cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
#AutismAwareness: A Longitudinal Study to Characterize Tweeting Patterns for Indian and US Users

It is well established that there are differences in autism awareness and stigma around the world. We investigate how this is manifested in Twitter data. First, we compared tweeting behavior during World Autism Day between users from the United States (US) and India over a 4-year period. We investigated how tweeting may be related to stigma by comparing the likelihood that users in India tweet about autism compared to two other public health issues that carry comparatively more and less stigma (AIDS and tobacco cessation, respectively). We found that users from India are significantly less likely to tweet about autism compared to users from the US. This is also true for AIDS. On the other hand, users in India tweet more about tobacco cessation than those in the US. We discuss our results in light of issues related to awareness and stigma. We conclude by providing design implications for creating effective autism Twitter campaigns.
A Novel Weight Window Design Approach

Weight windows are extensively used in spectral analysis of signals, e.g., range, Doppler and angle estimation in radars, audio processing and many other applications. In this paper, we present a novel approach for designing weight window functions which, unlike the well-known repertoire of standard window designs used in spectral analysis, provides the flexibility to shape the leakage profile of the designed weight window differently in different frequency bands, allowing one to make a more controlled trade-off between the key performance metrics of the window. We demonstrate the efficacy of some example weight windows designed using the proposed method in the context of FMCW radar Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) processing.
Charactering hESCs Organoids from Electrical Signals with Machine Learning

Three-dimensional brain organoids offer an unprecedented opportunity to study human brain development and disease. Characterizing context-specific organoid behaviors from local field potential (LFP) signals presents many machine learning challenges yet to be adequately addressed. We present in this paper classical machine learning and deep learning solutions to identify the LFP signatures unique to CHD2-mutant hESCs organoids and characterize their changes over time. We showed that a support vector machine (SVM) approach selected five frequency band-power features for 6 and 9-month-old organoids and achieved respective 99.3% and 88.1% area under the curve (AUC) performances in differentiating CHD2-mutant organoids from control using top five band-power features. We also proposed a convolutional neural network (CNN) that successfully classified both month 6 and month 9 CHD2 mutant organoids from controlled organoids using raw LFP signals with AUCs of with 99.6% and 99.7% respectively. We also reconstructed the discriminate features learned by CNN and showed their similarity and uniqueness compared with features selected by SVM.
Post-migration risks, developmental processes, and learning among Syrian refugee children in Lebanon

Abstract Refugee children face significant adversities that can threaten critical developmental processes and hamper learning outcomes. This study examines how post-migration risk factors at the community, household, and individual level experienced by primary school-aged Syrian refugee children in Lebanon (N = 448, Age M = 9.08, SD = 1.90) are associated with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral developmental processes as well as literacy and numeracy performance. We identified several risk factors, including attending a lower grade than their age-expected grade level, that uniquely predict Syrian refugee children's developmental processes and academic outcomes. Children's executive function and behavioral regulation, but not internalizing symptoms, partially mediated the relations between risk factors and academic outcomes.
American Beavers (Castor canadensis) Use a Hollow Baldcypress Snag as a Lodge

Castor canadensis (American Beaver) typically construct lodges out of tree trunks, branches, and mud, or dig dens into banks at the edges of water bodies. We observed Beavers in a Mississippi swamp using a hollow Taxodium distichum (Baldcypress) snag as a lodge. In 2016, they had constructed a mound inside of the snag and were observed sitting out of the water inside of the snag. In subsequent years, they continued to use the snag and, in autumn of 2020, constructed a more traditional lodge against it. After being disturbed, Beavers took refuge in another nearby hollow snag on 2 occasions. Beavers are adaptable, occasionally using unusual materials to construct lodges or dams or occupying non-traditional structures, but we found no previous account of them residing inside of a standing hollow tree.
Smartphone-based imaging systems for medical applications: a critical review.

Significance: Smartphones come with an enormous array of functionality and are being more widely utilized with specialized attachments in a range of healthcare applications. A review of key developments and uses, with an assessment of strengths/limitations in various clinical workflows, was completed. Aim: Our review studies how smartphone-based imaging (SBI) systems are designed and tested for specialized applications in medicine and healthcare. An evaluation of current research studies is used to provide guidelines for improving the impact of these research advances. Approach: First, the established and emerging smartphone capabilities that can be leveraged for biomedical imaging are detailed. Then, methods and materials for fabrication of optical, mechanical, and electrical interface components are summarized. Recent systems were categorized into four groups based on their intended application and clinical workflow: ex vivo diagnostic, in vivo diagnostic, monitoring, and treatment guidance. Lastly, strengths and limitations of current SBI systems within these various applications are discussed. Results: The native smartphone capabilities for biomedical imaging applications include cameras, touchscreens, networking, computation, 3D sensing, audio, and motion, in addition to commercial wearable peripheral devices. Through user-centered design of custom hardware and software interfaces, these capabilities have the potential to enable portable, easy-to-use, point-of-care biomedical imaging systems. However, due to barriers in programming of custom software and on-board image analysis pipelines, many research prototypes fail to achieve a prospective clinical evaluation as intended. Effective clinical use cases appear to be those in which handheld, noninvasive image guidance is needed and accommodated by the clinical workflow. Handheld systems for in vivo, multispectral, and quantitative fluorescence imaging are a promising development for diagnostic and treatment guidance applications. Conclusions: A holistic assessment of SBI systems must include interpretation of their value for intended clinical settings and how their implementations enable better workflow. A set of six guidelines are proposed to evaluate appropriateness of smartphone utilization in terms of clinical context, completeness, compactness, connectivity, cost, and claims. Ongoing work should prioritize realistic clinical assessments with quantitative and qualitative comparison to non-smartphone systems to clearly demonstrate the value of smartphone-based systems. Improved hardware design to accommodate the rapidly changing smartphone ecosystem, creation of open-source image acquisition and analysis pipelines, and adoption of robust calibration techniques to address phone-to-phone variability are three high priority areas to move SBI research forward.
Type- and Control-Flow Directed Defunctionalization

Defunctionalization is a program transformation that removes all first-class functions from a source program, yielding an equivalent target program that contains only first-order functions. As originally described by Reynolds, defunctionalization transforms an untyped higher-order source program into an untyped first-order target program that uses a single, global dispatch function. In addition to being limited to untyped languages, a drawback of this approach is that obscures control flow, making it appear as though the code associated with every source function could be invoked at every call site of the target program. Subsequent work has extended defunctionalization to both simply-typed and polymorphically-typed languages, but the latter continues to use a single, global dispatch function. Other work has extended defunctionalization to be guided by a control-flow analysis of a simply-typed source program, where the types of the target program exactly capture the results of the flow analysis and make it apparent which (limited) set of functions can be invoked at each call site. Our work draws inspiration from these previous approaches and proposes a novel flow-directed defunctionalization for a polymorphically-typed source language. Guided by a type- and control-flow analysis, which exploits well-typedness of the source program to filter flows that are incompatible with static types, the transformation must construct evidence that filtered flows are impossible in order to ensure the well-typedness of the target program.
Effectiveness and Feasibility of Pharmacist-Driven Penicillin Allergy De-Labeling Pilot Program without Skin Testing or Oral Challenges.

Documented penicillin allergies have been associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. The goal of this project was to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of a pharmacist-led penicillin allergy “de-labeling” process that does not involve labor-intensive skin testing or direct oral challenges. Adult patients with penicillin allergies were identified and interviewed by an infectious diseases pharmacy resident during a 3-month pilot period. Using an evidence-based standardized checklist, the pharmacist determined if an allergy qualified for de-labeling. In total, 66 patients were interviewed during the pilot period. The average time spent was 5.2 min per patient interviewed. Twelve patients (18%) met the criteria for de-labeling and consented to the removal of the allergy. Four patients (6%) met the criteria but declined removal of the allergy. In brief, 58.3% of patients (7/12) who were de-labeled and 50% of patients (2/4) who declined de-labeling but had their allergy updated to reflect intolerance were subsequently prescribed beta-lactam antibiotics and all (9/9, 100%) were able to tolerate these agents. A pharmacist-led penicillin allergy de-labeling process utilizing a standardized checklist is an effective and feasible method for removing penicillin allergies in patients without a true allergy.
Basal cell and basal-squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva.

Abstract 1. 1. Theories of histogenesis of basal cell and basal-squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva are discussed. 2. 2. Approximately 80 cases of basal cell carcinoma of the vulva have been reported to date. The incidence of the pure basal cell type is calculated to be 2.7 per cent of all vulvar malignancies; the incidence of the basal-squamous cell type is 2.5 per cent. 3. 3. Clinical features and histologic characteristics are presented. 4. 4. One basal cell and three basal-squamous cell carcinormas of the vulva are herein reported. 5. 5. The importance of careful serial examination of suspected basal cell lesions to rule out a squamous component is stressed. 6. 6. Wide complete vulvectomy is recommended for basal cell carcinoma, a lesion with a predilection for local recurrence as well as a potential for multicentric origin and for transformation to basal-squamous cell carcinoma. A basal-squamous cell carcinoma must be treated by radical vulvectomy and bilateral regional node dissection.
Use of Outpatient Treatment during Civil Commitment: Law and Practice in Nebraska.

Applying the principle of least restrictive alternative in civil commitment seldom results in outpatient treatment, even after initial treatment in a more restrictive setting. We studied 18 committed persons who were receiving outpatient treatment and compared them with three patient groups that differed by admission status and treatment setting. We offered explanations as to why outpatient treatment seldom proved to be the final step toward release from commitment.
Detection and growth of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in soft ripened cheese.

The organism most frequently encountered during the 1971 outbreak of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in soft ripened cheese was a strain that failed to ferment lactose broth within 48 h. Since existing methods for E. coli are dependent upon fermentation of this sugar, such strains can remain undetected, particularly when present in low numbers. Therefore, a cultural testing procedure was developed to insure isolation of both lactose-positive and -negative strains. This method used GN broth, modified by substituting lactose and arabinose for glucose and D-mannitol, as an enrichment medium. MacConkey agar, used as a plating medium, was modified by substituting arabinose for half the lactose. The cultural procedure was used in conjunction with a fluorescent antibody method to screen cheese for the presence of presumptive enteropathogenic E. coli. Suspected isolates were subjected to further biochemical and serological testing and identified as members of specific serogroups. These methods were used for the analysis of over 2,000 wheels of cheese; over 10% of the samples tested were found to contain strains belonging to six different serogroups associated with diarrheal diseases. No attempt was made to confirm pathogenicity by in vivo tests. Enumeration of E. coli in cheese showed that numbers increased during storage. Cheese with less than 10 organisms/g initially increased to over 105 at room temperature and over 103 at 4 C within 10 days. With higher initial counts, levels up to 109 were found at 4 C. These studies showed that the high levels of E. coli encountered in these products cannot be used as a direct indicator of post-processing contamination.
The Evaluation of the Color Blending Function for the Texture Generation from Photographs

Mass-casualty triage simulation requires the realistic depiction of wounds and other signs of external injury on victims. Texture maps permit images of actual wounds to be rendered over computer models. Several images may be required to depict extensive injuries. Seamlessly combining these images requires an appropriate blending function. This paper compares two functions for their ability to create visually appealing integrations.
Canine intervertebral disc fenestration using a vacuum-assisted tissue resection device.

Objective Describe the use and feasibility of a novel vacuum-assisted tissue resection device (VRD) for canine intervertebral disc fenestration, and compare the effectiveness of manual fenestration to the VRD. Study Design Randomized prospective study. Animals Canine cadavers (n = 15). Methods A cadaveric lumbar spine study was performed to compare the use of manual fenestration to a novel VRD for intervertebral disc fenestration. Both fenestration groups were compared to a control group. Effectiveness of fenestration was assessed by calculating a ratio of remaining nuclear weight postfenestration to total nuclear volume. Fenestrated discs with lower ratios were indicative of greater removal of nucleus pulposus. Results There was a statistically significant reduction in mean ratio (±SD) of remaining nuclear weight to volume with both fenestration groups compared to controls (0.39 ± 0.07; P < .001). There was an improved ratio using the VRD (0.23 ± 0.09) compared to manual fenestration (0.30 ± 0.10); this was not statistically significant (P = .069). It was technically difficult to fenestrate the disc spaces at L5-L6 and L6-L7 because of location and anatomy, resulting in a statistically significant increase in the median ratio of nuclear weight-to-volume ratios in both manual and VRD fenestration groups when compared to the more cranial L4-L5 disc spaces, 0.32 ± 0.08, and 0.35 ± 0.08 versus 0.25 ± 0.13 at L4-L5 (P = .026 and P = .004, respectively). Conclusions The VRD is a feasible instrument for canine intervertebral disc fenestration. It is at least as effective as manual fenestration, and provides additional safety features.
Transcriptional analysis of the conjugal transfer genes of rickettsia bellii RML 369-C

Rickettsia bellii is an obligate intracellular bacterium that is one of the few rickettsiae that encode a complete set of conjugative transfer (tra) genes involved in bacterial conjugation and has been shown to exhibit pili-like structures. The reductive genomes of rickettsiae beg the question whether the tra genes are nonfunctional or functioning to enhance the genetic plasticity and biology of rickettsiae. We characterized the transcriptional dynamics of R. bellii tra genes in comparison to genes transcribed stably and above the background level to understand when and at what levels the tra genes are active or whether the tra genes are degenerative. We determined that the best reference genes, out of 10 tested, were methionyl tRNA ligase (metG) or a combination of metG and ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase 2 subunit beta (nrdF), using statistical algorithms from two different programs: Normfinder and BestKeeper. To validate the use of metG with other rickettsial genes exhibiting variable transcriptional patterns we examined its use with sca2 and rickA, genes involved in actin based motility. Both were shown to be up-regulated at different times of replication in Vero cells, showing variable and stable transcription levels of rickA and sca2, respectively. traATi was up-regulated at 72 hours post inoculation in the tick cell line ISE6, but showed no apparent changes in the monkey cell line Vero and mouse cell line L929. The transcription of tra genes was positively correlated with one another and up-regulated from 12 to 72 hours post inoculation (HPI) when compared to RBE_0422 (an inactivated transposase-derivative found within the tra cluster). Thus, the up-regulation of the tra genes indicated that the integrity and activity of each gene were intact and may facilitate the search for the optimal conditions necessary to demonstrate conjugation in rickettsiae.
Effectiveness of Terbutaline and Theophylline Alone and in Combination in Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm

Theophylline and terbutaline, alone and in combination, were evaluated for effectiveness in treating exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) when used at doses that should be tolerated by adolescents taking them intermittently: theophylline, 250 mg (fast release) and terbutaline, 2.5 mg. Twenty-one subjects, 12 to 19 years of age, with EIB performed standardized exercise tests on four separate days and received either theophylline, terbutaline, the combination, or placebo in a prerandomized double-blind manner prior to exercise. Exercise tests were performed two and five hours after each study drug administration. Blood samples were drawn before and again two and five hours after drug administration for theophylline level. Pulmonary function [forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and forced expiratory flow rate (FEF 25% to 75%)] was recorded before and after exercise. All of the active treatments were better than placebo in diminishing EIB. The combination was statistically better than terbutaline or theophylline alone. The effect of theophylline was not significantly different from that of terbutaline. The combination induced significantly more tremor than either agent individually. Either drug alone or the two in combination is effective for diminishing EIB. Although the combination may have additive properties for some patients, the increased incidence of tremor may diminish its appeal. Either drug alone or in combination is effective in decreasing EIB for at least five hours, which makes them practical choices for treatment of school-aged children.
The cellular production of hydrogen peroxide

1. The enzyme–substrate complex of yeast cytochrome c peroxidase is used as a sensitive, specific and accurate spectrophotometric H 2 O 2 indicator. 2. The cytochrome c peroxidase assay is suitable for use with subcellular fractions from tissue homogenates as well as with pure enzyme systems to measure H 2 O 2 generation. 3. Mitochondrial substrates entering the respiratory chain on the substrate side of the antimycin A-sensitive site support the mitochondrial generation of H 2 O 2 . Succinate, the most effective substrate, yields H 2 O 2 at a rate of 0.5nmol/min per mg of protein in state 4. H 2 O 2 generation is decreased in the state 4→state 3 transition. 4. In the combined mitochondrial–peroxisomal fraction of rat liver the changes in the mitochondrial generation of H 2 O 2 modulated by substrate, ADP and antimycin A are followed by parallel changes in the saturation of the intraperoxisomal catalase intermediate. 5. Peroxisomes supplemented with uric acid generate extraperoxisomal H 2 O 2 at a rate (8.6–16.4nmol/min per mg of protein) that corresponds to 42–61% of the rate of uric acid oxidation. Addition of azide increases these H 2 O 2 rates by a factor of 1.4–1.7. 6. The concentration of cytosolic uric acid is shown to vary during the isolation of the cellular fractions. 7. Microsomal fractions produce H 2 O 2 (up to 1.7nmol/min per mg of protein) at a ratio of 0.71–0.86mol of H 2 O 2 /mol of NADP + during the oxidation of NADPH. H 2 O 2 is also generated (6–25%) during the microsomal oxidation of NADH (0.06–0.025mol of H 2 O 2 /mol of NAD + ). 8. Estimation of the rates of production of H 2 O 2 under physiological conditions can be made on the basis of the rates with the isolated fractions. The tentative value of 90nmol of H 2 O 2 /min per g of liver at 22°C serves as a crude approximation to evaluate the biochemical impact of H 2 O 2 on cellular metabolism.
Abstract 122: A Novel Mutation in a X-linked Gene Causes Human Congenital Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Congenital dilated cardiomyopathy (cDCM) is a rare but often fatal disease. In most cases, there is no family history, and its etiology is unknown. A major hurdle to elucidating a mechanistic understanding of congenital cardiomyopathy, and primary cardiomyopathies in general, has been a lack of access to diseased human cardiac tissues. Recent advances in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) now enable production of human cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) and allows for a systematic study of normal and diseased cardiomyocytes. We hypothesize that cardiomyocytes generated from iPSCs derived from cDCM patients will exhibit cellular and molecular differences from those generated from healthy donor iPSCs and that a rare genetic mutation, or a collection of mutations, plays a critical role in cDCM pathogenesis. To test these hypotheses, we generated cardiomyocytes from iPSCs derived from a 7-month old male with cDCM using a robust cardiac induction protocol based on the “matrigel sandwich” method of K...
GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY OF PSYCHOTICS.

Some features of interpersonal responsiveness of people who manifest psychotic distortions are described in relation to the potential uses of group interaction as therapy. An attempt is made to characterize the activity and emphasis most useful for the leader of such a group as contrasted with groups of psychoneurotics.
Forgoing physician visits because of cost: a source of health disparities for elderly people with disabilities?

Abstract Lee JC, Heinemann AW. Forgoing physician visits because of cost: a source of health disparities for elderly people with disabilities? Objective To examine disparities in having a usual source of care and forgoing physician visits because of cost between elderly people (age ≥65y) with and without disabilities after consecutively controlling for predisposing, enabling, and perceived and evaluated health need factors using the Andersen behavioral model, and to identify the determinants of such disparities. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting Community. Participants Nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults age 65 years or greater in the United States from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (N=93,933). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Responses to 2 BRFSS questions: (1) whether the respondent had a health care provider, and (2) whether the respondent had forgone seeing a physician because of cost in the past 12 months. Results After controlling for the aforementioned factors, elderly persons with disabilities were more likely than their counterparts without disabilities to have a usual source of care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.64), and those with disabilities were more likely to forgo physician visits because of cost (AOR=1.64; 95% CI, 1.31–2.04). The unadjusted odds of forgoing physician visits (odds ratio [OR]=2.13; 95% CI, 1.87–2.43) did not decrease after controlling for predisposing factors (AOR=2.32; 95% CI, 1.96–2.75), whereas the odds were attenuated after controlling for enabling factors (AOR=2.18; 95% CI, 1.84–2.59), perceived health need (AOR=1.70; 95% CI, 1.37–2.12), and evaluated health need (AOR=1.64; 95% CI, 1.31–2.04). Conclusions Although elderly people with disabilities were more likely than their counterparts without disabilities to have a usual source of care, those with disabilities were more likely to forgo physician visits because of cost. Elderly persons with greater perceived health needs were most likely to experience the disparity.
Mechanism of protein kinase C activation by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate

The mechanism of protein kinase C (PKC) activation by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP{sub 2}), phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate (PIP), and phosphatidylinositol (PI) was investigated by using Triton X-100 mixed micellar methods. The activation of PKC by PIP{sub 2}, for which maximal activity was 60% of that elicited by sn-1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG), was similar to activation by DAG in several respects: (1) activation by PIP{sub 2} and DAG required phosphatidylserine (PS) as a phospholipid cofactor, (2) PIP{sub 2} and DAG reduced the concentration of Ca{sup 2+} and PS required for activation, (3) the concentration dependences of activation by PIP{sub 2} and DAG depended on the concentration of PS, and (4) PIP{sub 2} and DAG complemented one another to achieve maximal activation. On the other hand, PIP{sub 2} activation of the PKC differed from activation by DAG in several respects. With increasing concentrations of PIP{sub 2}, (1) the optimal concentration of PS required was constant at 12 mol%, (2) the maximal activity at 12 mol% PS increased, and (3) the cooperativity for PS decreased. PIP{sub 2} did not inhibit ({sup 3}H)phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) binding of PKC at saturating levels of PS; however, at subsaturating levels of PS, PIP{sub 2} enhanced ({sup 3}H)PDBu binding by acting asmore » a phospholipid cofactor. PIP did not function as an activator but served as a phospholipid cofactor in the presence of PS. These data establish that PIP{sub 2}, PIP, and PI can function to spare, in part, the PS phospholipid cofactor requirement of PKC, and they demonstrate that PIP{sub 2} but not PIP and PI can function as a lipid activator of PKC by mechanisms distinct from those of DAG and phorbol esters.« less
Unusual chest pain syndromes caused by implanted cardiac device leads: a case series

Chest pain can occur after cardiac device lead placement through various mechanisms. Commonly, this is secondary to perforation. We present four cases of unusual chest pain syndromes secondary to device leads with normal function and position without evidence of typical complications. The possible etiologies and management considerations for these cases are discussed.
Development and validation of a sensitive GC-MS method for the determination of trace levels of an alkylating reagent in a β-lactam active pharmaceutical ingredient

A direct injection gas chromatographic method utilizing selected-ion monitoring (SIM) mode mass selective detection was developed and validated for the trace analysis of an impurity, carbonic acid chloromethyl tetrahydro-pyran-4-yl ester (CCMTHP), present in a beta-lactam active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). A variety of analytical techniques including LC-MS, GC-FID, GC-ECD and GC-MS were evaluated during the method development. GC-MS with SIM at m/z=49 demonstrated the best detection sensitivity. A 10 ppm (5 pg on column) limit of quantitation (LOQ) was attained and the linearity of the method was demonstrated in the range of 10-1000 ppm. Accurate and precise quantitation of the impurity in drug substance was achieved with external standardization. A 10:1 split injection was applied to limit the amount of non-volatile API loading onto the column. The effects of injection and detection parameters such as split ratio, liner type, injection temperature and number of mass ions monitored were studied. Full validation proved the accuracy, precision and specificity of the method, which was successfully employed to analyze many pilot lots of the API.
Economics as a Moral Science

Economics is, and always has been, essentially a moral science? whatever the protestations to the contrary by some of its practitioners. There are, of course, those who claim that economics, as a science, is concerned only with the implications of the fact of relative scarcity. Lionel Robbins and Milton Friedman are obvious examples of this point of view. And at least since the time of Jean Baptiste Say (1803), there has been a steady stream of economists who have insisted that their task is to remain unconcerned with the social issues of the day, striving always to keep the discipline "scientific"?that is, free from moral judgement or moral concern. But what this position has in fact meant is a historic concern by the economist for the status quo and the development of a scientific expertise which has defended and explained that status quo. For this is largely what marketplace economics has always been: an attempt to explain the mysteries and wonders and vagaries of the market as well as to divulge the blessings which the market bestows upon all of its followers. This is the legacy bequeathed by Say who argued that the economist must remain an "impartial spectator." [Gide and Rist, p. 123] If he is to be purely scientific, he must remain theoretical and descriptive and in no case should the economist give advice to the public. This point of view was the logical outgrowth of the dictates of Jeremy Bentham, the 18th century social psychologist, who had such a tremendous impact on laying the basic psychological groundwork for the emerging science of Eco? nomics. [Bentham, 1843; Mitchell] The core idea of this viewpoint posits that what is good for society is simply what is good for the individual, as measured by the market, which is merely an extension of natural law. Individuals as individuals are all that matters. They are primary; society and the economy are secondary or derivative. And the task of the economist is to explain that secondary or derivative mechanism.
Neural networks letter: Quantum inspired PSO for the optimization of simultaneous recurrent neural networks as MIMO learning systems

Training a single simultaneous recurrent neural network (SRN) to learn all outputs of a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system is a difficult problem. A new training algorithm developed from combined concepts of swarm intelligence and quantum principles is presented. The training algorithm is called particle swarm optimization with quantum infusion (PSO-QI). To improve the effectiveness of learning, a two-step learning approach is introduced in the training. The objective of the learning in the first step is to find the optimal set of weights in the SRN considering all output errors. In the second step, the objective is to maximize the learning of each output dynamics by fine tuning the respective SRN output weights. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the PSO-QI training algorithm and the two-step learning approach, two examples of an SRN learning MIMO systems are presented. The first example is learning a benchmark MIMO system and the second one is the design of a wide area monitoring system for a multimachine power system. From the results, it is observed that SRNs can effectively learn MIMO systems when trained using the PSO-QI algorithm and the two-step learning approach.
Colony Attendance Patterns by Mated Forster's Terns Sterna forsteri Using an Automated Data-Logging Receiver System

In order to examine 24-hour colony attendance patterns by mated Forster's Terns Sterna forsteri in South San Francisco Bay, California, during incubation and chick-rearing stages, we radio-marked 10 individuals consisting of five pairs and recorded colony attendance using an automated data-logging receiver system. We calculated and analyzed five variables: the total attendance time by pairs and individuals, the duration of individual attendance bouts, and the duration both members of a pair either overlapped in colony attendance or were both absent from the colony. The percentage of time spent on the colony by at least one individual of a pair was highest during incubation and declined during chick rearing. Overall, male terns spent a greater proportion of time diurnally attending the colony than females. Females spent a greater proportion of time on colony at night, and without these nocturnal records, we would have reported overall female colony attendance rates as being much lower. Despite sex-specific...
Pityrosporum ovale—A Lipophilic Fungus. Thiamin and Oxaloacetic Acid as Growth Factors*:

Summary and ConclusionsThiamin when added to a basal medium containing KH2PO4, MgSO4 and with asparagin or NH4Cl causes an increase in the growth of Pityrosporum ovale. With asparagin the increase is much greater than with NH4Cl. However, if ethyl oxalacetate replaces the thiamin, growth in the NH4Cl medium is just about equal to that in the asparagin medium. The addition of thiamin to the medium containing oxalacetate does not cause any further increase in growth. It would seem then that NH4Cl and ethyl oxalacetate can be substituted for asparagin and thiamin in the cultivation of Pityrosporum ovale. It appears that if a suitable keto acid is supplied neither thiamin nor an amino acid is necessary. On the other hand, the asparagin may furnish both the carbon and nitrogen source needed by the organism, yielding ammonia and a carbon skeleton, probably oxalacetate. Thiamin increases growth when added to the asparagin by hastening the production of the carbon skeleton in some way. When this carbon skeleton i...
Numerical evaluation of path-integral solutions to Fokker-Planck equations. III. Time and functionally dependent coefficients

A path-integral solution to truly nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations is derived. Such equations exhibit in the drift and diffusion coefficients a functional dependence on the distribution function. This type of implicit time dependence is shown to introduce terms into the propagator function of the exact same order in the time step tau, as does an explicit time dependence if the functional dependence is sufficiently smooth. A standard discrete lattice formulation of the path integral is then used to reproduce the appropriate, truly nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation. This discrete formulation provides a basis for an efficient numerical algorithm and is applied with excellent results to several example problems where exact solutions can be calculated.
Accuracy and usefulness of atrial pacing in conjunction with transthoracic echocardiography in the detection of cardiac ischemia

Abstract Transthoracic echocardiography combined with transesophageal atrial pacing was performed in a community outpatient setting and compared with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and with coronary arteriography to determine the accuracy and usefulness of the technique. Two groups were defined: group A consisted of 65 of 189 patients who underwent all 3 procedures within a 90-day period; group B consisted of 53 patients who had atrial pacing with transthoracic echocardiography. Seventy-one patients had previously undergone atrial pacing with simultaneous transesophageal echocardiograpny. Atrial pacing to induce abnormal wall morion as an indicator of ischemia was performed by increasing the double product to >20,000. We obtained a sensitivity and specificity of 87% and 88% for group A and 72% and 80% for group B, respectively. We believe that transthoracic echocardiography with atrial pacing is indicated as a means of stress echocardiography in its own right, especially in nonambulatory and chronotropically incompetent patients, as well as in the presence of an ambiguous result on SPECT testing. It is highly accurate compared with our previous study with atrial pacing and simultaneous transesophageal echocardiography, better tolerated, more easily accepted, less invasive, and less costly. Thus, it is a useful stress modality in the detection of myocardial ischemia.
Identification of cytoplasmic estrogen receptors in the accessory sex organs of the rabbit and their comparison to the cytoplasmic estrogen receptor in the epididymis

Estrogen receptors are present in cytosol prepared from the accessory sex organs (vesicular gland, proprostate, prostate, bulbourethral gland) of sexually immature and of sexually mature rabbits. The receptor in these organs from animals of both age groups has a sedimentation coefficient of 8-10S on low ionic strength (0.01 M KCl) sucrose gradients. Under high ionic strength (0.4 M KCl) conditions, the receptor sediments at approximately 4S. The cytoplasmic estrogen receptor from the epididymis shows age-dependent changes in its sedimentation coefficient. It is 8S under low ionic strength conditions when prepared from immature rabbits and 4S under identical conditions when prepared from sexually mature animals. Although the dissociation constant of the cytoplasmic estrogen receptor in the immature and mature epididymis and accessory sex organs remains constant during development (approximately 0.1 nM), the number of available cytoplasmic estrogen binding sites declines from about 160 fmoles/mg cytosol protein in the immature rabbit to about 40 fmoles/mg cytosol protein in the adult animal. The estrogen receptor in the accessory sex organs is highly specific, the relative affinities of various potential competitors being: estradiol and estrone = 1, diethylstilbestrol = 0.3, estriol = 0.2, tamoxifen = 0.08, testosterone = 0.0004 and 5 alpha-DHT = 0.00005. Changes with age in the physicochemical characteristics of the estrogen receptor and in the concentration of binding sites suggest that the estrogen receptor may be involved in the development and physiological regulation of the male reproductive tract.
Three dimensional simulation of an underexpanded jet interacting with a supersonic cross flow

A new three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code has been developed to simulate the flow fields of an underexpanded jet transversely injected into supersonic air stream inside the combustors of ramjets and scramjets. The code employs an implicit finite volume, lower-upper (LU) time marching method to solve the complete three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations in a fully-coupled and very efficient manner. Results clearly depict the flow characteristics, including the shock structure, separated flow regions around the injector, and the wake flow in the lee of the injector.
Electric Excitation of Certain Rare-Earth Nuclei by Protons

Sixteen energy levels have been observed in thirteen isotopes of samarium, europium, gadolinium, and terbium. Electric quadrupole transition probabilities have been determined for some of these energy levels from the measured electric excitation cross sections. For the even-$A$ isotopes of Gd, the properties of the low-lying energy levels are in good agreement with the expectations of the "strong coupling" rotational model. The first energy levels in the even isotopes of samarium show the sharp break in the position of the first excited level which has recently been pointed out by Scharff-Goldhaber. In general, the results are in good qualitative agreement with the predictions of the collective model; however, the moments of inertia for the rotational levels observed in this region are substantially larger than those expected from the intrinsic deformations obtained from the radiative transition probabilities.
Distribution of recent volcanism and the morphology of seamounts and ridges in the GLIMPSE study area: Implications for the lithospheric cracking hypothesis for the origin of intraplate, non–hot spot volcanic chains

[1] Lithospheric cracking by remotely applied stresses or thermoelastic stresses has been suggested to be the mechanism responsible for the formation of intraplate volcanic ridges in the Pacific that clearly do not form above fixed hot spots. As part of the Gravity Lineations Intraplate Melting Petrology and Seismic Expedition (GLIMPSE) project designed to investigate the origin of these features, we have mapped two volcanic chains that are actively forming to the west of the East Pacific Rise using multibeam echo sounding and side-scan sonar. Side-scan sonar reveals the distribution of rough seafloor corresponding to recent, unsedimented lava flows. In the Hotu Matua volcanic complex, recent flows and volcanic edifices are distributed over a region 450 km long and up to 65 km wide, with an apparent, irregular age progression from older flows in the west to younger in the east. The 550-km-long Southern Cross Seamount/Sojourn Ridge/Brown Ridge chain appears to have been recently active only at its eastern end near the East Pacific Rise. A third region of recent flows is found 120 km north of Southern Cross Seamount in seafloor approximately 9 Myr old. No indication of lithospheric extension in the form of faulting or graben formation paralleling the trend of the volcanic chains is found in the vicinity of recent flows or anywhere else in the study area. Thermoelastic cracking could be a factor in the formation of a few small, very narrow volcanic ridges, but most of the volcanic activity is broadly distributed in wide swaths with no indication of formation along narrow cracks. The Sojourn and Brown chains appear to begin as distributed zones of small seamounts that later develop into segmented ridges, perhaps under the influence of membrane stresses from self-loading. We suggest that the linear volcanic chains are created by moving melting anomalies in the asthenosphere and that lithospheric cracking plays at most a secondary role.
Social experimentation self-process or social role.

The present article uses Lifton's protean man concept to describe a pattern of social experimentation with new religious, cultic and self-growth groups in con temporary American society. However, proteanism or social experimentation is understood herein to signify a positive search by some for meaning, identity and community, and to describe more aptly a new social role, rather than a new form of self-process. We delineate the social experimenter role and its various support systems within society (i.e., the cultic/self-growth subculture, the entrepreneurs of experience, and the cominant culture itself). In conclusion, we discuss the popularity of social experimentation in contemporary American society in relation to: 1) the human need to explore and grow; 2) the opportunities afforded by modem society; and 3) the conflicts between various interest groups in society.
Cell-free synthesis of SU + 3 tyrosyl transfer RNA: characterization of the 4S product

Abstract The transfer RNA product synthesized in vitro from tRNA transducing phage DNA has been examined. The product migrates on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a 4S material. The two-dimensional RNA fingerprint is indistinguishable from tRNA tyr synthesized in vivo . Transcription of potentially active tRNA does not require ribosomes or amino acids when synthesis is catalyzed by an extract of E. coli prepared from stringent cells. Phosphorylated guanosine derivatives do not affect tRNA transcription in this system.
Raman-induced phase conjugation spectroscopy

Complete Raman spectra of transparent media are obtained with a single 10-nsec, 10-mJ, laser pulse by a new spectroscopic technique which exploits resonant behavior of nondegenerate four-wave mixing in the phase-conjugate geometry.
Extreme Data-Intensive Scientific Computing

Scientific computing increasingly involves massive data; in astronomy, observations and numerical simulations are on the verge of generating petabytes. This new, data-centric computing requires a new look at computing architectures and strategies. Using Amdahl's law to characterize architectures and workloads, it's possible to use existing commodity parts to build systems that approach an ideal Amdahl machine.
Forceps extraction of permanent pacing leads

Abstract With the advent of tined transvenous cardiac pacing leads, the complets extraction of pacing leads in the treatment of an infected cardiac pacing system has become increasingly difficult. A method is described for the extracticn of permanent pacing leads from the heart using alligator forceps inserted transvenously through the right internal jugular vein, grasping the lead near its insertion point in the cardiac muscle.
Cell-free protein expression in a microchannel array with passive pumping

We report in vitro (cell-free) protein expression in a microfluidic device using passive pumping. The polystyrene device contains 192 microchannels, each of which is connected to two wells positioned in a 384-well microplate format. A larger droplet of an expression solution was placed at one well of each channel while a smaller droplet of a nutrient solution was at the other well. Protein expression took place in the larger droplet and we found the expression yield in the expression solution is enhanced due to the replenishment of the nutrient solution supplied by passive pumping via the channel. The pumping pressure was generated from the difference in the surface tension between two different sized droplets at the two wells. We demonstrated expression of luciferase in the device and the expression yield was measured using luminescence assay. Different experimental conditions were investigated to achieve maximum protein yield with the least amount of reagents. Protein expression yields were found to be dependent on the amount of the nutrient solution pumped, independent of the amount of the expression solution within the experimental conditions studied. A higher feeding frequency or delivery rate of the nutrient solution resulted in higher protein expression yield. The work demonstrated the feasibility of using the microchannel array for protein expression with the following advantages: (1) simultaneous production of the same protein with different conditions to optimize the expression process; (2) simultaneous production of different proteins for high-throughput protein expression with high yield; (3) low reagent cost due to the fact that it consumes 125–800 times less than the amount used in a protein expression instrument commercially available.