cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning Approaches for the Prediction Bone Mineral Density by using genomic and phenotypic data of 5,130 older Men

Abstract Background The study aimed to utilize machine learning (ML) approaches and genomic data to develop the prediction model for bone mineral density (BMD), and to identify the best modeling approach for BMD prediction. Method The genomic and phenotypic data of Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (n=5,130), was analyzed. Genetic risk score (GRS) was calculated from 1,103 associated SNPs for each participant after a comprehensive genotype imputation. Data were normalized and divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) for analysis. Random forest, gradient boosting, neural network, and linear regression were used to develop prediction models for BMD separately. The 10-fold cross-validation was used for hyperparameter optimization. Mean square error and mean absolute error were used to assess model performance. Results: When using GRS and phenotypic covariates as the predictors, the performance of all ML models and linear regression in BMD prediction is similar. However, when replacing GRS with the 1,103 individual SNPs in the model, ML models performed significantly better than linear regression, and the gradient boosting model performed the best. Conclusion: Our study suggested that ML models, especially gradient boosting, can improve BMD prediction in genomic data.
3D heterogeneous integration of high performance high-K metal gate GaN NMOS and Si PMOS transistors on 300mm high-resistivity Si substrate for energy-efficient and compact power delivery, RF (5G and beyond) and SoC applications

We have demonstrated industry’s first 300mm 3D heterogeneous integration of high performance, low-leakage high-K dielectric metal gate enhancement-mode (e-mode) GaN NMOS and Si PMOS transistors on 300mm high-resistivity (HR) Si(111) substrate, enabled by 300mm GaN MOCVD epitaxy and 300mm 3D layer transfer. The fabricated (bottom device layer) high-K dielectric e-mode GaN NMOS transistors, integrated on a 300mm HR Si(111) substrate, show excellent electrical characteristics and figure-of-merits (FOM) for realizing energy-efficient, compact voltage regulators and RF front-end components such as power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers and RF switches, with (i) I OFF as low as 100pA/μm (V D =5V, V G =0V), (ii) high I D,max =1.5mA/μm; (iii) R ON as low as 610Ω-μm, significantly better than industry-standard Si transistors at equivalent drain breakdown (BV D ), (iv) excellent RF performance: f T =190GHz, f MAX =300GHz, PAE=56% at mmwave frequency (f=28GHz), and PAE=70% at sub-7GHz (f=5GHz), significantly better than industry-standard GaAs and Si RF transistors, (v) excellent RF switch FOM, R on C off =110fs, and (vi) low noise figure, NF min =1.36dB (f=28GHz), 0.4dB (f=5GHz) and 0.27dB (f=1.8GHz), all at SoC-compatible voltages. The fabricated (top device layer) L G =65nm and 130nm Si PMOS transistors, which are monolithically integrated on top of the bottom GaN NMOS transistors by 300mm 3D layer transfer, show respectively, high drive current of 0.85mA/μm, and low I off of 150pA/μm at V D =-1.2V. Such a monolithic 3D integration of GaN NMOS and Si PMOS enables full integration of energy-efficient, truly compact power delivery and RF solutions with CMOS digital signal processing, logic computation and control, memory functions and analog circuitries for next generation power delivery, RF (5G and beyond) and SoC applications.
Birthplace-Specific Life Tables and Projections

Chapter 6 introduces birthplace-specificity into calculating multiregional life tables and projections to stability. Origin-dependence leads to topics of return migration, behaviors of the foreign-born population, and the impacts of immigration.
Drug trafficking, cattle ranching and Land use and Land cover change in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve

Abstract Drug trafficking organizations are driving deforestation in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve. Drug traffickers deforest the protected area in order to illegally ranch cattle, which serves as a mechanism of money laundering, drug smuggling, and territory control. Journalists and ethnographers have analyzed “narco-cattle ranching” activities in the reserve and resulting “narco-deforestation,” yet land use change scientists have yet to quantify the contribution of illegal cattle ranching to forest loss. This article uses remote sensing and GIS analysis to distinguish the relative contribution of cattle ranching, farming, and land speculation to reserve deforestation and other forms of land use and land cover change. We also use ethnographic methods to provide evidentiary links between illegal cattle ranching and drug trafficking activities that suggest a large part, but not all, of illegal cattle ranching is narco-capitalized. Our research finds that illegal cattle ranching is responsible for the majority of reserve deforestation, ranging from 59 to 87% of photographs on deforested lands in three sampled areas. We also found illegal cattle ranching activities are the highest in the reserve’s western national parks, which should be strictly protected from land use change. Contrary to popular debate, these findings suggest drug traffickers in the context of the US-led War on Drugs are to blame for forest loss, not subsistence farmers illegally living in the reserve.
HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) Awareness and Non-Occupational PEP (nPEP) Prescribing History Among U.S. Healthcare Providers.

Non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) has been clinically recommended since 2005. HIV providers and non-HIV providers (n = 480) practicing within above-average HIV prevalence ZIP codes of the 10 U.S. cities with greatest overall HIV prevalence participated in a cross-sectional survey between July 2014 and May 2015. Providers were asked about their awareness of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and nPEP prescribing experience for patients with potential sexual exposures to HIV, which we coded into a PEP prescribing cascade with three categories: (1) PEP unaware, (2) PEP aware, no nPEP prescribing experience, and (3) nPEP prescribing experience. Overall, 12.5% were unaware of PEP, 43.5% were aware but hadn’t prescribed nPEP, and 44.0% had prescribed nPEP for potential sexual exposures to HIV. Fewer providers practicing in the U.S. South had ever prescribed nPEP compared to providers in other regions (χ2= 39.91, p < 0.001). HIV providers, compared to non-HIV providers, were more likely to be classified in the nPEP prescription group compared to the PEP aware without nPEP prescription group (RRR = 2.96, p < 0.001). PrEP prescribers, compared to those PrEP unaware, were more likely to be classified in the nPEP prescription group compared to PEP aware without nPEP prescription group (RRR = 12.49, p < 0.001).
Gold-vapor-assisted chemical vapor deposition of aligned monolayer WSe 2 with large domain size and fast growth rate

Orientation-controlled growth of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) may enable many new electronic and optical applications. However, previous studies reporting aligned growth of WSe2 usually yielded very small domain sizes. Herein, we introduced gold vapor into the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process as a catalyst to assist the growth of WSe2 and successfully achieved highly aligned monolayer WSe2 triangular flakes grown on c-plane sapphire with large domain sizes (130 µm) and fast growth rate (4.3 µm·s−1). When the aligned WSe2 domains merged together, a continuous monolayer WSe2 was formed with good uniformity. After transferring to Si/SiO2 substrates, field effect transistors were fabricated on the continuous monolayer WSe2, and an average mobility of 12 cm2·V−1·s−1 was achieved, demonstrating the good quality of the material. This report paves the way to study the effect of catalytic metal vapor in the CVD process of TMDCs and contributes a novel approach to realize the growth of aligned TMDC flakes.
Probing Network Mechanisms of Brain Stimulation in the Mood Circuit

Direct brain stimulation has diverse effects on network activity. In this issue of Neuron, Qiao et al. (2020) demonstrate a novel approach for using stimulation to characterize and modulate interactions between areas of the mood processing network.
PREVALENCE OF UNDERWEIGHT CHILDREN UNDER 5-YEARS OF AGE IN THE ADOPTED BARANGAYS OF NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

This study aimed to determine the “Prevalence of underweight children under 5-years of age of the adopted barangays of Northwestern University (NWU)”. It utilized the descriptive approach. Cases are defined as underweight children under 5-years old. Controls are non-underweight children matched by residency, sex, age, number of family member, ethnicity or life background, parents’ occupation and family income. It was also focused on the present Baseline Date-indicate date of weighing and measuring of the different adopted barangays as compared to the previous results. Checklist on the demographic profiles of the respondents and questionnaires were provided and gathered from the target clienteles with the company of the Barangay Health Workers. Structured interviews served as a supplement. Prior to the study, the researchers conducted 4 meetings for 2 months for the actual observation and assessment on previous health situations of the clienteles. The data gathering was conducted on a one- on-one to facilitate the activity and at the same time to clarify questions if ever some statements are not clear to the respondents. After thorough observations and interviews of health situations of children, the researchers assessed the over-all health condition of the clienteles using the Child Growth Standards of children under 5 years old and determined their condition which coincided with the standard. The researchers were also able to proposed several projects and actions addressing the eradication of underweight children in the adopted barangays of NWU. The support of NWU to the adopted barangays continued as health and other initiatives were carried on.
Faculty perceptions of engaging older adults in higher education: The need for intergenerational pedagogy.

Institutions of higher education need to become more age friendly. Creating an on-campus lifelong learning program can offer older adults opportunities to audit classes and engage in multigeneratio...
Examining the interactions of a thermally robust task-specific phosphonium-based ionic compound

Abstract A novel ionic compound based on the butylated triphenylphosphonium cation was synthesized and its structure characterized via single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. To examine the inter and intra-molecular forces present in the salt, Hirshfeld surface analysis was completed for both the cation and the anion. Reduced density gradient analysis was performed to supplement the surface analysis. The results of the structural and computational data are correlated with thermal data to analyze the decomposition and phase changes in the material.
Prevalence of food insecurity in NCAA Division III collegiate athletes

Objective: Prevalence of food insecurity in NCAA DIII student-athletes was assessed via an anonymous, online survey (n = 787) in February of 2020. Participants: Participants were mainly female, 18-21 years old, self-identified as white, lived on campus and had a campus meal plan. Methods: Food security was assessed using an anonymous, online survey based off of the USDA 6-item short form food security survey. Results: Overall prevalence of food insecurity was 14.7% with Hispanic students, Black students, those without a meal plan, recipients of a Pell grant, first generation college students and those experiencing food insecurity prior to enrolling in college being at higher risk. A majority of respondents felt lack of access to food impacted their academic and athletic performance, as well as overall health and cited timing of practices and games overlapping with dining hall hours as a key contributor. Conclusion: Based off of these results, educational programs and resources should be targeted toward these high-risk groups to help ensure consistent access to safe and healthy food for student-athletes.
Recurrent renal abscess complicating Staphylococcus saprophyticus infection in an immunocompetent young female patient: A case report and review of literature.

Abstract Staphylococcus saprophyticus is second only to Escherichia coli as the most frequent causative organism of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) among the sexually active female population. However, it is considered a rare cause of complicated UTIs in immunocompetent hosts with no identifiable risk factors for the occurrence of a complicated urinary tract infection. We report an exceedingly rare case of a 20-year-old otherwise healthy female patient, with no identifiable risk factors for complicated UTIs, who presented with a recurrent renal abscess secondary to S. saprophyticus. Serial cultures from multiple sources were negative, and the culprit organism was identified by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the drained pus that identified the 16 s rDNA sequences of S. saprophyticus on serial occasions. To our current date, similar cases have been rarely reported in the available literature. Our case also highlights the diagnostic value of molecular biology techniques in the identification of causative pathogens in cases of culture-negative infections when conventional microbiologic tests fail to isolate the culprit organisms. Clinical microbiology studies are needed to further explore the exact possible interactions between bacterial-specific characteristics and host-related factors that may explain the occurrence of the complicated UTIs that are associated with S. Saprophyticus among patients who are not considered to have certain risk factors that would usually predispose to complicated UTIs.
Chromatin unfolding and activation by HMGN* chromosomal proteins

The high mobility group N (HMGN) proteins are a family of nuclear proteins that binds to nucleosomes, changes the architecture of chromatin, and enhances transcription and replication from chromatin templates. The intracellular organization of the HMGN (previously known as HMG-14/17) proteins is dynamic and is related to both cell-cycle and transcriptional events. These proteins roam the nucleus, perhaps as part of multiprotein complexes, and their target interactions are modulated by posttranslational modifications. Functional studies on HMGN proteins provide insights into the molecular mechanisms by which structural proteins affect DNA-dependent activities in the context of chromatin.
A precise computational approach to knowledge

The seminal work of Goldwasser, Micali and Rackoff put forward a computational approach to knowledge in interactive systems, providing the foundation of modern Cryptography. Their notion bounds the knowledge of a player in terms of his potential computational power (technically defined as polynomial-time computation). In this thesis, we put forward a stronger notion that precisely bounds the knowledge gained by a player in an interaction in terms of the actual computation he has performed (which can be considerably less than any arbitrary polynomial-time computation). Our approach not only remains valid even if P=NP , but is most meaningful when modeling knowledge of computationally easy properties. As such, it broadens the applicability of Cryptography and weakens the complexity theoretic assumptions on which Cryptography can be based.
Hadronic decays of J / ψ ( 1 3 S 1 ) and ψ ′ ( 2 3 S 1 ) through virtual photons

The latest data for $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and ${\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ leptonic decays and the latest measurement of the R parameter are used to show that the present summary values of the branching ratios of the virtual photon mediated hadronic decays of both $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and ${\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ are overestimated. The current best results are $B(J/\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\psi}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{*}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}h)=(13.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3)%$ and $B({\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{*}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}h)=(1.66\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10)%.$
Social Relations of Fieldwork: Giving Back in a Research Setting

The project of this special issue emerged from the guest editors' experiences as field researchers in sub-Saharan Africa. During this time both researchers faced the difficult question of "giving back" to the communities in which, and with whom, they worked—communities that were often far less privileged than the researchers were in terms of wealth, mobility, education, and access to health care. Returning from their field sites, both researchers felt a combination of guilt and frustration that they had not done enough or had not done things right. Thus emerged the idea of bringing together a group of researchers, from a range of disciplines, to discuss the topic of giving back in field research. This editorial describes the idea and process that led to the present collection of articles. The guest editors situate the project in the literature on feminist studies and briefly summarize each of the four thematic sections in this special issue. They conclude by emphasizing that their collection is not a guide to giving back. Rather than lay out hard and fast rules about what, how much, and to whom field researchers should give, their collection offers a series of examples and considerations for giving back in fieldwork.
AlgoTutor: from algorithm design to coding

Problem solving using a programming language such as C++ is a complex multi-step task AlgoTutor trains introductory computer science students to start the problem solving process with algorithm design The system then helps students learn how to trace an algorithm with an execution trace visualization tool The final step of implementing an algorithm in code is accomplished with the ProgramPad portion of AlgoTutor In ProgramPad students can see the connection between the algorithm and the converted C++ program We have shown that some of the difficult programming concepts such as function parameters and array concepts can be addressed using ProgramPad An additional benefit of AlgoTutor is that students can practice algorithm development skills and algorithm implementation skills in a web-based, interactive environment The system provides online feedback for their algorithm so that students can work at their own pace at a convenient time.
Clinical outcome of surgical treatment of the symptomatic accessory navicular.

Background: When conservative treatment fails to provide relief for a symptomatic accessory navicular, surgical intervention may be necessary. Numerous studies have been published, reporting the re...
Biological and clinical impact of hemangioblastoma-associated peritumoral cysts in von Hippel-Lindau disease.

OBJECT Peritumoral cysts are frequently associated with CNS hemangioblastomas and often underlie neurological morbidity and mortality. To determine their natural history and clinical impact, the authors prospectively analyzed hemangioblastoma-associated peritumoral cysts in patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. METHODS Patients with VHL disease who had 2 or more years of follow-up and who were enrolled in a prospective study at the National Institutes of Health were included. Serial prospectively acquired laboratory, genetic, imaging, and clinical data were analyzed. RESULTS One hundred thirty-two patients (of 225 in the VHL study with at least 2 years of follow-up) had peritumoral cysts that were followed for more than 2 years (total of 292 CNS peritumoral cysts). The mean age at study entrance was 37.4 ± 13.1 years ([mean ± SD], median 37.9, range 12.3–65.1 years). The mean follow-up was 7.0 ± 1.7 years (median 7.3, range 2.1–9.0 years). Over the study period, 121 of the 292 peritumoral cysts (...
Non-additive interactions involving two distinct elements mediate sloppy-paired regulation by pair-rule transcription factors

Abstract The relatively simple combinatorial rules responsible for establishing the initial metameric expression of sloppy-paired-1 (slp1) in the Drosophila blastoderm embryo make this system an attractive model for investigating the mechanism of regulation by pair-rule transcription factors. This investigation of slp1 cis-regulatory architecture identifies two distinct elements, a proximal early stripe element (PESE) and a distal early stripe element (DESE) located from − 3.1 kb to − 2.5 kb and from − 8.1 kb to − 7.1 kb upstream of the slp1 promoter, respectively, that mediate this early regulation. The proximal element expresses only even-numbered stripes and mediates repression by Even-skipped (Eve) as well as by the combination of Runt and Fushi-tarazu (Ftz). A 272 basepair sub-element of PESE retains an Eve-dependent repression, but is expressed throughout the even-numbered parasegments due to the loss of repression by Runt and Ftz. In contrast, the distal element expresses both odd and even-numbered stripes and also drives inappropriate expression in the anterior half of the odd-numbered parasegments due to an inability to respond to repression by Eve. Importantly, a composite reporter gene containing both early stripe elements recapitulates pair-rule gene-dependent regulation in a manner beyond what is expected from combining their individual patterns. These results indicate that interactions involving distinct cis-elements contribute to the proper integration of pair-rule regulatory information. A model fully accounting for these results proposes that metameric slp1 expression is achieved through the Runt-dependent regulation of interactions between these two pair-rule response elements and the slp1 promoter.
Simultaneous up-regulation of neurofilament proteins during the postnatal development of the rat nervous system.

The expression of neurofilament (NF) proteins was examined during postnatal development of the rat nervous system in order to elucidate the nature of NF expression during the period of transition from the embryonic (immature) to the adult (mature) stages of NF expression. mRNAs to the light (NF-L), mid-sized (NF-M), and heavy (NF-H) NF proteins were compared by Northern blots and by in situ hybridizations, in NF-rich (i.e., DRG, spinal cord and brainstem) and in NF-poor (i.e., cerebellum and cerebral cortex) regions of the developing rat nervous system. NF proteins were analyzed by gel electrophoresis and by immunoblots. In each tissue, the expression of NF-H was delayed compared to that of NF-L and NF-M, as previously reported. The present study now shows that the dealayed compared to that of NF-L and NF-M, as previously reported. The present study now shows that the delayed expression of NF-H is accompanied by parallel up-regulations in the expressions of NF-L and NF-M, both at the levels of mRNA and protein. Similar rates of increase of all three NF mRNAs occur between postnatal days 5 (P5) and 24 (P24) in rat spinal cord and DRG. Furthermore, the postnatal up-regulation of NF expression is characterized by a progressive accumulation of all three NF proteins in the tissues. The findings indicate that the adult pattern of NF expression (with high levels of expression of all three NF proteins) becomes established during the postnatal period of development, raising questions as to the nature of factors that coregulate the expression of NF subunits.
Numerical evaluation of the Mie scattering functions; table of the angular functions πn and τn of orders 1 to 32, at 2.5° intervals

Abstract In connection with a program of calculating the light-scattering properties of isotropic spherical particles over a wide range of the parameter α and refractive index m , we have tabulated the angular functions π n and τ n for values of the angle 0°(2.5°) 180°, and orders 1 to 32. From our experience in this work, the following suggestions are made toward standardizing and simplifying the form of the Mie scattering coefficients: (1) Use of van de Hulst's scattering coefficients a n and b n . (2) Use of the scattering angle θ measured from the forward direction of the propagation of the incident light, as suggested by Stratton and van de Hulst. (3) Incorporation of the factor F(n) = (2n + 1) n(n + 1) into the augmented angular functions, Π n ( x ) = F ( n ) π n ( x ) and T n ( x ) = F ( n ) τ n ( x ), which are independent of particle size and refractive index, instead of the coefficients A n and P n , which are functions of these variables. (4) Use of a suitable transformation to express the scattering functions for real arguments in terms of real-valued functions only, eliminating all derivatives and separating the terms which are functions of α alone from those which are functions of β, m . The functions of β, m , may be calculated by means of a simple recurrence formula which is particularly useful when the refractive index is complex. Equations are given for calculating the Stokes parameters, which completely characterize the scattered light, when a spherical particle is illuminated with light plane-polarized in an arbitrary direction.
Thrombopoietin: from cloning to clinic

Thrombopoietin was cloned by a functional expression strategy in 1994. Since then many of the biological characteristics of the molecule have been elucidated, the signal transduction pathways employed by the thrombopoietin receptor identified, and the wider than anticipated range of activities, including effects on haematopoietic stem cells, determined. Translation of these finding into clinical utility, however, was delayed because of the propensity of an altered form of the molecule to induce an immune reaction that cross reacted with the native hormone. Because of this unanticipated untoward reaction, attempts to identify small molecules that bind to and stimulate the thrombopoietin receptor (TPO mimics) were undertaken by a number of groups. These efforts have now been productive, and the clinical experience with two such molecules, AMG531 and Eltrombopag, will be reviewed. Thus, it took 14 years but we are now poised to rationally intervene in patients with severe, life-threatening thrombocy-topenia.
Mercury Accumulation in the Water Column, Stream Sediments and Larval Black Fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) Tissue in Coastal Streams of Alabama, USA

Larval black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae), which inhabit streams and rivers, are both filter-feeders and a dominant part of the macroinvertebrate community. As filter-feeders, these insects are potentially an important entrance point for mercury into lotic food webs. The objectives of our study were to (1) document mercury concentrations in the water column, streambed sediments, and larval black fly tissue in select streams in coastal Alabama, USA, over both spatial (among streams) and temporal (across and within season) gradients and (2) determine if levels of mercury in stream ecosystems can be predicted based on stream predictors. Mercury was found consistently in both the black fly larval tissues and streambed sediments but was not detected in the water column. The range of total mercury found in larval tissue and stream sediments varied between 23.73–142.05 and 0.60–56.98 ppb, respectively. Mean mercury levels in both tissue and sediments show significant variation among summer, fall, and spring collections. In addition, mercury levels in tissue and sediments were significantly associated with dissolved oxygen, conductivity, or temperature within a season.
A mechanistic model based analysis of cotton aphid population dynamics data

1 A 2-year field study was conducted to generate data on seasonal abundance patterns of cotton aphids Aphis gossypii Glover and to develop a mechanistic model based on cumulative population size. The treatments consisted of three irrigation levels (Low, Medium and High) with 65%, 75% and 85% evapotranspiration replacement and three nitrogen fertility treatments (blanket-rate-N, variable-rate-N and no nitrogen). 2 A nonlinear regression equation, the analytical solution of a cumulative size mechanistic model, was fitted to each of the 27 individual data sets collected in 2003 and in 2004. The size and time of the peak, the cumulative aphid density, and the birth and death rates were estimated for each population, and each of these five variables was analyzed as a response variable in the analysis of variance. 3 For 2003 (a dry year), the Water (irrigation) main effect was found to be significant for the time of peak, the death rate and the cumulative density. The lower aphid death rate at low water levels might be due to the water stress in plants. 4 For 2004 (a year with moderate precipitation), the Nitrogen main effect was significant for both the birth and death rates. As nitrogen applications were increased, the decrease in both the aphid birth and death rates translates into a decrease in crowding and an increase in aphid survival. 5 The fact that treatment effects may be manifested through birth and death rate parameters in the new mechanistic model opens up new avenues for analyzing population size data of this kind.
Current strategies in the treatment of HIV infection

N 1981, a new clinical entity was described when previously healthy, homosexual men were diagnosed with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), a disease generally seen in immunosuppressed patients, and Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), a rare form of cancer. This illness was characterized by a profound underlying cellular immune dysfunction and was named Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 1982.’ In 1983, a human T-cell lymphotrophic retrovirus was identified as the etiologic agent of AIDS.2 Known variously as human T-cell lymphotrophic virus (HTLV-III), lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV) and AIDS-related virus (ARV),3 the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses proposed that the AIDS retrovirus be officially designated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).4 Soon after discovery of the virus, serologic tests for detecting antibody to HIV (ELISA, Western blot) also became available.5
Nonlinear optical properties of the perrhenate ion in KCl

The spectroscopic properties and several applications of a new nonlinear material developed for use with the CO2 laser are described. The material, which is a prototype of a potentially large class of such solids, is constructed by doping a normally transparent material, KC1, with an impurity ion, ReO4, to produce absorptions in the frequency range of interest to the CO2 laser. In this paper we discuss the spectroscopy of the Re04 ion in KC1 and then proceed to describe several applications of this material to the CO2 laser . Using this material, extracavity pulse compression from a CO2 oscillator has been demonstrated. Second, the material has been used intercavity to produce modelocking. Both of these results are described.
Research on Modular Division Method of CNC Machine Tool

Modular division is the first step of modular design, which also is the premise and basis of modular design. Whether modular division is reasonable can directly affect the systemic function performance and the cost of modular products. This paper introduces a new sort of modular division method, which divides the modules by calculating the correlations among sub-functions. At last, taking the high-speed CNC turning center as example, which is made by Shenyang Machine Tool Group, this paper proved the effectiveness and feasibility of the method.
A Data mining framework of noninvasive intracranial pressure assessment

Abstract The only established technique for intracranial pressure (ICP) measurement is an invasive direct procedure that has been accepted into routine usage in neurosurgical services. However, there are many other scenarios where a noninvasive assessment of ICP is highly desirable. To make a full use of the vast amount of signals collected in a typical neurosurgical service environment to realize such a noninvasive procedure of ICP assessment, a general data mining framework is proposed in the present work. As a particular implementation of the proposed framework where continuous arterial blood pressure (ABP) and cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) are available, we propose to simulate the unobserved ICP as the output of a model built from a database composed of arterial blood pressure, cerebral blood flow velocity and ICP. This model was discovered by exploring the database with the hemodynamic features extracted from measured ABP and CBFV. This approach was evaluated using a database composed of 30-min long measurements from nine traumatic brain injury patients. The approach achieved significant improvements of ICP simulation accuracy over several existing noninvasive ICP assessment methods. Particularly, its median normalized prediction error for ICP is 39% compared to 51% as obtained by an existing method and its median correlation coefficient between estimated and measured normalized ICP is 0.80 compared to 0.35 achieved by the existing method. The proposed framework is flexible in incorporating other relevant signals besides ABP, CBFV and ICP into the database. It allows for designing new hemodynamic feature vectors and for adopting new models for ICP estimation. Hence it is worthwhile to evaluate the method using a larger database and further develop the framework.
Re-Democratizing the Progressive Era: The Politics of Progressive Era Political Historiography

When historians fight about Progressivism — and fight they do — they are not just arguing about events of a century ago. They are also struggling over the basic meanings of American democracy. If we could face this fact more directly, and begin to come to grips with the stakes involved, we would not only advance the study of the past but, even in some small and indirect ways, we might improve the practice of our current politics as well. Politicians standing at the center of our nation's democratic dramas recognize, even if often without nuance, the value of reclaiming the Progressive Era. Cheerfully blurring historical distinctions, Bill Clinton announced as he left office, “I always felt that the work we did the last eight years made us the heir of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.” In turn, Al Gore's communications director saw his candidate's “message more in the tradition of progressives such as Theodore Roosevelt, who confronted powerful trusts, rather than the populists who railed broadly against elites of all stripes.” Several years earlier the vice-president's main Democratic opponent, Bill Bradley, wrote, “I've always admired the progressives, such as Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, who enabled the private sector to flourish but in a way more responsive to national purpose.”
Synaptic density and axonal sprouting in rat hippocampus: stability in adulthood and decline in late adulthood

Synaptic density and axonal sprouting remain stable in the rat dentate gyrus up to 12 months of age. At 18-24 months, an 8-10% loss in synaptic density occurs, and synaptic reinnervation could not be clearly detected at 15 days postlesion, compared to a 40% synaptic recovery in rats lesioned at 6 or 12 months postnatal. Since the amount of synaptic degeneration remaining in the denervated zone was the same at 15 days postlesion in all rats examined, synaptic reinnervation is not primarily dependent on the rate at which degeneration is removed. The results indicate that the decline in the growth response in the rat hippocampus is not a progressive trend from early adulthood into old age, but appears after the midpoint of life.
Development and application of a molecular assay to detect and monitor geosmin-producing cyanobacteria and actinomycetes in the Great Lakes

Abstract Geosmin is a potent earthy-smelling sesquiterpene responsible for the majority of biologically induced taste-and-odor (T/O) episodes in drinking and recreational water, and major economic losses to commercial, farmed and sports fisheries. Geosmin is produced by a range of microorganisms, notably by cyanobacteria and actinomycetes. However, the effective management of geosmin T/O episodes has been hindered by our inability to identify the major biological sources, and absence of sensitive methods for early detection of T/O events. The main goal of this study was to develop taxon-specific PCR and RT-PCR assays that facilitate early detection of potential geosmin releases and identification of the likely biological sources. We developed a molecular assay for the detection and expression of geosmin synthase ( geoA ), a gene involved in geosmin biosynthesis in cyanobacteria and actinomycetes. Using the molecular probes, we detected geoA in a wide range of geosmin-producing taxa in both laboratory cultures and environmental samples which provided an important new database of geoA sequences from a diversity of GSM producers, allowing an evaluation of their phylogenetic relationships based on this gene. This study indicated that potential geosmin producers in the Laurentian Great Lakes water and sediment samples are predominantly represented by members of the Nostocaceae, and in particular Anabaena spp. No correlations were apparent between gene expression and ambient temperature, nutrient concentrations and total phytoplankton biomass. Rather, evaluation of the geoA expression pattern in the environmental samples tested from various watersheds and seasons suggested constitutive gene expression.
Mereological vagueness and existential vagueness

It is often assumed that indeterminacy in mereological relations—in particular, indeterminacy in which collections of objects have fusions—leads immediately to indeterminacy in what objects there are in the world. This assumption is generally taken as a reason for rejecting mereological vagueness. The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between mereological vagueness and existential vagueness. I hope to show that the connection between the two forms of vagueness is not nearly so clear-cut as has been supposed.
Preparing Ethical Chemists through a Second-Year Seminar Course

Ethics is an important part of science and is often omitted from a packed undergraduate curriculum. This article describes a second-year seminar course developed for chemistry majors that focuses on career preparation and the improvement of essential student skills, such as communication skills and preparation for independent research. The central unifying theme of the course was scientific ethics. The seminar course offered multiple opportunities for students to evaluate, share, and develop an understanding of scientific ethics. Through this course we have demonstrated that second-year students, who typically lack a higher understanding of chemistry, can still be exposed to, discuss, and understand ethical ideas. The work completed by the students, including discussions and presentations, demonstrated their understanding of ethical concerns in a scientific environment and has better prepared them for advanced undergraduate work and their future careers in science.
Expanding the “Ports of Entry” for Speech-Language Pathologists: A Relational and Reflective Model for Clinical Practice

Purpose To outline an expanded framework for clinical practice in speech-language pathology. This framework broadens the focus on discipline-specific knowledge and infuses mental health constructs within the study of communication sciences and disorders, with the objective of expanding the potential “ports or points of entry” (D. Stern, 1995) for clinical intervention with young children who are language impaired. Method Specific mental health constructs are highlighted in this article. These include relationship-based learning, attachment theory, working dyadically (the client is the child and parent), reflective practice, transference-countertransference, and the use of self. Each construct is explored as to the way it has been applied in traditional and contemporary models of clinical practice. Conclusion The underlying premise in this framework is that working from a relationally based and reflective perspective augments change and growth in both client and parent(s). The challenge is for speech-langu...
Localized Corrosion of Alloy 22 in the Potential Yucca Mountain Repository Environment

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has indicated that it may use Alloy 22 as the waste package outer container material for the potential high-level waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Additionally, a drip shield, made of titanium grade 7 and titanium grade 29, may extend the length of the emplacement drifts to enclose the top and sides of the emplaced waste package. Localized corrosion in the form of crevice corrosion could be one degradation process that may adversely affect the waste package performance. This paper will summarize the work conducted to evaluate the effects of environmental conditions relevant to the potential Yucca Mountain repository, metallurgical states (e.g., mill-annealed and welded plus solution annealed), and similar and dissimilar metal crevices on the crevice corrosion susceptibility of Alloy 22. This work also evaluates crevice corrosion propagation behavior resulting from contact with Alloy 22 or titanium grade 7.
Comparison of the degradation behavior of cotton, linen, and kozo papers

The long term degradation behavior of cotton, linen, and kozo papers was studied to compare changes to the chemical and physical properties with time. The elemental composition, α-content, β-content, γ-content, and lignin content (K number) of the three unaged controls were determined. The papers were then degraded at 90 °C and 50 % relative humidity for several thousand hours. Changes to the pH, carbonyl content, yellowness index (YI), moisture content, molecular weight, and tensile strength with aging were monitored. The general trends in degradation behavior of linen and kozo papers were similar to cotton in that all three showed decreases in pH, molecular weight, and strength as well as increases in carbonyl content and YI during hydrolysis. However, the kinetics of degradation differed between the three papers. The cellulose component of all three papers dominated measured changes to the molecular weight while the presence of hemicellulose in the linen and kozo papers led to unique measured moisture contents, carbonyl group, and YI values relative to cotton after the same amount of degradation had occurred.
Reciprocal transfer study of north temperate and subtropical populations of Mesocyclops edax (Copepoda: Cyclopoida)

The examination of local and geographically based life history variation is one approach to examine how different selective forces may have molded life histories. Michigan and Florida populations of the warm-water copepod Mesocyclops edax exhibit genetically based differences in maturation time, body size, clutch size, and egg volume as determined by common rearing experiments in the laboratory. Florida females mature more rapidly, yet achieve larger body sizes and clutch sizes relative to Michigan females. In an effort to relate the different life histories to the specific environments, in the present study I reared both populations in enclosures suspended in the Michigan and Florida lakes. Under the high temperature and food conditions of the Florida lake, the Michigan population retained the relatively longer female maturation times and smaller clutch sizes, providing further evidence that the Michigan population is genetically constrained to divert relatively less energy to reproduction than growth compared to the Florida population. The higher survivorship of the Florida population at temperatures above 31°C relative to the Michigan population suggests the Florida animals are better adapted to extreme, high temperatures. Under the low food conditions of the Michigan lake relative to the Florida lake, the Michigan females matured more rapidly and achieved the same body size as the Florida population, but the Michigan clutches were still smaller and had larger eggs. The relative performances of the Michigan and Florida females in the in situ enclosures provided additional support for the conclusion that the Michigan population is adapted to low food conditions and the Florida population to high food and high temperature conditions.
Chemiluminescence in the oxidation of phenyl-substituted silole radical anions and dianions

Abstract The emittor in the chemiluminescent electron transfer oxidation of the radical anions and dianions of 1,1-dimethyl-2,5-diphenyl- and 1,1-dimethyl-2,3,4,5-tetraphenylsilole is shown to be the parent compound. Chemiluminescence is reported in the oxidation of the radical anions of 1,2,5-triphenylphosphole, 2,3,4,5-tetraphenylthiophene-5-dioxide and 1,1-diphenyldibenzosilole.
Monkey primary somatosensory cortical activity during the early reaction time period differs with cues that guide movements

Vibration-related neurons in monkey primary somatosensory cortex (SI) discharge rhythmically when vibratory stimuli are presented. It remains unclear how functional information carried by vibratory inputs is coded in rhythmic neuronal activity. In the present study, we compared neuronal activity during wrist movements in response to two sets of cues. In the first, movements were guided by vibratory cue only (VIB trials). In the second, movements were guided by simultaneous presentation of both vibratory and visual cues (COM trials). SI neurons were recorded extracellularly during both wrist extensions and flexions. Neuronal activity during the instructed delay period (IDP) and the early reaction time period (RTP) were analyzed. A total of 96 cases from 48 neurons (each neuron contributed two cases, one each for extension and flexion) showed significant vibration entrainment during the early RTPs, as determined by circular statistics (Rayleigh test). Of these, 50 cases had cutaneous (CUTA) and 46 had deep (DEEP) receptive fields. The CUTA neurons showed lower firing rates during the IDPs and greater firing rate changes during the early RTPs when compared with the DEEP neurons. The CUTA neurons also demonstrated decreases in activity entrainment during VIB trials when compared with COM trials. For the DEEP neurons, the difference of entrainment between VIB and COM trials was not statistically significant. The results suggest that somatic vibratory input is coded by both the firing rate and the activity entrainment of the CUTA neurons in SI. The results also suggest that when vibratory inputs are required for successful task completion, the activity of the CUTA neurons increases but the entrainment degrades. The DEEP neurons may be tuned before movement initiation for processing information encoded by proprioceptive afferents.
Population Maintenance of the Scyphozoan Cyanea sp. Settled Planulae and the Distribution of Medusae in the Niantic River, Connecticut, USA

Scyphozoan jellyfish are seasonally conspicuous in coastal waters, but relatively little is known about the factors that control their distribution and population dynamics. Cyanea sp. is a seasonally abundant medusa in the Niantic River, Connecticut, U.S. and appears to maintain a population entirely within the estuary. To better understand the factors controlling their occurrence, we examined the temporal and spatial distribution of settled scyphistomae in relation to that of the medusae. Planula settlement patterns mirrored the presence of mature female medusae. The planulae settled primarily near the bottom. After settlement, planulacysts and polyps on the settlement plates were out competed by large barnacle and ascidian larvae, resulting in a sharp decline in cyst and polyp abundance. This stage-specific mortality may represent a population bottleneck in the life cycle of scyphozoans.