution in the high solar load environments typical of mountainous, mid-latitude areas. We further show that statistical models of snow distribution are improved with the addition of remotely sensed forest canopy information (R 2 increased in 10 of 11 cases, deviance lowered in 9 of 11 cases), making these findings broadly relevant for improving estimation of water resources, predicting the ecohydrological implications of vegetation and climate change, and informing integrated forest and water resources management.
Ferritin, transferrin, and iron in selected regions of the adult and aged rat brain

Iron is necessary for normal neural function but it must be stringently regulated to avoid iron-induced oxidative injury. The regulation of systemic iron is through the proteins transferrin (iron mobilization) and ferritin (iron sequestration). This study examines the cellular and regional distribution of iron and the iron-related proteins ferritin and transferrin in selected regions of the adult and aged rat brain. This information is a necessary prerequisite to understanding the mechanism by which iron homeostasis is maintained in the brain. The predominant cell type containing ferritin, transferrin, and iron throughout the brain at all ages is the oligodendrocyte. Neurons in most brain regions contain granular iron deposits which become more apparent with age. Ferritin and iron are also present in microglial cells in all brain regions, but are particularly abundant in the hippocampus. These latter cells visibly increase in number in all brain regions as the animal approaches senescence. Another area in which immunostaining is notable is surrounding the III ventricle, where transferrin is found in the choroid plexus and ependyma and ferritin and iron are present in tanycytes. The results of this study indicate an important role for neuroglia in the regulation of iron in the brain and also implies that a transport system may exist for the transfer of iron between the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. In the normal rodent brain, the principal cell of iron regulation is the oligodendrocyte; however, the role of microglial cells in the sequestration and detoxification of iron may be significant, particularly as the animal ages. With age there is an increase in stainable iron in neurons without a concomitant increase in neuronal ferritin immunostaining, suggesting a ferritin independent accumulation of neuronal iron with age.
The cytosolic isoenzyme of 3‐deoxy‐D‐arabino‐heptulosonate 7‐phosphate synthase in Spinacia oleracea and other higher plants: extreme substrate ambiguity and other properties

The cytosolic isoenzyme of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase (DS-Co: EC 4.1.2.15) in Spinacia oleracea, Solanum tubersosum and many other higher plants was found to use a diversity of substrates. Diose (glycolaldehyde), triose (D-glyceraldehyde, L-glyceraldehyde and DL-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate), tetrose (D-erythrose, L-erythrose, D-erythrose 4-phosphate, D-threose and L-threose), and pentose (D-ribose 5-phosphate and D-arabinose 5-phosphate) were utilized in combination with phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to make the corresponding 2-keto-3-deoxy sugar acids. Glyoxylate was also utilized by DS-Co. Glycoladehyde exhibited the highest reaction velocity when substrates were tested at 3 mM concentrations. Pentoses were poor substrates except when phsophorylated, an effect which is probably due to an increased fraction of the molecules being in the open-chain form. Little stereoselective discrimination exists since comparable velocities were demonstrated with the D and L isomers of glyceraldehyde, erythrose or threose. The enzyme is not a reversible aldolase since pyruvate failed to substitute for PEP. The use of D-erythrose 4-phsophate or glycolaldehyde resulted in Km values of 1.95 mM and 8.60 mM, respectively. However, glycolaldehyde exhibited the largest VmaxKm ratio, suggesting a greater catalytic efficiency for this substrate. Glycolaldehyde is an ideal substrate for inexpensive assays of DS-Co that are absolutely selective in the presence of two other plant enzymes which also utilize erythrose 4-phosphate and PEP. The spinach DS-Co enzymes required divalent metals for activity. The presence of 20 mM Mg2+, 1 mM Co2+ and 1 mM Mn2+ yielded relative activities of 100, 70 and 15, respectively. The pH optimum was 9.5 and temperature optimum for activity was 49°C. The molecular masses of DS-Co from spinach, tobacco and pea were all in the range of 400 kDa. The possible roles of DS-Co in biosynthesis of α-ketoglutarate and aromatic amino acids, in biosynthesis of components of cell wall and phytotoxin, and in acting as a sink for 2-and 3-carbon sugars are discussed.
Transition metal chemistry of octafluorocyclooctatetraene

Abstract The organometallic chemistry of cyclooctatetraene (COT) has been particularly rich and varied in terms of the types of structure and dynamic behavior which have been observed. Our studies of the interactions of octafluorocyclooctatetraene (OFCOT) with transition metal centers have yielded novel structural types not encountered in the chemistry of COT. The transition metal oxidative addition chemistry of OFCOT will be described, and new metal-promoted transannular CC bond forming reactions to yield fluorocarbon skeletons based on the perfluorobicyclo[4.2.0]octatriene and perfluorosemibullvalene valence isomers of OFCOT will be outlined. Notably these structural classes of valence isomer have proven to be resistant to synthesis and isolation from free OFCOT. The x-ray crystal and molecular structures of a number of these complexes will be discussed.
Fundamental collocation method applied to plane thermoelasticity problems

The fundamental collocation method is adapted to plane stress thermoelasticity problems by considering the analogous body force problem. The region is subdivided into cells to handle the body forces and body forces are treated as concentrated loads acting at the centers of the cells. Examples are used to illustrate the method. The results show that the accuracy is good provided that the number of cells is sufficiently large.
Low-frequency seismology and the three-dimensional structure of the Earth

We attempt to catalogue those features of the three-dimensional structure of the Earth that are well-constrained by low-frequency data (i.e. periods longer than about 125 seconds). The dominant signals in such data are the surface-wave equivalent modes whose phase characteristics are mainly affected by a large scale structure of harmonic degree two in the upper mantle. Available aspherical models predict this phase behaviour quite well, but do not give an accurate prediction of the observed waveforms and we must appeal to higher-order structure an d /o r coupling effects to give the observed complexity of the data. Strong splitting of modes which sample the cores of the Earth is also observed and, though we do not yet have a model of aspherical structure which gives quantitative agreement with these data, anisotropy or large-scale aspherical structure in the inner core appears to be required to model the observed signal.
Enhanced sensitivity of the MRL/MPJ mouse to the neuroplastic and behavioral effects of acute and chronic antidepressant treatments

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and in the therapeutic effects of antidepressant drugs. Current immunohistochemical methods that study neurogenesis are time consuming and labor intensive. Therefore, a significantly more rapid flow cytometric method was characterized to measure neurogenesis in the adult mouse brain. The sensitivity of mice to the effects of antidepressant treatments is dependent on genetic background. Thus, studies were conducted comparing the responsiveness of two inbred mouse strains, MRL/MpJ and C57BL/6J, to the acute and chronic effects of antidepressants on neurochemistry and behavior. Acutely, MRL/MpJ mice displayed more robust behavioral and neurochemical responses to pharmacologically distinct antidepressants than C57BL/6J. Chronic administration of the antidepressant drugs fluoxetine and desipramine produced robust elevations in hippocampal cell proliferation and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels in MRL/MpJ mice. C57BL/6J mice treated similarly with antidepressant drugs were mainly unresponsive on these measures. Animals were tested in the novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH) paradigm to examine a behavioral response associated with chronic, but not acute, antidepressant treatment. Only MRL/MpJ mice were behaviorally responsive to chronic antidepressant administration in the NIH paradigm. The positive effects of chronic antidepressants on hippocampal cell proliferation and BDNF paralleled the ability of these drugs to produce changes in NIH behavior. These studies highlight the advantages of utilizing flow cytometry to study hippocampal neurogenesis and identify the MRL/MpJ mouse as a strain with superior response to antidepressant drug treatments that may lead to a better understanding of the genetics behind antidepressant efficacy and sensitivity.