cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID-19 containment measures on air pollution in California

This study used space-and ground-based sensors in conjunction meteorological and traffic information to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 containment measures on air pollution in California by comparing data from March–April 2020 to the similar period in 2019 Although significantly lower pollution levels were observed throughout the COVID-19 containment period in 2020 compared to 2019, our meteorological analysis found that periods of enhanced precipitation likely contributed to the cleaner environment over the Central Valley and southern California Therefore, we focused our assessment on a 19-day period of drier conditions across the region During this period, TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) data revealed strong reductions in tropospheric NO2 of 40% in Los Angeles, 38% in Fresno, and about 20% in Bakersfield and San Francisco when compared to 2019 The reductions were mostly within about 10% of the decrease in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which indicates that the decrease in traffic-related NOx due to the COVID-19 lockdown was an important driver of the NO2 reduction Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) data showed similar NO2 reductions to TROPOMI over Los Angeles during the lockdown, but drastically different results over the other cities where little to no reductions were observed The close agreement between ground-based and TROPOMI observations indicated that a more accurate assessment of the impacts from the COVID-19 lockdown can be accomplished using TROPOMI rather than OMI data, which is attributed to its improved resolution and sensitivity that can better characterize NO2 pollution associated with fine-scale emissions Altogether, the space-and ground-based observations provide strong evidence that the containment measures led to NO2 reductions of around 35% in Los Angeles and Fresno and 25% in San Francisco and Bakersfield relative to 2019, along with decreases in PM2 5 and improved air quality at the surface © The Author(s)
Intratumoral injection reduces toxicity and antibody-mediated neutralization of immunocytokine in a mouse melanoma model

Background Some patients with cancer treated with anticancer monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) develop antidrug antibodies (ADAs) that recognize and bind the therapeutic antibody. This response may neutralize the therapeutic mAb, interfere with mAb effector function or cause toxicities. We investigated the potential influence of ADA to modify the tumor-binding capability of a tumor-reactive ‘immunocytokine’ (IC), namely, a fusion protein (hu14.18-IL2) consisting of a humanized, tumor-reactive, anti-GD2 mAb genetically linked to interleukin 2. We characterize the role of treatment delivery of IC (intravenous vs intratumoral) on the impact of ADA on therapeutic outcome following IC treatments in an established antimelanoma (MEL) regimen involving radiotherapy (RT) +IC. Methods C57BL/6 mice were injected with human IgG or the hu14.18-IL2 IC to develop a mouse anti-human antibody (MAHA) response (MAHA+). In vitro assays were performed to assess ADA binding to IC using sera from MAHA+ and MAHA− mice. In vivo experiments assessed the levels of IC bound to tumor in MAHA+ and MAHA− mice, and the influence of IC route of delivery on its ability to bind to B78 (GD2+) MEL tumors. Results MAHA is inducible in C57BL/6 mice. In vitro assays show that MAHA is capable of inhibiting the binding of IC to GD2 antigen on B78 cells, resulting in impaired ADCC mediated by IC. When B78-bearing mice are injected intravenously with IC, less IC binds to B78-MEL tumors in MAHA+ mice than in MAHA− mice. In contrast, when IC is injected intratumorally in tumor-bearing mice, the presence of MAHA does not detectibly impact IC binding to the tumor. Combination therapy with RT+IT-IC showed improved tumor regression compared with RT alone in MAHA+ mice. If given intratumorally, IC could be safely readministered in tumor-bearing MAHA+ mice, while intravenous injections of IC in MAHA+ mice caused severe toxicity. Histamine levels were elevated in MAHA+ mice compared with MAHA− mice after reintroduction of IC. Conclusions Intratumoral injection may be a means of overcoming ADA neutralization of therapeutic activity of tumor-reactive mAbs or ICs and may reduce systemic toxicity, which could have significant translational relevance.
Calculation of the C 12 + C 12 sub-barrier fusion cross section in an imaginary-time-dependent mean field theory

The $^{12}\mathrm{C}+^{12}\mathrm{C}$ sub-barrier fusion cross section is calculated within the framework of a time-dependent Hartree-Fock-based classical model using the Feynman path-integral method. The modified astrophysical ${S}^{*}$ factor is compared to direct and indirect experimental results. A good agreement with the direct data is found. In the lower-energy region where recent analyses of experimental data obtained with the Trojan horse method (THM) lead to contrasting results, the model predicts a nonresonant ${S}^{*}$ factor half-way between those results. Low-energy resonances revealed in the THM data are added to the calculation, and the relative reaction rate in the Gamow region is calculated. In particular, including ${0}^{+}$ resonances result in some agreement with the THM data. The role of different resonances is discussed in detail, and their influence on the reaction rate at temperatures relevant to stellar evolution is investigated.
Partitioning of surfactant into drug-rich nanodroplets and its impact on drug thermodynamic activity and droplet size

The excipients present in an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) are essential functional additives that ultimately influence the drug release performance and absorption. Herein, the effect of a polymer, hypromellose (HPMC), and three chemically diverse surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80, Tween), on the size and stability of the colloidal ketoprofen (KTP)-rich phase generated by liquid-liquid phase separation was evaluated. In addition, the impact of the excipients on the thermodynamic activity of KTP at concentrations in excess of the amorphous solubility was evaluated. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed that using surfactant alone did not effectively suppress coarsening of the KTP-rich phase. In contrast, the combined use of surfactant and HPMC maintained the KTP-rich droplet size at around 200 nm, which was smaller than in HPMC solutions without surfactant. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that HPMC distributed into the KTP-rich phase, leading to a reduced thermodynamic activity of KTP, and a consequent decrease in the maximum achievable aqueous phase concentration. Moreover, substantial amounts of both CTAB and Tween distributed into the KTP-rich phase from the aqueous phase, while SDS remained predominantly in the aqueous phase. The combined use of HPMC with CTAB or Tween resulted in a further decrease in the thermodynamic activity of KTP relative to in the presence of HPMC alone, due to the mixing of both HPMC and surfactant with the KTP-rich phase. In contrast, the addition of SDS did not reduce the thermodynamic activity of KTP because of the limited distribution of SDS into the KTP-rich phase. A reduction in KTP thermodynamic activity translated to a decreased supersaturation and hence a reduction in the maximum achievable membrane flux. The present study illustrates the complex effects of surfactant and polymer on drug thermodynamic activity, factors which should be considered when optimizing ASD formulations to maximize oral drug absorption. Ideally, excipients that do not substantially impact drug thermodynamic activity should be selected, in particular for drugs where achieving high supersaturation is critical to drive their absorption.
Drugs, Dogs, and the Fourth Amendment: An Analysis of Justice Stevens' Opinion in Illinois V. Caballes

When a drug dealer delivers illegal narcotics to the American market place, he frequently uses our nation's roadways. In an opinion authored by Justice John Paul Stevens and captioned Illinois v. Caballes, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a drug dealer does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in delivering illegal drugs that are detected by a drug sniffing dog from the drug dealer's car. The article argues that we as a society have a right and an obligation to protect ourselves from drug abuse and drug traffickers. Justice Stevens' opinion provides a brilliant examination of judicial precedent coupled with common sense. Caballes provides a balanced approach by providing law enforcement with a case that allows our police and prosecutors to fairly and effectively bring drug traffickers to justice.
Comparing the Properties of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Bricks to Conventional Concrete Masonry Units

This paper investigates the viability of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bricks as a replacement for concrete masonry units as a building material. The underlying goal is to validate the pursuit of production and testing of recycled PET bricks. Recycled plastic bricks have the potential to divert valuable post-consumer plastic waste from landfills, locking up this plastic for decades to come. A comparison of the material properties, as well as the greater societal impacts, of virgin PET and concrete comprise this study. The compressive strengths of the two materials are compared using both published data and a computational analysis. The toxic substances released during production and post-production of concrete and PET are examined, to gain a deeper understanding of the overall impact these materials have on human health.
Abstract PO-002: Pan-cancer integrative histology-genomic analysis via interpretable multimodal deep learning

Cancer prognostication and therapeutic response prediction is driven by prognostic markers in both histopathology slides and molecular profiles. The rapidly emerging field of deep learning-based computational pathology has demonstrated promise in developing objective prognostic models from histology whole slide images. Several studies have focused on predicting genomic and transcriptomic alterations from histology images. However, most prognostic models are either based on histology or genomics alone and do not address how histology and genomics can be integrated to develop joint image-omic assays and prognostic models. To overcome these challanges, we present a pan-cancer integrative platform for biomarker discovery in both histology slides and molecular profile data (http://pancancer.ai). We used corresponding gigapixel whole-slide images, RNA-Seq abundance, copy number variation, and mutation data from 5,720 patients across 14 cancer types to train a weakly supervised, interpretable, multimodal deep learning algorithm that is able to not only fuse these heterogenous modalities for survival analysis, but also discover prognostic features from these modalities that corroborate with poor and favorable survival outcomes using multimodal interpretability. In a 5-fold cross validation, we compared our model with unimodal deep learning models trained on histology slides and molecular profiles alone, and demonstrate performance increase in risk stratification on 9 out of 14 cancers, as well as shifts in feature importance when conditioned on more than one modality. To validate our setup as a platform for driving biomarker discovery, we analyzed both morphological and molecular features that were identified by high attribution regions in every patient, and discovered statistically significant associations between high tumor-infilitrating lymphocyte (TIL) presence in HE 2021 Jan 13-14. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(5_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-002.
A deep learning approach to gold nanoparticle quantification in computed tomography.

Abstract Introduction Deep learning (DL) is used to classify, detect, and quantify gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in a human-sized phantom with a clinical MDCT scanner. Methods AuNPs were imaged at concentrations between 0.0274 and 200 mgAu/mL in a 33 cm phantom. 1 mm-thick CT image slices were acquired at 120 kVp with a CTDIvol of 23.6 mGy. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained on 544 images to classify 17 different tissue types and AuNP concentrations. A second set of 544 images was then used for testing. Results AuNPs were classified with 95% accuracy at 0.1095 mgAu/mL and 97% accuracy at 0.2189 mgAu/mL. Both these concentrations are lower than what humans can visually perceive (0.3–1.4 mgAu/mL). AuNP concentrations were also classified with 95% accuracy at 150 and 200 mgAu/mL. These high concentrations result in CT numbers that are at or above the 12-bit limit for CT’s dynamic range where extended Hounsfield scales are otherwise required for measuring differences in contrast. Conclusions We have shown that DL can be used to detect AuNPs at concentrations lower than what humans can visually perceive and can also quantify very high AuNP concentrations that exceed the typical 12-bit dynamic range of clinical MDCT scanners. This second finding is possible due to inhomogeneous AuNP distributions and characteristic streak artifacts. It may even be possible to extend this approach beyond AuNP imaging in CT for quantifying high density objects without extended Hounsfield scales.
Do Grid Support Functions have Negative Impacts on Smart Inverter’s On-board Islanding Detection?

With the proliferation of inverter based Distributed Energy Resource (DER) deployments, especially with advanced grid support functions (GSFs), the risk of unintended islands has remained a significant safety concern among the distribution system operators. IEEE 1547 standard requires DER to "detect an island, cease to energize the area electric power system (Area EPS) and trip within 2 second of the island formation." In addition, because of aggregate impact of high penetration of DERs on system stability, IEEE 1547-2018 revision mandated several GSFs, including abnormal voltage and frequency ride-through and voltage/frequency regulation support capabilities for all DERs. These grid support functions aim to maintain stability during grid-connected operation and island preventions aim to destabilize the network when the grid is not present. These apparently opposite objectives lead to the skepticism about island prevention effectiveness together with grid support from smart inverters. This paper investigates the apparent conflict in objectives and provides answer by revealing the unique relationships between frequency, voltage, active and reactive power in grid following inverter dominated islands and the fundamental differences in inverter’s control during grid-connected and islanded condition. It also explains why ride-through, volt-var, frequency-watt, and volt-watt functions are not expected to impact island detection performance by smart inverters.
Mitochondrial A-kinase anchoring proteins in cardiac ventricular myocytes.

Compartmentation of cAMP signaling is a critical factor for maintaining the integrity of receptor-specific responses in cardiac myocytes. This phenomenon relies on various factors limiting cAMP diffusion. Our previous work in adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs) indicates that PKA regulatory subunits anchored to the outer membrane of mitochondria play a key role in buffering the movement of cytosolic cAMP. PKA can be targeted to discrete subcellular locations through the interaction of both type I and type II regulatory subunits with A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). The purpose of this study is to identify which AKAPs and PKA regulatory subunit isoforms are associated with mitochondria in ARVMs. Quantitative PCR data demonstrate that mRNA for dual specific AKAP1 and 2 (D-AKAP1 & D-AKAP2), acyl-CoA-binding domain-containing 3 (ACBD3), optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) are most abundant, while Rab32, WAVE-1, and sphingosine kinase type 1 interacting protein (SPHKAP) were barely detectable. Biochemical and immunocytochemical analysis suggests that D-AKAP1, D-AKAP2, and ACBD3 are the predominant mitochondrial AKAPs exposed to the cytosolic compartment in these cells. Furthermore, we show that both type I and type II regulatory subunits of PKA are associated with mitochondria. Taken together, these data suggest that D-AKAP1, D-AKAP2, and ACBD3 may be responsible for tethering both type I and type II PKA regulatory subunits to the outer mitochondrial membrane in ARVMs. In addition to regulating PKA-dependent mitochondrial function, these AKAPs may play an important role by buffering the movement of cAMP necessary for compartmentation.
The description-experience gap in risky choice in nonhuman primates

Risk attitudes in humans depend on the format used to present the gamble: we are more risk-averse for common gambles in the gains domain whose properties are described to us verbally than for those whose properties we learned about solely through experience. This difference, which constitutes part of the description-experience gap, is important, because it highlights the role of knowledge acquisition in decision-making. The reasons for the gap remain obscure, but could depend upon uniquely human cognitive abilities, such as those associated with language. Thus, the gap may or may not extend to nonhuman animals. For this study, rhesus monkeys performed a novel task in which the properties of some gambles were explicitly cued (described), whereas others were learned through previous choices (experienced). Our monkeys displayed a description-experience gap. Overall, monkeys were more risk-seeking for experienced than for described gambles. This difference was observed for a range of gamble probabilities (from 20% to 80% likelihood of payoff), indicating that it is not limited to low probability events. These results suggest that the description-experience gap does not depend on uniquely human cognitive abilities, such as those associated with language, and support the idea that epistemic influences on risk attitudes are evolutionarily ancient.
The DExH protein NPH-II is a processive and directional motor for unwinding RNA.

All aspects of cellular RNA metabolism and processing involve DExH/D proteins, which are a family of enzymes that unwind or manipulate RNA in an ATP-dependent fashion1. DExH/D proteins are also essential for the replication of many viruses, and therefore provide targets for the development of therapeutics2. All DExH/D proteins characterized to date hydrolyse nucleoside triphosphates and, in most cases, this activity is stimulated by the addition of RNA or DNA1. Several members of the family unwind RNA duplexes in an NTP-dependent fashion in vitro1,3; therefore it has been proposed that DExH/D proteins couple NTP hydrolysis to RNA conformational change in complex macromolecular assemblies4. Despite the central role of DExH/D proteins, their mechanism of RNA helicase activity remains unknown. Here we show that the DExH protein NPH-II unwinds RNA duplexes in a processive, unidirectional fashion with a step size of roughly one-half helix turn. We show that there is a quantitative connection between ATP utilization and helicase processivity, thereby providing direct evidence that DExH/D proteins can function as molecular motors on RNA.
Molecular Genetics of Tourette Syndrome

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by chronic motor and vocal tics, which fluctuate over time. The molecular genetics of TS is supported by genetic epidemiology studies, which strongly suggest the presence of susceptibility genes for TS. Epidemiologic family, segregation and linkage studies, as well as candidate gene studies, have yielded limited specific results to date, however, pathophysiology models that support a molecular genetics approach in TS are emerging. Whole-genome approaches, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and whole-genome sequencing, may yield more definitive genomic findings. Uncovering the biological substrate of TS will spur the development of novel, more precisely targeted, treatments for this disabling disorder. Keywords: Tourette Syndrome; molecular genetics; candidate genes; linkage; association; dopamine; glutamate
EFFECT OF LACTATE ENHANCEMENT ON MYOGLOBIN OXYGENATION OF BEEF LONGISSIMUS STEAKS OVERWRAPPED IN PVC AND STORED AT 4C

Injection enhancement with lactate darkens beef; however, the mechanism is unclear. Our objective was to assess the effects of lactate on beef myoglobin oxygenation. Nine strip loins were divided in half and one of three injection treatments (negative control − not injected, positive control − injected with water, and 3% lactate − injected with a water solution of lactate) was assigned to each half using an incomplete block design. Positive control and 3% lactate loins were pumped to 110% of green weight, cut into 2.54-cm thick steaks, overwrapped in polyvinyl chloride and stored at 4C. Steak surface darkening (L*), color stability (a* and metmyoglobin-reducing activity), depth of oxygen penetration and myoglobin oxygenation (1 h at 4C) were evaluated on days 0, 7 and 12 of storage. Lactate darkened color, decreased surface myoglobin oxygenation and limited oxygen penetration compared with controls (P < 0.05). Color stability was improved (P < 0.05) by lactate injection. The darkening effect of lactate may be associated with decreased myoglobin oxygenation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Case-ready packaging has allowed beef purveyors to enhance meat with various ingredients, resulting in increased color and shelf life. Lactate is added as an antimicrobial agent; however, this beneficial effect can be somewhat diminished by lactate-induced darkening. Research assessing the mechanism(s) of lactate-induced beef color darkening is limited with previous research focused on determining the mechanism of lactate-induced color stability. The current research will give a better understanding of the role of lactate as an ingredient in beef steak darkening and, thus, provide a foundation that can be used to develop strategies to improve meat color.
Great Lakes Monitoring Results—Comparison of Probability Based and Deterministic Sampling Grids

The Great Lakes may be viewed as a coastal environment, affected by the same meteorological and physical forces as the coastal ocean. The U.S. EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) has monitored the open waters of the lakes, annually, since 1983. As part of the U.S. EPA Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP), a pilot study was performed in Lake Michigan to compare the existing GLNPO deterministic sampling grid with the EMAP probabilistic grid. Results of chemical analyses of trophic status indicators (total phosphorus and chlorophyll a) as well as nutrients and conventional limnological measurements, from spring and summer surveys in 1992 indicate little difference between the grids in the offshore region of the lake. The few statistically significant differences may be due to station distribution throughout the lake, or simple chance. This might be expected due to the well mixed nature of the open waters of Lake Michigan. The detection of a long-term trend for total phosphorus in Lake Michigan benefits from an annual program: viewing cumulative frequency distributions based on a four year EMAP interval does not convey information on the decrease in phosphorus in the lake. If the EMAP sampling grid were to be used in the Great Lakes, pilots in each of the lakes would be necessary for utilization of the existing long-term record as a basis for trend detection.
Integrated Modeling of Tokamak Experiments with OMFIT

One Modeling Framework for Integrated Tasks (OMFIT) is a framework that allows data to be easily exchanged among different codes by providing a unifying data structure. The main idea at the base of OMFIT is to treat files, data and scripts as a uniform collection of objects organized into a tree structure, which provides a consistent way to access and manipulate such collection of heterogeneous objects, independent of their origin. Within the OMFIT tree, data can be copied/referred from one node to another and tasks can call each other allowing for complex compound task to be built. A top-level Graphical User Interface (GUI) allowing users to manage tree objects, carry out simulations and analyze the data either interactively or in batch. OMFIT supports many scientific data formats and when a file is loaded into the framework, its data populates the tree structure, automatically endowing it with many potential uses. Furthermore, seamless integration with experimental management systems allows direct manipulation of their data. In OMFIT modeling tasks are organized into modules, which can be easily combined to create arbitrarily-large multi-physics simulations. Modules inter-dependencies are seamlessly defined by variables referencing tree locations among them. Creation of new modules and customization of existing ones is encouraged by graphical tools for their management and an online repository. High level Application Programmer Interfaces (APIs) enable users to execute their codes on remote servers and creation application-specific GUIs. Finally, within OMFIT it is possible to visualize experimental and modeling data for both quick analysis and publication purposes. Examples of application to the DIII-D tokamak are presented.
A latitudinally banded phytoplankton response to 21st century climate change in the Southern Ocean across the CMIP5 model suite

Abstract. Changes in Southern Ocean (SO) phytoplankton distributions with future warming have the potential to significantly alter nutrient and carbon cycles as well as higher trophic level productivity both locally and throughout the global ocean. Here we investigate the response of SO phytoplankton productivity and biomass to 21st century climate change across the CMIP5 Earth System Model suite. The models predict a zonally banded pattern of phytoplankton abundance and production changes within four regions: the subtropical (~ 30 to 40° S), transitional (~ 40 to 50° S), subpolar (~ 50 to 65° S) and Antarctic (south of ~ 65° S) bands. We find that shifts in bottom-up variables (nitrate, iron and light availability) drive changes in phytoplankton abundance and production on not only interannual, but also decadal and 100-year timescales – the timescales most relevant to climate change. Spatial patterns in the modelled mechanisms driving these biomass trends qualitatively agree with recent observations, though longer-term records are needed to separate the effects of climate change from those of interannual variability. Because much past observational work has focused on understanding the effects of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) on biology, future work should attempt to quantify the precise influence of an increasingly positive SAM on SO biology within the CMIP5 models. Continued long-term in situ and satellite measurements of SO biology are clearly needed to confirm model findings.
Fast-FACS: a computer-assisted system to increase speed and reliability of manual FACS coding

FACS (Facial Action Coding System) coding is the state of the art in manual measurement of facial actions. FACS coding, however, is labor intensive and difficult to standardize. A goal of automated FACS coding is to eliminate the need for manual coding and realize automatic recognition and analysis of facial actions. Success of this effort depends in part on access to reliably coded corpora; however, manual FACS coding remains expensive and slow. This paper proposes Fast-FACS, a computer vision aided system that improves speed and reliability of FACS coding. Three are the main novelties of the system: (1) to the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to predict onsets and offsets from peaks, (2) use Active Appearance Models for computer assisted FACS coding, (3) learn an optimal metric to predict onsets and offsets from peaks. The system was tested in the RU-FACS database, which consists of natural facial behavior during a twoperson interview. Fast-FACS reduced manual coding time by nearly 50% and demonstrated strong concurrent validity with manual FACS coding.
Heats of reaction and kinetics of a thermoset polyester

The curing reaction of a thermoset polyester was investigated by using the isothermal and dynamic techniques of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The heats of reaction (at different curing temperatures) and a kinetic expression of the crosslinking reaction are presented and compared to the results of the previous studies. The proposed kinetic model can be utilized to obtain the rates of heat generation and the extent of cure at different cure temperatures and time. The overall activation energy of the curing reaction was calculated on the basis of experimental data as 17.0 kcal/mole and the overall reaction rate constant as 2.60 × 109 exp (−17,000/RT) min−1.
State funding for health information technology and selected ambulatory healthcare quality measures.

Background: Previous studies on the effects of health information technology (health IT) on ambulatory quality have had mixed results. New York State has invested heavily in health IT throughout the State, creating a unique opportunity to assess effects on health care quality across multiple communities. Objective: To determine any association between primary care providers’ receipt of funding from New York State’s Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers Program (HEAL NY) and ambulatory quality of care Methods: A statewide, longitudinal cohort study of primary care physicians in New York State was conducted. Data regarding which primary care physicians received funding through the HEAL NY program (Phase 5 or Phase 10) in 2008 or 2009 were obtained from the New York State Department of Health. Health care quality in 2010 was measured using claims data that had been aggregated across 7 commercial health plans across the state. Physicians were divided into 2 groups, based on receipt of HEAL funding (yes/no). Any association was measured between study group and each of 7 quality measures, all of which appear in the Stage 1 federal Meaningful Use program. Negative binomial regression was used, adjusting for provider gender and specialty. Results: The study included 3,988 primary care providers, of whom 863 (22%) had received HEAL NY funding. The HEAL-funded physicians provided higher quality of care on 5 of the 7 measures: breast cancer screening, eye exams in patients with diabetes, nephropathy screening in patients with diabetes, influenza vaccination and pneumococcal vaccination (p<0.0001 for all adjusted comparisons). The HEAL-funded group provided higher quality of care by an absolute 2 to 6 percentage points per measure for those 5 measures. Conclusion: Primary care physicians who received state funding for health IT provided higher quality of care than those who did not receive such funding.
Behavioral manipulations and protein metabolism of the brain: Effects of visual training on the utilization of leucine-H3

Abstract The utilization of systemically injected leucine-H 3 by the brain was compared in visually-deprived rats and rats receiving prolonged training in a maze on a series of visual pattern-discrimination tasks. Microdensitometric evaluation of autoradiographic grain density over single nerve cells in a variety of visual and nonvisual brain regions indicated that there was no significant difference in the utilization of the radiochemical by proteins of the brain in the two groups of animals; though there was a trend of increased uptake in several visual and nonvisual structures in the visually-deprived animals. This result supports our previous conclusion that the presumed functional activation of the brain by behavioral engagement need not lead to increased protein metabolism, as measured by our technique. The slight increase in the utilization of leucine-H 3 in the visually-deprived animals can be attributed to the greater stress produced by the injection procedure in these unhandled animals.
Patient gender and physician practice style.

Background: Patient and physician gender may impact the process of medical care and its outcomes. Our objective was to investigate the influence of patient gender on what takes place during initial primary care visits while controlling for other variables previously demonstrated to affect the physician-patient interaction, such as physician gender and specialty, patient health status, pain, depression, obesity, age, education, and income. Methods: New patients (315 women, 194 men) were randomized for care by 105 primary care physicians. Sociodemographic information, self-reported health status and pain measures, a depression evaluation, screening for alcoholism, history of tobacco use, and measured body mass index (BMI) were collected during a previsit interview. The entire medical visit was videotaped, and then analyzed using the Davis Observation Code (DOC) system. Results: There was no significant difference in the visit length or work intensity (number of behavioral codes) for female patients compared...
Avoiding interferences and problems in the determination of nitrate. The comparison of two methods: The Orion specific ion electrode and the cadmium column

Abstract Interferences involved in the analysis of NO3 by a specific ion electrode and by a cadmium reduction column are studied. It is shown that the cadmium column is relatively free of the interferences that affect the specific ion electrode. It is shown that carbon is an efficient substance for removing the interfering organic material and in so doing extends the range of sensitivity of the cadmium column considerably.
Mechanism of killing of spores of Bacillus anthracis in a high‐temperature gas environment, and analysis of DNA damage generated by various decontamination treatments of spores of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis

Aims To determine how hydrated Bacillus anthracis spores are killed in a high-temperature gas environment (HTGE), and how spores of several Bacillus species including B. anthracis are killed by UV radiation, dry heat, wet heat and desiccation. Methods and Results Hydrated B. anthracis spores were HTGE treated at c. 220°C for 50 ms, and the treated spores were tested for germination, mutagenesis, rupture and loss of dipicolinic acid. Spores of this and other Bacillus species were also examined for mutagenesis by UV, wet and dry heat and desiccation. There was no rupture of HTGE-treated B. anthracis spores killed 90–99·9%, no mutagenesis, and release of DPA and loss of germination were much slower than spore killing. However, killing of spores of B. anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus subtilis by UV radiation or dry heat, but not wet heat in water or ethanol, was accompanied by mutagenesis. Conclusions It appears likely that HTGE treatment kills B. anthracis spores by damage to spore core proteins. In addition, various killing regimens inactivate spores of a number of Bacillus species by the same mechanisms. Significance and Impact of the Study This work indicates how hydrated spores treated in a HTGE such as might be used to destroy biological warfare agent stocks are killed. The work also indicates that mechanisms whereby different agents kill spores are similar with spores of different Bacillus species.
Evaluation of the effects of felodipine, verapamil and hydralazine on the survival rate of rats subjected to lethal effects of oxygen free radicals

Intravenous administration of xanthine (X: 0.225 mg/kg, i.v.) plus xanthine oxidase (XO: 3.0 units/ kg, i.v.) to anesthetized rats resulted in a rapid fall in the arterial pressure and a mortality rate of over 80% during 120 min observation period. Pretreatment of the rats with superoxide dismutase (SOD) or SOD plus catalase significantly enhanced survival rate to 60% confirming that the toxicity after [X + XO] administration is due to the generation of oxygen free radicals. Pretreatment of the rats with either felodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist or verapamil, a structurally different Ca2+-channel blocker was most effective in promoting survival rate to 90%; in contrast, hydralazine, an arteriolar dilator but not a calcium antagonist, was ineffective in significantly enhancing survival.
Stabilization of multiparameter singularly perturbed systems

A two-step method to stabilize linear time-invariant multi-parameter singularly perturbed systems is presented. The closed-loop system is asymptotically stable for all sufficiently small singular perturbation parameters which are assumed to lie in a prescribed set.
Perceived state of science in Nigerian universities

Nigerian university scientists are working under very difficult conditions created by a number of constraints of which lack of equipment and lack of information are the most crucial. These constraints have generated a number of adaptations that are both innovative and opportunistic. Strategies for dealing with these constraints are described. Attention is also given to the social milieu of the scientists and the issue of reward for scientific contribution.
STATES OF A FEW HOLES IN A t-J MODEL

The interaction of a few holes with the magnons and with each other in the t-J model, is formulated in k-space. At small J/t, each hole is accompanied by a cloud of ≈ 1.4(t/J)1/3 magnons (spin reversals), on average. We obtain, and in some cases, solve formal expressions for the ground state eigenfunctions, eigenvalues, and Green functions. The constant energy surfaces are quasi-one-dimensional.
Acetylcholine and gastric secretion.

SummaryHemicholinium in conscious dogs with gastric fistulae and Heidenhain pouches depressed PG and 2 deoxy-D-glu-cose stimulation of acid and pepsin secretion. On the other hand, it either augmented or did not significantly change histamine- and pilocarpine-promoted secretion. These results support the view that acetyl-choline is an obligatory mediator of the action of PG at secretory effector sites.
Modulation of the human sperm acrosome reaction by effectors of the adenylate cyclase/cyclic AMP second-messenger pathway.

The acrosome reaction of spermatozoa appears to be analogous to various somatic cell exocytotic events which involve cascade reactions, i.e., transmission of an external signal across the cell membrane resulting in activation of an "amplifier" enzyme and the generation of a second messenger. Using a synchronous acrosome reaction system (De Jonge et al., J. Androl., 10:232-239, '89a), it was found that analogues of the second-messenger cAMP, dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) and 8-bromo cAMP, stimulated the acrosome reaction of capacitated spermatozoa. Additionally, treatment of spermatozoa with either xanthine or non-xanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitors induced a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in the percent acrosome reaction after a period of capacitation in comparison to untreated controls. These results indicate that analogues of cAMP or inhibitors which prevent cAMP hydrolysis can induce the human sperm acrosome reaction. Subsequent experiments were conducted to test whether the amplifier enzyme in the cascade reaction, adenylate cyclase, has a role in the acrosome reaction. Forskolin, an adenylate cyclase stimulator, caused a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in the percent acrosome reaction in comparison to controls. Modulators of adenylate cyclase--adenosine, 2'-0-methyladenosine, and 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine--significantly (P less than 0.01) inhibited the forskolin-induced acrosome reaction. dbcAMP was able to overcome the inhibition by adenosine. Two inhibitors of protein kinase A, the Walsh inhibitor and H-8, caused a significant (P less than 0.01) inhibition of the dbcAMP-induced acrosome reaction. Finally, in the absence of extracellular calcium, dbcAMP induced a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in the acrosome reaction in contrast to A23187. These results suggest that: 1) a molecular mechanism for the human sperm acrosome reaction involves the cAMP second-messenger system; i.e., activation of adenylate cyclase, the amplifier enzyme that produces cAMP, production of cAMP as a second messenger, and activation of cAMP-dependent kinase A; and that 2) activation of adenylate cyclase occurs after calcium influx.
Association between smoking habits and the first-time appearance of atrial fibrillation in Japanese patients: Evidence from the Shinken Database.

Abstract Background We previously reported a cross-sectional analysis regarding the relationship between smoking and atrial fibrillation (AF) in a single hospital-based cohort with Japanese patients, but the effect of cessation of smoking and/or total tobacco consumption were unclear. Methods and results We used data from the Shinken Database 2004–2011 (men/women, n = 10,714/6803, respectively), which included all new patients attending the Cardiovascular Institute between June 2004 and March 2012. After excluding those previously diagnosed with AF (n = 2296), 15,221 patients (men/women, n = 9016/6205) were analyzed. During the follow-up period of 2.0 ± 2.1 years (range 0.0–8.1), the incidence rates of new AF in smokers and non-smokers were 9.0 and 5.0 per 1000 patient-years, respectively. In adjusted models with Cox regression analysis, smokers were independently associated with new AF [hazard ratio (HR) 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–2.00]. Also, current smokers (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.17–2.79) and smokers with Brinkman index ≥800 (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.05–2.70) were independently associated with new AF. However, in current smokers, the HRs were not different by Brinkman index (Brinkman index Conclusions Smoking was independently associated with the first-appearance of AF in patients in sinus rhythm, especially when the patients continued their smoking habit. However, in patients who continued smoking, difference by total tobacco consumption was not observed, suggesting the significance of cessation of smoking for preventing AF. Our data are limited because of a single hospital-based nature and a relatively short observation period.
Asian Americans' differential patterns of utilization of inpatient and outpatient public mental health services in Hawaii

The major purpose of the present study was to examine Asian Americans' differential patterns of utilization of mental health services in Hawaii. It was proposed that an analysis of Asian Americans' differential patterns of utilization of inpatient and outpatient mental health services may provide some clues to the reasons behind their overall pattern of underutilization. More specifically, whereas it has been established in many studies that Asian Americans tend to underutilize mental health services, the present research questions are directed at determining if Asian Americans tend to (a) underutilize inpatient mental health services, (b) overutilize or use at their representative level outpatient mental health services, and (c) exhibit different patterns in the sources of referral into the mental health system. Using a dataset from the state of Hawaii's Department of Health, mental health service utilization rates for three Asian-American groups (Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino) were compared to each other and to those of White Americans. It was found that there were ethnic subgroups (e.g., Chinese versus Filipino) and intergroup differences (i.e., Asian versus White) in the utilization of inpatient and outpatient mental health services as well as in sources of referral into the mental health system. The clinical and research implications of the findings are discussed.
AN INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL FACES THE FUTURE

The last decade has seen the closing of several schools of library and information science in the US, including prestigious ones like those of Columbia University and Case‐Western Reserve. The high costs of maintaining such programmes partly accounts for this change. Decreasing enrolment presents another factor. Fewer students perceive library and information science as an economically attractive profession. Expected beginning salaries balanced against the requirements in subject, language or technical expertise have prompted many prospective candidates to enrol in other programmes that promise them a greater return for their education dollars.
Noncanonical E2 recruitment by the autophagy E1 revealed by Atg7–Atg3 and Atg7–Atg10 structures

An early step in the autophagy process is the conjugation of the ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs) Atg8 and Atg12 to their targets. Structural and functional experiments reveal how the autophagy E1 Atg7 uses a trans mechanism to catalyze the charging of the autophagy UBLs onto their respective carrier E2 proteins, Atg3 and Atg10.
Responses to cell contacts between growth cones, neurites and ganglionic non-neuronal cells.

The motility of growth cones of embryonic peripheral neurons is not inhibited by contact with the surfaces of neurites or of non-neuronal cells. Rather, growth cones and microspikes adhere to other cell surfaces and often respond with forward movement and elongation in contact with other cells, as they do on adhesive surfacesin vitro. Furthermore, non-neuronal cells do not display contact inhibition when they contact growth cones or neurites. If anything, surface motility and ruffling is stimulated by contact with a neuronal cell surface and some non-neuronal cells prefer to migrate along neurites rather than on the surface of the culture dish.
The Effects of Score Group Width on the Mantel-Haenszel Procedure.

Previous research examining the effects of reducing the number of score groups used in the matching criterion of the Mantel-Haenszel procedure, when screening for DIF, has produced ambiguous results. The goal of this study was to resolve the ambiguity by examining the problem with a simulated data set. The main results from this study call into question the preliminary recommendations of several other researchers that four or more score groups are sufficient and produce stable results. Although considerable stability and very little Type I error was noted with equal ability distribution comparisons, with unequal ability distributions, the Type I error rate was substantially inflated. These results argue against the appropriateness of implementing the procedure by collapsing score groups. The current data suggest that more than modest reductions in the number of score groups cannot be recommended when the ability distributions of the reference and focal groups differ
VALUING THE FUTURES-MARKET PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE

.._W....n il-nan Institute of University of Business and California at Economic Research Berkeley FISHER CENTER FOR REAL ESTATE AND URBAN ECONOMICS WORKING PAPER SERIES These papers are preliminary in nature: their purpose is to stimulate discussion and comment. Therefore, they are not to be cited or quoted in any publication without the ex- press permission of the author. WORKING PAPER NO. 96-243 VALUING THE FUTURES MARKET PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE BY Roger Craine WALTER A. HAAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
A simple approach to computer aided milling with interactive graphics

This paper describes CAMILL, a system for computer aided milling of ship hull models defined with interactive graphics. The major hardware components of CAMILL are a mini-computer based refresh display and a three axis numerically controlled milling machine. For hardcopy documentation there is a large flatbed plotter. The two major software components are an interactive display program and a cutting program. The interactive display program is the human interface and provides capabilities for creating and modifying the ship design. The cutting program is executed in an intelligent terminal interfaced to the milling machine. The data used by the cutting program is generated by the display program and stored on a magnetic cassete tape. This cassette is transferred to the intelligent terminal for use by the cutting program. The main function of the cutting program is to direct the milling of the desired ship hull.