cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ensuring Adequate Development and Appropriate Use of Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Medical Imaging.

Of over 100 FDA-cleared artificial intelligence (AI) tools for triage, detection, or diagnosis in medical imaging, only one is cleared for use in children. As is, children may be unable to benefit ...
Social media exposure and mental health during COVID-19 outbreak

OBJECTIVE: To investigate relationship of social media exposure with prevalence of depression and anxiety among general public in Lahore, Pakistan during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted via Google forms in June–July 2020 among Pakistani citizens aged ≥18 years. Purposive convenient sampling was done. The questionnaire constituted socio-demographic data, information regarding social media exposure, and scales to assess depression and anxiety. Social media exposure was measured by a questionnaire based on previous literature while depression and anxiety were measured by WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale respectively. Differences in depression and anxiety between groups and their associations with their social media use were examined through Chi-square test. RESULTS: Out of 516 participants who completed the questionnaire, 447 (86.6%) had frequent exposure to social media. Facebook (n=345; 66.9%) and WhatsApp (n=224; 43.4%) were the most used platforms to obtain COVID-19 related news. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and combined depression and anxiety in the sample was 46.3% (n=239), 45.5% (n=235), and 29.7% (n=153) respectively. Statistically significant association was observed between depression and social media exposure (p<0.001) and the combination of depression and anxiety and social media exposure (p<0.05), but not with anxiety. About 56.0% (n=289) participants believed that publishing more COVID-19 related news leads to fear and panic. CONCLUSION: People with frequent social media exposure during COVID-19 experienced detrimental effects on mental health. The awareness about limiting social media exposure during the pandemic and psychological support is required to safeguard their well-being.
Self-trained Pretrained Language Models for Evidence Detection

Argument role labeling is a fundamental task in Argument Mining research. However, such research often suffers from a lack of large-scale datasets labeled for argument roles such as evidence, which is crucial for neural model training. While large pretrained language models have somewhat alleviated the need for massive manually labeled datasets, how much these models can further benefit from self-training techniques hasn’t been widely explored in the literature in general and in Argument Mining specifically. In this work, we focus on self-trained language models (particularly BERT) for evidence detection. We provide a thorough investigation on how to utilize pseudo labels effectively in the self-training scheme. We also assess whether adding pseudo labels from an out-of-domain source can be beneficial. Experiments on sentence level evidence detection show that self-training can complement pretrained language models to provide performance improvements.
Fiat Luc: Bioluminescence Imaging Reveals In Vivo Viral Replication Dynamics

Animal models are invaluable in studying viral replication in vivo, the pathogenesis of viral infection, the host immune response, and the efficacy of antiviral interventions. Despite their utility, animal models have been constrained by the inability to monitor viral replication dynamics in real time. Cohorts of animals are infected and euthanized, and viral load or immune responses are measured in predetermined tissues. This produces static snapshots of replication only at specific times and specific sites within the animal. Moreover, inherent animal-to-animal variability introduces significant confounding effects, resulting in studies that require hundreds of animals to acquire statistical significance. The power of these traditional approaches can be complemented, and many of these limitations overcome, by using in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) (Fig 1). BLI detects light produced by luciferase enzymes. A growing list of viruses have been engineered to express luciferase and exploit this technology (Table 1), enabling rapid measures of viral load over time (i.e., longitudinal measurements), tissue distribution, interhost transmission, and the impact of therapeutic treatments in animal models. Open in a separate window Fig 1 Illuminating viral replication dynamics with bioluminescence imaging. An influenza reporter virus encoding NanoLuc (NLuc) is used to demonstrate how real-time noninvasive bioluminescence imaging is used (A) to study replication and dissemination in the same animal over time; (B) to measure the impact of antiviral treatment with the neuraminidase inhibitor Tamiflu (oseltamivir) on viral load and tissue distribution; and (C) in multimodal imaging of infected mice mock treated or treated with Tamiflu, in which viral load and distribution was measured by BLI and host inflammatory responses were measured by PET/CT with the radiotracer [18F]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose. Viral load and inflammation are colored from purple to red, representing low to high levels. Construction of the reporter virus and its use in mice are detailed in Tran, et al. [6].
Effect of Chemical Lithium Insertion into Rutile TiO2 Nanorods

Rutile TiO2 nanorods were synthesized by hydrolysis of TiCl4 followed by a hydrothermal method. Lithium insertion into the rutile nanorods was achieved by a chemical lithium insertion process. The structural evolution of nanostructured rutile upon lithium insertion was characterized by several experimental techniques, namely, XRD, TEM, SAED and 6Li MAS NMR. The XRD and TEM studies indicate the formation of lithium titanate phase (LixTiO2) during lithium insertion. Additionally, SAED patterns show that the lithium titanate phase has cubic symmetry. Finally, high magnetic field (21.1 T) 6Li MAS NMR reveals that the lithium titanate phase adopts two different structures depending on lithium content. Taken together, the four techniques consistently show that the insertion of lithium into rutile TiO2 nanorods causes two consecutive structural phase transformations to lithium titanate phases with spinel (Fd3m) and rocksalt (Fm3m) structures at x = 0.46 and 0.88, respectively. In addition, the broad line width...
EUS‐guided 22‐gauge fine‐needle aspiration versus core biopsy needle in the evaluation of solid pancreatic neoplasms

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is widely used for diagnosis of pancreatic lesions. The Echotip Procore Needle (Wilson-Cook Medical) is a new 22G fine biopsy needle (FNB) for obtaining core biopsy material at time of EUS. This study aimed to compare the technical and diagnostic performance of conventional FNA and FNB. Thirty-two patients met the design criteria for this prospective paired cohort study. All lesions sampled were solid (non-cystic) pancreatic masses by EUS appearance. Patients were randomized to receive FNA or FNB by first attempt. A cytopathologist performed on-site evaluations. Samples were assessed for accuracy of diagnosis, cellularity, contamination, and sufficiency for ancillary studies. Technical and diagnostic performances were compared. Compared to FNA, there was a statistically significant decreased ability of FNB to achieve a diagnosis (FNA 93.8%, FNB 28.1%, P < 0.001). FNB was diagnostically superior to FNA in 1 of 32 cases. Technical failures were observed in five cases due to resistance to advancement of the FNB needle. Regarding operator perceived ease-of-use, FNA outperformed FNB (P < 0.001). Eight cases had insufficient FNB material to survive tissue processing. There was no significant difference in mean specimen cellularity between devices. FNA samples showed an increased amount of contaminant (P = 0.036) but were more sufficient for ancillary studies (P = 0.502). Although deemed comparable to FNA when providing material for cytology, the pledged advantage of FNB acting like a core biopsy needle was not apparent in our series. Additional studies are needed before routine adoption of 22G FNB can be recommended. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:751–758. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adenovirus transcription. III. Mapping of viral RNA sequences in cells productively infected by adenovirus type 5.

Abstract Separated strands of restriction endonuclease Eco R1 and Hpa 1 fragments of 32P-labeled Adenovirus 5 DNA have been used in saturation hybridization experiments with cytoplasmic RNA extracted from human cells infected with Adenovirus type 5. The results of such experiments have allowed the construction of maps of the regions of the viral genome complementary to both “early” and “late” Adenovirus 5 RNA. At early times during the lytic cycle, about 25% of the viral genome is expressed as mRNA. Adenovirus 5 DNA sequences complementary to “early” mRNA comprise four discrete regions, two on each strand, of the viral genome: except in one instance, these correspond to the regions of the Adenovirus 2 genome complementary to “early” Adenovirus 2 mRNA. In the exceptional case, “early” Adenovirus 5 mRNA appears to contain not only sequences corresponding, at least in position, to those expressed in Adenovirus 2-infected cells, but also some additional, adjacent sequences, reminiscent of the situation in human cells infected with the Adenovirus 2/Simian virus 40 hybrid viruses, Ad2+ND1 and Ad2+ND3 (Flint et al., 1975a). All, or almost all, the information encoded by the Adenovirus 5 genome is expressed as mRNA during the lytic cycle and most of the exclusively “late” mRNA is complementary to the r strand of Adenovirus 5 DNA. The separated strands of fragments of 32P-labeled Adenovirus 2 DNA generated by the restriction endonuclease Bam Hl have been used to improve the resolution of maps of both Adenovirus 2 and Adenovirus 5 “late” mRNA, which are described here.
Copyright Preregistration: Evidence and Lessons from the First Seven Years, 2005-2012

In 2005 Congress created a new copyright formality: preregistration. Preregistration addresses a growing phenomenon in which copyrighted works are leaked to the Internet prior to official release. Preregistering a work allows copyright owners immediate access to courts and an expanded menu of remedies. Based on an originally constructed dataset coupled with user interviews, we study how preregistration has been used from its 2005 inception to the end of 2012. Over 6,000 works have been preregistered in six eligible categories. Several lawsuits were filed in reliance on preregistrations. Most preregistrations are of motion pictures and literary works. Substantial commercial use of the system has been limited to the movie and TV industries. The music, publishing, and computer software industries virtually have not used it in the ordinary course of business. A few particular users have preregistered a great number of works. Different from the use anticipated by Congress, preregistrations were often obtained after infringement (or even a business dispute) had already started. Most preregistrations were made by individual, small-entity, or other one-time users. The Article recommends that: (1) the duration of preregistrations should be limited; and (2) preregistration (and other copyright) fees should vary with entity size. It offers lessons for formalities and copyright reform: (1) Digital-age formalities may not give rise to the distributional concerns that characterized old formalities; (2) newly minted formalities may limit, rather than expand, access to expressive works; (3) the rates of subsequent registration of preregistered works vary across categories and can inform copyright lawmaking; and (4) the Copyright Office’s views may be affected by its institutional interest.
Structure of a complex between yeast hexokinase A and glucose: I. Structure determination and refinement at 3.5 Å resolution

The structure of a binary hexokinase: A glucose complex (HKA · G) has been determined independently at 4·5 A resolution by the multiple isomorphous replacement method, and the co-ordinates have been refined at 3·5 A resolution. Initially at 6 A resolution, an electron density map based on a single isomorphous derivative was used to orient the native hexokinase B structure (Steitz et al., 1976) in the HKA · G unit cell and thus to obtain molecular replacement phases for the HKA · G complex based on the structure of the B isozyme. Both the single isomorphous replacement map and an F0−Fc difference electron density map calculated with molecular replacement phases at low resolution suggested a large conformational difference between the complex and the native B isozyme. An attempt to extend the phasing of the HKA · G diffraction amplitudes from 6 A to 3·5 A resolution by molecular replacement failed at this stage, presumably because of the considerable conformational difference between these two structures. An improved isomorphous replacement map at 4·5 A resolution confirmed that the polypeptide backbone of hexokinase A in the HKA · G complex is folded into two distinct lobes; within each lobe the folding is very similar to that of native hexokinase B, but the relative orientation of the two lobes is quite different in the complex and in the native enzyme. To characterize this conformational difference accurately and to extend phasing of the HKA · G data to higher resolution, an atomic model of the hexokinase B monomer was adapted to accommodate the difference in the relative orientation of the two lobes. The resulting HKA · G model was then refined by difference Fourier techniques to a final R factor of 0·26 at 3·5 A resolution.
The absolute configuration of organometallic compounds : VII. An x-ray structural study of (−)579436-(η5-C5H5)Mo(CO)2[(C5H5N)C(=S)NR] prepared from H2NR = (S)-(−)-α-phenylethylamine

The reaction of (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Mo(CO) 3 Cl with pyridine-2-carboxylic acid [( S )-1-phenylethylthioamide] yields two diastereoisomers having composition (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Mo(CO) 2 (thioamide) which are in equilibrium with one another in the ratio of 58/42 (toluene; 90°C). The diastereoisomers are separable by chromatography, and that (V; see text) whose CD spectrum shows (−) and (+)-bands, respectively, at 579 and 436 nm was used in the current crystallographic study. The space group is P 2 1 2 1 2 1 and the cell parameters are: a 6.950(4), b 14.038(4) and c 20.709(8) A; V 2020.4 A 3 ; d (obs; flotation in aqueous ZnBr 2 ) 1.51 g cm −3 ; d (calc; Z = 4) 1.507 g cm −3 . A total of 3321 data were recorded in one octant of reciprocal space (2θ max 60.0°) of which 2134 were considered observed ( I > 2σ( I )) and used in the solution of the structure and in the least-squares refinement. The molecules consist of a central Mo atom surrounded by an approximately square-pyramidal array of five ligands: the bidentate thioamide, two carbonyls and the Cp ring. The binding points of the thioamide are the nitrogen of the pyridine and the sulfur of the thioamide moiety. Thus, unlike previous examples of CpMo(CO) 2 (thioamides) studied here, the nitrogen of the thioamide is not part of the chelate ring; instead, it is part of an unusual, three atom, conjugated system (SCN) never observed before in thioamide-metal chelates. The SMoN, SMoC(O), NMoC(O) and (O)MoC(O) angles are 76.9(2), 75.2(3), 81.4(4) and 75.6(5)°, values which are typical of square-pyramidal compounds in which the metal is above the plane defined by the basal ligands. The bonds to the carbons of the C 5 H 5 ring are normal but the two MoC(O) and the two CO distances are slightly different, and the differences make sense if we attribute them to inequalities in trans effect between S and N ligands opposite the carbonyls. The MoN(pyridine) bond (2.233(8) A) is a little longer than those observed in thioamides but nearly the same as that observed in Schiff base derivatives of related CpMo(CO) 2 compounds studied here earlier. Concomitantly, in V there is a shorter MoS bond than those observed in the thioamides containing normal, four-membered (MoSCN) chelate rings. Parallel with this, V contains longer SC bonds showing that an increase in the MoS bond order leads to a reduction of the SC π-bond order, which in this case is estimated to be only 0.47. Finally, the plane of the chelate ring (MoSCCN) and that of the pyridine ring make an angle of 8.7°, even though the two are fused to each other. The absolute configuration at the Mo site of the [(−) 579 , (+) 436 ] diastereoisomer has been established as ( S ).
Pentoxifylline Treatment in Severe Acute Pancreatitis: A Pilot, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Trial.

In acute pancreatitis (AP) tumor necrosis factor-α mediates multi-organ failure; in animal models its blockade with pentoxifylline ameliorates AP. The efficacy of pentoxifylline in predicted severe AP (pSAP) was tested in a double-blinded, randomized, control trial. Twenty-eight patients with pSAP were randomized within 72 hours of diagnosis to pentoxifylline or placebo. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. The pentoxifylline group had fewer intensive care unit admissions and shorter intensive care unit and hospital stays of longer than 4 days (all P
Hematopoietic stem cells: the paradigmatic tissue-specific stem cell

The recent prospective isolation of a wide variety of somatically derived stem cells has affirmed the notion that homeostatic maintenance of most tissues and organs is mediated by tissue-specific stem and progenitor cells and fueled enthusiasm for the use of such cells in strategies aimed at repairing or replacing damaged, diseased, or genetically deficient tissues and organs. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are arguably the most well-characterized tissue-specific stem cell, with decades of basic research and clinical application providing not only a profound understanding of the principles of stem cell biology, but also of its potential pitfalls. It is our belief that emerging stem cell fields can benefit greatly from an understanding of the lessons learned from the study of HSCs. In this review we discuss some general concepts regarding stem cell biology learned from the study of HSCs with a highlight on recent work pertaining to emerging topics of interest for stem cell biology.
A synthesis, test and debug environment for rapid prototyping of DSP designs

Recently, considerable progress has been made in the design of digital signal processing (DSP) integrated circuits and systems. In order to address the need for rapid and economical production and testing of hardware prototypes, a hardware and software system called DIODES is being developed for the rapid prototyping, testing and debugging of DSP designs. DIODES will allow the user to design a DSP system, have it partitioned into predefined function blocks, have it assembled using advanced packing technology and then thoroughly test and debug the design both stand-alone and in a larger electronic system environment. This paper gives an overview of the whole system focussing particularly on the debugging hardware and software support environment. The algorithmic description is translated by the DIODES synthesis software into a structural specification suitable for High-Density Interconnect (HDI) fabrication. The synthesis process includes the insertion of test capabilities into the hardware to allow for debugging the design. The rapid turnaround of HDI fabrication means that the user can have a prototype DIODES module in hand ready for testing within at most a day or two, and at moderate cost. >
A decision-feedback maximum-likelihood decoder for finite-state Markov channels

Channels that are time-varying due to fading, interference, or variable noise can be modeled as finite-state Markov chains. These channels have memory due to correlated variations, which should be incorporated into the design of an optimal code. However, optimal codes of this type are difficult to design, and the complexity of their decoding algorithms grows exponentially with memory length. Thus, memoryless codes are typically used and the encoded bit stream is interleaved prior to transmission to remove the effect of memory. This results in a performance loss relative to the inherent channel capacity. In this paper, we develop a decision-feedback decoding algorithm that uses the channel's Markovian structure to determine the maximum-likelihood input sequence. We show that this decoding scheme can achieve data rates approaching the Shannon limit with a moderate complexity increase over the conventional approach. We also present numerical results for the capacity and cutoff rate of a two-state fading channel with 4PSK modulation using both the decision-feedback decoder and the conventional memoryless encoding method. >
Alpha Decay of Fm-251

The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay scheme of $^{251}\mathrm{Fm}$ has been investigated by measuring the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray, and conversion-electron spectra of mass-separated $^{251}\mathrm{Fm}$ samples. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ spectrum was measured with the Argonne double-focusing magnetic spectrometer and also with a semiconductor detector. 13 $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ groups were observed with energies and intensities 7.305 (1.5%), 7.251 (0.93%), 7.184 (0.29%), 7.106 (\ensuremath{\sim}0.05%), 6.928 (1.8%), 6.885 (1.7%), 6.833 (87.0%), 6.782 (4.8%), 6.762 (0.38%), 6.720 (0.44%), 6.681 (0.07%), 6.638 (0.56%), and 6.579 (0.26%). The $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays associated with the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ decay of $^{251}\mathrm{Fm}$ were identified in an $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidence experiment. The multipolarities of prominent transitions were deduced from an $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ coincidence experiment. The half-life of $^{251}\mathrm{Fm}$ was measured from the decay of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays and found to be 5.30 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.08 h. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ branching was determined from the measured (Es $K$ x rays)/$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ ratio and was found to be 1.9 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.2%. From these experiments four rotational bands in $^{247}\mathrm{Cf}$ were identified. The ground state and the levels at 383.2, 480.4, and 678.0 keV in $^{247}\mathrm{Cf}$ were given Nilsson-state assignments of ${\frac{7}{2}}^{+}[624\ensuremath{\downarrow}]$, ${\frac{5}{2}}^{+}[622\ensuremath{\uparrow}]$, ${\frac{9}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[734\ensuremath{\uparrow}]$, and ${\frac{7}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[743\ensuremath{\uparrow}]$, respectively. On the basis of the favored $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ transition the ground state of $^{251}\mathrm{Fm}$ has been assigned to the ${\frac{9}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[734\ensuremath{\uparrow}]$ single-particle state.
Predictive properties of the video head impulse test: measures of caloric symmetry and self-report dizziness handicap.

Objectives The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a predictable relationship existed between self-reported dizziness handicap and video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) results in a large sample of patients reporting to a dizziness clinic. Secondary objectives included describing the characteristics of the vHIT ipsilesional and contralesional vestibulo-ocular reflex slow-phase velocity in patients with varying levels of canal paresis. Finally, the authors calculated the sensitivity and specificity of the vHIT for detecting horizontal semicircular canal impairment using the caloric test as the "gold standard." Design Participants were 115 adults presenting to a tertiary medical care center with symptoms of dizziness. Participants were administered a measure of self-report dizziness handicap (i.e., Dizziness Handicap Inventory) and underwent caloric testing and vHIT at the same appointment. Results Results showed that (1) there were no significant group differences (i.e., vHIT normal versus vHIT abnormal) in the Dizziness Handicap Inventory total score, (2) both ipsilesional and contralateral velocity gain decreased with increases in caloric paresis, and (3) a caloric asymmetry of 39.5% was determined to be the cutoff that maximized discrimination of vHIT outcome. Conclusions The level of self-reported dizziness handicap is not predicted by the outcome of the vHIT, which is consistent with the majority of published reports describing the poor relationship between quantitative tests of vestibular function and dizziness handicap. Further, the study findings have demonstrated that vHIT and caloric data are not redundant, and each test provides unique information regarding the functional integrity of the horizontal semicircular canal at different points on the frequency spectrum. The vHIT does offer some advantages over caloric testing, but at the expense of sensitivity. The vHIT can be completed in less time, is not noxious to the patient, and requires very little laboratory space. However, the study data show that a caloric asymmetry of 39.5% is required to optimize discrimination between an abnormal and normal vHIT. It is the authors' contention that the vHIT is a complementary test to the balance function examination and should viewed as such rather than as a replacement for caloric testing.
Mechanism for radical cation transport in duplex DNA oligonucleotides.

We investigated the photoinduced one-electron oxidation of a series of DNA oligomers having a covalently linked anthraquinone group (AQ) and containing [(A)nGG]m or [(T)nGG]m segments. These oligomers have m GG steps, where m = 4 or 6, separated by (A)n or (T)n segments, where n = 1−7 for the (A)n set and 1−5 for the (T)n set. Irradiation with UV light that is absorbed by the AQ causes injection of a radical cation into the DNA. The radical cation migrates through the DNA, causing chemical reaction, primarily at GG steps, that leads to strand cleavage after piperidine treatment. The uniform, systematic structure of the DNA oligonucleotides investigated permits the numerical solution of a kinetic scheme that models these reactions. This analysis yields two rate constants, khop, for hopping of the radical cation from one site to adjacent sites, and ktrap, for irreversible reaction of the radical cation with H2O or O2. Analysis of these findings indicates that radical cation hopping in these duplex DNA oligo...
Specific Cell‐Induced Transformation of Paramecium Surface Antigens

Paramecia may induce in other paramecia specific changes in the expression of genes determining surface protein synthesis, probably via cell-to-cell contact. Transformation from one antigenic type to a newly induced one is stimulated by the pretreatment of a cell with 5-fluorouracil. These observations are considered in terms of the regulation of the activity of genes in stable cells and in unstable cells which tend to transform spontaneously.
Spectral State Transitions in Aql X-1: Evidence for `Propeller' Effects

Aql X-1 is a soft X-ray transient source and emits type I X-ray bursts. A spectral state transition was observed with RXTE during its outburst decay in February and March 1997. Its 10-30 keV and 5-10 keV count rate ratio increased suddenly when its luminosity was between (4-12) E35 ergs/s, assuming a 2.5 kpc distance. Spectral fitting with a model composed of a blackbody and a power-law components showed that its blackbody component decreased and the power-law became much harder significantly and simultaneously. We interpret this transition as caused by the centrifugal barrier, or commonly known as the `propeller' effect. We thus infer that the magnetic field strength of the neutron star is around 1E8 Gauss, if the neutron star spin period is 1.8 ms. Similarly we infer the neutron star magnetic field strength in another soft X-ray transient Cen X-4 is about 2E9 Gauss. We also propose a unified scheme for spectral state transitions in soft X-ray transients, from soft high state to hard low state and further to quiescent state. With this scheme accretion onto neutron star may take place even during the propeller regime.
Effect of "irrelevant" maze arm angle on brightness discrimination learning and reversal.

There are many spatial and configural factors in discrimination learning situations which have not been investigated, despite the possibility that knowledge of their effects would be of value in understanding discrimination learning and reversal phenomena. One such variable is the position or angle of the maze arms relative to the choice point in brightness discri~nination situations where chis factor is "irrelevant" to the learning of the problem. In the typical brightness discrimination problem the brightness cues are changed from position to position, appearing in each position equally often. Thus position, say right-left, is an "irrelevant" cue in the sense that neither right nor left receives differential reinforcement. The spatial arrangement of these irrelevant position cues, and the corresponding position responses forced on the animal in the course of responding to brightness cues, might affect learning because of ac least two factors: ( 1 ) the effect of maze arm angle on the time S spends at the choice point, and (2) the effect of the size of maze arm angle upon the intensity of the proprioceptor cues involved in responding to the irrelevant spatial dimension. Estes and Lauer (1957) have suggested that discrimination learning in rats may be enhanced by choice point delay. This was based on their finding that improvement in reversal learning was dependent upon massed trials. They hypothesized that Ss learned to slow down at the choice point on the basis of stimulation from the previous non-reinforced trial, and that chis resulted in a longer exposure to choice-point cues. In the present situation a large maze arm angle might be expected to produce more delay or hesitation than a small maze arm angle because of the relative sharpness of the turn required of S. While the source of delay and many procedural features are undoubtedly important in considering any possible delay effect, one might still expect delay caused by maze arm angle to have a facilitating function in the manner discussed by Estes and Lauer. The effect of the size of the maze arm angle upon the intensity of the proprioceptor cues involved in responding to the irrelevant spatial dimension should also play a role in the rate of discrimination learning and reversal. It is known that position habits tend to develop in rhe presolution period of a 'Supported in part by the Research Committee of the Graduate School from funds supplied by rhe Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
Performance Analysis of a Cardiac Assist Device in Counterpulsation

Performance of a cardiac assist device pumping chamber in counterpulsation was evaluated using numerical simulations of the unsteady, three-dimensional flow inside the chamber and an analytical model of the force required to eject and fill the chamber. The wall shear stress within the device was similarly computed and modeled. The analytical model was scaled to match the numerical results and then used to predict performance at physiological operating conditions. According to these models for a stroke volume of 70 ml, between 0.4 and 1.0 W is required for counterpulsation at a frequency of 1.33 Hz against a restorative spring, depending on the spring constant chosen. The power and the maximum force calculated are within the ranges a trained skeletal muscle is capable of providing. Shear stress predictions show that platelet activation in the absence of surface effects and hemolysis due to high shear are unlikely to occur with this design. Furthermore, vortices that develop in the chamber during filling are predicted to increase blood mixing and provide favorable washing of the chamber walls. A computational-analytical approach such as this may have potential to aid rapid performance evaluation of new devices and streamline the design optimization process.
Creditors in the Consumer Protection Age

A decade has passed since the Truth-in-Lending Act was enacted by the U.S. Congress. Congressional intent was one-sided in favor of American consumers. The Act was an outgrowth of large-scale fraud and some serious abuses that had existed in the consumer credit industry. Evidence indicates that these two factors—consumer dissatisfaction and consumer protection—are now world-wide phenomena. The only difference is that the consumer movement in the United States is more active than in the rest of the world. This paper attempts: (1) to review the evolution of consumer protection legislation in the United States; (2) to describe the important elements of the Truth-in-Lending Act; and (3) to assess the effects of the Act. The paper may serve as a case study of “consumerism” in the Western world. This is because consumers in the Western world are undergoing common cultural changes: (1) they are more interested in societal goals than in material goals; (2) they are entering a more advanced stage of cultural-econo...
Ambulatory Dispersal of Spider Mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) on Whole, Untreated Maize Plants After Exposure to Fenvalerate and Permethrin

Behavioral responses reported for spider mites encountering pyrethroid in secticideson treated plant surfaces have included increased dispersal and cessation of feeding. In our laboratory study, pyrethroid insecticides were applied directly to Banks grass mite, Oligonychus pratensis (Banks), and two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Koch), that were then released onto untreated maize, Zea mays L., plants. Initially, a greater proportion of chemically treated mites dispersed compared with untreated mites or those treated with water. Vertical distributions of the two species were similar except after the permethrin treatment. Permethrin inhibited Banks grass mite upward dispersal compared with fenvalerate, water treatments, and controls, whereas two spotted spider mite upward dispersal was not inhibited.
Preparation and Characterization of trans‐1,4‐Polybutadiene Nanocomposites Containing in situ Generated Silica

Abstract trans‐1,4‐Polybutadiene (tPBD) networks crosslinked free radically with dicumyl peroxide (DCP) were reinforced by in situ silica formed in a two‐step sol–gel technique. Changing the degree of crosslinking by changing the amount of DCP, or changing the amounts of the sol–gel components [tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and dibutyltin diacetate (DBTDA)], changed the silica generated with regard to the amount precipitated, particle size, and degree of dispersion. Stress–strain measurements in continuous extension indicated good reinforcement, even at relatively low amounts of silica. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated decreases in heat of crystallization with increases in the amounts of silica, but thermogravimetric analysis showed initial decomposition temperatures (IDT) remained relatively constant. Suggestions are made regarding interpretation of these properties in terms of the composite morphologies.
Evasion of cytotoxic T lymphocytes by murine cytomegalovirus.

Murine cytomegalovirus causes lifelong infections with little pathology in normal host animals. Control of viral replication and prevention of pathology depend on both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms, and cytolytic T lymphocytes play a key role in this process. The virus encodes a number of genes which alter the normal assembly of class I major histocompatability complex proteins, and thus interfere with the ability of infected cells to present antigen to CD8 C T cells. This review will examine what is
Unusual behavior of projectile fragments produced by the interactions of relativistic Ar ions with copper

Radiochemical activation techniques were used to study the behavior of projectile fragments formed in the interaction of 0.9A and 1.8A GeV $^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ ions within thick Cu targets. Two identical 1 cm thick Cu disks were irradiated with separations between the disks of 0, 10, and 20 cm, respectively. The results show an enhancement in the formation of light mass (Al30) radioactive residues in the second disk relative to the first in the contact configuration for both projectile energies. This enhancement decreases for increasing distance between the Cu disks. While our results with 0.9A GeV projectiles can be explained within the framework of conventional nuclear physics, the data at 1.8A GeV demand that either secondaries of Z=1, neutrons and/or pions are emitted with surprisingly large transverse momenta, or that some projectile fragments have large interaction cross sections but decay in flight (\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}10}$ s).
Slickenline orientations as a record of fault rock rheology

Abstract Contact of geometric asperities across rough faults causes perturbations to the shear traction resolved on a fault surface that could potentially deflect the local slip direction. Slickenlines, which record the relative displacement of opposing sides of a fault, may therefore be sensitive to fault surface geometry. To investigate the relationship between fault geometry, shear traction and slip, we use ground-based LiDAR to measure the orientations of slickenlines defined by centimeter-amplitude corrugations on three fault surfaces. Slickenline rakes measured in the mean plane of each fault rarely vary by more than a few degrees. Deviations from the mean rake do not correlate with the fault surface topography at scales up to a few meters, but a weak correlation may be present at larger scales. Slip directions are therefore insensitive to any shear traction perturbations from the contact of geometric asperities at small scales. This observation is consistent with scale-dependent deformation. We show that the roughness of fault surfaces implies that short wavelength asperities fail inelastically because of flattening during fault slip. A crossover to elastic deformation occurs at lengths of 10 − 2 to 10 0 m , which defines the minimum dimension of a strength asperity that influences the displacement field. The roughness at the crossover length scale corresponds to the typical thickness of fault rocks in the fault core suggesting that fault rock thickness is related to the crossover length scale. The data requires that multiple processes combine to produce the fault surface geometry. We reconcile the variety of processes with the consistent surface roughness scaling by noting that all of the processes are governed in different ways by the elastic limit of rock.
The new Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas: introduction

This special issue of Library Hi Tech includes a collection of nine articles describing the planning, implementation, and preliminary measurements on the technology incorporated into Lied Library.
Teflon-coated silicon microreactors: impact on segmented liquid-liquid multiphase flows.

We describe fluoropolymer modification of silicon microreactors for control of wetting properties in chemical synthesis applications and characterize the impact of the coating on liquid−liquid multiphase flows of solvents and water. Annular flow of nitrogen gas and a Teflon AF (DuPont) dispersion enable controlled evaporation of fluoropolymer solvent, which in turn brings about three-dimensional polymer deposition on microchannel walls. Consequently, the wetting behavior is switched from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. Analysis of microreactors reveals that the polymer layer thickness increases down the length of the reactor from ∼1 to ∼13 μm with an average thickness of ∼7 μm. Similarly, we show that microreactor surfaces can be modified with poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE). These PTFE-coated microreactors are further characterized by measuring residence time distributions in segmented liquid−liquid multiphase flows, which display reduced axial dispersion for the coated microreactors. Applying particle imag...
Genetic variation at the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) locus modulates Wnt signaling and the relationship of physical activity with bone mineral density in men

Abstract Polymorphisms in the LRP5 gene have been associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in men and/or women. However, the functional basis for this association remains obscure. We hypothesized that LRP5 alleles could modulate Wnt signaling and the relationship between physical activity and BMD. This genetic association study was performed in the population-based Framingham Study Offspring Cohort, and included a subset of 1797 unrelated individuals who provided blood samples for DNA and who had BMD measurements of the hip and spine. Ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the LRP5 gene were genotyped and used for association and interaction analyses with BMD by regression methods. LRP5 haplotypes were transiently co-expressed with Wnt3a, MesD and Dkk1 in HEK293 cells and their activity evaluated by the TCF-Lef reporter assay. Six out of ten SNPs in LRP5 were associated with one or more of the femur or spine BMDs in men or women after adjustment for covariates, and these associations differed between genders. In men ≤ age 60 years, 3 SNPs were significantly associated with BMD: rs2306862 on Exon 10 with femoral neck BMD ( p = 0.01) and Ward's BMD ( p = 0.01); rs4988321/p. V667M with Ward's BMD ( p = 0.02); and intronic rs901825 with trochanter BMD ( p = 0.03). In women, 3 SNPs in intron 2 were significantly associated with BMD: rs4988330 for trochanter ( p = 0.01) and spine BMD ( p = 0.003); rs312778 with femoral neck BMD ( p = 0.05); and rs4988331 with spine BMD ( p = 0.04). For each additional rare allele, BMD changed by 3–5% in males and 2–4% in females. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between physical activity and rs2306862 in exon 10 ( p for interaction = 0.02) and rs3736228/p. A1330V in exon 18 ( p for interaction = 0.05) on spine BMD in men. In both cases, the TT genotype was associated with lower BMD in men with higher physical activity scores, conversely with higher BMD in men with lower physical activity scores. In vitro, TCF-Lef activity in presence of Wnt3a was significantly reduced in cells expressing LRP5 haplotypes carrying the T allele of exon 10 and 18 compared to the wild-type allele, whereas co-expression of Dkk1 completely inhibited Wnt3a response through all LRP5 haplotypes. In summary, genetic variation in exons 10 and 18 of the LRP5 gene modulates Wnt signaling and the relationship between physical activity and BMD in men. These observations suggest that Wnt-LRP5 may play a role in the adaptation of bone to mechanical load in humans, and may explain some gender-related differences in bone mass.
Effect of anisotropic anharmonicity on acoustic attenuation

Abstract It is shown that acoustic attenuation depends strongly on the degree of anisotropic lattice anharmonity.
LIQUIDITY CHARACTERISTICS OF SMALL AND LARGE MANUFACTURING FIRMS

Many studies have compared various characteristics of large and small business firms. For example, recent studies have documented the “small firm effect”. These articles have indicated a tendency for small companies to exhibit greater risk‐adjusted stock returns than large companies. Other research has focused on comparing the financial aspects of small and large firms. These previous studies found a positive relationship between size and liquidity as measured by the current and quick ratios. Little, however, has been written in recent years that compares the liquidity characteristics of small and large firms.
Role and regulation of adipokines during zymosan-induced peritoneal inflammation in mice.

Adipokines, cytokines mainly produced by adipocytes, are active participants in the regulation of inflammation. Administration of zymosan (ZY) was used to investigate the regulation and role of adipokines during peritonitis in mice. Injection of ZY led to a significant increase in leptin levels in both serum and peritoneal lavage fluid, whereas a differential trendinlocalvs.systemiclevelswasobservedforbothresistin and adiponectin. The role of leptin in ZY-induced peritonitis was investigated using leptin-deficient ob/ob mice, with and without reconstitution with exogenous leptin. Leptin deficiency was associated with delayed resolution of peritoneal inflammation induced by ZY, because ob/ob mice had a more pronounced cellular infiltrate in the peritoneum as well as higher and prolonged local and systemic levels of IL-6, TNF, IL-10, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 compared with wild-type mice. Reconstitution with exogenous leptin exacerbated the inflammatory infiltrate and systemic IL-6 levels in ob/ob mice while inhibiting production of TNF, IL-10, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2. In contrast with the important role of leptin in regulating each aspect of ZY-induced peritonitis, adiponectin deficiency was associated only with a decreasedinflammatoryinfiltrate,withoutaffectingcytokine levels. These findings point to a complex role for adipokines in ZY-induced peritonitis and further emphasize the interplay between obesity and inflammation. (Endocrinology 149: 4080–4085, 2008)
Abstract A15: A reciprocal feedback loop between grainyhead-like-2 and ZEB1 controls EMT and tumor suppression

The oncogenic Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) enhances malignant progression by promoting invasion and survival of tumor cells. EMT is induced by microenvironmental factors including TGF-β and Wnt agonists, and transcription factors including the E-box binding factors Twist, Snail and ZEB. Previously, we reported that a member of the mammalian Grainyhead family of wound healing-regulatory transcription factors, Grainyhead-like-2 (GRHL2), suppresses EMT and restores sensitivity to anoikis by repressing ZEB1 expression and inhibiting TGF-β signaling. Here, we elucidate the functional relationship between GRHL2 and ZEB1 in EMT/MET and tumor biology. At least three homeodomain proteins, Six1, LBX1, and HoxA5, transactivated the ZEB1 promoter; for Six1, this occurred through direct protein-promoter interaction. GRHL2 altered the Six1-DNA complex, inhibiting this transactivation. Correspondingly, GRHL2 expression prevented tumor initiation in xenograft assays, sensitized breast cancer cells to paclitaxel, and suppressed the emergence of CD44highCD24low cells in a cell line where this marker set correlates with cancer stem cell phenotype. GRHL2 was down-regulated in recurrent mouse tumors that had evolved to an oncogene-independent, EMT-like state, supporting a role for GRHL2 down-regulation in this tumor phenotype transition modeling disease recurrence. The combination of TGF-β and Wnt activation repressed GRHL2 expression through direct interaction of ZEB1 with the GRHL2 promoter, inducing EMT. These observations indicate that a reciprocal feedback loop between GRHL2 and ZEB1 controls epithelial vs. mesenchymal phenotypes and EMT-driven tumor progression. Citation Format: Benjamin Cieply, Heide L. Ford, Joshua Farris, Steven Frisch. A reciprocal feedback loop between grainyhead-like-2 and ZEB1 controls EMT and tumor suppression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Third AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; Sep 18-22, 2013; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(19 Suppl):Abstract nr A15.
Allene Epoxidation. Oxidative Cyclizations of Allenyl Acids.

The allenic alcohols (I) are oxidized with dimethyldioxirane (DMDO) to give the bisepoxides (II) which rearrange, forming the hydroxytetrahydrofuranone (IIIa) or the pyranone (IIIb).
Residential Satisfaction: Compositional and Contextual Correlates

A theory of residential satisfaction is developed and used in the specification of a path model wherein compositional characteristics of households and the context of the dwelling and neighborhood ...
Clique neighborhoods and nearly chordal graphs

Abstract We study two new special families of complete subgraphs of a graph. For chordal graphs, one of these reduces to the family of minimal vertex separators while the other is empty. When the intersection characterization of chordal graphs is extended from acyclic (i.e., K 3 -free chordal) hosts to K 4 -free chordal hosts, these new families are as fundamental as minimal vertex separators are for chordal graphs. Every graph satisfies certain inequalities involving the cardinalities of these families, with interesting questions arising when equality holds.