cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SUDEP Animal Models

Abstract Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most common cause of epilepsy related mortality and animal models have collectively helped elucidate SUDEP causes and mechanisms. The chapter aims to serve as general resource and a summary of the current state of monitoring approaches commonly used in animals engineered or manipulated to model physiological processes relevant to SUDEP. One has to bear in mind that there are many variations of methods aimed at measuring and analyzing cortical, cardio-autonomic, and respiratory activities and the approach is typically driven by the research questions, type of animal model type, as well as by cost, availability or access to a specialized experimental set up.
Evaluating lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress in bovine granulosa cells.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the capacity of bovine granulosa cells to generate reactive oxygen intermediates in response to lipopolysaccharide. We hypothesized that granulosa cells increase reactive oxygen intermediates in response to Gram-negative lipopolysaccharide in a similar manner to immune cells. Bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells and granulosa cells were cultured in the presence of lipopolysaccharide. Oxidative stress was evaluated using the fluorescent marker dye CellROX, and oxidative stress-related genes were measured using real-time RT-PCR. As expected, peripheral blood mononuclear cells increased oxidative stress in response to lipopolysaccharide as measured by accumulation of the fluorescent marker dye CellROX. While granulosa cells demonstrate the capacity to increase accumulation of CellROX dye in response to a positive control menadione, lipopolysaccharide had no effect on accumulation of CellROX dye. The expression of GSR, SOD1, and SOD2 were variable in peripheral blood mononuclear cells treated with lipopolysaccharide but were consistently upregulated when co-incubated with the antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine. The expression of oxidative stress­related genes was not altered in granulosa cells, with the exception of elevated SOD1 following lipopolysaccharide exposure in the absence of antioxidant. Combined, these data suggest that while reactive stress is important in pathogen killing and inflammation in immune cells, granulosa cells do not increase oxidative stress in response to lipopolysaccharide.
Volvulus and Under Appreciated Complication of Mixed Connective Tissue Disease: A Case Report

We report a case of volvulus in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of volvulus in a patient with MCTD. MCTD is characterized by high levels of anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein (anti-U1 RNP) plus overlapping features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in MCTD are common, but are usually limited to disordered motility in the upper GI tract. Volvulus is frequently reported as a complication of SSc, but should also be considered in MCTD. J Med Cases. 2018;9(4):125-126 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3014w
The role of cold cues at different life stages on germination and flowering phenology.

Premise of the study The timing of major phenological transitions is critical to lifetime fitness, and life history theory predicts differences for annual and perennial plants. To correctly time these transitions, many plants rely on environmental cues such as exposure to extended periods of cold, which may occur at different stages throughout their lifetime. Methods We studied the role of cold at different life stages, by jointly exposing seed (stratification) and rosettes (vernalization) to cold. We used 23 populations of Mimulus guttatus, which vary from annuals to perennials, and investigated how cold at one or both stages affected germination, flowering, growth, and biomass. Key results We found that stratification and vernalization interact to affect life cycle transitions, and that cold at either stage could synchronize flowering phenology. For perennials, either stratification or vernalization is necessary for maximum flowering. We also found that germination timing covaried with later traits. Moreover, plants from environments with dissimilar climates displayed different phenological responses to stratification or vernalization. Conclusions In general, cold is more important for seed germination in annuals and plants from environments with warm temperatures and variable precipitation. In contrast, cold is more important for flowering in perennials: it accelerates flowering in plants from lower precipitation environments, and it increases flowering proportion in plants from cooler, more stable precipitation environments. We discuss our findings in the context of the variable environments plants experience within a population and the variation encountered across the biogeographic native range of the species.
Bisphenol-A alters microbiota metabolites derived from aromatic amino acids and worsens disease activity during colitis:

Inflammatory bowel disease is a complex collection of disorders. Microbial dysbiosis as well as exposure to toxins including xenoestrogens are thought to be risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease development and relapse. Bisphenol-A has been shown to exert estrogenic activity in the colon and alter intestinal function, but the role that xenoestrogens, such as bisphenol-A , play in colonic inflammation has been previously described but with conflicting results. We investigated the ability of bisphenol-A to exacerbate colonic inflammation and alter microbiota metabolites derived from aromatic amino acids in an acute dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis model. Female C57BL/6 mice were ovariectomized and exposed to bisphenol-A daily for 15 days. Disease activity measures include body weight, fecal consistency, and rectal bleeding. Colons were scored for inflammation, injury, and nodularity. Alterations in the levels of microbiota metabolites derived from aromatic amino acids known to reflect phenotypic changes in the gut microbiome were analyzed. Bisphenol-A exposure increased mortality and worsened disease activity as well as inflammation and nodularity scores in the middle colon region following dextran sulfate sodium exposure. Unique patterns of metabolites were associated with bisphenol-A consumption. Regardless of dextran sulfate sodium treatment, bisphenol-A reduced levels of tryptophan and several metabolites associated with decreased inflammation in the colon. This is the first study to show that bisphenol-A treatment alone can reduce microbiota metabolites derived from aromatic amino acids in the colon which may be associated with increased colonic inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease. Impact statement As rates of inflammatory bowel disease rise, discovery of the mechanisms related to the development of these conditions is important. Environmental exposure is hypothesized to play a role in etiology of the disease, as are alterations in the gut microbiome and the metabolites they produce. This study is the first to show that bisphenol-A alone alters tryptophan and microbiota metabolites derived from aromatic amino acids in a manner consistent with autoimmune diseases, specifically inflammatory bowel diseases, regardless of dextran sulfate sodium treatment. These findings indicate a potential mechanism by which bisphenol-A negatively affects gut physiology to exacerbate inflammation.
Salt Marsh Restoration at Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts

Cape Cod has a 350-year history of coastal wetland loss due to tide restrictions, including 1400 hectares of original salt marsh estuaries that are still diked today (Justus 2001). Salt marshes were diked for various reasons: to ease foot, wagon, and later automobile and train passage across the many salt marshes that wove throughout the outer Cape’s upland farms and villages; to favor salt hay farming by reducing tidal flooding and thereby encouraging the growth of high-marsh grasses such as Spartina patens (salt meadow cordgrass); to allow the cultivation of salt-sensitive crops in the organic-rich wetland soils; and to eliminate, through drainage, habitat for floodwater-breeding mosquitoes. Typically an earthen dike was built across an inlet or narrow reach of tidal creek or marsh to an elevation that blocked all but the highest storm tides. This structure effectively blocked seawater flow into upstream wetlands but also tended to impound freshwater that normally discharged to the sea during low tides. Thus, to allow discharge, all dikes were fitted with culverts, albeit with one-way valves on their seaward ends to prevent saltwater inflow during flood tides. To further wetland drainage, diked salt marshes were subsequently ditched and creeks channelized to expedite freshwater discharge. Virtually all of the Cape’s diked marshes have been treated in this way.
Failure of Spot Weld: A Competition between Crack Mechanics and Plastic Collapse

Spot weld made by resistance welding has been widely used in joining sheet metal of auto body since 1950’s. Every modern car has over 2000 spot welds. Failure of the spot weld is therefore an important concern to auto body durability and safety design.
Target Congruence Theory and the Victim-Offender Overlap Among Male Youths

Prior research has demonstrated that the correlates of criminal behavior are also the same for victimization. Therefore, theories traditionally used to explain criminal behavior have now been used ...
Cyclic renewal of demonstratives

Abstract Demonstratives, broadly defined as a subclass of deictic expressions used for exophoric reference, do not develop through direct grammaticalization (Diessel 1999: 150). The renewal of demonstratives, and the mechanisms and motivations underlying such processes, have not received as much attention as the related negative cycle. Greenberg’s (1978) observation that demonstratives are often replaced by reinforced forms might shed light on this diachronic process, and this study aims to explore this phenomenon further, as well as its connection with grammaticalization. Reinforcement of demonstratives can lead to the development of new demonstratives, which may catalyze the grammaticalization of old ones through paradigmatic competition (niche competition). The analysis presented here sees reinforcement as a possible driving force behind grammaticalization, and not vice versa, as suggested in Diessel (2006: 474) and van Gelderen (2011: 210), among others.
The Pioneer Americanists: Early Collectors, Dealers, and Bibliographers . J. Kevin Graffagnino, Terese M. Austin, Jayne Ptolemy, and Brian Leigh Dunnigan, eds.

Editors J. Kevin Graffagnino, Terese M. Austin, Jayne Ptolemy, and Brian Leigh Dunnigan seek to turn Americanists’ attention back to the origins of their field, before the titans of twentieth-century industry built our country’s major collections with the wealth of the industrial revolution. By devoting a book to the earliest collectors, dealers, and bibliographers of Americana, the editors argue that the field was already motivated by nostalgia; they assert that embedded in this history of bookmen is a narrative of how “middle and upper-class America: white, Protestant filiopietistic, and male” chose recent history, an intriguing insight in the time of “Make America Great Again” (11).
Evaluating Promising Investigational Medical Countermeasures: Recommendations in the Absence of Guidelines

Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases pose growing global public health threats. However, research on and development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) for such pathogens is limited by the s...
The first and second laws of thermodynamics

This article summarizes an alternative approach to the formulation of the laws of thermodynamics by making use of the conservation equations of transport phenomena. The principal novel element is the inclusion of the law of conservation of momentum in the derivations. This enables one to make the statement of the first and second laws more complete by including terms describing viscous dissipation of energy.
Engines of anxiety: academic rankings, reputation, and accountability

Universities worldwide use rankings to inform strategic decision-making, benchmarking and marketing efforts (Hazelkorn, 2015). Many stakeholders view university rankings as a guide to evaluate the ...
Restabilization of the Occipitocervical Junction After a Complete Unilateral Condylectomy: A Biomechanical Comparison of Unilateral and Bilateral Fixation Techniques.

Background Occipitocervical instability may result from transcondylar resection of the occipital condyle. Initially, patients may be able to maintain a neutral alignment but severe occipitoatlantal subluxation may subsequently occur, with cranial settling, spinal cord kinking, and neurological injury. Objective To evaluate the ability of posterior fixation constructs to prevent progression to severe deformity after radical unilateral condylectomy. Methods Eight human cadaveric specimens (Oc-C2) underwent biomechanical testing to compare stiffness under physiological loads (1.5 N m). A complete unilateral condylectomy was performed to destabilize one Oc-C1 joint, and the contralateral joint was left intact. Unilateral Oc-C1 or Oc-C2 constructs on the resected side and bilateral Oc-C1 or Oc-C2 constructs were tested. Results The bilateral Oc-C2 construct provided the greatest stiffness, but the difference was only statistically significant in certain planes of motion. The unilateral constructs had similar stiffness in lateral bending, but the unilateral Oc-C1 construct was less stiff in axial rotation and flexion-extension than the unilateral Oc-C2 construct. The bilateral Oc-C2 construct was stiffer than the unilateral Oc-C2 construct in axial rotation and lateral bending, but there was no difference between these constructs in flexion-extension. Conclusion Patients who undergo a complete unilateral condylectomy require close surveillance for occipitocervical instability. A bilateral Oc-C2 construct provides suitable biomechanical strength, which is superior to other constructs. A unilateral construct decreases abnormal motion but lacks the stiffness of a bilateral construct. However, given that most patients undergo a partial condylectomy and only a small proportion of patients develop instability, there may be scenarios in which a unilateral construct may be appropriate, such as for temporary internal stabilization.
Stop Worrying (So Much) about Exclusionary Zoning and Fight Our Real Enemies: A Reply to My Critics:

In this short reply, I attempt to address my critics in the limited space allotted. I show, inter alia, how the Anti–Exclusionary Zoning (Anti-EZ) Project: (1) brutally reproduces White supremacy, ...
Cumulative Burden of Depression and Neurocognitive Decline Among Persons With HIV: A Longitudinal Study.

Author(s): Paolillo, Emily W; Pasipanodya, Elizabeth C; Moore, Raeanne C; Pence, Brian W; Atkinson, Joseph Hampton; Grelotti, David J; Grant, Igor; Heaton, Robert K; Moore, David J | Abstract: BackgroundHigher cumulative burden of depression among people with HIV (PWH) is associated with poorer health outcomes; however, longitudinal relationships with neurocognition are unclear. This study examined hypotheses that among PWH, (1) higher cumulative burden of depression would relate to steeper declines in neurocognition, and (2) visit-to-visit depression severity would relate to fluctuations in neurocognition within persons.SettingData were collected at a university-based research center from 2002 to 2016.MethodsParticipants included 448 PWH followed longitudinally. All participants had g1 visit (M = 4.97; SD = 3.53) capturing depression severity (Beck Depression Inventory-II) and neurocognition (comprehensive test battery). Cumulative burden of depression was calculated using an established method that derives weighted depression severity scores by time between visits and total time on study. Participants were categorized into low (67%), medium (15%), and high (18%) depression burden. Multilevel modeling examined between- and within-person associations between cumulative depression burden and neurocognition over time.ResultsThe high depression burden group demonstrated steeper global neurocognitive decline compared with the low depression burden group (b = -0.100, P = 0.001); this was driven by declines in executive functioning, delayed recall, and verbal fluency. Within-person results showed that compared with visits when participants reported minimal depressive symptoms, their neurocognition was worse when they reported mild (b = -0.12, P = 0.04) or moderate-to-severe (b = -0.15, P = 0.03) symptoms; this was driven by worsened motor skills and processing speed.ConclusionsHigh cumulative burden of depression is associated with worsening neurocognition among PWH, which may relate to poor HIV-related treatment outcomes. Intensive interventions among severely depressed PWH may benefit physical, mental, and cognitive health.
Laser-Induced Mesoporous Nickel Oxide as a HighlySensitive Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensor

In this paper, we present a novel laser-induced oxidation procedure for in-situ formation of nickel oxide nanoporous structures directly onto the nickel surface as highly sensitive non-enzymatic gl...
Patient and caregiver experiences at a Multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Clinic

Abstract Introduction Children with tracheostomy are a heterogeneous population requiring care from multiple specialties. Multidisciplinary approaches to treating such patients helps to improve the quality of care they receive. Our institution established a Multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Clinics (MDTC) to address outpatient care coordination for tracheostomy patients by providing care from multiple disciplines at a single visit. We report patient/caregivers’ experiences of our MDTC. Methods Patients with tracheostomy or their caregivers were prospectively recruited between Dec 2017–Oct 2019 to complete surveys assessing their experience at the MDTC. Demographic and satisfaction questionnaires were sent electronically by a REDCap survey distribution tool. Demographic data were collected, such as patient's residence and education level. Medical care variables assessed included history of MDTC attendance, commute time, medical specialties seen, tracheostomy “Go-Bag” use, home-care nursing, and MDTC satisfaction ratings. Results Twenty-nine patients/caregivers completed the satisfaction survey and 22 completed both the satisfaction survey and demographics questionnaire. Patient ages ranged from 11 months to 36 years. Twenty-three (79%) participants commuted for up to 2 h to the MDTC, and 6 (21%) commuted for more than 2 h. The median number of medical specialties seen at the MDTC was 3. All participants were satisfied that they saw all requested specialties. Tracheostomy supplies were checked for 25 of 28 patients. Twenty-three of 28 subjects rated staff teamwork as “excellent.” Twenty-four of 28 patients were “highly likely” to recommend the MDTC. Twenty-three of 28 participants were “highly likely” to return, and 4 were “somewhat likely” to return. Conclusion This study demonstrates that patients with tracheostomy and caregivers were satisfied with the improved coordination and facilitation of care through a Multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Clinic.
Using Dissemination and Implementation Strategies to Evaluate Requirement Elicitation Guidelines: A Case Study in a Bed Management System

Clinical software is a fundamental tool for supporting healthcare systems because it improves the quality of patient care and automatizes the most frequently performed clinical tasks. Nevertheless, since health systems include various components, such as supplies, transportation, laboratories, and interoperability, eliciting the most critical requirements for understanding the problem that the clinical software must solve is quite a complex task. Indeed, the requirement elicitation process may directly determine the success or failure of the clinical software. In this article, we present the D&I framework, a methodology that uses dissemination and implementation strategies to recommend guidelines for the elicitation of clinical software requirements. The objective of this framework is to support software developers in the identification of key requirements with the goal of more holistically understanding the problem to be solved by the clinical software. We evaluated the D&I framework with a real case study related to a bed management system. We employed a usability instrument with 50 clinicians to evaluate tasks in software modules that represent clinical priorities defined by stakeholders. The results indicate that the perception of usability by end users is acceptable, suggesting that the evaluated tasks satisfy the established clinical priorities. The D&I framework provides a starting point for research and discussion about the contribution of dissemination and implementation strategies to the body of knowledge about requirement engineering.
Relationships between the pharmacokinetics of carbon tetrachloride conversion to carbon dioxide and chloroform and liver injury.

Rate and extent of CCl4 metabolism by pathways leading to CO2 and CHCl3 were evaluated by measuring the amounts of these metabolites exhaled during discrete intervals following six different doses of CCl4. Pulmonary pharmacokinetics of 14CO2 and CHCl3 exhalation after CCl4 administration were compared with those after Na2 14CO3 and 14CHCl3 administration. Exhalation of 14CO2 metabolite declined more rapidly than expected after hepatotoxic doses of CCl4. This decline could be due to injury associated changes in the metabolism of CCl4.
A Novel Sparsity Deploying Reinforcement Deep Learning Algorithm for Saturation Mapping of Oil and Gas Reservoirs

The 4IR technology has assumed critical importance in the oil and gas industry, enabling automation at an unprecedented level. Advanced algorithms are deployed in enhancing production forecast and maximize sweep efficiency. A novel sparsity-based reinforcement learning algorithm, utilizing a surface response model approach, was developed for the estimation of hydrocarbon saturation in the interwell region. Application of the novel algorithms on a realistic reservoir box model exhibited strong performance in the estimation of the interwell saturation as well as the quantification of uncertainty. The results outline the broader application of the framework for interwell saturation mapping.
DeSymbol: an interpretive tool for symbolic logic

DeSymbol is a logic translation program that translates first-order predicate logic expressions into English, for use as a tutorial aid for students learning or reviewing logic in their coursework. This system has been used in the classroom at Rowan University, with positive results.
Le verso de la p(l)age de Camus: intertextualité militante dans « Meursault, contre-enquête »

Cet article s'interesse a la specificite de l’affrontement intertextuel qu’entretient « Meursault, contre-enquete » de Kamel Daoud avec « L’Etranger » d’Albert Camus. En fournissant « l’autre cote » de l’histoire et en elucidant la partie de celle-ci que L’Etranger a laissee dans l’ombre, la contre- enquete de Daoud decompose et recompose l’œuvre de Camus. Ce faisant, Daoud destabilise la position du lecteur qui ne parvient jamais a une solution coherente sinon definitive du crime, contrairement a ce que propose d’ordinaire au lecteur le roman policier a enigme. De plus, depuis sa position doublement marginale (celle d’un auteur francophone algerien qui adopte les codes du roman policier afin de reprendre un chef-d’œuvre), Daoud denude les aspects metatextuels de la creation litteraire en general, et par extension eclaire les mecanismes a l’œuvre chez Camus. Il parvient ainsi a subvertir les hierarchies et a desacraliser l’œuvre canonique. Nous allons montrer que, dans ce combat intertextuel, l’ecriture et le crime ne font qu’un : le corps du texte est compare au corps-cadavre, le meurtre incite a la creation litteraire et les mots « ecrivain » et « tueur » deviennent synonymes.
On Parametric Hardware Trojans

With the eminence of third party foundry practice, insertion of hardware trojans in ICs is becoming a major threat. Insertion techniques of these hardware trojans are getting easier with sophisticated yet expensive equipment. The same very equipment which was basically used for IC surgeries is used for inserting hardware trojans. This research brings in focus the stealthiest trojans of the decade - Parametric Hardware Trojans (PHTs). It also proposes a taxonomy to address PHTs. Related detection techniques for PHTs are also discussed and Side Channel Analysis based detection model is suggested as the most effective detecting techniques against PHTs. The efficiency of the proposed model is also checked through FPGA based simulation of PHTs.
Fentanyl-related substances elicit antinociception and hyperlocomotion in mice via opioid receptors

Abstract Synthetic opioids have been implicated as the single greatest contributor to rising drug-related fatalities in recent years. This study evaluated mu-opioid receptor (MOR) mediated effects of seven fentanyl-related substances that have emerged in the recreational drug marketplace, and for which there are no existing or only limited in vivo data. Adult male Swiss Webster mice were administered fentanyl-related substances and their effects on nociception and locomotion as compared to MOR agonist standards were observed. In locomotor activity tests, morphine (100, 180 mg/kg), fentanyl (1, 10 mg/kg), beta-methylfentanyl (10 mg/kg), para-methoxyfentanyl (10 mg/kg), fentanyl carbamate (100 mg/kg), and 3-furanylfentanyl (10 mg/kg), elicited significant (p ≤ 0.05) dose-dependent increases in locomotion. However, para-methylfentanyl and beta′-phenylfentanyl did not produce significant effects on locomotion at doses up to 100 mg/kg and phenylfentanyl (100 mg/kg) significantly decreased locomotion. In warm-water tail-withdrawal tests, all substances produced significant dose-dependent increases in antinociception with increasing ED50 values (95% CI) of fentanyl [0.08 mg/kg (0.04–0.16)] > para-methoxyfentanyl [0.43 mg/kg (0.23–0.77)] > 3-furanylfentanyl [0.51 mg/kg (0.36–0.74)] > beta-methylfentanyl [0.74 mg/kg (0.64–0.85)] > para-methylfentanyl [1.92 mg/kg (1.48–2.45)] > fentanyl carbamate [5.59 mg/kg (4.11–7.54)] > morphine [7.82 mg/kg (5.42–11.0)] > beta′-phenylfentanyl [19.4 mg/kg (11.0–34.4)] > phenylfentanyl [55.2 mg/kg (33.5–93.0)]. Naltrexone (1 mg/kg) increased ED50 values several fold with decreasing magnitudes of para-methylfentanyl (63.1×) > para-methoxyfentanyl (22.5×) > beta′-phenylfentanyl (21.0×) > 3-furanylfentanyl (20.6×) > beta-methylfentanyl (19.2×) > phenylfentanyl (5.23×) > fentanyl (3.95×) > fentanyl carbamate (2.21×) > morphine (1.48×). These findings expand upon in vivo results from previous studies and establish that the effects of these fentanyl related-related substances are at least in part mediated by the MOR.
High fat diet causes inferior vertebral structure and function without disc degeneration in RAGE-KO mice.

Back pain and spinal pathologies are associated with obesity in juveniles and adults, yet studies identifying causal relationships are lacking and none investigate sex differences. This study determined if high fat (HF) diet causes structural and functional changes to vertebrae and intervertebral discs (IVDs); if these changes are modulated in mice with systematic ablation for the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE-KO); and if these changes are sex-dependent. Wild-type (WT) and RAGE-KO mice were fed a low fat (LF) or HF diet for 12 weeks starting at 6 weeks, representing the juvenile population. HF diet led to weight/fat gain, glucose intolerance, and increased cytokine levels (IL-5, MIG, and RANTES); with less fat gain in RAGE-KO females. Most importantly, HF diet reduced vertebral trabecular bone volume fraction and compressive and shear moduli, without a modifying effect of RAGE-KO, but with a more pronounced effect in females. HF diet caused reduced cortical area fraction only in WT males. Neither HF diet nor RAGE-KO affected IVD degeneration grade. Biomechanical properties of coccygeal motion segments were affected by RAGE-KO but not diet, with some interactions identified. In conclusion, HF diet resulted in inferior vertebral structure and function with some sex differences, no IVD degeneration, and few modifying effects of RAGE-KO. These structural and functional deficiencies with HF diet provide further evidence that diet can affect spinal structures and may increase the risk for spinal injury and degeneration with aging and additional stressors. Back pain and spinal pathologies are associated with obesity in juveniles and adults, yet studies identifying causal relationships are lacking and none investigate sex differences.
The role of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease

B-amyloid is the primary protein component of neuritic plaques, which are degenerative foci in brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The effects of this naturally occurring B-amyloid on the cells of the central nervous system have not been completely understood. The effect of cytokines such as IL-IB, TNF-a, and IFN-y on astrocytic nitric oxide is well documented; however, the effects of fi-amyloid on astrocytes for their cytokine-mediated release of nitric oxide are not established. In the present study astrocytic release of nitric oxide was studied following exposure to B-amyloid peptide (625-35) in combinations with IL-IB, TNF-a or IFN-y. None of the cytokines induced an increase in nitrite levels (nmol/mg protein) in astrocytic cultures by themselves. However, IFN-y combined with IL-IB or TNF-a induced a significant increase in nitrite levels. Although both IL-IB and TNF-a were effective costimulatory factors, the combination of IFN-y and IL-IB was more effective in increasing nitrite levels in cultures than the combination of IFN-y and TNF-a. B25-35 completely blocked the increase in nitrite levels by IFN-y and TNF-a, whereas B25-35 partially blocked the effect of IFN-7 and IL-IB. These findings warrant a further study to determine how the modulatory action of B-amyloid on cytokine-mediated astrocytic release of nitric oxide affects neuronal functions in AD patients. B-amyloid increases the vulnerability of cultured neurons to glutamate-induced excitotoxic damage. Because astrocytes play a key role in uptake of extracellular glutamate and glutamate uptake is ATP dependent, we studied the effect of B25-35 on glutamate and glucose uptake in cultured hippocampal astrocytes following 7 days
The Surprising Mathematics of Longest Increasing Subsequences

In a surprising sequence of developments, the longest increasing subsequence problem, originally mentioned as merely a curious example in a 1961 paper, has proven to have deep connections to many seemingly unrelated branches of mathematics, such as random permutations, random matrices, Young tableaux, and the corner growth model. The detailed and playful study of these connections makes this book suitable as a starting point for a wider exploration of elegant mathematical ideas that are of interest to every mathematician and to many computer scientists, physicists and statisticians. The specific topics covered are the Vershik-Kerov–Logan-Shepp limit shape theorem, the Baik–Deift–Johansson theorem, the Tracy–Widom distribution, and the corner growth process. This exciting body of work, encompassing important advances in probability and combinatorics over the last forty years, is made accessible to a general graduate-level audience for the first time in a highly polished presentation.
Numerical Approaches to Transport in Mesoscopic Systems

Several numerical methods of solving the Schrodinger equation in semiconductor nanostructures are reviewed. Specificly, tight-binding recursive Green’s function techniques, mode matching, numerical path decomposition expansion (NPDX), and direct solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation in real and imaginary-time are presented. The methods are then applied to analysis of one and two particle systems in mesoscopic structures.
Vucetichia (Gondwanatheria) is a junior synonym of Ferugliotherium (Multituberculata)

Ferugliotherium windhauseni Bonaparte, 1986, the only species of the genus Ferugliotherium , was based on an isolated m2 and placed in a new family, the Ferugliotheriidae, which was tentatively assigned to the order Multituberculata, subclass Allotheria (Bonaparte, 1986a). Additional specimens subsequently referred to F. windhauseni by Bonaparte et al. (1989), Bonaparte (1990), and Krause et al. (1992) include isolated upper and lower incisors, anterior upper and lower premolars, a complete M1, and an anterior fragment of m1. These remains, if correctly associated, serve to confirm the multituberculate affinities of Ferugliotherium , the first known multituberculate from Gondwanaland (Krause et al., 1992).
News in a Time of Blogs: Guest editorial

Purpose – This guest editorial aims to discuss the relationship between Library Hi Tech and Library Hi Tech News.Design/methodology/approach – The editorial looks at how the News distinguishes itself in a time of instant publication via blogs.Findings – The News offers a wealth of important and often overlooked topics, including ones such as the technology interests of library leaders, avoiding the worst from filtering software, and privacy issues with server‐based editing software such as Google Documents.Originality/value – The editorial offers topics on which others could and should write.
DMML: An XML Language for Interacting with Multi-Modal Dialog Systems

We present Dialog Moves Markup Language (DMML): an extensible markup language (XML) representation of modality independent communicative acts of automated conversational agents. In our architecture, DMML is the interface to and from conversational dialog managers for user interactions through any channel or modality. The use of a common XML interface language across different channels promotes high cost efficiency for the business. DMML itself has no application or domain specific elements; DMML elements embed elements representing application business logic. DMML captures the abstractions necessary to represent arbitrary multi-agent dialogs and to build cost-efficient, sophisticated natural language dialog systems for business applications.
The Effects of Improved Water Quality on Fish Assemblages in a Heavily Modified Large River System

A long history of human alterations has affected the hydrology, physical habitat and water quality of most large river ecosystems. For more than a century, the Illinois River Waterway has been subject to channelization, damming, dredging, agricultural runoff and industrial and municipal effluents. This study evaluates how subsequent improvements in water quality have influenced long-term changes in fish assemblages (1983–2010). We used five metrics to characterize the changes in fish assemblages. These metrics depicted shifts in the abundance and biomass of predatory and native fishes and species richness. Random forests (RF) and multiple linear regressions (MLRs) were used to relate the fish metrics to individual water quality and weather variables, with weather primarily used to account for inter-annual variation. Model performances varied spatially and among fish metrics (0 ≤ pseudo-R2 ≤ 0.73 for RF; 0.10 ≤ adjR2 ≤ 0.88 for MLR), but dissolved oxygen, un-ionized ammonia and water clarity were often the best predictors. As the distance downstream of major pollutant sources increased, water quality became less important for explaining the changes in fish metrics and weather more important. These results indicate that water quality improvement largely accounts for fish assemblage recovery in the river system, although within some reaches we examined, weather had substantial compounding effects. The results could be used to prioritize water quality variables for long-term monitoring and aid in predicting fish assemblage responses to future changes in water quality and climate. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rates of collapse and evaporation of globular clusters

Of the known galactic globular clusters, ~ 140 in number, about one-fifth have undergone core collapse, and an unknown number have evaporated altogether. From observational estimates of the dynamical relaxation times of globular clusters, measured at their cores and at their half-light radii, we estimate here the present rates at which core collapse and evaporation are occurring. We find a core collapse rate of 2 ± 1 per Gyr, which for a galactic age of ~ 12 Gyr agrees well with the fact that 27 clusters have surface brightness profiles with the morphology expected for the post-collapse phase. We find a destruction and evaporation rate of 5±3 per Gyr, suggesting that a significant fraction of the Galaxy's original complement of globular clusters have perished, through the combined effects of mechanisms such as relaxation-driven evaporation and shocking due to interaction with the galactic disk and bulge.
Eigenmode analysis for the radiating stationary state of N two-level atoms in a slab geometry near threshold

We explore steady states of an open, no end-mirrors, low-Q cw laser pumped above the threshold for laser oscillations. We find that the spatial field profile of the steady state just above the threshold is the same as that of the eigenmode that dominates superradiance in the late linear regime from an initially inverted state without continued pumping. The threshold pumping rate and emission frequency are related to the real and imaginary parts of the eigenvalue of this dominant mode.
In Pursuit of Singular Salmon: Paradoxes of Sustainability and the Quality Commodity

New ways of accounting for natural resources, as well as for their producers and consumers, inform efforts by Alaskan salmon fishers to service emerging markets in sustainable goods. For much of th...
Tourist Spending and Race of Visitors

This article investigates racial differences in the spending patterns of tourists. The article develops a deterministic model to explain expenditures by tourists who stay overnight at a destination. The model is then applied to survey data of tourist expenditures collected from overnight visitors to Virginia Beach during the summer of 1997. The study finds that ceteris paribus overnight visitors spend about the same regardless of their race, while the most important determinant of tourist spending is visitor income. The findings hold whether total party expenditures, party expenditures per day, or expenditures per person per day are examined.
Comment on Quasicontinuum modeling of photoassociation

We maintain that the reservations against the use of stimulated Raman adiabatic photoassociation in a nondegenerate gas, expressed by Mackie and Javanainen in a recent manuscript [Phys. Rev. A 60, 3174 (1999)], do not account for the coherence induced by the photoassociating laser. The authors treat the problem of two-color stimulated photoassociation using a set of decoupled three-mode problems, each containing a box eigenstate and the two bound states. We argue that such decomposition is not justified, since in the limit of a very large box all three-mode problems are, in fact, coherently coupled. The three-mode condition can only be met with a set of wave packets whose bandwidth matches the spectral width of the photoassociating pulse. Using this basis set, we show that by the authors' own formalism; stimulated Raman photoassociation is a viable process in the thermal ensemble.
Proposed Image Space Scanner with Reduced Off-Axis Defocusing

Image space scanners are often avoided because of off-axis defocus problems. However, there are areas where their application would be useful: when the object distance is small (microscopes), or the optics diameter large (air-and space borne scanners).
Insight into illness in patients and caregivers during early psychosis: A pilot study

article i nfo Background: Impaired insight into illness is common during early psychosis and has been associated with treatment delays and poorer long-term outcomes. The relationship between patients' insight into illness and their caregivers' knowledge about psychosis is putatively associated with treatment outcome but there is limited research about this. This pilot study was designed to test the hypothesis that caregivers' levels of insight into illness is associated with patients' insight into illness in early psychosis and would be related to caregivers' levels of critical, rejecting attitudes toward patients. Methods: Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder within 5 years of psychosis onset (n=14) and caregivers (n=14) of the patients' choosing were studied. Insight into illness was assessed in patients using the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD). Caregiver insight into illness was assessed with a modified version of the SUMD with questions rephrased to probe caregivers' understanding of the patients' illness. Caregivers' critical attitudes toward patients were assessed with the Patient Rejection Scale (PRS). Results: Significant correlations were found between patients' and caregivers' awareness of need for treatment (r=.55, p=.02), awareness of symptoms (r=.48, p=.04) and between caregivers' awareness of illness and critical attitudes toward patients (r=.65,p=.01). Conclusions: These findings suggest that caregivers' emotional characteristics and levels of insight into illness may be related to insight into illness in patients. Implications for family psychoeducational approaches to impairments of insight into illness during early psychosis are discussed.
Influence of liquid helium level on dip probe wiring

During the investigation into operation of the NIST AC Josephson Voltage Standard pulsed array at frequencies up to 1 MHz, measurements showed unexplained day-to-day variations associated with liquid helium (LHe) level. We report the influences on ac-dc transfer due to LHe level for three different kinds of output wiring: twisted pair, flexible coaxial cable, and semi-rigid microwave line.
Materialism and Humanism: Organization Theory's Odd Couple.

Many argue that work should meet individual needs for fulfillment (humanism), while meeting needs for personal income and organizational productivity (materialism). Using a comparative analysis drawn from organization theory, organizatronal hu manism, social philosophy, and political theory, the article demonstrates that com patibility of the two modes is a critical issue throughout social thought . The authors side with those arguing that contradictory premises prevent satisfying marriage and that the dominant paradigm of materialism be abandoned, perhaps by separating work from income. Recognition of finite limits to global resources may hasten this change in world view.
Effects of doxapram HCl on laryngeal function of normal dogs and dogs with naturally occurring laryngeal paralysis

Abstract Objectives To compare the effects of IV doxapram on glottic size and arytenoid motion in normal dogs and in dogs with laryngeal paralysis. Study design Prospective experimental and clinical trials. Animals Six healthy dogs weighing 24.5 ± 3.9 kg and six dogs weighing 27.4 ± 11.5 kg suspected of having laryngeal paralysis. Methods Dogs were pre-medicated with acepromazine and butorphanol, and a light plane of anesthesia was induced with isoflurane by mask. Videoendoscopic examination of laryngeal function was recorded before (baseline) and after IV doxapram administration. Normalized glottal gap area (NGGA) at maximal inspiration and expiration, and percentage change in height, width, area, and NGGA were calculated with measurements from digitized images of the glottal gap. Results Active arytenoid motion was present in all normal dogs at baseline. After doxapram administration, depth of respiration appeared greater, but arytenoid motion, as measured by percentage change in NGGA, and in area and width, did not significantly increase in normal dogs. No arytenoid motion was detected in dogs with laryngeal paralysis at baseline; however, rima glottidis NGGA of dogs with laryngeal paralysis was greater at inspiration and expiration than normal dogs. After doxapram administration, dogs with laryngeal paralysis developed paradoxical arytenoid motion and significant, negative percentage change in area (−61%) and NGGA (−145%) because of inward collapse of the arytenoids during inspiration. Conclusions and clinical relevance Administration of doxapram during laryngeal examination is useful for differentiating normal dogs from dogs with laryngeal paralysis. Dogs with laryngeal paralysis may suffer extreme glottic constriction with vigorous respirations, and may require intubation during examination.
Sleeping Beauties: The Impact of Sedation on Neonatal Development

Sedatives are frequently administered in neonatal intensive care to induce sleep for diagnostic and radiology procedures, calm irritable infants, manage pain-related agitation, and enhance ventilation. The pharmacology and side effects of sedatives commonly used with neonates will be reviewed and placed within the context of their potential effect on neonatal development. Alternative caregiving strategies to minimize or eliminate the need for sedation will be discussed.
Biocontrol efficacy of Colletotrichum truncatum for hemp sesbania (Sesbania exaltata) is enhanced with unrefined corn oil and surfactant

In greenhouse and field experiments, an oil-in-water emulsion of unrefined corn oil and Silwet L-77 increased the biological weed control efficacy of Colletotrichum truncatum (Schw.) Andrus et Moore for control of the weed, hemp sesbania (Sesbania exaltata[Raf.] Rydb. ex A.W. Hill). The surfactant – corn oil emulsion stimulated germination and appressoria formation in vivo and in vitro and delayed the need for dew. We hypothesize that the corn oil protected the conidia from desiccation during the dew-free period and the surfactant stimulated spore germination and appressoria formation. In field experiments conducted over 3 years, a single application of a 50% (v/v) unrefined corn oil tank mixture containing 0.2% (v/v) Silwet L-77 surfactant controlled hemp sesbania in soybeans an average of 95%. Aqueous fungal suspensions or adjuvants alone did not visually affect or control hemp sesbania. The soybean yields were significantly higher in the plots where weeds were effectively controlled. These results suggest that formulating C. truncatum in unrefined corn oil and surfactant greatly increases its infectivity and the biocontrol potential of this pathogen.
Differences between WISC-R and WISC-III performance scale among children with ADHD

Reviews involving the Wechsler Scales for children suggest that Full Scale IQ scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition, average 5 to 6 points lower than scores on the second edition of the scale [WISC-R, Wechsler, D. (1974). Zimmerman & Woo-Sam, 1997], with the differences distributed disproportionately over subtests, i.e., with larger discrepancies found within the Performance Scale (Wechsler, 1991). Changes on the revised subtests of the WISC-III Performance Scale may place children with ADHD at a disadvantage compared to their performance on analogous WISC-R subtests. We examined IQ test performance in 122 unmedicated children with ADHD (61 given the WISC-R, 61 given the WISC-III), and 46 children from a healthy, comparison group (23 given the WISC-R, 23 given the WISC-III). The ADHD and comparison group samples were matched for sex and for Verbal IQ between WISC-R and WISC-III. Children with ADHD had significantly lower Performance IQ on WISC-III compared to the WISC-R, with the Picture Arrangement subtest showing the most significant difference. In contrast, there were no significant differences between the WISC-R and WISC-III cohorts on Performance IQ or any Performance subtests among the comparison group. These findings highlight the importance of examining the comparability of ability test revisions among clinical and non-clinical populations, and will be especially salient when the WISC-III is revised. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 331–340, 2003.