cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast Deep Neural Network Training on Distributed Systems and Cloud TPUs

Since its creation, the ImageNet-1k benchmark set has played a significant role as a benchmark for ascertaining the accuracy of different deep neural net (DNN) models on the image classification problem. Moreover, in recent years it has also served as the principal benchmark for assessing different approaches to DNN training. Finishing a 90-epoch ImageNet-1k training with ResNet-50 on a NVIDIA M40 GPU takes 14 days. This training requires $10^{18}$1018 single precision operations in total. On the other hand, the world's current fastest supercomputer can finish $3 \times 10^{17}$3×1017 single precision operations per second (according to the Nov 2018 Top 500 results). If we can make full use of the computing capability of the fastest supercomputer, we should be able to finish the training in several seconds. Over the last two years, researchers have focused on closing this significant performance gap through scaling DNN training to larger numbers of processors. Most successful approaches to scaling ImageNet training have used the synchronous mini-batch stochastic gradient descent (SGD). However, to scale synchronous SGD one must also increase the batch size used in each iteration. Thus, for many researchers, the focus on scaling DNN training has translated into a focus on developing training algorithms that enable increasing the batch size in data-parallel synchronous SGD without losing accuracy over a fixed number of epochs. In this paper, we investigate supercomputers’ capability of speeding up DNN training. Our approach is to use a large batch size, powered by the Layer-wise Adaptive Rate Scaling (LARS) algorithm, for efficient usage of massive computing resources. Our approach is generic, as we empirically evaluate the effectiveness on five neural networks: AlexNet, AlexNet-BN, GNMT, ResNet-50, and ResNet-50-v2 trained with large datasets while preserving the state-of-the-art test accuracy. Compared to the baseline of a previous study from Goyal et al. [1] , our approach shows higher test accuracy on batch sizes that are larger than 16K. When we use the same baseline, our results are better than Goyal et al. for all the batch sizes (Fig. 20 ). Using 2,048 Intel Xeon Platinum 8160 processors, we reduce the 100-epoch AlexNet training time from hours to 11 minutes. With 2,048 Intel Xeon Phi 7250 Processors, we reduce the 90-epoch ResNet-50 training time from hours to 20 minutes. Our implementation is open source and has been released in the Intel distribution of Caffe, Facebook's PyTorch, and Google's TensorFlow. The difference between this paper and the conference-version of our work [2] includes: (1) we implement our approach on Google's cloud Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) platform, which verifies our previous success on CPUs and GPUs. (2) we scale the batch size of ResNet-50-v2 to 32K and achieve 76.3 percent accuracy, which is better than the 75.3 percent accuracy achieved in our conference paper. (3) we apply our approach to Google's Neural Machine Translation (GNMT) application, which helps us to achieves 4× speedup on the cloud TPUs.
Hydroxyproline Concentrations in Ligaments From Trained and Nontrained Rats

In recent years numerous laboratories have demonstrated that repeated bouts of exercise (training) will cause the junction strength of bone-ligament-bone preparations to increase [14-17, 19, 21-23]. Similar findings have been reported from measurements of isolated tendons [20]. The biochemical explanation for these changes, specifically as it pertains to bone-ligament-bone preparations, is complex because the point of separation occurs within a transition zone involving ligament-nonmineralized fibrocartilage-mineralized fibrocartilage-bone [15]. Since the structure and function of connective tissue is dependent upon the amount, proportions, and interactions between collagen, elastin, non-collagen proteins and glycoaminoglycans [10], we initiated studies on the influence of training on collagen concentration in ligaments to gain a better understanding of the mechanism responsible for the effects of training. Collagen represents approximately 80% of the dried weight of tendons and essentially 14% of the amino acid residues present in collagen are hydroxyproline [6, 13]. Since hydroxyproline is found almost exclusively within collagen, its measurement can be used to depict changes in the concentration of collagen in tissues from experimental animals [8, 12, 13].
Sharing the sidewalk: A case of E-scooter related pedestrian injury.

Abstract The popularity of rideshare electric scooters is due to their availability, accessibility, and low cost. The recent increase in electric scooter use has raised concerns regarding the safety of both riders and pedestrians. Previous studies characterize the incidence and pattern of injury for riders, but there is a lack of literature concerning electric scooters' impact on pedestrians. Pedestrians injured by electric scooters face potential financial burdens from hospitalization costs, medical interventions, taking time off from work, and rehabilitation therapies. Based on prior studies, pedestrians who are most prone to injuries sustained by pedestrian transportation include individuals with vision and/or hearing impairment, young children, the elderly, and people distracted by mobile devices. We present a case involving a sixty-year-old female pedestrian who presented to the emergency department with an acute lumbar compression fracture after a collision with an electric scooter. This study highlights the safety risks and incidence of injuries for pedestrians associated with electric scooters, which can help shape public policy to ensure the safety of both riders and pedestrians.
Rise of Industrialization

During the late 1880s in America, robber barons allegedly held sway. The new large-scale businesses, such as railroads, evoked fear. Railroad stocks and bonds created opportunities for wealth and also for chicanery, as few Americans understood the intricacies of such financial instruments. Burton Folsom’s The Myth of the Robber Barons distinguished between the robber barons, who supped at the government troughs and true entrepreneurs who produced desired items at relatively low costs. Despite the corruption between government and businesspeople, living standards rose.
Teaching Route Travel to Multiply Handicapped Blind Adults: An Auditory Approach:

The editors invite readers to submit manuscripts for review for publication in Short Reports. Papers submitted to this section should be 750-1,000 words in length and include an abstract. This sect...
Small-Molecule Acetylation by GCN5-Related N-Acetyltransferases in Bacteria.

SUMMARY Acetylation is a conserved modification used to regulate a variety of cellular pathways, such as gene expression, protein synthesis, detoxification, and virulence. Acetyltransferase enzymes transfer an acetyl moiety, usually from acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA), onto a target substrate, thereby modulating activity or stability. Members of the GCN5-N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) protein superfamily are found in all domains of life and are characterized by a core structural domain architecture. These enzymes can modify primary amines of small molecules or of lysyl residues of proteins. From the initial discovery of antibiotic acetylation, GNATs have been shown to modify a myriad of small-molecule substrates, including tRNAs, polyamines, cell wall components, and other toxins. This review focuses on the literature on small-molecule substrates of GNATs in bacteria, including structural examples, to understand ligand binding and catalysis. Understanding the plethora and versatility of substrates helps frame the role of acetylation within the larger context of bacterial cellular physiology.
Knowing IS the Battle: Evidence-Based Infection Prevention Practices & Outcome Metrics in Nursing Homes

Background A robust infection prevention and control (IPC) program is critical for a safe nursing home (NH) resident environment. Data sharing, auditing with feedback on performance, and implementation of evidence-based practices are cornerstones of an effective IPC program. The purpose of this study was to identify outcome and process measures data that are collected and shared in NHs, and specific IPC strategies used to prevent both non-catheter and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs and CAUTIs). Methods Over a two-year period, 50 NHs participated in a 12-month program to reduce healthcare-associated infections by enhancing relationships between NHs and hospitals. A 36-question survey on IPC facility characteristics was distributed; 11 surveys were administered between January-March 2018 and another 39 administered January-February 2019. Missing responses for individual questions were omitted from analyses. Surveys were completed by infection preventionists, directors of nursing, or NH administrators. Results All 50 NHs (100%) completed the survey. 92% of responding NHs were aware of their facility's UTI/CAUTI rates. When asked about process measures, 48% knew their facility's hand hygiene rates and 44% their glove/gown use rates. While all 100% indicated they share infection data with NH leadership, only 72% share infection data with bedside nursing staff and 32% with residents and families. UTI/CAUTI prevention strategies implemented by NHs included hydration practices (83%); nurse-initiated indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) discontinuation (65%); stop orders for IUCs (46%); multidisciplinary rounds examining indwelling devices (33%); and electronic alerts/reminders of IUC need (25%). Despite evidence to the contrary, 56% reported cranberry juice/tablet use to prevent UTI/CAUTI. Two NHs (0.04%) reported having no UTI/CAUTI prevention strategies. Conclusions While awareness of UTI and CAUTI rates is high, process measures like facility hand hygiene rates are not evaluated consistently. Additionally, data are not routinely shared with stakeholders. NHs have made significant progress operationalizing many evidence-based infection prevention practices but gaps exist.
Advanced neoplasia detection using chromoendoscopy and white light colonoscopy for surveillance in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background/Aims: Chromoendoscopy (CE) has been shown to be superior to white light endoscopy (WLE) for neoplasia detection in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to compare the yield of CE and WLE for the detection of overall neo plasia and advanced neoplasia in IBD. Methods: Patients who underwent surveillance colonoscopy from 1999 to 2017 were identified from our IBD database. CE procedures were compared with their respective WLE controls in a paired comparison, and frequency of all neoplasia, advanced neoplasia, and serrated neoplasia was assessed for both targeted and random biop sies. Results: A total of 290 procedures performed in 98 individuals were identified with a median follow-up 4 years (median 3 colonoscopies/patient). CE and WLE were performed in 159 and 131 episodes, respectively. CE detected neoplasia in 40.9% of colonoscopies versus 23.7% with WLE (P=0.002). In addition, CE detected more advanced neoplasia (18.2% vs. 6.1%, P=0.002) and serrated lesions (14.5% vs. 6.1%, P=0.022). Significantly fewer samples were obtained per procedure with CE (14.9±9.7 vs. 20.9±11.1, P<0.001). Cancer was diagnosed in 2 cases. Conclusions: CE has a higher detection rate than WLE for advanced neoplasia and serrated lesions in patients with IBD under surveillance. Further prospective studies evaluating the impact of CE on decreasing the risk of interval cancer and colectomy in IBD patients are warranted. (Intest Res 2020;18:438-446)
Empirical Evaluation of Energy Consumption for Mobile Applications

The study of software energy consumption is gaining more importance due to the wildly increasing use of resource limited portable devices that run on batteries, in addition to the economical and environmental concerns. Mobile hardware has been mostly well optimized on their energy consumption, but that cannot be said for mobile applications. Studying the energy consumption of applications requires investigating the amount of energy consumed at a granule level (e.g., method calls), and therefore, identifying the leaks which are responsible for peaks in energy consumed by an application. In this paper, we performed an empirical measurement of energy consumption for 10 Android applications using a software-based tool called PETRA. We reported and compared the energy consumed by method calls by the test cases. The study reveals that there are clear variations on the average energy consumption in the studied applications and are ranging from 0.25 Joule/second to 1.25 Joule/second. Moreover, the study revealed that the relative high average energy consumption in is associated with some frequently called methods by the test cases. These methods are identified and reported as energy hotspots. These findings could help practitioners to minimize the energy pattern by applying refactoring techniques during software maintenance.
Risk factors associated with intubation and readmissions in patients with angioedema: A single-center experience al. / Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 127 (2021) xxx-xxx"?>.

Abstract Background Given the heterogeneity of etiologies, pathophysiology, and presentation of angioedema, variations in clinical outcomes, such as intubation and hospital readmissions, need further clarification. Objective To determine the factors associated with intubation and hospital readmissions in patients with angioedema. Methods Retrospective study of patients evaluated with a diagnosis of angioedema in a 6-year period. Demographic and clinical data, such as medication use, family history, comorbidities, and symptoms, were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze factors associated with intubation, whereas Cox regression was used to analyze readmissions. Results Of 636 patients, the most common cause of angioedema was that induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) at 58%. The overall mortality was 0.5%. After adjusting for sex, race, comorbidities, and type of angioedema, smoking (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-2.93; P = .02), calcium channel blocker therapy (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.18-3.10; P = .009), histaminergic symptoms (OR, 3.21; 95% CI, 1.93-5.33; P Conclusion Smoking, calcium channel blocker use, histaminergic symptoms, age, and upper airway involvement were markedly associated with intubation. The presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and ACEI-related angioedema were independently associated with increased odds of readmission.
The Schema of Language Functions

In Plato’s commonsense saying that we have already cited, that language is an organum for one person’s communicating with another about things, three fundamental relations are enumerated: one person communicating—another person being communicated to—the things being communicated. Let us draw a schema on a piece of paper, three points grouped together as a triangle, and a fourth point put in the middle, and let us begin to reflect on what this schema is able to symbolize (see Figure 1). The fourth point lying in the middle stands for that to-be-investigated organum, which clearly must stand in some relation to the three foundations in the corners, whether the relation be a direct or a mediate one. We draw dotted lines from the center to the corner points of our schema and consider what these dotted lines symbolize.
Heat flow in SOI current mirrors

An analytical heat flow model, accounting for heat exchanges among devices via interconnect/poly lines and heat loss to oxide is developed and applied to study heat flow in SOI current mirror structures. An SOI nMOS current mirror illustrates the thermal coupling and heat flow through the interconnect. The interconnect provides an efficient heat loss medium for the SOI circuit.
Directing the documentary

The Director's Role Defining Your Artistic Identity Developing Your Story Ideas Proposing and Pitching a Short Documentary Documentary Language Elements and Grammar Research Developing a Crew Camera Equipment Lighting Location Sound Directing Editing: From Start to Viewing the First Assembly Editing: The Process of Refinement Editing: From Fin Cut to Sound Mix Titles and Acknowledgements Point of View and the Storyteller Dramatic Development, Time, and Story Structure Form, Control, and Style Reenactment, Reconstuction, and Docudrama Advanced Research Values, Ethics and Choices Proposing an Advanced Documentary Preparing to Direct Optics Advanced Cameras and Equipment Advanced Location Sound Organization, Crew, and Procedures Advanced Directing Conducting and Shooting Interviews Transcript to Film Script Creating Narration Using Music and Working with a Composer Editing: Refinements and Structural Problems Education From School to Film Industry NEW CHAPTER NEW CHAPTER
Three dimensional dose distribution comparison of simple and complex acquisition trajectories in dedicated breast CT.

Purpose: A novel breast CT system capable of arbitrary 3D trajectories has been developed to address cone beam sampling insufficiency as well as to image further into the patient’s chest wall. The purpose of this study was to characterize any trajectory-related differences in 3D x-ray dose distribution in a pendant target when imaged with different orbits. Methods: Two acquisition trajectories were evaluated: circular azimuthal (no-tilt) and sinusoidal (saddle) orbit with ±15° tilts around a pendant breast, using Monte Carlo simulations as well as physical measurements. Simulations were performed with tungsten (W) filtration of a W-anode source; the simulated source flux was normalized to the measured exposure of a W-anode source. A water-filled cylindrical phantom was divided into 1 cm3 voxels, and the cumulative energy deposited was tracked in each voxel. Energy deposited per voxel was converted to dose, yielding the 3D distributed dose volumes. Additionally, three cylindrical phantoms of different diameters (10, 12.5, and 15 cm) and an anthropomorphic breast phantom, initially filled with water (mimicking pure fibroglandular tissue) and then with a 75% methanol-25% water mixture (mimicking 50–50 fibroglandular-adipose tissues), were used to simulate the pendant breast geometry and scanned on the physical system. Ionization chamber calibrated radiochromic film was used to determine the dose delivered in a 2D plane through the center of the volume for a fully 3D CT scan using the different orbits. Results: Measured experimental results for the same exposure indicated that the mean dose measured throughout the central slice for different diameters ranged from 3.93 to 5.28 mGy, with the lowest average dose measured on the largest cylinder with water mimicking a homogeneously fibroglandular breast. These results align well with the cylinder phantom Monte Carlo studies which also showed a marginal difference in dose delivered by a saddle trajectory in the central slice. Regardless of phantom material or filled fluid density, dose delivered by the saddle scan was negligibly different than the simple circular, no-tilt scans. The average dose measured in the breast phantom was marginally higher for saddle than the circular no tilt scan at 3.82 and 3.87 mGy, respectively. Conclusions: Not only does nontraditional 3D-trajectory CT scanning yield more complete sampling of the breast volume but also has comparable dose deposition throughout the breast and anterior chest volume, as verified by Monte Carlo simulation and physical measurements.
“Natural” Associations between Symbols and Military Information12

Symbol design ideas were sought by identifying associations of simple codes or geometric shapes with military concepts. One group of military enlisted personnel ranked concepts for their strength o...
A distributed flexibility and damping strategy to control vertical accelerations in base‐isolated buildings

SUMMARY Seismic isolation is an effective method for protecting the structural system, nonstructural systems and content from the damaging effects of strong horizontal earthquake ground shaking. However, seismic isolation devices widely used in the USA and elsewhere are not designed to protect nonstructural components and content from strong vertical earthquake ground shaking. Past research efforts aimed at developing three-dimensional isolation have resulted in systems that have limited application or are overly complex, cost prohibitive and unproven. A distributed flexibility and damping concept to control vertical acceleration demands in base-isolated buildings is explored in this study. Unlike past efforts to achieve three-dimensional isolation that concentrate both the horizontal and vertical flexibility at the base of the superstructure, the vertically distributed flexibility and damping concept explored here consists of one or more planes of laterally restrained column bearings distributed at discrete locations up the height of a base-isolated superstructure. The laterally restrained column bearings increase the vertical flexibility and damping in the superstructure without increasing rocking displacements. An analytical study was performed to understand the influence of incorporating vertical flexibility and damping in a base-isolated frame and to evaluate the effectiveness of the concept for controlling vertical acceleration demands. The distributed flexibility and damping concept is shown to significantly reduce vertical acceleration demands and the likelihood of damage to suspended ceiling systems by comparison with an identical conventionally base-isolated frame. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Research council leaders issue merit review principles, establish Global Research Council

The directors of research councils from 41 countries, along with representatives from the European Commission and other organizations, issued a set of merit review principles and established a virtual Global Research Council following a 14–15 May Global Summit on Merit Review that was hosted by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The merit review principles cover six key areas: expert assessment by reviewers; transparency regarding decisions; impartiality of proposal assessments; appropriateness of the review process; confidentiality in handling proposals; and integrity and ethical consideration, which was deemed paramount to the review process. According to NSF, the merit review principles statement was developed with two primary objectives. “First, the worldwide agreement on core, high-level principles will foster international cooperation between funding agencies that support the scientific research community. Second, for those countries that are developing new funding agencies, the principles provide a global consensus on the key elements necessary for a rigorous and transparent review system.”
Relationship of mortality, occupation, and pulmonary diffusing capacity to pleural thickening in the first national health and nutrition examination survey

We studied the relationship of pleural thickening consistent with asbestos exposure to mortality, career employment in asbestos-related jobs, and pulmonary diffusing capacity among participants in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Three "B" readers examined chest X-rays to identify 59 individuals with such pleural abnormalities. From 1975 to 1984, the all-cause mortality rate ratio (RR) comparing males with and without occupational pleural thickening was 1.3 (95% C.I. 0.8-2.2). For lung cancer, the mortality RR for males was 3.0 (95% C.I. 1.0-9.1). Career asbestos work was not associated with occupational pleural thickening among men, probably because some with the condition had only short-term exposure to asbestos. Pulmonary diffusing capacity was lower in those with occupational pleural thickening, taking smoking into account. These results suggest that individuals in the general population who have occupational pleural thickening are at risk for some of the health consequences of asbestos work, including lung cancer, even if they were not career asbestos workers.
Zero-Phase Filter Bank and Wavelet Code r Matrices: Properties, Triangular Decompositions, and a Fast Algorithm

The class of digital filter banks (DFB‘s) and wavelets composed of zero-phase filters is particularly useful for image processing because of the desirable filter responses and the possibility of using the McClellan transformation for two-dimensional design. In this paper unimodular polyphase matrices with the identity matrix for Smith canonical form are introduced, and then decomposed to a product of unit upper and lower triangular or block-triangular matrices which define ladder structures. A fundamental approach to obtaining suitable unimodular matrices for one and two dimensions is to focus on the shift (translation) operators, as is done in the harmonic analysis discipline. Several matrix shift operators of different dimensions are introduced and their properties and applications are presented, most notable of which is that the McClellan transformation can be effected by a simple substitution of a 2\times 2 circulant matrix for the polynomial variable, w = (z + z^{-1})/2. Unimodular matrix groups and pertinent subgroups are identified, and these are observed to be subgroups of the special linear group over polynomials,SL(k[w]) . A class of coiflet-like wavelets containing the well-known wavelet, based on the Burt and Adelson filter, is decomposed by these methods and is seen to require only 3/2 multiplications/sample if a scaling property, introduced herein, is satisfied. Making use of certain paraunitary wavelets, coiflets, that are closely comparable to the zero-phase wavelets of this class, it is seen that, in these cases, the zero-phase ladder algorithm is twice as fast as the paraunitary lattice algorithm.
Transnational Media Literacy: Analytic Reflections on a Program with Latina Teens.

Transnational Latina teens use media as key cultural resources to manage their passage to womanhood while building identities as U.S. citizens. This article examines the challenges of media literacy within the transnational context of working-class Latinas. It presents findings of an action-research project with 12 Latina teens, which was grounded on Freire’s (1999) pedagogy and Willis’s (1981) insights about class culture. The study found that the hybridity of the teens’ media practices came not only from the mainstream and the Latino and Latina media but also from the Black media. The article suggests that media education can further English and Spanish literacy and that curriculum design must take into account that immigrant teens act as cultural brokers for their parents.
Comparison of photochemical behavior of various humic substances in water: III. Spectroscopic properties of humic substances

Abstract Spectral absorption coefficients and fluorescence quantum efficiencies were determined for humic substances from a variety of sources. Specific absorption coefficients k h , for humic substances at wavelengths λ from 300 to 500 nm can be closely described by the relation Ae B(450-λ) , where A and B are constants. When the k h values are in units of liter (mg organic carbon) −1 meter −1 and wavelength λ is in nanometers, mean values of A and B for aquatic humus in the 12 water bodies studied were 0.6±0.3 and 0.014±0.001, respectively. Spectral absorption coefficients of dissolved organic matter in blackwater rivers, of the “yellow substance” in the sea, and of fulvic acids extracted from soils are very similar. Fluorescence quantum yields of humic substances were low and more variable than the absorption coefficients, ranging from 0.0005 to 0.012 with excitation at 350 nm (average of 0.0045±0.0038 for 6 waters). Fluorescence spectra for the humic substances were remarkably similar with maximum emission at 430 to 470 nm. Results of this study can be used to compute photolysis rates of pollutants as a function of depth in natural water bodies.
Virion assembly factories in the nucleus of polyomavirus-infected cells.

Most DNA viruses replicate in the cell nucleus, although the specific sites of virion assembly are as yet poorly defined. Electron microscopy on freeze-substituted, plastic-embedded sections of murine polyomavirus (PyV)-infected 3T3 mouse fibroblasts or mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) revealed tubular structures in the nucleus adjacent to clusters of assembled virions, with virions apparently “shed” or “budding” from their ends. Promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) have been suggested as possible sites for viral replication of polyomaviruses (BKV and SV40), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and adenovirus (Ad). Immunohistochemistry and FISH demonstrated co-localization of the viral T-antigen (Tag), PyV DNA, and the host DNA repair protein MRE11, adjacent to the PML-NBs. In PML−/− MEFs the co-localization of MRE11, Tag, and PyV DNA remained unchanged, suggesting that the PML protein itself was not responsible for their association. Furthermore, PyV-infected PML−/− MEFs and PML−/− mice replicated wild-type levels of infectious virus. Therefore, although the PML protein may identify sites of PyV replication, neither the observed “virus factories” nor virus assembly were dependent on PML. The ultrastructure of the tubes suggests a new model for the encapsidation of small DNA viruses.
Smart distribution system research and education at the FREEDM systems center

This panel paper outlines the undergoing research towards the development of a novel smart distribution system at the Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center. The center's mission is to develop fundamental and enabling technologies necessary for a next generation smart distribution systems which can facilitate seamless integration of distributed recourses. The paper will also highlight center's education programs that are being developed for educating the next generation of power engineers who will be needed for the development and management of such systems.
Circulating human antibodies as a cause of falsely depressed ferritin values.

Abstract We have previously reported spuriously elevated values for serum thyrotropin (TSH) measured by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). We tested those sera showing interference with the TSH assay in a ferritin IRMA which used 125I-rabbit antiferritin antibody and solid phase goat antiferritin antibody as reagents and spleen ferritin as standard. In this assay, we obtained falsely low ferritin values that were corrected by addition of 0.2% non-immune rabbit serum to the labelled antibody. Two other radioimmunoassays gave results with these sera that were not falsely lowered. The interference was shown to be due to human IgG reactive with rabbit serum, the specificity of the interfering antibody being similar in all affected sera. Human antibodies directed against immunoassay reagents may lead to spuriously increased or decreased immunoassay results depending on the specific reagents involved.
DIRECTED REACTION PROCESS AND STRUCTURAL STUDY OF SINGLE-PHASE SUPERCONDUCTING COMPOUND YBa2Cu3O6.5+δ

A directed reaction process based on physico-chemical principles has been designed for producing single-phase 90 K “zero-resistance” superconducting compound YBa2Cu3O6.5+δ. The reliability of the process has been well proved by the stability and reproducibility of results in resistance and AC magnetic susceptibility measurements of seven samples taken randomly from three batches of products. X-ray diffraction, SEM and TEM examinations have identified the product as single-phase polycrystalline material of orthorhombic structure with lattice parameters a=3.89 A, b=3.82 A and c=11.65 A. Many micro-twinned defects were observed under TEM along [110] axes. The nonstoichiometric fraction, δ value, was determined using a physico-chemical method.
Progress toward a Stable Orthogonal Strip Germanium Gamma Camera

Following exposure to room ambient air, the radiation response of orthogonal strip detectors fabricated from high purity germanium for use in a gamma camera has been found to undergo deterioration due to changes which take place at the exposed surfaces between the electrode strips and at the edges of each device. Based upon data obtained from small test detectors subjected to a commercial passivation process, long term stability (greater than one year) following room ambient exposure appears feasible.
Adaptations for leaf eating in the great basin kangaroo rat, Dipodomys microps.

Dipodomys microps forages in saltbush (Atriplex confertifolia), gathering the leaves into its external check pouches and returning them to the burrow to be cached or eaten. The leaves are available throughout the year and contain 50–80% water. D. microps can survive on these leaves in the laboratory without other food or water, but it is unusual among kangaroo rats in that it quickly succumbs when placed on a diet of air-dried seeds without water or succulent plant material. Its mean urine concentration on the seed diet was 2827 mOsm/l, which is lower than any previously reported for the genus. On the other hand, D. merriami, which occurs with D. microps and is well known as a seed specialist, cannot survive on the saltbush leaves, although it is capable of living on a seed diet without water or green vegetation.
Tris-dimethylaminophosphorus reactions at low pressure on GaP, InP and quartz surfaces

Abstract The decomposition of the phosphorus precursor tris-dimethylaminophosphorus (TDMAP) at low pressures (∼ 10 −4 Torr) has been studied by mass spectrometry. Three different surfaces were used: quartz, InP and GaP. For the three surfaces pyrolysis is 50% complete at approximately 820, 520 and 350°C, respectively. The activation energy for decomposition on the GaP surface is 18.5 ± 2.5 kcal/mol and for the quartz surface, 47.3 ± 3.5 kcal/mol. The principle reaction products are dimethylamine, methylmethyleneimine and methyleneimine. On the quartz surface decomposition appears to occur via homolysis of the parent molecule, producing dimethylaminyl radicals, which react subsequently to form the observed products. For the surface-catalyzed reactions an intramolecular reaction mechanism is proposed in which there is a transfer of a hydrogen atom from a methyl group to the nitrogen lone-pair on an adjacent ligand. This reaction would produce both dimethylamine and methylmethyleneimine.
Characterization of tetrahedral vanadium-containing MCM-41 molecular sieves synthesized at room temperature

A series of mesoporous vanadosilicate V−MCM-41 molecular sieves with variable Si/V ratios have been synthesized at room temperature using a minimum amount of template. The chemical environment of the vanadium centers in V−MCM-41 was investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV−visible (UV−vis) spectroscopy, electron spin resonance (ESR), and 29Si and 51V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and the optimal synthesis condition have been established. The increase of the unit cell parameter and decrease of Q3/Q4 ratio of 29Si NMR spectra with vanadium content suggest the incorporation of vanadium in the framework of the MCM-41 structure. UV−vis and 51V NMR studies confirm the presence of V5+ ion in the tetrahedral position. In the case of a freshly synthesized sample, VO2+ in a square pyramidal arrangement was detected by ESR. After calcination, V5+ species remain in the tetrahedral arrangement, con...
Characterization of benzoquinone-peptide adducts by electrospray mass spectrometry

Benzoquinone adducts were prepared with model peptides to identify characteristic features of adduct fragmentation in tandem mass spectrometry (MS) experiments. Model peptides contained cysteine and had a molecular mass of less than 2 kDa to facilitate peptide fragmentation in tandem MS analyses. Peptides were adducted with an excess of benzoquinone, and the adducts were analyzed by LC/MS. Adducts were identified by addition of 108 Da to the monoisotopic mass of the peptide, except in the case of oxytocin, which formed a bis adduct with addition of 216 Da. Tandem MS experiments were performed on the [M + 2H]2+ ions and/or the [M + H]+ ions. Sequence information obtained from modified peptides was comparable to that of their unmodified counterparts. A unique ion pair separated by 141 or 142 Da corresponding to β-elimination of benzoquinol-S or benzoquinol-SH from a bn or yn series ion indicated attachment at the sulfur of the cysteine residue. An alternate ion pair of 211 Da corresponded to fragmentation a...
Abstract A43: Identification of key tumorigenic pathways in never-smoker lung adenocarcinoma patients using massively parallel DNA and RNA sequencing

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US and throughout the world. Never-smokers with lung cancer constitute an understudied subset of these patients, though recent estimates show that ∼10% of men and women with lung cancer in the US are never-smokers. Independently, lung cancer in never-smokers ranks among the ten most common causes of cancer mortality, and thus the causes, driver pathways, and potential therapeutics must be investigated for this clinically relevant subpopulation. We hypothesize that novel mutations and pathways identified by whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) drive tumorigenesis in adenocarcinomas of never-smoker patients, and represent potential therapeutic targets. We have completed WGS and WTS on two lung adenocarcinomas from female, never-smokers, one early-stage and one advanced-stage (metastatic), and one female smoker patient with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Approximately 100 short nucleotide variants (SNV) causing non-synonymous DNA sequence changes were discerned from the early- and advanced-stage adenocarcinomas from never-smokers. Of interest, these never-smoker patients lacked alterations in common genes associated with lung cancer such as EGFR, KRAS, and EML/ALK translocations, making them ideal cases for the discovery of new mutations that may drive lung adenocarcinomas in never-smokers. In comparison, the adenocarcinoma from a smoker patient contained 78 SNVs, including a well-characterized KRAS mutation. Mutations in MAGEC1, a tumor marker in melanoma and multiple myeloma, were observed in common between the early-stage, never-smoker tumor and the smoker tumor. The mutations observed in the never-smoker cases included genes suspected to play a role in lung carcinogenesis. The early-stage, never-smoker patient contained a mutation in PIK3C3 and DOCK10, known to play a role in cancer cell migration, and CSNK1E, a casein kinase involved Wnt signaling and in beta catenin-induced cancer cell proliferation. The late-stage never-smoker patient demonstrated a p53 mutation, a mutation in the tumor suppressor LATS2, and a mutation in the DNA damage checkpoint gene, ATM. The mutations discovered in known tumor suppressor genes tended to be in the late-stage, never-smoke patient. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis implicated G-protein coupled receptor signaling for the early-stage never-smoker, Hif1α signaling for the smoker, and Sonic Hedgehog Signaling for the late-stage, never-smoker in both WGS and WTS. Currently, we are validating the identified mutations discovered by WGS using Sanger sequencing and surveying their frequency in ∼30 and ∼60 additional cases of lung adenocarcinoma from never-smokers and clinically matched smokers, respectively. Validation of these mutations and pathways will lead to a better understanding of tumorigenesis and tumor progression in never-smokers and identify nodes for therapeutic vulnerability.
Protecting against hopelessness and suicidality in sexually abused American Indian adolescents

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors protective against the adverse health correlates of sexual abuse in reservation-based American Indian and Alaskan Native adolescents. Methods: Data were taken from the National American Indian Adolescent Health Survey administered in 1988–1990 to 13, 923 youths. Included in this analysis were 991 females and 166 males who reported a history of sexual abuse. Chi-square analysis was used to identify significant protective factors in sexually abused youths who did not report suicidality or hopelessness. Discriminant function analysis was used to determine which factors distinguished this group from those who experienced adverse health correlates. Results: Separate multivariate analyses for boys and girls demonstrated that for girls, family attention, positive feelings toward school, parental expectations, and caring exhibited by family, adults, and tribal leaders were associated with absence of suicidality and hopelessness. For suicidality in boys, significant protective factors were enjoyment of school, involvement in traditional activities, strong academic performance, and caring exhibited by family, adults, school people, and tribal leaders. No significant protective factors against hopelessness were identified for boys. Conclusions: To minimize hopelessness and suicidal involvement among youth who have been sexually abused, strategies should be planned, implemented, and evaluated that support family caring and connectedness, strengthen school attachment and performance, and improve tribal connectedness.
Changes in the nucleotide triphosphate/haemoglobin and nucleotide triphosphate/red cell ratios of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, subjected to prolonged starvation and bleeding

The nucleotide triphosphate/haemoglobin (NTP/Hb) and nucleotide triphosphate/red cell (NTP/cell) ratios of rainbow trout increased during prolonged starvation. A decline was noted in blood lactic acid concentration. Red cell count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit also declined. Changes in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were found not to be significant. The NTP/Hb and NTP/cell ratios of both fed and starved trout rose seven days following a 15% reduction in blood volume by cardiac puncture. A rise in whole blood NTP concentration was found only in the bleeding response of fed animals. No significant change was noted in blood lactic acid concentration. The decline in haematocrit was significant only in the starved group. In both groups, however, red cell count and blood haemoglobin concentration fell. MCV rose whereas MCHC declined in all bled animals. Changes in MCH were not significant in either group. Negative correlations were noted between red cell count and both the NTP/Hb and NTP/cell ratios and between haemoglobin concentration and the NTP/Hb ratio. Positive correlations were seen between the two ratios and between red cell count and haemoglobin concentration.
Individual differences in estrogen receptor α in select brain nuclei are associated with individual differences in aggression

Abstract Steroid hormones play an important role in modulating social behavior in many species. Estrogens are thought to act on an interconnected network of hypothalamic and limbic brain areas to affect aggressive behavior, although the specific nuclei unknown remain unspecified. We show that individual variation in estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) immunoreactivity in the lateral septum (LS), ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST), and anterior hypothalamus (AHA) of CD-1 mice is positively correlated with aggressive behavior. When males were treated with fadrozole (an aromatase inhibitor), aggressive behavior was reduced, although castration did not reduce aggression. These results suggest that estrogens modulate aggressive behavior by acting on a circuit that includes the LS, vBNST, and AHA and that the source of estrogens is non-gonadal. Fadrozole also decreased c-fos expression in the lateral septum following aggressive encounters. Although the effects of estrogen on aggression appear to involve regulation of neuronal activity in the LS, additional processes are likely involved. These results suggest that estrogen acts in a specific subset of a complex network of nuclei to affect aggressive behavior.
Construction and characterization of a yeast artificial chromosome library of Arabidopsis which is suitable for chromosome walking.

A yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) genomic library of Arabidopsis thaliana was constructed in a derivative of the vector pYAC4 which was modified to facilitate the production of end-specific probes for chromosome walking. Experiments in which a subset of 2300 clones from the library were probed with 30 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers indicated that, on the average, the entire genome is represented once in each 800 YAC clones. Thus, the complete library of more than 20000 YACs is expected to contain most or all of the Arabidopsis genome with a high probability. The YAC clones examined in the sample had an average insert size of approximately 150 kb±10 and represented more than 5% of the Arabidopsis genome. Based on the properties of the library and the currently available RFLP maps for Arabidopsis, only one or two steps from flanking RFLPs should be sufficient to isolate an average gene in Arabidopsis by chromosome walking with the YACs. In order to facilitate chromosome walking, a method for the production of hybridization probes from the ends of the inserts was employed that is based on a combination of pre-amplification of the vector/insert junction sequences via the polymerase chain reaction and specific transcription from T3 or T7 RNA polymerase promoters flanking the cloning site in the YAC vector.
Zolpidem does not serve as reinforcer in humans subjected to simulated shift work.

Zolpidem attenuates shift-change-related sleep and performance disruptions. It is unknown whether these benefits alter the reinforcing effects of the drug during shift work. This study examined zolpidem-related reinforcing effects during simulated shift work. Eleven volunteers (3F, 8M) completed this 16-day within-participant, residential laboratory study. Each day participants were given an opportunity to self-administer oral zolpidem (10 mg) or receive a $1 voucher immediately following a 9-h work period and immediately before going to bed. Participants worked under two shift conditions: (1) during the night shift, participants completed computerized task batteries from 00:30 to 09:30 h and went to bed at 16:00 h and (2) during the day shift, participants completed task batteries from 08:30 to 17:30 h and went to bed at 24:00 h. Shift conditions alternated three times during the study. Despite the fact that sleep, psychomotor performance, and some ratings of mood were disrupted during night-shift work, there was no significant effect of shift on choice to take zolpidem. Overall, participants selected markedly fewer zolpidem doses than monetary vouchers (17% versus 83%). Thus, zolpidem did not serve as a reinforcer even when sleep was disrupted. These data are consistent with previous reports indicating that sedatives produce limited reinforcing effects in individuals without a history of drug abuse.