cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The funding and future of Catholic education in the United States

The Catholic school system in the United States is undergoing significant changes in size, populations served and the funding models which have traditionally supported such schools. The closing of many schools in urban areas in the last 10 years in conjunction with the rising costs of schooling suggests that unless a new approach to funding schools is developed, the future of Catholic education in the United States is seriously threatened and with it the American Church. This article explores the link between traditional sources of funding Catholic schools and the increased role of federal and state funds. The rise of Charter Schools has added a significant model for Catholic schools to emulate in regarding future sources of funding. Three strategies for future funding are explored with an emphasis on the development of Faith-based Charter Schools and the development of ‘Catholic’ Charter Schools.
Combined Effect of Ultrasound and Mild Temperatures on the Inactivation of E. coli in Fresh Carrot Juice and Changes on its Physicochemical Characteristics.

The combination of ultrasound and mild temperatures to process fruits and vegetables juices is a novel approach that is showing promising results for microbial inactivation and preservation of bioactive compounds and sensory attributes. This study centers on investigating the inactivation of Escherichia coli (ATCC 11755) in carrot juice as a result of the combined effect of ultrasound (24 kHz frequency, 120 μm, and 400 W) with temperature (50, 54, and 58 °C) and processing time (0 to 10 min). In addition, the possible changes in physicochemical properties and the retention of bioactive compounds after processing were analyzed. Microbial inactivation with ultrasound treatment at 50 °C resulted in 3.5 log reduction after 10 min, whereas at 54 °C almost 5 log reduction was attained in the same period of time; meanwhile, for treatment at 58 °C, no viable cells were detected (>5 log reduction) after 2 min. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) on pH (6.80 to 6.82), °Brix (8.0 to 8.5), titratable acidity (0.29% to 0.30%), total carotenoid (1774 to 1835 μg/100 mL), phenolic compounds (20.19 to 20.63 μg/mL), ascorbic acid (4.8 mg/100 mL), and color parameters between fresh and ultrasound treated samples at the studied temperatures. To predict the inactivation patterns, observed values were tested using 3 different general models: first-order, Weibull distribution, and biphasic. The Weibull and biphasic models show good correlation for inactivation under all processing conditions. Results show ultrasound in combination with mild temperature could be effectively used to process fresh carrot juice providing a safe product without affecting physicochemical characteristics.
Viral sequences in human cancer

We have developed a virus detection and discovery computational pipeline, Pickaxe, and applied it to NGS databases provided by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We analyzed a collection of whole genome (WGS), exome (WXS), and RNA (RNA-Seq) sequencing libraries from 3052 participants across 22 different cancers. NGS data from nearly all tumor and normal tissues examined contained contaminating viral sequences. Intensive computational and manual efforts are required to remove these artifacts. We found that several different types of cancers harbored Herpesviruses including EBV, CMV, HHV1, HHV2, HHV6 and HHV7. In addition to the reported associations of Hepatitis B and C virus (HBV & HCV) with liver cancer, and Human papillomaviruses (HPV) with cervical cancer and a subset of head and neck cancers, we found additional cases of HPV integrated in a small number of bladder cancers. Gene expression and mutational profiles suggest that HPV drives tumorigenesis in these cases.
Reverse genetics of influenza viruses

Reverse genetics for generation of influenza viruses is a powerful tool allowing for the direct manipulation of the genome of viruses. It has the potential to allow for the generation of safer and more immunogenic vaccines and for a better understanding of the virus replication cycle. Reverse genetics is essential tool for producing a vaccine against the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.
Compact short-pulse laser for near-field range-gated imaging

This paper describes a compact laser, which produces high power, wide-angle emission for a near-field, range-gated, imaging system. The optical pulses are produced by a 100 element laser diode array (LDA) which is pulsed with a GaAs, photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS). The LDA generates 100 ps long, gain-switched, optical pulses at 904 nm when it is driven with 3 ns, 400 A, electrical pulses from a high gain PCSS. Gain switching is facilitated with this many lasers by using a low impedance circuit to drive an array of lasers, which are connected electrically in series. The total optical energy produced per pulse is 100 microjoules corresponding to a total peak power of 100 kW. The entire laser system, including prime power (a nine volt battery), pulse charging, PCSS, and LDA, is the size of a small, hand-held flashlight, System lifetime, which is presently limited by the high gain PCSS, is an active area of research and development. Present limitations and potential improvements will be discussed. The complete range-gated imaging system is based on complementary technologies: high speed optical gating with intensified charge coupled devices (ICCD) developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and high gain, PCSS-driven LDAs developed at Sandia National Laboratories. The system is designed for use in highly scattering media such as turbid water or extremely dense fog or smoke. The short optical pulses from the laser and high speed gating of the ICCD are synchronized to eliminate the back-scattered light from outside the depth of the field of view (FOV) which may be as short as a few centimeters. A high speed photodiode can be used to trigger the intensifier gate and set the range-gated FOV precisely on the target. The ICCD and other aspects of the imaging system are discussed in a separate paper.
What Is Behind the Tipping Point Mechanism

Group purchasing sites have recently gained tremendous popularity on the Internet. Besides the collective buying model, the leading website, Groupon.com, also introduces a tipping point mechanism to the U.S. e-market. The current study creates a theoretical model that integrates the theory of mind with models from e-commerce research to further study the buyer’s decision making influenced by a shopping group. We find that the buyer’s satisfaction with price discounts, their expectation of quality, and group inference have significant positive effects on the buyer’s purchase intention. The findings provide several constructive implications to practitioners as well.
Control of Ribosomal Protein Synthesis in Eukaryotic Cells

Ribosomal assembly requires three or four separate ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules as well as ~50–80 ribosomal proteins (r-proteins); the exact numbers depend on the species (reviewed in Wool1). These components comprise a large portion of the total cellular RNA and protein and are synthesized in roughly equimolar amounts which are rapidly assembled into ribosomes.
Inclusion Practices with Special Needs Students: Education, Training, and Application

Explore the challenges, opportunities, and pitfalls of the inclusion of students with disabilities in your classroom!Exciting, complex, and challenging shifts in American education are occurring today. First, schools are moving to embrace student diversity and accommodate the classroom experience to support diverse ways of organizing students for learning. Second, teachers are moving away from a traditional didactic instructional mode and embracing a facilitator role that encourages creating innovative classroom learning opportunities. Third, there is a shift from the view of the school as providing educational and psychoeducational services for students to providing educational supports for learning.Coinciding with these changes is the growing movement in special education that enourages full inclusion of students with special needs. This is a far cry from the exclusionary and separatist movements of special education less than twenty years ago. Now American education is facing the challenging situation of working with students with disabilities in the regular classroom. Inclusion Practices with Special Needs Students provides a much needed overview of the issues faced by educators committed to understanding how to best serve children with disabilities in schools.Inclusion Practices with Special Needs Students: Theory, Research, and Application provides an overview of the origins, evolution, and recent developments regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities into general education classrooms. The book critically challenges the overriding assumptions that support the philosophy of inclusion with a balanced presentation or research and theory that both supports and raises questions about the viability of this practice. The contributors are authorities in their respective areas of inclusionary practices.Some of the issues you will explore in Inclusion Practices with Special Needs Students are: political, fiscal, and legal events that have shaped inclusion practices implications for school psychologists handling students with serious emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems remaining in regular education agenda for future research priorities for research, training, and policy reformInclusion Practices with Special Needs Students addresses practical, psychoeducational, philosophical, legal, ethical, and financial issues surrounding the inclusionary initiative in special education.
The Design Amanuensis

The Design Amanuensis* supports design protocol analysis by capturing designers’ spoken and drawing actions and converting speech to text to construct a machine-readable multimedia document that can be replayed and searched for words spoken during the design session or for graphical configurations.
Dual-Energy CT Monitoring of Cryoablation Zone Growth in the Spinal Column and Bony Pelvis: A Laboratory Study.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the use of dual-energy computed tomography (CT) virtual noncalcium imaging (VNCa) to visualize ice ball growth during skeletal cryoablation procedures in the spine and bony pelvis. Materials and Methods Cryoablation was performed in the spine and bony pelvis of swine and human cadavers at 5 and 6 locations, respectively. CT scans were acquired every 2 minutes using a dual-source dual-energy scanner. Artifacts were suppressed using iterative metal artifact reduction, and ablation zones in the bones and surrounding tissue were visualized using multiplanar VNCa and mixed kV imaging. For each probe location and time point, ice detectability was determined and the volume of the ice was measured. Results At each location, ice was visualized within the bone before reaching critical neural and intraabdominal structures. Within bone, the ice ball could not be visualized on mixed kV images, but was seen using VNCa images before reaching the adjacent soft tissue in 7/11 (64%) scenarios. Volume of the smallest ice ball seen in VNCa images was 18% of the final volume after cryoablation compared with 42% for mixed kV (P = .014). Conclusions This application of dual-energy CT and VNCa imaging to cryoablation monitoring permits earlier ice visualization within the vertebral column and pelvic bones in near real time. Because these scanners and imaging techniques increase in availability in interventional suites, cryoablation of tumors along the spine and pelvic bone potentially could be performed with greater confidence.
Multisectoral Collaborations to Address Homelessness

Homelessness is a multidimensional problem that requires intervention and support across sectors (e.g., businesses, government, civil society). For example, people experiencing homelessness not only need health and social services but also community-based supports to help them obtain and maintain quality housing and employment. To address homelessness from multiple dimensions and aspects, various cross-sector collaborative approaches have been developed and implemented. This chapter describes general characteristics of multisectoral collaboration and discusses two specific models: interagency collaboration and collaboration with the business sector. We discuss in depth the role of the business sector, in particular, as the business sector can be an active partner in solving homelessness, contrary to the perception that the business sector is indifferent, if not hostile, toward homeless populations. At the end of the chapter, we synthesize helpful strategies and skills for social workers engaged in collaborations across multiple sectors.
Posterior Malleolus Arthroscopic Reduction and Internal Fixation Technique.

Abstract Adequate reduction of posterior malleolar fractures leads to better outcomes. Arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation presents an opportunity for excellent reduction with a minimally invasive approach. Herein, we present a technique with some discussion on outcomes.
Enhancing ACIS Maps: Increasing Usability through a GIS Portal

AbstractSince 2003, the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC) has been producing the Applied Climate Information System (ACIS) Climate Summary Maps for users all across the country. The maps ...
Catalog of the Staphylinidae (Insecta: Coleoptera). 1758 to the End of the Second Millennium.VII. Bibliography and Index

This catalog (published in seven parts, all released on the same day) is based on only the published literature for the Staphylinidae. Of the 32 subfamilies, the following 28 are included herein: Apateticinae, Dasycerinae, Empelinae, Euaesthetinae, Glypholomatinae, Habrocerinae, Leptotyphlinae, Megalopsidiinae, Micropeplinae, Microsilphinae, Neophoninae, Olisthaerinae, Omaliinae, Osoriinae, Oxyporinae, Oxytelinae, Phloeocharinae, Piestinae, Protactinae†, Proteininae, Protopselaphinae, Pseudopsinae, Solieriinae, Staphylininae, Steninae, Tachyporinae, Trichophyinae, and Trigonurinae. The Aleocharinae, Paederinae, Pselphinae, and Scaphidiinae are excluded from this edition of the catalog. References to the original citation or description are given for available family-group, genus-group, and species-group names of both extant and extinct forms. The type genus is cited for each family-group name, the type species for each genus-group name, and the type locality for each species-group name. Where appropriate, all subgenera, subspecies, or synonyms are listed for each valid name. Annotated subsequent references are presented for all names. Distributional summaries are given for each valid taxon. Full bibliographic citations are in Part VII. A short historical review, coauthored with Ales Smetana, follows the Introduction (Part I), with the main focus on biographical sketches that include many photographs. The goal of this catalog is to summarize the current state of knowledge of the family and to stimulate worldwide monographic studies.
How the 'MeToo' Movement is Reshaping Workplace Harassment Law in the United States

This book chapter, to be published in French for a foreign audience, explores the judicial and legislative responses occurring in the United States as a result of the “MeToo” movement. The chapter discusses the different ways in which courts are viewing the relevance of the movement for the interpretation of sexual harassment law, as well as proposed and enacted legislation at the federal and state levels that would change or has changed the way in which sexual harassment claims are addressed.
Commitment strength versus commitment bolstering: Uncertainty undermines and promotes relationship success.

Little research has examined factors that might weaken or strengthen commitment effects on relationship outcomes. The current research integrates attitude strength and investment model perspectives...
Knowledge and Behaviors of Adults with Underlying Health Conditions During the Onset of the COVID-19 U.S. Outbreak: The Chicago COVID-19 Comorbidities Survey.

Accurate understanding of COVID-19 safety recommendations early in the outbreak was complicated by inconsistencies in public health and media messages. We sought to characterize high-risk adults' knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, prevention strategies, and prevention behaviors. We used data from the Chicago COVID-19 Comorbidities (C3) survey collected between March 13 thru March 20, 2020. A total of 673 predominately older adults with ≥ 1 chronic condition completed the telephone interview. Knowledge was assessed by asking participants to name three symptoms of COVID-19 and three actions to prevent infection. Participants were then asked if and how they had changed plans due to coronavirus. Most participants could identify three symptoms (71.0%) and three preventive actions (69.2%). Commonly reported symptoms included: fever (78.5%), cough (70.6%), and shortness of breath (45.2%); preventive actions included: washing hands (86.5%) and social distancing (86.2%). More than a third of participants reported social distancing themselves (38.3%), and 28.8% reported obtaining prescription medication to prepare for the outbreak. In multivariable analyses, no participant characteristics were associated with COVID-19 knowledge. Women were more likely than men, and Black adults were less likely than White adults to report practicing social distancing. Individuals with low health literacy were less likely to report obtaining medication supplies. In conclusion, though most higher-risk individuals were aware of social distancing as a prevention strategy early in the outbreak, less than half reported enacting it, and racial disparities were apparent. Consistent messaging and the provision of tangible resources may improve future adherence to safety recommendations.
Analysis and Experimental Validation of Large-Signal Linearization for Low-Power Complex OTA-C Filters

This paper presents a second-order complex baseband operational transconductance amplifier-capacitor (OTA-C) filter design for wireless receivers. It employs a novel adaptive biasing circuit for large-signal linearization that extends the filter’s usable signal swing range. An analysis of this linearization technique provides insights into its underlying concepts to assist the design process. The method is demonstrated with the first experimental evaluation of a second-order complex baseband filter prototype having a center frequency of 2 MHz and a bandwidth of 850 KHz. Fabricated in a standard 130nm CMOS technology, the filter prototype measurement results show a gain of 35.1 dB and an image rejection ratio of 39.7 dB while operation from a supply voltage of 0.95 V and consuming 0.13 mA. This design advances the low-power bandpass filter state-of-the-art by having an in-band and out-of-band SFDR of 62 dB and 64 dB respectively due to the use of the large-signal linearization approach.
Quantum gravity modifications of magnetized ideal gas thermodynamics

Abstract In this article, we study minimal length effects on the statistical thermodynamic properties of a magnetized ideal gas. We reformulate the Lagrangian density of the 3-D spatial dimensional static electromagnetic field by employing Kempf Algebra to get the modified magnetostatic potential energy. We derive the modified thermodynamic properties of a magnetized ideal gas such as the mean energy, Helmholtz free energy and entropy. Also, we derive the magnetization, susceptibility, and permeability in the presence of a minimal length. It is found that quantum gravity affects all thermodynamic properties. In addition, we derive the respective upper bounds on the deformation parameter and minimal length.
Child Welfare Abolition: Critical Theories, Human Rights, and Heteronormativity

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) youth, especially youth of color, are overrepresented in foster care in the USA. While the child welfare system is supposed to protect and support vulnerable youth, instead this institution perpetuates stigmatizing heteronormative beliefs that often lead to more trauma and discrimination. The US child welfare system needs a major upheaval in order to meet the unique needs of marginalized children and their families. Critical theories, including feminist and queer theories and intersectionality, call for a new understanding of large-scale social issues. A human rights lens also allows for an investigation into the underlying causes of injustice and demands that social workers actively participate in the change process. Human rights social work requires broad, transformational goals. The only way to truly transform the harmful practices of child welfare in the USA is to abolish the current system. The child welfare abolition movement urges an end to the harmful and traumatizing removal of children from their families due to racist and systemic policy failures. LGBTQ+ youth of color are especially harmed by these policies that this movement is targeting. Abolition of the child welfare system calls for the active support of children and families and an increase is social safety net programs, rather than the current punitive approach based on assumptions of child maltreatment related to poverty. A reconceptualization of child welfare in the USA is an immediate obligation for social workers, as this crisis only continues to worsen.
Outcomes of Implantable Loop Monitoring in Patients <21 Years of Age.

Rhythm-symptom correlation in pediatric patients with syncope/palpitations or at risk cohorts can be difficult, but important given potential associations with treatable or malignant arrhythmia. We sought to evaluate the use, efficacy and outcomes of implantable loop recorders (ILR) in pediatrics. We conducted a retrospective study of pediatric patients (
Constraint Satisfaction Accounts of Lexical and Sentence Comprehension

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on two types of ambiguity: lexical and syntactic ambiguity. The two kinds of ambiguity can interact—for example, adopting noun vs. verb interpretation of man affects how one interprets the syntactic structure of a sentence containing this word. Despite the close relationship between these two types of ambiguity, for much of the history of modern psycholinguistics they have been studied independently. This division reflected differing views about lexical and syntactic representations. The meanings and other properties of words have often been thought to be stored in the lexicon, a person's mental dictionary. On this view, interpreting words involves looking up, or accessing, information in the lexicon. This process is thought to be autonomous, proceeding in the same way regardless of the context in which a word occurred. It is also thought to make minimal demands on limited capacity working memory and attentional resources, allowing multiple meanings of words to be accessed in parallel. This led to a two-stage model of lexical ambiguity resolution. In the first stage, the lexical system accessed the common meaning or meanings of words; in the second stage, information derived from the linguistic and extra-linguistic contexts and the comprehender's background knowledge are used to select the appropriate meaning and integrate it into the developing representation of the sentence.
A Data Model for Adaptive Multi-Resolution Scientific Data

Representing data using multiresolution is a valuable tool for the interactive exploration of very large datasets. Current multiresolution tools are written specifically for a single kind of multiresolution data. As a step toward developing general purpose multiresolution tools, we present here a model that represents a wide range of multiresolution data within a single paradigm. In addition, our model provides support for working with multiresolution data in a distributed environment.
Variance expressions for software reliability growth models

This paper derives a generic function to express the variance in the application reliability estimate in terms of the variances in the parameter estimates for the finite failure non homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) class of software reliability growth models SRGMs. Based on the generic expression, we then derive an expression to obtain the variance in the application reliability estimate for one of the most influential SRGMs, namely, the Goel-Okumoto model. We illustrate the potential of the variance expression derived for the Goel-Okumoto model with several examples.
Construction and Expression of a Bifunctional Single-Chain Antibody against Bacillus cereus Spores

The variable-region genes of monoclonal antibody against Bacillus cereus spores were cloned from mouse hybridoma cells by reverse transcription-PCR. The heavy- and light-chain variable-region genes were connected by a 45-base linker DNA to allow folding of the fusion protein into a functional tertiary structure. For detection of protein expression, a 10-amino-acid strep tag (biotin-like peptide) was attached to the C terminus of recombinant antibody as the reporter peptide. The single-chain antibody construct was inserted into the expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli under the control of the T7 RNA polymerase-T7 promoter expression system. The expressed single-chain antibody was detected on Western blots by using a streptavidin-conjugated enzyme system. This small recombinant antibody fragment (ca. 28,000 Da by calculation) had B. cereus spore binding ability and antigen specificity similar to those of its parent native monoclonal antibody.
Engaged Research in Higher Education and Civic Responsibility Reconsidered

(2004). Engaged Research in Higher Education and Civic Responsibility Reconsidered. Journal of Community Practice: Vol. 12, No. 3-4, pp. 235-242.
Insincere and Involuntary Public Apologies

This brief comment on apologies in the criminal justice process responds to Jeffrie Murphy's article, "Remorse, Apology, and Mercy." It appeared in the Criminal Law Conversations volume.
Cholinergic receptor mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Potential acetylcholine receptor (AChR) mutants of the nematode are selectable by resistance to the neurotoxic drug levamisole, a probable cholinergic agonist. To determine which mutants may have achieved resistance through loss of levamisole receptor function, we have assayed mutant extracts for specific 3H-meta-aminolevamisole binding activity in the presence and absence of mecamylamine. We find that mutants in 3 of the 7 genes associated with extreme levamisole resistance are obviously deficient in saturable specific 3H-meta- aminolevamisole binding activity. Mutants of the 4 other genes have abnormal binding activities that fail to undergo the apparent allosteric activation of saturable specific 3H-meta-aminolevamisole binding activity caused by mecamylamine. Thus, all 7 genes appear to be required to produce a fully functional levamisole receptor. Mutants of several other genes associated only with partial resistance to levamisole have at least grossly normal receptor binding activities.
Recall and Articulation of English and Chinese Words Under Memory Preload Conditions

Two groups of subjects were tested to investigate the effect of language on recall span under different memory preload conditions (two, four, or six digits). Native English-speaking monolinguals in Group 1 recalled 1-, 2-, and 3-syllable English words. Chinese-English bilinguals in Group 2 recalled both English words and 1-, 2-, and 3-syllable Chinese words. Word articulation rates for the English monolinguals and the Chinese-English bilinguals in each language were also obtained. An advantage for 1-syllable words over 2- and 3-syllable words was obtained for both articulation and recall. Whereas the effects of word length on recall were constant for English words in all preload conditions, the effect of word length varied with preload condition for the Chinese words: The advantage for 1-syllable Chinese words was very large when preload was small but diminished as digit preload increased. The notion of the “articulatory loop” alone fails to account for this cross-linguistic difference.
Complex Order Parameters in Quantum Optics First Order Phase Transition Analogies

Our purpose in this paper is to present the thermodynamic treatment of quantum optical systems which have first order phase transition analogies and whose order parameters are two- dimensional or complex valued such as the electric field variable in optical bistability. In so doing we show that it is advantageous to analyze phase transitions by exactly the same procedure as one uses in equilibrium thermodynamics by means of the appropriate free energies which are related to each other by Legendre transformations. We find there exist two classes of quantum optical systems which differ in the role played by the phase variable in the complex order parameter. In the first class, consisting of systems such as saturable absorbers, the mean field first order transition is completely independent of the phase variable as in the analogy between the laser threshold region and the second order phase transition. In the second class of systems, such as optical bistability, we find the first order phase transition depends on the relative phase between the incident field and the internal field. We show how the necessary metastable states arise without the addition of physical mechanisms to break gauge invariance when the external field is zero. We conclude with an analysis of the effect fluctuations in the phase variable have on the mean field phase transition.
Microplate-Based Assay for Identifying Small Molecules That Bind a Specific Intersubunit Interface within the Assembled HIV-1 Capsid

ABSTRACT Despite the availability of >30 effective drugs for managing HIV-1 infection, no current therapy is curative, and long-term management is challenging owing to the emergence and spread of drug-resistant mutants. Identification of drugs against novel HIV-1 targets would expand the current treatment options and help to control resistance. The highly conserved HIV-1 capsid protein represents an attractive target because of its multiple roles in replication of the virus. However, the low antiviral potencies of the reported HIV-1 capsid–targeting inhibitors render them unattractive for therapeutic development. To facilitate the identification of more-potent HIV-1 capsid inhibitors, we developed a scintillation proximity assay to screen for small molecules that target a biologically active and specific intersubunit interface in the HIV-1 capsid. The assay, which is based on competitive displacement of a known capsid-binding small-molecule inhibitor, exhibited a signal-to-noise ratio of >9 and a Z factor of >0.8. In a pilot screen of a chemical library containing 2,400 druglike compounds, we obtained a hit rate of 1.8%. This assay has properties that are suitable for screening large compound libraries to identify novel HIV-1 capsid ligands with antiviral activity.
ENVIRONMENTAL ROBUSTNESS AND THE ADAPTABILITY OF POPULATIONS

Recent work has shown that genetic robustness can either facilitate or impede adaptation. But the impact of environmental robustness on adaptation remains unclear. Environmental robustness helps ensure that organisms consistently develop the same phenotype in the face of "environmental noise" during development. Under purifying selection, those genotypes that express the optimal phenotype most reliably will be selectively favored. The resulting reduction in genetic variation tends to slow adaptation when the population is faced with a novel target phenotype. However, environmental noise sometimes induces the expression of an alternative advantageous phenotype, which may speed adaptation by genetic assimilation. Here, we use a population-genetic model to explore how these two opposing effects of environmental noise influence the capacity of a population to adapt. We analyze how the rate of adaptation depends on the frequency of environmental noise, the degree of environmental robustness in the population, the distribution of environmental robustness across genotypes, the population size, and the strength of selection for a newly adaptive phenotype. Over a broad regime, we find that environmental noise can either facilitate or impede adaptation. Our analysis uncovers several surprising insights about the relationship between environmental noise and adaptation, and it provides a general framework for interpreting empirical studies of both genetic and environmental robustness.
Binding and uptake of putative neurotransmitters in mutant mouse cerebellum and cerebellar reaggregat.

Abstract γ-Amino butyric acid (GABA) appears to be the inhibitory transmitter of various cerebellar interneurons, while glutamate has been suggested as the excitatory transmitter of granule cells. In this study we have determined the developmental profile from day 2 to day 60 for the Na a -independent (presumably post-synaptic receptor) binding of [ 3 H]GABA ( K d = 34 nM) and [ 3 H]kainic acid, a glutamate analog ( K d = 53 nM. Both binding activities increase steadily to adult levels with kainic acid achieving this more rapidly. Cerebellar cells (7 day) cultured as reaggregates for 14 days showed an increase in GABA binding and glutamate uptake compared to the starting tissue but did not achieve the levels seen in vivo , while kainic acid binding and GABA uptake remained low. Binding and uptake measurements were performed in neurological mutants. Agranular mutants, weaver, reeler and staggerer demonstrated as expected, marked decreases in total GABA binding and glutamate uptake into synaptosomes, and to a lesser extent GABA uptake. In addition total kainate binding was depressed. In comparison, Purkinje cell degeneration mutants showed only a small decrease in kainic acid binding. These results suggest that kainic acid binding does not identify the post-synaptic glutamate receptor.
The complexity of very simple Boolean formulas with applications

The concepts of $\textbf{SAT}$-hardness and $\textbf{SAT}$-completeness modulo npolylogn time and linear size reducibility, denoted by $\textbf{SAT}$-hard (npolylogn, n) and $\textbf{SAT}$-complete (npolylogn, n), respectively, are introduced. Regardless of whether $\textbf{P} = \textbf{NP}$ or $\textbf{P} \neq \textbf{NP}$, it is shown that intuitivelyEach $\textbf{SAT}$-hard (npolylogn, n) problem requires essentially at least as much deterministic time as, andEach $\textbf{SAT}$-complete (npolylogn, n) problem requires essentially the same deterministic time as the satisfiability problem for 3CNF formulas.It is proved that the $\leqq$, satisfiability, tautology, unique satisfiability, equivalence, and minimization problems are already $\textbf{SAT}$-complete (npolylogn, n), for very simple Boolean formulas and for very simple systems of Boolean equations. These completeness results are used to characterize the deterministic time complexities of a number of problems for lattices, propositional calculi, ...
Ocular nerve growth factor administration counteracts the impairment of neural precursor cell viability and differentiation in the brain subventricular area of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

The ocular administration of nerve growth factor (NGF) as eye drops (oNGF) has been shown to exert protective effects in forebrain-injured animal models, including adult diabetes induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg body weight). This type 1 diabetes model was used in this study to investigate whether oNGF might extend its actions on neuronal precursors localised in the subventricular zone (SVZ). NGF or saline was administrated as eye drops twice daily for 2 weeks in rats with STZ-induced diabetes and healthy control rats. The expression of mature and precursor NGF and the NGF receptors, tropomyosin-related kinase A and neurotrophin receptor p75, and the levels of DNA fragmentation were analysed by ELISA and western blotting. Incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine was used to trace newly formed cells. Nestin, polysialylated neuronal cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), doublecortin (DCX) and glial fibrillary acidic protein antibodies were used to identify the SVZ cells by confocal microscopy. It was found that oNGF counteracts the STZ-induced cell death and the alteration of mature/pro-NGF expression in the SVZ. It also affects the survival and differentiation of SVZ progenitors. In particular, oNGF counteracts the reduction in the number of cells expressing PSA-NCAM/DCX (neuroblast type A cells) and the related reductions in the number and distribution of nestin/DCX-positive cells (C-type cells), or glia-committed cells (type B cells), observed in the SVZ of diabetic rats. These findings show that oNGF treatment counteracts the effect of type 1 diabetes on neuronal precursors in the SVZ, and further support the neuroprotective and reparative role of oNGF in the brain.
Determining Acceptor Dye Quantum Yield from Pulsed Interleaved Single-Pair FRET Measurements

Single-pair fluorescence resonant energy transfer (spFRET) is a widely accepted technique for determining intra/inter molecular distances on nanometer scale. We present spFRET measurements of freely diffusing DNA constructs using pulsed interleaved excitation (PIE). We engineered a FRET system consisting of two complementary, single stranded DNA oligonucleotides containing either a donor or acceptor fluorophore. The FRET donor was attached to the antisense strand at 12 different positions, each on separate strands. The oligonucleotide containing the FRET acceptor was the sense strand. The two strands were annealed together providing incremental distance changes from 5 to 27 base pairs, by moving the donor fluorophore along the antisense strand every other base pair. We used PIE to sort the species into donor-only, donor-acceptor and acceptor-only species. Average burst intensity from the donor-acceptor population that has been directly excited by the red laser provides a relative measure of the quantum yield of the acceptor dye. Recovery of the quantum yield of the acceptor affords reliable estimates of transfer efficiency, hence inter-dye distances. We find that PIE-mediated sorting produces reliable transfer efficiencies from the donor-acceptor population in the presence of a 20-fold excess of donor-only species.
In Vitro Release of Hydrochlorothiazide from Capsule Formulations

AbstractFive different hydrochlorothiazide (50mg. per capsule) capsule formulations were prepared with one of the following diluents: corn starch, dibasic calcium phosphate, lactose, microcrystalllne cellulose, or sodium carboxymethyl starch. A comparative dissolution study was conducted using the USP procedure. Significant differences (p = 0.05) were found among the formulations relative to in vitro dissolution rates over a two-hour sampling period. The formulations prepared with lactose consistently ranked near the top (Newman-Keuls multiple range test) while the formulation prepared with sodium carboxymethyl starch ranked last at each sampling time except 3 min.
A novel class dependent feature selection method for cancer biomarker discovery

Identifying key biomarkers for different cancer types can improve diagnosis accuracy and treatment. Gene expression data can help differentiate between cancer subtypes. However the limitation of having a small number of samples versus a larger number of genes represented in a dataset leads to the overfitting of classification models. Feature selection methods can help select the most distinguishing feature sets for classifying different cancers. A new class dependent feature selection approach integrates the F-statistic, Maximum Relevance Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (MRBPSO) and Class Dependent Multi-category Classification (CDMC) system. This feature selection method combines filter and wrapper based methods. A set of highly differentially expressed genes (features) are pre-selected using the F statistic for each dataset as a filter for selecting the most meaningful features. MRBPSO and CDMC function as a wrapper to select desirable feature subsets for each class and classify the samples using those chosen class-dependent feature subsets. The performance of the proposed methods is evaluated on eight real cancer datasets. The results indicate that the class-dependent approaches can effectively identify biomarkers related to each cancer type and improve classification accuracy compared to class independent feature selection methods.
B1-3: Improving Surgical Case Duration Accuracy with Advanced Predictive Modeling

Background/Aims The Operating Room (OR) is a large source of revenue and one of the most costly departments in a hospital. Scheduling surgeries into an OR is complicated by the inherent uncertainty associated with each surgery. The case length of a surgery at Geisinger is predicted using a moving average of the 10 previous procedures performed by a given surgeon. A process capability analysis was performed to gauge the ability of each surgical procedure to be within ± 15 minutes of scheduled time. This analysis demonstrated a low process capability across all surgeries. This research aims to create a process to better predict the surgical case length by leveraging the Electronic Health Records, which can enable more efficient scheduling and use of the ORs.
A note on the convergence of linear finite elements

Let u be the solution of the Dirichlet problem for Laplace’s equation in a smooth domain $\Omega $ and let $u_h $ be its piecewise linear finite element approximation. If the family of partitions is quasi-uniform it is known that \[ \left\| {u - u_h } \right\|_{L^p } \leqq Ch^2 \| u \|_{W^{2,p} } \quad {\text{for }}1 < p < \infty \] and \[\left\| {u - u_h } \right\|_{L^\infty } \leqq Ch^2 \log \frac{1} {h}\| u \|_{W^{2,\infty } } ,\] and moreover, the $\log ({1 / h})$ factor cannot be removed from the last estimate. The objective of this paper is to show that if $u \in W^{2,\infty } $, the error is of optimal order in the bounded mean oscillation (BMO) norm, that is, \[ \left\| {u - u_h } \right\|_{{\text{BMO}}} \leqq Ch^2 \| u \|_{W^{2,\infty } } .\] This norm is very close to the uniform norm, and moreover, the space BMO plays the role of $L^\infty $ in many applications in real analysis.The result is obtained by a duality argument as in the $L^p $ case, making use of an appropriate regularity result.
A continuous alcohol oxidase bioreactor for regenerative life support

The development of a composite fixed-bed continuous-flow immobilized alcohol oxidase bioreactor is described for use in the production of drinking water from humidity condensates collected aboard manned spacecraft. The principal organic contaminants of this wastewater stream are low molecular weight alcohols and organic acids. Alcohol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of short chain primary alcohols to aldehydes at ambient temperatures. The resulting aldehydes are subjected to a second oxidation via the action of a heterogeneous noble metal catalyst to form carboxylic acids which are removed by sorption onto ion exchange resins. Inactivation of the enzyme by hydrogen peroxide has been significantly reduced by coimmobilization of metallic platinum onto the support. The results of ground-based testing using model contaminant solutions and true humidity condensates are reported.
Screening Cases Within a Statewide Autism Registry: A Comparison of Parental Reports Using DSM-IV-TR Criteria Versus the SCQ

Parents and caregivers of 70 children enrolled in a university-based, statewide autism registry ( M age = 9.5 years) completed two questionnaires, one generated from criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition—Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) and the other the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), to determine the number of cases likely to have autism. Based on DSM-IV-TR questionnaire (DSM-Q) results, 94.3% met criteria for probable autism. In contrast, 88.6% met criteria for possible autism with the SCQ. The two instruments agreed on 89% of the cases, and the frequencies of cases meeting criteria on each measure were not statistically different (p > .05). Results are discussed in terms of their application to the creation of local autism registries.
MnSOD Val-9Ala genotype, pro- and anti-oxidant environmental modifiers, and breast cancer among women on Long Island, New York.

Excessive oxidative stress may induce and promote breast carcinogenesis. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is critical to management of oxidative stress by catalyzing the formation of hydrogen peroxide from two superoxide anions. To examine the relationship between MnSOD Val-9Ala polymorphism, breast cancer and potential modifiers, we analyzed data from a large population-based case-control study. Study participants completed an in-home interviewer-administered questionnaire, and self-completed a Block food frequency questionnaire. Age-adjusted unconditional logistic models included 1034 cases and 1084 controls. As compared with Val/Val genotype, we found no association between MnSOD Ala/Val (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.79–1.21) and Ala/Ala (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.79–1.28) genotypes and breast cancer. Results did not differ by menopausal status, stage of tumor, or estrogen and progesterone receptor status. No discernable patterns of interaction were found between this MnSOD variant and anti-oxidative exposures, including fruit and vegetable intake or NSAID use, or pro-oxidant exposures, including smoking and alcohol. This study provides little evidence that variation in Val-9Ala polymorphism of MnSOD alone or through substantial interaction with key exposures believed to be pro- or anti-oxidant properties influences breast cancer risk.
Modulation of auditory responses by modality-specific attention in rat primary auditory cortex

How does attention modulate sensory representations? In order to probe the underlying neural mechanisms, we established a simple rodent model of modality-specific attention. Here we describe results of experiments in freely moving rats in which we have used tetrodes to record neural responses in primary auditory cortex (area A1) while subjects performed this behavior.Subjects were first trained to perform distinct auditory and olfactory two alternative forced-choice (2AFC) tasks. Training and testing were conducted in a custom three-poke computer-controlled behavioral apparatus. Subjects initiated trials with a center-poke, which triggered presentation of a tone (either 5 or 15 Hz), an odor (either R(-)-2-Octanol or S(+)-2-Octanol), or both. Subjects responded moving to the left or right poke. Correct responses were rewarded with water. Auditory and olfactory blocks (of 50 trials each) were interleaved in a single session. In auditory blocks, pure tones were either presented with or without a null odor (caproic acid, n=2 and 3 respectively), and subjects were cued to perform the task based on auditory stimuli. In olfactory blocks, both odors and pure tones were presented simultaneously, and subjects were cued to perform the task based on olfactory stimuli.After subjects reached consistent performance on the interleaved blocks, tetrode drives were implanted in primary auditory cortex of the left hemisphere. Single unit responses to tones were heterogeneous, and included transient, sustained, and suppressed. Among 304 responsive units recorded, 19% (58 units) showed modality-specific attentional modulation of at least one of the tone-evoked responses; in most cases, the responses to a particular auditory stimulus was enhanced in the auditory block (or, equivalently, suppressed in the olfactory block). In addition, we also observed modality-specific attentional modulation of the spontaneous activity in similar proportion of units (61 units). Our results suggest that shifting attention from audition to olfaction and back can modulate the activity of single neurons in primary auditory cortex.