cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Digital Doctors and Robot Receptionists: User Attributes that Predict Acceptance of Automation in Healthcare Facilities

Advances in artificial intelligence offer the promise of accessibility, precision, and personalized care in health settings. However, growth in technology has not translated to commensurate growth in automation of healthcare facilities. To gain a better understanding of user psychology behind the acceptance of automation in clinics, a 3 (Role: Receptionist, Nurse, Doctor) x 3 (Digital Agent Representation: Human, Avatar, Robot) factorial experiment (N = 283) was conducted. Results suggest that the digital nature of the interaction overpowers any individual role effects, with acceptance depending upon individual traits (belief in machine heuristic; power usage). Implications for theory and the design of digital healthcare facilities are discussed.
"MPNST Epigenetics"-Response.

We thank the authors for their letter ([1][1]) and for making these points about our July 2019 Molecular Cancer Research review article ([2][2]). We acknowledge that they have provided important novel insights, with their new article ([3][3]), into a topic discussed in our review regarding potential
Blade-resolved modeling with fluid–structure interaction

Blade -resolved simulations are a high-fidelity modeling tool that helps understand the fundamental flow physics that create loads on wind turbines. Along with fluid - structure interaction (FSI), they provide a foundation to improve the state-of-the-art aerodynamic models of modern wind turbines with large flexible blades and thus the design of the next generation of wind turbines. One of the most important parts of wind-turbine simulation is modeling the conversion of kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical energy using principles of aerodynamics. The hierarchies of aerodynamic models for wind turbines in increasing the order of complexity, cost, and fidelity are blade element momentum (BEM) theory (BEMT), vortex methods, actuator disc/line methods, and blade -resolved modeling.
The Conduct and Consequence of Research on Digital Communication

Author(s): Flanagin, Andrew J | Abstract: Abstract Research on digital communication is best served by concentrating not on current technological tools, but rather on the novel processes of social and communicative change to which such technologies are often closely linked. Thus, scholarship should consider contemporary technologies mainly as manifestations of underlying phenomena rather than as particular objects of study and should cultivate a focus on the capabilities that span technologies. Theories in this domain, in turn, must concentrate on what is exceptional about technologies in terms of the psychological, social, and behavioral mechanisms that help to comprehend them in the long term. Seen this way, the key to understanding technological mediation is remarkably consistent even in the face of radical technological change.
The landscape of alternative splicing in HIV-1 infected CD4 T-cells

Elucidating molecular mechanisms that are altered during HIV-1 infection may provide a better understanding of the HIV-1 life cycle and how it interacts with infected T-cells. One such mechanism is alternative splicing (AS), which has been studied for HIV-1 itself, but no systematic analysis has yet been performed on infected T-cells. We hypothesized that AS patterns in infected T-cells may illuminate the molecular mechanisms underlying HIV-1 infection and identify candidate molecular markers for specifically targeting infected T-cells. We downloaded previously published raw RNA-seq data obtained from HIV-1 infected and non-infected T-cells. We estimated percent spliced in (PSI) levels for each AS exon, then identified differential AS events in the infected cells (FDR 0.1). We performed functional gene set enrichment analysis on the genes with differentially expressed AS exons to identify their functional roles. In addition, we used RT-PCR to validate differential alternative splicing events in cyclin T1 (CCNT1) as a case study. We identified 427 candidate genes with differentially expressed AS exons in infected T-cells, including 20 genes related to cell surface, 35 to kinases, and 121 to immune-related genes. In addition, protein-protein interaction analysis identified six essential subnetworks related to the viral life cycle, including Transcriptional regulation by TP53, Class I MHC mediated antigen, G2/M transition, and late phase of HIV life cycle. CCNT1 exon 7 was more frequently skipped in infected T-cells, leading to loss of the key Cyclin_N motif and affecting HIV-1 transcriptional elongation. Our findings may provide new insight into systemic host AS regulation under HIV-1 infection and may provide useful initial candidates for the discovery of new markers for specifically targeting infected T-cells.
A Case Series of Retroperitoneal Lymphocele Following Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Background Lymphocele is a rare complication following anterior lumbar interbody fusion with very few reported cases in the literature. We report 3 cases of lymphocele following anterior lumbar interbody fusion. Case Description In the first 2 cases, the patients presented with retroperitoneal lymphocele, and both were managed with sclerotherapy with ethanol. In the third case, the patient also presented with a retroperitoneal lymphocele and was managed instead with percutaneous drain placement. All 3 patients had subsequent resolution of the lymphoceles and their associated symptoms. Conclusions This case report reviews the diagnostic algorithm and management of lymphocele following anterior lumbar interbody fusion.
Common substructures and sequence characteristics of sandwich-like proteins from 42 different folds

This study addresses the following fundamental question: Do sequences of protein domains with sandwich architecture have common sequence characteristics even though they belong to different superfamilies and folds? The analysis was carried out in two stages: determination of substructures in the domains that are common to all sandwich proteins; and detection of common sequence characteristics within the substructures. Analysis of supersecondary structures in domains of proteins revealed two types of four-strand substructures that are common to sandwich proteins. At least one of these common substructures was found in proteins of 42 sandwich-like folds (as per structural classification in the CATH database). Comparison of the sequence fragments corresponding to strands that make up the common substructures revealed specific rules of distribution of hydrophobic residues within these strands. These rules can be conceptualized as grammatical rules of beta protein linguistics. Understanding of the structural and sequence commonalities of sandwich proteins may also be useful for rational protein design.
Population genetics of a rare wetland species, the Tennessee yellow-eyed grass (Xyris tennesseensis, Xyridaceae)

Federally endangered Xyris tennesseensis is a perennial monocot found in imperiled wetlands such as calcareous seeps and riparian habitats within its disjunct distribution (one county in Tennessee, three in Alabama and four in Georgia). This species belongs to a genus of wetland plants for which very little genetic work has been carried out. Because of the rarity of this species, we hypothesized that it would have low genetic variability overall and that populations were likely to be genetically differentiated due to the species’ disjunct distribution. Fourteen microsatellite loci polymorphic at the species level showed limited variability at the population level, averaging 16.3% polymorphic loci, 1.17 alleles per locus, an observed heterozygosity of 0.017, and an expected heterozygosity of 0.054. The discrepancy between observed and expected heterozygosity resulted in a relatively high FIS of 0.71, suggesting that X. tennesseensis experiences high levels of inbreeding. We also found evidence of varying levels of vegetative reproduction in this species. Analysis of molecular variance estimated that differentiation among the regions (states) accounted for the majority (60%) of the genetic variation in this species, with an additional 31% due to genetic differences among the populations of each state and only 9% due to variability within populations. These data indicate X. tennesseensis possesses low levels of genetic diversity and experiences virtually no gene flow among populations. To preserve the genetic diversity of this species, multiple populations must be protected, with priority given to the largest and most variable populations in each region.
Controls on the hydraulic geometry of alluvial channels: bank stability to gravitational failure, the critical-flow hypothesis, and conservation of mass and energy

Abstract. The bank-full depths, widths, depth-averaged water velocities, and along-channel slopes of alluvial channels are approximately power-law functions of bank-full discharge across many orders of magnitude. What mechanisms give rise to these patterns is one of the central questions of fluvial geomorphology. Here it is proposed that the bank-full depths of alluvial channels are partially controlled by the maximum heights of gravitationally stable channel banks, which depend on bank material cohesion and hence on clay content. The bank-full depths predicted by a bank-stability model correlate with observed bank-full depths estimated from the bends in the stage–discharge rating curves of 387 U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations in the Mississippi River basin. It is further proposed that depth-averaged water velocities scale with bank-full depths as a result of a self-regulatory feedback among water flow, relative roughness, and channel-bed morphology that limits depth-averaged water velocities to within a relatively narrow range associated with Froude numbers that have a weak inverse relationship to bank-full discharge. Given these constraints on channel depths and water velocities, bank-full widths and along-channel slopes consistent with observations follow by conservation of mass and energy of water flow.
Sources of soil carbon loss during soil density fractionation: Laboratory loss or seasonally variable soluble pools?

Abstract To model global C budgets more accurately, we must better understand the dynamics and turnover of the many functional C pools that exist in soil. While soil density fractionation (SDF) is widely used to separate soil C pools based on the degree of stabilization by soil minerals, several studies have noted substantial losses of soil mass and soil C following SDF. As the source of these losses is unknown, they may lead to erroneous conclusions about SOM dynamics and inaccuracies in models of soil processes and global C cycling. For example, lab handling techniques such as air-drying soil could have an impact on soluble C losses. Alternatively, the observed C losses could represent pools of potentially soluble C that can vary by ecosystem and season, and thus might represent ephemeral, not well stabilized, and generally overlooked pools of soil C that are missing from SOM budgets and models. For example, in summer-dry climates such as the Pacific Northwest, soluble organic products of decomposition could accumulate over the summer when temperatures and microbial activities are high and precipitation is low, and subsequently leach during the fall and winter with precipitation. To address these divergent possibilities, soils were collected seasonally from a summer-dry forest in Oregon, and subsamples were subjected to 4 different laboratory handling procedures prior to fractionation: 1) air-drying and 2) oven-drying to simulate common laboratory drying techniques; 3) leaching to evaluate if potentially soluble C represented a pool that could be removed with simulated precipitation; and 4) immediate fractionation of fresh soil to determine if drying of soil caused artifacts in pools of potentially soluble soil C. Contrary to initial hypotheses, there were no seasonal trends to soluble DOC pools or total C loss during fractionation. Average mass loss during fractionation was 6% of initial dry weight and total C loss was 9% of total soil C. Soluble losses represented only 9% of total soil C loss. Particulate, or non-soluble mass loss was dominated by the high C:N free particulate organic matter, or LF. Thus, most C loss in this system was due to laboratory losses and that loss was biased towards an underestimation of LF matter in soil. DOC was a small enough component of loss that soil preparation prior to SDF was not significant. These results imply that in temperate soils, even in seasonally extreme ecosystems, relative proportions of mineral-associated organic matter and free particulate organic matter are seasonally robust, air drying of soil does not introduce error, and that immediate fractionation after field collection is not critical.
Ultrasonography and the American Thyroid Association Ultrasound-Based Risk Stratification Tool: Utility in Pediatric and Adolescent Thyroid Nodules.

BACKGROUND Pediatric thyroid nodules are more likely to be malignant compared to those in adults and may have different concerning ultrasound (US) features. Recent adult guidelines stratify malignancy risk by US features. Our aim is to (1) describe and confirm US features that predict pediatric malignancy, and (2) apply the Adult American Thyroid Association (ATA) Risk Stratification Guidelines to a large pediatric cohort. METHODS We identified 112 children with 145 thyroid nodules from 1996 to 2015. Two blinded pediatric radiologists independently read all US images, described multiple features, and reported their overall impression: benign, indeterminate, or malignant. Each nodule was assigned an ATA risk stratification category. Radiologists' impressions and ATA risk stratification were compared to histology and cytology results. RESULTS Multiple US features including a solid composition, presence of microcalcifications, irregular margins, increased blood flow, and hypoechogenicity were associated with increased odds of malignancy. ATA risk stratification correlated with the radiologists' overall impression (p < 0.001). The sensitivity for detecting malignancy was comparable between both ATA stratification (91%) and the radiologists' overall impression (90%). The specificity of the radiologists' malignant overall impression (80%) was better compared to the ATA high risk stratification (54%). CONCLUSIONS At our institution, pediatric radiologists' overall impressions had similar sensitivity but better specificity for detecting malignancy than the ATA risk stratification tool by our convention. However, neither US-based methods perfectly discriminated benign from malignant nodules, supporting the continued need for fine needle aspiration for suspicious nodules. Further work is needed to develop an US-based scoring system specific to pediatric patients.
Therapy of Established Tumors with Rationally Designed Multiple Agents Targeting Diverse Immune-Tumor Interactions: Engage, Expand, Enable.

Immunotherapy of immunologically cold solid tumors may require multiple agents to engage immune effector cells, expand effector populations and activities, and enable immune responses in the tumor microenvironment (TME). To target these distinct phenomena, we strategically chose five clinical-stage immuno-oncology agents, namely, (i) a tumor antigen-targeting adenovirus-based vaccine (Ad-CEA) and an IL15 superagonist (N-803) to activate tumor-specific T cells, (ii) OX40 and GITR agonists to expand and enhance the activated effector populations, and (iii) an IDO inhibitor (IDOi) to enable effector-cell activity in the TME. Flow cytometry, T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing, and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses showed that in the CEA-transgenic murine colon carcinoma (MC38-CEA) tumor model, Ad-CEA + N-803 combination therapy resulted in immune-mediated antitumor effects and promoted the expression of costimulatory molecules on immune subsets, OX40 and GITR, and the inhibitory molecule IDO. Treatment with Ad-CEA + N-803 + OX40 + GITR + IDOi, termed the pentatherapy regimen, resulted in the greatest inhibition of tumor growth and protection from tumor rechallenge without toxicity. Monotherapy with any of the agents had little to no antitumor activity, whereas combining two, three, or four agents had minimal antitumor effects. Immune analyses demonstrated that the pentatherapy combination induced CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell activity in the periphery and tumor, and antitumor activity associated with decreased regulatory T-cell (Treg) immunosuppression in the TME. The pentatherapy combination also inhibited tumor growth and metastatic formation in 4T1 and LL2-CEA murine tumor models. This study provides the rationale for the combination of multimodal immunotherapy agents to engage, enhance, and enable adaptive antitumor immunity.
Convexification techniques for linear complementarity constraints

We develop convexification techniques for mathematical programs with complementarity constraints. Specifically, we adapt the reformulation-linearization technique of Sherali and Adams (SIAM J Discrete Math 3, 411–430, 1990) to problems with linear complementarity constraints and discuss how this procedure reduces to its standard specification for binary mixed-integer programs. Then, we consider specially structured complementarity sets that appear in KKT systems with linear constraints. For sets with a single complementarity constraint, we develop a convexification procedure that generates all nontrivial facet-defining inequalities and has an appealing “cancel-and-relax” interpretation. This procedure is used to describe the convex hull of problems with few side constraints in closed-form. As a consequence, we delineate cases when the factorable relaxation techniques yield the convex hull from those for which they do not. We then discuss how these results extend to sets with multiple complementarity constraints. In particular, we show that a suitable sequential application of the cancel-and-relax procedure produces all nontrivial inequalities of their convex hull. We conclude by illustrating, on a set of randomly generated problems, that the relaxations we propose can be significantly stronger than those available in the literature.
Short report: Patterns of US federal autism research funding during 2017-2019.

In 2017, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, a federal advisory panel consisting of autism researchers and community members, recommended that funders of autism research prioritize resea...
New Developments and Insights in the Improvement of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Vaccines and Diagnostics Within the End TB Strategy

The alignment of sustainable development goals (SDGs) with the End Tuberculosis (TB) strategy provides an integrated roadmap to implement key approaches towards TB elimination. This review summarizes current social challenges for TB control, and yet, recent developments in TB diagnosis and vaccines in the context of the End TB strategy and SDGs to transform global health. Advances in non-sputum based TB biomarkers and whole genome sequencing technologies could revolutionize TB diagnostics. Moreover, synergistic novel technologies such as mRNA vaccination, nanovaccines and promising TB vaccine models are key promising developments for TB prevention and control. The End TB strategy depends on novel developments in point-of-care TB diagnostics and effective vaccines. However, despite outstanding technological developments in these fields, TB elimination will be unlikely achieved if TB social determinants are not fully addressed. Indeed, the End TB strategy and SDGs emphasize the importance of implementing sustainable universal health coverage and social protection.
Resilience and First-Year Pharmacy Students’ Academic Performance in a Pharmacy Math Course

Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic resilience and academic success in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. Methods. A cross-sectional survey using the Academic Pharmacy Resilience Scale (APRS-16) was conducted in two cohorts of first year pharmacy (P1) students (n = 374) during fall orientation in 2019 and 2020. The following data were also collected from student records: demographics, pre-pharmacy grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy Math outcome (passing or failing the course), and Pharmacy Math final numerical grade. Academic success was defined as achieving a passing grade in a Pharmacy Math course. Correlational, multiple logistic regression, and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted. Results. The survey response rate was 98.1%, and approximately 95% of participants passed Pharmacy Math. No significant correlations were found between Pharmacy Math final pass/fail outcome or Pharmacy Math final numerical grade and APRS-16 overall and subscale scores. In multiple logistic regression, neither pre-pharmacy GPA nor APRS overall scale or subscale scores were significantly associated with final Pharmacy Math outcome (passing/failing). In multiple linear regression, pre-pharmacy GPA was significantly associated with Pharmacy Math final numerical grade, but APRS-16 overall score and subscale scores were not. Conclusion. First-year pharmacy students’ performance in Pharmacy Math was not influenced by academic resilience. Studies like this one examining the relationship between pharmacy students’ resilience and academic performance are lacking. Future studies should assess whether academic resilience may affect performance in other courses as well as performance in the PharmD curriculum.
Truth Commissions in Non-Transitional Contexts: Implications for Their Impact

This chapter examines the reasons why TCs have emerged in these other kinds of contexts and the ways in which TC expectations might need to be altered in these different environments. First, it examines the circumstances under which TCs are created. Second, it reviews prevailing expectations about the impact of TCs, noting that there is usually an assumption that they are created in transitional contexts where social, political, and economic institutions are undergoing significant upheaval. Third, it explores how TCs often differ when they are employed in contexts where little to no transformation is taking place. Specifically, it examines TCs that have been created in post-conflict scenarios, such as Sri Lanka, where the government decisively defeated an armed threat, so there is no real political transition. It also considers Bahrain and Morocco, where firmly entrenched authoritarian regimes created TCs to address histories of human rights violations. In addition, cases such as Canada’s TRC and the Maine-Wabanaki TRC represent examples of the model being utilized in well-established democracies in order to address historical wrongs. The chapter concludes by reflecting upon the conceptual and empirical consequences with respect to setting expectations as to the legacies of TCs in such contexts. The creation of these bodies are at least in part a consequence of a global TC norm. While these examples might be dismissed as costless, cynical attempts to exploit a global truth-seeking norm, the public nature of these bodies ensures that they draw the world’s attention to a government’s response to a TC’s work.
Navigating ethical challenges in second language narrative inquiry research

Abstract Methodological and theoretical innovations in second language (L2) narrative research have yielded helpful insights into L2 learning and teaching over the past four decades. However, with the creation of this vibrant line of inquiry, new ethical dilemmas have correspondingly emerged. These dilemmas threaten to violate the core ethical principles of (1) respect for persons, (2) yielding optimal benefits while minimizing harm, and (3) the preservation of justice. Building on recent ethics-inflected applied linguistics work that has distinguished between macroethics (procedural ethics of review boards and professional codes of conduct) and microethics (everyday ethical dilemmas encountered in specific research contexts), we explore how ethical challenges have been negotiated by L2 narrative researchers. The article closes with suggested ethical measures that need to be taken in the future as researchers continue to refashion narrative inquiry to meet evolving intellectual demands.
Physiologic and microbiologic changes in skin related to frequent handwashing.

Handwashing practices may be adversely influenced by the detrimental effects of handwashing on skin. A protocol was developed to assess the physiologic and microbiologic effects of frequent handwashing. Fifty-two female volunteers washed their hands 24 times per day for 5 days. Five agents were tested: water alone, non-medicated bar soap, a chlorhexidine-containing antiseptic, and two agents containing povidone-iodine (one currently available on the market and one being tested for possible marketing). Some damage to the outer membrane of skin, the stratum corneum, occurred in all groups. There were significant changes in the amount of evaporation water loss (p = .001) and in self assessments of skin condition (p = .005) from pre-to-post test for the entire group. Skin damage was also assessed by visualizing desquamating stratum corneum cells, which are shed in large aggregates when detergents injure skin. Significantly less such shedding occurred in subjects using water alone, bar soap, and the chlorhexidine formulation (p = .02). Greater antimicrobial activity of an agent was not correlated with increased skin trauma. We have quantitated, using objective physiologic parameter, the skin damage that occurs during even a short period of frequent handwashing. We recommend that further studies using the methods described be conducted to quantitate skin damage over longer periods of time, more closely resembling handwashing practices of health care personnel.
Lossless Online Ensemble Learning (LOEL) and Its Application to Subcortical Segmentation

In this paper, we study the classification problem in the situation where large volumes of training data become available sequentially (online learning). In medical imaging, this is typical, e.g., a 3D brain MRI dataset may be gradually collected from a patient population, and not all of the data is available when the analysis begins. First, we describe two common ensemble learning algorithms, AdaBoost and bagging, and their corresponding online learning versions. We then show why each is ineffective for segmenting a gradually increasing set of medical images. Instead, we introduce a new ensemble learning algorithm, termed Lossless Online Ensemble Learning (LOEL). This algorithm is lossless in the online case, compared to its batch mode. LOEL outperformed online-AdaBoost and online-bagging when validated on a standardized dataset; it also performed better when used to segment the hippocampus from brain MRI scans of patients with Alzheimer's Disease and matched healthy subjects. Among those tested, LOEL largely outperformed the alternative online learning algorithms and gave excellent error metrics that were consistent between the online and offline case; it also accurately distinguished AD subjects from healthy controls based on automated measures of hippocampal volume.
The affordance-based concept

Natural language use relies on situational context. The meaning of words and utterances depend on the physical environment and the goals and plans of communication partners. These facts should be central to theories of language and automatic language understanding systems. Instead, they are often ignored, leading to partial theories and systems that cannot fully interpret linguistic meaning. I introduce a new computational theory of conceptual structure that has as its core claim that concepts are neither internal nor external to the language user, but instead span the objective-subjective boundary. This theory proposes interaction and prediction as a central theme, rather than solely emphasizing deducing, sensing or acting. To capture the possible interactions between subject and object, the theory relies on the notion of perceived affordances : structured units of interaction that can be used for prediction at certain levels of abstraction. By using perceived affordances as a basis for language understanding, the theory accounts for many aspects of the situated nature of human language use. It provides a unified solution to a number of other demands on a theory of language understanding including conceptual combination, prototypicality effects, and the generative nature of lexical items. To support the theory, I describe an implementation that relies on probabilistic hierarchical plan recognition to predict possible interactions. The elements of a recognized plan provide an instance of perceived affordances which are used by a linguistic parser to ground the meaning of words and grammatical constituents. Evaluations performed in a multiuser role playing game environment show that this implementation captures the meaning of free-form spontaneous directive speech acts that cannot be understood without taking into account the intentional and physical situation of speaker and listener. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
A motion trajectory based video retrieval system using parallel adaptive self organizing maps

We present a novel motion trajectory based video retrieval system using LAMSTAR-based adaptive self organizing maps (PASOMs) in this paper. The trajectories are extracted from video by a robust tracker. To reduce the high dimension of motion trajectories, we first decompose each trajectory into sub-trajectories by using a maximum acceleration based approach. Each subtrajectory is then modeled and coded by two different methods, polynomial curving fitting and independent component analysis. To fuse the different features of subtrajectories for more efficient and flexible retrieval, we use PASOMs as the searching tool. Experimental results show the superior performance of the proposed approach for video retrieval comparing with prior approaches.
Successful ventilatory management of post‐anesthetic airway collapse and hypoxemia in a dog

Objective: To report a life-threatening complication (airway collapse) associated with a common procedure (anesthesia) and to describe its successful management. Case Summary: A dog without pre-existing signs of respiratory disease developed hypoxemia and severe atelectasis in the post-anesthetic recovery period and was demonstrated, by bronchoscopic examination, to have severe airway collapse. Mechanical ventilation was used to re-expand collapsed lung units and to prevent re-collapse. A ventilation strategy designed to minimize airway and alveolar trauma was used. The dog was successfully weaned from the ventilator and made a full recovery. Unique Information Provided: Acute, severe hypoxemia due to airway collapse occurred in the post-operative period in a dog with no signs of pre-existing respiratory disease. The dog was successfully managed with short-term mechanical ventilation. High frequency jet ventilation was used for a diagnostic bronchoscopy.
Meaning, Choice and Algebraic Semantics of Similarity Based Rough Set Theory

Both algebraic and computational approaches for dealing with similarity spaces are well known in generalized rough set theory. However, these studies may be said to have been confined to particular perspectives of distinguishability in the context. In this research, the essence of an algebraic semantics that can deal with all possible concepts of distinguishability over similarity spaces is progressed. Key to this is the addition of choice-related operations to the semantics that have connections with modal logics as well. Among these we focus on a semantics that is based on local clear distinguishability over similarity spaces.
Asteroseismic constraints on diffusion in white dwarf envelopes

The asteroseismic analysis of white dwarfs allows us to peer below their photospheres and determine their internal structure. At ∼28 000 K EC20058−5234 is the hottest known pulsating helium atmosphere white dwarf. As such, it constitutes an important link in the evolution of white dwarfs down the cooling track. It is also astrophysically interesting because it is at a temperature where white dwarfs are expected to cool mainly through the emission of plasmon neutrinos. In the present work, we perform an asteroseismic analysis of EC20058−5234 and place the results in the context of stellar evolution and time-dependent diffusion calculations. We use a parallel genetic algorithm complemented with targeted grid searches to find the models that fit the observed periods best. Comparing our results with similar modelling of EC20058−5234’s cooler cousin CBS114, we find a helium envelope thickness consistent with time-dependent diffusion calculations and obtain a precise mode identification for EC20058−5234.
The Lanczos method and signal extrapolation

A technique for signal extrapolation based on the Lanczos method for tridiagonalizing a matrix is discussed. This technique is compared with two previously studied methods, one based on singular value decomposition (SVD) and the other using the conjugate gradient method. The quality of the extrapolation obtained using the Lanczos method is seen to approach the quality of the SVD method, while the computational complexity is of the same order as the conjugate gradient method.
The decay constant of 176Lu determined from Lu-Hf and U-Pb isotope systematics of terrestrial Precambrian high-temperature mafic intrusions

Abstract At present, there is large uncertainty in the decay constant of 176Lu needed for Lu–Hf isotopic studies. We have determined λ176Lu by cross-calibration of U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic systems on mineral fractions from the Proterozoic Karlshamn and Sorkka dolerites in Sweden and Finland. The dolerites crystallized at shallow depths from homogeneous, high-temperature magmas, carry olivine that is nearly 100% unaltered, and show no signs of post-magmatic isotopic disturbance. The Lu and Hf isotopic compositions of plagioclase, olivine, pyroxene, apatite, ilmenite and baddeleyite were determined by multicollector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS). Calibrating the Lu–Hf results against baddeleyite U–Pb dates of 954.1±1.2 and 1256.2±1.4 Ma for the dolerites yields a mean λ176Lu of 1.867±0.008×10−11 year−1. The pristine character of the rocks and the agreement of the λ176Lu values with those from other terrestrial data sets [E. Scherer et al., Science 293 (2001) 683–687] suggest that the true value of λ176Lu lies between 1.86 and 1.87×10−11 year−1. Calibration experiments on extraterrestrial samples give significantly higher (4–6%) values, a discrepancy that may be due to plotting of non-cogenetic samples on the same Lu–Hf isochron diagram, or may have other, as yet undetermined, causes. The result of this study also indicates that the Lu–Hf method is capable for dating the crystallization of mafic rocks. The high 176Lu/177Hf ratio in apatite suggests that intrusive ages can be determined at a precision of a few million years or better.
Effects of T Cell Frequency and Graft Size on Transplant Outcome in Mice

The features that determine whether graft-reactive T lymphocytes develop into effector cells capable of mediating organ destruction are not well understood. To investigate potential factors involved in this process, we first confirmed that female recipient mice acutely rejected minor Ag-disparate male skin, but not heart transplants. Despite this difference in outcome, heart and skin transplantation induced antidonor T cell responses of similar magnitude, specificity, and cytokine profile. The heart-graft-primed T cells transiently infiltrated the graft and ultimately induced the development of chronic transplant vasculopathy. Increasing the frequency of donor-reactive T cells by presensitization or by using TCR (CD8+ antimale)-transgenic recipients did not mediate acute rejection but accelerated the pace and severity of the vasculopathy. Surprisingly, decreasing the tissue mass of the donor heart by 50% resulted in acute rejection of these smaller grafts without increasing the frequency of antidonor effector T cells in the recipients. In complementary studies, placement of one or two male skin grafts on a single recipient did not affect the frequency or cytokine profile of the induced antimale T cell repertoire. Nonetheless, the recipients of single grafts acutely rejected the transplanted skin while the recipients of two skin grafts did not. These results provide new insight into the pathogenesis of transplant vasculopathy and provide an explanation for the difference in outcome between murine skin and heart transplants by highlighting the novel concept that the efficiency of transplant-reactive T cell immunity is heavily influenced by the tissue burden it encounters at the effector stage.
Dispersive Estimates for Scalar and Matrix Schrödinger Operators on ℍ n+1

We study resolvent estimates, spectral theory and large time dispersive properties of scalar and matrix Schrodinger-type operators on ℍ n+1 for n ⩾ 1.
Methamphetamine-using HIV-positive men who have sex with men: Correlates of polydrug use

Methamphetamine use has become a major problem among communities of men having sex with men (MSM), where it has been associated with high-risk behaviors. Methamphetamine is often combined with other drugs that may increase its risks and adverse health consequences. To examine differences in background characteristics, HIV-risk behaviors, and psychosocial variables among polydrug-using HIV-positive MSM, the researchers classified a sample of 261 HIV-positive, methamphetamine-using MSM into three user groups: (1) methamphetamine only; (2) methamphetamine, marijuana, and poppers (light polydrug users); and (3) methamphetamine and other drugs (e.g., cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and ketamine; heavy polydrug users). Only 5% reported using only methamphetamine during the past 2 months; 31% were classified as light polydrug users, and 64% were classified as heavy polydrug users. Heavy polydrug users were significantly younger than light polydrug users (35.6 vs. 38.4, P<.01) and reported using methamphetamine for significantly fewer years (10.3 vs. 14.2 years, P<.001), but did not differ in the amount and frequency of methamphetamine or alcohol consumed. Heavy polydrug users reported significantly more sex partners of HIV-negative and unknown serostatus and had more unprotected sex with these partners. Heavy polydrug users had significantly higher scores on impulsivity and negative self-perceptions, as compared with those of light polydrug users. In this sample of HIV-positive MSM, most of those who used methamphetamine had a pattern of polydrug use. Heavy polydrug users reported significantly more high-risk sexual behaviors and tended toward higher levels of impulsivity than light polydrug users. The implications of these findings are two-fold: (1) Longitudinal research is needed to establish causal relationships among methamphetamine use, impulsivity, negative self-perceptions, and sexual risk behavior in this target population; (2) behavioral interventions should evaluate whether methamphetamine use and sexual risk behavior can be reduced by modifying impulsivity and negative self-perceptions.
Enzymatic synthesis of oligoguanylic acids containing 2′–5′ phosphodiester linkages

Abstract Under certain conditions Tl ribonuclease catalyzes the synthesis of (2′–5′) GpGp from G-cyclic-p. The evidence for this is that GpG (obtained from the GpGp) yields (2′) Gp when specifically degraded by periodate oxidation followed by amine catalyzed β elimination of the 5′-linked nucleoside. The T1 synthesized GpG has an ORD distinctly different from (3′–5′) GpG and is resistant to Tl hydrolysis.
Tissue norepinephrine of rats given chlorothiazide.

SummaryThe mean norepinephrine contents of aortas and mesenteric arteries of rats given chlorothiazide for 2 weeks were lower than the mean norepinephrine contents of these tissues of normal rats, but the differences between the respective means were not statistically significant. The mean norepinephrine content of the heart of rats given chlorothiazide was the same as that of control rats.
Representation of the Heated Planetary Boundary Layer in Mesoscale Models with Coarse Vertical Resolution

Abstract This paper uses a prognostic equation suggested by Deardorff for the, growth of the planetary boundary layer to close the parameterization scheme for vertical turbulent mixing in the planetary boundary layer. The following major conclusions are obtained: The prognostic equation for the growth of the planetary boundary layer is much superior to the diagnostic form used earlier by Pielke. The growth of the planetary boundary layer into a region with substantial vertical shear of the horizontal wind markedly alters the locations of sea-breeze convergence zones. By improving the boundary layer parameterization scheme given in Pielke, the simulation of vertical turbulent mixing by eddy coefficients which are a function of distance from the ground results in predictions which are as good as those obtained with Deardorff's much more sophisticated model, and agree favorably with those observed during Day 33 of the Wangara experiment. The effect of decreasing the resolution from 31 levels to 8 levels in t...
Goodness-of-Fit Tests and Descriptive Measures in Fuzzy-Set Analysis

In this article the authors develop goodness-of-fit tests for fuzzy-set analyses to formally assess the fit between empirical information and various causal hypotheses while accounting for measurem...
A Deoxyribonuclease from Rabbit Leucocytes.

SummaryRabbit leucocytes from sterile peritoneal exudates contain a potent acid DNase. By differential sonification and cellulose column chromatography this enzyme has been purified 140-fold. The properties of the enzyme are discussed and the similarity to and differences from previously described DNases are mentioned.
Zero error capacity under list decoding

Shannon's zero-error channel capacities C/sub OF/, C/sub O/ with and without noiseless feedback are generalized to list decoding: the receiver lists L messages, erring if the correct one is not listed. The corresponding capacities C/sub OF/(L), C/sub O/(L) are nondecreasing in L. For an I-letter input alphabet, C/sub OF/(L) attains its maximum at L=I-1. A lower bound to C/sub O/(L) approaches that maximum as L increases. >
Sex pheromone perception.

IT is very difficult to define the mechanism by which olfactory receptors on male moth antennae perceive a sex attractant chemical because of the various unsubstantiated olfaction theories, and also because of conflicting reports of the ability of chemicals, structurally different from natural sex attractants, to either inhibit1–5 or mimic6–9 attractant activity. Using the synthetic red-banded leaf roller moth (Argyrotaenia velutinana) sex attractant (RiBLuRe)10, we have been able to obtain evidence that the geometrical isomer inhibits the response of males to the sex attractant chemical, and that varying degrees of inhibition can be elicited with positional isomers, homologues and analogues. The preliminary data support a mechanism of perception in which the sex attractant, a chemical with the correct spatial arrangement of active sites, possesses the affinity and intrinsic activity for the receptor sites to elicit proper behavioural responses, including flight to the location of the sex attractant. Closely related isomers which do not display intrinsic activity by attracting males apparently can possess a strong affinity for the receptor sites, thus acting as inhibitors or modifiers of the sensory input.
Non-amnestic dementias: special considerations for clinicians and caregivers

Memory disorders are only one aspect of degenerative dementia. When the dementia instead is characterized by prominent impairments of judgment, insight, reasoning and social graces, this provides a challenge not only for differential diagnosis, but also for management. Two case studies illustrate the special issues facing a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and the caregivers who are involved with patients with non-amnestic dementias. The unique situation of the patient with presenile dementia is considered and broader questions of public policy are raised.
Respiratory viral infections in adults

Respiratory viral infections in adults cause significant morbidity and mortality, especially in high-risk patients. The impact of influenza virus, rhinoviruses, and respiratory syncytial virus in immunocompromised cancer patients and in asthma and chronic bronchitis patients has been documented in recent publications. Cytomegalovirus pneumonia continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients. Newer rapid diagnostic tests and the use of polymerase chain reaction technology have provided better understanding of the causes and epidemiology of acute respiratory illness in adults. The approved neuraminidase inhibitors for influenza viruses and the nonapproved capsid inhibitors of rhinoviruses may be useful in treating high-risk individuals. The inactivated influenza vaccine has been shown to benefit healthy adults and to be safe in asthmatic adults and children.
QuanPol: a full spectrum and seamless QM/MM program.

The quantum chemistry polarizable force field program (QuanPol) is implemented to perform combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations with induced dipole polarizable force fields and induced surface charge continuum solvation models. The QM methods include Hartree– Fock method, density functional theory method (DFT), generalized valence bond theory method, multiconfiguration selfconsistent field method, Mller–Plesset perturbation theory method, and time-dependent DFT method. The induced dipoles of the MM atoms and the induced surface charges of the continuum solvation model are self-consistently and variationally determined together with the QM wavefunction. The MM force field methods can be user specified, or a standard force field such as MMFF94, Chemistry at Harvard Molecular Mechanics (CHARMM), Assisted Model Building with Energy Refinement (AMBER), and Optimized Potentials for Liquid Simulations-All Atom (OPLS-AA). Analytic gradients for all of these methods are implemented so geometry optimization and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation can be performed. MD free energy perturbation and umbrella sampling methods are also implemented. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pre-early adenovirus 5 gene product regulates synthesis of early viral messenger RNAs

Abstract The studies described here demonstrate that the expression of many early adenovirus mRNAs is dependent upon the activity of a pre-early viral product. This viral gene product is defective in adenovirus 5 host range (Ad hr) group I mutants. Adenovirus 5 host range mutants were previously isolated by their ability to replicate in the adenovirus 5-transformed human embryonic cell line 293 and by their inability to replicate efficiently in HeLa cells (Harrison, Graham and Williams, 1977). The group I complementation class of host range mutants has been mapped by marker rescue between 0 and 4.4 units (Frost and Williams, 1978). We have used the S1 nuclease gel technique to examine the expression of early mRNA after infection of HeLa cells with Ad5 hr group I and II mutants. The Ad5 hr group II mutants stimulate the synthesis of a wild-type pattern of early mRNAs. In contrast, infection of HeLa cells with Ad5 hr group I mutants gives rise to only two early mRNAs. These mRNAs map from 1.5–4.4 units, or in the same region as the Ad5 hr group I mutations. Since infection of HeLa cells with Ad5 hr group I mutants was defective for synthesis of cytoplasmic mRNAs complementary to three early regions in the right half of the genome and to the early region 4.5–11.0 units, we also analyzed nuclear RNA from these cells by the S1 nuclease gel technique for the presence of precursor RNA chains. Nuclear precursors were not detected in Ad5 hr group I-infected HeLa cells, suggesting that the gene product defective in these mutants is required for synthesis of stable nuclear RNA from the three early regions in the right half of the genome and from the early region 4.5–11.0 units.