cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systematic Review of Surgical Treatment and Outcomes After Local Surgery of Primary Cutaneous Melanomas of the Penis and Scrotum.

Background Few data exist to guide surgical management and counseling about local recurrence after surgery of primary male genital melanoma. Objective To compile all available data on local recurrence rates after surgery of primary cutaneous melanoma of the penis and scrotum. Materials and methods A systematic review of PubMed, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciencias da Saude (LILACS), Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), and Web of Science identified all surgically treated penile and scrotal melanomas that reported local recurrence status and follow-up time. Results One hundred twenty-seven melanomas from 74 manuscripts were included. Eighty-six percent of melanomas were located on the penis, and 14% were located on the scrotum. Average follow-up time was 35.7 months. Scrotal melanomas were predominantly treated with organ-sparing surgeries (16/18, 88.9%), whereas penile melanomas were treated more often with amputation (61/109, 56.0%). Overall, local recurrence rate was 15.7% (20/127). Local recurrence rates for penile cases were 18.8% (9/48) after organ-sparing surgery versus 13.1% (8/61) for amputative surgery. Local recurrence rates were 66.7% (4/6) after positive surgical margins versus 10.2% (5/49) after negative surgical margins. Conclusion Local recurrence rates are high after both organ-sparing and amputative surgery of primary cutaneous melanoma of the penis and scrotum. There is a need to standardize reporting for this rare tumor, as more complete data are necessary to develop consensus guidelines for surgical management of male genital melanoma.
PERTURBATIONS OF VOLTERRA EQUATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the perturbations of volterra equations. It summarizes a number of recent results concerning various asymptotic relationships between the solutions of the perturbed system. The systems arise in a variety of applications: control theory, nuclear reactor dynamics, superfluidity, heat transfer, viscoelasticity, biology, genetics, and others. Some theorems are proved by a different argument in that, instead of using the Schauder-Tychonoff theorem, one obtains an a priori estimate for the solution of (system 1) from which one can deduce the existence of a bounded solution of (1) given a bounded solution of (system 2).
Scanning and Flow Photometry of Chromosomes

The chromosome deserves a prominent place in a book on chromatin structure and function because in its condensed metaphase form the chromosome achieves the highest order of chromatin structure. Of course chromosomes are interesting for many other reasons. The formation and behavior of chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis continues to be a fascinating problem in biology, chromosomes provide a clinically useful window into human genetics, and chromosomal vulnerability to breakage and subsequent functional disruption by clastogens defines a type of genetic injury which requires careful study and control
Linearizable Strict-Feedforward Systems

Most strict-feedforward systems are not feedback linearizable; however, a small class of strict-feedforward systems is linearizable, and, in fact, it is linearizable by coordinate change alone, without the use of feedback.
One Strategy for IS Departments: Staking a Claim to Project Management

We share the experience of our IS department in regard to project management and School of Business curricula. What started out as ordinary service on School of Business committees evolved into a departmental strategy: staking a claim to project management. And while this strategy sort of found us before we found it, IS departments at other schools may decide to proactively pursue this strategy. Sharing our journey provides the opportunity for IS colleagues to determine if such a strategy could be of benefit in their situation and to take away insights for how to proceed.
The Business of Chemistry: Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Information Literacy

Career chemists, or any Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) professional, should have a good understanding of how their industry operates. By collaborating on a “career f...
Decisional Capacity for Informed Consent in Males and Females with Fragile X Syndrome

Although informed consent is critical for all research, there is increased ethical responsibility as individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) become the focus of more clinical trials. This study examined decisional capacity for informed consent to clinical trials in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Participants were 152 adolescents and adults (80 males, 72 females) with FXS who completed a measure of decisional capacity and a comprehensive battery of neurocognitive and psychiatric measures. Females outperformed males on all aspects of decisional capacity. The ability to understand aspects of the clinical trial had the strongest association with the ability to appreciate and reason about the decision. Scaffolding improved understanding, suggesting researchers can take steps to improve decisional capacity and the informed consent process.
Duodenal Chemosensing of Short-Chain Fatty Acids: Implications for GI Diseases.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the main bacterial fermentation products in the hindgut of hindgut fermenters, are also present in the foregut lumen. We discuss the impact of SCFAs in the duodenal defense mechanisms and in the gastrointestinal (GI) pathogenesis. Luminal SCFAs augment the duodenal mucosal defenses via release of serotonin (5-HT) and glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) from enteroendocrine cells. Released GLP-2 protects the small intestinal mucosa from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced enteropathy. SCFAs are also rapidly absorbed via SCFA transporters and interact with afferent and myenteric nerves. Excessive SCFA signals with 5-HT3 receptor overactivation may be implicated in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. SCFA production exhibits diurnal rhythms with host physiological responses, suggesting that oral SCFA treatment may adjust the GI clocks. SCFAs are not only a source of energy but also signaling molecules for the local regulation of the GI tract and systemic regulation via release of gut hormones. Targeting SCFA signals may be a novel therapeutic for GI diseases and metabolic syndrome.
Democratization and civil society development through the perspectives of Gramsci and Tocqueville in South Korea and Japan

The development of a country’s civil society has typically been tied to the development of democracy: a vibrant civil society is indicative of a vibrant democracy. Why, then, has civil society emer...
Propagation and quantification of uncertainty in the vulnerability estimation of tall concrete bridges

Abstract Bridges are critical links in a transportation network, and their seismic vulnerability can lead to substantial economic losses, particularly the ones located in high-risk seismic zones. Bridge vulnerability can be assessed by developing fragility curves that indicate the probability of reaching or exceeding a specific level of damage. Past earthquakes have revealed a high likelihood to experience seismic damage for bridges with irregularities in their configurations. Since the research on the seismic reliability of irregular bridges with consideration of uncertainty is limited, this paper aims to address this deficiency by analyzing the impacts of typical sources of uncertainties including ground motion, material, and geometric attributes on the vulnerability of tall and normal box-girder concrete bridges. This study compares the fragility of considered cases by performing nonlinear time history analysis of representative bridges and developing probabilistic seismic demand models in order to generate the corresponding fragility curves. During this process, the influence of each type of uncertainty is investigated through statistical analysis of the bridge responses. The findings demonstrate a noticeable seismic risk of tall bridges compared to the normal ones, and among the evaluated categories, the uncertainties associated with the geometric attributes showed the highest influence on the seismic demands.
Exploring The Use of Cognitive Models for Nuclear Power Plant Human-System Interface Evaluation:

Many of the United States’ commercial fleet of nuclear power plants (NPPs) are approaching the end of their operating licenses. To extend the life of these plants, advanced human-system interface (...
A Data Adventure with Students

The isolated college educated policy expert who would exist in a world devoid of reference books is a relic of the turn of the 20th century. My students have smart phones, Wikipedia, and news feeds. They will not be isolated from information. The pedagogical problem is different now. I do not need to test how much a student can read and retain. I need to test how a student can sift through information to find the elements that are needed for the present purpose, which is to produce a convincing rational argument supported with information. Including empirical analysis is important for students in the introductory political science classroom. The next generation of civic leaders needs to be able to utilize government statistics and policy reports as they engage in politics. The Introduction to American Politics curriculum can be expanded to include having students build evidence based arguments themselves.
Patterns of Potentially Inappropriate Bladder Antimuscarinic Use in People with Dementia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations should prompt review of the patient’s medications after discharge and targeted deprescribing to reduce ongoing risks. To see if this is happening, we sought to examine the proportion of serious falls and delirium that were followed by a prescription fill for a bladder antimuscarinic. Our secondary objective was to identify concurrent use of other anticholinergics, cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), and diuretics among people with dementia taking bladder antimuscarinics. Retrospective descriptive study using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011–2014) linked with Medicare claims from 2010–2014. The primary outcome was the proportion of serious falls or delirium that were followed by a bladder antimuscarinic prescription fill within 12 months. The secondary outcome was the proportion of individuals concurrently receiving prescriptions for bladder antimuscarinics, other strong anticholinergics, ChEIs, and diuretics. During the observation period, 8.88% of people with dementia filled a bladder antimuscarinic prescription. Over one-third (35%) initiated use after being identified as having dementia. Many used bladder antimuscarinics concurrently with other strong anticholinergics (19%), diuretics (42%), and ChEIs (32%). The majority (76%) of serious falls or delirium among people with dementia and bladder antimuscarinic use were followed by a bladder antimuscarinic prescription within 12 months. In this descriptive study, bladder antimuscarinic prescriptions were often filled irrespective of dementia status, serious falls, or delirium. Concurrent use of other anticholinergics, diuretics, and ChEIs was common. Falls and delirium should trigger review of the medication list after discharge and targeted deprescribing in people with dementia.
The lived experience of nursing faculty developing as scholarly writers.

Abstract Background Nursing faculty are expected to disseminate scholarly work through publications, yet little is known about how faculty develop as scholarly writers. Purpose This manuscript discusses a hermeneutic phenomenological research study that uncovered the experience of nursing faculty developing as scholarly writers. Methods Audiotaped personal interviews were conducted with 12 nursing faculty to understand the lived experience of nursing faculty developing as scholarly writers. A 5-step data analysis process consistent with phenomenology was used to identify common themes. Results Findings revealed five themes: pulling everything together, steering me in the direction, using feedback to grow, squeezing it in, and staying on task. Conclusion This study offers educators insight into the experience of faculty developing as scholarly writers and leads to recommendations for approaches that may be useful in writing development.
Modeling the Kinetics of UV/Peracetic Acid Advanced Oxidation Process.

Peracetic acid combined with UV (i.e., UV/PAA) has emerged as a novel advanced oxidation process (AOP) for water disinfection and micropollutant degradation, but kinetic modeling for this AOP was l...
In-Built Polymer-in-Solvent and Solvent-in-Polymer Electrolytes for High-Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries

Summary All-solid-state electrolytes are widely understood to be required for energy-dense storage/conversion devices. Persistent problems associated with low ionic conductivity, poor charge transport across explicit and implicit interfaces, and inferior chemical stability continue to pose significant barriers to progress. Here, we synthesize and study a series of gel (or “quasi-solid-state”) electrolytes that can overcome many of the known limitations of their all-solid-state analogs. We discover that in two physical states, solvent-in-polymer (SIP) and polymer-in-solvent (PIS), the electrolytes offer exceptional ion-transport and stability characteristics. In both states, crystallization of the polymer component and thermodynamic activity of the solvent are lowered, allowing the electrolytes to achieve attractive combinations of ion transport, thermal, and electrochemical stability. Moreover, the SIP-PIS electrolytes can be in situ polymerized inside an electrochemical cell, resulting in fast kinetics for LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cathode with areal capacity of 2.5 mAh/cm2 and long-term stability toward lithium metal anode over 1,200 h.
Two Sides of a Coin: Safe Space & Segregation in Race/Ethnic-Specific Law Student Organizations

American racism and discrimination continue to plague our institutions of higher education. Predominantly white law school environments are especially notable for being inhospitable and unfriendly, especially for students of color. Many law students of color create and join race/ethnic-specific organizations in order to receive support on otherwise unwelcoming campuses. This Article analyzes data from a mixed-method empirical research study investigating student perceptions of race/ethnic-specific campus organizations. While many students view these groups as a safe space that provides a buffer from the rest of law school life, others worry that these organizations may increase segregation. Which perception is correct? When considered through a lens of racial privilege and utilizing a Critical Race Theory framework, we see that “exclusion” may have different meanings and outcomes based on the positionality of the groups involved. What some consider “self-segregation” may be necessary for creating safe space for otherwise marginalized students. * J.D. (2000), University of Michigan Law School; Ph.D. (Sociology) (2009), University of California, Los Angeles. Associate Professor, Thomas Jefferson School of Law. The author thanks Kristi Bowman, Kaimipono Wenger, Maurice Dyson, Lisa Ikemoto, Danni Kie Hart, and Luz Herrera for providing useful suggestions and inspiration for this Article. The Principal Investigators of the Educational Diversity Project—Walter Allen, Abigail Panter, Charles Daye, and Linda Wightman—deserve recognition for creating the methodological framework that was adapted for the Perspectives on Diversity study. Outstanding research assistance was provided by Bryce Dodds, Natalie Ghayoumi, Kale Sopoaga, and Jessica Lockett. Versions of this Article were presented at the following meetings, which also provided avenues for useful feedback: Law & Society Annual Meeting (2012), Association for the Study of Higher Education (2012), UCLA Critical Race Studies Symposium (2011). Washington University Open Scholarship 84 Journal of Law & Policy [Vol. 42:83
Naltrexone for adolescent opioid use disorder: a bridge in the treatment gap?

Background: Adolescents use heroin as well as prescription opioids. Unfortunately, access to care for adolescents and young adults with opioid use disorder is limited. Naltrexone is a mu opioid rec...
Genetic blockade of lymphangiogenesis does not impair cardiac function after myocardial infarction

In recent decades, treatments for myocardial infarction (MI), such as stem and progenitor cell therapy, have attracted considerable scientific and clinical attention but failed to improve patient outcomes. These efforts indicate that more rigorous mechanistic and functional testing of potential MI therapies is required. Recent studies have suggested that augmenting post-MI lymphatic growth via VEGF-C administration improves cardiac function. However, the mechanisms underlying this proposed therapeutic approach remain vague and untested. To more rigorously test the role of lymphatic vessel growth after MI, we examined the post-MI cardiac function of mice in which lymphangiogenesis had been blocked genetically by pan-endothelial or lymphatic endothelial loss of the lymphangiogenic receptor VEGFR3 or global loss of the VEGF-C and VEGF-D ligands. The results obtained using all three genetic approaches were highly concordant and demonstrated that loss of lymphatic vessel growth did not impair left ventricular ejection fraction two weeks after MI in mice. We observed a trend toward excess fluid in the infarcted region of the left ventricle, but immune cell infiltration and clearance were unchanged with loss of expanded lymphatics. These studies refute the hypothesis that lymphangiogenesis contributes significantly to cardiac function after MI, and suggest that any effect of exogenous VEGF-C is likely to be mediated by non-lymphangiogenic mechanisms.
Defining Enterprise Security Policies with Windows 2000 and Later

Windows 2000 and later operating systems come with an excellent, if a bit rocky, management system called Group Policy. Although the system drew a lot of criticism, namely from those opposed to Microsoft, there are a lot of positives to it.
Chapter 187 High-temperature superconductivity in layered cuprates: Overview

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights high-temperature superconductivity in layered cuprates. Although several other types of exotic superconductors (for example, organic superconductors, heavy-fermion f-electron superconductors, magnetically ordered superconductors, multinary rare-earth, actinide, and transition-metal superconductors) have been investigated intensely, the cuprate superconductors have received by far the most attention because the highest values of the superconducting critical temperature are found in this class of materials. Rare-earth and actinide elements are key constituents of many of the high-temperature cuprate superconductors and have played a prominent role in the development of the first and some of the more important cuprate superconductors. The high-TC cuprate superconductors have layered perovskite-like crystal structures that consist of conducting CuO2 planes separated by layers comprised of other elements A and oxygen, AmOn, and, in some cases, layers of Ln ions. The mobile charge carriers that can be electrons but are usually holes, are generally believed to reside primarily within the CuO2 planes. The AmOn layers apparently function as charge reservoirs that control the doping of the CuO2 planes with charge carriers and as spacers that govern the anisotropy of the physical properties of the materials.
TEM Characterization of ZnO Nanorods

ZnO nanostructures constitute an important component of certain nanostructured devices. In most configurations, aligned growth of the ZnO nanorods is required. Aqueous-solution synthesis is used to synthesize oriented ZnO nanorods on a ZnO thin film prepared by pulsed-laser deposition. The synthesis processes have been adapted to TEM-ready sapphire substrates to enable simultaneous crystallographic, microchemical and high-resolution studies in the TEM. Issues related to the growth mechanism and incorporated defects are addressed.
Encoding the /spl lscr//sub p/ ball from limited measurements

We address the problem of encoding signals which are sparse, i.e. signals that are concentrated on a set of small support. Mathematically, such signals are modeled as elements in the /spl lscr//sub p/ ball for some p < 1. We describe a strategy for encoding elements of the /spl lscr//sub p/ ball which is universal in that 1) the encoding procedure is completely generic, and does not depend on p (the sparsity of the signal), and 2) it achieves near-optimal minimax performance simultaneously for all p < 1. What makes our coding procedure unique is that it requires only a limited number of nonadaptive measurements of the underlying sparse signal; we show that near-optimal performance can be obtained with a number of measurements that is roughly proportional to the number of bits used by the encoder. We end by briefly discussing these results in the context of image compression.
Group treatment for hoarding disorder: Therapist Guide

People who collect possessions and are unable to discard them, regardless of value, are known in the vox populi as “hoarders.” The plight of those suffering the social, physiological, and psycholog...
Validation of Computer Systems

AbstractValidation of process automation creates challenges for laboratory directors, quality assurance units and regulatory authorities. The complexity of modern computer systems lies in the software which directs tasks. Direct examination of small software modules can be used successfully by software vendors. Visual examination of reports produced by different programs can demonstrate that values are identical on all reports.Complementary function testing is another technique used to validate software systems. When changes are made, revalidation is required. Laboratories can revalidate using test data and automatic exception reporting. Testing is a technical and time consuming task, but one that must be carried out to help ensure confidence in automated processes and reports.
Relationship between sarcoplasmic reticulum volume and calcium capacity in skinned frog skeletal muscle fibres.

Semitendinosus fibres fromRana pipiens were examined in the electron microscope. When the aqueous solutions in which the fibres were prepared contained no sucrose, the sarcoplasmic reticulum was markedly swollen and possibly fragmented. When as little as 50mm sucrose was included in the aqueous solution, the sarcoplasmic reticulum retained the flattened appearance characteristic of intact fibres. The degree of flattening was not substantially different with concentrations of sucrose ranging from 50 to 300mm, suggesting that the flattened volume may be determined by structural elements. In all the fibre segments, the regularity of the hexagonal filament lattice was disrupted and the disruption was not affected by sucrose. Radioactive calcium uptake was measured in the presence and absence of 200mm sucrose. The capacity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was depressed by about 30% by the sucrose but the initial uptake was not significantly affected. This finding suggests that most of the calcium within the SR is bound and not free in solution.
Short circuiting the circadian clock.

A recent report in Cell shows that the transcription and translation cycles that drive the molecular circadian clock may also be regulated by electrical activity.
Evidence for genetic influences common and specific to symptoms of generalized anxiety and panic

Abstract Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD) often co-occur and have been shown to be heritable. Researchers have debated the validity of the distinction between GAD and PD. To test for distinction between disorders, we estimated the genetic and environmental contributions which were specific and common to GAD and PD in a cohort of male–male twin pairs. Methods: Data were obtained from a telephone interview performed in 1992 utilizing the Diagnostic Interview Schedule Version 3-Revised. Interviews were administered to 6724 male–male monozygotic and dizygotic twin pair members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. We defined lifetime GAD by the report of six or more DSM-III-R symptoms and lifetime PD by the report of four or more DSM-III-R symptoms. Results: The lifetime co-occurrence of GAD and PD was best explained by a model which did not include family environmental influences. The variance in risk for GAD was due to a 37.9% influence from additive genetic factors with the remainder due to unique environmental influences. The variance in risk for PD was due to a 22.6% additive genetic contribution which was common with GAD and a 21.2% non-additive genetic contribution specific to PD with the remainder of variance in risk for PD due to unique environmental influences. Limitations: Results may be limited to middle aged males. Model fitting with full diagnostic criteria was not possible due to low prevalences. Conclusions: Our data suggest a distinction in liability for GAD versus PD. The common genetic influence to GAD and PD may partially account for the risk of the co-occurrence of these disorders in a lifetime.
Boron and silicon coordination in oxide glasses: A statistical mechanical model

Abstract Glass, as a supercooled liquid, has its short range order “Frozen” in below Tg (the glass transition temperature) due to the high viscosities in this temperature range. The question as to how, and how much, can this short range order in common multi-component oxide glasses be thermodynamically controlled, remains relatively unanswered, both experimentally and theoretically. We propose an extremely simple thermodynamic model to describe the short range bonding arrangement of boron and silicon in alkali-borate and alkali-silicate glasses. The effects of changes in the fictive temperature associated with the final metastable state of the glass on the predictions of the model are discussed.
Oxygenation of organic sulfides catalyzed by simple Fe(III) salts

Abstract Organic sulfide oxygenation by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was effectively accomplished by using iron(III) chloride or iron(III) bromide as the catalyst. The distribution of products between sulfoxide and sulfone is strongly solvent-dependent, and a 100% selectivity for sulfoxide was achieved with FeCl3 in a 1:1 methanol/water mixture.
Action Potential Hyperpolarization Kinetics Abets the Modulation of Alpha1h T-Type Calcium Channels by KLHL1 Mutants Lacking the Actin-Binding Domain (ΔKelch)

The Kelch-like 1 protein (KLHL1) is a neuronal actin-binding protein that increases the current density and channel number of Cav3.2 calcium channels via actin-F mediated increases in recycling endosomal activity. Removal of the actin-binding kelch motif (ΔKelch) prevents the increase in α1H current density seen with wild-type KLHL1 when tested with square pulse protocols but not the increase in calcium influx seen during action potentials (AP).Here we set out to dissect the kinetic properties of AP that confer the mutant kelch the ability to interact with α1H and induce an increase in calcium influx.Square waveforms (black trace) following the AP did not significantly increase calcium influx (25%, p>0.05) compared to the AP (red). We investigated the effects of altering the slope of the repolarization (1), the length of hyperpolarization (2), the slope of repolarization from hyperpolarization (3) and the duration of depolarization (4) on the modulation of α1H by ΔKelch. Our results show that the slope of repolarization from hyperpolarization induces the conformational changes that allow the channel to properly interact with ΔKelch, leading to increased Ca influx.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
PROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF DAILY PERFORMANCE METRICS TO REDUCE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LENGTH OF STAY FOR SURGICAL CONSULTS

Abstract Background As part of a quality improvement initiative to reduce Emergency Department (ED) length of stay (LOS) for surgical consult patients, we e-mailed performance metrics to key stakeholders on a daily basis. ED and Surgery leadership used these daily metrics to identify and remedy contributing factors for increased ED LOS in patients who received surgical consults. Objective To evaluate whether a quality improvement process driven by a daily performance metric e-mail would be associated with a change in ED LOS for surgical consult patients. Methods Prospective before-after study looking at ED LOS for surgical consult patients after an e-mail intervention at a tertiary academic teaching hospital. All consecutive adult ED patients between July 1, 2010 and October 1, 2010 who received a general surgical consult were enrolled. The primary outcome measure was ED LOS, and secondary outcome measure was time to consultation. Results There were 916 patients who had surgical consults placed during the study period; 459 patients presented before the intervention and 457 patients presented after the intervention. The median LOS decreased 54 min, from 463 min (interquartile range [IQR] 326–617) before the intervention to 409 min (IQR 294.5–528.5) after the intervention ( p p = 0.002). There was no difference in age, severity, number of consults, or disposition. There was also no difference in median LOS for other consultation services or in previous years during the same time period. Conclusions ED LOS and time to consultation were decreased for surgical consult patients after initiation of daily performance metric e-mails.
Comparison of the kinetics of the papain-catalyzed hydrolysis of glycine- and alanine-based esters and thiono esters.

The kinetic constants for the papain-catalyzed hydrolysis of a series of substrates with glycine or alanine in the P1 position are discussed. The substrates have N-benzoyl, N-(p-nitrobenzoyl), N-(beta-phenylpropionyl), or N-(methyloxycarbonyl)phenylalanine attached to the P1 moiety, and kinetic constants are obtained for both esters and thiono esters. The results for the hydrolysis of esters can be readily interpreted in terms of the known specificity of papain. For any glycine ester the change in kcat/Km upon substituting C=S for C=O or upon substituting an alpha-CH3 group is minimal. However, upon making both these substitutions, i.e., going from a glycine ester to an alanine thiono ester substrate, larger changes are seen for this ratio. Data for N-benzoyl- and N-(beta-phenylpropionyl)glycine and -alanine methyl thiono esters show that k2 is the parameter most affected by the double C=S and alpha-CH3 substitution. A further conclusion is that the deacylation rate constants for any pair of glycine and alanine dithioacyl papains are similar; e.g., for the intermediates based on the "good" substrates PheAla and PheGly k3 differs by only 20%. This is a surprising finding in light of the very different conformations and interactions of the bound acyl groups revealed by resonance Raman spectroscopy and raises the possibility that specific stereochemical effects, such as the oxyanion hole and general base catalysis, are not operating in the hydrolysis of dithioacyl papains.
Animal Models of Tardive Dyskinesia

For the last 12 years we have been studying the rodent model of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in both rats and guinea pigs. All of these studies have involved the observation of dopamine agonist-induced behavior following chronic neuroleptic administration. The theoretical basis behind these studies is the assumption that neuroleptic induced alterations of dopaminergic function occur in both TD and these models.1 These models have employed dopamine agonist-induced stereotyped behaviors as the measure of presumed postsynaptic dopamine receptor site functional sensitivity in the striatum.
QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE OBSERVATIONS ON AQUATIC ALGAL COMMUNITIES AND RECOLONIZATION WITHIN THE BLAST ZONE OF MT. ST. HELENS, 1980 AND 19811

Despite the destruction and total rearrangement of much of the area north of Mt St. Helens, many different species of algae became established in the aquatic systems located in the blast zone within 3–4 months after the eruption of May 18, 1980. Initial sites of intense algal activity were found in benthic regions associated with warm springs and in the littoral and phytoplanktonic communities of some small lakes. In the summers of 1980–81, overall phytoplankton numbers and activity were low in the large lakes closest to the crater (e.g. Spirit Lake). However, diatoms, blue-green and green algal isolates from these lakes were obtained in laboratory cultures on a reduced inorganic medium used to enumerate metal and sulfur oxidizing bacteria. Species of Nodularia, Pseudanabaena, Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Nitzschia, Tribonema, Chlamydomonas, Chlorella, and microflagellates (predominantly cryptomonads) were among the more common forms found in preserved samples or isolated in cultures.
Crystal-matrix relationships in experimentally induced urinary calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals, an ultrastructural study

Calcium oxalate monohydrate crystalluria was experimentally induced in male rats by administration of ethylene glycol. The crystalluria particles were separated by filtration and studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. They were associated with cellular degradation products. Organic material was present both on the surfaces of crystalluria particles as well as within them and was organized in radial striations and concentric laminations. It is proposed that crystal nuclei were formed by heterogeneous nucleation. These nuclei then adsorbed organic material and aggregated. The organic material polymerized resulting in the formation of a crystal-matrix unit which then grew and incorporated more organic material during the crystal growth.
Dexmedetomidine reduces cranial temperature in hypothermic neonatal rats

The α2-adrenergic agonist dexmedetomidine (DEX) is increasingly used for prolonged sedation of critically ill neonates, but there are currently no data evaluating possible consequences of prolonged neonatal DEX exposure. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics and histological consequences of neonatal DEX exposure. DEX was administered (s.c.) to naive (uninjured) neonatal Lewis rats to provide acute (25 µg/kg, ×1) or prolonged (25 µg/kg three times daily, ×2 or ×4 d) exposure. Therapeutic hypothermia was simulated using a water-cooled blanket. Cranial temperatures were measured using an infrared thermometer. DEX concentrations were measured by LC-MS in plasma and homogenized brainstem tissue for pharmacokinetic analysis. Cortex, cerebellum, and brainstem were evaluated for evidence of inflammation or injury. Prolonged neonatal DEX exposure was not associated with renal or brain pathology or indices of gliosis, macrophage activation, or apoptosis in either hypothermic or control rats. Plasma and brain DEX concentrations were tightly correlated. DEX peaked within 15 min in brain and reduced cranial temperature from 32 to 30 °C within 30 min after injection in cooled rats. Prolonged DEX treatment in neonatal rats was not associated with abnormal brain histology. These data provide reassuring preliminary results for using DEX with therapeutic hypothermia to treat near-term brain injury.
Mm-wave MIMO channel modeling and user localization using sparse beamspace signatures

Millimeter-wave (mm-wave) communication systems operating between 30GHz and 300GHz are emerging as a promising technology for meeting the exploding bandwidth requirements of future wireless systems. In addition to large bandwidths, mm-wave systems afford high-dimensional multiple input multiple output (MIMO) operation with relatively compact arrays, and the corresponding narrow spatial beams make beamspace MIMO communication particular attractive. An important implication is that while the ambient spatial dimension is high, mm-wave MIMO channels exhibit a low-rank structure that is manifested in the sparsity of the beamspace MIMO channel matrix. In this paper, we develop a model for sparse mm-wave MIMO channels and propose an approach to mobile station (MS) localization that exploits changes in statistics of the sparse beamspace channel matrix as a function of the MS position. Unlike most existing methods, line-of-sight (LoS) propagation is not mandatory and the proposed approach benefits from the information provided by non-line-of-sight (NLoS) paths. Beamspace sparsity is exploited for developing a low-dimensional maximum-likelihood (ML) classifier that delivers near-optimal performance with dramatically reduced complexity compared to conventional designs. Numerical results illustrate the impact of the physical environment, grid-resolution, and MIMO dimensions on localization performance.
Automatic numerical solution of generalized 2-D IHCP by discrete mollification

Abstract A space marching scheme, based on the mollification method and generalized cross validation, is described to numerically recover the temperature and heat flux histories in the two-dimensional generalized inverse heat conduction problem. A proof of stability and convergence of this algorithm is provided, together with several numerical examples of interest.
A Recurrent Epiphytotic of Guava Rust on Rose Apple, Syzygium jambos, in Hawaii

A Neotropical rust of the Myrtaceae, Puccinia psidii Winter, was described from Psidium guajava L., or guava, in Brazil in 1884 (1). It was first discovered in Hawaii on potted Metrosideros polymorpha Gaud. on Oahu in April 2005 (2) with pathogenicity and identity established (3). It spread quickly, and by January 2006, severe outbreaks of this rust occurred statewide on new leaves of Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston, or rose apple. Rose apple, a native to South and Southeast Asia, was introduced to Hawaii in 1825 and is locally abundant to invasive from just above sea level to as high as 1,000 m in elevation in wet sites. Healthy, reddish green immature leaves on new twigs become deformed, yellow-red, and covered with masses of yellow urediniospores following infection. As the disease progresses, infected leaves are blackened and defoliate, with no functional leaves formed. Stem tips and branches are killed and the canopy becomes progressively smaller. Repeated mortality of juvenile leaves was observed to kil...
Elevating the Student Assistant: An Integrated Development Program for Student Library Assistants

Libraries depend upon student workers to assist in the day-to-day operations of a unit. The range of activities varies, as does the amount of flexibility given to students to go beyond the routine. This case study details an approach that was shaped based on student input and creative brainstorming to engage and involve student workers in new ways as well as strategies to elevate their leadership roles. The approach encourages students to contribute their particular strengths and expertise in ways that not only enhance the library's mission but also elevate their experience at the library.
Effect of Early Solar Energy Gain according to Building Size, Building Openings, Aspect Ratio, Solar Azimuth, and Latitude

AbstractThis study determines the effects of building openings, size, proportions, orientation, and latitude with regard to the needed energy to keep interior spaces within the comfort zone. For this analysis, the average temperatures throughout the year and average daily temperature swings at five different locations are applied, indicating the effect of exposure to morning direct radiation, which is considered early solar energy, versus noon and afternoon, and the potential energy gain from optimized orientation of buildings. Data such as temperature values are assigned to the anticipated average based on collected data. Depending on latitude and local climate, it is evident that minor angle shifts in building orientation may produce noticeable results in terms of energy gain or block at different times of the day. Adjustments on proportions and azimuth contribute toward a rate of solar energy gain that corresponds better to the building needs for thermal energy at different times of the day.
Humanizing outer space: architecture, habitability, and behavioral health

Abstract Space architecture is the theory and practice of designing and building environments for humans in outer space. In our present century professional astronauts and cosmonauts will remain a focus for space architects, but new designs must better accommodate passengers (tourists and industrial workers) and settlers who set forth to establish off-world societies. Psychologists and architects can work together to assure good spaceflight behavioral health, defined by a lack of neuropsychiatric dysfunction, and the presence of high levels of personal adjustment, cordial interpersonal relations, and positive interactions with the physical and social environments. By designing and constructing facilities that are occupant centered and activity oriented, architects increase habitability thereby decreasing environmental challenges to behavioral health. Simulators and spaceflight-analogous environments make it possible to test design solutions prior to their deployment in space. This paper concludes with suggestions for increasing collaboration between architects and psychologists. These include increased sharing of hypotheses and data, articulating complementary research styles, and mutual advocacy for early, potent, and sustained involvement in mission planning and execution.
A game theory and bcc based flexible qos unicast routing scheme

QoS (Quality of Service) routing is essential in NGI (Next Generation Internet). Due to difficulty on the exact expression of the user QoS requirements, the flexible QoS should be supported. In addition, with gradual commercialization of network operation, the benefit conflicts between the network provider and the user ask the so called win-win to be supported. In this paper, the knowledge of the fuzzy mathematics, game theory and artificial life computing method is introduced to design a flexible QoS unicast routing scheme. Based on BCC (Bacteria Colony Chemotaxis), it searches for a QoS unicast path with Pareto optimum under Nash equilibrium between the network provider utility and the user utility achieved or approached. Simulation results have shown that the proposed scheme is both feasible and effective with better performance.
The Decline Of The Political Consensus For Urban Growth: Evidence from Los Angeles

This article explores growth politics in the United States by examining the case of Los Angeles. Recent observers of Los Angeles have noted that growth interests in the city increasingly lack the p...
The involvement of Ca2+ gradients, Ca2+ fluxes, and CaM kinase II in polarization and germination of Silvetia compressa zygotes

Previous work has shown that distinct Ca2+ gradients precede and predict the loci of germination of the zygotes of the brown alga, Silvetia compressa (J. Agardh) E. Serrao, T.O. Cho, S.M. Boo et Brawley, that are polarized by unilateral blue light. We show here that dark-grown S. compressa zygotes also form cytosolic Ca2+ gradients prior to germination and then germinate from the site of elevated Ca2+. In no case did germination occur without a prior formation of a Ca2+ gradient. Using the self-referencing Ca2+-selective probe, we measured highly localized influx of Ca2+ during photopolarization, indicating that extracellular stores supply at least some of the Ca2+ needed to construct a gradient. Finally, we find that germination was inhibited by a bath-applied inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaM kinase II), KN-93 (but not by its inactive analog, KN-92), and by an injected inhibitory peptide for the kinase. KN-93 did not interfere with the photopolarization of the zygotes, consistent with the view that calmodulin is not involved in the initial response to light. The KN-93 results indicate that the requirement for active CaM kinase II for germination ends about 2 h before overt germination. We conclude that Ca2+ gradients, generated in part by localized calcium entry from the seawater, are an essential part of the process of polarity development and expression in these cells, regardless of the nature of the external cue that directs the orientation of the axis. Calmodulin and CaM kinase II are involved in interpreting (but not in establishing) the calcium gradient, allowing germination to occur at the site of elevated calcium, but CaM kinase II appears not to be involved in the initiation of germination.
Aging and Health Literacy.

A recent study comparing older adults’ health literacy skills with their satisfaction with health care providers’ communication efforts did not find a correlation between the two measures. However, the results were interesting, including the fact that almost 40 percent of participants experienced moderate to severe difficulties in understanding everyday health information as presented in a food label (Newest Vital Sign assessment). This has implications for senior patient engagement in health care, particularly at a time when so many health transactions such as scheduling and records requests, not to mention general health information, are moving to online only format. Librarians should be aware of the issues surrounding health literacy in older adults and work with providers to address those deficits in health care navigation in this population.
SGM-based dense disparity estimation using adaptive Census transform

Generating an accurate and dense disparity image is one of the important requirements for many applications such as 3D video and stereo vision-based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Depth estimation is the process of obtaining a depth map based on two or more reference images. Recently, several techniques that use semi-global optimization for estimating depth maps have been suggested. Although robustness against illumination changes is a vital factor in applications like ADAS, semi-global matching (SGM) based on mutual information achieves limited performance under illumination changes. In this paper, a modified SGM algorithm is proposed which is based on adaptive window patterns of census transform. The goal of the proposed method is to improve the quality of the estimated depth map while reducing the processing time and making it applicable for depth-based pedestrian detection techniques. To enhance the quality of the estimated depth map, a spatial Gaussian weighted averaging filter along with a color-aware filter is implemented. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method, the Middlebury stereo dataset and the KITTI vision benchmark have been used on the experiments. Experimental results show that the proposed method reduces the percentage of bad pixels by 0.7-1.2% for the test sequences compared to the original SGM algorithm with reduced processing time.
A SYSTEM ENGINEERING APPROACH FOR THE MIGRATION OF COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEMS

In this paper major factors contributing to system migration failures are reviewed. We highlight the need for a comprehensive system engineering approach that can address the inherent complexities of migrating mission critical systems. To address this need, a model-based approach supported by tools is presented. Central to this approach is the use of a new type of system architecture model called “Loop Relationship (LR) Models.” These models are used to recover the legacy system design, specify the migrated system requirements and proposed system design; and analyze the performance implications of proposed modifications to the legacy system. Finally we will discuss our experience in forming a team to apply the above approach on a number of system migration projects.
Expanding roles for lipid droplets

This work was supported by grants from the American Diabetes Association, NIH RO1-DK-082574, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, under agreement No. 58-1950-7-70 to ASG. This work was also supported by grants from the NIH RO1-DK59935 and RO1 DK56598 to RAC.