cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimizing pre-, intra-, and postoperative management of patients with sellar pathology undergoing transsphenoidal surgery.

Objective Perioperative management of patients with sellar lesions is complex, requiring input from a multidisciplinary team of specialists for ongoing management of both endocrinological and neurosurgical issues. Here, the authors reviewed the experience of a single multidisciplinary center over 10 years to identify key postoperative practices that ensure positive outcomes for patients with sellar lesions who undergo transsphenoidal surgery. Methods The authors performed a retrospective review of all transsphenoidal operations carried out by the senior author at a single center from April 2008 through November 2018. They included only adult patients and recorded perioperative management. They also reviewed the evolution of clinical practices for perioperative care at their institution to identify strategies for ensuring positive patient outcomes, and they reviewed the literature on select related topics. Results In total, 1023 operations in 928 patients were reviewed. Of these, 712 operations were for pituitary adenomas (69.6%), and 122 were for Rathke cleft cysts (11.9%). The remainder included operations for craniopharyngiomas (3.6%), arachnoid cysts (1.7%), pituitary tumor apoplexy (1.0%), and other sellar pathologies (12.2%). Among the reviewed operations, the median hospital stay was 3 days (IQR 2-3). Patient management details during the pre-, intra-, and postoperative periods were identified, including both shared characteristics of all patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery and unique characteristics that are specific to certain lesion types or patient populations. Conclusions Patients with sellar lesions who undergo transsphenoidal surgery require complex, multidisciplinary perioperative care to monitor for common adverse events and to improve outcomes, but there is a dearth of high-quality evidence guiding most perioperative practices. Here, the authors reviewed practices at their institution across more than 1000 transsphenoidal operations that may help ensure successful patient outcomes.
Tensors in Statistics

This article provides an overview of tensors, their properties, and their applications in statistics. Tensors, also known as multidimensional arrays, are generalizations of matrices to higher order...
Acoustic Blind Deconvolution and Frequency-Difference Beamforming in Shallow Ocean Environments

Abstract : The overall long-term goal for this project is to develop engineering tools that are useful to the Navy as it operates in uncertain, partially known, or unknown ocean environments. During the last year, this project has focused on further determining the utility of a fully-passive propagation-physics-based technique for blind deconvolution of array-recorded sounds from a remote source with emphasis on determining how sparse-array measurements might be used for this task. The long term goals of this project are: i) to determine the effectiveness of synthetic time reversal (STR) for the purposes of blind deconvolution in noisy unknown ocean sound channels, ii) to effectively apply STR to marine mammal sounds recorded in the ocean with vertical and/or horizontal arrays, and iii) to utilize the STR-estimated signals and ocean-sound-channel impulse responses to classify, localize, and/or track individual marine mammals (or other sound sources) of interest. Since early 2009 this project has focused on developing an acoustic-ray-based version of synthetic time reversal (STR), a fully-passive technique for recovering the original signal and the source-to-arrayelement impulse responses for a remote unknown sound source in an unknown underwater waveguide [1-4]. The specific objectives are to: a) determine STR performance as a function of the signal-tonoise, array size, and array element number using acoustic propagation simulations, b) verify these findings with simple airborne- or water-borne acoustic laboratory experiments involving multiple receivers and multiple ray paths, c) obtain and process underwater array recordings of remote-butcooperative sound sources, and d) obtain and process marine mammal vocalizations for the purposes of marine mammal localization, tracking, and identification. This research effort extends the prior modebased version of STR [1] to higher frequencies, smaller receiving arrays, sparse receiving arrays, and sound channels with modal dispersion
Making the Familiar Strange : Sociology Contra Reification

This book examines the meaning and implications of the sociological maxim, ‘make the familiar strange’. Addressing the methodological questions of why and how sociologists should make the familiar strange, what it means to ‘make the familiar strange’, and how this approach benefits sociological research and theory, it draws on four central concepts: reification, familiarity, strangeness, and defamiliarization. Through a typology of the notoriously ambiguous concept of reification, the author argues that the primary barrier to sociological knowledge is our experience of the social world as fixed and unchangeable. Thus emerges the importance of constituting the familiar as the strange through a process of social defamiliarization as well as making this process more methodical by reflecting on heuristics and patterns of thinking that render society strange. The first concerted effort to examine an important feature of the sociological imagination, this volume will appeal to sociologists of any specialty and theoretical persuasion.
Soil-Water Characteristic Curves for Clayey Soil Treated with Cement or Lime

Geotechnical experts have been able to characterize the suction behavior of unsaturated soil through the development of soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs), which can in turn be used to solve various geotechnical engineering problems related to slope stability, bearing capacity of foundations, seepage, etc. Although considerable progress in the field of unsaturated soil mechanics has been achieved, the suction behavior of cementitiously stabilized soil, which is commonly used in a variety of ground improvement projects, is still not well understood. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of cement and lime stabilization on the SWCC of a clayey subgrade soil sampled from Monticello, Utah. The scope of work included extensive laboratory testing and data analyses. Six samples each of untreated, lime-treated, and cement-treated material were compacted, for a total of 18 samples. SWCC testing was accomplished using filter papers. Stabilization with cement slightly increased the air-entry potential, while stabilization with lime decreased the air-entry potential. However, stabilization with cement or lime consistently increased the pore-size distribution index, indicating a finer soil matrix that would be expected to drain water more slowly and therefore also experience less fluctuation in water content than the untreated soil.
Techniques for the extraction of high rectal foreign bodies by transanal minimally invasive surgery

Removal of rectosigmoid retained foreign bodies (RFB) may require laparoscopy and often laparotomy. Proctoscopic extraction from the distal sigmoid colon and proximal rectum can be technically difficult. Using a transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) approach, RFBs can be safely removed, avoiding an abdominal operation with associated morbidity. Patients without clinical findings concerning for acute colonic perforation undergo bedside digital rectal examination and proctoscopic attempt at removal of RFB. If unsuccessful, patients undergo rectal examination under anesthesia with proctoscopy and attempted RFB removal. If the RFB cannot be easily removed, a TAMIS port is inserted into the anal canal and pneumorectum is established. A laparoscopic camera and instruments are then used to facilitate removal of the RFB. To date, TAMIS was successful in all 10 patients with RFB requiring an operation. All patients tolerated the procedure well and were discharged to home from the postoperative recovery room. Unfortunately, none of the patients presented for follow-up visits, but there were no known complications. This technique can be considered prior to laparotomy for patients with RFBs after failed digital examination with proctoscopy.
Three Poems From a Pandemic

Three poems, written during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, are presented. The poems convey frustration, fear, and sense-making emerging from an unprecedented normative...
Patients recovering from abdominal surgery who walked with volunteers exhibited improved postoperative recovery profiles during hospitalization: reply.

Cakir et al. [1] raise an excellent point regarding the mental health of post-operative patients. We too were surprised by the lack of statistically significant difference in mental health scores between the post-operative walking group and the control group. Because our study design focused on the effect of walking on the physical recovery profile, we did not have pre-participation mental health profiles available. We agree that the similarity in post-operative mental health scores could be a result of the walking group having a lower pre-operative mental health score than the control group, thus making the final scores a significant finding. Another possibility is that the walking intervention’s effect on mental health is greatest in the first few weeks postoperatively. We may have missed this effect in our study of patients who were 30 days status post-surgery. Lastly, our study is limited by a small sample size. We may have lacked the statistical power to elucidate a difference in mental health scores between post-operative patients who walked and those that did not. We agree that future research should more thoroughly incorporate mental health evaluations in the preand postoperative period using a tool such as the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) [2].
Geminate exciton fusion fluorescence as a probe of triplet exciton transport after singlet fission

The geminate annihilation of two triplet excitons created by singlet exciton fission is affected by the dimensionality of transport as determined by typically anisotropic triplet exciton mobilities in organic molecular crystals. We analyze this process using a random-walk model where the time dynamics of the geminate annihilation probability is determined by the average exciton hopping times along the crystallographic directions. The model is then applied to the geminate fluorescence dynamics in rubrene, where the main channel for triplet-triplet annihilation is via triplet fusion and subsequent photon emission, and we identify the transitions between transport in one, two, and three dimensions.
The privileging of ‘Support-From-Below’ in early spatial language acquisition

Abstract Spatial terms that encode support (e.g., “on”, in English) are among the first to be understood by children across languages (e.g., Bloom, 1973; Johnston & Slobin, 1979). Such terms apply to a wide variety of support configurations, including Support-From-Below (SFB; cup on table) and Mechanical Support, such as stamps on envelopes, coats on hooks, etc. Research has yet to delineate infants’ semantic space for the term “on” when considering its full range of usage. Do infants initially map “on” to a very broad, highly abstract category – one including cups on tables, stamps on envelopes, etc.? Or do infants begin with a much more restricted interpretation - mapping “on” to certain configurations over others? Much infant cognition research suggests that SFB is an event category that infants learn about early - by five months of age (Baillargeon & DeJong, 2017) - raising the possibility that they may also begin by interpreting the word “on” as referring to configurations like cups on tables, rather than stamps on envelopes. Further, studies examining language production suggests that children and adults map the basic locative expression (BE on, in English) to SFB over Mechanical Support (Landau et al., 2016). We tested the hypothesis that this ‘privileging’ of SFB in early infant cognition and child and adult language also characterizes infants’ language comprehension. Using the Intermodal-Preferential-Looking-Paradigm in combination with infant eye-tracking, 20-month-olds were presented with two support configurations: SFB and Mechanical, Support-Via-Adhesion (henceforth, SVA). Infants preferentially mapped “is on” to SFB (rather than SVA) suggesting that infants differentiate between two quite different kinds of support configurations when mapping spatial language to these two configurations and more so, that SFB is privileged in early language understanding of the English spatial term “on”.
Long-term occupancy dynamics of the threatened Cheat Mountain salamander and its competitors in relation to linear habitat fragmentation

Abstract Amphibians are declining globally and while many factors are contributing to this decline, habitat loss and degradation caused by climate and land use changes are among the most critical. Habitat degradation and increased interspecific competition are both concerns for long-term viability of the federally-threatened Cheat Mountain salamander (Plethodon nettingi) which is endemic to high elevations in West Virginia. In this study, we quantified the impacts of linear habitat fragmentation (i.e., a linear forest clearing for creation of a ski slope) on local colonization and extinction probabilities in adjacent forested habitat for the Cheat Mountain salamander and two co-occurring competitor species, eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and Wehrle’s salamander (Plethodon wehrlei). We also quantified long-term changes in total occupancy of the species within the high elevation study area. We surveyed the salamander community annually from 1988 to 2021 using diurnal natural cover object searches at 43 plots, with 1988 representing three years following linear habitat fragmentation. For each species, we used dynamic occupancy models to identify and model influential covariates for initial occupancy, colonization, extinction, and detection probability. We found that distance to fragmentation was positively correlated with colonization probability for Cheat Mountain salamanders, indicating negative edge effects of the linear forest clearing. Distance to fragmentation was negatively correlated with colonization probability for eastern red-backed salamanders, potentially indicating this species benefited from increased solar radiation or reduced competition from Cheat Mountain salamanders. Predicted occupancy of eastern red-backed salamanders and Wehrle’s salamanders increased over the 34 year monitoring period, indicating potential for increased competitive interactions. Our study suggests that extensive linear habitat fragmentation could result in degraded habitat for Cheat Mountain salamanders in the adjacent forest, and that potential for interactions with competitor species is increasing in high elevation forest stands.
Library metadata ontologies

The Semantic Web is not a library. It is not even a catalog, per se. It is a way of representing, sharing, and linking with basic statements of fact about things. The granularity of the Semantic Web is not at the level at which libraries have been traditionally concerned with information. Libraries collected and described intellectual products that consist of some form of narrative, a book, a journal, a research paper, a movie, an album, or a song. More recently libraries have begun to assist scientists in cataloging their data sets. But the cataloging of individual facts was left to Webster’s, encyclopedias, survey papers, and the like. And yet it makes a great deal of sense to take the fine-grained descriptive data that libraries have meticulously crafted about these various objects, and generate Semantic Web data from it, because this represents knowledge. This chapter takes a look at the issues and challenges of publishing library metadata as Semantic Web data. It briefly reviews several applicable ontologies that have been used by various projects to create triples about bibliographic metadata and subject and author authority data. It also looks at a few Linked Open Data efforts that have been undertaken by libraries.
The Role of Morality in Early Republican Legal Science: The Case of Gulian C. Verplanck

This is the story of one of antebellum New York's most profound legal minds. In fact, a good case can be made that Gulian C. Verplanck rivaled Chancellor James Kent in his legal acumen. Verplanck is less familiar than Kent, however, because his career was so diverse and varied, and his contributions to the law did not always occur in the courtroom. This article is an attempt to restore a worthy member to American legal history and, at the same time, argue for an appreciation of Verplanck's larger importance among a unique group of early-American legal intellectuals who viewed the law as so much more than the pleadings of lawyers and the opinions of judges. Verplanck saw the law as interconnected with all fields of inquiry, especially moral philosophy, literature, and natural science. He vehemently argued that the search for legal knowledge was no different than the search for moral knowledge or the search for scientific knowledge. Thus Verplanck thought all lawyers should be liberally educated and that law should not be treated as a vocation. His theories led him to reject the common law doctrine of caveat emptor, to support an extension of copyright terms, and to make the case that the New York judiciary was in serious need of reform, a conclusion the legal community as a whole came to share within a decade. His proposals, however, were based, not upon precedent or established legal doctrine, but upon the science of political economy, a psychological theory of human motivation, and good old public utility. Verplanck's legal contemporaries were surprisingly supportive of his later endeavors despite his overt contempt for precedent and tradition. It seems modern legal professionals could learn something from Verplanck's desire to place the law in such a broad context even without agreeing with his philosophical foundations or policy conclusions.
PCB congener distribution in estuarine water, sediment and fish samples: implications for monitoring programs.

Traditional analyses for PCBs in environmental matrices have focused on commercial Aroclor mixtures with detection limits in the 100 to 1000 part per trillion range. This approach has recently been supplanted by analyses for specific PCB compounds called congeners with detection limits less than 0.5 ppt. At the national level, total PCB determinations based upon selected PCB congeners typically characterize analyses of surface water, sediment and tissue. These federal efforts rely on a suite of 18 to 20 congeners out of a total of 209 congeners to characterize total PCB. The present study compares total PCB estimates based upon this subset of congeners with estimates based upon an expanded list of 81 congeners from water, sediment and fish tissue collected from the Delaware Estuary. Analytical data from monitoring programs conducted in the Delaware Estuary by the Delaware River Basin Commission, NOAA National Ocean Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1996 to 1998 were evaluated. Total PCB estimates derived from the different sets of congeners, including the adjustment factor of 2.0 used by NOAA, were compared. This evaluation indicated that differences exist between total PCB determinations based upon these approaches, and that these differences vary depending on the matrix analyzed. The bias associated with using a smaller set of PCB congeners, and the implications for risk assessment are discussed.
Optimum input-filter-capacitor sizing for fuel-cell based single-phase inverter for current-ripple mitigation

Most single-phase inverters, being sourced by fuel-cell stacks (FCSs), subject the stacks to reflected low-frequency (120 Hz) current ripples that ride on average dc currents. The ripple current impacts the sizing and efficiency of the FCS. As such and typically, a passive or active filter is required at the input of the inverter (or output of the FCS) to mitigate the ripple current. Towards that end, this paper outlines a guideline to choose the optimum size of a passive input-filter capacitor for a fuel-cell-based power system from the standpoints of the overall system energy density and cost. Detailed case-specific simulation results, based on an analytical approach, are provided to illustrate key issues for both unity-power-factor as well as harmonic loads.
Questions about Hispanics and fundraising

To understand Latino traditions of philanthropy better, the fundraising profession should consider asking some new questions.
Comparison of Algebraic Turbulence Models for Afterbody Flows with Jet Exhaust

Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes simulations have been done for transonic and low supersonic flow past a nonaxisymmetric nozzle typical of those advocated for advanced fighter airplanes. The jet exhaust is included in the calculations. The investigation compares the performance of the unmodified Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model with its performance when enhanced by the Degani-Schiff and the Goldberg modifications. Solutions are presented for Mach numbers of 0.80, 0.94, and 1.20 at 0-deg angle of attack and a Reynolds number of 20 x 10 to the 6th. The numerical results, which are compared to the wind-tunnel data, show that the three turbulence models predict considerably different shock locations, separated-flow regions, and flowfields.
Gastrointestinal and tissue levels of nickel in deer micePeromyscus maniculatus and woodratsNeotoma fuscipes from serpentine and nonserpentine areas

Serpentine geologic formations have soils high in nickel. Nickel exerts deleterious effects on several body systems, and often accumulates in organs of laboratory animals exposed to nickel. To establish if deer micePeromyscus maniculatus Wagner, 1845 and dusky-footed woodratsNeotoma fuscipes Baird, 1858 of serpentine areas ingest nickel, and to determine if nickel accumulates in body tissues, I measured nickel in several organs and tissues of animals from serpentine and nonserpentine sites in southern Oregon. Nickel was present in significantly greater concentrations in the contents of the stomachs and small intestines ofP. maniculatus andN. fuscipes from serpentine areas than in those of animals from nonserpentine areas. Nickel was not detected, or was present in only trace amounts, in the livers, kidneys, spleens, hearts, lungs, brains, skeletal muscles, and bones of both species from both serpentine and nonserpentine sites.P. maniculatus from serpentine areas had significantly greater concentrations of nickel in the seminal vesicles, testes, and uteri and ovaries than didP. maniculatus from nonserpentine areas.
Processing of heme and heme-containing proteins by bacteria.

An extensive amount of new knowledge on bacterial systems involved in heme processing has been accumulated in the last 10 years. We discuss common themes in heme transport across bacterial outer and inner membranes, emphasizing proteins and mechanisms involved. The processing of heme in the bacterial cytoplasm is extensively covered, and a new hypothesis about the fate of heme in the bacterial cell is presented. Auxiliary genes involved in heme utilization, i.e., TonB, proteases, proteins involved in heme storage and pigmentation, as well as genes involved in regulation of heme assimilation are reviewed.
Bubble mesh: automated triangular meshing of non-manifold geometry by sphere packing

This paper presents a new computational method for fully automated triangular mesh generation, consistently applicable to wire-frame, surface, solid, and nonmanifold geometries. The method, called bubble rrzeshing, is based on the observation that a pattern of tightly packed spheres mimics a Voronoi diagram, from which a set of well-shaped Delaunay triangles and tetrahedral can be created by connecting the centers of the spheres. Given a domain geometry and a node-spacing function, spheres are packed on geometric entities, namely, vertices, edges, faces, and volumes, in ascending order of dimension. Once the domain is filled with spheres, mesh nodes are placed at the centers of these spheres and are then connected by constrained Delaunay triangulation and tet rahedrizat ion. To obtain a closely packed configuration of spheres, the authors devised a technique for physically based mesh relaxation with adaptive population control, The process of mesh relaxation significantly reduces the number of ill-shaped triangles and tetrahedral.
Isolation and structure of a covalent cross-link adduct between mitomycin C and DNA

A DNA cross-link adduct of the antitumor agent mitomycin C (MC) to DNA has been isolated and characterized; the results provide direct proof for bifunctional alkylation of DNA by MC. Exposure of MC to Micrococcus luteus DNA under reductive conditions and subsequent nuclease digestion yielded adducts formed between MC and deoxyguanosine residues. In addition to the two known monoadducts, a bisadduct was obtained. Reductive MC activation with Na2S2O4 (sodium dithionite) leads to exclusive bifunctional alkylation. The structure of the bisadduct was determined by spectroscopic methods that included proton magnetic resonance, differential Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and circular dichroism. Formation of the same bisadduct in vivo was demonstrated upon injection of rats with MC. Computer-generated models of the bisadduct that was incorporated into the center of the duplex B-DNA decamer d(CGTACGTACG)2 indicated that the bisadduct fit snugly into the minor groove with minimal distortion of DNA structure. A mechanistic analysis of the factors that govern monofunctional and bifunctional adduct formation is presented.
Three-dimensional self-consistent simulation of single-qubit operation by modulation of the hyperfine interaction in phosphors-doped metal-oxide-semiconductor structure

We study the hyperfine interaction in the Kane solid-state quantum computer device structure [Nature (London) 393, 133 (1998)] by solving self-consistently three-dimensional Poisson and Kohn-Sham equations and taking into account the nonisotropic effective mass at each of the six degenerate minima in the silicon conduction band. Specifically, we calculate the hyperfine interaction coefficient from the electron wave-function solution within the envelope function approximation and investigate its variations as a function of gate voltages and impurity position. In addition, we also consider the effect of the gate design on the hyperfine interaction modulation. We show that the hyperfine interaction between the donor electron and donor nucleus is extremely sensitive to all these parameters.
Raman spectra of matrix-isolated and solid chromiumhexacarbonyl

The Raman spectra of Cr(CO)6 have been measured in an Argon matrix at 13 K and in the solid state at 292 and 13 K. As expected only the A1g, Eg and F2g modes were observed in the matrix spectra. The ν4(Eg) mode was observed split into a polarized and a depolarized component. This indicated a lowering of the symmetry from Oh to D4h or one of its subgroups. Depolarization ratios obtained in the matrix were close to values obtainable in liquids. In the low temperature solid state spectra all thirteen fundamental modes as well as several overtones and combination bands were observed. The six modes ν5(F1g) (inactive), ν6(F1u), ν7(F1u), ν8(F1u), ν12(F2u) (inactive) and ν13(F2u) (inactive), which were previously inferred from overtones and combinations, were observed for the first time.
Introducing Case Management to Students in a Virtual World: An Exploratory Study

This paper discusses a small, exploratory study introducing students to case management using role-plays conducted in a virtual world. Data from pre- and posttest questionnaires (to assess self-efficacy regarding a range of case management tasks) suggest students felt more confident in their abilities after virtual role-play participation. Also discussed is preparing students for learning in a virtual world, some best practices to consider when developing virtual world experience, and larger contextual issues of increased broadband access to avoid exacerbating educational disparities.
Effect of bubble interactions on mass transfer in bubbly flow

Abstract The effect of bubble interactions on mass transfer in a multi-bubble system is examined by numerical simulations. Since mass transfer in the liquid phase of gas–liquid multiphase flows usually takes place at a considerably slower rate than the transfer of momentum, the mass flux boundary layers are much thinner than the momentum boundary layers. In direct numerical simulations the resolution requirements for flows with mass transfer are therefore considerably higher than for flows without mass transfer. Here, we use a multiscale approach for the computations of the mass transfer near the bubble surface, in order to reduce the cost, and examine the effect of void fraction and bubble Reynolds number on the mass transfer from bubbles in periodic domains. Specifically, we compare results for a single bubble in a periodic domain with results for several bubbles in a larger domain with the same void fraction. It is shown that even though the average Reynolds number of freely moving bubbles drops after a while, in most cases the mass transfer from the bubbles increases slightly. When the bubbles start to wobble, in most cases the increase in bubble–bubble interactions compensate for the reduction in Reynolds number.
Drug effects on motor coordination

The rotarod test of motor coordination in mice was modified by increasing the rotation speed every 30 sec until the animals fell off. This procedure yielded a stable, proficient level of performance within four brief trials; the approximately normal distribution of performance times provided an equivalent measure of either improvement or impairment caused by drugs and permitted the use of parametric statistical tests. A total of 240 mice were assigned to 20 different groups of 12 each, administered oral doses of placebo or different drugs, prior to trial 4. The use of a ratio score (performance time in trial 4 divided by the same animal's time in trial 3) provided a measure of drug-induced changes, controlling for individual differences among animals in over-all level of performance. Two phenothiazines (chlorpromazine and perphenazine) impaired performance at low doses, with a progressively greater decrement at increasing doses (4, 8, 16 mg/kg); 2 barbiturates (pentobarbital and amobarbital) showed an all-or-none effect, with no significant decrement at the lower doses (20 and 40 mg/kg) but almost complete incapacitation at the highest dose of 80 mg/kg. Performance superior to the placebo condition was found with the 2 lower doses of pentobarbital and with 3 d-amphet-amine doses (4, 8, 16 mg/kg). An analysis of individual differences gave evidence that the animals which were inferior in prior performance were more susceptible to both improvement and impairment of performance under the influence of drugs.
Differential involvement of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt in human RPE MCP-1 and IL-8 expression.

PURPOSE To investigate the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway and the signal mediator AP-1 in monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 and interleukin (IL)-8 gene expression in human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells. METHODS hRPE cells were stimulated with IL-1beta and TNF-alpha and by coculturing with monocytes in the presence or absence of a series of kinase inhibitors. The induction of MCP-1 and IL-8 protein and mRNA was determined by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. Western blot analysis, kinase assays, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to detect the activation of signaling mediators and transcription factors. RESULTS Concomitant with the induction of chemokine expression by the stimuli, there was phosphorylation of PI3K and its downstream targets-namely, Akt, GSK, and FKHR. Ly294002, a specific inhibitor of PI3K, resulted in time- and dose-dependent blockade of MCP-1 mRNA expression and protein production. The IC(50) for inhibition of MCP-1 secretion induced by IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and hRPE-monocyte binding was 16, 12, and less than 3 micro M, respectively. In contrast, Ly294002 did not inhibit the IL-8 expression induced by any of the stimuli. Ly294002 as well as U0126, SB202190, and SP600125, the selective inhibitors of MEK, p38, and JNK, respectively, strongly inhibited induced c-fos expression, whereas Ly294002 did not inhibit induction of MEK, p38, or JNK. Blockade of PI3K/Akt abolished IL-1beta-induced nuclear translocation of AP-1, whereas the induction of IkappaB degradation was unchanged. CONCLUSIONS The Ly294002-sensitive PI3K/Akt pathway regulates MCP-1, but not IL-8 expression in hRPE cells independent of MAPK and IkappaB. PI3K-dependent induction of hRPE c-fos and AP-1 nuclear translocation may be a target for therapies aimed at modulating MCP-1 in retinal diseases.
Extracting state information form a quantized output record

Abstract We consider the problem of manipulating the input to a discrete-time state space linear system with the goal of obtaining information at each time about the system's current state from a record of past quantized measurements of the system's output. We find that if the system is not excessively unstable, there exist feedback control strategies that allow one to make an asymtotically perfect determination of the current stage based on the output records that result. Even if the system is too unstable to apply such strategies, there are feedback control laws that make the system's output record more informative about the system's state evolution than one might expect. In deriving these control laws, we regard quantized measurements of real numbers more as partial observations than as strict approximations, and employ techniques from information theory and the theory of Markov chains with countable state spaces.
Divergence Between Thalamic and Cortical Inputs to Lateral Amygdala During Juvenile–Adult Transition in Mice

Background Adolescence is considered a critical time of life for emotional development in humans. During this period the amygdala, which regulates emotions, undergoes structural reorganization. Auditory fear conditioning, a form of amygdala-dependent emotional learning, occurs differently in juvenile and adult rodents. Because this learning is mediated by plastic changes in the thalamic and cortical inputs to lateral amygdala (LA), we investigated changes in synaptic properties of these inputs during juvenile-to-adult transition. Methods Whole-cell patch clamp recording in amygdala slices from juvenile and young adult mice was conducted to investigate long-term potentiation and basal synaptic transmission in the thalamic and cortical inputs to LA. Results We show that physiological differences develop between thalamic and cortical afferents to LA during the juvenile-to-adult transition. Although in juvenile mice the two pathways have similar properties, in young adult mice the thalamic pathway has reduced plasticity, increased number of quanta released by a single action potential, and decreased proportion of silent synapses. Conclusions Changes in thalamic but not cortical inputs to amygdala take place during late development and might contribute to differences in auditory fear conditioning between juveniles and adults.
Isolation and characterization of a methanogenic bacterium from swine manure

Abstract A mesophilic, Gram positive (Gram +ve), irregular coccoid methanogen, which showed close resemblance to a Methanosarcina sp., was isolated from swine manure. Acetate or methanol or H 2 + CO 2 served as a substrate for methanogenesis in a mineral salt medium. The isolate did not use formate as a growth substrate. The organism had an optimum pH of 6.8 and an optimum temperature of 37°C. The isolate used ammonia as a nitrogen source. The role of this methanogen in the swine manure is the terminal oxidation of simple organic compounds like acetate to CO 2 and methane. In an earlier report, a sulfate-reducing bacterium (SRB) isolated from swine manure that converted phenol to acetic acid was described (Boopathy, 1995). The methanogen described in this paper was isolated from the same swine manure sample. In a microbial ecology scenario these two anaerobic bacteria (methanogen and SRB) could co-exist together and degrade phenol to CO 2 and methane.
Communication needs for Wide Area Measurement applications

Wide Area Measurements using Phasor Measurement Units have become an important component of modern power system monitoring. Several applications of this technology have been reported in the literature. What is lacking at this time is an assessment of communication requirements of those applications. This paper summarizes the various applications of Wide Area Measurements that have been proposed, and then examines the communication needs of each application. These needs are categorized as data volume, tolerable end-to-end delays for successful implementation of these applications, and some consideration of communication architecture appropriate for these applications.
Critical Decisions Affecting the Development of Western Governors University.

Interviews conducted with individuals involved in the early development and current operation of the Western Governors University allowed identification of 12 themes concerning early, formative decisions and decision-making processes. These themes were subsequently grouped into 5 categories: (1) politics, (2) organizational models, (3) changing mission, (4) multiple missions, and (5) experiencing innovation. Several factors, including the need to obtain financial support and to operate independently as a degree-granting institution, were influential in the decision to focus on competency-based curricula rather than providing a repository for distance learning courses offered by institutions in the West.
Application of neural network to liver magnetic-resonance-imaging study

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver has demonstrated to be quite sensitive in showing Hepatic Hemangioma as high intensity lesions in T2 weighted imaging sequence. Hepatic Hemangioma is a non-malignant tumor and has relative high occurrence rate among the general population. It is of importance to differentiate this benign abnormality from other high intensity malignant lesions, such as hepatoma, adenocarcinoma, or metastasis. The objective of our study was to investigate the feasibility of applying neural network to assist in the differentiation of the liver MRI lesions. Thirty-seven liver MRI studies were collected, this including twenty-three cases of hepatic hemangioma and fourteen cases of malignant tumors. all cases were clinically proven with the diagnosed pathological condition and verified by biopsy. Four quantitative features, adopted from published literatures and used clinically on a routine basis, were measured from MRI images. In this study, a multilayer and two layer backpropagation networks were used for performance comparison. By attempting various training methods, the accuracy of the two layer network had been improved from 74% to 83% by selecting the proper boundary set based on the euclidean distance for each data set in both classes when training the network.
The Westley-MacLean Model Revisited: A Technical Communication Perspective

Many scholars call for systematic empirical research in technical writing. This article reviews the Westley-MacLean communication model and provides an example of the model within a technical commu...
Managing the Florida Everglades: Changing values, changing policies

The Florida Everglades is a ecologically rich land and water environment that has gone through three phases. In the first phase, a small indigenous population drew its low-impact livelihood from the Everglades. During the second phase, the Everglades was drained, plowed, developed, and seriously damaged, while helping to support a booming South Florida economy. During the third phase, earlier alterations of water flow patterns in a part of the original Everglades are being restored and agricultural impacts are being mitigated.
DNA sequence of the Escherichia coli gene, gnd, for 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

Abstract Expression of gnd of Escherichia coli, which encodes 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, an enzyme of the hexose monophosphate shunt, is subject to growth rate-dependent regulation and is gene dosage-dependent: the level of the enzyme increases in direct proportion to the cellular growth rate at both low and high gene copy numbers. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of gnd and flanking control regions, the 5′-end of in vivo gnd mRNA, and the start codon of the structural gene. Analysis of the sequence indicated that: (i) the gnd promoter is typical of other E. coli promoters and the structural gene is followed by a rho-independent transcription termination signal; (ii) the 56-nucleotide leader of gnd mRNA does not contain a rho-independent transcription termination signal, so growth rate-dependent regulation of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase level is not carried out by an attenuation mechanism analogous to the one that controls expression of the E. coliampC gene; (iii) the codon composition of the structural gene resembles that of other highly expressed E. coli genes and thus is not responsible for the regulation either; (iv) the structural gene is preceded at an optimal distance by a strong Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence, AGGAG; (v) the leader region of the mRNA contains regions of dyad symmetry that have the potential to sequester the SD sequence and the start codon. This latter feature of the gene suggests that growth rate-dependent regulation may involve regulation of translation initiation frequency.
In vivo binding of [18F]GBR 13119 to the brain dopamine uptake system

Regional rat brain uptake of [18F]GBR 13119, a high specific activity, positron-emitter labeled derivative of the potent dopamine uptake antagonist GBR 12935, is reported. Striatum to cerebellum ratios of 3 are obtained at 90 minutes post injection. Specific binding in striatum can be blocked by pretreatment with dopamine uptake system antagonists (mazindol, nomifensine) but not with receptor antagonists (spiperone, flupenthixol). [18F]GBR 13119 is proposed as a new positron-emitting radioligand for in vivo PET studies of the pre-synaptic dopamine uptake system.
Integrating Assessment and Instruction: Using Student-Generated Grading Criteria to Evaluate Multimodal Digital Projects

Abstract In this article, I explore how we can link assessment to instruction and the multimodal composing process by inviting students to generate the grading criteria for new media assignments, and I show how this approach influenced students’ composing and understanding of multimodal texts. I first detail the scaffolding processes I took to help the class learn to construct the evaluative criteria for a digital video project, describing the course curriculum, instructional approaches, and assignments. Then drawing from extended interviews with three learners, I present their perceptions on how the collaborative construction of grading standards affected their learning and comprehension of new media rhetoric. I close with pedagogical recommendations for instructors who teach multimodal digital writing and who seek to integrate the collaborative construction of grading criteria into their classroom.
Single-step anodization for synthesis of hierarchical TiO2 nanotube arrays on foil and wire substrate for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

A hierarchical nanoporous-TiO2 nanotube composite structure consisting of a nanoporous top layer with smooth underlying nanotubes was obtained by a single-step anodization technique. The growth of such composite structure has also been applied to Ti wire substrate for the first time. The photoelectrochemical performance was examined under AM 1.5 simulated solar irradiation in 1 M KOH electrolyte. In general, the hierarchical architecture demonstrated improved photoelectrochemical activity over plain TiO2 nanotubes. Furthermore, the composite structure on a wire substrate was also found to enhance photoelectrochemical activity over a foil substrate. Under optimized conditions, over a 40% increase in hydrogen generation for hierarchical nanotubes over plain nanotubes is observed and over 25% increase in hydrogen generation using a wire substrate over a foil substrate is observed.
Factor-analytic item analysis of the Hemispheric Mode Indicator

Abstract A principal component analysis based on data for 1113 undergraduates revealed that, as operationalized by the Hemispheric Mode Indicator, cognitive hemispheric dominance is not a unitary concept. This instrument appeared to evaluate three discrete cognitive preferences: “prefers structure” vs. “prefers flexibility”, “fact-oriented” vs. “feeling-oriented,” and “verbal” vs. “visuospatial.” Furthermore, some items are negatively correlated with most others, are ambiguously worded, are excessively complex, or may suffer from response bias. Most importantly, of the three underlying subscales listed above, only the last is obviously related to an empirically demonstrable aspect of cognitive cerebral laterality. For these and other reasons, it is unlikely that the Hemispheric Mode Indicator is a good measure of demonstrable hemispheric dominance.
Recovery of 3-D Motion of a Single Particle

In our previous analysis reported elsewhere, we have shown that 3-D velocity of a single point up to a scale factor could be recovered from its 2-D trajectory under the perspective projection. A batch method was used to solve the non-linear regression relation between motion parameters and measurements of projected position. Experimental results obtained from simulated images were given to demonstrate the soundness of this approach. In this paper, we extend our work along two directions. First, in order to make the estimation process meet the constraint of real-time computation, we derive the recursive approach to estimate the motion parameters. Second, we investigate the performance degradation due to two classes of model mismatch: parameter jumping and undermodeling. Then we propose the finite lifetime asynchronically triggered multiple model filter (FLAT MMF), as a solution. A number of simulations are conducted to illustrate the estimation performance degradation due to the model mismatches and the performance improvement as the proposed FLAT MMF is used.
Electron-energy-loss spectrum of the cuprate superconductors.

We present a theoretical description of the near-specular (dipole) electron-energy-loss spectrum of a superlattice constructed from anisotropic dielectric layers, as a model of the superconducting copper-oxide-based materials. The theory is applied to a description of recent data taken on the Bi 2:2:1:2 compound. We find that parameters deduced from the electron loss spectrum are compatible with infrared reflectivity data. Manifestations of the superconducting energy gap are not evident in the new data.
Political Statistics for the United States: Observations on Some Major Data Sources

Thirteen major data sources for the study of American politics are examined with regard to their conceptual orientation, error structure, and inferential utility. A great deal of ephemera and measurement without theory is discovered. Few of the documents contain any serious discussion of error structure, although some do report “standard errors” based on naive sampling models. In addition to suggestions for improving the compilation of political statistics, recommendations for a basic minimum library of data sources for American politics are made: The Almanac of American Politics and the Statistical Abstract of the United States , followed by the Guide to U.S. Elections .