cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers to Breastfeeding in Female Physicians.

Abstract Background: Breast milk is considered the normative nutrition for human infants, and exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life is recommended by several national and global societies. Female physicians are a high-risk group for early unintended weaning. We aimed to assess and compare the most common barriers to successful breastfeeding perceived by female physicians in various stages of training and practice. Materials and Methods: Female faculty physicians and trainees (medical students, resident physicians, and fellows) affiliated with a large medical university in 2016 were surveyed via an anonymous web-based survey distributed through institutional e-mail lists. The three-item survey assessed role, breastfeeding experience, and perceived barriers to successful breastfeeding. Comparisons between groups were performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests or Fisher's exact tests. Results: The survey was distributed to 1,301 women with 223 responses included in analysis. The majority (57%) ...
AI: What Have You Done for Us Lately?

Artificial intelligence, deep learning, neural networks: the phrases conjure up images of autonomous cars and humanoid interactive robots performing menial and complex human tasks with absolute precision—a source of hope or dread for the future. However, amid the buzzwords and dizzying hype
Isolation of a Hansenula Wingei Mutant with an Altered Sexual Agglutinin

Haploid cells of opposite mating type of the yeast Hansenula wingei possess complementary cell-surface factors that mediate a specific sexual agglutination reaction (4), the function of which appears to be that of enhancing the efficiency of mating. Regulation of the synthesis of these two factors is tightly linked to the mating type locus.
Timing of a single daily meal affects daily serum prolactin rhythm in gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis

Abstract Fish fed at one of two different times of day had differences in mean levels of serum prolactin throughout the day. Although the forms of the daily rhythms from the two groups were similar, they differed at one time of day.
Intensively Adaptive Interventions Using Control Systems Engineering: Two Illustrative Examples

Control systems engineering is a diverse field that examines how system variables can be adjusted over time to improve targeted outcomes. In recent years, control engineering approaches have shown significant appeal in the optimization phase of the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST). Control engineering can provide the basis for modeling intensive longitudinal data and using these models to optimize personalized, time-varying interventions. This chapter describes how control systems engineering principles, particularly system identification and model predictive control, can be applied to serve as dynamic modeling methods and optimal decision frameworks, respectively, for two intensively adaptive interventions: Just Walk, an intervention to promote walking in sedentary middle-age adults, and Healthy Mom Zone, an intervention to manage gestational weight gain in obese and overweight pregnant women. The integrated system identification-model predictive control strategy described in this chapter, as well as the pivotal role that behavioral theory plays in developing dynamical models, is illustrated with examples taken from these two interventions.
Synthesis and characterization of molecularly hybrid bisphenols derived from lignin and CNSL: Application in thermosetting resins

Abstract Commercially available methacrylates often contain derivates of bisphenol A (BPA), a known human endocrine disruptor and petrochemical derived compound; therefore, alternatives are being investigated to increase sustainability and reduce toxicity. An asymmetric, bio-based bisphenol, VAC, was synthesized via an electrophilic aromatic condensation of vanillyl alcohol and cardanol. The alkyl side chain of VAC was subsequently hydrogenated to yield VAHC to determine the effects of side chain unsaturation on material properties. These bisphenols were methacrylated to prepare VACDM and VAHCDM, blended with a reactive diluent, cured, and compared to BPA dimethacrylate (BPADM), bio-based bisguaiacol dimethacrylate (BGDM), and a commercial BPA based vinyl ester (VE828). Resins containing VACDM and VAHCDM have reduced viscosities relative to BGDM and both BPA-based dimethacrylates, and the unsaturation on the side chain was shown to provide further reduced viscosities. Cured resins with VACDM and VAHCDM exhibit directly comparable thermal stability in both inert and oxidative environments, and decreased glass-transition temperatures due to increased aliphatic character relative to BPA-based resins. The toughness of the thermosets comprised of the bio-based bisphenols were greater than that of BPADM, where the alkyl substituent was shown to impart toughness into the network, yet the level of side chain saturation shows minimal effect on fracture toughness.
Characterization of a low background proportional counter for a high throughput Argon-37 collection and measurement system

Abstract The measurement of 37Ar has been proposed as a method of detecting underground nuclear testing. The isotope 37Ar is generated by neutron activation of calcium by the reaction, 40Ca(n, a)37Ar, and, as a noble gas, is able to migrate more freely underground. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a high throughput 37 Ar collection and measurement system using modified Ultra-Low Background Proportional Counters (ULBPCs). This system is capable of collecting, purifying, and measuring radioactivity in argon from either atmospheric or soil gas samples. This process is automated, with minimal operator intervention. This paper describes quantification of 37Ar and how we account for varying background conditions. An example is provided in which 39Ar has been shown to be a significant background in some sample sets, created by process 39K(n,p)39 Ar during an underground nuclear explosion that would also create 37Ar. To account for the large background of 39Ar, we fit the data with a constant plus exponential background model with Gaussian signal model and use the results of a constrained fit to calculate 37Ar activity. We discuss the methods used to purify and count samples. We discuss the impact of increased 39Ar backgrounds on the measurement of 37Ar.
Waste PET: A Renewable Resource

The use of post-consumer waste PET as a feedstock for the creation of new materials, including new PET and higher-value products, is an important design challenge. With the increased visibility and concern for waste plastics, innovation in this field is required and important.
Neuronal Plasticity: A Potential Role in Spiny Striatal Neuron Degeneration in Huntington's Disease

Abstract Dysmorphic and immunocytochemical alterations of spiny striatal neurons were identified in Huntington's disease, using the section-Golgi technique and calbindin D28k immunocytochemistry. These alterations could be recognized as either proliferative or degenerative. Proliferative changes, indicative of neuronal sprouting, consisted of recurving of distal dendritic arbors, short-segment branching, growth cone-like processes and increased density and size of dendritic spines. Degenerative changes were characterized by truncation of dendritic arbors and loss of spines. Proliferative alterations, found primarily in Huntington's disease of low to moderate grade, preceded degenerative changes, which were almost exclusively seen in the severe grades of Huntington's disease. The dysmorphic alterations in calbindin-positive neurons closely resembled those seen in Golgi preparations. In Huntington's disease there was a distal dendritic shift in the pattern of neuronal calbindin activity, indicating a correlation with regions of neuronal plasticity. These findings suggest that neuronal growth, rather than degeneration, foreshadows the cellular dysfunction and subsequent cell death in Huntington's disease. If an excitotoxic process is involved in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease, the plastic changes seen in spiny striatal neurons in the early stages of the disease could be a predisposing factor leading to their selective vulnerability.
Four chemoreceptors govern bidirectional pH taxis in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT We investigated pH taxis in Bacillus subtilis. This bacterium was found to perform bidirectional taxis in response to external pH gradients, enabling it to preferentially migrate to neutral environments. We next investigated the chemoreceptors involved in sensing pH gradients. We found that four chemoreceptors are involved in sensing pH: McpA and TlpA for sensing acidic environments and McpB and TlpB for alkaline ones. In addition, TlpA was found to also weakly sense alkaline environments. By analyzing chimeras between McpA and TlpB, the principal acid and base-sensing chemoreceptors, we identified four critical amino-acid residues – Thr199, Gln200, His273, and Glu274 on McpA and Lys199, Glu200, Gln273, and Asp274 on TlpB – involved in sensing pH. Swapping these four residues between McpA and TlpB converted the former into a base receptor and the latter into an acid receptor. Based on the results, we propose that disruption of hydrogen bonding between the adjacent residues upon pH changes induces signaling. Collectively, our results further our understanding of chemotaxis in B. subtilis and provide a new model for pH sensing in bacteria. IMPORTANCE Many bacteria can sense the pH in their environment and then use this information to direct their movement towards more favorable locations. In this study, we investigated the pH sensing mechanism in Bacillus subtilis. This bacterium preferentially migrates to neutral environments. It employs four chemoreceptors to sense pH. Two are involved in sensing acidic environments and two are involved in sensing alkaline ones. To identify the mechanism for pH sensing, we constructed receptor chimeras of acid and base sensing chemoreceptors. By analyzing the response of these chimeric receptors, we were able to identify four critical amino-acid residues involved in pH sensing and propose a model for the pH sensing mechanism in B. subtilis.
Algebraic and geometric convergence of discrete representations into PSL2ℂ

Anderson and Canary have shown that if the algebraic limit of a sequence of discrete, faithful representations of a finitely generated group into PSL2 C does not contain parabolics, then it is also the sequence’s geometric limit. We construct examples that demonstrate the failure of this theorem for certain sequences of unfaithful representations, and offer a suitable replacement.
Populations of a widespread invader and co-occurring native species vary in phenotypic plasticity.

Phenotypic plasticity can promote plant invasions and enhance impacts on native species, but little is known about variation in plasticity among invader populations compared with native species. Variation in plasticity among invader populations could inform more precise predictions of invader spread and impacts across heterogeneous resource environments. We used a common garden experiment with sun and shade treatments to test for variation in plasticity among 12 populations of an invasive grass (Imperata cylindrica), and to determine whether the invader exhibited greater plasticity than six native species that co-occur in the Southeast USA. Principal component analysis revealed that invader populations from different native ranges consistently varied from each other and native species in traits linked to more favorable phenotypes under resource limitation. Overall, the invader exhibited greater plasticity than native species did, as demonstrated by higher plasticity index values for traits such as plant height, leaf mass ratio, and root : shoot ratio. Variation in phenotypic plasticity among invader populations suggests the potential for evolution of plasticity, and greater plasticity of invader populations than native species may underlie invader dominance. Differences in plasticity among populations appears to play an important role in predictions of the spread and potentially the impacts of invasive species.
Development and Evaluation of the Infant Feeding Education Questionnaire for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

ABSTRACT Objective Develop and evaluate the Infant Feeding Education Questionnaire (IFEQ) to measure the impact of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) infant-feeding education on knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intent. Methods Evaluation included content validity testing through expert reviews and cognitive interviews with low-income mothers (n = 37); construct validity using the known-groups technique (n = 679); convergent validity testing using the Infant Feeding Practices Study II questionnaire (n = 66); and test-retest reliability (n = 66). Results The IFEQ had strong construct validity for knowledge and attitudes; IFEQ scores were significantly higher for the high-knowledge/attitude group (29.6 ± 3.08) than the low-knowledge/attitude group (14.5 ± 5.81; P Conclusions and Implications This study represents the first steps in the development of the IFEQ. There's a need to perform further testing to establish convergent validity and pilot-test the questions following EFNEP infant-feeding education.
Utility of Bioabsorbable Fixation of Osteochondral Lesions in the Adolescent Knee: Outcomes Analysis With Minimum 2-Year Follow-up.

Background:Osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the knee, whether occurring secondary to osteochondritis dissecans or a traumatic osteochondral fracture, are commonly encountered in the pediatric and ad...
Soft Tissue Coverage of Complex Periprosthetic Defects in Patients With Total Knee Arthroplasty: Analysis of Factors That Influence Reconstructive and Functional Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION Wound breakdown following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) increases the risk of device exposure, infection, and major amputation. Although a variety of options to facilitate coverage of compromised knee joint prostheses exist, the relative safety, efficacy, and functional impact of each has not been determined. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify those perioperative factors that influence reconstructive and functional outcomes in patients with periprosthetic TKA defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS A 5-year retrospective review of outcomes following surgical management of TKA wounds was undertaken. Data pertaining to the timing of presentation, type and frequency of operative interventions, rates of implant/limb salvage, ambulatory status, visual analogue scores (VAS) for pain, and complications were collected. RESULTS Thirty patients were identified during the study period with a mean follow-up of 20 months. Rates of limb salvage (66.7% vs. 91.7% vs. 75% vs. 0%, P < .001) and postoperative ambulation (100% vs. 83.3% vs. 75% vs. 54.5%, P = .036) were significantly different between patients who underwent primary closure, local muscle flap coverage, free tissue transfer coverage, and above-the-knee amputation, respectively. The number of debridements prior to definitive closure did not significantly influence rates of limb salvage (P = .21). Active tobacco use (odds ratio [OR], 4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-14.2; P = .03) and time to initial presentation from the index joint replacement (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.9-1.0; P = .04) adversely impacted device salvage. Both of these factors similarly influenced the overall likelihood of limb salvage (OR, 6.5; 95% CI, 1.5-28.8; P = .01; OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.99-1.0; P = .04). The VAS scores were not significantly different between index closure types (P = .77) but were significantly lower for patients who required < 10 debridements prior to definitive closure (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS Early intervention with limited-frequency, and thorough debridement and prompt soft tissue coverage optimizes the chances of functional limb salvage in patients with complex periprosthetic TKA wounds. These findings may inform practice patterns and surgical treatment of patients presenting with compromised TKA and suggest that early involvement by reconstructive surgeons should be advocated to optimize reconstructive and functional outcomes in this difficult patient population.
A novel approach to Verify air gap and SSD for proton radiotherapy using surface imaging

To develop a novel approach to accurately verify patient set up in proton radiotherapy, especially for the verification of the nozzle – body surface air gap and source-to-skin distance (SSD), the consistency and accuracy of which is extremely important in proton treatment. Patient body surfaces can be captured and monitored with the optical surface imaging system during radiation treatment for improved intrafraction accuracy. An in-house software package was developed to reconstruct the patient body surface in the treatment position from the optical surface imaging reference capture and to calculate the corresponding nozzle – body surface air gap and SSD. To validate this method, a mannequin was scanned on a CT simulator and proton plans were generated for a Mevion S250 Proton machine with 20 gantry/couch angle combinations, as well as two different snout sizes, in the Varian Eclipse Treatment Planning Systems (TPS). The surface generated in the TPS from the CT scan was imported into the optical imaging system as an RT Structure for the purpose of validating and establishing a benchmark for ground truth comparison. The optical imaging surface reference capture was acquired at the treatment setup position after orthogonal kV imaging to confirm the positioning. The air gaps and SSDs calculated with the developed method from the surface captured at the treatment setup position (VRT surface) and the CT based surface imported from the TPS were compared to those calculated in TPS. The same approach was also applied to 14 clinical treatment fields for 10 patients to further validate the methodology. The air gaps and SSDs calculated from our program agreed well with the corresponding values derived from the TPS. For the phantom results, using the CT surface, the absolute differences in the air gap were 0.45 mm ± 0.33 mm for the small snout, and 0.51 mm ± 0.49 mm for the large snout, and the absolute differences in SSD were 0.68 mm ± 0.42 mm regardless of snout size. Using the VRT surface, the absolute differences in air gap were 1.17 mm ± 1.17 mm and 2.1 mm ± 3.09 mm for the small and large snouts, respectively, and the absolute differences in SSD were 0.81 mm ± 0.45 mm. Similarly, for patient data, using the CT surface, the absolute differences in air gap were 0.42 mm ± 0.49 mm, and the absolute differences in SSD were 1.92 mm ± 1.4 mm. Using the VRT surface, the absolute differences in the air gap were 2.35 mm ± 2.3 mm, and the absolute differences in SSD were 2.7 mm ± 2.17 mm. These results showed the feasibility and robustness of using an optical surface imaging approach to conveniently determine the air gap and SSD in proton treatment, providing an accurate and efficient way to confirm the target depth at treatment.
Congress’ Power to Define 'Natural Born': A Reply to Professor Lee

Professor Thomas Lee and I independently wrote recent articles on the original meaning of the Constitution’s “natural born Citizen” clause, reaching somewhat different conclusions. This brief reply comments on our agreements and differences. Two points of agreement merit particular emphasis. First, we agree that the original meaning of “natural born” in the eligibility clause can be understood in significant part through its English law antecedents, specifically the English law concept of natural born subjectship. Second, we agree on the basic evolution of English subjectship law – specifically, that it began in ancient times as almost exclusively based on the principle of jus soli, or subjectship arising from a person’s birth within sovereign territory, and evolved through a series of statutes to also include elements of the continental European principle of jus sanguinis, deriving subjectship from the subjectship of a person’s parents. We principally disagree on how the Constitution, through the eligibility clause, adopted English law’s incorporation of jus sanguinis. In Professor Lee’s view, the eligibility clause adopted English subjectship law’s definition of “natural born” largely as it stood in 1787. My view, as described in more detail in The Original Meaning of “Natural Born,” is that the clause – combined with Congress’ power over naturalization – gave Congress some power to adopt and define the parameters of jus sanguinis citizenship, similar to parliament’s power to adopt and define the parameters of jus sanguinis subjectship in seventeenth and eighteenth century England.
Gender Differences in a Youth Physical Activity Intervention: Movement Levels and Children’s Perceptions

Background: Sedentary behavior is a public health issue associated with obesity and other chronic health problems. The need for interventions is especially pressing for girls, who have lower levels...
Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste: Implementing Virtual Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic for a Better Tomorrow in Health Care

Abstract The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated adjustments within our healthcare infrastructure, many of which have been virtually mediated, in order to facilitate preservation of patient care, education, and research. In this commentary, we discuss how these virtual innovations can be applied to improve healthcare delivery in the post-COVID-19 era.
Free will, the self, and video game actions

In this paper, I raise several concerns for what I call the willing endorsement view of moral responsibility in videogames. Briefly, the willing endorsement view holds that players are appropriate targets of moral judgments when their actions reflect their true, real-world selves. In the first section of the paper, I argue that core features of the willing endorsement view are widely implicitly accepted among philosophers engaging in discussions of morality in games. I then focus on a particularly clear recent version of the view defended by Christopher Bartel. In the second and third sections, I raise several worries for Bartel’s version of the willing endorsement view. In the fourth section, I argue that these worries are not unique to Bartel’s view, but instead result from the view of identity implicit in the willing endorsement view. I conclude by suggesting a path forward by rejecting this view of identity.
Systems, Configurations and Fields: Contexts for Policy Networks

This essay summarizes and comments on some of the recent contributions to theories of complex governance and the varieties of democracy made by Volker Schneider. Building on his empirical research agenda using the policy network approach, Schneider has greatly expanded our theoretical concepts for understanding political systems. He has taught us to appreciate the complexity of macro-level political governance systems and the wide variation in the meso-level inter-organizational networks that contribute to those systems (Schneider 2015).
Butchering marks on bones of Loxodonta africana (African savanna elephant): Implications for interpreting marks on fossil proboscidean bones

Abstract The placement and frequency of anthropogenic bone surface modifications (BSMs) on proboscidean bones are variables that could indicate how Paleolithic people utilized carcasses, thus providing evidence about the economic value of proboscideans. A single study published decades ago (Crader 1983) provides data about anthropogenic BSMs on bones of elephants butchered by Bisa people in Zambia, but no other studies with such details are available. By necessity, interpretations of BSMs on fossil proboscidean bones may be partly based on models derived from the skinning, meat-stripping (a.k.a. filleting), and dismemberment of nonproboscidean carcasses. Here we report BSMs on a sample of the largest limb bones and ribs from African elephant carcasses which were skinned, stripped of meat, and partly dismembered by expert butchers, and we also report BSMs unintentionally created by less skilled butchers. Based on observations and experiments, we predict how and why certain BSMs vary in placement and frequency due to butcher expertise and to different objectives of butchering, such as maximizing recovery of carcass resources for extensive or long term needs versus recovery of fewer resources sufficient for current needs. BSMs differ when soft tissue is removed from fresh versus partly decomposed or dried elephant carcasses. We compare our general observations with a sample of BSMs which have been interpreted as traces of meat-stripping or dismemberment in assemblages of extinct proboscideans Mammuthus spp. and Mammut americanum. The information about BSMs reported here may increase the interpretive potential of proboscidean assemblages.
Financialisation, oil and the Great Recession

Abstract This article addresses the role of world oil price hike of 2007–08 in serving to transform the financial and banking crisis into what is commonly referred to the Great Recession. Existing literature on the global crisis of 2007–09 tends to view it as a financial or banking phenomenon, with analyses focusing mainly on state policies, governance mechanisms and market dynamics in transforming the banking crisis of 2007–08 into the economic recession of 2008-12/13 Although often attributing the global meltdown to wider phenomenon of financialisation, rarely do existing perspectives delve into the role of the commodity sector in the global credit crunch. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap, by inquiring into the role played by oil as a financial asset class in the political economy of the global crisis.
How Design Fires Can be Used in Fire Hazard Analysis

Many countries have introduced, or are planning to introduce in the near future, performance/objective-based codes. In a performance/objective-based code, the level of safety provided to the occupants in a building by a particular fire safety design will be assessed by the use of engineering analysis of fire development and occupant evacuation. Central to this performance-based approach is the use of suitable design fires that can characterize typical fire growth in a fire compartment. This paper gives a description of what features of design fires are needed and how they can help analyze fire hazards to the occupants in a building as a result of smoke movement, untenable condition in the stairs, and occupant response and evacuation.
Satellite structures in the spectral functions of the two-dimensional electron gas in semiconductor quantum wells: A G W plus cumulant study

We present theoretical calculations for the spectral functions and single-particle densities of states of the two-dimensional electron gas in semiconductor quantum wells at different electron densities using the $GW$ plus cumulant method. We compare our results to $GW$ only calculations and find significant differences in the description of the satellites between the two theories: While $GW$ theory predicts the existence of a plasmaron excitation, no such excitation is found in $GW$ plus cumulant theory. We compare our results to experimental tunneling spectra from semiconductor quantum wells and find good agreement for the satellite properties.
Cooperation, Altruism, and Restraint in the Reproduction of Carnivores

The young of several species of carnivores are often cared for by individuals that are not their parents. Tending to infants other than one’s own is termed alloparental behavior and may involve either “helpers” with no young of their own, or adults with their own offspring who also tend to those of other parents. We review the incidence of alloparental behavior among Carnivora, and consider the evidence for the evolution of such behavior in terms of the processes of kin selection, reciprocity and mutualism. In particular, we emphasize the view that the social organizations of carnivores are adapted inter- and intraspecifically to ecological circumstances. These social adaptations involve different individual strategies (such as helping or dispersing), and the development of complex social relationships. Although the functional significance of different reproductive strategies has received some thought, the developmental processes involved have been neglected. We suggest that studies of the processes that direct an animal towards a given reproductive (or social) role would be fruitful, and that they might most usefully be approached in terms of the effects of ecological circumstances on social organization, and on the development of individuals and their social relationships.
A University Serving the Oppressed: The Opportunity Afforded by Demographic Changes in Higher Education

The demographic makeup of the students who will be attending college in the future is undergoing significant changes, as more students of color and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds seek higher education. While presenting a major challenge, these changes also present an opportunity to rethink assumptions about the culture of higher education, and the pedagogical practices best suited to serve the student of the future. Higher education needs to undergo a dramatic paradigm shift if it is to successfully serve student populations that have historically been oppressed and marginalized by higher education.
CD204 Suppresses Large Heat Shock Protein-Facilitated Priming of Tumor Antigen gp100-Specific T Cells and Chaperone Vaccine Activity against Mouse Melanoma

We previously reported that scavenger receptor A (SRA/CD204), a binding structure on dendritic cells (DCs) for large stress/heat shock proteins (HSPs; e.g., hsp110 and grp170), attenuated an antitumor response elicited by large HSP-based vaccines. In this study, we show that SRA/CD204 interacts directly with exogenous hsp110, and lack of SRA/CD204 results in a reduction in the hsp110 binding and internalization by DCs. However, SRA(-/-) DCs pulsed with hsp110 or grp170-reconstituted gp100 chaperone complexes exhibit a profoundly increased capability of stimulating melanoma Ag gp100-specific naive T cells compared with wild-type (WT) DCs. Similar results were obtained when SRA/CD204 was silenced in DCs using short hairpin RNA-encoding lentiviruses. In addition, hsp110-stimulated SRA(-/-) DCs produced more inflammatory cytokines associated with increased NF-κB activation, implicating an immunosuppressive role for SRA/CD204. Immunization with the hsp110-gp100 vaccine resulted in a more robust gp100-specific CD8(+) T cell response in SRA(-/-) mice than in WT mice. Lastly, SRA/CD204 absence markedly improved the therapeutic efficacy of the hsp110-gp100 vaccine in mice established with B16 melanoma, which was accompanied by enhanced activation and tumor infiltration of CD8(+) T cells. Given the presence of multiple HSP-binding scavenger receptors on APCs, we propose that selective scavenger receptor interactions with HSPs may lead to highly distinct immunological consequences. Our findings provide new insights into the immune regulatory functions of SRA/CD204 and have important implications in the rational design of protein Ag-targeted recombinant chaperone vaccines for the treatment of cancer.
Drug discrimination using a conditioned taste-aversion paradigm in rhesus monkeys.

The development of drug discrimination was assessed in rhesus monkeys using the conditioned taste-aversion paradigm. Monkeys were initially trained to respond under a fixed-ratio 30-response schedule of food-pellet delivery to assess the rate-decreasing effects of alprazolam (0.03 to 3 mg/kg, i.m., 60 min presession). Alprazolam decreased responding at doses greater than 0.1 mg/kg. Discriminative stimulus effects of alprazolam were then assessed by giving 0.03 mg/kg before sessions in which 1.8 mEq/kg lithium chloride was given immediately after the session (alprazolam/lithium session). On intervening days, saline was given before and after the session (saline/saline session). Rates of responding decreased over successive alprazolam/lithium sessions and also during the saline/saline session that immediately followed an alprazolam/lithium session. During subsequent saline/saline sessions, rates of responding returned to levels near baseline rates within two to four sessions. The discriminative stimulus effects of alprazolam were then assessed by giving 0.1 mg/kg before sessions in which 1 mg/kg d-amphetamine was given immediately after the session (alprazolam/d-amphetamine session). Rates of responding decreased during subsequent alprazolam/d-amphetamine sessions in drug-experienced monkeys, but did not decrease during intervening saline/saline sessions. These findings demonstrate that drug stimuli associated with postsession drug injections can rapidly develop control over behavior and suggest that similar methods be explored in the assessment of drug discrimination.
Evaluation of the Effect of Source Geometry Models on Dose Rates of Waste Packages

An evaluation of surface dose rates calculated by MCNP with three different source geometric representations for a waste package containing 21 pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent fuel assemblies is provided. The three geometric representations for the source region consist of a radial homogenization inside the waste package cavity, a homogenization of the assembly contents within the transverse dimensions of the assembly, and a detailed geometric model. Conservative dose rates are predicted by the source homogenized inside the cavity, while the detailed and the homogenized assembly models give comparative results.
Egg production rates of the neritic marine copepod Acartia tumida Willey in the Aleutian Archipelago

Acartia tumida, a neritic copepod of the northern North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, is an unusually large member of its genus, adult females measuring 2.0–2.4 mm in total length. In the summers of 1986 and 1987 we investigated egg production of A. tumida in nearshore habitats of several islands in the Aleutian Island chain. A. tumida was found within protected embayments, where it could reach adult densities as high as 1000m−3. Highest egg production rates were measured at Amchitka Island (up to 86 eggs copepod−1 d−1 at 6°C), where the phytoplankton was dominated by chain-forming Thalassiosira spp. In situ egg production rates at Amchitka were more than twice as high as maximum rates measured with cultured T. weissflogii, a single cell diatom, or during blooms of chain-forming Chaetoceros spp. at Adak and Kiska Islands. Approximately 12–24 h was necessary for recent feeding to be reflected in egg production. At high food concentrations 75% of spawning occurred at night and in discrete clutches, a pattern not observed at a lower food concentration.
Gene Expression Profiling and Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Where Are We Now?

Abstract Despite new developments in molecular techniques and better knowledge on lung cancer tumor biology, many genetic alterations associated with the development and progression of lung carcinogenesis still remain unclear. Although the development of targeted agents has improved response rates and survival, lung cancer has a very high mortality rate, even for early stages. Thus, there is a greater need for other mechanisms or technologies that may help us diagnose, predict, and treat patients with lung cancer in a more effective way. One of these technologies has been the use of genomics. Some of the available genomic technologies include single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis, high-throughput capillary sequencing, serial analysis of gene expression, and gene expression arrays. DNA microarray analysis is capable of discovering changes in DNA expression within the neoplastic tumor. Thus, gene expression array could help us to decipher the complexity and interaction of different oncogenic pathways and, hence, could contribute to the selection of better targeted agents on an individual basis rather than a general and nonspecific approach as it has been done for many decades. Several studies initiated a few years ago have started to produce fruitful results. Herein, we review the role of gene expression profiling in lung cancer as a diagnostic tool, predictive and prognostic biomarker, and its potential use for a “personalized” medicine in the years to come.
Model-based multisensor automatic target identification for FLIR fused with MMW

This paper describes the US Army's efforts under the ATR relational template matching program to develop a multi-sensor forward-looking IR (FLIR) and millimter wave (MMW) radar automatic target recognition (ATR) algorithm. The general problem consists of identifying ground targets at low depression angles of less than 6 degrees and ranges of 500 to 6000 m. However, the algorithm is directly applicable to other target sets, including air targets, and ground targets at high depression angles. Our phase I goal was to provide a proof- of-principle demonstration of this new model-based methodology. We did this on simulated FLIR imagery for a three target class problem. A comprehensive test and evaluation was performed at the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate. Our goal in phase II was to demonstrate this new algorithm approach on realistic field-collected second-generation FLIR imagery with a larger target set consisting of ten ground vehicles. With phase III, our goal was to demonstrate multisensor fusion on FLIR (first generation) fused with laser radar. This was demonstrated on a four-ground-target-class problem. The limitations to first-generation FLIR data and four targets was due purely to restrictions of the field-collected data. Our goal in phase IV is to demonstrate this methodology for FLIR fused with MMW radar data. Phase IV will be a three-year effort, with the first year concentrating on using the MMW radar data for detection, reduction in false alarms, and the provision of accurate range (i.e., scale) to the FLIR algorithm. The goal of the second and third years will be to fuse the MMW data into not only the detection phase of the algorithm but also the recognition and identification portions of the algorithm. This paper presents the general model-based methodology used for the FLIR and the neural network methodology used to provide the FLIR with the MMW detections and scale. Results are provided for the FLIR-only algorithm for short range and moderate range scenarios given an accurate estimate of target range.
Magnetism and the defect state in the magnetocaloric antiperovskite Mn3GaC1−δ

Magnetic and spectroscopic techniques were used to study the intermetallic antiperovskite Mn3GaC. An antiferromagnetic–ferromagnetic magnetostructural transition at 160 K underlies a remarkable magnetocaloric effect; these phenomena are suppressed in the substoichiometric composition Mn3GaC1−δ. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) data reported for three compositions Mn3GaC1−δ, δ = 0, 0.10, 0.22, are the basis for drawing inferences concerning the mechanism controlling magnetic order as a function of carbon stoichiometry. While the temperature dependence of the Mn3GaC carbon K edge reveals no observable change across the first-order magnetic transition, a clear splitting of the carbon absorption bands is observed that increases with increasing carbon deficiency. The room temperature Mn and Ga K edges indicate no significant variation with C content. FEFF 8.2 code calculations are in good qualitative agreement with data for the stoichiometric sample, but do not predict the changes in XAS observed in C-deficient samples. These results and the Goodenough–Anderson–Kanamori rules are the basis for a phenomenological model that attributes the carbon content dependence of the low temperature transition to the promotion of weak near-neighbour 90° Mn–Mn pairs in the carbon-deficient compound over the stronger 180° Mn–C–Mn interaction, locking in dominant ferromagnetism at low temperatures.
When antecedents diverge: Exploring novelty and value as dimensions of creativity

Abstract Though an ongoing debate exists concerning how creativity should be defined and measured, it is generally agreed upon that creativity is the generation of ideas that are novel and of value ( Amabile, 1996 , Hennessey and Amabile, 2010 ). Yet most studies treat creativity as a black box in regards to the nature of the relationships between some commonly known antecedents of creativity and its two prime components, namely novelty and value. This is the issue we address in this exploratory paper as we look at antecedents that are similarly related and differentially related to novelty and value. We propose that such relationships could have an impact on creative outcomes in organizations. We also discuss potential implications for broader application to practitioners interested in learning how to boost their employee creativity and organizational innovativeness.
Institutional Profile: The University of California Pharmacogenomics Center: at the interface of genomics, biological mechanisms and drug therapy

The Pharmacogenomics Center of the University of California, San Francisco (CA, USA) fosters research and educational activities focused on the genomic basis for variation in drug response. Investigators in the Center conduct multidisciplinary and multicenter research on a diverse array of clinically used drugs with the goal of understanding the genetic factors that contribute to variation in therapeutic and adverse drug response. The Center houses the large NIH-supported Pharmacogenomics of Membrane Transporters Project, which is a leader in understanding genetic variation in membrane transporters that are important in clinical drug response. Center investigators study racially and ethnically diverse populations, are pioneers in the education of PharmD, MD and PhD students in pharmacogenomics, and have led the establishment of unique graduate and postdoctoral training programs focused on pharmacogenomics. A key emphasis of the Center is on biological mechanisms with a goal of facilitating the development of safer and more effective medications.
A Variational Asymptotic Approach for the Effective Magnetostriction of Magnetostrictive Composites

The effective magnetostriction is one of the most important properties of magnetostrictive composites. The focus of this paper was to extend VAMUCH, a recently developed general purpose micromechanics model, for the effective magnetostriction of the multiphase composites containing magnetostrictive phases. Due to the mathematical similarity, the strains induced by magnetostriction were treated as thermal expansion strains. Thus, the effective magnetostriction can be calculated using VA-MUCH thermoelastic model. Numerical examples were used to validate the theory and the code.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
New strength-based model for the debonding of discontinuous fibres in an elastic matrix

The mechanical properties of fibre composites are strongly influenced by the debonding of fibres. When an embedded fibre is loaded from one end, debonding can occur at both the loaded end and the embedded end. Existing theories neglect the possibility of debonding from the embedded end and are thus limited in applications to cases with low fibre volume fraction, low fibre modulus or short fibre length. A new two-way debonding theory for fibre debonding, which can extend the validity of one-way debonding theory to all general cases, is therefore proposed. Based on the new theory, different scenarios of debonding are identified. Comparison is made between results predicted by the new two-way theory and a one-way debonding theory. The relative merits and dismerits of strength-based debonding theories compared to fracture-based debonding theories are briefly discussed.
Some conditions of the influence of syntactical structure on learning: Grammatical transformation, learning instructions, and “chunking”

The effects of syntax on learning were examined in a factorial design which included four factors: Structure, structured and unstructured; syntactical sample, active verb, passive and nominalization; chunking, explicitly specified vs. unspecified; and learning instructions, intentional and incidental. The objectives of the study were (a) to test the generality of previous findings by using a variety of grammatical samples, (b) to determine whether syntactical structure facilitates learning in the absence of intentional learning instructions, and (c) to test the “chunking” hypothesis as an account of the facilitation produced by syntax. The following were the chief findings. The main effects of structure, syntactical sample, and instructions were significant. Structured material was learned better than unstructured material, to the same degree for the three syntactical samples; the latter ranked AV, PA, and NO in order of increasing difficulty. There was a Structure × Instructions interaction. Structured material was easier only when accompanied by intentional learning instructions. The main effect of the chunking variable was not significant. Chunking did interact both with the structure and the instruction variable, but not in a manner that supported the chunking hypothesis.
An Analysis of Small Business Assistance Websites: Content and Delivery

This study analyzes the information content and resources available through the websites of the Small Business Administration (SBA) offices, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), and Senior Core of Retired Executives (SCORE) chapters across the United States. Hundreds of websites were examined showing a lack of consistency of content and design of information delivery across small business assistance websites. The duplicative and redundant information offered by the SBA and SBDCs is compared to the SCORE website that has a standard layout of content and design for their website and locations. The analysis reviews the differences in approaches these websites take toward the information and resources offered to the entrepreneurial and small business population.
Structure and Thermal Properties of Thin Film Poly(α‐methylstyrene) Deposited via Plasma‐Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Plasma-enhanced (PE) CVD from α-methylstyrene is a dry method for synthesizing directly patternable sacrificial materials for generating pores or air dielectric layers. Films deposited at low power excitation (40 W) decompose between 65 °C and 75 °C, leave minimal residue following a 400 °C anneal for 2 h, and have spectroscopic signatures of linear poly(α-methylstyrene) (PaMS) as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Increased plasma excitation power leads to cross-linking and increased residue after annealing. All films also contain hydroxyl and carbonyl groups after exposure to air. Significant C-O-C inclusion occurs under continuous plasma excitation but not under pulsed-plasma conditions.
Statistical features of sea-floor topography

Abstract Statistical properties of sea-floor topography are interpreted in terms of a model based on the random distribution of hills. Special emphasis is placed on estimating and interpreting the power spectrum of sea-floor elevation.
Chirped-pulsed FTMW spectra of valeric acid, 5-aminovaleric acid, and δ-valerolactam: A study of amino acid mimics in the gas phase

Abstract The lowest energy conformations of valeric acid (VA) and δ-valerolactam (DVL) were determined using chirped-pulsed Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. DVL was produced by heating 5-aminovaleric acid (AVA) in a metal nozzle. A study of the reaction pathway leading to DVL identified the preferred structure of AVA and demonstrated that an n → π* interaction plays the key role in the transformation of reactant into product. An inverse kinetic isotope effect was detected for this process. Additionally, the spectra of single and double water complexes of DVL along with the 13C and 15N-substituted species (in natural abundance) were collected and analyzed.