cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MANAGER OF SPENDING: PURCHASING TRENDS AND TERMS IN THE BUSINESS AND LIBRARY COMMUNITIES

In his article in Purchasing, James Morgan uses the phrase “manager of spending” to describe what many of us do in our daily tasks. The phrase struck home with me particularly now as I work with ten of our thirty staff members to complete requisitions, purchase orders, receiving reports, and budget analyses for the end of the fiscal year.
Emergence of preferred structures in a simple model of protein folding

Protein structures in nature often exhibit a high degree of regularity (for example, secondary structure and tertiary symmetries) that is absent from random compact conformations. With the use of a simple lattice model of protein folding, it was demonstrated that structural regularities are related to high "designability" and evolutionary stability. The designability of each compact structure is measured by the number of sequences that can design the structure-that is, sequences that possess the structure as their nondegenerate ground state. Compact structures differ markedly in terms of their designability; highly designable structures emerge with a number of associated sequences much larger than the average. These highly designable structures possess "proteinlike" secondary structure and even tertiary symmetries. In addition, they are thermodynamically more stable than other structures. These results suggest that protein structures are selected in nature because they are readily designed and stable against mutations, and that such a selection simultaneously leads to thermodynamic stability.
Interaction of longitudinal-optic phonons with free holes as evidenced in Raman spectra from Be-doped p-type GaAs

The interaction between small-wave-vector, longitudinal-optic (LO) lattice vibrations and free-hole plasmas in Be-doped p-type GaAs is studied with use of nonresonant, allowed Raman scattering. In contrast to the coupled LO-phonon--plasmon modes, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{+}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ typically observed in n-type zinc-blende-structure semiconductors, only one mode is observed for hole densities between 1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{18}$ and 1.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{19}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$. With increasing hole density, this single mode shifts first to higher energies, then back to lower energies, between that of the LO and transverse-optic (TO) phonons, and finally asymptotes at the TO-phonon energy. The observed Raman spectra are accurately fitted with calculated coupled-mode spectra which take into account wave-vector-dependent intra- and inter-valence-band transitions within the heavy- and light-hole bands. Intra-light-hole and inter-heavy- to light-hole transitions are shown to make very significant contributions to the spectra, although they alone cannot account for the novel density dependence of the coupled-mode energy. A detailed analysis of the coupled-mode dependence on wave vector and phenomenological damping reveals that the observed density dependence can, in principle, occur even in a single-component plasma due to two distinctly different physical mechanisms. In the case of the p-type GaAs studied here, it is shown that the novel density dependence is primarily due to the overdamped nature of intra-heavy-hole transitions.
A language for the description of digital computer processors

This paper discusses the need for an algorithmic language for writing behavioral descriptions of digital computer processors and proposes an Algol-like candidate. It also discusses programs that simulate and automatically implement processors described in the language.
Multiple time-scales in nonlinear flight mechanics: diagnosis and modeling

There are often disparate time-scales in the dynamics of flight, creating the potential for reduced-order modeling to simplify simulation, analysis and design. There have been notable successes in developing reduced-order models; however, in the case of nonlinear dynamics, which one must typically deal with in guidance problems, there has not been a systematic, reliable means of diagnosing disparate time-scales and developing reduced-order models. Focusing on two time-scale behavior in nonlinear dynamical systems, we recall Fenichel's characterization of the geometric structure of the flow and his theorem establishing the existence and properties of coordinates adapted to this structure. Adapted coordinates are difficult to construct directly, without an appropriate singularly perturbed model of the dynamics. We discuss the use of Lyapunov exponents and vectors to diagnose two time-scale behavior and to determine the corresponding tangent space structure for the linearized dynamics. The structure of the linearized flow can then be translated into the manifold structure of the nonlinear flow. We briefly mention the use of Lyapunov vectors to locate a slow manifold and contrast this approach with two existing approaches. The minimum time to climb problem provides an example of two time-scale behavior and motivates the discussion.
Contrasting crop species responses to CO2 and temperature: rice, soybean and citrus

The continuing increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) and projections of possible future increases in global air temperatures have stimulated interest in the effects of these climate variables on plants and, in particular, on agriculturally important food crops. Mounting evidence from many different experiments suggests that the magnitude and even direction of crop responses to [CO2] and temperature is almost certain to be species dependent and very likely, within a species, to be cultivar dependent. Over the last decade, [CO2] and temperature experiments have been conducted on several crop species in the outdoor, naturally-sunlit, environmentally controlled, plant growth chambers by USDA-ARS and the University of Florida, at Gainesville, Florida, USA. The objectives for this paper are to summarize some of the major findings of these experiments and further to compare and contrast species responses to [CO2] and temperature for three diverse crop species: rice (Oryza sativa, L.), soybean (Glycine max, L.) and citrus (various species). Citrus had the lowest growth and photo synthetic rates but under [CO2] enrichment displayed the greatest percentage increases over ambient [CO2] control treatments. In all three species the direct effect of [CO2] enrichment was always an increase in photo synthetic rate. In soybean, photo synthetic rate depended on current [CO2] regardless of the long-term [CO2] history of the crop. In rice, photo synthetic rate measured at a common [CO2], decreased with increasing long-term [CO2] growth treatment due to a corresponding decline in RuBP carboxylase content and activity. Rice specific respiration decreased from subambient to ambient and superambient [CO2] due to a decrease in plant tissue nitrogen content and a decline in specific maintenance respiration rate. In all three species, crop water use decreased with [CO2] enrichment but increased with increases in temperature. For both rice and soybean, [CO2] enrichment increased growth and grain yield. Rice grain declined by roughly 10% per each 1 °C rise in day/night temperature above 28/21 °C.
Regulation of Prostaglandin Biosynthesis by Nitric Oxide Is Revealed by Targeted Deletion of Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase

We investigated the effects of targeted deletion of the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) gene on the formation of prostaglandins in vivo and ex vivo. Peritoneal macrophages were obtained from control and iNOS-deficient mice, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was quantified after stimulation with γ-interferon and lipopolysaccharide to induce COX-2. Total nitrate and nitrite production was completely abolished in cells from iNOS-deficient animals compared with control cells. PGE2 formation by cells from iNOS-deficient animals was decreased compared with cells from control animals 80% at 12 h (0.85 ± 0.90 ng/106 cells versus15.4 ± 2.1 ng/106 cells, p
Self‐injurious behavior as endogenous neurochemical self‐administration

The compulsive and deeply disturbing character of self-injurious behavior (SIB) makes it one of the most difficult behavior problems to understand scientifically and treat clinically. We review evidence implicating endogenous opioid peptides and the neurotransmitter dopamine in SIB. Next, we describe similarities between the self-administration of cocaine and morphine by laboratory animals and self-injury by people with mental retardation. We discuss shared behavioral and neurochemical properties that suggest common mechanisms that may be responsible for both the persistent, damaging behavior patterns characteristic of some forms of SIB and the addictive self-administration of cocaine and morphine. Multifaceted treatment approaches are explored, based on a better understanding of underlying mechanisms. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Advanced instrumentation for extreme environments

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is investigating embedded instrumentation and controls (IC we define embedding in this instance as the integration of the sensors and the control system design into the component design using a systems engineering process. Embedded I&C systems are often an essential part of developing new capabilities, improving reliability, enhancing performance, and reducing operational costs. The next generation reactor technologies with passive safety features will benefit from the development and application of new I&C technologies. Some of these new designs raise extreme environmental challenges such as high temperatures (over 1,400 °C) and material compatibility (e.g., molten salts).
Giant cerebral aneurysms: endovascular challenges.

OBJECTIVE: Giant (≥25 mm in diameter) cerebral aneurysms have a poor natural history, with high risks of subarachnoid hemorrhage or progressive disability or death caused by mass effect or stroke. Surgical treatment may be effective but carries a high burden of morbidity and mortality. Thus, attempts at endovascular solutions to these complex lesions have been developed to offer therapy at reduced risk. METHODS: The authors reviewed their clinical experience and the current body of literature concerning giant cerebral aneurysms and present their perspective on the current state of the art in endovascular therapy for these aneurysms. A variety of techniques are described that can be used in an attempt to provide a solution to the wide variety of clinical dilemmas associated with the management of these difficult lesions. Preprocedural planning and periprocedural considerations are discussed briefly. The use of intracranial balloons and stents are described in conjunction with the use of detachable platinum coils. The developing concept of using stents alone to treat aneurysms is discussed. Alternative methods of treating giant aneurysms are discussed. RESULTS: Current endovascular approaches, when properly selected and applied, can provide lower-risk therapies than conventional microsurgical approaches for patients harboring giant cerebral aneurysms. However, endovascular approaches do not, at present, provide results that are as durable as current surgical techniques for giant cerebral aneurysms. CONCLUSION: Treatment of giant cerebral aneurysms via endovascular therapeutics requires the interventionist to possess an extensive armamentarium. Meticulous preprocedure evaluation, patient selection, and execution of the treatment plan enable safe and effective management. Current therapies do not provide an ideal solution for every patient, so one must consider creative and evolving solutions to these difficult clinical challenges. The procedural morbidity of open surgery versus the decreased durability of current endovascular techniques must be assessed carefully.
Avoiding pitfalls with chemometrics and PAT in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries

This article is to help pharmaceutical scientists, especially those who do not specialize in chemometrics, to avoid obvious errors and pitfalls. It is also intended to inform the wider analytical community about the possibilities and the limitations of different chemometric approaches. While several of these issues can apply to the general use of chemometric tools, others are more specific to the recent increase in their use in development and manufacture of pharmaceuticals. This review covers the basics of chemometrics and critically discusses common errors and dangers encountered when uninitiated scientists apply the techniques.
The British 150-mile fishery conservation and management zone around the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands

Abstract The British announcement of a 150-mile fishery conservation and management zone around the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands on 29 October 1986 ended the ‘free-for-all’ among foreign fishing boats in Falklands fishing grounds. It also reinforced the continuing state of hostility between the United Kingdom and Argentina since the end of the Falklands War in 1982. Major reasons for this belated declaration of a 150-mile fishing zone include: (1) the geographical and economic disadvantages of the Falklands Islands; (2) the development of EEZs and their impact on fisheries; (3) the problem of overfishing; (4) the 1982 Falkland Islands War, the 1982 Shackleton Report, and the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention; (5) the increasing danger of depletion of the Falklands fishing grounds; (6) unsuccessful bilateral and multilateral efforts at fishery conservation by the United Kingdom; and (7) the intensification of Argentina's diplomatic offensive. The British announcement might cause problems of boundary disputes between the United Kingdom and Argentina. Foreign countries such as the Soviet Union. Poland, Spain, and Japan, are affected by the announcement which might create a fishery controversy between Argentina and foreign fishing vessels.
Experimental study of two material decomposition methods using multi-bin photon counting detectors

Photon-counting detectors with multi-bin pulse height analysis (PHA) are capable of extracting energy dependent information which can be exploited for material decomposition. Iterative decomposition algorithms have been previously implemented which require prior knowledge of the source spectrum, detector spectral response, and energy threshold settings. We experimentally investigated two material decomposition methods that do not require explicit knowledge of the source spectrum and spectral response. In the first method, the effective spectrum for each energy bin is estimated from calibration transmission measurements, followed by an iterative maximum likelihood decomposition algorithm. The second investigated method, first proposed and tested through simulations by Alvarez, uses a linearized maximum likelihood estimator which requires calibration transmission measurements. The Alvarez method has the advantage of being non-iterative. This study experimentally quantified and compared the material decomposition bias, as a percentage of material thickness, and standard deviation resulting from these two material decomposition estimators. Multi-energy x-ray transmission measurements were acquired through varying thicknesses of Teon, Delrin, and neoprene at two different flux settings and decomposed into PMMA and aluminum thicknesses using the investigated methods. In addition, a series of 200 equally spaced projections of a rod phantom were acquired over 360°. The multi-energy sinograms were decomposed using both empirical methods and then reconstructed using filtered backprojection producing two images representing each basis material. The Alvarez method decomposed Delrin into PMMA with a bias of 0.5-19% and decomposed neoprene into aluminum with a bias of less than 3%. The spectral estimation method decomposed Delrin into PMMA with a bias of 0.6-16% and decomposed neoprene into aluminum with a bias of 0.1-58%. In general, the spectral estimation method resulted in larger bias than the Alvarez method. Both methods demonstrated similar standard deviations of less than 1 mm. Both decomposition methods resulted in similar bias and standard deviation when comparing performance at the two flux levels. The results suggest preliminary feasibility of two empirical methods that use calibration measurements rather than prior knowledge of system parameters to estimate thicknesses of the basis materials.
Human stem cells, chromatin, and tissue engineering: Boosting relevancy in developmental toxicity testing

Risk assessment derives its confidence from toxicology research that is based on relevancy to human health. This article focuses on two highly topical areas of current scientific research, stem cells and chromatin biology, which present new avenues for preclinical and clinical applications, and the frontier role of tissue engineering and regeneration. Appreciating the utility and necessity of chromatin and human somatic stem cells as research tools and looking toward tissue engineering may close the uncertainty gaps between animal and human cross-species toxicology evaluations. The focus will be on developmental toxicology applications, but appropriate extrapolation to any other areas of toxicology can be made. We further provide background on basic biology of these three areas and examples of how early life exposure to known and potential environmental toxicants induce malformations, childhood and adult-onset diseases, through aberrant chromatin modification of critical gene expressions (acute lymphocyte leukemia, heavy-metal nickel and cadmium-associated defects, and reproductive tract malformations and carcinomas induced by the synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol).
Light-dependent regulation of dopamine receptors in mammalian retina

The specific binding of [3H]spiperone, a D-2 dopamine receptor ligand, in in retinas from rabbits kept one week in constant light was significantly lower than in retinas from rabbits exposed to constant dark. Constant light did not alter the binding of [3H]spiperone in the striatum, where melatonin does not inhibit dopamine release. The decrease in [3H]spiperone binding induced by constant light in retina appears to be associated with the activation of inhibitory melatonin receptors on dopaminergic neurons. In support of this hypothesis, treatments that elevate melatonin concentrations, such as dark or melatonin administration, reversed the light-induced down-regulation of D-2 dopamine binding sites in retina. It is concluded that the decrease in melatonin levels in constant light disinhibits the dopamine-containing retinal neurons in vivo leading to elevated dopamine release and subsequent D-2 dopamine receptor down-regulation.
Text and Context in Religious Studies and Yogācāra Cognitive Theory: Discovering Theory “in the Wild”

AbstractThis paper discusses the creative dynamic between abstraction, reification, and reflexivity in the study of religion in general and textual analysis and Indian Buddhist thought in particular. I define “texts” narrowly, as written materials signifying human speech, something doubly removed from sensory experience, inviting abstraction and reification, while enabling reflexive analysis. Such analyses accumulate in literate civilizations — alienating yet enabling us. For example, the critical methods of Biblical analysis ironically undermined its own ahistorical assumptions, e.g., the idea of an Urtext independent of historical context. Philosophy of science displays similar developments: abstract theories enable analyses of data, which are, however, only meaningful within specific contexts of interpretation. Indian Buddhist philosophy similarly critiques ordinary assumptions about identity, subserved by our innate tendencies to abstract and reify experience, while recognizing its analytic insights. Its own accumulating traditions led Buddhist thinkers to critique multiple theories of cognition, concluding that, like an Urtext, the notion of an independent Self is an abstract social and especially linguistic construct that, nevertheless, operates at the deepest levels of our common cognitive processes — an insight that depended on textual traditions to develop.
Valeurs aux entiers négatifs des séries de Dirichlet associées a un polynôme, I

In this paper, we are studying Dirichlet series Z(P,ξ,s) = ΣnϵN∗r P(n)−s ξn, where P ∈ R+ [X1,…,Xr] and ξn = ξ1n1 … ξrnr, with ξi ∈ C, such that |ξi| = 1 and ξi ≠ 1, 1 ≦ i ≦ r. We show that Z(P, ξ,·) can be continued holomorphically to the whole complex plane, and that the values Z(P, ξ, −k) for all non negative integers, belong to the field generated over Q by the ξi and the coefficients of P. If, there exists a number field K, containing the ξi, 1 ≦ i ≦ r, and the coefficients of P, then we study the denominators of Z(P, ξ, −k) and we define a B-adic function ZB(P, ξ,·) which is equal, on class of negative integers, to Z(P, ξ, −k).
Roughening transition temperature in the presence of an adsorbing fluid

The effect on the roughening temperature ${T}_{R}$ of an adsorbing fluid above the substrate is calculated. The partition function is evaluated for three models, the Ising model, the absolute solid-on-solid model, and the discrete Gaussian models, with the addition of a second species in vapor form above the surface. Then with the use of the duality transformation of Jos\'e et al. and the renormalization-group method of Kosterlitz, a relationship between ${T}_{R}$ and the chemical potential of the fluid is obtained. ${T}_{R}$ is then expressed in terms of the ambient pressure by using approximate equations of state. It is found that a significant decrease in ${T}_{R}$ may occur as the pressure is increased, and the conditions under which this effect might be observed are discussed. .Ire ranges the heat capacity, thermal expansion, and heat conduction are calculated using the same parameters for the soliton representation as were used to calculate the temperature dependence of the proton spin-lattice relaxation time. Discontinuities in the thermal properties at the glass transition temperature ${T}_{g}$ are attributed to an effective-mass change of the low-energy solitons. This work was conducted to test, with the use of nuclear magnetic resonance, some recent ideas in the dynamics of amorphous materials.
Reciprocal Inhibition between Intracellular Antiviral Signaling and the RNAi Machinery in Mammalian Cells

RNA interference (RNAi) is an established antiviral defense mechanism in plants and invertebrates. Whether RNAi serves a similar function in mammalian cells remains unresolved. We find that in some cell types, mammalian RNAi activity is reduced shortly after viral infection via poly-ADP-ribosylation of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), a core component of RNAi. Well-established antiviral signaling pathways, including RIG-I/MAVS and RNaseL, contribute to inhibition of RISC. In the absence of virus infection, microRNAs repress interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) associated with cell death and proliferation, thus maintaining homeostasis. Upon detection of intracellular pathogen-associated molecular patterns, RISC activity decreases, contributing to increased expression of ISGs. Our results suggest that, unlike in lower eukaryotes, mammalian RISC is not antiviral in some contexts, but rather RISC has been co-opted to negatively regulate toxic host antiviral effectors via microRNAs.
Emotion regulation and successful aging

Despite normative declines in old age, healthy elderly typically report surprisingly high levels of well-being. It is not clear why this is so. A study by Brassen and colleagues suggests that one factor may be reduced responsiveness to regret. These findings highlight the role of emotion regulation in successful aging.
Consecutive action of phospholipase A2 and glutathione peroxidase is required for reduction of phospholipid hydroperoxides and provides a convenient method to determine peroxide values in membranes.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase to reduce phospholipid hydroperoxides in membrane bilayers and to develop a method to measure the peroxide content of phospholipids. Phospholipid hydroperoxides were synthesized by photooxidation of 1-palmitoyl 2-linoleoyl phosphatidylcholine and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Phospholipid hydroperoxides in phosphatidylcholine bilayers showed no detectable reactivity with Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (the reaction is at least 65,000 times slower than with an available hydroperoxide). However, after the phospholipid hydroperoxides were preincubated with phospholipase A2, the free fatty acid hydroperoxides became available as a substrate for Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase. The enzyme assay can be used for convenient determination of peroxide values in phospholipids at the 1 nmole level and free fatty acid hydroperoxides can be distinguised from phospholipid hydroperoxides by omitting phospholipase A2. The accuracy of the enzymatic method was confirmed using an improved colorimetric chemical assay to measure peroxide values of phospholipid hydroperoxides to the same sensitivity. The chemical assay was not linear in the presence of high levels of lipid, but at low levels of lipid the peroxide values of phospholipid hydroperoxides measured by both methods agreed to within 1%. Since high levels of lipid inhibited the chemical assay, the enzyme assay is more accurate for determination of peroxides in membranes and tissues. The possible role of phospholipase deficiencies as a causal factor in degenerative diseases thought to be due to lipid peroxidation, such as Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Battens disease), is discussed.
Temperature-Dependent Development and Cold Tolerance of Microtheca ochroloma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a Pest of Cruciferous Crops in the Southeastern United States

ABSTRACT The yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microthecaochroloma (Stal) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae ), is an adventive pest of cruciferous crops in the southeastern United States. Despite its pest status, there is limited information about the infiuence of temperature on development and survival of M. ochroloma. The objectives of this study were to assess the effect of temperature on the development and survival of immature stages, and determine the cold tolerance of immature and adult stages. Development was evaluated at 15,20, 25, and 30°C, and cold tolerance was measured at 5,0, and -5°C inside environmentally controlled chambers. Survival of M. ochroloma from egg to adult was ≈80% at 15,20, and 25°C, but only 24% at 30°C. Mean developmental time was longest at 15°C (57 d) and shortest at 30°C (17 d). Leaf area consumed by the fourth instar was 7.4-fold lower at 30°C compared with consumption at 15, 20, or 25°C. The lower developmental threshold varied from 7.3 to 9.8°C and the total degree-days required to...
Performance Evaluation of Notifications in a Web Services and P2P-Based Network Management Overlay

Notification service on network management is an essential tool that helps to save network resources, such as bandwidth. A management notification is basically an event message that reports a resource's internal state to an interested manager. A complete notification support is not accomplished via simple tasks anymore, for example, restricted to notifying managers from the same administrative domain of the managed devices. Due to huge changes on current network usage, this management topic needs to be reviewed in the light of modern technologies and requirements. In this paper we present a notification service integrated in a P2P-based network management solution called ManP2P. We also present an experimental evaluation regarding propagation delay and processing costs. We believe that with our solution it is possible to enhance P2P-based network management advantages without paying a great performance cost.
Non-Calcified Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Characterization by Dual Energy Computed Tomography

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most prevalent cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis which is the condition of plaque buildup on the inside of the coronary artery wall is the main cause of CHD. Rupture of unstable atherosclerotic coronary plaque is known to be the cause of acute coronary syndrome. Vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaque has been related to a large lipid core covered by a fibrous cap. Non-invasive assessment of plaque characterization is necessary due to prognostic importance of early stage identification. The purpose of this study is to use the additional attenuation data provided by dual energy computed tomography (DECT) for plaque characterization. We propose to train supervised learners on pixel values recorded from DECT monochromatic X-ray and material basis pairs images, for more precise classification of fibrous and lipid plaques. The interaction of the pixel values from different image types is taken into consideration, as single pixel value might not be informative enough to separate fibrous from lipid. Organic phantom plaques scanned in a fabricated beating heart phantom were used as ground truth to train the learners. Our results show that support vector machines, artificial neural networks and random forests provide accurate results both on phantom and patient data.
Emerging Roles for Lipid Droplets in Immunity and Host-Pathogen Interactions

Lipid droplets (LDs) are neutral lipid storage organelles ubiquitous to eukaryotic cells. It is increasingly recognized that LDs interact extensively with other organelles and that they perform functions beyond passive lipid storage and lipid homeostasis. One emerging function for LDs is the coordination of immune responses, as these organelles participate in the generation of prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are important inflammation mediators. Similarly, LDs are also beginning to be recognized as playing a role in interferon responses and in antigen cross presentation. Not surprisingly, there is emerging evidence that many pathogens, including hepatitis C and Dengue viruses, Chlamydia, and Mycobacterium, target LDs during infection either for nutritional purposes or as part of an anti-immunity strategy. We here review recent findings that link LDs to the regulation and execution of immune responses in the context of host-pathogen interactions.
Experience With More Than 1,000 Holmium Laser Prostate Enucleations for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Purpose: Holmium laser prostate enucleation is a contemporary treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. We report our experience with more than 1,000 procedures.Materials and Methods: From June 1998 to March 2009 we performed 1,065 holmium laser prostate enucleations. After receiving institutional review board approval we retrospectively reviewed the database. Reported short-term, intermediate term and long-term results are 0 to 6, 6 to 12 and greater than 12 months, respectively.Results: Bladder stones were present in 50 patients (4.7%) and 87 of the 717 (12.1%) with laboratory studies available had renal insufficiency. Preoperative urinary retention was present in 411 cases (38.7%). Significant preoperative stress and urge incontinence was noted in 8 and 16 patients, respectively. Mean transrectal ultrasound prostate volume was 99.3 gm (range 9 to 391). Mean preoperative American Urological Association symptom score was 20.3 (range 1 to 35) and maximum urinary flow was 8.4 cc per second (range 1.1 to ...
Translating privacy practices into privacy promises - how to promise what you can keep

Enterprises advertise privacy promises using the W3C Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P). These privacy promises define what recipients can obtain what collected data for what purpose. Internally, enterprises can use fine-grained privacy practices such as defined by the Platform for Enterprise Privacy Practices (E-P3P) to enforce privacy. These internal privacy policies should guarantee and enforce the promises made to the customers. Since privacy practices reflect business internals, they can change frequently. As a consequence, it can be challenging to keep the promises up-to-date with the actual practices. To enable up-to-date privacy promises, we describe a methodology for enterprises to promise what they can keep. This is done by automatically transforming E-P3P privacy practices into corresponding P3P privacy promises that reflect the actual enterprise-internal behavior. These P3P promises can then be published on a regular basis. Whenever the internal policies change, the P3P promises can easily be updated as well.
Progression of the morphogenetic furrow in the Drosophila eye: the roles of Hedgehog, Decapentaplegic and the Raf pathway

During Drosophila eye development, Hedgehog (Hh) protein secreted by maturing photoreceptors directs a wave of differentiation that sweeps anteriorly across the retinal primordium. The crest of this wave is marked by the morphogenetic furrow, a visible indentation that demarcates the boundary between developing photoreceptors located posteriorly and undifferentiated cells located anteriorly. Here, we present evidence that Hh controls progression of the furrow by inducing the expression of two downstream signals. The first signal, Decapentaplegic (Dpp), acts at long range on undifferentiated cells anterior to the furrow, causing them to enter a 'pre-proneural' state marked by upregulated expression of the transcription factor Hairy. Acquisition of the pre-proneural state appears essential for all prospective retinal cells to enter the proneural pathway and differentiate as photoreceptors. The second signal, presently unknown, acts at short range and is transduced via activation of the Serine-Threonine kinase Raf. Activation of Raf is both necessary and sufficient to cause pre-proneural cells to become proneural, a transition marked by downregulation of Hairy and upregulation of the proneural activator, Atonal (Ato), which initiates differentiation of the R8 photoreceptor. The R8 photoreceptor then organizes the recruitment of the remaining photoreceptors (R1-R7) through additional rounds of Raf activation in neighboring pre-proneural cells. Finally, we show that Dpp signaling is not essential for establishing either the pre-proneural or proneural states, or for progression of the furrow. Instead, Dpp signaling appears to increase the rate of furrow progression by accelerating the transition to the pre-proneural state. In the abnormal situation in which Dpp signaling is blocked, Hh signaling can induce undifferentiated cells to become pre-proneural but does so less efficiently than Dpp, resulting in a retarded rate of furrow progression and the formation of a rudimentary eye.
Association of fibroblast growth factor-23 with arterial stiffness in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background. Serum fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet the mechanisms remain uncertain. Our objective was to determine whether higher FGF-23 concentrations are associated with arterial stiffness. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, serum FGF-23 concentrations were measured in 5977 participants without known CVD in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. The primary outcomes of interest were large (LAE) and small artery elasticity (SAE), pulse pressure and ankle-brachial index (ABI) > 1.30. LAE and SAE were measured by pulse contour analysis of the radial artery. Pulse pressure was measured with an automated sphygmomanometer using the average of two resting blood pressure measurements. ABI was calculated as the ratio of the ankle and brachial systolic blood pressures. Results. Serum FGF-23 concentrations were not significantly associated with LAE [relative difference (RD) per doubling: 0%; 95% confidence interval (CI): −2–1%], SAE (RD per doubling: 0%; 95% CI: −3–2%), pulse pressure (β per doubling: 0.44; 95% CI: −0.31–1.19), or a high ABI (odds ratio per doubling: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.84–1.55). Findings were similar irrespective of chronic kidney disease status. Conclusions. Higher serum FGF-23 concentrations are not associated with arterial stiffness, as measured by pulse pressure, LAE, SAE or high ABI, in a community-based population without CVD.
Fast Convolution using fermat number transforms with applications to digital filtering

The structure of transforms having the convolution property is developed. A particular transform is proposed that is defined on a finite ring of integers with arithmetic carried out modulo Fermat numbers. This Fermat number transform (FNT) is ideally suited to digital computation, requiring on the order of N \log N additions, subtractions and bit shifts, but no multiplications. In addition to being efficient, the Fermat number transform implementation of convolution is exact, i.e., there is no roundoff error. There is a restriction on sequence length imposed by word length but multi-dimensional techniques are discussed which overcome this limitation. Results of an implementation on the IBM 370/155 are presented and compared with the fast Fourier transform (FFT) showing a substantial improvement in efficiency and accuracy.
Erratum to “Neuropsychological and emotional changes during simulated microgravity: effects of triiodothyronine, alendronate, and testosterone” [Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 2004, 19, 153–163]

Erratum to “Neuropsychological and emotional changes during simulated microgravity: effects of triiodothyronine, alendronate, and testosterone” [Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 2004, 19, 153–163] Wm. Drew Gouvier a,∗, James B. Pinkston a, Jennifer C. Lovejoy b, Steven R. Smith b, George A. Bray b, Michael P. Santa Maria a, Jill Hayes Hammer a, Robin C. Hilsabeck a, Brandi Smiroldo a, Bret Bentz a, Jeffrey Browndyke a
Clinical characteristics in early Parkinson's disease in a central California population-based study

There is considerable variation in the phenotypic appearance of individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), which may translate into differences in disease progression in addition to underlying disease etiology. In this publication, we report on the demographic and clinical characteristics of 162 individuals diagnosed with clinically probable PD from January 1998 to June 2003 who resided in predominantly rural communities in central California. The majority of the subjects were Caucasian, male, and between 60 and 79 years of age. The akinetic-rigid and tremor-dominant subtypes were more common than the mixed subtype. The majority of subjects displayed motor signs of rigidity (92.0%), bradykinesia (95.7%), and gait problems (87.0%), whereas less than half (43.3%) of the subjects displayed a tremor. Three fourths of patients received a Hoehn and Yahr Scale score of Stage 2 or higher. One third of the patients were treated with levodopa, and patients under 60 years of age were more likely to be treated with dopamine agonists. Within 3 years after first diagnosis, 13% of subjects showed some signs of depression and 17% of subjects met criteria for mild dementia. Among our subjects, 17.3% reported a family history of PD in first- or second-degree relatives,15.4% a family history of essential tremor, and 14.2% of Alzheimer's disease. This study represents the most extensive phenotypic description of rural U.S. residents in the initial stages of PD who were recruited in a population-based manner; future follow-up may provide valuable information regarding the prognostic indication of these symptoms/signs and improve our understanding of the underlying etiology of PD.
Scalable giga-pixels/s binary image morphological operations

Binary morphological operations are a building block in many computer vision applications. Several iterative morphological operations are commonly performed for image analysis resulting in a significant computational load on the processing unit, especially in a real-time computer vision system. Custom designed hardware can exploit the parallelism exhibited in binary image morphological operations. In this paper, we describe a scalable parallel Binary Morphological Unit (spBMU) which can produce 2/spl times/8-pixel (2 rows /spl times/ 8 columns) outputs from one of fifteen primitive morphological operations based on a 30 mask. Multiple spBMU can be linked to achieve higher parallel performance. Operations include Sobel edge detection, dilation, erosion, Laplacian, and edge thinning. Implementation on an Altera CPLD has shown a sustained performance up to 720 million output pixels per second per chip at 45 MHz. Eight spBMUs, yielding 5.76 Giga-pixels/s, can be implemented with relatively small modification to the memory structure. The spBMU architecture and details of implementation are presented.
Ethics Instruction in an Issues-Oriented Course on Public Health Genetics

Public health ethics and genetics in public health have in the last decade emerged as fields in their own right. This article describes the ethics component of an "Issues in Public Health Genetics" course uniting the fields of genetics, ethics, and public health. As the third member of the University of Michigan Interdepartmental Concentration in Genetics, the course emphasizes the translation of ethical-social issues into substantive policies. A central tension repeated throughout the course exists between respect for individuals' libertarian interests and the welfare of the entire population. Students become familiar with the process of resolving conflicting values through interactive exercises addressing the health needs of diverse communities. Key lessons in course design are described.
Outcomes of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Acute Hemorrhage Originating from Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the indications, complications, and clinical outcomes of transcatheter embolization for acute hemorrhage associated with gastric adenocarcinoma. Materials and Methods Ten patients underwent catheter-directed arterial embolization at two institutions for acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage related to pathology-proven gastric adenocarcinoma from March 2002 to March 2012. The electronic medical record for each patient was reviewed for clinical presentation, endoscopy history, procedural complications, and long-term follow-up results. Results Between March 2002 and March 2012, 10 patients (eight men; mean age, 61.1 y ± 15.3) underwent transcatheter arterial embolization for gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by gastric adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic therapy had failed in all patients before embolization. Embolization involving branches of the left gastric artery was performed in all patients. No deaths or complications related to the procedure were identified. Mean survival was 301 days, but with a wide range, from 1 day to 1,852 days and counting. Those with unresectable disease (n = 7; 70%) had a median survival time of 9 days, significantly worse ( P Conclusions Transcatheter arterial embolization can be considered for cases of acute hemorrhagic gastric adenocarcinoma, with improved outcomes in patients with localized disease compared with nonresectable gastric adenocarcinoma.
Preschool children's explorations of letters in their own names

Preschool children's early understanding of letters was explored using literacy events focusing on name. Five tasks were designed to elicit information about children's conceptualizations of letters in their own names. Responses were analyzed descriptively to determine general patterns. Children were then clustered into strategy groups. These groups provided a basis for a developmental description. Children's own names proved to be a unique source for creating and testing hypotheses concerning letters due to frequent exposure to both the printed script and the oral script (the spelling of name). This exploration was marked by several major transitions: a movement from a unidimensional conceptualization of letters to a multidimensional conceptualization; a movement from general principles to an assimilation of specific knowledge regarding the principles; and a movement from independent explorations of the printed and oral scripts to integration of the two scripts.
GPU curvature estimation on deformable meshes

Surface curvature is used in a number of areas in computer graphics, including texture synthesis and shape representation, mesh simplification, surface modeling, and non-photorealistic line drawing. Most real-time applications must estimate curvature on a triangular mesh. This estimation has been limited to CPU algorithms, forcing object geometry to reside in main memory. However, as more computational work is done directly on the GPU, it is increasingly common for object geometry to exist only in GPU memory. Examples include vertex skinned animations and isosurfaces from GPU-based surface reconstruction algorithms. For static models, curvature can be pre-computed and CPU algorithms are a reasonable choice. For deforming models where the geometry only resides on the GPU, transferring the deformed mesh back to the CPU limits performance. We introduce a GPU algorithm for estimating curvature in real-time on arbitrary triangular meshes. We demonstrate our algorithm with curvature-based NPR feature lines and a curvature-based approximation for ambient occlusion. We show curvature computation on volumetric datasets with a GPU isosurface extraction algorithm and vertex-skinned animations. Our curvature estimation is up to ~18x faster than a multithreaded CPU benchmark.
Verbal Compliments as a Differential Source of Mate Poaching Threat for Men and Women

Two studies tested whether people feel threatened by another individual verbally complimenting their romantic partner. Such compliments may indicate that the other person is a potential rival who will try to “poach” their mate. Across two studies, women were more threatened than men when imagining another person complimenting their partner's physical appearance. There were no sex differences in response to imagining another person complimenting their partner's sense of humor. When another person compliments one's partner's physical appearance, this indicates that they may be sexually attracted to the partner. Mediation analyses revealed that the sex difference occurs because women believe men are more open to casual sex, and therefore more vulnerable to mate poaching when another person expresses sexual interest in them.
ALPHA-SYNUCLEIN OVEREXPRESSION IN MICE ALTERS SYNAPTIC COMMUNICATION IN THE CORTICOSTRIATAL PATHWAY

alpha-Synuclein (alpha-Syn) is a presynaptic protein implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD). Mice overexpressing human wildtype (WT) alpha-Syn under the Thy1 promoter show high levels of alpha-Syn in cortical and subcortical regions, exhibit progressive sensorimotor anomalies, as well as non-motor abnormalities and are considered models of pre-manifest PD as there is little evidence of early loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons. We used whole-cell patch clamp recordings from visually identified striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSSNs) in slices from alpha-Syn and WT littermate control mice at 35, 90 and 300 days of age to examine corticostriatal synaptic function. MSSNs displayed significant decreases in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in alpha-Syn mice at all ages. This difference persisted in the presence of tetrodotoxin, indicating it was independent of action potentials. Stimulation thresholds for evoking EPSCs were significantly higher and responses were smaller in alpha-Syn mice. These data suggest a decrease in neurotransmitter release at the corticostriatal synapse. At 90 days the frequency of spontaneous GABA(A) receptor-mediated synaptic currents was decreased in MSSNs but increased in cortical pyramidal neurons. These observations indicate that high levels of expression of alpha-Syn alter corticostriatal synaptic function early and they provide evidence for early synaptic dysfunction in a pre-manifest model of PD. Of importance, these changes are opposite to those found in DA-depletion models, suggesting that before degeneration of DA neurons in the substantia nigra synaptic adaptations occur at the corticostriatal synapse that may initiate subtle preclinical manifestations.