cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flavored ENDS Use among Adults Who Have Used Cigarettes and ENDS, 2016-2017.

Objective In this study, we assessed differences in type, number, and perceptions of ENDS flavors used at initiation and currently among 4 smoking and ENDS use profiles of US adults with a history of smoking and ENDS use. Methods Our nationally representative survey sample included 1814 participants. We estimated Rao-Scott χ2 and adjusted odds ratios. Use profiles included: (1) Dual Users (current smokers/current ENDS users), (2) ENDS Rejecters (current smokers/former ENDS users), (3) Switchers (former smokers/current ENDS users), and (4) Quitters (former smokers/former ENDS users). Results Multiple flavor use at initiation was associated with higher odds of being a Dual User or Switcher. Those who used mint/wintergreen/menthol flavored ENDS at initiation had lower odds of being an ENDS Rejecter (vs Dual User). Current use of tobacco/unflavored or menthol/mint/wintergreen flavor was associated with higher odds of being a Dual User (vs Switcher). Switchers were more likely to perceive flavors as safe in ENDS and rate flavors as important to their ENDS use. Conclusions Multiple flavor use at initiation, perceiving flavors as safe, and use of specific flavors (mint/wintergreen/menthol) at initiation may discourage rejecting ENDS. However, current use of traditional cigarette flavors (ie, tobacco, menthol) may promote sustained smoking.
Co-Constructing Organizational Identity and Culture With Those We Serve: An Ethnography of a Transgender Nonprofit Organization Communicating Family Identity and Identification:

In this article, I theorize how communication creates participants’ organizational identification with nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and their co-construction of organizational identities. Finding...
Isotopically anomalous organic carbon in the aftermath of the Marinoan snowball Earth.

Throughout most of the sedimentary record, the marine carbon cycle is interpreted as being in isotopic steady state. This is most commonly inferred via isotopic reconstructions, where two export fluxes (organic carbon and carbonate) are offset by a constant isotopic fractionation of ~25 (termed eorg-carb ). Sedimentary deposits immediately overlying the Marinoan snowball Earth diamictites, however, stray from this prediction. In stratigraphic sections from the Ol Formation (Mongolia) and Sheepbed Formation (Canada), we observe a temporary excursion where the organic matter has anomalously heavy δ13 C and is grossly decoupled from the carbonate δ13 C. This signal may reflect the unique biogeochemical conditions that persisted in the aftermath of snowball Earth. For example, physical oceanographic modeling suggests that a strong density gradient caused the ocean to remain stratified for about 50,000 years after termination of the Marinoan snowball event, during which time the surface ocean and continental weathering consumed the large atmospheric CO2 reservoir. Further, we now better understand how δ13 C records of carbonate can be post-depostionally altered and thus be misleading. In an attempt to explain the observed carbon isotope record, we developed a model that tracks the fluxes and isotopic values of carbon between the surface ocean, deep ocean, and atmosphere. By comparing the model output to the sedimentary data, stratification alone cannot generate the anomalous observed isotopic signal. Reproducing the heavy δ13 C in organic matter requires the progressively diminishing contribution of an additional anomalous source of organic matter. The exact source of this organic matter is unclear.
Adapting Conservation Policy and Administration to Nonstationary Conditions

False assumptions of stationarity, the idea that natural systems fluctuate within a set and predictable range, are common in conservation policies and public expectations developed since the late 1...
Thermal-Aware Compilation of Spiking Neural Networks to Neuromorphic Hardware.

Hardware implementation of neuromorphic computing can significantly improve performance and energy efficiency of machine learning tasks implemented with spiking neural networks (SNNs), making these hardware platforms particularly suitable for embedded systems and other energy-constrained environments. We observe that the long bitlines and wordlines in a crossbar of the hardware create significant current variations when propagating spikes through its synaptic elements, which are typically designed with non-volatile memory (NVM). Such current variations create a thermal gradient within each crossbar of the hardware, depending on the machine learning workload and the mapping of neurons and synapses of the workload to these crossbars. \mr{This thermal gradient becomes significant at scaled technology nodes and it increases the leakage power in the hardware leading to an increase in the energy consumption.} We propose a novel technique to map neurons and synapses of SNN-based machine learning workloads to neuromorphic hardware. We make two novel contributions. First, we formulate a detailed thermal model for a crossbar in a neuromorphic hardware incorporating workload dependency, where the temperature of each NVM-based synaptic cell is computed considering the thermal contributions from its neighboring cells. Second, we incorporate this thermal model in the mapping of neurons and synapses of SNN-based workloads using a hill-climbing heuristic. The objective is to reduce the thermal gradient in crossbars. We evaluate our neuron and synapse mapping technique using 10 machine learning workloads for a state-of-the-art neuromorphic hardware. We demonstrate an average 11.4K reduction in the average temperature of each crossbar in the hardware, leading to a 52% reduction in the leakage power consumption (11% lower total energy consumption) compared to a performance-oriented SNN mapping technique.
Influence of Battery Energy Storage Location on the Dynamic Performance of Hybrid AC/DC Microgrid

Energy storage systems provide ancillary services as well as minimization of power fluctuations caused by intermittent renewable energy sources (RES) and variable loads in microgrids. Energy storage selection criteria in microgrids are usually based on power management and economic aspects, neglecting its dynamic performance functionality. In this paper, a comprehensive study of the impact of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) placement on the dynamic performance of Hybrid AC/DC Microgrid (HMG) is presented. For the evaluation purposes, two major locations, such as the AC grid or DC grid, are considered for the BESS. The detailed dynamic model of the test HMG system is simulated under various disturbances cases when the BESS is operated either in AC or DC subgrid. Simulation results show that the HMG with both BESSs is resilient against disturbances. However, the DC side BESS has superior performance to the AC side BESS in controlling large-signal grid disruptions.
Development of elements of an information and resource digital platform for intelligent management of agricultural and land use systems in terms of transferring advanced knowledge and experience in organizing highly productive agricultural enterprises of a new technological paradigm

The article is devoted to theoretical and practical issues of creating a new industry information resource “Open agricultural University” - a digital platform for additional professional education to increase labor productivity in agriculture. The relevance of creating such a platform is justified, and a brief description of the current directions of technological development of the project is given, including the integration of end - to-end digital technologies-artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, for the development and provision of new services through the educational resource.
A nonverbal signal of trustworthiness: An evolutionarily relevant model

This study introduces and provides evidence of an Evolutionarily Stable Signalling (ESS) System in the buyer-seller context through three experiments. An ESS system is one where a signaller (in thi...
Increased Risk of Severe COVID-19 Disease in Pregnancy in a Multicenter Propensity Score-Matched Study.

Abstract Background Respiratory infections have long been associated with higher maternal and perinatal morbidity. Early data did not report an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or disease severity in pregnancy. However, surveillance data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates a higher risk of severe disease and death in pregnant women with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, although this data is subject to ascertainment bias. Objective To explore the association between COVID-19 disease severity and pregnancy in our university-based hospital system using measures such as COVID-19 ordinal scale severity score, hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, oxygen supplementation, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death. Study design We conducted a retrospective, multicenter case-control study to understand the association between COVID-19 disease severity and pregnancy. We reviewed consecutive charts of adult females, ages 18-45, with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in six months between March 1, 2020, and August 31, 2020. Cases were patients diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy, whereas controls were not pregnant at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis. Primary endpoints were the COVID-19 severity score at presentation (within four hours) and the nadir of the clinical course. The secondary endpoints were the proportion of patients requiring hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, oxygen supplementation, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death. Results A higher proportion of pregnant women had moderate to severe COVID-19 disease at the nadir of the clinical course than nonpregnant women (25% vs. 16.1%, p=0.04, respectively). While there was a higher rate of hospitalization (25.6% vs. 17.2%), ICU admission (8.9% vs. 4.4%), need for vasoactive substances (5.0% vs. 2.8%), and invasive mechanical ventilation (5.6% vs. 2.8%) in the pregnant group, this difference was not significant after the propensity score matching was applied. We found a high rate of pregnancy complications in our population (40.7%). The most worrisome is the rate of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (20.1%). Conclusions In our propensity score-matched study, COVID-19 in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of disease severity and an increased risk of pregnancy complications.
Upper Bound for Two-Sided Barrier Problem

An upper bound is derived for the probability that a random process X ( t ) will take values outside an interval [ – λ 1 ( t ), λ 2 ( t ) ] for 0 ≤ t ≤ T, in which λ 1 ( t ) and λ 2 ( t ) are nonnegative continuously differentiable curves. The random process is assumed to be separable, have mean zero, and to be mean square differentiable at least once. The upper bound is shown to be less than one previously obtained by Shinozuka and Yao. Under the additional assumption that X ( t ) is normal, expressions for the upper bound are found, and are shown to depend on the joint probability density of X (0), X ( t ), and X ( t ). In order to evaluate the expressions, the integral of a bivariate normal distribution must be evaluated. The results of computations for symmetric barriers [ λ 1 ( t ) = λ 2 ( t ) ] are shown, and conditions under which significant differences between the new upper bound and that previously derived can be expected are indicated. It is shown that significant improvements may result when stationary rather than transient random processes are considered.
Dazzling the World: A Study of India's Constitutional Amendment Mandating Reservations for Women on Rural Panchayats

In 1993, India launched a radical political experiment designed to transform the lives of women at the grassroots level: it constitutionally mandated the creation of village governing bodies known as panchayats, with at least one-third of all seats reserved for women. The women of rural India had been excluded from participation in the political arena altogether, the result of centuries of social and economic inequality and subordination by their fathers, their husbands, and their sons. This bold mandate by the world's largest democracy was a deliberate attempt to empower some of the weakest members of Indian society. What the authors have learned about the results of constitutionally mandating one-third of the seats on rural panchayats for women is quite remarkable.The article is divided into four sections. Section I describes the status of women in India, starting with the traditional role of women in Indian society prescribed by the Hindu tradition. It also looks at how the colonial legal infrastructure affected the lives of Indian women. Section I ends by describing the guarantees of gender justice built into the Indian Constitution, expressed in terms of equality and dignity, and analyzes the extent to which the lives of women in India have changed in the post-Independence era. Section II tackles the subject of panchayats, starting with a history of caste panchayats, progressing to the post-Independence panchayats, and concluding with the recently constitutionally mandated panchayats. Section III explores the effects of mandatory reservation for women on rural panchayats, presenting an array of empirical data from various states in India. The authors conclude, in Section IV, with personal narratives about their field research in villages in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.
Characterization of Two Distinct Positive cis-Acting Elements in the Mouse α1 (III) Collagen Promoter

We have identified two distinct sequence elements in the mouse α1(III) collagen promoter which are protected from DNase I digestion by the binding of factors present in crude nuclear extracts of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Small substitution mutations were introduced into these promoter elements and shown by the gel retardation (gel mobility shift) and DNase I protection assays to decrease or eliminate factor binding to the mutated element but not to the remaining wild-type element, indicating that two distinct factors recognize these separate promoter regions. Region A appears to bind a factor related to the Jun/AP-1 protein, whereas the factor binding to region B remains as yet unidentified. Mutagenesis of either region decreased the activity of the α1(III) collagen promoter in DNA transfection assays by about 3-fold for the A region (located between − 122 and − 106) and about 5-fold for the B region (located between −83 and −61). These results indicate that regions A and B in the mouse α1(III) collagen promoter are positive cis-regulatory elements, independently binding two distinct trans-activating factors.
Numerical Modeling of the Initiation of Reacting Shock Waves

The transition to detonation in gases is a very complicated multifaceted process. Turbulent mixing, interaction of acoustic waves with underlying chemical reactions, formation of regularly spaced Mach stem structures—this is just a partial list of phenomena taking part in the transition from deflagration to a self-sustained detonation. (See the review article [7] for an experimentalist’s summary). In this paper through carefully documented numerical experiments we investigate one aspect of the transition process which is also related to the direct initiation of reacting shock waves.
Developmental potential of neural crest-derived cells migrating from segments of developing quail bowel back-grafted into younger chick host embryos

The technique of back-transplantation was used to investigate the developmental potential of neural crest-derived cells that have migrated to and colonized the avian bowel. Segments of quail bowel (removed at E4) were grafted between the somites and neural tube of younger (E2) chick host embryos. Grafts were placed at a truncal level, adjacent to somites 14–24. Initial experiments, done in vitro, confirmed that crest-derived cells are capable of migrating out of segments of foregut explanted at E4. The foregut, which at E4 has been colonized by cells derived from the vagal crest, served as the donor tissue. Comparative observations were made following grafts of control tissues, which included hindgut, lung primordia, mesonephros and limb bud. Additional experiments were done with chimeric bowel in which only the crest-derived cells were of quail origin. Targets in the host embryos colonized by crest-derived cells from the foregut grafts included the neural tube, spinal roots and ganglia, peripheral nerves, sympathetic ganglia and the adrenals, but not the gut. Donor cells in these target organs were immunostained by the monoclonal antibody, NC-1, indicating that they were crest-derived and developing along neural or glial lineages. Some of the crest-derived cells (NC-1-immunoreactive) that left the bowel and reached sympathetic ganglia, but not peripheral nerves or dorsal root ganglia, co-expressed tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity, a neural characteristic never expressed by crest-derived cells in the avian gut. None of the cells leaving enteric back-grafts produced pigment. Cells of mesodermal origin were also found to leave donor explants and aggregate in dermis and feather germs near the grafts. These observations indicate that crest-derived cells, having previously migrated to the bowel, retain the ability to migrate to distant sites in a younger embryo. The routes taken by these cells appear to reflect, not their previous migratory experience, but the level of the host embryo into which the graft is placed. Some of the population of crest-derived cells that leave the back-transplanted gut remain capable of expressing phenotypes that they do not express within the bowel in situ, but which are appropriate for the site in the host embryo to which they migrate.
Magnetic resonance imaging of melanoma exosomes in lymph nodes.

Purpose Exosomes are cell derived extracellular nanovesicles that relay molecular signals pertinent to both normal physiologic and disease processes. The ability to modify and track exosomes in vivo is essential to understanding exosome pathogenesis, and for utilizing exosomes as effective diagnostic and therapeutic nanocarriers to treat diseases. Methods We recently reported a new electroporation method that allow exosomes to be loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic resonance tracking. Results Building on this approach, we now demonstrate for the first time using a C57BL/6 mouse model that melanoma exosomes can be imaged in vitro, and within lymph nodes in vivo with the use of standard MRI approaches. Conclusion These findings demonstrate proof of principle that exosome biology can be followed in vivo and pave the way for the development of future diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Magn Reson Med 74:266–271, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Direct-write fabrication of integrated, multilayer ceramic components

The need for advanced (electronic) ceramic components with smaller size, greater functionality, and enhanced reliability requires the ability to integrate electronic ceramics in complex 3-D architectures. However, traditional tape casting and screen printing approaches are poorly suited to the requirements of rapid prototyping and small-lot manufacturing. To address this need, we are developing a direct-write approach for fabricating highly integrated, multilayer components using a micropen to deposit slurries in precise patterns. This approach provides the ability to fabricate multifunctional, multimaterial integrated ceramic components (MMICCs) in an agile and rapid way, and has been used to make integrated passive devices such RC filters, inductors, and voltage transformers.
The Impact of Openness on Adoption Agency Practices

ABSTRACT This article reports the results of a longitudinal study of the changing openness-related practices of private U.S. adoption agencies. Staff from private adoption agencies were interviewed at three points in time, in 1987–89, 1993, and 1999, about their current practices and attitudes regarding openness in adoption and any changes that may have taken place since the previous interview. From 1993 to 1999 agencies continued a trend toward offering and encouraging more open adoptions. During this period fully disclosed arrangements became more common and had the greatest growth since 1987, while confidential adoptions continued to decrease in frequency. Mediated adoptions remain the predominant arrangements. Changes in the adoption options offered by the agencies at all three time periods have been driven primarily by the demands of the birthmother for greater openness. However, by final data collection in 1999, most agencies in this sample changed from viewing the birthmother as their primary clien...
Modification of phospholipid metabolism in human red cells by primaouine A possible mechanism in drug-induced hemolysis

Abstract Primaquine stimulated the incorporation of 1- 14 C-labeled long chain fatty acids into lecithin of the intact red cell but inhibited their incorporation into phosphatidylethanolamine. This differential effect of primaquine on phospholipid synthesis was shown to be controlled by the amount of the specific lysophospholipid available to the red cell. In this capacity the lysophospholipids functioned as substrates rather than as physical agents. Based on their accessibility or binding affinity to albumin, two pools of lysolecithin could be defined in the intact red cell. Removal of the accessible lysolecithin from the red cell resulted in a marked increase of osmotic fragility in the presence of primaquine. Virtual restoration of osmotic resistance could be effected by the replacement of the lysolecithin. It is proposed that a pool of lysolecithin bound to the red cell contributes to the osmotic stability of the cell and that primaquine induced hemolysis is related to a depletion of this pool consequent to an enhanced rate of conversion of lysolecithin to lecithin.
Sub-direct sums and positivity classes of matrices

Abstract It is well known that a direct sum is positive semidefinite if and only if each of the direct summands is positive semidefinite. In fact, it is also known that this statement remains true if positive semidefinite is replaced with: doubly nonnegative, completely positive, totally nonnegative, M -matrix and P -matrix, etc. For each of these classes we consider corresponding questions for a more general “sum” of two matrices, of which the direct sum and ordinary sum are special cases.
The Transcriptome of Legionella pneumophila-Infected Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Background Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that invades and replicates within alveolar macrophages through injection of ∼300 effector proteins by its Dot/Icm type IV translocation apparatus. The bona fide F-box protein, AnkB, is a nutritional virulence effector that triggers macrophages to generate a surplus of amino acids, which is essential for intravacuolar proliferation. Therefore, the ankB mutant represents a novel genetic tool to determine the transcriptional response of human monocyte-derived macrophages (hMDMs) to actively replicating L. pneumophila. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we utilized total human gene microarrays to determine the global transcriptional response of hMDMs to infection by wild type or the ankB mutant of L. pneumophila. The transcriptomes of hMDMs infected with either actively proliferating wild type or non-replicative ankB mutant bacteria were remarkably similar. The transcriptome of infected hMDMs was predominated by up-regulation of inflammatory pathways (IL-10 anti-inflammatory, interferon signaling and amphoterin signaling), anti-apoptosis, and down-regulation of protein synthesis pathways. In addition, L. pneumophila modulated diverse metabolic pathways, particularly those associated with bio-active lipid metabolism, and SLC amino acid transporters expression. Conclusion/Significance Taken together, the hMDM transcriptional response to L. pneumophila is independent of intra-vacuolar replication of the bacteria and primarily involves modulation of the immune response and metabolic as well as nutritional pathways.
Magnetism of amorphous metal-metal alloys

Abstract We review available experimental data on the magnetism of amorphous alloys of iron and cobalt with early transition metals E = La, Y, Hf, Zr, Ti, Ta, Nb V, W and Mo. Then we present parameter-free, self-consistent band calculations for related ordered compounds which elucidate the mechanism of moment formation and magnetic weakness.
Analyzing drug-resistance in terms of substrate recognition by Hepatitis C Virus NS3 protease

Hepatitis C virus NS3 protease is essential to the viral lifecycle by cleaving at least four sites along the viral polyprotein, and for this reason, has been viewed as an attractive therapeutic target. Although several protease inhibitors have shown promise in clinical trials, drug resistance has occurred both in replicon studies and in treated patient populations. The goal of this study is to use molecular modeling approaches to investigate the balance between substrate recognition and the occurrence of drug resistance. Peptides corresponding the NS3 substrates 4A4B, 4B5A and 5A5B were modeled in the active site of full-length single-chain NS3 structure (1CU1). The crystal structure (2OC8) of the NS3 protease domain in complex with the protease inhibitor boceprevir (SCH503034) was then superposed separately onto the 1CU1 structure to determine regions where the inhibitor bound relative to NS3 substrates. We found that most primary active site mutations do not extensively contact substrates, but are critical to inhibitor binding. This implies that future NS3 protease inhibitors that fit better within the substrate binding region should be less susceptible to drug resistant mutations. We believe that drug design strategies can be utilized in the development of NS3 protease inhibitors, which are less susceptible to resistance and therefore more robust for HCV treatment.
Cell kill kinetics with hydroxyurea.

The effects of various concentrations of hydroxyurea (HU) on a human lymphoid cell line in exponential growth phase have been studied using a combination of methods, including determination of the total and viable cell counts; the cells' relative DNA content, measured in a flow microfluorimeter after staining with a fluorescent Feulgen technique; the mitotic index; and the percentage of cells incorporating thymidine-3 H (TdR-3 H) during brief and continuous exposure to the isotope both in the presence and absence of colcemid. A significant redistribution of the cells in the various phases of the cell cycle occurred during the first 24 hr of continuous treatment with 10-3 M and 10-2 MHU as follows: (1) division of cells in G2; (2) depletion of mid and late S phase cells due to early cell death; (3) movement of most G1 cells at a normal rate into early S phase where they accumulate; and (4) arrest of the remaining cells in G1, which represented the surviving population after treatment for 96 hr or longer. After removal of the drug, the cell fraction blocked in early S phase progressed semisynchronously through S, but many of the cells were unable to complete division. Their capacity to recover depended on the drug concentration and duration of exposure, but in general the cellular injury caused by HU was more reversible than that caused by “equivalent” concentrations of arabinosylcytosine.
An Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Ultrasound-Induced Permeabilization of Cell Membranes

Application of ultrasound transiently permeabilizes cell membranes and offers a nonchemical, nonviral, and noninvasive method for cellular drug delivery. Although the ability of ultrasound to increase transmembrane transport has been well demonstrated, a systematic dependence of transport on ultrasound parameters is not known. This study examined cell viability and cellular uptake of calcein using 3T3 mouse cell suspension as a model system. Cells were exposed to varying acoustic energy doses at four different frequencies in the low frequency regime (20–100 kHz). At all frequencies, cell viability decreased with increasing acoustic energy dose, while the fraction of cells exhibiting uptake of calcein showed a maximum at an intermediate energy dose. Acoustic spectra under various ultrasound conditions were also collected and assessed for the magnitude of broadband noise and subharmonic peaks. While the cell viability and transport data did not show any correlation with subharmonic (f/2) emission, they correlated with the broadband noise, suggesting a dominant contribution of transient cavitation. A theoretical model was developed to relate reversible and irreversible membrane permeabilization to the number of transient cavitation events. The model showed that nearly every stage of transient cavitation, including bubble expansion, collapse, and subsequent shock waves may contribute to membrane permeabilization. For each mechanism, the volume around the bubble within which bubbles induce reversible and irreversible membrane permeabilization was determined. Predictions of the model are consistent with experimental data.
Implications of Marcus-Hush theory for steady-state heterogeneous electron transfer at an inlaid disk electrode.

For an outer-sphere heterogeneous electron transfer, Ox + e = Red, between an electrode and a redox couple, the Butler−Volmer formalism predicts that the operative heterogeneous rate constant, kred (cm s−1) for reduction (or kox for oxidation) increases without limit as an exponential function of −α (E − E0) for reduction (or (1 − α)(E − E0) for oxidation), where E is the applied electrode potential, α (~1/2) is the transfer coefficient and E0 is the formal potential. The Marcus−Hush formalism, as exposited by Chidsey (Chidsey, C. E. D. Science 1991, 215, 919), predicts that the value of kred or kox limits at sufficiently large values of −(E − E0) or (E − E0). The steady-state currents at an inlaid disk electrode obtained for a redox species in solution were computed using both formalisms with the Oldham−Zoski approximation (Oldham, K. B.; Zoski, C. G. J. Electroanal. Chem. 1988, 256, 11). Significant differences are noted for the two formalisms. When k0r0/D is sufficiently small (k0 is the standard rate ...
Ileal thickening on abdominal CT scanning: radiographic features predictive of Crohn's disease

Ileal thickening on abdominal CT scanning: radiographic features predictive of Crohn's disease
Program planning for young adult chronic patients

Effective and relevant programs for the newly identified service population of young adult chronic patients must be firmly rooted in the community's system of mental health services.
Target tracking using impulsive analog circuits

The electronic architecture and silicon implementation of an artificial neuron which can be used to process and classify dynamic signals is described. The electrical circuit architecture is modeled after complex neurons in the vertebrate brain which have spatially extensive dendritic tree structures that support large numbers of synapses. The circuit is primarily analog and, as in the biological model system, is virtually immune to process variations and other factors which often plague more conventional circuits. The nonlinear circuit is sensitive to both temporal and spatial signal characteristics but does not make use of the conventional neural network concept of weights, and as such does not use multipliers, adders, look-up-tables, microprocessors, or other complex computational devices. We show that artificial neural networks with passive dendritic tree structures can be trained, using a specialized genetic algorithm, to produce control signals useful for target tracking and other dynamic signal processing applications.
Degree of polymerization of acrylic bone cement.

Self-curing poweder-liquid admixed acrylic systems are used for internal fixation of total hip and total knee prostheses. Gel permeation chromatography revealed that the polymer chain length distributions of set cements were basically unaffected by their curing pressures. However, a decrease of approximately 11% in porosity coupled with a measured increase in mechanical strengths could be induced through the use of high curing pressures well beyond those attainable by the surgeon in the current arthroplasties. The conclusion of the investigation was that, to improve such cements, attention should be focused on elimination of porosity rather than attempting to produce higher degrees of polymerization.
A New Format for Thematic Apperceptive Measurement of Motivation

The principles of “The Dynamics of Action” (Atkinson & Birch, 1970) were applied to the construction of a new form of thematic apperception test. A cue was designed which can assess the effect of s...
COVARIANT QUANTUM STATISTICS OF FIELDS

Relativistic formulas are derived for energy, momentum and number densities and distributions for systems of bosons and fermions from a covariant formulation of the statistics of fields. Charge, spin, and angular momentum statistics are discussed.
IGF1R blockade with ganitumab results in systemic effects on the GH–IGF axis in mice

Ganitumab is a fully human MAB to the human type 1 IGF receptor (IGF1R). Binding assays showed that ganitumab recognized murine IGF1R with sub-nanomolar affinity (KD=0.22 nM) and inhibited the interaction of murine IGF1R with IGF1 and IGF2. Ganitumab inhibited IGF1-induced activation of IGF1R in murine lungs and CT26 murine colon carcinoma cells and tumors. Addition of ganitumab to 5-fluorouracil resulted in enhanced inhibition of tumor growth in the CT26 model. Pharmacological intervention with ganitumab in naive nude mice resulted in a number of physiological changes described previously in animals with targeted deletions of Igf1 and Igf1r, including inhibition of weight gain, reduced glucose tolerance and significant increase in serum levels of GH, IGF1 and IGFBP3. Flow cytometric analysis identified GR1/CD11b-positive cells as the highest IGF1R-expressing cells in murine peripheral blood. Administration of ganitumab led to a dose-dependent, reversible decrease in the number of peripheral neutrophils with no effect on erythrocytes or platelets. These findings indicate that acute IGF availability for its receptor plays a critical role in physiological growth, glucose metabolism and neutrophil physiology and support the presence of a pituitary IGF1R-driven negative feedback loop that tightly regulates serum IGF1 levels through Gh signaling.
Integration of a group technology classification and coding system with an engineering database

Abstract Five tools that apply group technology concepts to an engineering database were investigated and compared. The purpose of the investigation was to select the tools with the best ranking in the areas of cost, flexibility, and ease of use. These tools were applied to engineering data from an aircraft structural composites classification and coding schema. The tools include (1) a vendor supplied GT software package, (2) a GT classification schema mapped onto a relational database, (3) a GT classification and coding schema mapped onto a relational database, (4) a vendor supplied GT software package interfaced with a relational database, and (5) a custom developed GT package which directly accesses a relational database. It was concluded from a comparison of five GT design tools that the custom developed GT package was the most advantageous design tool based on evaluation factors which included cost, flexibility, and user-friendliness.
Levels of Rectal Mucosal Polyamines and Prostaglandin E2 Predict Ability of DFMO and Sulindac to Prevent Colorectal Adenoma

Background & Aims Combination of polyamine and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)–synthesis inhibitors reduced the risk of colorectal adenoma (CRA) by 70% in patients who received polypectomies. We studied effects of the combination of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and sulindac on biomarkers and investigated factors that modify their efficacy. Methods We analyzed rectal mucosal levels of polyamines (spermidine, spermine, and putrescine) and PGE2, treatment regimens, and risk of CRA in 267 participants of a phase IIb/III chemoprevention trial of DFMO/sulindac. Results In the group that received DFMO/sulindac, spermidine-to-spermine ratio (Spd:Spm) in rectal mucosa decreased between baseline and 12- and 36-month follow-up examinations (0.30, 0.23, and 0.24, respectively; P P P = .001). PGE2 levels did not change, although aspirin use was significantly associated with lower baseline levels of PGE2. No significant associations were observed between changes in biomarker levels and efficacy. However, drug efficacy was greatest in subjects with low Spd:Spm and high PGE2 at baseline; none of these subjects, versus 39% of those given placebo, developed CRA ( P P = .563). Conclusions A combination of DFMO and sulindac significantly suppressed production of rectal mucosal polyamines but not PGE2. No relationship was found between changes in biomarker levels and response. However, baseline biomarker levels modified the effect of DFMO/sulindac for CRA prevention.
Rapid multispectral investigations by a compact CO2 lidar

Battelle has developed a multispectral LIDAR(Llght Detection And Ranging) for the accurate identification and quantification of numerous gaseous pollutants within a range of a few kilometers in the troposphere. This instrument is using the multispectral differential absorption technique (rapid examination of the atmospheric transmission on several different wavelengths). The main components of this DIAL (DIfferential Absorption Lidar) are a CO2 laser operating in the 9 - 11 μm region with a maximum repetition rate of 300 Hz together with a rapid tuning device forming the transmitter and a conventional 8"-Newtonian telescope with a LN-cooled HgCdTe-detector as the receiver. The whole LIDAR instrument is fully controlled by a 16 bit microprocessor system (68000 CPU). The rapid tuning unit allows to emitt pulse pairs of different wavelengths within 3 ms, and to probe up to 10 wavelength pairs within one second.
Extraction of [18F]fluoride from [18O]water by a fast fibrous anion exchange resin

[18F]Fluoride for nucleophilic radiofluorination was recovered from target water by trapping on a fibrous anion exchange resin in the hydroxide form and subsequent displacement into wet methanolic K2CO3. Extraction into methanol facilitated rapid evaporation and resolubilization of the [18F]fluoride as an ion pair. The resin was first dried in situ and rehydrated with [18O]H2O to avoid isotopic dilution of the target water.
Conversion of the beckman liquid phase sequencer to a gas-liquid phase sequencer.

Abstract As an effective aid to extend the microsequencing capabilities the Beckman protein/peptide sequenator Series 890C has been successfully converted to a gas-liquid system, in which coupling buffer 25% trimethylamine was employed as a gas, and heptafluorobutyric acid as a liquid. The system has been found to be efficient for microsequencing (
Al-, Nb-, and Ta-Based Perfluoroaryloxide Anions as Cocatalysts for Metallocene-Mediated Ziegler−Natta Olefin Polymerization

Perfluoroaryloxide salts of the formula Ph3C+Al(OC6F5)4- and Ph3C+M(OC6F5)6- (M = Nb, Ta) have been synthesized and characterized. In combination with sterically encumbered zirconocene dimethyl complexes, they yield active ethylene polymerization catalysts.
The Last Years of Saint Therese: Doubt and Darkness, 1895–1897 . By Thomas R. Nevin. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. xviii + 298 pp. $35.00.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)The Last Years of Saint Therese: Doubt and Darkness, 1895-1897 . By Thomas R. Nevin . New York : Oxford University Press , 2013. xviii + 298 pp. $35.00.Book Reviews and NotesIn this closely argued follow-up to his highly regarded Therese of Lisieux: God's Gentle Warrior , Thomas Nevins gives us a detailed account of the last two years of the saint's life (1895-1897). More precisely, his central theme is the achingly beautiful lines of "Manuscript C," written by the dying nun, as she entered fully into a life of darkness as the tuberculosis that would kill her marched on inexorably and she wondered if there was a merciful God, if there was indeed salvation and if Jesus Christ, her chosen spouse, loved her in fact. She was so overwhelmed by her illness and the quandaries the illness brought upon her that in her writing she felt compelled to stop lest, as she wrote, she would start to blaspheme.Therese was a Carmelite and Carmelite spirituality understands darkness. John of the Cross, while never using the term "the dark night of the soul," did write compellingly and thoroughly, of both the "dark night of the senses" (that long loss of any sensible consolation in the life of prayer) and "the dark night of faith" that never bleeds over into despair as meaninglessness intrudes into human consciousness. It is that profound darkness which Nevins sees as the hermeneutical key to grasping what the young nun expressed in the last months of her life in the now famous metaphor of the "fog surrounding me . . . becoming thicker, penetrating my soul."To analyze this darkness, Nevin makes, in my estimation, some very smart, sophisticated moves. First, he looks at the Carmelite sources available to Therese: Teresa of Jesus to be sure but not in any systematic fashion; and John of the Cross, especially The Living Flame of Love , which seems to have been her favorite Carmelite text. Next, he carefully traces out her use of scripture to focus on her "canon within a canon." For Therese this meant more of the gospels than of Saint Paul; more attention to the words of Jesus than his deeds; the suffering servant songs of Isaiah (and, of course the psalms) as a lens through which she gained understanding of the passion of Christ.Nevin's careful examination of the sources served two purposes, first, to guard against any psychological reductionism so common in studies of this sort and, more importantly, to grasp both her vocabulary and her linguistic imagination to make sense of her writings. Using such resources as well as setting out the context of her social relationships provided a matrix for interpretation: living in a convent with her (blood) sisters; her relationship whether epistolary or real with those outside the cloister; the spiritual direction she received (one thinks of John of the Cross railing against bad spiritual guides! …
Special coordinate basis for multivariable linear systems—finite and infinite zero structure, squaring down and decoupling

Abstract A special coordinate basis for multivariable linear systems is introduced here. Several fundamental properties of linear systems regarding controllability (stabiliza-bility), observability (detectability), invariant zeros, decoupling zeros, infinite zero structure, effect of feedback on zero structure, squaring down, diagonal and triangular decoupling etc. can be directly displayed in terms of the special coordinate basis. Moreover, connections between the special coordinate basis and the important invariant subspaces of the geometric theory of linear systems are established.
ANALYSIS OF TRAVEL BEHAVIOR USING THREE-PARAMETER DATA LOGGERS

Data loggers were installed on 77 vehicles in Atlanta to measure vehicle velocity, engine revolutions per minute, and manifold absolute pressure. The data loggers measured the characteristics of more than 4,600 trips generated by these drivers, providing a rich database of information on travel patterns, trip speed, trip duration, and maximum velocity. Employing data loggers that measure engine performance presents a unique opportunity to infer travel behavior from a nontraditional source. In a sample application, the authors of this technical paper refine and analyze the database to measure urban and suburban trip-chaining behavior. Although this application involves a small number of travelers, it demonstrates the benefits of recording travel behavior through the use of data loggers. The findings highlight the potential of this technique in investigating travel behavior in urban areas. Sample application findings are consistent with expectations with the exception of urban chained trips, which generally had longer trip durations than suburban chained trips.
Paddlefish in the Alabama River Drainage: Population Characteristics and the Adult Spawning Migration

Abstract Paddlefish Polyodon spathula were sampled by boat-mounted electrofishing and gill netting in the Tallapoosa and Cahaba rivers and in oxbow lakes of the Alabama River floodplain, Alabama, during January–June of 1992 and 1993. Tagging studies, characterization of spawning migrations, and comparative analyses of catches suggested that paddlefish in the Tallapoosa and Cahaba rivers represented functionally discrete populations that reside in the adjacent reservoirs. Variation in population characteristics appeared to be related to differences in the hydrologic and thermal regimes of the two study rivers and to differences in historical exploitation of populations in the two resident reservoirs. Growth (calculated via back-calculated body length at age) differed between populations in the upper and lower Alabama River, probably reflecting the relatively lentic (upper) and lotic (lower) nature of habitats in these two reaches. Life history characteristics of paddlefish in the Alabama River drainage dif...
Validation of Bayesian kriging of arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury surface soil concentrations based on internode sampling.

Bayesian kriging is a useful tool for estimating spatial distributions of metals; however, estimates are generally only verified statistically. In this study surface soil samples were collected on ...
Autocrine Regulation of Keratinocytes: The Emerging Role of Heparin-Binding, Epidermal Growth Factor-Related Growth Factors

Although originally conceived as a basis for malignant cell growth, autocrine signaling networks are currently known to be activated during tissue repair and with in vitro cultivation. In human epidermal keratinocytes, activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor by cognate ligands mediates the majority of the autonomous replicative capacity of these cells and is necessary to inhibit differentiation and apoptosis. The importance of heparin-binding growth factors in activation of this receptor was first suggested by the strong anti-proliferative effects of soluble heparin-like molecules on keratinocyte growth. This and related evidence led to the identification of amphiregulin as a major autocrine factor for keratinocytes. The binding of amphiregulin and its homolog, heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor, to the receptor is potentially amplified by autoinduction and cross-signaling through epidermal growth factor-related polypeptides and by transmodulation of other ErbB-family receptors (HER-2, -3, -4) in cells expressing these receptors. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans and the tetraspanin family of membrane-associated proteins appear to act as cofactors in amphiregulin-driven mitogenesis mediated by the epidermal growth factor receptor, but amphiregulin's immunolocalization to keratinocyte nuclei and to filopodia may indicate other potentially novel effects. Following from the observation that amphiregulin is overexpressed in lesional psoriatic epidermis, the importance of amphiregulin in hyperproliferative skin diseases has been further supported by recent studies of the targeted expression of a transgene encoding keratin 14 promoter-driven human amphiregulin to the basal epidermis of mice. Founder transgenic mice displayed a morphologic and microscopic cutaneous phenotype that shares characteristics with psoriasis. Pharmacologic regulation of amphiregulin's expression and receptor signaling may eventually prove to be an effective strategy in the treatment of hyperproliferative skin diseases.