cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social skills training with virtual assistant and real-time feedback

Nonverbal cues are considered the most important part in social communication. Many people desire people; but due to the stigma and unavailability of resources, they are unable to practice their social skills. In this work, we envision a virtual assistant that can give individuals real-time feedback on their smiles, eye-contact, body language and volume modulation that is available anytime, anywhere using a computer browser. To instantiate our idea, we have set up a Wizard-of-Oz study in the context of speed-dating with 47 individuals. We collected videos of the participants having a conversation with a virtual agent before and after of a speed-dating session. This study revealed that the participants who used our system improved their gesture in a face-to-face conversation. Our next goal is to explore different machine learning techniques on the facial and prosodic features to automatically generate feedback on the nonverbal cues. In addition, we want to explore different strategies of conveying real-time feedback that is non-threatening, repeatable, objective and more likely to transfer to a real-world conversation.
Isolation of Clostridium spp. from the Blood of Captive Lizards: Real or Pseudobacteremia?

ABSTRACT A study was initiated to determine the prevalence of positive blood cultures, to identify the primary isolates and to assess possible sources of contamination in captive lizards. Fifty-eight blood cultures were made from 28 lizards from eight species belonging to the families Helodermatidae, Iguanidae, Scincidae and Varanidae. Bacterial growth was obtained from 51 of the 58 cultures (88%). More than one Clostridium species was present in 79% of all positive cultures. The four most common isolates in descending order of frequency were C. sordelli, C. innocuum, C. perfringens and C. difficile. A possible contamination source are spores imbedded deeply in the folds of the skin and scales at the venipuncture site. However, it is also possible that Clostridia are normally present in the blood of lizards without producing overt disease. The interpretation of positive cultures of blood samples taken from the tail of lizards should be made with caution as definitive evidence for disease.
Large-bite diboranes for the μ(1,2) complexation of hydrazine and cyanide

As part of our interest in the chemistry of polydentate Lewis acids as hosts for diatomic molecules, we have investigated the synthesis and coordination chemistry of bidentate boranes that feature a large boron–boron separation. In this paper, we describe the synthesis of a new example of such a diborane, namely 1,8-bis(dimesitylboryl)triptycene (2) and compare its properties to those of the recently reported 1,8-bis(dimesitylboryl)biphenylene (1). These comparative studies reveal that these two diboranes feature some important differences. As indicated by cyclic voltammetry, 1 is more electron deficient than 2; it also adopts a more compact and rigid structure with a boron–boron separation (4.566(5) A) shorter by ∼1 A than that in 2 (5.559(4) A). These differences appear to dictate the coordination behaviour of these two compounds. While 2 remains inert toward hydrazine, we observed that 1 forms a very stable μ(1,2) hydrazine complex which can also be obtained by phase transfer upon layering a solution of 1 with a dilute aqueous hydrazine solution. The stability of this complex is further reflected by its lack of reaction with benzaldehyde at room temperature. We have also investigated the behaviour of 1 and 2 toward anions. In MeOH/CHCl3 (1/1 vol) both compounds selectively bind cyanide to form the corresponding μ(1,2) chelate complexes with a B–CN–B bridge at their cores. Competition experiments in protic media show that the anionic cyanide complex formed by 1 is the most stable, with no evidence of decomplexation even in the presence of (C6F5)3B.
Cyclic Guanosine 5′-Monophosphate Binding to Regulatory GAF Domains of Photoreceptor Phosphodiesterase

Of the 11 families of mammalian cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs), 5 contain regulatory domains capable of binding cyclic guanosine 5'-monophosphate (cGMP). The best understood of the GAF-containing PDEs is the family of rod (PDE6R) and cone (PDE6C) photo receptor PDEs. Binding of cGMP to the rod PDE6 catalytic dimer (alphabeta) allosterically regulates the affinity of the inhibitory subunits of PDE6 (gamma) for the enzyme. Two nonidentical, high- affinity cGMP-binding sites exist on the nonactivated mammalian PDE6R holoenzyme (alphabetagammagamma). One of the sites does not readily exchange with free cGMP when the catalytic dimer is complexed with Pgamma. On dissociation of gamma from the catalytic dimer, one of the two cGMP-binding sites undergoes a transition from high to low affinity. This chapter describes techniques to quantify cGMP binding to PDE6 in order to study the regulatory significance of the GAF domains. For high-affinity cGMP binding sites on PDE6, membrane filtration is the method of choice because of its speed, simplicity, and sensitivity. However, lower-affinity cGMP-binding sites require a method that does not perturb the equilibrium between bound and free ligand. The use of ammonium sulfate solutions during filtration extends to lower-binding affinities the useful range of membrane filtration. However, a centrifugal separation technique that minimizes perturbation of the cGMP-binding equilibrium is also presented for measuring lower-affinity cGMP-binding sites. These methods are applicable to understanding the regulatory mechanisms regulating other GAF-containing PDEs as well.
The Biological Origins of Motivated Behavior

Motivation is the driving force that energizes all animal behavior. The main biological drives in all organisms are to survive, to grow, and to procreate, but the specific formula adopted to accomplish these universal goals vary markedly from species to species. In man the evolutionary devices to achieve these ends have become so complex as to have become goals in themselves. Chief among these are the demands of a social environment in which man, a social animal, must endure. In this milieu even basic biological drives such as the will to survive and to procreate may be sacrificed to the greater good.
Recurrent Ventral Hernia Repair

Recurrent ventral hernias represent a technical challenge for surgeons as well as a financial burden to the US healthcare system. Although recurrences are somewhat diminished by the use of mesh, the risk for recurrence still remains significant and does not appear to be further decreasing over time. When approaching recurrent hernias, it is of utmost importance to not only optimize any patient comorbidities, but also to try to identify potential causes of failure of the prior repair in order to maximize the chance of success and minimize risk of further recurrence. In this chapter, we present an algorithm for the workup and management of these complicated patients.
Primate Biogeography and Ecology on the Sunda Shelf Islands: A Paleontological and Zooarchaeological Perspective

Sundaland, with its complicated history of island formation and landbridge connections with mainland Southeast Asia, has figured prominently in studies of primate biogeography. The non-human primates on Sundaland are taxonomically diverse (comprising 27 species), and they exhibit relatively high levels of provinciality and endemism. By combining archaeological and paleontological evidence, with data from molecular, paleoclimatological and paleoecological studies, it is possible to reconstruct the major zoogeographic events that took place in the formation of the present-day catarrhine primate community on the Sunda Shelf islands. It can be inferred that by the Late Pliocene the main islands of the Sunda Shelf had a primate fauna that included Pongo pygmaeus (Sumatra, Java and Borneo), Hylobates spp. of the lar-group (Sumatra, Mentawai Islands, Borneo, and Java), Macaca nemestrina (Sumatra, Mentawai Islands, Borneo, and Java), the common ancestor of the Trachypithecus auratus/cristatus clade (Java and Sumatra), and Presbytis spp. (Sumatra, Mentawai Islands, Borneo, Sumatra, and Java). Most of these taxa probably arrived during the Pretiglian cold phase, starting at ~2.8 Ma, when sea levels fell by more than 100 m. It is also likely that Nasalis larvatus (Borneo) and Simias concolor (Mentawai Islands) were already present as endemic taxa in the Late Pliocene, and that their last common ancestor had arrived in the Sunda islands by the early Pliocene. Soon after this initial period of colonization, Hylobates and Presbytis underwent rapid speciation as a consequence of vicariance and relictual survivorship, giving rise to P. thomasi on Sumatra, H. klossii and P. potenziani on the Mentawai Islands, H. albibarbis, H. muelleri, P. hosei, P. frontata, and P. rubicunda on Borneo, and H. moloch and P. comata on Java. During the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene, probably associated with a cold climate maximum at ∼1.8 Ma, Presbytis melalophos and P. femoralis, along with Macaca fascicularis, colonized Sumatra, the Natuna Islands and Borneo from the Malay Peninsula. At about the same time, the orang-utan populations on Sumatra, Java and Borneo began to differentiate from each other. Hylobates lar, H. agilis and H. syndactylus extended their range from the Malay Pensinsula into Sumatra (and Java), probably during the Middle to Late Pleistocene, coincident with the arrival of Trachypithecus cristatus on mainland Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Pongo pygmaeus, Hylobates syndactylus and Macaca nemestrina were extirpated on Java, probably as a consequence of a combination of ecological changes and the impact of early hominin incursions.
Assessing the contribution of informal sport to leisure-time physical activity: a new perspective on social innovation

Rationale/purpose: Most social innovation research within health-oriented SDP initiatives has focused on improvements to structured program contexts, with less attention to informal sport. The purp...
Microcomputer-based faculty profile

Description d'un nouveau service cree par la bibliotheque d'une grande universite americaine: une banque de donnees qui regroupe les profils et les sujets d'interet des enseignements. Description des etapes de la constitution de la base et du materiel informatique utilise. Interet de ce nouvel outil: amelioration des orientations vers l'information, meilleur developpement des collections, interdisciplinarite de la base, information du nouveau personnel, constitution d'un eventuel repertoire d'ingenieurs-conseils. (INTD)
P178 Nutrition Education and Physical Activity Opportunities at Federal Summer Nutrition Program Sites in North Carolina

Background The Summer Food Service Program and National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option are federal Summer Nutrition Programs (SNP) that provide free meals to children in low-income areas during the summer. The USDA recommends offering nutrition education and physical activity opportunities at SNP meal sites, yet it is unclear how many sites are offering these types of activities. Objective To examine the proportion of North Carolina (NC) SNP sites currently offering and interested in offering nutrition education and physical activity opportunities. Study Design, Settings, Participants In October of 2018, an online questionnaire was emailed to staff from SNP sites in NC. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Information on types of enrichment activities offered at meal sites was collected through the question “Were any of the following activities provided at your SNP site(s) this past summer?” A list of activities was provided and response options were “Yes,” “No, and we have no plans to do so next summer,” and “No, but I am interested in doing so next summer.” Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results Among the 241 meal site staff that completed the survey, 203 responded to the questions on enrichment activities. Physical activity/sports were reported being offered by 65% of respondents. Offering nutrition-related activities was less common, with 40% offering nutrition education, 27% cooking activities, 20% taste tests, and 18% gardening activities. Among sites not currently offering a particular type of activity, the percentage of sites interested in offering that activity next summer was 49% for nutrition education, 41% for taste tests, 34% for gardening activities, 30% for cooking activities, and 30% for physical activity/sports. Conclusion The majority of NC SNP site staff responding to the survey did not offer nutrition-related activities during the 2018 summer, although many were interested in offering them next summer. Nutrition educators can partner with SNP sites to provide nutrition-related activities and physical activity opportunities for children. Funding None.
In Vivo Forward Genetic Screen to Identify Novel Neuroprotective Genes in Drosophila melanogaster

There is much to understand about the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including the underlying genes responsible. Forward genetic screening using chemical mutagens is a useful strategy for mapping mutant phenotypes to genes among Drosophila and other model organisms that share conserved cellular pathways with humans. If the mutated gene of interest is not lethal in early developmental stages of flies, a climbing assay can be conducted to screen for phenotypic indicators of decreased brain functioning, such as low climbing rates. Subsequently, secondary histological analysis of brain tissue can be performed in order to verify the neuroprotective function of the gene by scoring neurodegeneration phenotypes. Gene mapping strategies include meiotic and deficiency mapping that rely on these same assays can be followed by DNA sequencing to identify possible nucleotide changes in the gene of interest.
A psychometric comparison of patient-reported outcome measures used in pediatric hand therapy.

Abstract Study Design Retrospective case series. Introduction Patient-reported outcome measures are important for research and also for informing clinical practice. The Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) are commonly used in pediatric hand therapy. Both are validated in research, but no data exist regarding their relative merits for clinical practice. Purpose of the Study This study compares the psychometric properties of the PODCI and COPM in children receiving hand therapy to examine their relative utility in clinical practice. Methods We assessed the psychometric properties of the PODCI and COPM in 75 children receiving hand therapy. Treatment outcomes were assessed simultaneously with the PODCI (Upper Extremity Function and Pain and Comfort scales), COPM (Performance and Satisfaction scales) at baseline and posttreatment time points. Interim scores were included for a subset of patients. Each scale was assessed for responsiveness, ceiling effect, and concurrent and discriminate validity. Results All scales, except PODCI/Pain from interim to completion, were able to detect changes over the course of therapy. However, both COPM scales demonstrated greater responsiveness and less severe ceiling effects than both PODCI scales at all time points. All scales had weak concurrent validity and limited discriminate validity. Conclusions The COPM is more responsive to changes during treatment and less hindered by a ceiling effect than the PODCI. Weak concurrent validity between the PODCI and COPM suggests that they measure different things in this population.
High ambient temperature increases the toxicity and lethality of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and methcathinone

Abstract Rationale Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methcathinone (MCAT) are abused psychostimulant drugs that produce adverse effects in human users that include hepatotoxicity and death. Recent work has suggested a connection between hepatotoxicity, elevations in plasma ammonia, and brain glutamate function for methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurotoxicity. Objectives These experiments investigated the effect of ambient temperature on the toxicity and lethality produced by MDMA and MCAT in mice, and whether these effects might involve similar mechanisms to those described for METH neurotoxicity. Results Under low (room temperature) ambient temperature conditions, MDMA induced hepatotoxicity, elevated plasma ammonia levels, and induced lethality. Under the same conditions, even a very high dose of MCAT produced limited toxic or lethal effects. High ambient temperature conditions potentiated the toxic and lethal effects of both MDMA and MCAT. Conclusion These studies suggest that hepatotoxicity, plasma ammonia, and brain glutamate function are involved in MDMA-induced lethality, as has been shown for METH neurotoxicity. The toxicity and lethality of both MDMA and MCAT were potentiated by high ambient temperatures. Although an initial mouse study reported that several cathinones were much less toxic than METH or MDMA, the present results suggest that it will be essential to assess the potential dangers posed by these drugs under high ambient temperatures.
Abstract 995: Integrative genomic characterization and CRISPR-mediated gene editing studies identify IRAKs as novel therapeutic targets for inflammation-driven prostate tumorigenesis

A major drawback to accurate diagnosis and treatment of inflammation-driven prostate cancer (PCa) progression is our limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying aberrant inflammation signaling in PCa patients. Since asymptomatic chronic inflammation is hard to diagnose, we do not have adequate knowledge of how specific genes within the inflammatory cascade drive PCa aggressiveness. Hence, an integrative genomic approach may provide us with effective prognostic and diagnostic tools to manage inflammation-driven PCa progression. The aim of this study was to characterize inflammation-associated hub genes as predictors of PCa progression and investigate the effect of aberrant signaling of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinases (IRAKs) on prostate tumorigenesis. WES and RNA-seq datasets from a total of 726 PCa patients, stratified into subtypes: primary PCa (PPC; n=493), metastatic PCa (MPC; n=150) and the castration-resistant PCa (CRPC; n=52) and neuroendocrine PCa (NEPC; n=30) from 3 cohort studies were acquired from cBioPortal. A bioinformatics pipeline was designed to analyze the datasets. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to construct gene co-expression networks and identify inflammation hub genes associated with PCa progression. The top inflammation hub genes, such as ILR1, TLRs, IRAK1-4, and NF-kB were validated. IRAK1-4 hub genes were found to be differentially expressed and genetically altered in NEPC and CRPC (>40%) compared to PPC and MPC ( Citation Format: Saheed Oluwasina Oseni, Mirjana Pavlovic, James Hartmann, James Kumi-Diaka. Integrative genomic characterization and CRISPR-mediated gene editing studies identify IRAKs as novel therapeutic targets for inflammation-driven prostate tumorigenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 995.
Role for OCT in detecting hemi-macular ganglion cell layer thinning in patients with multiple sclerosis and related demyelinating diseases.

Abstract Objective Investigations have found associations of homonymous thinning of the macular ganglion cell/ inner-plexiform layer (GCIPL) with demyelinating lesions in the post-chiasmal visual pathway among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Retinal thinning may also occur through retrograde trans-synaptic degeneration, a process by which lesions in post-geniculate visual pathway structures lead to thinning of the GCIPL across thalamic synapses. The purpose of our study was to determine the frequency of homonymous hemimacular thinning that occurs in association with post-chiasmal visual pathway demyelinating lesions in patients with MS and other demyelinating diseases. Methods Adult patients with demyelinating diseases (MS, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder [NMOSD], myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (anti-MOG)) who were participants in an ongoing observational study of visual pathway structure and function were analyzed for the presence of hemimacular GCIPL thinning on OCT scans. Brain MRI scans were examined for the presence of post-geniculate visual pathway demyelinating lesions. Results Among 135 participants in the visual pathway study, 5 patients (3.7%) had homonymous hemimacular GCIPL thinning. Eleven patients (8.1%) had a whole+half pattern of GCIPL thinning, characterized by hemimacular thinning in one eye and circumferential macular thinning in the contralateral eye. All but one patient with homonymous hemimacular thinning had demyelinating lesions in the post-geniculate visual pathway; however, these lesions were located in both cerebral hemispheres. Conclusion Homonymous hemimacular thinning in the GCIPL by OCT is associated with post-chiasmal visual pathway demyelinating lesions but it appears to be a relatively uncommon contributor to GCIPL loss. Patients with this pattern of GCIPL often fail to complain of hemifield visual loss. Future studies with prospective and detailed MR imaging may be able to more closely associate demyelinating lesions in anatomically appropriate regions of the post-chiasmal visual pathways with homonymous hemimacular thinning.
Catena: Collaboration, Cohesion and Continuity in Design Thinking and Making

In the interests of enhanced collaborative methods of design thinking, design communication, representation and rapid ideation, this article examines how a series of related activities and events, ‘catenated’ together, or forming a ‘catena’ 1 of design thinking, could create a clearer, more meaningful and more efficient portfolio of work for a beginning design studio. Drawing inspiration upon the operative verbs found in the work of sculptor Richard Serra, 2 and using the artefacts from such activities to create generative design products and iterations across a semester schedule, this paper chronicles a series of active in-class collaborations over the course of a semester that allowed a cohort of students to connect a series of design projects together, rather than experience a series of unconnected learning objectives as was typical. References to learning theories including Jerome Bruner’s spiral curriculum and David Kolb’s theory of experiential learning 3 informed the inquiry. Student feedback and reflection informed the areas of success and areas of improvement.
Efficient neural networks for edge devices

Abstract Due to limited computation and storage resources of industrial internet of things (IoT) edge devices, many emerging intelligent industrial IoT applications based on deep neural networks (DNNs) heavily depend on cloud computing for computation and storage. However, cloud computing faces technical issues in long latency, poor reliability, and weak privacy, resulting in the need for on-device computation and storage. On-device computation is essential for many time-critical industrial IoT applications, which require real-time data processing. In this paper, we review three major research areas for on-device computation, specifically quantization, pruning, and network architecture design. The three techniques could enable a DNN model to be deployed on edge devices for real-time computation and storage, mainly due to the reduction of computation and space complexity. More importantly, these techniques could make DNNs applicable to industrial IoT devices.
Effects of variable-width jaw motion on beam characteristics for Radixact Synchrony®.

Purpose Radixact Synchrony corrects for target motion during treatment by adjusting the jaw and MLC positions in real time. As the jaws move off axis, Synchrony attempts to adjust for a loss in output due to the un-flattened 6 MV beam by increasing the jaw aperture width. The purpose of this work was to assess the impact of the variable-width aperture on delivered dose using measurements and simulations. Methods Longitudinal beam profile measurements were acquired using an Edge diode with static gantry. Jaw-offset peak, width, and integral factors were calculated for profiles with the jaws in the extreme positions using both variable-width (Synchrony) and fixed-width apertures. Treatment plans with target motion and compensation were compared to planned doses to study the impact of the variable aperture on volumetric dose. Results The jaw offset peak factor (JOPF) for the Synchrony jaw settings were 0.964 and 0.983 for the 1.0- and 2.5-cm jaw settings, respectively. These values decreased to 0.925 and 0.982 for the fixed-width settings, indicating that the peak value of the profile would decrease by 7.5% compared to centered if the aperture width was held constant. The IMRT dose distributions reveal similar results, where gamma pass rates are above tolerance for the Synchrony jaw settings but fall significantly for the fixed-width 1-cm jaws. Conclusions The variable-width behavior of Synchrony jaws provides a larger output correction for the 1-cm jaw setting. Without the variable-aperture correction, plans with the 1-cm jaw setting would underdose the target if the jaws spend a significant amount of time in the extreme positions. This work investigated the change in delivered dose with jaws in the extreme positions, therefore overall changes in dose due to offset jaws are expected to be less for composite treatment deliveries.
Adoption of a Perioperative Surgical Home for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery Decreases Postoperative Opioid Usage

Purpose Posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has wide treatment variation resulting in unnecessary resource utilization. Significant pain following this procedure is common and opioid medications are the foundation of postoperative pain management. Opioid usage and difficulties with pain can impact mobilization, gastric motility, discharge readiness, and patient satisfaction. The Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model of care is one method to decrease variability and eliminate waste through standardization of care. The purpose of this study is to report the impact of implementation a PSH for AIS (PSH-AIS) …
Metabolomics of Multiorgan Radiation Injury in Non-human Primate Model Reveals System-wide Metabolic Perturbations.

ABSTRACT Exposure to ionizing radiation following a nuclear or radiological incident results in potential acute radiation syndromes causing sequelae of multi-organ injury in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Currently, medical countermeasures against radiation injury are limited, and no biomarkers have been approved by regulatory authorities. Identification of circulating plasma biomarkers indicative of radiation injury can be useful for early triage and injury assessment and in the development of novel therapies (medical countermeasures). Aims of this study are to (1) identify metabolites and lipids with consensus signatures that can inform on mechanism of injury in radiation-induced multi-organ injury and (2) identify plasma biomarkers in non-human primate (NHP) that correlate with tissues (kidney, liver, lung, left and right heart, jejunum) indicative of radiation injury, assessing samples collected over 3 wk post-exposure to 12 Gy partial body irradiation with 2.5% bone marrow sparing. About 180 plasma and tissue metabolites and lipids were quantified through Biocrates AbsoluteIDQ p180 kit using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. System-wide perturbations of specific metabolites and lipid levels and pathway alterations were identified. Citrulline, Serotonin, PC ae 38:2, PC ae 36:2, and sum of branched chain amino acids were identified as potential biomarkers of radiation injury. Pathway analysis revealed consistent changes in fatty acid oxidation and metabolism and perturbations in multiple other pathways.
Reconstructing the global dynamics of attractors via the Conley index

Given an unknown attractor A in a continuous dynamical system, how can we discover the topology and dynamics of A? As a practical matter, how can we do so from only a finite amount of information? One way of doing so is to produce a semi-conjugacy from A onto a model systemM whose topology and dynamics are known. The complexity ofM then provides a lower bound for the complexity of A. The Conley index can be used to construct a simplicial model and a surjective semi-conjugacy for a large class of attractors. The essential features of this construction are that the modelM can be explicitly described; and that the finite amount of information needed to construct it is computable.
EM characterization of photonic band gap (PBG) structures: an overview

Summary form only given. Most previous studies of PBG structures were directed towards design and experimental performance evaluation. Attention has also focused on EM theoretical/numerical modeling and performance characterization of these complex structures. An overview of the application of modern numerical techniques is presented. Among these techniques special emphasis is given to the application of FDTD and periodic method of moments. The performance of several candidate PBG structures is evaluated to critically examine the EM properties of PBGs and their potential utilization in various applications. Attempts are made to provide physical and engineering insights into PBGs in the microwave and millimeter wave regime.
THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF D-RING FATTY ACID ESTERS OF ESTRIOL

Biological esterification with fatty acids is a feature that is now known to be common to most steroids. The esterification of estradiol in the D-ring at the 17 beta-hydroxyl leads to a family of extremely active estrogens. Similarly, esterification of the weaker estrogen, estriol (E3), has an even greater impact on its hormonal potency. We have recently shown that synthetic long chain esters of E3 at either 16 alpha- or 17 beta- are highly potent estrogens. The estrogenic activity of the synthetic E3 esters led us to determine whether E3 is biologically esterified, and if so, to characterize the resulting esters. Incubation of E3 with rat lung, a tissue which is highly active in esterifying estradiol, produces a nonpolar metabolite which upon saponification is converted back into E3. There was no evidence for the formation of a diester. Purification by high performance liquid chromatography separates the non-polar metabolite into two peaks, one the C-16 alpha- (approximately 60%) and the other the C-17 beta-ester (approximately 40%). The two fractions were further purified and characterized; each is a mixture of fatty acid esters of E3. The composition of the C-16 alpha- and the C-17 beta-fatty acid esters of E3 is identical. The predominant fatty acids are arachidonate, 34%, palmitate, 26%, followed by oleate 14%, linoleate 13%, stearate 8%, and palmitoleate 5%. The similarity of the esters at C-16 and C-17 may indicate that the fatty acid precursor for the acyltransferase is the same for both hydroxyl groups. It may also suggest that the same enzyme esterifies both positions in the D-ring. Since synthetic estriol fatty acid esters are extremely potent and long-lived estrogens, the enzymatic esterification of estriol produces powerful estrogens with considerable physiological potential.
Do Informed Investors Time the Horizon? Evidence from Equity Options

I document evidence that informed investors form expectations not only on directional stock returns but also on the timing of information release. Specifically, I find that equity options contain stock information at horizons commensurate with their maturities, and call this unique pattern the horizon timing effect. These effects can arise in a setting in which informed investors optimally pick from a menu of option maturities taking into account of when information will be released, and the empirical results closely match the predictions. I decompose information across different horizons and use validation tests to strengthen the information-based origin of this effect. The results are also robust to other confounding stories, such as microstructure effects and volatility information. Further evidence suggests that informed investors time the horizon by selecting an option maturity largely based on the timing of a firm’s earnings announcement.
Surface Antigens and Markers on B Lymphocytes

This chapter discusses surface antigens and markers on B lymphocytes. Antisera apparently specific for human B lymphocyte surface antigens have been described by Greaves and Brown. These investigators prepared heterologous rabbit antisera by injecting large numbers of peripheral lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which were comprised of greater than 98% surface Ig + cells. The antisera prepared in this manner were then extensively absorbed with human erythrocytes, liver homogenate, normal human IgG bound to Sepharose, thymus cell suspensions, and tonsil T lymphocytes. The residual antibodies were demonstrated by double immunofluorescent techniques to bind selectively to B lymphocytes in normal human tonsil, and also on cells present in several lymphoid cell lines. No reactivity was observed with cells bearing T cell markers or from normal human thymus. Thus, in several species it has been demonstrated that heterologous antisera can identify antigens apparently selectively expressed on B lymphocytes.
Desorption and molecular interactions on surfaces: , and

We present studies of the isothermal desorption of carbon monoxide from the three low index rhodium surfaces using time-resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy (TREELS). We use a quasiequilibrium model and apply lattice gas theory and the transfer matrix technique to model the desorption isotherms. With the further assumption that the nearest neighbor interaction energy between chemisorbed CO molecules is large and repulsive, we extract the second and third neighbor lattice energies for all three surfaces. We compare our results with the ordered CO overlayer structures reported by low electron energy diffraction measurements. We find that the lateral interaction energies on all three surfaces exhibit weak but non-negligible repulsion and attraction. We also examine and discuss the validity of the quasiequilibrium assumption in analyzing desorption measurements. Finally, we compare and discuss the trends in observed CO structures on various transition metal surfaces.
Benchmarking DAML+OIL repositories

We present a benchmark that facilitates the evaluation of DAML+OIL repositories in a standard and systematic way. This benchmark is intended to evaluate the performance of DAML+OIL repositories with respect to extensional queries over a large data set that commits to a single realistic ontology. It consists of the ontology, customizable synthetic data, a set of test queries, and several performance metrics. Main features of the benchmark include a plausible ontology for the university domain, a repeatable data set that can be scaled to an arbitrary size, and an approach for measuring the degree to which a repository returns complete query answers. We also show a benchmark experiment for the evaluation of DLDB, a DAML+OIL repository that extends a relational database management system with description logic inference capabilities.
Coronary dilators and cardioplegia

The distribution in the myocardium of cardioplegic solution is demonstrated in dog hearts with the aid of indocyanine green. When papaverine or nitroglycerin are added to the solution, a much improved diffusion is observed. Papaverine appears to be a better coronary dilator. We deduce from this observation that myocardial protection during ischemic arrest for open-heart surgery is enhanced considerably when coronary dilation is assured.
Assessing the Information Content of Mark-to-Market Accounting with Mixed Attributes: The Case of Cash Flow Hedges

We examine how outsiders rationally interpret a reported loss on derivatives when the application of mark-to-market accounting to cash flow hedges creates a mixed attribute problem. We find that because of the mixed attribute problem, the information content of mark-to-market accounting is related to the information content of historical cost accounting in a very specific way. This relationship allows us to identify the circumstances under which mark-to-market accounting facilitates and when it detracts from the objective of providing an early warning of potential financial distress. We show that the reporting of an impending derivative loss by a distressed firm can actually lead outsiders to infer that the firm is in a better financial position than what they would have inferred under the silence associated with historical cost accounting. Without the mixed attribute problem, mark-to-market accounting would always yield more accurate assessments of the firm's financial position.
ldhc expression in non-germ cell nuclei is repressed by NF-I binding.

Developmental and testis-specific expression of the mouse lactate dehydrogenase C (mldhc) gene requires mechanisms for activation in germ cells and repression in somatic cells. Promoter activity restricted to the testis has been demonstrated using in vitro transcription assays with a 60-base pair promoter sequence upstream of the transcription initiation site. This promoter fragment has a TATA box and an overlapping 31-base pair palindromic sequence. Here we have explored the role of the palindrome as a silencer of the ldhc gene in somatic tissues. A gel retardation assay detected two sites within the palindrome that were important for protein binding. A member of the NF-I/CTF family was identified as the protein binding to one of the sites. In transiently transfected mouse L cells, a promoter fragment in which the NF-I site was mutated showed a 4-fold greater activity as compared with the wild-type sequence. Overexpression of the four NF-I proteins, NF-IA, -B, -C, or -X, in mouse L cells transiently transfected with anldhc promoter-reporter construct resulted in a 20–50% decrease in activity of the wild-type promoter but had no effect when the NF-I binding element in the palindrome was mutated. These results indicate a role for the NF-I proteins in regulation of themldhc gene.
Lipoprotein(a) as a correlate of stroke and transient ischemic attack prevalence in a biracial cohort: The ARIC study

Although both mean lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentration and national stroke prevalence estimates are consistently higher in American blacks than in whites, no information exists on the relationship of Lp(a) and stroke prevalence in African-Americans. Associations of Lp(a) with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) are addressed in this report for 15,160 participants--4160 blacks and 11,000 whites--in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Lp(a) was measured in ARIC as its total protein component by double-antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for apo(a) detection. Self-reported stroke/TIA history was assessed as part of a standardized questionnaire, and resulted in age-adjusted stroke/TIA prevalences of 3.0% in blacks (n = 120) and 2.0% in whites (n = 222). Overall, mean Lp(a) protein levels were markedly higher for blacks than for whites (160.5 versus 81.6 micrograms/mL, respectively), and were statistically significantly higher among individuals reporting stroke/TIA history for both races (191.3 versus 159.6 micrograms/mL in blacks; 100.6 versus 81.2 micrograms/mL in whites). Multivariable logistic regression analysis for the association of Lp(a) protein with stroke/TIA status yielded a prevalence odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence intervals) of 1.17 (1.05, 1.30) overall (based on one standard deviation difference, 108.2 micrograms/mL, in Lp[a] protein). Race-specific ORs, after adjustment for the same covariates, were equivalent for blacks [OR = 1.17 (0.99, 1.39)] and whites [OR = 1.19 (1.04, 1.36)]. These data suggest that Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for stroke/TIA in both blacks and whites, and that the relative risk of stroke/TIA associated with Lp(a) protein does not vary by race.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Modeling in systems analysis

Abstract Modeling is described in the context of systems analysis. First, a generalized framework for systems analysis is introduced. Then the purposes and techniques of modeling are matched with each step of the systems analysis framework. A detailed set of tasks is proposed for accomplishing one particular step — the modeling of alternatives. The implications of this treatment of modeling in systems analysis are briefly discussed with respect to systems analysis education and practice in the fields of management, planning, systems engineering, and public administration.
Planar OH density and apparent temperature measurements in a supersonic combusting flow

Distributions of the absolute density of OH and of the population densities of five OH rotational states were obtained in a supersonic H 2 -air combustion tunnel using planar laser-induced fluorescence. A tunable KrF excimer laser was used to excite, nonsimultaneously, the five separate ro-vibronic lines in the (3-0) vibrational band of OH. Measurements were calibrated against measurements in an atmospheric air furnace, where known quantities of OH are formed by the thermal dissociation of H 2 O molecules. Despite flame intermittency, a sum of each of these nonsimultaneous measurements represents the time-averaged population density of the probed state. Present results show that these time-averaged measurements of the populations of the probed states still follow a Boltzmann distribution. Therefore, measurements of the average population of any pair of states can provide the two independent average properties required to define the average thermodynamic state of OH.
The Educational Process in Psychophysiology

A questionnaire was sent to members of the Society for Psychophysiological Research (SPR) in order to determine the nature and direction of education in the field of psychophysiology. The results revealed that a number of academic institutions are offering formal courses in psychophysiology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. A brief description of the general course outlines and laboratory requirements is presented. The need for increased communication with respect to educational processes was expressed by many respondents. It is suggested that a forum for the exchange of ideas concerning education in psychophysiology should be available at the annual SPR meeting.
The Application of Fourier Deconvolution to Reaction Time Data: A Cautionary Note

The Fourier transform method in conjunction with frequency domain smoothing techniques has been suggested as a powerful tool for examining components in a serial, additive reaction time model (P. L. Smith, 1990). Robustness and sensitivity to violations of the assumptions of serial model of this method are evaluated. When an incorrect distribution was used in recovering an unobserved component, results gave no information to show that an incorrect distribution was used, and the results were just as interpretable as those obtained using the correct distribution. These results demonstrate that the assumptions underlying the method cannot be assessed by the result of deconvolution, and the method cannot show that the purported component is actually from the serial combination.
Management of Insomnia in the Geriatric Patient

Insomnia in older individuals is common and often undiagnosed, and can lead to significant patient morbidity. A stepwise, thorough history and physical examination, including interviews with the bed partner and use of a sleep diary, are valuable diagnostic adjuncts. Polysomnography should be reserved for patients whose history suggests specific sleep-related breathing or movement disorders of breathing. Contributing physical or psychiatric conditions require treatment as in other geriatric patients. Improved sleep hygiene will often provide symptom relief in mild to moderate insomnia, whereas a number of non-drug treatments can be tried for more refractory cases. Most prescription and over-the-counter medications carry significant risk of adverse events and drug interactions; others demonstrate an acceptable risk to benefit profile and are preferred in older patients.
Comparison of insecticide absorption and detoxification in larvae of the bollworm, Heliothis zea, and the tobacco budworm, H. virescens

Abstract Rates and nature of metabolism of several insecticides were compared in larvae of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworm, H virescens (F.). Both species are resistant to organochlorine compounds. In addition, H. virescens is resistant to carbamate and organophosphate insecticides. All test insecticides were metabolized by larvae of both species under in vivo conditions. In most instances, metabolism was more rapid in H. virescens larvae. A series of in vivo and in vitro assays implicated high levels of NADPH-dependent oxidative enzymes as a major metabolic factor in resistance. Other work demonstrated that H. virescens larvae absorbed insecticides at a slower rate than did H. zea larvae. High resistance to organophosphates present in H. virescens may be due to interaction of factors for increased rate of detoxification and decreased rate of absorption.
Critical roles for the COOH-terminal NITY and RGT sequences of the integrin β3 cytoplasmic domain in inside-out and outside-in signaling

Bidirectional signaling of integrin αIIbβ3 requires the β3 cytoplasmic domain. To determine the sequence in the β3 cytoplasmic domain that is critical to integrin signaling, cell lines were established that coexpress the platelet receptor for von Willebrand factor (vWF), glycoprotein Ib-IX, integrin αIIb, and mutants of β3 with truncations at sites COOH terminal to T741, Y747, F754, and Y759. Truncation at Y759 did not affect integrin activation, as indicated by vWF-induced fibrinogen binding, but affected cell spreading and stable adhesion. Thus, the COOH-terminal RGT sequence of β3 is important for outside-in signaling but not inside-out signaling. In contrast, truncation at F754, Y747, or T741 completely abolished integrin activation. A point mutation replacing Y759 with alanine also abolished integrin activation. Thus, the T755NITY759 sequence of β3, containing an NXXY motif, is critical to inside-out signaling, whereas the intact COOH terminus is important for outside-in signaling. In addition, we found that the calcium-dependent protease calpain preferentially cleaves at Y759 in a population of β3 during platelet aggregation and adhesion, suggesting that calpain may selectively regulate integrin outside-in signaling.
Genetic Analysis of Beet Curly Top Virus: Evidence for Three Virion Sense Genes Involved in Movement and Regulation of Single- and Double-Stranded DNA Levels

The monopartite DNA genome of beet curly top geminivirus (BCTV, strain Logan) contains four leftward, complementary sense open reading frames (ORFs) designated L1, L2, L3, and L4 and three rightward, virion sense ORFs designated R1, R2, and R3 (R1 encodes the coat protein). The R3 ORF has not been reported previously in the BCTV genome, and evidence for three functional virion sense genes on one genome component has not been presented before for any geminivirus. We investigated the functions of the virion sense ORFs by introducing mutations into each of them. We found that in Nicotiana benthamiana plants, BCTV genomes containing mutations in ORF R1 were not infectious, whereas an R3- mutant was very weakly infectious. The small proportion of plants infected by the R3- mutant remained asymptomatic and contained greatly reduced amounts of viral DNA. An R2- mutant was highly infectious but asymptomatic, and in infected plants it accumulated mostly the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) replicative form in nearly wild-type amounts. All of the mutants replicated in tobacco protoplasts, although R1- and R2- mutants accumulated reduced amounts of genomic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) relative to wild-type virus. In the case of R2- mutants, the reduction was large (approx. ninefold) and was accompanied by a similar increase in dsDNA levels. The results suggest that the R1 and R3 gene products are required for efficient movement of the virus in the infected plant, whereas the R2 gene product may be involved in the regulation of ssDNA vs dsDNA levels.