cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attention-Based Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening With Privileged Modality

This paper presents a novel framework for automatic and quantitative screening of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is motivated to address two issues in the current clinical settings: 1) short of clinical resources with the prevalence of ASD (1.7% in the United States), and 2) subjectivity of ASD screening. This work differentiates itself with three unique features: first, it proposes an ASD screening with privileged modality framework that integrates information from two behavioral modalities during training and improves the performance on each single modality at testing. The proposed framework does not require overlap in subjects between the modalities. Second, it develops the first computational model to classify people with ASD using a photo-taking task where subjects freely explore their environment in a more ecological setting. Photo-taking reveals attentional preference of subjects, differentiating people with ASD from healthy people, and is also easy to implement in real-world clinical settings without requiring advanced diagnostic instruments. Third, this study for the first time takes advantage of the temporal information in eye movements while viewing images, encoding more detailed behavioral differences between ASD people and healthy controls. Experiments show that our ASD screening models can achieve superior performance, outperforming the previous state-of-the-art methods by a considerable margin. Moreover, our framework using diverse modalities demonstrates performance improvement on both the photo-taking and image-viewing tasks, providing a general paradigm that takes in multiple sources of behavioral data for a more accurate ASD screening. The framework is also applicable to various scenarios where one-to-one pairwise relationship is difficult to obtain across different modalities.
Therapeutic efficacy of environmental enrichment for substance use disorders.

Abstract Addiction to drug and alcohol is regarded as a major health problem worldwide for which available treatments show limited effectiveness. The biggest challenge remains to enhance the capacities of interventions to reduce craving, prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery. New strategies to meet these challenges are being explored. Findings from preclinical work suggest that environmental enrichment (EE) holds therapeutic potential for the treatment of substance use disorders, as demonstrated in a number of animal models of drug abuse. The EE intervention introduced after drug exposure leads to attenuation of compulsive drug taking, attenuation of the rewarding (and reinforcing) effects of drugs, reductions in control of behavior by drug cues, and, very importantly, relapse prevention. Clinical work also suggests that multidimensional EE interventions (involving physical activity, social interaction, vocational training, recreational and community involvement) might produce similar therapeutic effects, if implemented continuously and rigorously. In this review we survey preclinical and clinical studies assessing the efficacy of EE as a behavioral intervention for substance use disorders and address related challenges. We also review work providing empirical evidence for EE-induced neuroplasticity within the mesocorticolimbic system that is believed to contribute to the seemingly therapeutic effects of EE on drug and alcohol-related behaviors.
The Changing Climate of Practice

Elizabeth Mossop is professor of landscape architecture and dean of design architecture and building at the University of Technology in Sydney and has held leadership positions at Harvard GSD, the ...
A Descriptive Analysis of Adherence to Ventilator Alarm Policy

Background: The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal 6.01.01 requires hospitals to, 9Make improvements to ensure that alarms on medical equipment are heard and responded to on time.9 Our department policy states, 9Alarms are set to ensure safe delivery of the mechanical ventilation to the patient, alert caregivers to possible changes in patient condition, ensure proper functionality of the ventilator, and to reduce unnecessary alarms to minimize staff alarm fatigue without risk to patient safety. 9 Past abstracts have described inappropriately set alarms, while some organizations are attempting to benchmark ventilator alarm settings. As a quality assurance project, we sought to determine staff adherence to department policy. Methods: Data collected from fifty ventilators included: high peak inspiratory pressure, high minute ventilation, low minute ventilation, high respiratory rate, high tidal volume, and low tidal volume alarms. Data were compared to our departmental policy by finding the mean and standard deviation for each parameter. Results: We found that clinicians were grossly non-compliant with ventilator alarm settings. When setting high tidal volume, 4% of alarm settings were complaint to our policy. For low tidal volume, low minute ventilation, and high respiratory rate the compliance rates were 28%. Two percent of high minute ventilation alarms were set according to policy. High peak inspiratory alarm settings were set to policy on 22% of the ventilators. Mean difference between high tidal volume alarm setting and the policy was 299.75 mL ± 358.78 mL. A mean divergence from policy of 138.72 mL ± 163.35 mL was found in low tidal volume settings. High minute ventilation alarm means were low by 6.15 L/min ± 2.97 L/min. Conversely, low minute ventilation alarms were set too high, with a mean of 1.49 L/min ± 2.67 L/min. Mean respiratory rate settings were too high by 6.4 breaths/min ± 7.22 breaths/min. Finally, high peak inspiratory pressure alarms had a mean setting 8.76 cm H2O ± 7.15 cm H2O higher than stated in departmental policy. Conclusions: Although benchmarking ventilator alarm data is worthwhile it may be challenging to achieve. One theory for why clinicians did not adhere to our policy is that it may be too conservative. Future research may indicate why clinicians deviate from standards and how best to align ourselves with stated policies. Based on our findings we are devising a plan to meet the Joint Commission standard.
Common Iliac Artery Aneurysm Repair with Hypogastric Preservation via Balloon-Expandable Covered Stents Using the Eyelet Technique-Iliac Branched Devices Still Inappropriate in Many Patients.

Background Common iliac artery aneurysms (CIAAs) are seen in 20–40% of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Historically treated with sacrifice of the hypogastric artery, which can result in significant morbidity related to pelvic ischemia, new devices have made hypogastric artery preservation more feasible but are only applicable to a small subset of aneurysm anatomy. We sought to assess the safety and efficacy or a novel technique for hypogastric artery preservation applicable to a wider variety of patients with CIAAs. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of all patients with CIAAs treated with a novel endovascular technique at the UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center or the San Diego Veterans Affairs Hospital between March 2016 and December 2017. The endovascular technique involved stent placement in both the internal and external iliac arteries, with balloon expansion to minimize gutters between the endografts. Primary end points included technical success, limb patency, and presence of endoleaks (ELs). Results A total of 14 limbs (12 patients) were treated for CIAAs with 100% technical success and limb patency at an average of 6.8 months of follow-up. No patients experienced type I or type III ELs or evidence of pelvic ischemia. Two patients required reintervention, and one patient died of causes unrelated to the procedure. Conclusions This technique was performed with excellent short- and mid-term safety in patients with varying aneurysm anatomy. The high rates of technical success and low rate pelvic ischemia represent improvement over conventional techniques that sacrifice the hypogastric artery and warrant further testing in a larger patient series with longer term follow-up.
The scalar kappa from D+ -> K- pi+ pi+: Further Studies

We briefly review the recent results obtained by Fermilab experiment E791 on the Dalitz plot analysis of the decay D+ -> K- pi+ pi+, where indication for a light Kpi scalar resonance, the kappa, was found. We also present preliminary studies providing further information on the phase behavior of the scalar components at low mass, supporting the previous indication for the kappa.
Ethical algorithm design

In this letter, we summarize the research agenda that we survey in our recent book The Ethical Algorithm, which is intended for a general, nontechnical audience. At a high level, this research agenda proposes formalizing the ethical and social values that we want our algorithms to maintain --- values including privacy, fairness, and explainability --- and then to embed these social values directly into our algorithms as part of their design. This broad research area is most mature in the area of privacy, specifically differential privacy. It is off to a good start in emerging areas like algorithmic fairness, and seems promising for more nebulous goals like explainability, if only we can find the right definitions. Most work in this area to date analyzes algorithms as isolated components, but game-theoretic and economic analysis will become increasingly important as we try and study the effects of algorithmic interventions in larger sociotechnical systems.
Electrical remodeling and cardiotoxicity precedes structural and functional remodeling of mouse hearts under hyperoxia treatment.

Clinical reports suggest a high incidence of ICU mortality with the use of hyperoxia during mechanical ventilation in patients. Our laboratory is pioneer in studying effect of hyperoxia on cardiac pathophysiology. In this study for the first time, we are reporting the sequence of cardiac pathophysiological events in mice under hyperoxic conditions in time-dependent manner. C57BL/6J male mice, aged 8-10 weeks, were treated with either normal air or >90% oxygen for 24, 48, and 72 h. Following normal air or hyperoxia treatment, physical, biochemical, functional, electrical, and molecular parameters were analyzed. Our data showed that significant reduction of body weight observed as early as 24 h hyperoxia treatment, whereas, no significant changes in heart weight until 72 h. Although we do not see any fibrosis in these hearts, but observed significant increase in cardiomyocyte size with hyperoxia treatment in time-dependent manner. Our data also demonstrated that arrhythmias were present in mice at 24 h hyperoxia, and worsened comparatively after 48 and 72 h. Echocardiogram data confirmed cardiac dysfunction in time-dependent manner. Dysregulation of ion channels such as Kv4.2 and KChIP2; and serum cardiac markers confirmed that hyperoxia-induced effects worsen with each time point. From these observations, it is evident that electrical remodeling precedes structural remodeling, both of which gets worse with length of hyperoxia exposure, therefore shorter periods of hyperoxia exposure is always beneficial for better outcome in ICU/critical care units.
The role of social institutions in indigenous Andean Pastoralists’ adaptation to climate-related water hazards

Though Andean indigenous communities have a lengthy history of capable responding to water threats, anthropogenic climate change and soaring water demand have changed preterit water challenges into...
Quantifying the extent of amide and peptide bond synthesis across conditions relevant to geologic and planetary environments

Abstract Amide bonds are fundamental products in biochemistry, forming peptides critical to protein formation, but amide bonds are also detected in sterile environments and abiotic synthesis experiments. The abiotic formation of amide bonds may represent a prerequisite to the origin of life. Here we report thermodynamic models that predict optimal conditions for amide bond synthesis across geologically relevant ranges of temperature, pressure, and pH. We modeled acetamide formation from acetic acid and ammonia as a simple analog to peptide bond formation, and tested this model with hydrothermal experiments examining analogous reactions of amides including benzanilide and related structures. We also expanded predictions for optimizing diglycine formation, revealing that in addition to synthesis becoming more favorable at near-ambient pressures (Psat) with increasing temperatures, the strongest thermodynamic drive exists at extremely high pressures (>15,000 bar) and decreasing temperatures. Beyond implications for life’s origins, the reactants and products involved in simple amide formation reactions can potentially be used as geochemical tracers for planetary exploration of environments that may be habitable.
Objective and Subjective Reality

Unless one goes looking for trouble, it is reasonable to assume that objective reality exists and that physical instruments measure it accurately, or at least as accurately as currently possible. This reality is defined by laws of physics and, with respect to the understanding the behavior of biological agents on Earth, we need not worry much about deeper issues that physicists are still grappling with (e.g., how quantum events are related to macroscopic events; the role of observation in reification; whether information subsumes matter and energy). For present purposes objective reality can be restricted to classical physics. In contrast, perceptions—whether conscious or as unconscious equivalents—are subjective.
CD5+ Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma With Leukemic Transformation: A Rare Case With Central Nervous System Involvement, Treated With R-CHOP and Intrathecal Methotrexate/Cytarabine

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is one of several subtypes of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and one that can present in a myriad of ways. One unique and particularly aggressive presentation is leukemic transformation with CD5 positivity, which leads to systemic symptoms, a relatively high peripheral tumor load, and higher rates of CNS involvement. The prevalence of leukemic transformation has not been determined, as published literature is limited to case reports and small case series. CD5 positivity appears to be even rarer and is only found in a small fraction of DLBCL with leukemic transformation. Treatment regimens for this presentation have not been well-established due to the rarity of the disease and paucity of literature on the subject. Our patient, a 76-year-old female with a history of previously treated stage IIIB follicular lymphoma, was found to have CD5+ DLBCL with leukemic transformation. She was treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) along with intrathecal methotrexate (IT MTX)/cytarabine after CNS involvement was diagnosed. The patient tolerated therapy well, with an objective reduction in leukocytosis and blast count. To our knowledge, this is the first such case of CD5+ DLBCL with leukemic transformation treated with dose-reduced R-CHOP and IT MTX/cytarabine. Her response to therapy indicates that this regimen could be a viable option for the treatment of this exceedingly rare disease presentation.
Mexican Migrant Parents’ Access to School Resources and Perceptions of U.S. Schools: The Interstice of Linguistic Structural Realities and Family Cultural Backgrounds

The two goals of this chapter are: (1) to investigate the resources provided by public schools to students from migrant farmworking families with varying citizenship status; and (2) to understand how their parents perceive their children’s U.S. school experiences. These Mexican and/or Indigenous families have come to the U.S. in fear of violence, to escape poverty, and with a lack of educational or social opportunity in Mexico. This study contributes to understandings of how U.S. schools might better meet the needs of children and families from migrant farmworking (often Indigenous) backgrounds who are forcibly displaced from their homelands due to economic inequality and political upheaval. As Campbell-Montalvo has written about elsewhere (2019), “Indigenous migrants are at the margins of multiple racial, ethnic, and national spaces” (see also Casanova SB. Hisp J Behav Sci 34(3):375–403, 2012; Casanova SB, O’Connor B, Anthony-Stevens V. Lat Stud 14(2):192–213, 2016; Zuniga ML, Lewin-Fischer P, Cornelius D, Cornelius W, Goldenberg S, Keyes D. J Immigr Minor Health 16:329–339, 2014). Of the one million Indigenous Latinos who have migrated to the U.S., the largest groups are Mixtec, Zapotec, and Triqui from Oaxaca (McGuire S, Georges J. Adv Nurs Sci 26(3):185–195, 2003).
Integrating optical and microwave satellite observations for high res-olution soil moisture estimate and applications in CONUS drought analyses

In this study, optical and microwave satellite observations are integrated to estimate soil moisture at the same spatial resolution as the optical sensors (5km here) and applied for drought analysis in the continental United States. A new refined model is proposed to include auxiliary data like soil texture, topography, surface types, accumulated precipitation, in addition to Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) used in the traditional universal triangle method. It is found the new proposed soil moisture model using accumulated precipitation demonstrated close agreements with the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) spatial patterns. Currently, the USDM is providing a weekly map. Recently, “flash” drought concept appears. To obtain drought map on daily basis, LST is derived from microwave observations and downscaled to the same resolution as the thermal infrared LST product and used to fill the gaps due to clouds in optical LST data. With the integrated daily LST available under nearly all weather conditions, daily soil moisture can be estimated at relatively higher spatial resolution than those traditionally derived from passive microwave sensors, thus drought maps based on soil moisture anomalies can be obtained on daily basis and made the flash drought analysis and monitoring become possible.
Z — DNA and chromosome structure

Antibodies recognizing the left-handed Z-conformation of DNA bind to polytene chromosomes of D. melanosaster in a specific pattern. The sequences recognized, many in interbands and some in bands, must be either in the Z-form in vivo or preferentially susceptible to conversion to Z-form by cytological procedures. Monoclonal antibody studies strongly suggest that these Z-form sequences are predominantly (dC-dA)n.(dG-dT)n. In situ hybridization experiments show what appear to be long stretches of (dC-dA)n.(dG-dT)n in sites that do not bind antibody. Thus it seems that the formation of Z-DNA in the polytene chromosomes is determined not only by the DNA nucleotide sequence but also by other aspects of chromatin structure in the region of the conformational change.
Scaling 2-layer RRAM cross-point array towards 10 nm node: A device-circuit co-design

The resistive random access memory (RRAM) technology is a promising candidate for the replacement of NAND FLASH at ultra-scaled nodes. In this work, the scalability of a 2-layer RRAM cross-point array architecture is explored towards the 10 nm node. Device-circuit co-design methodologies are employed to optimize the array architecture. The impact of sneak paths, IR drop along the wire interconnect and RRAM device characteristics are investigated by HSPICE simulations and the memory array organization and partition are optimized by NVSim simulations. It is found that increasing the I-V nonlinearity of a memory cell by adding a cell selector helps maintain the write voltage margin at scaled nodes. With the scaling, the maximum sub-array size decreases due to the IR drop constraint thus the memory architecture evolves to a finer granularity. At the 10 nm node, by hiding a portion of the peripheral circuitry underneath the memory array, a 2-layer RRAM bank is projected to achieve ultra-high density ∼3.43 Gb/mm2, and can enable fast write bandwith ∼ 300 MB/s and read bandwidth ∼1 GB/s.
Vacuum Polarization in Muonic Atoms

My purpose in presenting this report is simply to point out that the precision in measuring muonic x-ray lines is now becoming high enough to provide a significant test of the vacuum polarization effects in muon physics not only in the lowest but also in higher orders. For this purpose it is best to choose one of the higher transitions which are little affected by the finite nuclear size. In general, finite nuclear size corrections are small enough in muonic atoms for transitions with energies less than 500 keV.
Understanding disparities in donor behavior: race and gender differences in willingness to donate blood and cadaveric organs.

Background.Recent efforts to recruit blood and organ donors have only marginally improved demographic disparities in willingness to donate. Few studies have examined which factors are most important in explaining race and gender disparities in willingness to donate.Objectives.To assess race and gend
Construction of densities

We present two new methods for obtaining densities. The first method is based on an operator equation that relates any two functions by an operator transformation. The method generalizes the classical results of Gram-Charlier/Edgeworth. The approach clarifies the kernel method presented by the author in 1966. In addition, we present a new method for obtaining joint densities for arbitrary variables. The method is based on the generalization of the characteristic function wherein we replace the exponentials by an arbitrary complete set of functions.
Autonomic and inflammatory consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder and the link to cardiovascular disease

Stress- and anxiety-related disorders are on the rise in both military and general populations. Over the next decade, it is predicted that treatment of these conditions, in particular, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), along with its associated long-term comorbidities, will challenge the health care system. Multiple organ systems are adversely affected by PTSD, and PTSD is linked to cancer, arthritis, digestive disease, and cardiovascular disease. Evidence for a strong link between PTSD and cardiovascular disease is compelling, and this review describes current clinical data linking PTSD to cardiovascular disease, via inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, and the renin-angiotensin system. Recent clinical and preclinical evidence regarding the role of the renin-angiotensin system in the extinction of fear memory and relevance in PTSD-related immune and autonomic dysfunction is also addressed.
Upper mantle structure beneath the eastern Colorado Plateau and Rio Grande rift revealed by Bouguer gravity, seismic velocities, and xenolith data

[1] The lithospheric architecture of the Colorado Plateau–Rio Grande rift transition zone reflects a narrow corridor of active tectonism and magmatism between the tectonically stable Colorado Plateau and the stable interior of North America. In this paper we analyze Bouguer gravity data, crustal thickness variations, xenolith data, and seismic wave speed structure to argue that the Rio Grande rift and southeastern Colorado Plateau is underlain by a low-density upper mantle province that does not trend along upper crustal tectonic boundaries but, rather, is correlated with regions of middle to late Tertiary magmatism. We model uppermost mantle density contrasts using Bouguer gravity along five parallel profiles across the Colorado Plateau and validate our models by converting modeled density contrasts to seismic velocity variations for comparison with regional seismic data, as well as comparing modeled densities to calculated densities from xenoliths. We find that upper crustal features and crustal thickness variations do not explain long-wavelength (>200 km) variations in Bouguer gravity across the Colorado Plateau–Rio Grande rift. A large 200–440 km wide region of low uppermost mantle density is modeled beneath the eastern Colorado Plateau margin, Jemez Lineament, Rio Grande rift, and parts of the westernmost Great Plains. This region has a density contrast of −90 to −30 kg/m3 relative to the adjacent Colorado Plateau and Great Plains provinces and coincides with previously imaged regions of low upper mantle seismic velocities. In situ densities inferred from xenolith data in the Colorado Plateau support the modeled upper mantle density variations and support the idea that the eastern and western margins of the plateau have been significantly modified by metasomatism. We suggest that the region of low upper mantle density likely reflects some combination of temperature variations, partial melt contents, and compositional variations related to Tertiary magmatic activity and/or thinned lithosphere. The relationship of this zone of modified upper mantle to extension in the Rio Grande rift remains enigmatic, however, particularly given the lack of spatial correlation between the trends of upper mantle structures and surficial extensional structures.
Between subordination and she-tiger

Abstract In this paper I focus on the social constructions of gender in the lives of single Protestant missionary women, exploring how they were able to expand notions of White femininity by utilising both ideologies of devotional domesticity and the personal support and professional validation of women-identified communities. I suggest that these freedoms were directly related to certain framings of indigenous Chinese men and women — specifically, the emasculated Chinese male who was seen as little threat to Western women's safety, and the victimised Chinese woman who required advocacy and rescue. To illustrate these issues, I use the writings of two White Methodist missionary women from the United States and England who served in China between 1905 and 1930, suggesting that such stretching of the parameters of femininity questioned the particularly androcentric nature of Western imperialist authority at the same time that it perpetuated the racial dynamic of a colonial social order.
D1 or D2 antagonism in nucleus accumbens core or dorsomedial shell suppresses lever pressing for food but leads to compensatory increases in chow consumption.

Although interference with dopamine (DA) systems can suppress lever pressing for food reinforcement, it is not clear whether this effect occurs because of a general disruption of food motivation. One way of assessing this has been a choice procedure in which a rat responds on an fixed ratio 5 (FR5) schedule for preferred Bioserve pellets while a less preferred lab chow is concurrently available in the operant chamber. Untreated rats consume little of the chow, preferring to respond for the Bioserve pellets. Previous studies have shown that depleting DA in the accumbens substantially decreased lever pressing while increasing chow consumption. In the present study, low doses (0.0625-1.0 microg) of the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 or the D2 antagonist raclopride were injected into the either the core or shell subregions of nucleus accumbens, and rats were tested on the concurrent lever pressing/feeding task. Analysis of the dose response curves showed that injections of SCH 23390 into the core were more potent than injections into the shell for suppressing lever pressing (i.e., the ED(50) was lower in the core). Nevertheless, injections of either drug into either site suppressed lever pressing and increased intake of the concurrently available chow. Across both drugs and at both sites, the amount of chow consumed was negatively correlated with the total number of responses. Neither drug significantly increased response duration, suggesting that accumbens DA antagonism did not produce the type of motor impairment that leads to severe alterations in the form of lever pressing. In summary, the blockade of D1 or D2 receptors in nucleus accumbens core or shell decreased lever pressing for food reinforcers, but rats remained directed toward the acquisition and consumption of food. These results indicate that accumbens D1 antagonism does not decrease lever pressing because of a general reduction in food motivation. Nevertheless, interference with accumbens DA does appear to set constraints upon which responses are selected for obtaining food, and may impair the ability of animals to overcome work-related response costs in order to obtain food.
Verbal interactions in group psychotherapy between patients with similar and with dissimilar personalities.

The study explored the relationship in group psychotherapy of the patients' frequency of verbal interactions to their scores on the personality dimensions of Extraversion, Neuroticism, and External Control. On the dimensions of Neuroticism and Extraversion low scorers interacted more with other low scorers and high scorers interacted more with other high scorers. An opposite trend obtained on the External Control dimension.
A rapid technique for measuring leukocyte chemotaxis in vivo.

Abstract A modification of connective tissue air bleb technique was used to develop a model system in inbred strains of mice for the study of chemoattractants in vivo. The method was developed using the well characterized n-formylated chemotactic peptide, f-Met-Leu-Phe, as the positive control. Injection of 0.1 ml of f-Met-Leu-Phe solutions from 10−7 to 10−10 M resulted in an influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes within 2 h. Study of the kinetics of the response showed that the number of infiltrating cells reached a peak within 8 h and slowly declined over a 2-day period. The predominant infiltrating cell type during the first 24 h was the polymorphonuclear leukocyte. Between 24 and 48 h the polymorphonuclear leukocytes were replaced by monocytes. By utilizing an inbred mouse strain (DBA-1J and 2J) sufficient or deficient in C5 it was possible to distinguish compounds that were directly chemotactic from those that worked indirectly, or whose chemotactic potential could be enhanced by generation of the chemotactic complement split product C5a. The method was found to be technically simple, reproducible and semi-quantitative and represents a good model system to facilitate the comparison of chemotactic responses in vivo and in vitro.
Dietary zinc deficiency increases the methylbenzylnitrosamine-induced formation of O6-methylguanine in the esophageal DNA of the rat.

Dietary zinc deficiency in combination with environmental exposure to methylbenzylnitrosamine (MBN) is associated with an increased incidence of esophageal carcinoma in man. The proposed mechanism of MBN-induced esophageal carcinoma is through metabolic activation of MBN to form benzaldehyde, and a carbonium ion which methylates DNA. MBN is known to methylate DNA forming O6-methylguanine (O6-MeG) adducts. These adducts can induce guanine to adenine point mutations and such mutations are responsible for certain carcinogen-induced tumors. Rats maintained on a zinc-deficient diet exhibit an increased incidence of MBN-induced esophageal carcinoma when compared with ad libitum and pair-fed controls. The caloric restriction of the pair-fed controls was associated with a lower incidence of MBN-induced esophageal carcinoma than was observed in the ad libitum controls. These differences in tumor incidence were associated with alterations in the formation and clearance of MBN-induced esophageal O6-MeG. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were raised on egg protein diets containing 2.3 p.p.m. zinc (low zinc) or 50 p.p.m. zinc (control). One group of control animals was fed the control diet ad libitum and a second group pair-fed the control diet to match the intake of the zinc-deficient group. After 3 weeks on the diets the animals were injected with a single dose of MBN (2.0 mg/kg b.w.) and levels of esophageal O6-MeG were determined after 1, 3, 6 and 24 h. O6-MeG was significantly higher in the zinc-deficient animals than in controls, with the pair-fed controls demonstrating O6-MeG levels lower than the ad libitum controls. Thus, dietary zinc deficiency results in significantly increased levels of MBN-induced esophageal O6-MeG, and caloric restriction results in decreased levels of MBN-induced esophageal O6-MeG. These changes in esophageal O6-MeG may in part explain the increased incidence of MBN-induced esophageal carcinoma observed with dietary zinc deficiency.
Mixed-effect models for evaluating multiple measures of atrazine exposure among custom applicators.

The exposure of custom (or commercial) applicators to the herbicide atrazine was measured in environmental (hand wash and dermal patch) and biological (urine and saliva) samples. Surrogate exposure data, such as amount of atrazine sprayed, were also collected. A systematic sampling design was used that included both spray and nonspray days. Fifteen applicators were sampled 5 to 7 days each during a 6-week spring spray season for a total of 89 sampled days. Mixed-effect regression modeling was used to examine the relationship among the surrogate, environmental, and biological atrazine exposure measures. Surrogate measures of atrazine application (either kg of atrazine sprayed or spray atrazine [yes/no]) were significantly associated with increased levels of atrazine or atrazine equivalents (eq) in hand wash, thigh patch, 4–6 p.m. saliva, and 24-hour urine samples. Two days of spraying information (day of sampling and day before sampling) were needed to optimally estimate atrazine biomarkers in the biologic...
On the occurrence of gamma ray induced accessory ovules in Coleus blumei benth

Abstract The occurrence of flowers having accessory ovules on the inflorescences of irradiated Coleus plants was investigated. Plants having no visible inflorescences, immature inflorescences, and inflorescences with open flowers were irradiated with a cesium-137 source for 25 hr at a dosage of 200 R/hr. The number of flowers having accessory ovules, cyme numbers in which they occurred, and the length of time between their appearance and the opening of the first flower on the inflorescence was recorded. The early formed cymes of the recovery period produce more flowers with accessory ovules than do later developing cymes. The flowers are produced for several weeks following the opening of the first flower but there is a steady decline in number with time. Plants with mature inflorescences at the time of irradiation and nonirradiated control plants produced no flowers with accessory ovules. Increased stigmatic areas were associated with the number and the occurrence of accessory ovules suggesting an increase in carpel number.
Cortical surface complexity in a population-based normative sample

MRI studies on abnormal brain development are dependent on the quality, quantity, and type of normative development data available for comparison. Limitations affecting previous studies on normative development include small sample sizes, lack of demographic representation, heterogeneous subject populations, and inadequate longitudinal data. The National Institutes of Health Pediatric MRI Data Repository (NIHPD) for normative development was designed to address the aforementioned issues in reliability measures of control subjects for comparison studies. The subjects were recruited from six Pediatric Study Centers nationwide to create the largest, non-biased, longitudinal database of the developing brain. Using the NIHPD, we applied a 3D shape analysis method involving spherical harmonics to identify the cortical surface complexity of 396 subjects (210 female; 186 male) between the ages of 4.8 y and 22.3 y. MRI data had been obtained at one, two, or three time points approximately two years apart. A total of 144 participants (79 female; 65 male) provided MRI data from all time points. Our results confirm a direct correlation between cortical complexity and age in both males and females. Additionally, within the examined age range, females displayed consistently and significantly greater cortical complexity than males. Findings suggest that the underlying neural circuitry within male and female brains is different, possibly explaining observations of sexual dimorphism in social interaction, communication, and higher cognitive processes.
An Investigation of Droplet Diffusion in Isotropic Turbulence With Digital Holographic PIV

In-line digital holography is utilized to measure the Lagrangian trajectory of droplets in locally isotropic turbulence. The objective of these measurements is to determine the diffusion rate of these droplets as a function of density ratio between the continuous and dispersed phases, Stokes number and turbulence level relative to the quiescent settling/rise velocity of the droplets. The present experiments are conducted using diesel fuel with diameters of 0.5–2 mm, specific gravity of 0.85 and Stokes number in the 0.2 to 5 range. The droplets are injected into a 50 × 50 × 50 mm sample volume located in the center of a 160 1 tank. The turbulence is generated by four spinning grids, located symmetrically in the corners of the tank. Planar PIV has been used to characterize the turbulence prior to the experiments. A time series of in-line digital holograms is recorded at 2000 frames per second using a 1000×1000 pixel digital camera by back illuminating the sample volume with a collimated laser beam. Numerical reconstruction generates a time series of high-resolution images of the droplets and tracer particles throughout the sample volume. Subsequent analysis is used to obtain the velocity along the droplet trajectory. Lagrangian correlations can then be used for calculating the diffusion rate of these droplets. In a smaller sample volume, with a 15×15 mm cross section, and by using localized seeding, we can also simultaneously measure the droplet velocity along with the velocity of the fluid in the vicinity of this droplet. The results provide statistics on the correlations between the droplet and fluid velocities.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The N-terminal Arm of Small Heat Shock Proteins Is Important for Both Chaperone Activity and Substrate Specificity

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are a ubiquitous class of molecular chaperones that interacts with substrates to prevent their irreversible insolubilization during denaturation. How sHSPs interact with substrates remains poorly defined. To investigate the role of the conserved C-terminal alpha-crystallin domain versus the variable N-terminal arm in substrate interactions, we compared two closely related dodecameric plant sHSPs, Hsp18.1 and Hsp16.9, and four chimeras of these two sHSPs, in which all or part of the N-terminal arm was switched. The efficiency of substrate protection and formation of sHSP-substrate complexes by these sHSPs with three different model substrates, firefly luciferase, citrate synthase, and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) provide new insights into sHSP/substrate interactions. Results indicate that different substrates have varying affinities for different domains of the sHSP. For luciferase and citrate synthase, the efficiency of substrate protection was determined by the identity of the N-terminal arm in the chimeric proteins. In contrast, for MDH, efficient protection clearly required interactions with the alpha-crystallin domain in addition to the N-terminal arm. Furthermore, we show that sHSP-substrate complexes with varying stability and composition can protect substrate equally, and substrate protection is not correlated with sHSP oligomeric stability for all substrates. Protection of MDH by the dimeric chimera composed of the Hsp16.9 N-terminal arm and Hsp18.1 alpha-crystallin domain supports the model that a dimeric form of the sHSP can bind and protect substrate. In total, results demonstrate that sHSP-substrate interactions are complex, likely involve multiple sites on the sHSP, and vary depending on substrate.
Preparation of pyridostigmine bromide labeled with carbon-14 and tritium1

[2-14C]Pyridostigmine bromide was prepared in 17.6% radiochemical yield with specific activity of 18 mCi/mmol. The reaction sequence involved preparation of 2-furan[14C]carboxylic acid by carbonation of 2-lithiofuran, followed by conversion to 2-amino[14C]methyl furan by lithium aluminum hydride reduction of its carboxamide. Oxidative rearrangement of 2-amino[14C]methylfuran gave 3-hydroxy[2-14C]pyridine which was converted to [2-14C]pyridostigmine bromide by reaction with dimethylcarbamyl chloride and quarternization with bromomethane. Pyridostigmine bromide labeled in the methyl group of the carbamate function was prepared in 73% yield with specific activity of 37.6 mCi/mmol by reaction of bis-3-pyridyl carbonate with [14C]dimethylamine followed by quarternization with bromomethane. [6-3H]-Pyridostigmine bromide with specific activity of 22.5 mCi/mmol was prepared by catalytic halogen-tritium replacement of 2,6-dibromo-3-dimethylcarbamyloxypyridine followed by quarternization with bromomethane and back-exchanging the labile 2-tritium.
Singular instability of exact stationary solutions of the non-local Gross–Pitaevskii equation

Abstract In this Letter we show numerically that for non-linear Schrodinger type equations the presence of non-local perturbations can lead to a singular instability of stable solutions of the local equation. For the specific case of the non-local one-dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equation with an external standing light wave potential, we construct exact stationary solutions for an arbitrary interaction kernel. As the non-local and local equations approach each other (by letting an appropriate small parameter ϵ →0), we compare the dynamics of the respective solutions. By considering the time of onset of instability, the singular nature of the inclusion of non-locality is demonstrated, independent of the form of the interaction kernel.
Murine and human T11 (CD2) cDNA sequences suggest a common signal transduction mechanism

The murine equivalent of the cDNA encoding the human T11 (CD2) sheep erythrocyte-binding protein has been cloned. It codes for a putative transmembrane protein which is homologous to human T11. In contrast to immunoglobulins whose domains consist of anti-parallel beta sheets, we predict that mouse and human T11 external domains probably belong to the alpha/beta protein folding class. The cytoplasmic region of T11 is a lengthy, proline-rich segment; secondary structural analysis predicts it to have a nonglobular conformation. This elongated tail could allow for interaction with multiple other intracellular proteins and may contain a cation-binding site involved in T lineage activation.
Diffusion in a Medium with a Random Distribution of Static Traps

Particles diffusing in $d$-dimensional space among a random distribution of stationary spherical traps are considered. Given a particle at the origin at time $t=0$, it is shown that the density of particles at the origin as $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ must decay at least as fast as $\mathrm{exp}[\ensuremath{-}{t}^{\frac{d}{(d+2)}}]$. The density here is obtained by averaging the diffusive field for a given configuration of traps over all configurations. The present upper bound coincides with the lower bound recently derived by Grassberger and Procaccia.
Focal infection and metabolism

Summary The removal of infected tonsils was followed by a fall in basalmetabolism and an increase in nitrogen retention. The improvement in nitrogen utilization would seem to be out ofproportion to anything that might be accounted for as a result of a fall in basal metabolism incidental to the removal of the infection.
Therapeutic Advances and Treatment Options in Metastatic Melanoma

Over the past several years, management of advanced melanoma has been transformed by the development and approval of novel therapeutic approaches. Genetically targeted therapies are now effective treatment options for the approximately 50% of patients whose melanomas harbor activating point mutations in BRAF . Combination regimens of small-molecule inhibitors have been developed to delay the onset of acquired resistance. Specifically, combined BRAF and MEK inhibition improves response rates and survival compared with single-agent BRAF inhibitors and has now received regulatory approval. During the same time frame, excitement has surrounded the development of immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors. New immune checkpoint inhibitors blocking cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA4) or programmed death-1 receptor/ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) improve patient outcomes by promoting an antitumor immune response. These agents have been associated with an increasing number of durable responses and are being developed in various combinations. In this review, we discuss the development of these targeted and immune therapies, review current patient management, and highlight future directions.
Materials Chemistry in the Development of Thermonuclear Fusion Energy

The promise of thermonuclear fusion energy ultimately to provide a relatively clean, cheap, dependable and potentially inexhaustible energy source, justifies the increasing world-wide effort which is being directed to the achievement of this goal. Although the major effort in this field must still be devoted to reaching the Lawson criterion, the problems associated with the construction and operation of fusion power reactors are so challenging as to require serious attention even today. The discussion of the role of materials chemistry in the development of fusion reactors will focus on some of the major problem areas such as tritium breeding, recovery and permeation; chemical effects of thermonuclear plasma interactions with first wall materials; and the solid state chemistry of high performance insulating as well as superconducting materials.
On detecting hump‐shaped relationships in ecology: a bootstrap test for monotonicity

Ecologists and environmental scientists are often interested in determining whether a response achieves a maximum at an intermediate value of some explanatory variable. Typically, statistical significance of a quadratic term added to a simple linear regression model is interpreted as evidence for an intermediate maximum. Relationships that are monotone but non-linear can easily be misclassified by this criterion. A bootstrap test of the monotonicity of the relationship between two variables is proposed, based on fitting an isotonic regression and examining the curvature of scatterplots generated by adding resampled residuals to that regression function. The test operates at or below the nominal level when applied to data sets simulated from a variety of monotone functions, and it has reasonable power against several non-monotone alternatives. By comparison, a test of the significance of the second-order coefficient in a quadratic regression may have very high rejection rates when applied to monotone functions with appreciable curvature. This argues for caution in the interpretation of a significant quadratic regression as strong evidence against monotonicity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of localization and mesoscopic phenomena on ultrasonic attenuation in a disordered piezoelectric metal.

Proposition de l'utilisation de l'attenuation de l'onde acoustique de surface a des temperatures inferieures au degre Kelvin, pour l'etude des effets de la localisation et du phenomene mesoscopique sur les heterojonctions GaAs/Al x Ga 1−x As. Basee sur les proprietes piezoelectriques de GaAs, on presente une interpretation diagrammatique de l'absorption electronique en termes de couplage de la contrainte du reseau avec le courant electrique