cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population Dynamics and Long-Term Trajectory of Dendritic Spines.

Structural plasticity, characterized by the formation and elimination of synapses, plays a big role in learning and long-term memory formation in the brain. The majority of the synapses in the neocortex occur between the axonal boutons and dendritic spines. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of the dendritic spine growth and elimination can provide key insights to the mechanisms of structural plasticity. In addition to learning and memory formation, the connectivity of neural networks affects cognition, perception, and behavior. Unsurprisingly, psychiatric and neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and autism are accompanied by pathological alterations in spine morphology and synapse numbers. Hence, it is vital to develop a model to understand the mechanisms governing dendritic spine dynamics throughout the lifetime. Here, we applied the density dependent Ricker population model to investigate the feasibility of ecological population concepts and mathematical foundations in spine dynamics. The model includes ‘immigration’, which is based on the filopodia type transient spines, and we show how this effect can potentially stabilize the spine population theoretically. For the long-term dynamics we employed a time dependent carrying capacity based on the brain’s metabolic energy allocation. The results show that the mathematical model can explain the spine density fluctuations in the short-term and also account for the long term trends in the developing brain during synaptogenesis and pruning.
Signal Transduction by Receptors for BAFF and APRIL

The cytokines B-cell-activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) and A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) stimulate several of the major signaling cascades responsible for B-cell homeostasis. Transmitting these stimuli to the intracellular milieu are the receptors B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI), and BAFF receptor (BAFFR). While evidence for the activation of several nuclear-independent pathways is accumulating, the most consistent, reproducibly detectable molecular effect of stimulating cells with BAFF or APRIL is activation of the NF-κB family of transcription factors. Here, we will summarize the current state of knowledge about BAFF and APRIL signaling; from the membrane-proximal events that are distinct to BCMA, TACI, and BAFFR to the differences in the downstream pathway types and kinetics that are manifest in the phenotypic extremes of their respective knockout mouse models.
Monitoring High-Risk Infants

In the last decade great advances were made in perinatology, which evaluates fetal growth from 26 weeks of gestation to the end of the neonatal period or the fourth week after birth. The new techniques used in perinatology in recent years include amniocentesis. Evaluation of the amniotic fluid by this technique makes it possible to detect changes and to diagnose chromosomal abnormalities including different types of trisomies. This technique may also reveal the presence of abnormal substances such as a-fetoprotein, which often predicts the risk of malformations such as spina bifida and meningoceles. Also, the evaluation of fetomaternal hormones such as estriol in blood or urine may confirm fetal well-being or detect fetal risk. For example, urine estriol levels of 12 mg collected in 24 hr reveal fetal well-being, whereas levels of 4 mg may detect a fetus at risk (Fig. 18; Table 16).
High-Quality, Low-Cost Hearing Aids

At least one-tenth of the world’s population has significant hearing impairment. The vast majority of cases of hearing impairment are caused by disorders of the inner ear, a condition referred to as sensorineural hearing loss. This common form of hearing loss is typically the result of inner-ear damage or degeneration, is usually not resolved through medical treatment, and is usually permanent in nature. Although sensorineural hearing loss accompanying aging, or presbycusis, is primarily responsible for the high prevalence of hearing impairment, it may also be caused by other factors. For example, it may be genetic, appearing at birth or later in life, or it may be caused by a variety of other factors, including birth trauma, traumatic injury after birth, intake of dangerous chemicals or drugs, or overexposure to loud noise. The impact of sensorineural hearing loss can be devastating. In fact, it has been linked to a variety of physical and psychosocial dysfunctions, including isolation, dependency, hypertension and stress, depression, and a greater prevalence of illness in general. In children, it can result in delayed language and speech development, as well as poor progress in school.
Negotiating the tensions: A critical study of international schools’ mission statements

ABSTRACTThis paper examines how international schools negotiate the competing demands set forth by the discourses of ideological ‘internationalism’ and ‘market-driven’ multinationalism. This was accomplished through a critical discourse analysis of the mission statements of 46 Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA) member international schools. By identifying the interdiscursive and intertextual elements of the mission statements, we found that the potential tensions emerging from these competing discourses are often obfuscated, thus creating the semblance of congruency. This paper argues that by not acknowledging and disentangling these competing discourses, international schools may be subject to potentially detrimental consequences, which include marginalising their social and political possibilities and perpetuating neoliberal hegemony.
A Novel T-Cell Engaging Bi-specific Antibody Targeting the Leukemia Antigen PR1/HLA-A2

Despite substantial advances in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), only 30% of patients survive more than 5 years. Therefore, new therapeutics are much needed. Here, we present a novel therapeutic strategy targeting PR1, an HLA-A2 restricted myeloid leukemia antigen. Previously, we have developed and characterized a novel T-cell receptor-like monoclonal antibody (8F4) that targets PR1/HLA-A2 and eliminates AML xenografts by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). To improve the potency of 8F4, we adopted a strategy to link T-cell cytotoxicity with a bi-specific T-cell-engaging antibody that binds PR1/HLA-A2 on leukemia and CD3 on neighboring T-cells. The 8F4 bi-specific antibody maintained high affinity and specific binding to PR1/HLA-A2 comparable to parent 8F4 antibody, shown by flow cytometry and Bio-Layer Interferometry. In addition, 8F4 bi-specific antibody activated donor T-cells in the presence of HLA-A2+ primary AML blasts and cell lines in a dose dependent manner. Importantly, activated T-cells lysed HLA-A2+ primary AML blasts and cell lines after addition of 8F4 bi-specific antibody. In conclusion, our studies demonstrate the therapeutic potential of a novel bi-specific antibody targeting the PR1/HLA-A2 leukemia-associated antigen, justifying further clinical development of this strategy.
Cognitive and behavior therapy in a case of compulsive gambling

The literature contains few reports of behavior therapy used to treat compulsive gamblers. Desensitization (Draft, 1970),electrical aversion (Goorney, 1968; Seager, 1969),and a multifaceted approach including faradic shock, covert sensitization, massed practice, and time-out (Cotler, 1971)have been reported with mixed results. The increasing interest of behavior therapists in cognitive-symbolic mediation is well documented (Bandura, 1969; Mahoney, 1974; Meichenbaum, 1976);however, there are no reports of behavior therapists using a cognitive learning approach with a covert conditioning therapy to treat compulsive gambling. Such an approach is described in the present case report.
Stratified Flows over and around Long Dynamically Tall Mountain Ridges

AbstractUniformly stratified flows approaching long and dynamically tall ridges develop two distinct flow components over disparate time scales. The fluid upstream and below a “blocking level” is s...
Analysis of Bitwise and Samplewise Switched Passive Charge Sharing SAR ADCs

This paper presents the analysis of bitwise and samplewise switched passive charge sharing for successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). Closed-form analytic expressions of ADC transfer functions are derived based on charge conservation and validated by behavioral and schematic simulations. This leads to two elegant results for SAR ADCs with bitwise switched reference charge reservoirs (BS-RCRs). First, a binary-weighted SAR ADC implemented with BS-RCRs is transformed into a subradix-2 ADC. Second, the reference error caused by finite reservoir capacitance appears in the form of bit weight error. This error can be corrected digitally or by selecting a sufficiently large bit reference capacitance to bit weight capacitance ratio $\beta $ . However, the reference error with samplewise switched reference charge reservoir (SS-RCR) is input dependent. In addition, an equivalent-circuit model-based analysis method is introduced, which shows more circuit intuition why BS-RCRs have better linearity than SS-RCR. A case study of an 11-bit 100-MS/s SAR ADC in 65-nm CMOS is presented.
Variable Selection for High Dimensional Metagenomic Data

We address the high dimensional variable selection problem for associating the microbial compositions with a phenotype such as body mass index and disease status. Due to various sequencing depth, the number of reads assigned to a species or an operational taxonomic unit (OTU) is not directly comparable across different samples. Usually rarefying or normalization of the metagenomic count data has to be done before performing the downstream analysis. In this chapter, we employ a log contrast model bypassing the need for normalization. We propose a new method to identify phenotype associated species or OTUs using penalized regression and stability selection. The proposed method can also be applied to variable selection for regression analysis with compositional covariates. We compare the performance of different methods through simulation studies and real data analysis in the field of metagenomics.
Activated T cells transcribe an alternatively spliced mRNA encoding a soluble form of Qa-2 antigen.

Abstract Among the best characterized non-classical mouse major histocompatibility antigens are the Qa-2 molecules. These proteins can serve as targets for allogenic cytotoxic T cells and as signal transducing molecules. They are structurally similar to H-2 transplantation antigens in their N-terminal and beta 2-microglobulin binding domains but differ at their C-termini. While the H-2 antigens span the cell membrane, the Qa-2 molecules are attached to the cell surface via phospholipid anchors. The genetic information encoding this attachment is contained in exon 5. In concanavalin A activated splenocytes the expression of membrane bound Qa-2 antigens declines and, simultaneously, soluble forms of Qa-2 molecules are secreted. We demonstrate here that the soluble Qa-2 polypeptides are translated from alternatively spliced mRNAs lacking exon 5, while the membrane forms are encoded by the full-size transcripts. In cultured cells the alternative splicing of the Qa-2 message is induced by T-cell activation splicing of the Qa-2 message is induced by T-cell activation with concanavalin A. The canonical mRNA encoding the membrane form of Qa-2 predominates in unstimulated mouse tissues but the cultured cell lines, like activated T cells, express enhanced levels of the truncated mRNA. In some cell lines almost all Qa-2 transcripts lack exon 5. For example, in L cells, mRNAs encoding soluble Qa-2 molecules are at least 10 times more abundant than Qa-2 transcripts encoding phospholipid anchored antigens. These findings are discussed in terms of potential functions of membrane bound and secreted Qa-2 molecules.
Teaching Comics/Teaching with Comics: A Review of With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy: Teaching, Learning, and Comic Books

With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy: Teaching, Learning, and Comic Books, edited by Susan E. Kirtley, Antero Garcia, and Peter E. Carlson, University Press of Mississippi, 243 pages, 2020, ISBN 9781496826046 This article reviews With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy: Teaching, Learning, and Comic Books, edited by Susan E. Kirtley, Antero Garcia, and Peter E. Carlson (University Press of Mississippi, 2020). The book covers a wide range of approaches, pedagogical techniques, and uses of comics and graphic novels, as well as making comics, in the university classroom. A balance of theory, practice, and interviews, the book appeals to anyone interested in incorporating comics in their teaching.
Polycyclic Aromatics Formation in HSAPO-34 During Methanol-to-Olefin Catalysis: Ex Situ Characterization After Cryogenic Grinding

Cryogenic grinding using a freezer mill is shown to be a useful adjunct to acid digestion for the ex situ analysis of aromatic hydrocarbons entrained in microporous catalysts. In the course of converting methanol to olefins, HSAPO-34 contains first methylbenzenes and later methylnaphthalenes. As the catalyst deactivates, significant amounts of phenanthrene and pyrene form as well.
Do costs of corporate loans rise with sea level

We examine whether climate-change risk affects firms’ cost of capital when firms can adapt to the risk. We find firms’ cost of long-term loans increases with sea level rise (SLR) risk, but this effect mainly holds among firms with high adjustment costs to the risk, i.e., firms for whom it is hard to relocate or otherwise diversify SLR risk. Moreover, the spread-risk sensitivity is higher if the bank has more experience with the risk and in times of heightened media attention. This suggests banks have limited attention to this unconventional risk.
Addiction among women and sexual minority groups

Gender-related alcohol and drug abuse problems are related not only to biologic differences but also to social and environment factors, all of which can influence the clinical presentation, consequences of use, and treatment approaches. The number of women becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs of abuse has significantly increased with women becoming the fastest-growing group of substance abusers in the United States. Given that women experience a more rapid progression of their addiction than men, it is important that we understand and address the differences to help develop prevention and treatment programs that are tailored for women, incorporating trauma assessment and management, comorbidities, financial independence, pregnancy, and child care.
Energetic response of Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima to ocean acidification.

Abstract In this study, we assessed the Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) energy budget under different ocean acidification conditions (OA). During 12 weeks, 126 individuals were maintained at three different ρCO2 concentrations. Every two weeks, individuals were sampled for physiological measurements and scope for growth (SFG). In the high ρCO2 treatment, clearance rate decreased and excretion rate increased relative to the low ρCO2 treatment, resulting in reduced SFG. Moreover, oxygen:nitrogen (O:N) excretion ratio dropped, suggesting that a switch in metabolic strategy occurred. The medium ρCO2 treatment had no significant effects upon SFG; however, metabolic loss increased, suggesting a rise in energy expenditure. In addition, a significant increase in food selection efficiency was observed in the medium treatment, which could be a compensatory reaction to the metabolic over-costs. Results showed that surfclams are particularly sensitive to OA; however, the different compensatory mechanisms observed indicate that they are capable of some temporary resilience.
The Need for Research-Grade Systems Modeling Technologies for Life Science Education.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic not only challenged deeply-rooted daily patterns but also put a spotlight on the role of computational modeling in science and society. Amid the impromptu upheaval of in-person education across the world, this article aims to articulate the need to train students in computational and systems biology using research-grade technologies.
Overcoming the conflicting values of luxury branding and CSR by leveraging celebrity endorsements to build brand equity

In response to consumer demands for brands to be more socially responsible, luxury brands have been engaging and promoting their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to build brand equity. However, the past literature suggests that lack of compatibility between values related to luxury and CSR could lead to negative reactions from consumers. This research investigates how luxury brands can overcome the challenge of communicating their CSR initiatives by leveraging celebrity endorsers. Specifically, a celebrity endorser who is perceived to care about social causes can transfer meaning associated with self-transcendence and self-enhancement to the messaging, thus increasing the perception of fit between the brand and the social cause, which consequently impacts brand equity. The findings of this study offer research implications for academics, and practical considerations for luxury brand managers interested in finding ways to effectively communicate their CSR initiatives to consumers.
Focal Seizures and Arterial Ischemic Stroke as an Initial Presentation for Neonatal Leukemia

Introduction: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in childhood with neonatal ALL being rare at 1-5 cases per million live births. Though hyperleukocytosis (defined as leukocyte count ≥100,000 cells/microliter) occurs to some degree in the majority of neonatal ALL cases, CNS catastrophes related to hyperleukocytosis are rarely observed. We report a unique case of right parietal middle cerebral artery infarct secondary to hyperleukocytosis in a six-week-old infant with newly diagnosed neonatal ALL. Case Report: A 6-week-old female infant with past medical history of sickle cell trait was born full …
Prevalence of IgM and IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in health care workers at a tertiary care New York hospital during the Spring COVID-19 surge

Health care workers (HCW) such as anesthesiologists, surgeons, and intensivists face high rates of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 through direct contact with COVID-19 patients. While there are initial reports of the prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies among the general population, there are few reports comparing the seroprevalence of IgM/IgG COVID-19 antibodies in HCW of different exposure levels as well as different HCW professions. A convenience sample of health care workers provided blood for COVID-19 antibody testing and a review of medical history and work exposure for correlative analyses. Overall, 474 HCW were enrolled in April 2020 including 102 front-line physicians (e.g., anesthesiologists, surgeons, intensivists, emergency medicine), 91 other physicians, 135 nurses, 134 other clinical staff, and 12 non-clinical HCW. The prevalence of IgM or IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 was 16.9% (95% CI 13.6–20.6) (80/474). The proportion of positive antibodies in the PCR + group was significantly higher than health care workers without symptoms (84.6% [95% CI 54.6–98.1] vs. 12.3% [95% CI 8.5–17.2], p < 0.001). No significant differences in proportions of COVID-19 antibodies were observed among the different exposure groups (e.g., high vs minimal/no exposure) and among the different HCW professionals. Despite exposure to COVID-19 patients, the prevalence of antibodies in our HCW was similar to what has been reported for the general population of New York State (14%) and for another New York HCW cohort (13.7%). Health care workers with higher exposure rates were not more likely to have been infected with COVID-19. Therefore, these data suggest that infection of HCW may result from exposure in the community rather than at work. This investigator-initiated study was observational; therefore, no registration was required. Not applicable.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Policy Restricting Family Presence May Have Delayed End-of-Life Decisions for Critically Ill Patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if a restrictive visitor policy inadvertently lengthened the decision-making process for dying inpatients without coronavirus disease 2019. DESIGN: Regression discontinuity and time-to-event analysis. SETTING: Two large academic hospitals in a unified health system. PATIENTS OR SUBJECTS: Adult decedents who received greater than or equal to 1 day of ICU care during their terminal admission over a 12-month period. INTERVENTIONS: Implementation of a visit restriction policy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We identified 940 adult decedents without coronavirus disease 2019 during the study period. For these patients, ICU length of stay was 0.8 days longer following policy implementation, although this effect was not statistically significant (95% CI, -2.3 to 3.8; p = 0.63). After excluding patients admitted before the policy but who died after implementation, we observed that ICU length of stay was 2.9 days longer post-policy (95% CI, 0.27-5.6; p = 0.03). A time-to-event analysis revealed that admission after policy implementation was associated with a significantly longer time to first do not resuscitate/do not intubate/comfort care order (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.6-3.1; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Policies restricting family presence may lead to longer ICU stays and delay decisions to limit treatment prior to death. Further policy evaluation and programs enabling access to family-centered care and palliative care during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic are imperative.
Arrhythmogenesis in the aged heart following ischaemia-reperfusion: Role of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4.

AIMS Cardiomyocyte Ca2+ homeostasis is altered with ageing and predisposes the heart to Ca2+ intolerance and arrhythmia. Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is an osmotically-activated cation channel with expression in cardiomyocytes of the aged heart. The objective of this study was to examine the role of TRPV4 in Ca2+ handling and arrhythmogenesis following ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R), a pathological scenario associated with osmotic stress. METHODS AND RESULTS Cardiomyocyte membrane potential was monitored prior to and following I/R in Langendorff-perfused hearts of Aged (19-28 month) male and female C57BL/6 mice ± TRPV4 inhibition (1 μM HC067047, HC). Diastolic resting membrane potential was similar between Aged and Aged HC at baseline, but following I/R Aged exhibited depolarized diastolic membrane potential versus Aged HC. The effects of TRPV4 on cardiomyocyte Ca2+ signaling following I/R were examined in isolated hearts of Aged cardiac-specific GCaMP6f mice (±HC) using high-speed confocal fluorescence microscopy, with cardiomyocytes of Aged exhibiting an increased incidence of pro-arrhythmic Ca2+ signaling versus Aged HC. In the isolated cell environment, cardiomyocytes of Aged responded to sustained hypoosmotic stress (250mOsm) with an increase in Ca2+ transient amplitude (fluo-4) and higher incidence of pro-arrhythmic diastolic Ca2+ signals versus Aged HC. Intracardiac electrocardiogram measurements in isolated hearts following I/R revealed an increased arrhythmia incidence, an accelerated time to ventricular arrhythmia, and increased arrhythmia score in Aged versus Aged HC. Aged exhibited depolarized resting membrane potential, increased pro-arrhythmic diastolic Ca2+ signaling, and greater incidence of arrhythmia when compared to Young (3-5 mo). CONCLUSIONS TRPV4 contributes to pro-arrhythmic cardiomyocyte Ca2+ signaling, electrophysiological abnormalities, and ventricular arrhythmia in the aged mouse heart. TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Aged populations are at high risk for myocardial infarction, I/R injury, and ventricular arrhythmia. The TRPV4 channel contributes to I/R-induced changes in cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling and promotes ventricular arrhythmia in the aged mouse heart. Pharmacological TRPV4 inhibition may represent a potential anti-arrhythmic strategy for aged populations following myocardial infarction and I/R.
Bike Swarm

Urban cycling is often a solitary pursuit, as many cities do not provide infrastructure to facilitate social cycling, such as protected bike lanes. Negotiating congested streets can be stressful, even under the best conditions. The challenges of obstacle avoidance are amplified at night, when reduced visibility increases the risk of collision. In order to promote social cycling at night, we introduce [Bike] Swarm. Inspired by the natural synchrony emerging in swarms of nocturnal insects such as crickets and fireflies, [Bike] Swarm automatically inducts cyclists into a collective of nearby riders. A removable sheath of white LED illuminators is attached to the bicycle frame, providing a baseline level of illumination. When cyclists enter a 5-meter radius of other [Bike] Swarm riders, their bicycle lights begin pulsating in unison, creating a visually unified presence and extending membership in a self-organizing community that is increasing safety cooperatively.
Trends in Deep Learning for Property-driven Drug Design.

It is more pressing than ever to reduce the time and costs for developing lead compounds in the pharmaceutical industry. The co-occurrence of advances in high-throughput screening and the rise of deep learning (DL) have enabled the development of large-scale multimodal predictive models for virtual drug screening. Recently, deep generative models have emerged as a powerful tool for exploring the chemical space and raising hopes to expedite the drug discovery process. Following this progress in chemocentric approaches for generative chemistry, the next challenge is to build multimodal conditional generative models that leverage disparate knowledge sources when biochemical mapping properties to target structures. Here, we call the community to bridge drug discovery more closely with systems biology when designing deep generative models. Complementing the plethora of reviews on the role of DL in chemoinformatics, we herein specifically focus on the interface of predictive and generative modeling for drug discovery. Through a systematic publication keyword search on PubMed and a selection of preprint servers (arXiv, biorXiv, chemRxiv, and medRxiv), we quantify trends in the field and find that molecular graphs and VAEs have become the most widely adopted molecular representations and architectures in generative models, respectively. We discuss progress on DL for toxicity, drug-target affinity, and drug sensitivity prediction and specifically focus on conditional molecular generative models that encompass multimodal prediction models. Moreover, we outline prospects in the field and identify challenges such as the integration of deep learning systems into experimental workflows in a closed-loop manner or the adoption of federated machine learning techniques to overcome data sharing barriers. Other challenges include, but are not limited to interpretability in generative models, more sophisticated metrics for the evaluation of molecular generative models, and, following up on that, community-accepted benchmarks for both multimodal drug property prediction and property-driven molecular design.
Biting into the apple: or how religiosity may be linked to moral thought-action fusion through moral vitalism

Religious beliefs have been linked to both positive and negative outcomes, although the outcomes may depend upon what specific beliefs are held. Moral thought-action fusion (TAF-M), a belief that m...
Model reduction for a class of singularly perturbed stochastic differential equations

A class of singularly perturbed stochastic differential equations (SDE) with linear drift and nonlinear diffusion terms is considered. We prove that, on a finite time interval, the trajectories of the slow variables can be well approximated by those of a system with reduced dimension as the singular perturbation parameter becomes small. In particular, we show that when this parameter becomes small the first and second moments of the reduced system's variables closely approximate the first and second moments, respectively, of the slow variables of the singularly perturbed system. Chemical Langevin equations describing the stochastic dynamics of molecular systems with linear propensity functions including both fast and slow reactions fall within the class of SDEs considered here. We therefore illustrate the goodness of our approximation on a simulation example modeling a well known biomolecular system with fast and slow processes.
A Bayesian approach for characterization of soft tissue viscoelasticity in acoustic radiation force imaging

Biomechanical imaging techniques based on acoustic radiation force (ARF) have been developed to characterize the viscoelasticity of soft tissue by measuring the motion excited by ARF non-invasively. The unknown stress distribution in the region of excitation limits an accurate inverse characterization of soft tissue viscoelasticity, and single degree-of-freedom simplified models have been applied to solve the inverse problem approximately. In this study, the ARF-induced creep imaging is employed to estimate the time constant of a Voigt viscoelastic tissue model, and an inverse finite element (FE) characterization procedure based on a Bayesian formulation is presented. The Bayesian approach aims to estimate a reasonable quantification of the probability distributions of soft tissue mechanical properties in the presence of measurement noise and model parameter uncertainty. Gaussian process metamodeling is applied to provide a fast statistical approximation based on a small number of computationally expensive FE model runs. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the Bayesian approach provides an efficient and practical estimation of the probability distributions of time constant in the ARF-induced creep imaging. In a comparison study with the single degree of freedom models, the Bayesian approach with FE models improves the estimation results even in the presence of large uncertainty levels of the model parameters.
A distinctive feature analysis of the consonantal substitution pattern.

A review was made of data collected to document consonant articulation problems in 90 children (mean age 72·4 months) who exhibited normal hearing and organic structure. The substitutions for the true consonants in these data were evaluated in the light of a distinctive feature model. Rules were established to predict the form of substitutions. Substitution seems to be governed by stability and similarity. The preferred substitute is the nearest fronted consonant to the sound in question. An alternate to the above substitution appears when the nearest consonant is not in the repertoire of the child; then there is a retrogression to an earlier learned sound which is most similar and stable. Statistical tabulation of errors according to phoneme and feature substitution revealed underlying structure in all but ten children.
Problems of Equity and Efficiency in the Design of International Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade Schemes

This article argues that international greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade schemes suffer from inherent problems of enforceability and verifiability that both cause significant inefficiencies and create inevitable tradeoffs between equity and efficiency. A standard result in the economic analysis of international GHG cap and trade schemes is that an allocation of initial permits that favors poor, developing countries (making such countries net sellers in equilibrium) may be necessary not only to further redistributive goals but also the efficiency of the GHG cap and trade scheme. This coincidence of equity and efficiency is, however, unlikely to be realized under more realistic assumptions about enforcement and monitoring. Both economic theory and evidence from the European Union’s emission trading scheme strongly suggest that under an international cap-and-trade scheme, high-marginal-cost GHG emission abaters will not face binding caps that are enforced against them by their national governments. The failure of such high-cost abaters to participate in cap-and-trade schemes causes significant inefficiencies. The prospect of enlisting the participation of such high-abatement-cost, developed-world GHG emitters and restoring efficiencies by opening up trading to include low-cost GHG abatement projects in the developing world is appealing, but ultimately doomed by the inability to verify that such developing world projects generate real GHG emission reductions. Due to inherently imperfect and limited verifiability, there is an inevitable tradeoff between efficiency and equity: the broader the coverage of an international GHG cap-and-trade scheme, the greater its potential to redistribute income to people in poor countries, but the less likely it is to efficiently generate reductions in GHG emissions.
The Structural Causes of Mortgage Fraud

Mortgage fraud, often a violation of federal and state criminal statutes, covers a number of different types of behavior, all of which have the common denominator of conduct that has the intent or effect of impairing the value of residential mortgage loans. Mortgage fraud has become prevalent over the past decade and shows no signs of diminishing despite the collapse of domestic housing markets during the past two years. This paper analyzes the complex relationships between prime mortgage loan markets, subprime markets, and various types of mortgage fraud. This paper concludes that the root causes of mortgage fraud are associated with the core institutional and structural components of mortgage markets, which cut across all types of residential mortgage products. The organizing principle is the historical evolution from proximity to distance within the mortgage market, which is explored along three axes. First, geographical distance between lenders and borrowers has replaced geographical proximity. The mortgage market is national, with local lending institutions no longer making a significant proportion of the loans that are originated. Second, transactional distance has replaced transactional proximity. Lenders and borrowers have little direct contact; instead intermediaries such as mortgage brokers, appraisers, insurers, and closing officers, separate the principals. Third, financial distance has replaced financial proximity. Previously both borrowers and lenders had significant financial interests in the mortgage loan transaction. The borrower had equity in the property, and the lender held the loan in its portfolio. Presently many borrowers have no equity (or negative equity) in their homes, and due to the securitization of loans through the secondary mortgage market, few originating lenders retain a stake in the loans they create. Reforms that could serve to reduce borrower-lender distance or to ameliorate its effects include the fashioning of better closing procedures for verifying borrower identity, providing a premium for community-bank loans to local borrowers, making originating lenders liable for all misconduct by appraisers, requiring significant down payments for borrowers, and allowing secondary market purchasers full recourse against originating lenders for losses caused by borrower defaults.
Enhanced Algorithms for Adaptive Control Using Radial Gaussian Networks

This paper reviews and extends an algorithm for stable adaptive feedback linearization of nonlinear systems using radial gaussian networks. Real time network construction, and techniques for on-line adjustment of the input weights are considered.
Environmental factors in cardiovascular disease

Environmental exposure is an important but underappreciated risk factor contributing to the development and severity of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The heart and vascular system are highly vulnerable to a number of environmental agents--ambient air pollution and the metals arsenic, cadmium, and lead are widespread and the most-extensively studied. Like traditional risk factors, such as smoking and diabetes mellitus, these exposures advance disease and mortality via augmentation or initiation of pathophysiological processes associated with CVD, including blood-pressure control, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, vascular function, and atherogenesis. Although residence in highly polluted areas is associated with high levels of cardiovascular risk, adverse effects on cardiovascular health also occur at exposure levels below current regulatory standards. Considering the widespread prevalence of exposure, even modest contributions to CVD risk can have a substantial effect on population health. Evidence-based clinical and public-health strategies aimed at reducing environmental exposures from current levels could substantially lower the burden of CVD-related death and disability worldwide.
Analysis and synthesis of generalized task graphs

The author introduces the notion of generalized task graphs (GTG), that are useful in specifying the behavior of a richer class of concurrent programs than the classical task graphs. In general, such task graphs are not well-formed; therefore, the author examines necessary and sufficient conditions for well formedness. He introduces an algebra for describing well formed GTGs and shows how it can be exploited in synthesis, i.e. composing several GTGs into a single compact GTG, and analysis, i.e. obtaining completion time distributions. >
Delay testing of SOI circuits: Challenges with the history effect

Testing Partially-Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator (PD-SOI) integrated circuits presents new challenges that were not concerns in previous bulk CMOS technologies. Gates are affected by a variation in delay based on threshold voltage fluctuations. The fluctuations are dependent on the switching history of the device and this poses a serious challenge with regard to testing delays. To ensure worst-case operation, pre-conditioning of the path is necessary prior to a delay test. This paper provides background on SOI device operation and describes why and how pre-conditioning is accomplished. It is shown that a three-pattern delay test where the V1 and V3 patterns are the same is required to pre-condition the path for worst-case delay. Two novel scan latch designs that are capable of applying the three-pattern tests are presented.
The role of primer recognition proteins in DNA replication: inhibition of cellular proliferation by antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides

Primer recognition proteins (PRP) are cofactors for DNA polymerase alpha and may have a role in lagging-strand DNA replication. PRP is composed of two subunits, which we have previously identified as the protein-tyrosine kinase substrate annexin II and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK). In this study, we have examined the physiological involvement of these proteins in DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. When exponentially growing human HeLa cells are exposed to antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides to annexin II, ongoing DNA synthesis is reduced. The extent of reduction with antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to PGK was much less than with the antisense annexin II oligodeoxynucleotide. Reductions in the labeling and mitotic indices of HeLa cell cultures are seen after exposure to antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Flow cytometric analyses indicate that progression from S phase to G2 phase of the cycle is retarded by exposure of cells to the antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Corresponding sense oligodeoxynucleotides have no inhibitory effects on these parameters. The new synthesis of annexin II and PGK is specifically reduced in the presence of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, indicating that the complex of newly synthesized annexin II and PGK may participate in PRP function. These experiments indicate that annexin II and PGK may have a physiological role in DNA synthesis and cell cycle progression, and represent the first physiological role for annexin II monomer in cells.
The Availability of Niacin in Corn, Soybean Meal and Wheat Middlings for the Hen

Abstract KODICEK (1940a) suggested that a large amount of niacin present in cereal and other grains is in a bound form. Later it was reported by Kodicek (1940b), Krehl and Strong (1944), Krehl et al. (1944), Heuser and Scott (1953), Goldsmith et al. (1956), Kodicek et al. (1959) and Chaudhuri and Kodicek (1960) that the bound form of niacin is unavailable or partly available to the dog, microorganisms, chick, duckling, man, pig and rat, respectively. In relation to the hen, the common quantities of feedstuffs used in poultry rations should meet the need of the hen for niacin based upon minimum requirement studies as reported by Ringrose et al. (1965). In poultry feeds, crystalline niacin is added to meet the requirements for niacin because of lack of information concerning the availability of feedstuffs niacin for the hen. The present study was undertaken to determine the availability of the niacin present in . . .
Medical Therapy Versus Myocardial Revascularization in Chronic Coronary Syndrome and Stable Angina

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Angina is encountered frequently in clinical practice. Effective management of patients with coronary artery disease and stable angina should consist of therapy aimed at symptom control and reduction of adverse clinical outcomes. Therapeutic options for angina include antianginal drugs: nitrates, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, ranolazine, and myocardial revascularization. Recent trials have shown that although revascularization is slightly better in controlling symptoms, optimal medical therapy that includes aggressive risk factor modification is equally effective in reducing the risk of future coronary events and death. On the basis of the available data, it seems appropriate to prescribe optimal medical therapy in most patients with coronary artery disease and stable angina, and reserve myocardial revascularization for selected patients with disabling symptoms despite optimal medical therapy.
Registries revolutionize care and outcomes.

No one could believe I’d had two knees replaced”, says 61-year-old Jacquelyn Winn. In 2010, Winn traveled more than 2,800 miles across Japan to fulfill her dream of seeing Mt. Fuji. “I kept up with the activities and didn’t need any extra breaks. We walked an average of 10 miles a day.”
Insuring Against Losses from Transgenic Contamination: The Case of Pharmaceutical Maize

Concerns about the risk of food supply contamination have limited the development and commercialization of certain pharmaceutical plants. This article develops an insurance pricing model that helps translate these concerns into a cost-benefit analysis. The model first estimates the physical dispersal of maize pollen subject to a number of weather parameters. This distribution is then validated with the limited amount of currently available field trial data. The physical distribution is then used to calculate the premium for a fair-valued insurance policy that would fund the destruction of possibly contaminated fields. The flexible framework can be readily adapted to other crops, management practices, and regions.
The U-shaped association between body mass index and mortality: Relationship with weight gain in a native American population

In order to determine whether weight loss explains high mortality rates in those with a low body mass index (BMI), the relationships between BMI, rate of weight gain and mortality were examined in Pima Indians. Subjects were 814 diabetic and 1814 nondiabetic participants in a longitudinal survey who had at least two examinations after age 20. Median duration of follow-up was 8.1 (range 0.03-25.1) years. BMI showed a U-shaped relationship with mortality rates in men with the lowest rates in the 30-35 kg/m2 category; an inverse relationship was seen in women. Subjects who were losing weight had higher mortality rates than those who were gaining. However, excess mortality among the lightest subjects was present among those who were gaining weight. Among nondiabetic subjects, the mortality ratio (MR) for BMI < 25 kg/m2 compared with 30-35 kg/m2 was 1.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-2.2] unadjusted for weight gain, while the adjusted MR was 1.3 [95% CI 0.9-1.9]. Weight loss, which may reflect underlying illness, is associated with high mortality rates in Pima Indians but does not fully account for the high mortality in the lightest individuals.
A Comparison of 2pi and 4pi Photometric Testing of Directional and Omnidirectional Sources in an Integrating Sphere

ABSTRACTThe U.S. Department of Energy Solid State Lighting program, as part of its support of standards and test methods development efforts, performed a series of integrating sphere comparison tests in 2pi and 4pi geometries. These tests were conducted to help characterize the potential difference between various test protocols for identical lighting products as this would relate to light emitting diode (LED) product testing. A total of 11 different directional and 11 different omnidirectional products were tested over three different testing protocols. These protocols represent real-world test conditions depending on varying laboratory equipment and calibration capabilities. The analysis of the data indicates that there are significant differences in how lamps are testing within the same integrating sphere using common industry accepted methods and calibration standards. The testing identified differences of 4% to 18% between common industry test formats for the particular lamp type and potential altern...
School Psychologist and Teacher Perceptions of Social Power in Consultation

Abstract Social power has been recognized as central to understanding aspects of school consultation. This study examined school psychologist and teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of 11 bases of social power that psychologists might use with initially resistant teachers. Results suggested that psychologists and teachers held similar views about power within consultation: Both groups rated expert and informational power as the most effective bases, ranked the 11 power bases in a similar way, and indicated that psychologists would be more effective using “soft” (i.e., subtle, positive, noncoercive) bases rather than “hard” bases. Findings also suggested that the groups held different views of social power: Psychologists rated impersonal and personal reward power as more effective than did teachers, and teachers rated psychologists' use of legitimate position, informational, and legitimate dependence power as more effective than did psychologists.
Critical status of crack growth in chevron–notch specimens of elastic–plastic materials

Abstract In this study the emergence of the critical status of crack growth in the chevron–notch fracture test on elastic–plastic materials is discussed. The theoretical analysis and experimental results showed that the critical crack length for elastic–plastic materials is not a constant, and that it is not only a function of material properties, but also a function of the speed of crack growth. In particular, it is shown theoretically that for elastic–plastic materials the critical status of crack growth often occurs after the peak load.
Finite Element Simulation of Phase Change Using Capacitance Methods

Two capacitance methods for finite element simulation of phase change problems are introduced. One is the “accelerated effective capacity method,” which is derived from Poirier and Salcudean's effective capacity method, and the other is the “exact apparent capacity method,” which is derived from the traditional apparent capacity method. Both of these new methods are developed by allowing the width of the “musky range” in the original methods to approach zero in a limiting process. The new methods are easier to implement in existing heat conduction codes than are most other fixed-grid methods. The methods are tested on one- and two-dimensional Stefan problems that have analytical solutions. It is found that the new methods are superior to the apparent capacity method, and their performance is comparable to that of the original effective capacity method and the enthalpy method for the test cases considered.