cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diverse Myeloid Lineage Potential Arises in the Yolk Sac of the Mammalian Embryo.

The emergence of the hematopoietic system in the mammalian embryo is characterized by two temporally overlapping waves of distinct “primitive” and “definitive” erythroid progenitors that peak in the murine yolk sac at E8.5 and E10.5, respectively. We have recently determined that each wave contains megakaryocyte potential (Tober, et al., submitted), but the initial emergence of distinct myeloid lineages is less well understood. Temporal and spatial analysis of hematopoietic progenitors in the murine embryo suggest that the macrophage lineage is associated with both waves, while neutrophil and mast cell lineages are restricted to the second, definitive wave (Palis, et al., Development 126:5073, 1999). To better define the emergence of myelopoiesis in the murine embryo, we cultured dissociated E9.5 yolk sac cells in a broad array of cytokines (SCF, IL3, IL5, IL6, IL7, IL9, IL11 and GM-CSF) for seven days and identified morphologically distinguishable macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and mast cells. The presence of eosinophils was further confirmed by expression of eosinophil peroxidase transcripts. As expected, this multilineage myeloid potential was restricted to c-kit++ cells. However, unlike the bone marrow, these c-kit++ cells in the E9.5 yolk sac were predominately a single population that also express CD41 and Fc gamma receptor (FcγR, CD16/32). FcγR+ cells first emerge in the yolk sac between E8.5 and E9.5 and are not found in the embryo proper until E10.5, when they are restricted to the liver. These findings suggest that the expression of FcγR is restricted in the yolk sac to definitive hematopoiesis and tracks its transition to the fetal liver. While mature definitive erythroid cells first emerge from the fetal liver at E12.5, to our knowledge the onset of granulopoiesis has not been investigated in the early murine embryo. We found approximately 1000 GR1+/Mac1+ cells in the fetal liver at E12.5 and this population expands 100-fold during the next two days of development. These GR1+/Mac1+ cells consisted predominantly of progressively maturing neutrophils. We conclude that the potential to generate multiple myeloid lineages first arises in the yolk sac along with definitive erythroid progenitors and that a robust granulocyte population subsequently emerges in the fetal liver at midgestation.
The modified superior based pharyngeal flap: Part III. A retrospective study

A retrospective study of 31 patients who had diagnosed velopharyngeal incompetence and were surgically managed with the modified superior based pharyngeal flap was completed. The following were analyzed: age at time of operation, gender, physical status, diagnostic protocol, length of operation (length of total surgery) and length of superior based pharyngeal flap, length of postoperative hospital stay, length of total hospital stay, length of follow-up, speech results, complications, patient care, and medication. The result showed that the optimal timing for correction of velopharyngeal incompetence was between 3 and 6 years of age. The mean length of total hospital stay was 2.7 days, postoperative complications were minimal, and speech results were generally good.
Piperlongumine Induces Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Dependent Downregulation of Specificity Protein Transcription Factors

Piperlongumine is a natural product found in the plant species Piper longum, and this compound exhibits potent anticancer activity in multiple tumor types and has been characterized as an inducer of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Treatment of Panc1 and L3.6pL pancreatic, A549 lung, 786-O kidney, and SKBR3 breast cancer cell lines with 5 to 15 μmol/L piperlongumine inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis and ROS, and these responses were attenuated after cotreatment with the antioxidant glutathione. Piperlongumine also downregulated expression of Sp1, Sp3, Sp4, and several pro-oncogenic Sp-regulated genes, including cyclin D1, survivin, cMyc, EGFR and hepatocyte growth factor receptor (cMet), and these responses were also attenuated after cotreatment with glutathione. Mechanistic studies in Panc1 cells showed that piperlongumine-induced ROS decreased expression of cMyc via an epigenetic pathway, and this resulted in downregulation of cMyc-regulated miRNAs miR-27a, miR-20a, and miR-17 and induction of the transcriptional repressors ZBTB10 and ZBTB4. These repressors target GC-rich Sp-binding sites to decrease transactivation. This pathway observed for piperlongumine in Panc1 cells has previously been reported for other ROS-inducing anticancer agents and shows that an important underlying mechanism of action of piperlongumine is due to downregulation of Sp1, Sp3, Sp4, and pro-oncogenic Sp-regulated genes. Cancer Prev Res; 10(8); 467-77. ©2017 AACR.
Differences in rural and urban outcomes: a national inspection of emergency general surgery patients

Abstract Background About 19% of the United States population lives in rural areas and is served by only 10% of the physician workforce. If this misdistribution represents a shortage of available surgeons, it is possible that outcomes for rural patients may suffer. The objective of this study was to explore differences in outcomes for emergency general surgery (EGS) conditions between rural and urban hospitals using a nationally representative sample. Methods Data from the 2007-2011 National Inpatient Sample were queried for adult patients (≥18 years) with a primary diagnosis consistent with an EGS condition, as defined by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Urban and rural patients were matched on patient-level factors using coarsened exact matching. Differences in outcomes including mortality, morbidity, length of stay (LOS), and total cost of hospital care were assessed using multivariable regression models. Analogous counterfactual models were used to further examine hypothetical outcomes, assuming that all patients had been treated at urban centers. Results A total of 3,749,265 patients were admitted with an EGS condition during the study period. Of 3259 hospitals analyzed, 40.2% (n = 1310) were rural; they treated 14.6% of patients. Relative to urban centers, EGS patients treated at rural centers had higher odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-1.28) and lower odds of major complications (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99). Rural patients had 0.51 d (95% CI: 0.50-0.53) shorter LOS and $744 (95% CI: 712-774) higher cost of hospitalization compared to urban patients. In counterfactual models overall odds of death decreased by 0.05%, whereas the overall odds of complications increased by 0.02%. Overall difference in LOS and total costs were comparable with absolute differences of 0.08 d and $98, respectively. Conclusions Despite the statistically significant difference in mortality and cost of care at rural versus urban hospitals, the magnitude of absolute differences is sufficiently small to indicate limited clinical importance. Large urban centers are designed to manage complex cases, but our results suggest that for cases appropriate to treat in rural hospitals, equivalent outcomes are found. These findings will inform future work on rural outcomes and provide impetus for regionalization of care for complex EGS presentations.
From Dissemination to Propagation: A New Paradigm for Education Developers

• Scholarly studies and national reports document failure of current efforts to achieve broad, sustained adoption of research-based instructional practices, despite compelling bodies of evidence su...
Assembly, Annotation, and Comparative Genomics in PATRIC, the All Bacterial Bioinformatics Resource Center

In the "big data" era, research biologists are faced with analyzing new types that usually require some level of computational expertise. A number of programs and pipelines exist, but acquiring the expertise to run them, and then understanding the output can be a challenge.The Pathosystems Resource Integration Center (PATRIC, www.patricbrc.org ) has created an end-to-end analysis platform that allows researchers to take their raw reads, assemble a genome, annotate it, and then use a suite of user-friendly tools to compare it to any public data that is available in the repository. With close to 113,000 bacterial and more than 1000 archaeal genomes, PATRIC creates a unique research experience with "virtual integration" of private and public data. PATRIC contains many diverse tools and functionalities to explore both genome-scale and gene expression data, but the main focus of this chapter is on assembly, annotation, and the downstream comparative analysis functionality that is freely available in the resource.
Toward the theory of strongly coupled Quark-Gluon Plasma (sQGP)

We review recent progress toward understanding of sQGP. The phenomenological part includes discussion of elliptic and conical flows at RHIC. Then we proceed to first quantum mechanical studies of manybody states at T > T c , the “polymeric chains” q ¯ . g . g . . . q and baryons. A new model for sQGP is a classical dynamical system, in which color vector is changed via the Wong equation. First Molecular Dynamics (MD) results for its diffusion and viscosity are reported. Finally we speculate how strong correlations in matter may help solve puzzles related to jet quenching, both the magnitude and angular distribution.
Immunization Against Hepatitis A Virus and Hepatitis B Virus in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease: Are We Doing a Good Job?

INTRODUCTION In the era of highly effective vaccines for Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), acute viral hepatitis in patients with a chronic liver disease remains a public health concern. Vaccination for HAV and HBV is endorsed by all liver society guidelines. The aim of our study was to determine the rates of immunization in an internal medicine resident clinic. METHODS We identified patients with a chronic liver disease seen at the University of Oklahoma Internal Medicine resident clinic between June 2014 and May 2015. ICD-9 code 571 was used to identify patients with a chronic liver disease. Vaccination records and patient data were reviewed. RESULTS A total of 141 patients with a chronic liver disease (mean age 54.1 years, 56% males) were identified. Almost half of the patients (47.5%) were also being seen in the gastroenterology clinic. During the internal medicine resident clinic visit, vaccination against HAV and HBV was addressed for 50% and 46% of the patients, respectively. Patients being seen by senior residents were more likely to be immunized against HAV (OR 2.7, p=0.009) and HBV (OR 2.1, p=0.03). Patients followed in the GI clinic were more likely to be immunized against HAV (OR 2.1, p= 0.02) and HBV (OR 2.0, p=0.02). The gender of the treating physician and etiology had no impact on vaccination rates. DISCUSSION Immunization rates for HAV and HBV remain subpar despite clear guidelines for patients with a chronic liver disease. This provides an important avenue for improvement. Different strategies, including resident education, developing vaccination protocols, and referral to the gastroenterology clinic, are likely to improve vaccination status for patients with chronic liver diseases.
The Hippocampus as a Model for Studying Anatomical Plasticity in the Adult Brain

The suggestion that intact axons might grow new branches (“sprout”) in response to damage of their neighbors appears to have been made at various times throughout the century-long argument that revolved around the issue of peripheral nerve regeneration. One of the earliest references was made by Haighton, who in 1795 reported a series of “physiological” studies on regeneration (or “reproduction”) which included controls for “a difficulty which naturally presents itself here, and this is, the possibility of the stomach and vocal organs having received an additional supply of nervous energy from another source” (p. 198). Exner (1885), according to Edds (1953), provided a clear description of sprouting at the neuromuscular junction, and Kennedy in his 1897 review listed several authors who mentioned the need to control for growth by undamaged nerves into deafferented sites in evaluating studies on regeneration.
From Anglo Settlers to Caribbean Domestics: The Multiple Routes to Reconstituting Immigrant Families in Canada

The concept of family economies and the inclusion of non-measurable emotional and spiritual factors in migration studies permit a more complex approach to the field than does an emphasis on geographic change, assimilation and wage differentials. A comprehensive conceptualization includes human agency—in the frame of human and social capital—and individual interests within family and friendship networks. Men and women make decisions in the context of family economies, which combine the income-generating capacities of all members with the whole of the reproductive needs—for example, care of dependants—and consumption patterns, so as to achieve the best possible results according to “traditional norms” for the family and its standing in the community. The phrase traditional norms is, of course, a catch-all one that includes gender hierarchies and socially-mandated gender roles, with older men holding the power. It also includes generational hierarchies in which parents decide the (limited) schooling, home or wage work, and the partnerships of their children. Allocation of resources depends on the respective stage of the family cycle as well as on the stages in individual life-courses. The allocation of time, labour power and skills of all members must be negotiated in terms of benefits for each: maximization of income or of leisure, child/elderly-care and out-work, education or wage-work for children, traditional networking and individualist separation from the community. Again, “benefits for each” are decided upon in power hierarchies in which fathers’ and husbands’ distinct interests usually take priority.
Imagery: A Treatment for Nursing Student Anxiety

This study examined the effectiveness of audiotaped imagery in reducing anxiety and improving test performance among first-year nursing students. Volunteer subjects were randomly assigned to three groups, imagery-only, imagery/relaxation, and a no-treatment control group. Pottest state anxiety scores in these groups were significantly lower (p = .001) than in the no-treatment control group. Test performance did not differ significantly (p = .067). Subjects using the audiotaped imagery reported an increased sense of well-being, improved ability to sleep, greater energy, and improved self-confidence.
Impact of industry funding and collaboration in oncology RCTs.

6592Background: There is concern that industry involvement may bias randomized trials (RCTs); studies with industry involvement report more positive results and use more surrogate end points. Indus...
Emotion regulation accounts for the relation between ADHD and peer victimization

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience higher rates of emotion regulation deficits and peer victimization relative to unaffected children; however, few studies have examined the extent to which emotion regulation is associated with peer victimization among children with ADHD. The current study proposed a model whereby ADHD was directly and indirectly related to peer victimization through emotion regulation, and that emotion regulation directly predicted peer victimization above and beyond the effect of ADHD. Two hundred ten children (133 ADHD, 77 non-ADHD) enrolled in the present study. Parents completed measures to assess ADHD diagnostic status, and parents and children completed measures of emotion regulation and peer victimization. Model testing strongly supported the direct association of emotion regulation on peer victimization for children with and without ADHD, and also provided support for an indirect effect of ADHD on peer victimization through emotion regulation. Using a multi-informant approach, the current study demonstrated that emotion regulation directly effects peer victimization among children with and without ADHD and indirectly effects the relation between ADHD and peer victimization. For all children, the inability to regulate and cope with emotions appears to play a powerful role in the frequency with which they experience peer victimization, and for children with ADHD, increased rates of peer victimization are likely attributable to co-occurring deficits in emotion regulation.
The cryoEM structure of the fibril-forming low-complexity domain of hnRNPA2 reveals distinct differences from pathogenic amyloid and shows how mutation converts it to the pathogenic form

hnRNPA2 is one of a group of human ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) involved in RNA metabolism which form fibrils both under cellular stress and in mutated form in neurodegenerative conditions. Previous work established that the C-terminal low-complexity domain (LCD) of hnRNPA2 fibrillizes under stress, and that missense mutations in this domain are found in the disease multisystem proteinopathy (MSP) with symptoms indistinguishable from ALS and FTD. However, little is known at the atomic level about the hnRNPA2 LCD structure that is involved in those processes and how disease mutations cause structural change. Here we present the cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) structure of hnRNPA2 LCD fibril core and demonstrate its capability to form a reversible hydrogel in vitro containing amyloid-like fibrils. Whereas these fibrils, like pathogenic amyloid, are formed from protein chains stacked into β-sheets by backbone hydrogen bonds, they display distinct structural differences: the chains are kinked, enabling non-covalent cross-linking of fibrils and disfavoring formation of pathogenic steric zippers. Both their reversibility and energetic calculations suggest these fibrils are less stable than pathogenic amyloid. Moreover, the crystal structure of the disease-mutation-containing segment of hnRNPA2 suggests that the replacement fundamentally alters the fibril structure to a more stable energetic state. These findings illuminate how molecular interactions promote protein fibril networks and how mutation can transform fibril structure from functional to pathogenic form.
Biventricular Conversion in the Borderline Hypoplastic Heart

The development of biventricular repair and conversion pathways for patients with borderline hypoplastic heart disease represents an area of recent inquiry and innovation. This review summarizes emerging techniques and novel treatment algorithms for borderline hypoplastic heart disease with a focus on surgical advances within the last 10 years. Many patients with borderline hypoplastic heart disease are amenable to primary biventricular repair, or biventricular conversion following single-ventricle palliation coupled with ventricular rehabilitation strategies. New insights into the potential for growth and recovery of borderline ventricles have been uncovered. However, questions remain regarding optimal patient selection and the long-term outcomes of select patient groups treated with single-ventricle palliation versus biventricular repair/conversion or transplantation. Efforts to direct a greater proportion of borderline hypoplastic heart patients towards a biventricular circulation are accelerating and represent important avenues for progress and future research in the field of congenital heart disease.
Demonstration of Superconducting Interconnects on the Silicon Interconnect Fabric Using Thermocompression Bonding

In this paper, the silicon interconnect fabric (Si-IF) technology is extended to superconducting electronics using niobium (Nb) as the superconducting interconnect (Superconducting-IF). It has advantages of solderless metal- metal interconnects, fine pitch integration (⩽ 10 μm), no complex packaging, an inter-dielet spacing of 100 N over 2×2 mm2 dies. The optimized parameters are: a 3-min Ar plasma surface pre-bonding clean, a bonding temperature of 140°C, at a bonding pressure of 35 MPa for a duration of 1.5 s followed by a post-bond annealing duration of 2 min at 140°C. A Kelvin test structure was fabricated to measure the superconductivity of Nb before and after each process. Under all processing conditions, the transition temperature of Nb remained at 9 K The resistance of Nb interconnects with Au thin-film bonding sites approached zero below the transition temperature of 9 K
Small-Group Discussion Sessions on Imposter Syndrome.

Introduction The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires residency programs to support residents' well-being via established policies and programs. Imposter syndrome has been ...
Pharmacological Actions of Carbamate Insecticides at Mammalian Melatonin Receptors.

Integrated in silico chemical clustering and melatonin receptor molecular modeling combined with in vitro 2-[125I]-iodomelatonin competition binding were used to identify carbamate insecticides with affinity for human melatonin receptor 1 (hMT1) and human melatonin receptor 2 (hMT2). Saturation and kinetic binding studies with 2-[125I]-iodomelatonin revealed lead carbamates (carbaryl, fenobucarb, bendiocarb, carbofuran) to be orthosteric ligands with antagonist apparent efficacy at hMT1 and agonist apparent efficacy at hMT2. Furthermore, using quantitative receptor autoradiography in coronal brain slices from C3H/HeN mice, carbaryl, fenobucarb, and bendiocarb competed for 2-[125I]-iodomelatonin binding in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), and pars tuberalis (PT) with affinities similar to those determined for the hMT1 receptor. Carbaryl (10 mg/kg i.p.) administered in vivo also competed ex vivo for 2-[125I]-iodomelatonin binding to the SCN, PVT, and PT, demonstrating the ability to reach brain melatonin receptors in C3H/HeN mice. Furthermore, the same dose of carbaryl given to C3H/HeN mice in constant dark for three consecutive days at subjective dusk (circadian time 10) phase-advanced circadian activity rhythms (mean = 0.91 hours) similar to melatonin (mean = 1.12 hours) when compared with vehicle (mean = 0.04 hours). Carbaryl-mediated phase shift of overt circadian activity rhythm onset is likely mediated via interactions with SCN melatonin receptors. Based on the pharmacological actions of carbaryl and other carbamate insecticides at melatonin receptors, exposure may modulate time-of-day information conveyed to the master biologic clock relevant to adverse health outcomes. Significance Statement In silico chemical clustering and molecular modeling in conjunction with in vitro bioassays identified several carbamate insecticides (i.e., carbaryl, carbofuran, fenobucarb, bendiocarb) as pharmacologically active orthosteric melatonin receptor 1 and 2 ligands. This work further demonstrated that carbaryl competes for melatonin receptor binding in the master biological clock (suprachiasmatic nucleus) and phase-advances overt circadian activity rhythms in C3H/HeN mice, supporting the relevance of circadian effects when interpreting toxicological findings related to carbamate insecticide exposure.
A finite element method for modeling surface growth and resorption of deformable solids

This work explores a continuum-mechanical model for a body simultaneously undergoing finite deformation and surface growth/resorption. This is accomplished by defining the kinematics as well as the set of material points that constitute the domain of a physical body at a given time in terms of an evolving reference configuration. The implications of spatial and temporal discretization are discussed, and an extension of the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian finite element method is proposed to enforce the resulting balance laws on the grown/resorbed body in two spatial dimensions. Representative numerical examples are presented to highlight the predictive capabilities of the model and the numerical properties of the proposed solution method.
EG-Booster: Explanation-Guided Booster of ML Evasion Attacks.

The widespread usage of machine learning (ML) in a myriad of domains has raised questions about its trustworthiness in security-critical environments. Part of the quest for trustworthy ML is robustness evaluation of ML models to test-time adversarial examples. Inline with the trustworthy ML goal, a useful input to potentially aid robustness evaluation is feature-based explanations of model predictions. In this paper, we present a novel approach called EG-Booster that leverages techniques from explainable ML to guide adversarial example crafting for improved robustness evaluation of ML models before deploying them in security-critical settings. The key insight in EG-Booster is the use of feature-based explanations of model predictions to guide adversarial example crafting by adding consequential perturbations likely to result in model evasion and avoiding non-consequential ones unlikely to contribute to evasion. EG-Booster is agnostic to model architecture, threat model, and supports diverse distance metrics used previously in the literature. We evaluate EG-Booster using image classification benchmark datasets, MNIST and CIFAR10. Our findings suggest that EG-Booster significantly improves evasion rate of state-of-the-art attacks while performing less number of perturbations. Through extensive experiments that covers four white-box and three black-box attacks, we demonstrate the effectiveness of EG-Booster against two undefended neural networks trained on MNIST and CIFAR10, and another adversarially-trained ResNet model trained on CIFAR10. Furthermore, we introduce a stability assessment metric and evaluate the reliability of our explanation-based approach by observing the similarity between the model's classification outputs across multiple runs of EG-Booster.
Towards an Integrative Learning Environment for Java Programming

Learning programming can be a challenging task for students that not only requires them to acquire knowledge but also to make use of their knowledge in solving real-world problems. In this paper, we introduce an intelligent, adaptive and adaptable learning environment for Java programming called FIT Java Tutor. The learning environment integrates several pedagogical approaches in order to help learners learn programming considering individual needs. For testing purposes, we prepared a set of learning resources consisting of video tutorials, programming tasks, quizzes and multiple-choice tests, and deployed the learning system in an introductory programming class at Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin. Based on experiences gained from this setup, we derived three research questions for investigation in future studies.
The Factors that Influence Apropos Security Approaches for the Object-Oriented Paradigm

Over the past several years, there has been a strong emergence of interest and increased utilization of the object-oriented paradigm in many diverse areas of computing research, design, and development. Object-oriented programming languages, database models and systems, CAD and CASE design tools, and other applications have brought the paradigm into the forefront as a valued design and development technique. A natural consequence of these efforts has been an emphases on security approaches for the object-oriented paradigm, with both traditional (mandatory access control) and newer (discretionary access control) solutions. Often many of these proposed solutions do not consider the unique and special features of the object-oriented paradigm. The premise that is promoted by this work is that the paradigm itself must be the guiding factor in the research, design, and development of apropos security capabilities.
Metadata modeling and management

The importance of information management stems from the need to control and utilize an organization's vast and vital information resources. In modern computerized enterprises, this need leads to the integration of information resources and systems--i.e., information integration. Metadata technology has been recognized in the literature as a cornerstone to information management and integration. As the vision of information integration evolves, the focus has shifted from simply managing information resources to enhancing functional synergy of business and/or production systems. This vision requires some basic extensions to previous metadata technology; namely, new metadata representation and management methods including explicitly both data resources and such knowledge resources as process models and business rules. Underlying this evolution of vision and technology is the progress from conventional data dictionary systems and NIST's Information Resources Dictionary System to the emerging repository and metadatabase models. Most previous metadata systems are limited to containing only data resource models (static metadata) for achieving data sharing in an enterprise. While this data sharing capability is an integral part of information integration, these systems are not poised to handle aspects that are considered vital to information integration; namely, contextual knowledge (dynamic metadata). The metadatabase model that has been developed at Rensselaer includes both classes of metadata and utilizes them as a new approach to information integration in heterogeneous and distributed environments. This dissertation presents a research effort that addresses some of the basic problems for the new metadata technology. Specifically, it develops the unified metadata representation and management methods according to the metadatabase model. These methods, in their own right, also contribute to some basic problems in the areas of data and knowledge engineering. The representation method contributes to connecting certain semantic data models with relational data structures, and then combining both with rule-based knowledge models. In a similar way, the metadata management method effects an integration of usual database techniques with certain knowledge-based technology in a generic sense. In particular, this research has achieved the following major results: (1) a Global Information Resources Dictionary (GIRD) model representing both static and dynamic metadata in a unified structure, (2) a rulebase model for knowledge representation, sharing, and management, (3) a metadata processing method combining the rulebase capability with database and file processing, and (4) a metadatabase management system (MDBMS) implementing these metadata methods for information resources management and information integration.
Semantic Empiricism and Direct Acquaintance in The Philosophy of Logical Atomism

In The Philosophy of Logical Atomism , Russell defends a version of semantic empiricism according to which direct acquaintance with logical atoms is the source of our semantic capacities. Previous commentators have construed Russellian acquaintance in one of two ways: either as an act of de re designation involving neither conceptualization nor propositional content, or as a species of belief de re , which does involve conceptualization or classification. I argue that two further, interim possibilities have been overlooked: that direct acquaintance involves purely phenomenal content or that direct acquaintance involves protoconceptual content. I conclude, however, that on none of the four interpretations considered, can direct acquaintance with logical atoms be the source of our semantic capacities.
Ignoring 'downstream infection' in the evaluation of harm reduction interventions for injection drug users

Harm reduction interventions to reduce blood-borne disease incidence among injection drug users (IDUs). A common strategy to estimate the long-term impact of such interventions is to examine short-term incidence changes within a specific group of individuals exposed to the intervention. Such evaluations may overstate or understate long-term program effectiveness, depending upon the relationship between short-term and long-term incidence and prevalence. This short paper uses steady-state comparisons and a standard random-mixing model to scrutinize this evaluation approach. It shows that evaluations based upon short-term incidence changes can be significantly biased. The size and direction of the resulting bias depends upon a simple rule. For modest interventions, such analyses yield over-optimistic estimates of program effectiveness when steady-state disease prevalence exceeds 50% absent intervention. When steady-state prevalence is below 50%, such analyses display the opposite bias.
New antiretroviral drugs

Despite the availability of 16 antiretroviral drugs approved for the treatment of HIV infection, current combination regimens present challenges. Newer antiretroviral drugs are needed to improve convenience, reduce toxicity and, of particular importance, to provide antiretroviral activity against viral strains resistant to the currently available antiretroviral agents. Candidate drugs with novel properties are in development in the two currently available drug classes: HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors (nucleoside analogs, non-nucleoside analogs and nucleotide analogs) and HIV protease inhibitors (PI). Investigational nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (nRTI) include emtricitabine (FTC) and amdoxovir (DAPD), and investigational non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) include DPC 083 and TMC 125. New protease inhibitors under investigation include atazanavir (BMS-232 632), tipranavir, and TMC 114. In addition, newer agents with novel mechanisms of action such as HIV entry inhibitors (that inhibit the three steps of HIV entry: CD4 attachment, chemokine receptor binding and membrane fusion) and HIV integrase inhibitors are under investigation. Investigational entry inhibitors include PRO 542 (a CD4 attachment inhibitor), Schering C (a chemokine receptor inhibitor), enfuvirtide (T-20) and T-1249, inhibitors of membrane fusion. Investigational HIV integrase inhibitors include S-1360. Continued progress in the treatment of HIV disease will result from the development of new antiretroviral drugs.
Fracture Mechanics-Based and Continuum Damage Modeling Approach for Prediction of Crack Initiation and Propagation in Integral Abutment Bridges

AbstractPiles in integral abutment bridges (IABs) are prone to fatigue damage crack attributable to cyclic load caused by daily and seasonal temperature variations. Previous research has shown that the fatigue life of these piles can be as low as three decades. It is essential to be able to predict the fatigue-crack initiation site and propagation path and have an accurate estimate of the total time to failure. This research presents a multiscale modeling approach used to accurately determine the local deformation and stresses in the critical pile. A continuum-based damage modeling approach is used to determine the location of the crack and its path as the number of daily cycles increase. The model is then verified using a fracture-based modeling approach, Paris Law, which assumes local plastic deformation at the tip of the crack. Paris Law constants for this case are generated and compared with literature values presented for the steel material used in the piles and show a very good correlation.
The Archaeology of Drylands: Living at the Margin

The Archaeology of Drylands: Living at the Margin. Graeme Barker and David Gilbertson. eds. New York: Routledge, 2000. 372 pp.
Antagonism of the behavioral effects of cocaine and d-amphetamine by prazosin.

Key pecking by pigeons was maintained under a 30-response fixed-ratio schedule of food delivery; lever pressing by squirrel monkeys was maintained under a 3-min fixed-interval schedule of food delivery. Administered alone, d-amphetamine (0.1–3.0 mg/kg), cocaine (1.0–3.0 mg/kg) and bupropion (1.0–30 mg/kg) either did not affect or decreased fixed-ratio responding of pigeons, whereas d-amphetamine (0.056–0.3 mg/kg) either increased or decreased (0.56 mg/kg) responding of monkeys maintained under the fixed-interval schedule. Prazosin, a selective centrally-active alpha1 antagonist, produced a dose-dependent reversal of the rate-decreasing effects of d-amphetamine and cocaine but not of bupropion on fixed-ratio responding in pigeons. Prazosin also reversed both the rate-increasing and rate-decreasing effects of d-amphetamine on fixed-interval responding of squirrel monkeys. In contrast, the non-selective alpha-antagonist phentolamine enhanced d-amphetamine-induced decreases in fixed-ratio responding. These findings suggest that the behavioral effects of d-amphetamine and cocaine are produced at least in part by activation of central alpha1 receptors. Prazosin may be a useful tool for better understanding the mechanisms through which cocaine, amphetamine, and other abused stimulant drugs exert their potent behavioral effects.
Comparison of Text and Video as Forms of Feedback during Computer Assisted Learning

This study compared the effectiveness of textual feedback to video feedback during Computer Assisted Learning (CAL). Based upon the assertions of Dual Coding Theory (Paivio), it was hypothesized that video feedback would result in superior learning and retention compared to textual feedback. Two computerized biology lessons were administered to secondary students (N = 60). Lessons consisted of a brief text introduction followed by multiple-choice questions with text or video feedback. Students received one lesson with textual feedback and one with video. Learning and retention were tested at the knowledge and comprehension levels. Students also indicated preference for feedback type. Between-subject MANCOVAs comparing text to video found that video feedback resulted in superior learning and comprehension. A Chi-square analysis indicated that students preferred video to text as feedback.
Conductivities of 1:1 electrolytes in mixed aprotic solvents—II. dimethoxyethane mixtures with propylene carbonate and 4-butyrolactone

Abstract The conductivities of five 1:1 electrolytes have been measured in mixtures of dimethoxyethane with propylene carbonate and 4-butyrolactone. As in previous studies involving mixed ethereal solvents, a maximum in the molar conductances is found for a specific solvent mixture. From consideration of single ion mobilities, Stokes' radii, and the Bjerrum treatment of ion association, we conclude that while small cations are highly coordinated by dimethoxyethane which promotes the formation of solvent-separated ion pairs, a significant number of contact ion pairs exist. Conductivity data for tetraalkylammonium chlorides suggest that these salts form both ion pairs and higher (neutral) aggregates such as a quadrupoles.
A comparative analysis of inventory costs of JIT and EOQ purchasing

Presents a mathematical model to assist companies in their decision to switch from the economic order quantity (EOQ) to the just‐in‐time (JIT) purchasing policy. Determines an upper limit for the JIT purchase price of an item below which the manufacturer will be better off using JIT purchasing. Also determines the annual demand level at which the costs of EOQ and JIT purchasing will be equal (the indifference point). For demand levels above this indifference point EOQ is the less costly method while JIT is preferable for demand levels below this point. The model also predicts that JIT will be preferred for inventory items with higher purchase price, holding costs, or ordering cost.
Erythema Multiforme: Clinical Spectrum and Immunopathogenesis

Erythema multiforme is an acute, self-limited inflammatory disorder of the skin and mucous membranes with a characteristic histopathology, a tendency for recurrence, and sometimes distinctive clinical appearance. Although initially differentiated from other cutaneous erythemas by Hebra in 1866 [6], the full characterization of erythema multiforme has been slow, due to the tendency to include many poorly characterized toxic erythematous eruptions under this title. Moreover, an array of overlapping terms and eponyms have evolved to describe the variable clinical presentation of the disease spectrum, making accurate definition and classification difficult. In this review, we will discuss the clinical and histologic spectrum as well as immunopathogenesis of erythema multiforme.
Is a production-level scanning electron microscope linewidth standard possible?

Metrology will remain a principal enabler for the development and manufacture of future generations of semiconductor devices. With the potential of 130 nm and 100 nm linewidths and high aspect ratio structures, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) remains an important metrology tool. This instrument is also extensively used in many phases of semiconductor manufacturing throughout the world. A challenge was recently posed in an article in Semiconductor International. That challenge was to have an accurate, production level, linewidth standard for critical dimension scanning electron microscopes available to the semiconductor industry. The potential for meeting this challenge is explored in this paper.
A novel technique for the fabrication of nanostructures on silicon carbide using amorphization and oxidation

A novel technique for fabricating silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon carbide (SiC) nanostructures on SiC substrates is reported in this paper. The technique involves amorphization of crystalline SiC at the nanoscale using a focused ion beam followed by selective thermal oxidation that results in oxide nanostructures due to the enhanced oxidation rate of amorphous SiC. Selective etching of the oxide results in crystalline SiC nanostructures. Nanostructures (SiO2 and SiC) with minimum feature sizes of ~55 nm have been fabricated. Oxide nano-channels with channel widths of less than 20 nm are demonstrated. The physical mechanisms that control the evolution of the structures and limit the resolution have been addressed.
Ultrastructural Aspects of Spicule Formation in the Solitary Ascidian Herdmania momus (Urochordata, Ascidiacea)

The solitary stolidobranch ascidian Herdmania momus contains numerous calcium carbonate spicules in its tunic and body tissues. The slender body spicules form inside complex sheaths in the body wall and branchial basket, where they remain for the life of the animal. The much smaller tunic spicules form inside the tunic blood vessels and then migrate to the tunic surface, where they become anchored by their spiny base. This paper is an ultrastructural investigation of the formation of the body spicules; the tunic spicules, which apparently form quite differently, will be the focus of a future study. The body spicules are composed of rows of closely packed acicular spines which form completely extracellularly. The spine tips are covered by flattened, highly pseudopodial sclerocytes bound together by tightly interdigitating cell processes. The basal regions of contiguous spines are covered by very thin sclerocyte cell processes. An organic matrix is present within the spines; its exact nature is not clear. A very dense extracellular inter-spine matrix is located between the spine tips and the contiguous basal regions. Presclerocytes within the sheaths between the spicules are probably responsible for formation of the extracellular structures of the sheaths. The presclerocytes appear to aggregate and transform into sclerocytes at the apical end of the spicule. New spines are added at the apical end of the spicule as well as between larger spines. Comparisons are made between body spicule formation in H. momus and skeletogenesis in echinoids.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

Abstract The James Webb Space Telescope is a 6.5 m, infrared space telescope designed to be launched in 2013 aboard an Ariane 5. The JWST program is a cooperative program with the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) managing the project for NASA. The prime contractor for JWST is Northrop Grumman Space Technology (NGST). JWST’s international partners are the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). JWST will address four major science themes: end of the dark ages: first light and reionization; the assembly of galaxies, the birth of stars and protoplanetary systems; and the formation of planetary systems and the origins of life. We discuss the design of the observatory and review recent progress on the JWST program.
Tensor product spaces

A decomposition is obtained for the tensor product of two irreducible representations of the group of conformal mappings of the upper half-plane when one representation is taken in a Hilbert space of analytic functions and the other in the conjugate of such a space. An estimation theory for modular forms results which is of interest in connection with the Riemann hypothesis [l]. The decomposition depends on an eigenfunction expansion associated with Gauss’s hypergeometric function [2]. Let Y be a given number, Y > -1. The Hardy space 9” is the set of functions F(z), analytic in the upper half-plane, of the form
Bayesian Classifiers for Chemical Toxicity Prediction

A major concern across the globe is the growing number of new chemicals that are brought to use on a regular basis without having any knowledge about their toxic behavior. The challenge here is that the growth in the number of chemicals is fast, and the traditional standards for toxicity testing involve a slow and expensive process of in vivo animal testing. Hence, a number of attempts are being made to find alternate methods of toxicity testing. In this paper we explore Bayesian classifiers and show that if we approximate posterior in the Bayesian classifier with specially crafted basis functions, we can improve upon the performance. We have tested our methods using data sets from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Our experimental study demonstrated the utility of the advanced Bayesian classification approach.
Properties of model-valence-fluctuation heavy-electron systems in applied and molecular fields.

Self-consistent large-orbital-degeneracy perturbation theory for the one-site Anderson model is used to compute the occupancy and magnetization as a function of field and temperature for both spin (1/2 and spin (5/2. The magnetization curves are in good agreement with exact Bethe-ansatz and high-field perturbation-theory results, although some systematic discrepancies are apparent between the two different approaches. The most novel result for the magnetization is that the ``superlinear'' behavior known for high-degeneracy impurities (and observed in YbCuAl) vanishes at precisely the temperature where the zero-field magnetic susceptibility peaks. The one-impurity results are extended to the lattice via perturbation theory in the intersite interactions, after which simple molecular field theory (excluding the possibilities of charge-density wave and superconducting phases) is applied to obtain magnetic-ordering phase boundaries for the spin-(1/2 and spin-(5/2 models which are in gross qualitative agreement with previous lattice calculations, including the so-called ``Kondo necklace'' and ``resonant level'' models. In particular, the criterion that the intersite coupling exceed the characteristic Kondo-effect energy scale is recovered. It is shown that the superlinear behavior obtained for high-degeneracy leads, within molecular field theory, to novel tricritical behavior without the inclusion of anisotropy terms. It is suggested that ${\mathrm{EuRh}}_{3}$${\mathrm{B}}_{2}$ and YbCuAl are likely candidates for observing this behavior. Detailed appendices indicate the approximations necessary to obtain the molecular field theory and thereby its limitations to finite temperatures away from the coherent regime of the Anderson lattice.
Polydichlorophosphazene Polymerization Studies

Abstract Polydichlorophosphazene (NPC12)X is unique as a synthetic precursor for poly(organo)phosphazenes [1–6] and presents special problems in polymerization studies because of branching, crosslinking, and cyclization reactions and in characterization due to the polymer's hydrolytic instability. This paper reviews the literature and discusses problem areas and recent advances relating to polydichlorophosphazene polymerization. Melt, solution, and irradiation polymerization reactions and mechanisms are discussed. Previously unpublished results are presented, and current research efforts and areas for future investigation are considered.