cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dose-related effects of delta-9-THC on emotional responses to acute psychosocial stress.

Abstract Objectives Cannabis smokers often report that they use the drug to relax or to relieve emotional stress. However, few clinical studies have shown evidence of the stress-relieving effects of cannabis or cannabinoid agonists. In this study, we sought to assess the influence of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a main active ingredient of cannabis, upon emotional responses to an acute psychosocial stressor among healthy young adults. Methods Healthy volunteers (N = 42) participated in two experimental sessions, one with psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) and another with a non-stressful task, after receiving 0 (N = 13), 7.5 mg (N = 14) or 12.5 mg (N = 15) oral THC. Capsules were administered under randomized, double blind conditions, 2.5 h before the tasks began. We measured subjective mood and drug effects, vital signs and salivary cortisol before and at repeated times after the capsule and tasks. Subjects also appraised the tasks, before and after completion. Results In comparison to placebo, 7.5 mg THC significantly reduced self-reported subjective distress after the TSST and attenuated post-task appraisals of the TSST as threatening and challenging. By contrast, 12.5 mg THC increased negative mood overall i.e., both before and throughout the tasks, and pre-task ratings of the TSST as threatening and challenging. It also impaired TSST performance and attenuated blood pressure reactivity to the stressor. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a low dose of THC produces subjective stress-relieving effects in line with those commonly reported among cannabis users, but that higher doses may non-specifically increase negative mood.
Fluorous photosensitizers enhance photodynamic therapy with perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) requires a photosensitizer, light, and oxygen to induce cell death. The majority of efforts to advance PDT focus only on the first two components. Here, we employ perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions to simultaneously deliver oxygen and a photosensitizer. We find that the implementation of fluorous soluble photosensitizers enhances the efficacy of PDT.
ESD susceptibility evaluation on capacitive fingerprint module

This paper reports on an investigation of ESD stresses on a fingerprint module. It shows that sparking to the flex connector, dielectric breakdown of the insulating layers, and transient electric and magnetic fields can cause damage. Test methods and simulation models are shown. An ESD generator and ESD field probe were used to expose the fingerprint module to currents and electromagnetic fields. Breakdown of the top insulating layer was observed. Damage due to ESD induced H-field injection occurred A 1 kŌ resistively grounded ring is proposed as an ESD protection solution for the fingerprint module system. Its effect on the discharge current is shown via simulation.
Neutron-neutron angular correlations in spontaneous fission of Cf252 and Pu240

Background: Angular anisotropy has been observed between prompt neutrons emitted during the fission process. Such an anisotropy arises because the emitted neutrons are boosted along the direction of the parent fragment.Purpose: To measure the neutron-neutron angular correlations from the spontaneous fission of $^{252}\mathrm{Cf}$ and $^{240}\mathrm{Pu}$ oxide samples using a liquid scintillator array capable of pulse-shape discrimination. To compare these correlations to simulations combining the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNPX with the fission event generator FREYA.Method: Two different analysis methods were used to study the neutron-neutron correlations with varying energy thresholds. The first is based on setting a light output threshold while the second imposes a time-of-flight cutoff. The second method has the advantage of being truly detector independent.Results: The neutron-neutron correlation modeled by FREYA depends strongly on the sharing of the excitation energy between the two fragments. The measured asymmetry enabled us to adjust the FREYA parameter $x$ in $^{240}\mathrm{Pu}$, which controls the energy partition between the fragments and is so far inaccessible in other measurements. The $^{240}\mathrm{Pu}$ data in this analysis was the first available to quantify the energy partition for this isotope. The agreement between data and simulation is overall very good for $^{252}\mathrm{Cf}(\mathrm{sf})$ and $^{240}\mathrm{Pu}(\mathrm{sf})$.Conclusions: The asymmetry in the measured neutron-neutron angular distributions can be predicted by FREYA. The shape of the correlation function depends on how the excitation energy is partitioned between the two fission fragments. Experimental data suggest that the lighter fragment is disproportionately excited.
A spatial kernel density method to estimate the diet composition of fish

We present a novel spatially explicit kernel density approach to estimate the proportional contribution of a prey to a predator’s diet by mass. First, we compared the spatial estimator to a traditi...
Increased Risk of Infectious Complications in Older Patients With Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Exposed to Bendamustine

Background Bendamustine is a potent chemotherapy agent increasingly used to treat indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL). While effective, it causes significant T-cell lymphopenia, which may increase risk of infection. We examined infectious complications associated with bendamustine-containing regimens among older patients with iNHL. Methods For this Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare cohort study, we identified 9395 patients with iNHL (follicular, marginal zone, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia) treated with chemotherapy from 2006 to 2013. Thirteen percent received bendamustine-containing regimens. We compared baseline characteristics and infection incidence rates between patients treated with and without bendamustine. We conducted multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression (adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, disease and treatment characteristics, risk factors for infection, and antimicrobial prophylaxis) to determine infectious risks associated with bendamustine. Results Bendamustine was associated with an increased risk of both common infections such as bacterial pneumonia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.21-4.85]) and opportunistic infections such as cytomegalovirus (HR, 3.98 [95% CI, 1.40-11.26]), varicella zoster virus (HR, 1.49 [95% CI, 1.18-1.89]), histoplasmosis (HR, 3.55 [95% CI, 1.10-11.42]), and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (when administered as third-line therapy: HR, 3.32 [95% CI, 1.00-11.11]). Risk of infections was more prominent in patients receiving bendamustine as part of later (third-line and above) regimens, and independently associated with well-established factors such as neutropenia and corticosteroid exposure. Conclusions Bendamustine is associated with an increased risk of common and opportunistic infections in patients with iNHL. Further prospective investigation into the potential role of antimicrobial prophylaxis is needed in these patients.
Computing Mathematical Functions using DNA via Fractional Coding.

This paper discusses the implementation of mathematical functions such as exponentials, trigonometric functions, the sigmoid function and the perceptron function with molecular reactions in general, and DNA strand displacement reactions in particular. The molecular constructs for these functions are predicated on a novel representation for input and output values: a fractional encoding, in which values are represented by the relative concentrations of two molecular types, denoted as type-1 and type-0. This representation is inspired by a technique from digital electronic design, termed stochastic logic, in which values are represented by the probability of 1’s in a stream of randomly generated 0’s and 1’s. Research in the electronic realm has shown that a variety of complex functions can be computed with remarkably simple circuitry with this stochastic approach. This paper demonstrates how stochastic electronic designs can be translated to molecular circuits. It presents molecular implementations of mathematical functions that are considerably more complex than any shown to date. All designs are validated using mass-action simulations of the chemical kinetics of DNA strand displacement reactions.
Immunotoxicity of Trichothecene Mycotoxins

The trichothecene mycotoxins are sesquiterpene alcohols or esters. Several genera of imperfect fungi, including; Trichoderma, Trichothecium, Myrothecium, Stachybotrys, Cephalosporium, and Verticimonosporium are known to produce trichothecene mycotoxins, most notable, however, are several Fusarium species. To date approximately 100 naturally occurring trichothecene mycotoxins have been identified. However, the rarity of most has limited toxicology research, primarily, to the study of; 4-deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-acetyl-DON), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS, anguidine), fusarenon-X (FUS-X), nivalenol (NIV) , and T-2 toxin (T-2). Often described as secondary, plant metabolites, without obvious benefit to the organism, mycotoxins are believed to be produced in response to various environmental stresses. Trichothecene-producing fungi are distributed widely, and found in temperate as well as subtropical climates.
Opsanus beta: an invasive fish species in the Santos Estuary, Brazil.

A non-indigenous fish species, Opsanus beta, was found during an ichthyofauna sampling program in Santos Estuary. Common on the west coast of Florida and the Caribbean, the most probable source of this occurrence is due to water ballast from the ships. The 140 specimens reported (18 to 323 mm TL; 8 to 442 g WT) were caught in fish baited traps (215.28 ± 5.95 mm TL; 207.36 ± 16.42 g WT; 25.7% of the total caught), otter-trawls (213.97 ± 5.87 mm TL and 194.92 ± 11.31 g; 54.3%) and gillnets (226.93 ± 5.40 mm TL and 218.14 ± 17.01 g; 20.0%). Of 81 specimens sexed, 43.6% of females (n = 55) and 92.0% of males (n = 24) have mature gonads. Santos estuarine areas are very similar to the O. beta original environment, and allied to the absence of natural predators, and its environmental plasticity, projecting it as a well adapted species in region, which must be viewed as a potential serious implication to other Brazilian estuarine systems.
Nondestructive Characterization of Metals Subjected to High-Power Ultrasound

X-ray diffraction topography and infrared imaging techniques were used in situ with aluminum and zinc specimens undergoing high-power insonation using a 20 kHz ultrasonic horn. X-ray topographic techniques allowed for a nonintrusive study of the mechanical alterations in the structure of the metal specimens, while the infrared system allowed for a study of the specimens’ thermal properties. It should be noted that all testing was performed in real-time with x-ray and infrared images recorded simultaneously on video tape.
Structural studies on adenoviruses.

The adenovirus genome encodes more than 40 proteins, of which 11 combine with the viral DNA to form an icosahedral capsid of ~ 150 MDa molecular weight and ~ 900 A in diameter. This chapter reviews the information that structural biology techniques have provided about the adenovirus proteins and capsid. The structures of two capsid proteins (hexon and fiber) and two non-structural polypeptides (DNA-binding protein and protease) have been solved by X-ray crystallography. Fiber and its knob have been the focus of the latest structural studies, due to their role in host recognition and conseqnently in virus targeting for human gene therapy.The current model for hte large capsid comes from a combination of electron microscopy and crystallogrphy. The resultand imgaes have revealed a surprising similarity between adenovirus and a bacterial virus, Which suggests their common evolutionary origin.
Civil defense implications of an LMFBR in a thermonuclear target area

A pot-type Liquid-Metal-Cooled Fast Breeder Reactor was analyzed as a civil defense problem in a nuclear atiack. In order for the core inventory of fission products to add significantly to casualties, they must be promptly released from the reactor structure due to blast from the weapon, and added to the fallout. The analysis of the interaction of weapon effects with the significant elements of the structure surrounding the reactors was checked by high explosive tests on scale models. It is concluded that for prompt ejection of the core, a megaton-range weapon must be detonated close enough so that the reactor is in the crater, or that an air shock greater than 170 atm impacts at near normal incidence the fueling cell wall crossing the sodium tank. For megaton weapons, delivery accuracy substantially exceeding that ascribed to deployed strategic delivery systems would be required. 16 references. (auth)
The U.S. Department of Defense and Its Torture Program

How did the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) develop its torture program and, in so doing, stray so significantly from its existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) around humane prisoner treat...
Efficient Fourier Transforms for Transverse Momentum Dependent Distributions

Abstract Hadron production at low transverse momenta in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering can be described by transverse momentum dependent (TMD) factorization. This formalism has also been widely used to study the Drell–Yan process and back-to-back hadron pair production in e + e − collisions. These processes are the main ones for extractions of TMD parton distribution functions and TMD fragmentation functions, which encode important information about nucleon structure and hadronization. One of the most widely used TMD factorization formalism in phenomenology formulates TMD observables in coordinate b ⊥ -space, the conjugate space of the transverse momentum. The Fourier transform from b ⊥ -space back into transverse momentum space is sufficiently complicated due to oscillatory integrands that it requires a careful and computationally intensive numerical treatment in order to avoid potentially large numerical errors. Within the TMD formalism, the azimuthal angular dependence is analytically integrated and the two-dimensional b ⊥ integration reduces to a one-dimensional integration over the magnitude b ⊥ . In this paper we develop a fast numerical Hankel transform algorithm for such a b ⊥ -integration that improves the numerical accuracy of TMD calculations in all standard processes. Libraries for this algorithm are implemented in Python 2.7 and 3, C++, as well as FORTRAN77. All packages are made available open source. Program summary Program Title: Fast Bessel Transform (FBT) CPC Library link to program files: http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/65zkb53z8d.1 Developer’s repository link: http://github.com/UCLA-TMD/Ogata Licensing provisions: MIT Programming language: Python 2/3, C++, FORTRAN77 Nature of problem: In order to perform extractions of transverse momentum distribution functions, numerical Hankel transforms must be performed from b ⊥ -space to momentum space. However, these numerical Hankel transforms are a huge bottleneck in these extractions, making these extractions extremely computationally intensive. Solution method: We develop a numerical Hankel transform algorithm by optimizing Ogata quadrature formula. This algorithm improves the performance of these numerical Hankel transforms by nearly an order of magnitude.
Substituted γ-lactones: On the structural elucidation of the reaction products from 4-aroyl-3-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanones and 1,2-diamines†‡

The reaction pathway of 4-aroyl-3-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanones 1 with diamines depends on the nature of the amine as well as on the applied reaction conditions. Thus, the reaction of 1a-d with 5,6-diamino-1,3-dimethyluracil 5 led to the formation of two isomeric Schiff bases 7a-d and 8a-d. Conversely type 1 compounds reacted with 4,5-diaminopyrimidine 9 or 2,3-diaminopyridine 10 to form the mono acid-base adducts 11a and 11b respectively. When type 1 compounds were reacted with aliphatic diamines 13a-d or p-phenylenediamine and p-xylenediamine, respectively also an immediate formation of acid-base adducts 15a-f was observed. The reaction of a number of O-methylated type 1 compounds with 1,2-ethylenediamine afforded the novel seven-membered ring compounds 18a-d in good yields. The analogous reaction of O-alkylated 1a with o-phenylenediamine 2 or 2,3-diaminonaphthalene gave the expected tricyclic ring systems 19 or 20.
Generation of human induced pluripotent stem cell lines (NIHTVBi011-A, NIHTVBi012-A, NIHTVBi013-A) from autosomal dominant Hyper IgE syndrome (AD-HIES) patients carrying STAT3 mutation.

Abstract Autosomal dominant Hyper IgE syndrome (AD-HIES), a rare immune deficiency affecting fewer than one per million people, is caused by heterozygous deleterious mutations in STAT3. STAT3 signaling plays crucial roles in basic cellular functions affecting broad aspects of cellular homeostasis. Accordingly, in addition to immunological deficits, patients experience severe multisystem non-immunological features. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) are well established as in vivo disease models for various human pathologies. We describe the generation of iPSC from three AD-HIES patients. These iPSCs express pluripotency markers, differentiate into three germ layers, have normal karyotype and similar genome identity to parental cells.
Tailoring solvent coordination for high-speed, room-temperature blading of perovskite photovoltaic films

The efficiencies of small-pixel perovskite photovoltaics have increased to above 24%, while most reported fabrication methods cannot be transferred to scalable manufacturing process. Here, we report a method of fast blading large-area perovskite films at an unprecedented speed of 99 mm/s under ambient conditions by tailoring solvent coordination capability. Combing volatile noncoordinating solvents to Pb2+ and low-volatile, coordinating solvents achieves both fast drying and large perovskite grains at room temperature. The reproducible fabrication yields a certified module efficiency of 16.4%, with an aperture area of 63.7 cm2. This method can be applied for various perovskite compositions. The perovskite modules also show a small temperature coefficient of −0.13%/°C and nearly fully recoverable efficiency after 58 cycles of shading, much better than commercial silicon and thin-film solar modules.
Trends in pediatric obesity management, a survey from the Pediatric Endocrine Society Obesity Committee.

Background In the United States, 18.5% of children are obese. Dietary and lifestyle modifications are key, but often ineffective. There are limited approved pediatric pharmacotherapies. The objective of this study was to evaluate current treatment practices for pediatric obesity among members of the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES, n = 1300) and the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry (POWER, n = 42) consortium. Methods A 10-question online survey on treatment of children with obesity in clinical practice was conducted. Results The response rates were 19% for PES and 20% for POWER members. The majority were female (65%) and board certified in pediatric endocrinology (81%). Most practitioners saw 5-10 patients with obesity/week and 19% prescribed weight-loss medications. POWER participants were more likely to prescribe weight-loss medications than PES participants (46% vs. 18%, p = 0.02). Metformin was the most commonly prescribed medication. Response to medication was poor. Use of dietary non-pharmacological treatment options was uncommon. Over half of the respondents (56%) referred patients for bariatric surgery and 53% had local access to pediatric bariatric surgery. Conclusions Metformin was the most common drug prescribed among respondents, but successful weight-loss responses were uncommon. Among practitioners who are using pharmacological interventions, therapeutic strategies vary widely. Targeted research in pharmacologic and surgical treatment for pediatric obesity is urgently needed.
Timing of inguinal hernia following complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy

Summary Introduction/background: Bladder exstrophy patients have a high prevalence of inguinal hernia that often become clinically evident following bladder closure. Understanding when the bladder exstrophy patient is under greatest risk of developing an inguinal hernia following bladder closure is important, since incarceration resulting in strangulation of intra-abdominal contents can lead to significant morbidity if not addressed in a timely fashion. Although the incidence and risk factors of inguinal hernia have been reported, the timing of occurrence is not well understood. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to assess the timing of inguinal hernia following complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy (CPRE). In addition, we aimed to evaluate possible risk factors associated with inguinal hernia, including sex, age at bladder closure and iliac osteotomy status. Study Design: A multi-institutional retrospective review identified patients with bladder exstrophy repaired by CPRE under 6 months of age while excluding those who underwent inguinal hernia repair before or during bladder closure. Timing of inguinal hernia following bladder closure was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier methods. Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate association of sex, age at bladder closure, and osteotomy on the risk of developing of inguinal hernia while clustering for institution. Results: 91 subjects were included in our analysis with median follow-up time of 6.5 years. 34 of 53 males (64.2%) and 2 of 38 females (5.3%) underwent inguinal hernia repair. The median time to inguinal hernia was 4.7 months following closure. The greatest hazard of inguinal hernia was within the first six months following closure. In multivariate analysis, male sex was strongly associated with inguinal hernia (HR = 19.00, p = 0.0038). Osteotomy and delay in closure were not significantly associated with inguinal hernia. 7 of 36 patients (19.4%) who underwent inguinal hernia repair presented with recurrence on the ipsilateral side. Discussion: Our results suggest that the greatest risk of inguinal hernia is within the first six months following bladder closure. The decreased risk of inguinal hernia after one year of follow-up may reflect anatomic stability that is reached following major reconstruction of the pelvis. While male bladder exstrophy patients are significantly more susceptible to inguinal hernias following CPRE, osteotomy and delayed bladder closure do not appear to be protective factors for inguinal hernia development following initial bladder closure. Conclusions: There is a heightened risk of inguinal hernia in the first six months following closure. The rate of recurrence following inguinal hernia repair is significantly elevated compared to the general pediatric population. Download : Download high-res image (250KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary Figure . Kaplan–Meier curves for overall probability of inguinal hernia repair for males and females
Sex Differences in the Association of Body Composition and Cardiovascular Mortality.

Background To determine whether differences in body composition contribute to sex differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, we investigated the relationship between components of body ...
Frei Agostinho da Cruz: um poeta para o nosso tempo

A presente comunicacao evoca a figura do poeta franciscano Frei Agostinho da Cruz (1540 – 1619), no momento em que se comemoram os 400 anos da sua morte e os 480 do seu nascimento. Agostinho e apresentado como poeta actual cuja leitura e importante num momento civilizacional em que uma crise poliedrica precisa de directores que indiquem os melhores caminhos para alcancarmos a liberdade interior. Transcendendo os lugares comuns da poesia ao divino do seu tempo e mesmo uma linguagem quinhentista, o frade arrabido apresenta uma obra solida e teotopica que, expondo sem rebuco os conflitos interiores e as psicomaquias do sujeito poetico, reflecte sobre a erosao da dignidade humana durante “crise do renascimento”, propondo linhas de fuga universais e sempre contemporâneas, baseadas na “saudade de Deus”.
Epileptic iEEG Signal Classification Using Pre-trained Networks

This paper describes the use of pre-trained model classifiers in detecting epileptic seizures. A patient specific classifier was trained using features extracted from the intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) signals. Both accuracy and the loss function are used for performance evaluation.
Sour mixed-gas upper bounds of glassy polymeric membranes

Abstract Polymeric membranes prepared from glassy polymers suffer from a permeability-selectivity trade-off relationship. When their permeability is increased, their selectivity decreases, and vice versa. The performance of membranes during pure-gas permeation is assessed by plotting their permeability and selectivity data on a corresponding pure-gas upper bound graph reported in literature. For potential use in industrial applications, it is recommended to assess the performance of membranes through their mixed-gas separation performance, as the use of pure-gas upper bounds could be misleading. As a result of this, theoretical (2015) and experimental (2018) CO2/CH4 sweet mixed-gas upper bounds have been proposed. Sour mixed-gas separation is even more complex, due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the gas stream. Several H2S/CH4 trade-off lines were reported in literature based on the performance of specific materials prepared, however, in each case, the empirical parameters were drastically different. In this paper, we revisited the 2018 CO2/CH4 mixed-gas upper bound by including data measured in our laboratory and the latest sweet mixed-gas permeation data reported to date. Moreover, we propose new H2S/CH4, CO2/CH4, and combined acid gas sour mixed-gas upper bounds based on all of the sour mixed-gas permeation data reported by our research group and those available in literature. These upper bounds will serve as unique qualitative standards to design and assess new polymeric membranes developed in the future with potential use in industrial applications.
Early heat shock proteins in primary thymocytes. Evidence for transcriptional and translational regulation.

Primary isolates of thymic lymphocytes maintained in vitro provide a physiologically well-characterized system in which to study induction of proteins by heat shock; this response is agent-specific and separable from inductions by glucocorticoids or heavy metals (Maytin, E. V., and Young, D. A. J. Biol. Chem. 258, 12718-12722). Here we identify 68 heat shock protein inductions among more than 2,500 individual proteins separated on giant two-dimensional gels and further describe their time course of appearance, sensitivity to cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), and reversibility during recovery. Thirty-one changes are detectable within 1 h. Among these early increases, 20 are inhibitable by cordycepin. However, 11 early changes are not affected by cordycepin; all represent proteins found in relatively low abundance. Five of these inductions are rapidly reversible during recovery from heat shock, in contrast to most other heat shock proteins whose synthesis is maintained or enhanced. One protein identified here appears to be increased by recovery per se. Overall, these results provide evidence for two separate classes of heat shock inductions in normal mammalian cells, i.e. a transcriptionally regulated group, not readily reversible during recovery, and a translationally regulated group in which several inductions rapidly revert to normal during recovery.
Architectural education: meeting the challenges

The education of an architect through the academy to internship to licensure is a daunting experience. In the United States, architecture and design education are rarely taught at the public K-12 level. Here, the author examines the challenges in providing architectural engineering education in the US.
Los encuentros entre México y los Estados Unidos en Spanglish y Los tres entierros de Melquiades Estrada

En este articulo se hace un analisis comparativo de la imagen del inmigrante mexicano retratada en dos filmes recientes de Hollywood, Spanglish y Los tres entierros de Melquiades Estrada. Se discuten aspectos como los personajes principales, la relacion mexicana-americana y la experiencia bicultural bilingue, entre otros.
Online expectation maximization for reinforcement learning in POMDPs

We present online nested expectation maximization for model-free reinforcement learning in a POMDP. The algorithm evaluates the policy only in the current learning episode, discarding the episode after the evaluation and memorizing the sufficient statistic, from which the policy is computed in closed-form. As a result, the online algorithm has a time complexity O(n) and a memory complexity O(1), compared to O(n2) and O(n) for the corresponding batch-mode algorithm, where n is the number of learning episodes. The online algorithm, which has a provable convergence, is demonstrated on five benchmark POMDP problems.
Seven years of yeast microarray analysis

Since the advent of microarray technology in the mid-1990s, and finishing of the complete genome sequence of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in 1996, yeast has been at the forefront of genomic biology. In this article, we review the uses of microarrays to investigate yeast biology, and the wide range of applications that they have been used for. While, typically, people think of microarrays for generating large-scale expression measurements, we discuss several different experimental approaches that have used microarrays to probe almost every facet of a living yeast cell. Keywords: yeast; microarray; genomics; bioinformatics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; transcription; expression; gene regulation; genetic networks
Investigation of effect of negative phase of blast loading on cable net curtain walls through the linearized stiffness matrix method

Abstract Safety of cable net structures has been threatened due to rising conflicts and the possibility of exposure to blast load. Pre-tensioned cable nets are geometrically nonlinear problems and the nonlinearity can be addressed by using the linearized stiffness matrix method (LSM). On the other hand, the effect of negative phase pressure of blast wave is usually ignored in practice while the research indicates its significance on the dynamic response of the system. In this paper, LSM method is used to study the effect of negative phase pressure and other factors such as charge weight, standoff distance, pretension level, and modal frequency on cable net structures. The effect of glass panel failure on the system response is also studied by removing the corresponding wave pressure acting on the failed glass panels. Accuracy of the LSM method is evaluated through comparison between the proposed numerical and closed-form solution. The results indicate the significance of the effect of negative phase pressure on the system response, which is pronounced at lower TNT weights and more flexible structures. The major effect of negative phase pressure is on the outward displacements, which exhibits up to 25% more displacements for the studied cable net when the negative phase pressure is considered. Failure of glass panels and consequent pressure release in negative phase can cause increase in the subsequent displacements. LSM method can reliably predict the system response as far as displacements are not too large. However, at very large displacements, LSM method significantly overestimates the predicted displacements.
Implementation and performance of a binary lattice gas algorithm on parallel processor systems

Abstract We study the performance of a lattice gas binary algorithm on a “real arithmetic” machine, a 32 processor INTEL iPSC hypercube. The implementation is based on so-called multi-spin coding techniques. From the measured performance we extrapolate to larger and more powerful parallel systems. Comparisons are made with “bit” machines, such as the parallel Connection Machine.
Rethinking the Ontology of Cartesian Essences

The old and recent debates on Cartesian essences have focused on the question of whether Descartes is a Platonist or a conceptualist about essences. I argue that this is a false dichotomy. An adequate account of Cartesian essences must accommodate and reconcile two central doctrines and texts in Descartes' philosophy. I will argue that recent conceptualist and Platonist interpretations neither accommodate these doctrines nor reconcile these texts. Such failures are not accidental since Descartes' doctrines of divine creation and simplicity render it impossible for Descartes to be either a conceptualist or a Platonist. Failure to notice this fact explains why there has been no progress on this exegetical issue.
The declining electoral relevance of traditional cleavage groups

This article examines changes in the electoral relevance of traditional social cleavage groups in eight West European democracies, where electoral relevance is defined as group contributions to party vote shares. The approach presented here demonstrates the critical importance of both the electoral behaviour and the size of the cleavage group when electoral outcomes are of interest. The findings from analyses of the behaviour and size of working class and religious citizens (1975–2002) reveal significant declines in the contributions of these groups to party vote shares. Analyses of the sources of these declines point to the importance of group size, suggesting that the changes we observe in election results and party strategies are likely to be long-lasting alterations in the electoral landscape of Western democracies.
Discursive diversity in introductory environmental studies

Introductory environmental studies and sciences (ESS) classes can be powerful and formative experiences for undergraduates. Indeed, instructors likely aspire towards influencing and enhancing the perspectives, analytical tools, and critical-thinking skills their graduates carry forward into careers in and beyond environment-related fields. This task, however, is doubly challenging: not only to meaningfully engage students with environmental issues but ideally also to think critically about the at-times competing ideologies and perspectives in ESS. This requires that courses be taught in ways that further critical thinking, develop metacognitive skills, and introduce students to a diversity of environmental discourses. In this paper, we present the results of a brief empirical survey of a small sample of North American ESS undergraduate programs. Using discussions of climate change as an example, we pay particular attention to the explicit goals, diversity of literature presented, and organization of the courses, using typologies e.g., Nisbet (Wiley Interdiscip Rev Clim Chang 5(6):809-823, 2014) to highlight the prevalence of particular environmental discourses and not others. We highlight a handful of promising practices and potential blind spots in the pedagogical design of these courses, while arguing for the importance of instructor reflection, iterative improvement, and further research into potential common weaknesses in ESS instruction.
Prevalence and risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an HIV-positive cohort.

Background Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are disproportionately burdened with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Our objective was to evaluate prevalence and risks for MRSA colonization in PLWH. Methods Adults were recruited from Johns Hopkins University AIDS Service in Baltimore, Maryland. A risk questionnaire and specimen collection from anatomic sites with culture susceptibility and genotyping were completed. Generalized estimating equation modeling identified MRSA colonization risk factors. Results Of 500 participants, most were black (69%), on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (87%), with undetectable viral loads (73.4%). Median CD4 count was 487 cells/mm3 (interquartile range, 316-676.5 cells/mm3). MRSA prevalence was 15.4%, predominantly from the nares (59.7%). Forty percent were nares negative but were colonized elsewhere. Lower odds for colonization were associated with recent sexual activity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.84, P $75,000; AOR = 2.68, P < .001), recent hospitalization (AOR = 1.54, P < .001), incarceration (AOR = 1.55, P < .001), use of street drugs (AOR = 1.43, P < .001), and skin abscess (AOR = 1.19, P < .001). Conclusions Even with high MRSA prevalence, the proportion identified through nares surveillance alone was low, indicating the importance of screening multiple anatomic sites. Associations were not found with same-sex coupling or black race. MRSA prevention might be a benefit of ART in PLWH.
Atopy and atopic dermatitis

I. Textbook references A. Champion RH, Parish WE: Atopic dermatitis, in Rook A, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG, editors: Textbook of dermatology, ed. 3. Oxford, 1984, Blackwell Scientific Publications, p. 349. B. Dahl MV, Lobitz wC, Dobson RL: Atopic dermatitis, in Demis D J, Dobson RL, McGuire J, editors: Clinical dermatology. Phi!adelphia, 1985, .Harper & Row, Publishers Inc., vol. 3, sect. 13, unit 13-3. C. Gigli I, Baer RL: Atopic dermatitis, in Fitzpatrick TB, Eisen AZ, Wolff K, et al, editors: Dermatology in general medicine, ed, 2. New York, 1979, McGraw-Hill Book Co., p. 520. D. Hanifin JM: Atopic dermatitis, in Lichtenstein LM, Fauci AS, editors: Current therapy in allergy and immunology 1983-1984. Toronto, Ontario, 1983, B. C. Decker Inc., p. 158. E. Rajka G, editor: Atopic dermatitis. Philadelphia, 1975, W. B. Saunders Co., vol. 3. F. Solomon LM: Atopic dermatitis, in Moschella SL, Hurley H J, editors: Dermatology. Philadelphia, 1985, W. B. Saunders Co., vol. 1, p. 334. G. Weston WL, editor: Practical pediatric dermatology. Boston, 1979, Little, Brown & Co., p. 41. II. Journal references A. Braathen LR, Rajka G, editors: Proceedings of 2nd international symposium on atopic dermatitis. Acta Derm Venereol [Suppl] (Stockh) 114:1-164, 1985. B. Cooper KD, Kazmierowski JA, Wuepper KD, et al: Immunoregulation in atopic dermatitis:
Delay versus throughput comparisons for stabilized slotted ALOHA

Methods of stabilizing the slotted ALOHA channel are simulated to compare delay versus throughput performance. It is shown that the best performance is provided by methods that use deferred first transmission and estimate the number of blocked terminals. Three such methods, previously thought to be independent, are shown to be the same scheme with different control parameters. It is shown that these three methods do not differ in delay vs. throughput performance at the 95% confidence level. The optimal parameters to provide the smallest delay at a given throughput are explored, and it is shown that near-optimal parameters provide a smaller delay than that obtained using previously published schemes. >
The next decade of sexual science: Syanergy from advances in related sciences

Sexual science will advance the most in the next decade if it develops synergy with neighboring social and biological sciences, and with the humanities as well. Here I explore recent advances in primatology, behavioral neuroscience, and emotion research; and methodological advances in sex research, including interviewing by talking computers, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, and sexual diaries. Theory from the humanities using the metaphor of geography and borderland encounters is also reviewed. Finally, new technologies such as fMRI present new opportunities for research, and the new reproductive technologies create important new questions to answer.
Production of petasol by Drechslera gigantea in liquid culture

Drechslera gigantea , the causative agent of zonate eyespot disease on grasses, produces at least twelve bioactive eremophilanes. Their structures have been recently elucidated using conventional spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. A study to examine the production of one of these eremophilanes, petasol, by D. gigantea grown in liquid culture was undertaken. A procedure using high performance liquid chromatography to quantify petasol levels in culture filtrates of D. gigantea was developed. This procedure was used to study petasol production by D. gigantea under different cultural conditions. Leaf material from quackgrass ( Agropyron repens ), a host of the fungus, stimulated petasol production. Amendments such as l -leucine or the sterol biosynthesis inhibitor chloro-choline chloride (CCC) also exhibited stimulatory activity.
A community health center smoking-cessation intervention for pregnant and postpartum women

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the effect of a provider counseling and office systems intervention in obstetric, pediatric, and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinics on smoking and relapse rates in pregnant and postpartum women. Methods Five community health centers were randomized to special intervention (SI) or usual care (UC). Subjects ( n =601) were current smokers or had quit with pregnancy. Prenatal and postpartum interviews assessed smoking status and related factors. Data were collected between May 1997 and November 2000. Results There was a statistically significant difference in 30-day abstinence rates between SI (26%) and UC (12%) conditions at the end of pregnancy among women who had not quit spontaneously with pregnancy (odds ratio [OR]=2.57, p =0.05). This effect remained at 1 month postpartum but was lost at 3- and 6-month postpartum follow-ups. Conclusions Brief interventions delivered by healthcare providers during routine prenatal care increased smoking abstinence during pregnancy among women who did not quit spontaneously. Interventions extended into postpartum care did not affect relapse and smoking rates postdelivery.
Simulation Study of Soluble Toxic Oligomeric Structures of Amyloid-Beta

Although early attention has focused on toxicity of amyloid plaques as the cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is stronger evidence that soluble Aβ oligomers, and more recently pre-fibrillar oligomers, show better correlation with AD symptoms than do the insoluble fibrillar states exhibited at the completion of the amyloid cascade. In recent work a new oligomeric Aβ form known as the "globulomer" was found to inhibit calcium uptake by neuronal cells and to contribute to memory loss in lab animals. At present we have no knowledge of the globulomer structure, nor a smaller species known as the pre-globulomer, which is usually a necessary first step in the design of small molecule drug therapeutics. We will present our hypothesis about the structural ensembles of these two oligomeric forms based on molecular dynamics simulations and calculation of NMR observables and amide exchange data.
Database notes: A method of microarray data storage using array data type

A well-designed microarray database can provide valuable information on gene expression levels. However, designing an efficient microarray database with minimum space usage is not an easy task since designers need to integrate the microarray data with the information of genes, probe annotation, and the descriptions of each microarray experiment. Developing better methods to store microarray data can greatly improve the efficiency and usefulness of such data. A new schema is proposed to store microarray data by using array data type in an object-relational database management system-PostgreSQL. The implemented database can store all the microarray data from the same chip in an array data structure. The variable-length array data type in PostgreSQL can store microarray data from same chip. The implementation of our schema can help to increase the data retrieval and space efficiency.
Bisphosphonate therapy in multiple myeloma in preventing vertebral collapses: preliminary report

Purpose The aim of the study was to report and discuss the preliminary data obtained in a homogeneous series of 50 patients affected by multiple myeloma treated with bisphosphonates.
Loss-Tolerant TCP (LT-TCP): Implementation and experimental evaluation

TCP is the ubiquitous transport protocol in the Internet. However, in a wireless ad-hoc environment where links are unreliable, TCP causes a number of performance issues. The key reason behind this is that TCP considers all packet losses to be due to congestion and reduces its send rate, which is not necessarily appropriate in a lossy ad-hoc environment. In prior work, we have designed Loss Tolerant TCP (LT-TCP) [1], [2], which extends TCP towards making it more efficient and robust in a wireless ad-hoc environment. LT-TCP uses Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) and forward error correction (FEC) to mitigate the effects of random packet losses. The protocol uses these mechanisms to both distinguish between congestion and other losses, and recover from losses due to lossy wireless links. In this paper, we describe the implementation of LT-TCP in the Linux operating system kernel, and present and analyze initial performance results for the protocol on lossy links. Results show that LT-TCP provides much improved performance over TCP over lossy connections that model ad-hoc networks. In addition, it shows that performance of LT-TCP is nearly linear with loss rate, whereas TCP suffers disproportionately as loss rate increases. These promising implementation results point to further experimentation for LT-TCP, including a push towards Internet standards bodies.
Disparity vs inequity: toward reconceptualization of pain treatment disparities.

Context. “Disparity” and “inequity” are two interdependent, yet distinct concepts that inform our discourse on ethics and morals in pain medicine practice and in health policy. Disparity implies a difference of some kind, whereas inequity implies unfairness and injustice . An overwhelming body of literature documents racial/ethnic disparities in health. The debate on health disparities is generally formulated using the principle of “horizontal equity,” which requires that individuals having the same needs be treated equally. While some types of health treatments are amenable to the principle of horizontal equity, others may not be appropriately studied in this way. The existing research surrounding racial/ethnic disparities in pain treatment presents a conceptual predicament when placed within the framework of horizontal equity. Objective. Using pain treatment as a prototype, we advance the conceptual debate about racial/ethnic disparities in health. More specifically, we ask three questions: (1) When may disparities be considered inequities? (2) When may disparities not be considered inequities? (3) What are the uncertainties in the disparity–inequity discourse? Discussion. Significant policy implications may result from the manner in which health disparities are conceptualized. Increasingly, researchers and policy makers use the term disparity interchangeably with inequity . This usage confuses the meaning and application of these distinct concepts. In a given health care setting, different types of disparities may operate simultaneously, each requiring serious scrutiny to avoid categorical interpretation leading to misguided practice and policy. While the science of pain treatment disparities is still emerging, the authors present one perspective toward the conceptualization of racial/ethnic disparities in pain treatment.
Variable frequency shifting of circularly polarized laser radiation via a rotating half-wave retardation plate

Abstract The Jones calculus is used to describe the frequency shift 2 ω suffered by circularly polarized light as it passes through a half-wave retardation plate rotating with angular velocity ω. The phenomenon is also explained in terms of an angular Doppler effect and is related to the quantum of angular momentum carried by circularly polarized photons. Experimental demonstration of the effect is reported using a HeNe laser beam at 633 nm. Rotation-induced optical activity is also discussed.