cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lung-Specific Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Improves Cognition of Adult Mice Exposed to Neonatal Hyperoxia

Lung and brain development is often altered in infants born preterm and exposed to excess oxygen, and this can lead to impaired lung function and neurocognitive abilities later in life. Oxygen-derived reactive oxygen species and the ensuing inflammatory response are believed to be an underlying cause of disease because over-expression of some anti-oxidant enzymes is protective in animal models. For example, neurodevelopment is preserved in mice that ubiquitously express human extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) under control of an actin promoter. Similarly, oxygen-dependent changes in lung development are attenuated in transgenic SftpcEC-SOD mice that over-express EC-SOD in pulmonary alveolar epithelial type II cells. But whether anti-oxidants targeted to the lung provide protection to other organs, such as the brain is not known. Here, we use transgenic SftpcEC-SOD mice to investigate whether lung-specific expression of EC-SOD also preserves neurodevelopment following exposure to neonatal hyperoxia. Wild type and SftpcEC-SOD transgenic mice were exposed to room air or 100% oxygen between postnatal days 0-4. At 8 weeks of age, we investigated neurocognitive function as defined by novel object recognition, pathologic changes in hippocampal neurons, and microglial cell activation. Neonatal hyperoxia impaired novel object recognition memory in adult female but not male mice. Behavioral deficits were associated with microglial activation, CA1 neuron nuclear contraction, and fiber sprouting within the hilus of the dentate gyrus (DG). Over-expression of EC-SOD in the lung preserved novel object recognition and reduced the observed changes in neuronal nuclear size and myelin basic protein fiber density. It had no effect on the extent of microglial activation in the hippocampus. These findings demonstrate pulmonary expression of EC-SOD preserves short-term memory in adult female mice exposed to neonatal hyperoxia, thus suggesting anti-oxidants designed to alleviate oxygen-induced lung disease such as in preterm infants may also be neuroprotective.
Outcomes Following Transoral Laser Microsurgery With Resection of Cartilage for Laryngeal Cancer.

Introduction:The ability to treat more advanced laryngeal cancers by transoral approaches has expanded significantly in the past several decades. Transoral management of laryngeal cancers that requ...
Specifying AI Objectives as a Human-AI Collaboration problem

Estimation, planning, control, and learning are giving us robots that can generate good behavior given a specified objective and set of constraints. What I care about is how humans enter this behavior generation picture, and study two complementary challenges: 1) how to optimize behavior when the robot is not acting in isolation, but needs to coordinate or collaborate with people; and 2) what to optimize in order to get the behavior we want. My work has traditionally focused on the former, but more recently I have been casting the latter as a human-robot collaboration problem as well (where the human is the end-user, or even the robotics engineer building the system). Treating it as such has enabled us to use robot actions to gain information; to account for human pedagogic behavior; and to exchange information between the human and the robot via a plethora of communication channels, from external forces that the person physically applies to the robot, to comparison queries, to defining a proxy objective function.
Analysis of periodicity of extinction using the 2012 geological timescale

Analysis of two independent data sets with increased taxonomic resolution (genera rather than families) using the revised 2012 timescale reveals that an extinction periodicity first detected by Raup and Sepkoski (1984) for only the post-Paleozoic actually runs through the entire Phanerozoic. Although there is not a local peak of extinction every 27 Myr, an excess of the fraction of genus extinction by interval follows a 27-Myr timing interval and differs from a random distribution at the p ∼ 0.02 level. A 27-Myr periodicity in the spectrum of interval lengths no longer appears, removing the question of a possible artifact arising from it. Using a method originally developed in Bambach (2006) we identify 19 intervals of marked extinction intensity, including mass extinctions, spanning the last 470 Myr (and with another six present in the Cambrian) and find that ten of the 19 lie within ±3 Myr of the maxima in the spacing of the 27-Myr periodicity, which differs from a random distribution at the p = 0.004 level. These 19 intervals of marked extinction intensity also preferentially occur during decreasing diversity phases of a well-known 62-Myr periodicity in diversity (16 of 19, p = 0.002). Both periodicities appear to enhance the likelihood of increased severity of extinction, but the cause of neither periodicity is known. Variation in the strength of the many suggested causes of extinction coupled to the variation in combined effect of the two different periodicities as they shift in and out of phase is surely one of the reasons that definitive comparative study of the causes of major extinction events is so elusive.
On the Performance of Block Codes Over Finite-State Channels in the Rare-Transition Regime

Contemporary wireless networks are tasked with supporting different connection profiles, including real-time traffic and delay-sensitive communications. This creates a need to better understand the fundamental limits of forward error correction in non-asymptotic regimes. This paper characterizes the performance of block codes over finite-state channels and evaluates their queueing performance under maximum-likelihood decoding. Classical results from digital communications are revisited in the context of channels with rare transitions, and bounds on the probabilities of decoding failure are derived for random codes. This creates an analysis framework where channel dependencies within and across codewords are preserved. These results are subsequently integrated into a queueing problem formulation.
Homophobic Bullying and Suicidal Behavior Among US Heterosexual Youth.

Abstract Objective Homophobic bullying is pervasive in schools, and has been linked with suicidality among sexual minority youth. In prior studies, heterosexual adolescents have typically served as the reference group to understand disparities facing sexual minority youth. Yet, heterosexual adolescents may also face homophobic bullying. We assessed the associations between homophobic bullying and risk factors for suicide (sadness/hopelessness, considering suicide, planning suicide, and attempting suicide) among youth who identify as heterosexual. Method Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional high-response survey was used. A sample of 15,234 US high school students who provided complete data on the variables included in the analyses. Measures used in analyses included self-report of sadness/hopelessness, considering suicide, planning suicide, and attempting suicide. Results After accounting for the effects of general bullying and gender, heterosexual youth reporting homophobic bullying described higher self-reported sadness/hopelessness, considering suicide, planning suicide, and attempting suicide than non-homophobically-bullied peers. There was no gender difference in the associations between homophobic bullying and suicidality. Conclusion The present findings describe the negative influence of homophobic bullying on the mental health of heterosexual adolescents and suggest that anti-homophobic bullying campaigns should extend beyond sexual minority students as victims.
Islet isolation for autotransplantation, following total or near total pancreatectomy

Abstract Human islet isolation for autotransplantation (IAT) is performed to prevent surgically induced diabetes following near total or total pancreatectomy. The latter is performed to alleviate intractable pain and suffering, and prolong life in patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis. Since 1997, when it was first performed at the University of Minnesota, islet isolation for IAT following pancreatic resection has been demonstrated as the best option to improve pain, alleviate the risk of “brittle diabetes,” and offer freedom from exogenous insulin. The most critical factor for a favorable metabolic outcome as a result of IAT is the transplanted islet cell mass, making islet isolation yield of outmost importance. This chapter discusses current islet cell isolation techniques utilized in processing of autologous pancreata in our center and others, with the goal of optimizing the isolation outcome.
Necroptosis in the Pathophysiology of Disease

Over the past 15 years, elegant studies have demonstrated that in certain conditions, programed cell death resembles necrosis and depends on a unique molecular pathway with no overlap with apoptosis. This form of regulated necrosis is represented by necroptosis, in which the receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 and its substrate mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein play a crucial role. With the development of knockout mouse models and molecular inhibitors unique to necroptotic proteins, this cell death has been found to occur in virtually all tissues and diseases evaluated. There are different immunologic consequences depending on whether cells die through apoptosis or necroptosis. Therefore, distinguishing between these two forms of cell death may be crucial during pathologic evaluations. In this review, we provide an understanding of necroptotic cell-death and highlight diseases in which necroptosis has been found to play a role. We also discuss the inhibitors of necroptosis and the ways these inhibitors have been used in preclinical models of diseases. These two discussions offer an understanding of the role of necroptosis in diseases and will foster efforts to pharmacologically target this unique yet pervasive form of programed cell death in the clinic.
A Density-Based Measure of Port Seaside Space-Time Utilization

The space-time study of seaside space use by vessels may support traffic and operation management practices at ports. In this paper, we quantify space utilization using a volumetric index resulting from a density-based generalization of vessel movements. We use an extension of the kernel density estimation method in a 3D space where the third dimension is time and voxels are the basic elements of this space. Vessel trajectories are represented as line features passing through these voxels. To measure the utilization of space at different times, we aggregate the presence of vessels in a voxel using a prime shape kernel. We applied this approach to study space utilization at a terminal in the Port of Rotterdam during September 2017. Our results show that this measure of space-time utilization is practical and informative to monitor how intensively vessels use space across the waterside assets of the port, along the time line and at various temporal scales.
A patient with nocturnal visual hallucinations.

Citation:Dholakia S. A patient with nocturnal visual hallucinations. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(5):821–822.
Interoceptive Awareness and Affective Empathy Share Intrinsic Spatial Connectivity and Temporal Variability

Awareness of internal bodily sensations (interoception, IA) and its connection to complex socio-emotional phenomena like empathy have been postulated, yet its neural basis remains poorly understood. The goal of the present fMRI study employs a data-driven approach to investigate whether Cognitive or Affective empathy and IA share spatial and/or temporal resting state functional connectivity (rsFC). Healthy participants viewed an abstract movie demonstrated to evoke strong connectivity in intrinsic brain networks (InScapes), and resultant resting-state fMRI spatial connectivity and temporal variability data was correlated with their self-reported empathy and interoception scores. We demonstrate a complex bidirectional behavioral and neurological relationship between empathy and IA, depending on the type of empathy interrogated: Affective empathy and IA are distributed across similar spatial and temporal neural systems, while Cognitive empathy and IA are only related temporally. Specifically, increased spatial rsFC within the R IFO was associated with a decreased awareness of inner body sensations, but increased vicarious emotional experience. Furthermore, enhanced information integration between an interoceptive experience network was related to both increased sensitivity of internal sensation, but in addition, to a dampening of discomfort arising from witnessing another9s pain. Finally, improved processing between brain regions part of the salience network related to not only a better sense of mind-body interconnectedness but also an improved ability to take someone9s perspective. Our findings could have implications for understanding differences in empathic and interoceptive functioning without needing to probe participants with specialized tasks or questionnaires.
In Well-Selected Patients With a Femoral Deep Vein Thrombosis Central Venous Imaging May Identify Additional Iliocaval Disease.

Objective:Patients who present acutely with a femoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT) diagnosed by ultrasound are often treated with anticoagulation and instructed to follow-up electively. This study so...
Quantification of endospores in ancient permafrost using time-resolved terbium luminescence.

Abstract We describe herein a simple procedure for quantifying endospore abundances in ancient and organic-rich permafrost. We repeatedly (10x) extracted and fractionated permafrost using a tandem filter assembly composed of 3 and 0.2 μm filters. Then, the 0.2 μm filter was washed (7x), autoclaved, and the contents eluted, including dipicolinic acid (DPA). Time-resolved luminescence using Tb(EDTA) yielded a LOD of 1.46 nM DPA (6.55 × 103 endospores/mL). In review, DPA/endospore abundances were ~2.2-fold greater in older 33 ky permafrost (258 ± 36 pmol DPA gdw−1; 1.15 × 106 ± 0.16 × 106 spores gdw−1) versus younger 19 ky permafrost (p = 0.007297). This suggests that dormancy increases with permafrost age.
Long-term pain outcomes in elderly patients with trigeminal neuralgia: comparison of first-time microvascular decompression and stereotactic radiosurgery.

OBJECTIVE Common surgical treatments for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) include microvascular decompression (MVD) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). The use of MVD in elderly patients has been described but has yet to be prospectively compared to SRS, which is well-tolerated and noninvasive. The authors aimed to directly compare long-term pain control and adverse event rates for first-time surgical treatments for idiopathic TN in the elderly. METHODS A prospectively collected database was reviewed for TN patients who had undergone treatment between 1997 and 2017 at a single institution. Standardized collection of preoperative demographics, surgical procedure, and postoperative outcomes was performed. Data analysis was limited to patients over the age of 65 years who had undergone a first-time procedure for the treatment of idiopathic TN with at least 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS One hundred ninety-three patients meeting the study inclusion criteria underwent surgical procedures for TN during the study period (54 MVD, 24 MVD+Rhiz, 115 SRS). In patients in whom an artery was not compressing the trigeminal nerve during MVD, a partial sensory rhizotomy (MVD+Rhiz) was performed. Patients in the SRS cohort were older than those in the MVD and MVD+Rhiz cohorts (mean ± SD, 79.2 ± 7.8 vs 72.9 ± 5.7 and 70.9 ± 4.8 years, respectively; p < 0.0001) and had a higher mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (3.8 ± 1.1 vs 3.0 ± 0.9 and 2.9 ± 1.0, respectively; p < 0.0001). Immediate or short-term postoperative pain-free rates (Barrow Neurological Institute [BNI] pain intensity score I) were 98.1% for MVD, 95.8% for MVD+Rhiz, and 78.3% for SRS (p = 0.0008). At the last follow-up, 72.2% of MVD patients had a favorable outcome (BNI score I-IIIa) compared to 54.2% and 49.6% of MVD+Rhiz and SRS patients, respectively (p = 0.02). In total, 0 (0%) SRS, 5 (9.3%) MVD, and 1 (4.2%) MVD+Rhiz patients developed any adverse event. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis demonstrated that procedure type (p = 0.001) and postprocedure sensory change (p = 0.003) were statistically significantly associated with pain control. CONCLUSIONS In this study cohort, patients who had undergone MVD had a statistically significantly longer duration of pain freedom than those who had undergone MVD+Rhiz or SRS as their first procedure. Fewer adverse events were seen after SRS, though the MVD-associated complication rate was comparable to published rates in younger patients. Overall, the results suggest that both MVD and SRS are effective options for the elderly, despite their advanced age. Treatment choice can be tailored to a patient's unique condition and wishes.
Fearful Temperament and Child Social Anxiety Symptoms: Clarifying the Influence of Maternal Punitive Responses.

Fearful temperament—the tendency to exhibit apprehension and/or avoidance in novel situations—is a well-established risk factor for childhood anxiety in general, and social anxiety in particular. Yet, there is little understanding of parent emotion socialization strategies that influence the association between fearful temperament and child social anxiety symptoms. The present investigation addresses this gap in the literature by examining maternal punitive responses to clinically anxious children’s negative emotions as a moderator of the covariance between fearful temperament and social anxiety symptom severity. Clinically anxious children ages 8–12 years (N = 105; 57.1% female; 61.9% racial/ethnic minority) and their mothers completed measures assessing child fearful temperament, maternal punitive emotion socialization responses, and child social anxiety symptoms. Children also participated in an anxiety-provoking speech task during which manifest social anxiety was coded by trained observers. Children’s fearful temperament coupled with greater maternal punitive responses to children’s negative emotions was associated with lower child-reported social anxiety symptoms. Models predicting manifest social anxiety were not significant. Maternal punitive responses to children’s negative emotions may encourage clinically anxious youth to approach feared situations and therefore result in lower anxiety. Yet, the potentially negative effects of punitive responses on other aspects of anxious children’s socioemotional development warrant scientific attention. Future research should examine the phenomenology of punitive parental responses among parents of anxious youth to better understand their effects on child behavior.
Recovery Off-Kinetics Following Exhaustive Upper Body Exercise in Spinal Cord Injury.

Background People with spinal cord injury (SCI) present with impaired autonomic control when the lesion is above T6. This could lead to delayed cardiorespiratory recovery following vigorous physical activity. Objectives To characterize and compare gas exchange off-kinetics following exhaustive exercise in individuals with SCI and an apparently healthy control group. Methods Participants were 19 individuals with SCI who presented with the inability to voluntarily lift their legs against gravity (age, 44.6 ± 14.2 years; AIS A, n = 5; AIS B, n = 7; AIS C, n = 7; paraplegia, n = 14; tetraplegia, n = 5) and 10 healthy comparisons (COM; age, 30.5 ± 5.3 years). All participants performed an arm ergometer cardiopulmonary exercise test (aCPET) to volitional exhaustion followed by a 10-minute passive recovery. O2 uptake (Vo2 ) and CO2 output (Vco2 ) off-kinetics was examined using a mono-exponential model in which tau off (τoff ) and mean response time (MRT) were determined. The off-kinetics transition constant (Ktoff ) was calculated as ΔVo2 /MRT. Student t tests were used to compare SCI versus COM group means. Results COM had a significantly higher relative peak Vo2 compared to SCI (1.70 ± 0.55 L/min vs 1.19 ± 0.51 L/min, p = .019). No difference was observed for τoff between the groups, however Ktoff for both Vo2 and Vco2 was significantly lower in the SCI compared to the COM group. Conclusion A reduced Ktoff during recovery may suggest inefficiencies in replenishing muscle ATP stores and lactate clearance in these participants with SCI. These findings may contribute to the observed lower cardiorespiratory fitness and greater fatigability typically reported in individuals with SCI.
Educating Authors and Users of the Literature to Increase Vigilance of Predatory Publishing

Educating authors and clinicians about predatory publishing and its consequences is vital to protect scholarship and evidence-based practice and is particularly important for those early in their h...
CHANGES IN DUAL-TASK GAIT VELOCITY COST FOLLOWING CONCUSSION:

Background:Changes in gait velocity have been identified in the literature between concussed and non-concussed individuals. Concussed patients demonstrate slower gait speed; the gait velocity cost ...
Using Ideologically Loaded Concepts as a Tool for Reversing Folk-Notions of Linguistic & Cultural Diversity

Many American students training to be ESL teachers learn teaching strategies as well as English language skills needed to develop second language learners’ competency in English. However, rarely do they learn how to examine their own language and sociocultural ideologies when it comes to teaching linguistically and culturally diverse students (Metz, 2018). Therefore, this study explores the knowledge, affective responses, and perceptions that Midwestern American students training to be ESL teachers may demonstrate regarding language variation in the U.S. especially their interpretations of ideologically-loaded concepts such as Standard English, accent, and dialect. It also examines the implications of making these ideologies visible on their future teaching practices. Using a qualitative analysis of responses collected via pre and post course questionnaires from 27 students in a Linguistics class, the results show that while their descriptions of the linguistic concepts under question were once informed by misconceptions and dominant language ideologies, explicit instruction on these misconceptions increased students’ awareness of and tolerance to linguistic diversity. Moreover, their early reports regarding insecurity and anxiety to hear foreign accents/dialects turned into curiosity and tolerance. Overall, our findings suggest that pedagogical practices challenging folk-notions of linguistic diversity are beneficial to students training as ESL teachers.
The Correlation between Altmetric Score and Traditional Bibliometrics in Orthopaedic Literature.

ABSTRACT Background Clinicians and medical researchers increasingly turn to nonformal online platforms to promote research. Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) is a quantitative measurement of online influence of research in real time. The objective of this study is to determine if AAS correlates with traditional bibliometrics in the orthopaedic literature. Materials and Methods From the 15 orthopaedic journals with the highest impact factor, the 10 most cited articles from each journal were reviewed for 2014 –2017. For each article, AAS was collected using the Altmetric Bookmarklet application and citation count from SCOPUS. Journal impact factor was recorded using Journal Citation Reports. Statistical analysis included Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients. Results A total of 600 articles were analyzed. A significant positive correlation was found between citation count and AAS for 2014 (r = 0.3188, p Conclusions AAS and traditional bibliometrics are currently not strongly correlated in orthopaedic literature. Citations take years to accumulate and AAS represents immediate influence of an article. An amalgamation of traditional bibliometrics and AAS may prove useful in determining the short- and long-term impact and influence of publications in orthopaedics.
Strong Practical Protocols

Recent progress in the area of cryptography has given rise to strong cryptoalgorithms using complex mathematical systems. These algorithms often require quite sophisticated computing capabilities for their implementation and are designed to withstand attack by equally sophisticated opponents with nearly unlimited resources available to them. However, the mere existence o f such algorithms is not enough to solve the problems of message secrecy and authentication. The procedures for handling the data, including the use of a cryptoalgorithm, must insure that the desired level of security is achieved. Such a set of rules or procedures is known as a cryptographic protocol.
Functional Organization of the Human Mind: Implications for Behavioral Genetics Research

It is proposed that the fundamental goal of human behavior is to organize and control the social, biological, and physical environments that support reproduction and survival and that the human mind is organized as a system of social, biological, and physical modules that support attempts to seek such control. More precisely, modules are systems of motivational, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral processes that provide the interface between this fundamental goal and the environments within which this goal must be achieved. An outline of this functional systems approach to the human mind is provided and the implications of this perspective for behavioral genetics research are discussed.
DNAPL remediation with in situ chemical oxidation using potassium permanganate: II. Increasing removal efficiency by dissolving Mn oxide precipitates

Abstract In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) schemes using MnO 4 − have been effective in destroying chlorinated organic solvents dissolved in ground water. Laboratory experiments and field pilot tests reveal that the precipitation of Mn oxide, one of the reaction products, causes a reduction of permeability, which can lead to flow bypassing and inefficiency of the scheme. Without a solution to this problem of plugging, it is difficult to remove DNAPL from the subsurface completely. In a companion paper, we showed with batch experiments that Mn oxide can be dissolved rapidly with certain organic acids. This study utilizes 2-D flow-tank experiments to examine the possibility of nearly complete DNAPL removal by ISCO with MnO 4 − , when organic acids are used to remove Mn oxide. The experiments were conducted in a small 2-D glass flow tank containing a lenticular silica-sand medium. Blue-dyed trichloroethylene (TCE) provided residual, the perched and pooled DNAPL. KMnO 4 at 200 mg/l was flushed through the DNAPL horizontally. Once plugging reduced permeability and prevented further delivery of the oxidant, citric or oxalic acids were pumped into the flow tank to dissolve the Mn oxide precipitates. Organic ligands removed the Mn oxide precipitates relatively quickly, and permitted another cycle of MnO 4 − flooding. Cycles of MnO 4 − /acid flooding continued until all of the visible DNAPL was removed. The experiments were monitored with chemical analysis and visualization. A mass-balance calculation indicated that by the end of the experiments, all the DNAPL was removed. The results show also how heterogeneity adds complexity to initial redistribution of DNAPL, and to the efficiency of the chemical flooding.
Estimating accumulation rates and physical properties of sediment behind a dam: Englebright Lake, Yuba River, northern California

[1] Studies of reservoir sedimentation are vital to understanding scientific and management issues related to watershed sediment budgets, depositional processes, reservoir operations, and dam decommissioning. Here we quantify the mass, organic content, and grain-size distribution of a reservoir deposit in northern California by two methods of extrapolating measurements of sediment physical properties from cores to the entire volume of impounded material. Englebright Dam, completed in 1940, is located on the Yuba River in the Sierra Nevada foothills. A research program is underway to assess the feasibility of introducing wild anadromous fish species to the river upstream of the dam. Possible management scenarios include removing or lowering the dam, which could cause downstream transport of stored sediment. In 2001 the volume of sediments deposited behind Englebright Dam occupied 25.5% of the original reservoir capacity. The physical properties of this deposit were calculated using data from a coring campaign that sampled the entire reservoir sediment thickness (6–32 m) at six locations in the downstream ∼3/4 of the reservoir. As a result, the sediment in the downstream part of the reservoir is well characterized, but in the coarse, upstream part of the reservoir, only surficial sediments were sampled, so calculations there are more uncertain. Extrapolation from one-dimensional vertical sections of sediment sampled in cores to entire three-dimensional volumes of the reservoir deposit is accomplished via two methods, using assumptions of variable and constant layer thickness. Overall, the two extrapolation methods yield nearly identical estimates of the mass of the reservoir deposit of ∼26 × 106 metric tons (t) of material, of which 64.7–68.5% is sand and gravel. Over the 61 year reservoir history this corresponds to a maximum basin-wide sediment yield of ∼340 t/km2/yr, assuming no contribution from upstream parts of the watershed impounded by other dams. The uncertainties and limitations of the estimates of overall sediment quantities are discussed. Implications for watershed management and future reservoir sedimentation studies are also presented.
Neural statics and dynamics

A formal theory of systems was proposed previously as providing a quantitative basis for neural computation. This theory dictated the architectural aspects of a pyramidal-neuron system model including its operation, adaptation, and most importantly, its computational objective. The principal result was a perceptron architecture that, through adaptation, learns to ask a specific space-time question answered by a subset of the space-time binary codes that it can observe. Each code is rendered biologically by spatial and temporal arrangement of action potentials. Decisions made whether the learned question is answered or not are based on a logarithmic form of Bayes' Theorem which induces the need for a linear weighted superposition of induced synaptic effects. The computational objective of the system is simply to maximize its information throughput. The present paper completes prior work by formalizing the Hamiltonian for the single-neuron system and by providing an expression for its partition function. Besides explaining previous work, new findings suggest the presence of a computational temperature T above which the system must operate to avoid ''freezing'' upon which useful computation becomes impossible. T serves at least two important functions: (1) it provides a computational degree of freedom to the neuron enabling the realization of probabilistic Bayesian decisioning, and (2) it can be varied by the neuron so as to maximize its throughput capacity in the presence of measurement noise.
The EQQ model with stochastic demand and discounting

Abstract We generalize Bather's EQQ model with stochastic demand to the case with discounting. We consider two cases: one with and one without demand backlogging. Important implications of discounting are investigated. Useful insights and formulas are provided.
Single unit studies of identified bulbospinal serotonergic units.

Abstract Non-serotonergic bulbospinal neurons were identified by conduction velocities greater than 6 m/s. These units were found to fire at rates from 0 to 22 Hz, to respond to sensory stimuli with either excitation or inhibition, and to have unremarkable spike shapes. In iontophoretic experiments, both excitation and inhibition were observed in response to acetylcholine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Serotonergic bulbospinal neurons were identified by their conduction velocities below 6 m/s. These neurons, (which have been shown to be destroyed by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine36), exist as two groups: a slower-conducting group with conduction velocities below 1.2 m/s, and a faster-conducting group with conduction velocities between 2 and 6 m/s. The neurons of the faster-conducting group were found to be similar to the non-serotonergic group in their firing, spike shapes and responses to sensory stimuli; while the units of the slower-conducting group were consistently found to fire between 0.03 and 6 Hz, to respond to sensory stimuli only with excitation, and to have distinctive spike shapes. Despite these differences, both groups of serotonergic units were found to be consistently inhibited by ACh, NE and 5-HT. In contrast to reports of serotonergic neurons in the midbrain, these units were not generally found to be inhibited by i.v. LSD. It is concluded that the serotonergic neurons of the medullary raphe are distinct both from the non-serotonergic neurons, and from serotonergic neurons in other parts of the brain.
Gradual and Immediate Nicotine Reduction Result in Similar Low-Dose Nicotine Self-Administration

INTRODUCTION Food and Drug Administration-mandated product standards that drastically reduce nicotine content in cigarettes aim to decrease smoking and thus improve health outcomes for millions of U.S. smokers. Researchers have suggested that nicotine reduction should be implemented gradually, but a gradual nicotine reduction may shift the minimum level of nicotine required to reinforce behavior or may result in different levels of compensatory smoking behavior. METHOD Rats were given the opportunity to acquire nicotine self-administration at 60 µg/kg/infusion nicotine with a cocktail of other tobacco constituents included as the vehicle. Rats were subsequently assigned to one of six immediate dose reductions (30, 15, 7.5, 3.75, 1.875, or 0.0 µg/kg/infusion) for 10 sessions (n = 9-15). Rats in the 30 µg/kg/infusion reduction group continued to have their nicotine dose reduced by half after at least 10 sessions at each dose until reaching 1.875 µg/kg/infusion (i.e., gradual reduction). RESULTS For both methods of reduction, reduction to 3.75 µg/kg/infusion resulted in significant decreases in behavior. Reduction to doses above 3.75 µg/kg/infusion resulted in only limited compensation. The largest compensation was temporary. There was no compensation following reduction to 3.75 µg/kg/infusion or below. CONCLUSION This study suggests that reduction to the same nicotine dose will result in similar reductions in behavior for both gradual and immediate reductions, and both methods result in similar compensation. Future studies using humans should investigate differences in other outcomes such as withdrawal and craving.
Soviet lunar sample return missions: Landing site identification and geologic context

Abstract The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) imaged the landing sites and spacecraft from the Soviet Union's Luna robotic sample return program (Luna 16, 20, and 24) allowing their locations to be determined with unprecedented precision and, more importantly, for the geologic context of the landing sites to be firmly established. Uncertainties in the position of the landing sites are now 25 m (or better), as opposed to kilometers prior to LROC observations. Because of the past uncertainty of the locations, as well as the fact that two of the Luna missions were conducted at night, the geologic context of the samples was only poorly known. LROC images reveal that the Luna 24 sample was collected on the rim of a small impact crater, providing an explanation for the compositional and maturity discrepancy that has existed for the past three decades between samples and remote sensing of the Mare Crisium surface. The location of the unsuccessful Luna 23 spacecraft is also determined and the nature of the failure confirmed.
Retrospective evaluation of a possible interaction between warfarin and levofloxacin.

Study Objectives. In order to clarify the clinical significance of a suspected drug interaction, we sought to determine if the international normalized ratio (INR) is affected when levofloxacin is administered in patients receiving long-term warfarin therapy. Design. Retrospective cohort study using pharmacy and medical records. Setting. Outpatient clinic. Patients. Forty-three patients receiving long-term warfarin therapy who subsequently were prescribed either levofloxacin (22 patients) or felodipine (21 controls); felodipine was chosen as it has been shown not to interact with warfarin. Patients in both groups were required to have a documented INR before the start of levofloxacin or felodipine (pre-INR) and either during levofloxacin or felodipine therapy or within 15 days after the drug had been started (post-INR). Measurements and Main Results. Patient demographics were similar between the two treatment groups. The mean ± SD age of the patients in the levofloxacin and control groups was 59.5 ± 8.7 and 65.3 ± 11.5 years, respectively (p=0.07). The mean change between the pre- and post-INR (primary outcome measure) was 0.31 ± 0.82 (pre-INR 2.46, post-INR 2.76) and 0.21 ± 0.54 (pre-INR 2.46, post-INR 2.67) in the levofloxacin and felodipine groups, respectively (p=0.65). A post hoc power analysis, based on a sample-derived, weighted standard deviation of 0.68, revealed that the study had 66% power to detect a change of 0.5 in the INR value. The percentage of patients who required a warfarin dosage adjustment based on the post-INR (secondary outcome measure) was 41% (9 of 22 patients) in the levofloxacin group and 33% (7 of 21 patients) in the felodipine group. Conclusion. Although our primary analysis did not detect a warfarin-levofloxacin interaction, the potential for such an interaction, especially in idiosyncratic cases, cannot be ruled out. Clinicians should closely monitor INR values when levofloxacin is administered jointly with warfarin.
Transmembrane signaling in cilia and flagella

Ciliary and flagellar membranes are dynamic. Ciliary and flagellar membranes have diverged widely during evolution and perform many specialized functions. Transmembrane signaling is an important component of the function of ciliary and flagellar surfaces in general. In this review, I discuss some of the functions performed by ciliary and flagellar surfaces and I present three different ciliary and flagellar signaling systems associated with rather different dynamic events performed by ciliary and flagellar surfaces. Two of these are associated withChlamydomonas flagella and one is associated with vertebrate olfactory cilia. Calcium regulation of protein phosphorylation appears to be important in regulating glycoprotein movements in theChlamydomonas flagellar membrane. Changes in levels of cAMP and cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation are clearly central to the signaling associated with mating events in gametic flagella ofChlamydomonas, although calcium clearly has an important, if poorly understood, role to play. There is no known role for G proteins in flagellar membrane events inChlamydomonas. In contrast, mammalian olfactory cilia possess an odorant activated, G protein regulated adenylate cyclase and conductance channels that are directly gated by cyclic nucleotides. A second class of odorants that do not affect adenylate cyclase activity appear to act through G protein activated phospholipase C and changes in IP3 second messenger levels. These examples demonstrate the diversity in the signaling pathways associated with ciliary and flagellar membranes.
Polarized Translocation of Fluorescent Proteins in Xenopus Ectoderm in Response to Wnt Signaling

Cell polarity is a fundamental property of eukaryotic cells that is dynamically regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors during embryonic development 1, 2. One of the signaling pathways involved in this regulation is the Wnt pathway, which is used many times during embryogenesis and critical for human disease3, 4, 5. Multiple molecular components of this pathway coordinately regulate signaling in a spatially-restricted manner, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Xenopus embryonic epithelial cells is an excellent system to study subcellular localization of various signaling proteins. Fluorescent fusion proteins are expressed in Xenopus embryos by RNA microinjection, ectodermal explants are prepared and protein localization is evaluated by epifluorescence. In this experimental protocol we describe how subcellular localization of Diversin, a cytoplasmic protein that has been implicated in signaling and cell polarity determination6, 7 is visualized in Xenopus ectodermal cells to study Wnt signal transduction8. Coexpression of a Wnt ligand or a Frizzled receptor alters the distribution of Diversin fused with red fluorescent protein, RFP, and recruits it to the cell membrane in a polarized fashion 8, 9. This ex vivo protocol should be a useful addition to in vitro studies of cultured mammalian cells, in which spatial control of signaling differs from that of the intact tissue and is much more difficult to analyze.
Characterization and Analysis of Emergent Image Semantics Using Network Models

Understanding and dealing with the emergent semantics of image and media-based information is one of the most challenging aspects of theoretical, algorithmic, and systems-oriented research in Multimedia. Emergent semantics implies that media is endowed with meaning by placing it in context of other similar media and through factors that are user specific. This means that unlike alphanumeric data, a fixed semantics cannot be assigned to media. While this intriguing property of media-based information has been known for nearly a decade, progress towards development of rigorous frameworks to represent and analyze this phenomenon has been limited. In this paper, we present results that move towards addressing this problem. Specifically, we show how the emergent semantics of a data collection can be first formalized and then captured and represented using network models across users. Using real-world data from a group of users, we then show how such networks can be theoretically characterized and highlight many of their important properties. The primary results communicated in this paper include: (1) a graph-theoretic approach for formalization of the notion of emergent semantics, (2) description of how real-world emergent semantics can be captured and represented as networks, and (3) investigation of the issue of quantitative characterization of emergent semantics through the analysis of these networks.
Rela Tionship of Burnout to Personal and Job-Related Variables in Acute-Care Pediatric Settings

This study, based on the previous work of Maslach and Pines explores the relationship between personal and job-related variables and burnout for pediatric nurses employed in acute-care settings. Personal variables studied were marital status, level of education, age, and family responsibilities. Job-related variables were employment status, shift assignments, patient care overload, years in position, years of nursing experience, and overtime.The study was conducted in 13 acute-care pediatric units of general hospitals in the Queens-Nassau-Suffolk areas of New York. The sample was 74 female registered nurses. Principal measuring devices utilized were 1) the Tedium Measure; 2) a data sheet; and 3) two open-ended questions for reporting job-related sources of stress and satisfaction. Descriptive statistics were used in analyzing the personal and job-related vriables on the data sheet, responses to the Tedium Measure, and responses to the open-ended questions. Correlation coefficients were obtained between pe...
More on the properties of a tax cum subsidy pollution control strategy

Abstract A modification in a tax cum subsidy pollution control strategy proposed by Yohe and MacAvoy to mitigate against the effects of moral hazard on the effectiveness of self-reporting strategies is shown capable of eliminating the dead weight welfare loss of regulating the emissions of an imperfectly competitive polluter.
Effect in rats of partial replacement of cow's milk protein by supplementary nitrogen.

SUMMARY: A number of experiments studied growth of weanling rats and urinary nitrogen excretion in young adult rats when cow's milk protein was partially replaced by varying levels supplementary nitrogen. A mixture of nonessential L-amino acids (NEAA) or a mixture of diammoniumcitrate and glycine (DAC-Gly) was used as the source of nitrogen. Substitution of the 15% milk protein diet to the extent of 10% slightly reduced growth; significant growth reduction occurred with substitutions of 20% and greater. Fortification of the diets containing 10.5% milk protein and the supplementary nitrogen sources with sulfur amino acids did not restore growth the maximum rate obtained with the 15% milk protein diet. Additional supplementation with tryptophan further improved growth slightly but not to the maximum rate. Several other essential amino acids, alone or in combination, had no apparent effect. Based on urinary nitrogen excretion, comparable results were obtained with young adult rats by substituting nitrogen for milk protein the diets. The reduced performance following substitution of milk protein with supplementary nitrogen may be due partly to decreased utilization of sulfur amino acids and possibly to decreased utilization of all essential amino acids.
Device- and system-level performance modeling for graphene P-N junction logic

Based on the property of angular dependent transmission probability of electrons observed in graphene PN junctions, a modified MUX-based graphene logic device is introduced. A more elaborate resistance model including ON resistance, leakage resistance and contact resistance is given as well as a capacitance model of the device. Compared with Si CMOS switches, MUX-based logic graphene gates have potentially lower output resistances and a smaller device area. Since interconnects play an ever increasing important role in digital circuit, for the first time, module-level and system-level analyses are made for better evaluating the potential performance of graphene logic devices. Based on the analysis of a 32-bit Han-Carlson adder, module-level evaluation has been done and comparison has been made between graphene logic circuits complemented by multilayer graphene interconnects and CMOS logic circuits with Cu/low k interconnects. The results indicate that MUX-based graphene logic circuits can outperform CMOS circuits in terms of both delay and power consumption. Both devices being evaluated are based on the 15nm technology node. For the system-level analysis, the graphene logic system can have 50% higher throughput than its Si CMOS counterpart with the same power density and die size area.
Incidence of Aural Abscesses in Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) Populations in Minnesota

ABSTRACT Aural abscess incidence in 22 painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) populations in Minnesota averaged 0.7% (range, 0.0%–9.1%) of more than 2700 captured turtles. Results indicate the need for more research regarding incidence and causes of aural infections in turtles and possible directions for future work are suggested.
Reflectivity measurements on epitaxial GaAsGaP alloys

Abstract Reflectivity measurements in the visible and the ultra-violet are reported over the complete composition range of the GaAsGaP alloy system. The first major reflectivity peaks in the two compounds are thought to be caused by different electron transitions and our measurements sustantiated this.