cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mammalian gene transfer and gene expression.

It has long been the desire of molecular biologists to be able to study the regulation of expression of specific mammalian genes. With the advent of recombinant DNA technology and the availability of specific cloned genes, several new approaches to these studies have emerged. One of the most promising, which we will discuss in detail here, is the introduction of specific cloned genes into the genome of embryos and the development of adult animals from these embryos which also contain these cloned DNA sequences in their genomes. This whole animal system has many advantages. The genes may be present in a very native biological environment. If the gene is stably integrated and passed from generation to generation, a large number of similar animals would be available for study. As animals of all stages of development could be obtained, it should be possible to study specific developmental changes occurring within the integrated DNA. This information could be amplified by introducing genes with specific deletions or mutations to analyze which portions of the genes are important in genetic regulation and developmental control of these systems. The opportunities for this approach to the study of the regulation of expression of cloned genes in these whole animal systems seem extensive.
B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Report of Four Cases.

Objectives: B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-LBL) arising in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is exceedingly rare and poorly characterized. Methods: We describe four patients with CLL and concurrent or subsequent B-LBL diagnosed by morphologic, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and molecular analysis and reviewed the literature. Results: In three patients, B-LBL followed CLL by 5 to 15 years, and in one patient, B-LBL was diagnosed simultaneously with CLL. In all cases, the CLL had a typical immunophenotype, and the B-LBL blasts showed an immature B-cell immunophenotype with expression of CD10, CD19, and TdT and absence of surface immunoglobulin. In two patients, B-LBL blasts harbored t(9;22)(q34;q11.2)/ BCR-ABL1 . We sequenced the IGHV genes in both CLL and B-LBL in two patients and showed that IGHV usage differed. Conclusions: Our data suggest that at least some cases of B-LBL arising in patients with CLL are independent, secondary neoplasms rather than a manifestation of histologic transformation.
Power lines and health

The human race has evolved in the presence of a static magnetic field for almost a million years – the magnetic field produced by the Earth itself. Since the early 1880s, when public electricity supplies were introduced, we have also lived increasingly in electric and magnetic fields that vary with time. And just as the geomagnetic field is generally thought to have no effect on humans, for most of the past century extremely low-frequency low-level fields have also been regarded as harmless.
Crystallite dissolution in PEO-based polymers induced by water sorption

Abstract Poly(styrene-block-ethylene oxide) (PS–b–PEO) is a model hierarchically nanostructured polymer that contains PEO crystallites within microphase segregated block copolymer morphology. In order to investigate dynamics in this hierarchically nanostructured polymer, water was used as a selective, interacting probe molecule. First, the equilibrium effect of water sorption on the polymer structure was examined. Then, the coupled dynamics of structural changes and water diffusion were studied. At moderate water activity, crystallite dissolution caused water diffusion to appear non-Fickian (determined by Fourier Transform infrared – attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy). PEO deliquescence was so extreme at high water activity that dynamics could not be measured in a homopolymer control. In the block copolymer at unity water activity, a second stage of water sorption occurred that was attributed to relaxation of the glassy PS phase. Water desorption was ten times faster than sorption. Desorption is thought to be less hindered by tortuosity resulting from PEO crystallites. These results are of interest for a wide-range of applications including batteries and fuel cells, water desalination, food packaging, and biomedical implants.
Innovative use of drinking water treatment solids for heavy metals removal from desalination concentrate: Synergistic effect of salts and natural organic matter

Abstract Concentrate treatment and management is one of the most challenging issues that hinder implementation of water reuse and desalination. Drinking water treatment solids (DWTS) could be an effective low-cost sorbent for removal of heavy metals from desalination concentrate to improve water recovery. It provides an innovative approach to reuse the waste streams generated during drinking water treatment and desalination. In this study, the operating conditions and synergistic effect of salts and natural organic matter (NOM) on removal of metal cations (Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb) in reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate and synthetic solutions were investigated using DWTS. The amount of heavy metals removed from concentrate increased with increasing pH and initial metal concentration. Cu and Pb were almost completely removed by sorption and precipitation. Higher concentrations of NaCl, CaCl2, Na2SO4, and presence of NOM in RO concentrate decreased the sorption of Cd and Ni due to ion competition, complex formation, and simultaneous chelation. This study demonstrated using DWTS to adsorb heavy metals from desalination concentrate is an environmental friendly and economical approach for sustainable management of concentrate.
Clickbait detection using deep learning

Clickbaits, in social media, are exaggerated headlines whose main motive is to mislead the reader to “click” on them. They create a nuisance in the online experience by creating a lure towards poor content. Online content creators are utilizing more of them to get increased page views and thereby more ad revenue without providing the backing content. This paper proposes a model for detection of clickbait by utilizing convolutional neural networks and presents a compiled clickbait corpus. We create a corpus using multiple social media platforms and utilize deep learning for learning features rather than undergoing the long and complex process of feature engineering. Our model achieves high performance in identification of clickbaits.
Examining the Impact of Public Engagement and Presidential Leadership Communication on Social Media in China: Implications for Government-Public Relationship Cultivation

ABSTRACTThis study examined how public positive and negative social media (i.e., WeChat) discussion about President Xi Jinping in China, along with Xi’s leadership communication styles of assertiveness, responsiveness, and authenticity on social media influence publics’ evaluation of his leadership effectiveness, which in turn, influences public trust and satisfaction with the government. Through a quantitative online survey of 396 WeChat users in China, randomly selected via an international sampling firm and a structural equation modeling analysis, the results show that publics’ political discussion about Xi on social media in China significantly influences the perceived leadership effectiveness of the president. Specifically, the more the publics engage in positive discussion about the president on social media, the more they perceive him to be a better political leader, and vice-versa. The president’s leadership communication attributes of responsiveness and authenticity strongly and positively influe...
YAP Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Nuclear Localization in Cholangiocarcinoma Cells Are Regulated by LCK and Independent of LATS Activity

The Hippo pathway effector, Yes-associated protein (YAP), is a transcriptional coactivator implicated in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) pathogenesis. YAP is known to be regulated by a serine/threonine kinase relay module (MST1/2-LATS1/2) culminating in phosphorylation of YAP at Serine 127 and cytoplasmic sequestration. However, YAP also undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation, and the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in YAP regulation remains unclear. Herein, YAP regulation by tyrosine phosphorylation was examined in human and mouse CCA cells, as well as patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. YAP was phosphorylated on tyrosine 357 (Y357) in CCA cell lines and PDX models. SRC family kinase (SFK) inhibition with dasatinib resulted in loss of YAPY357 phosphorylation, promoted its translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and reduced YAP target gene expression, including cell lines expressing a LATS1/2-resistant YAP mutant in which all serine residues were mutated to alanine. Consistent with these observations, precluding YAPY357 phosphorylation by site-directed mutagenesis (YAPY357F) excluded YAP from the nucleus. Targeted siRNA experiments identified LCK as the SFK that most potently mediated YAPY357 phosphorylation. Likewise, inducible CRISPR/Cas9-targeted LCK deletion decreased YAPY357 phosphorylation and its nuclear localization. The importance of LCK in CCA biology was demonstrated by clinical observations suggesting LCK expression levels were associated with early tumor recurrence following resection of CCA. Finally, dasatinib displayed therapeutic efficacy in PDX models. Mol Cancer Res; 16(10); 1556-67. ©2018 AACR.
Gender-Typed Behavioral Examples of Histrionic Personality Disorder

Findings that clinicians diagnose Histrionic Personality Disorder more frequently in women may be due to the feminine gender weighting of the criteria or because the diagnostic label elicits a feminine stereotype. Using a method derived from the act-frequency approach, undergraduates generated behavioral examples of the DSM-IIIR and DSM-IV Histrionic criteria without regard to sex or according to sex role instructions that elicited masculine or feminine sex roles. A national sample of psychologists and psychiatrists rated the representativeness of the symptoms for the Histrionic criteria or for Histrionic Personality Disorder. Feminine behaviors were rated more representative of Histrionic Personality Disorder and somewhat more representative of the Histrionic criteria than masculine behaviors suggesting that the feminine sex role is more strongly associated with the label than the criteria. Masculine behaviors were also rated less representative than sex-unspecified examples. Results provide a possible explanation for the higher rates of diagnosis of Histrionic Personality Disorder in women.
The Medical Examination

Fear of the hospital has kept many rape victims from seeking appropriate and timely medical attention. To some women, the gynecological examination can seem like a reenactment of the rape itself. As one rape victim put it, “The pelvic examination was quite depressing at the time. To have to get undressed again and get up on that table and go through almost the same thing again of something being stuck into you was awful.” A proper, thoughtful, well-explained examination is essential if the gynecologist is to deliver good medical care to the victim, and good medical care should be his first priority.
The more things change, the more they stay the same: African American English, language policy, and African American learners

AbstractDespite the substantive body of research on African American Language (AAL), designating it a meaningful, rule-governed language system and the first language of many African Americans, sch...
The Bioarchaeology of Health Crisis: Infectious Disease in the Past

Beginning some 10,000 years ago, humans began a dramatic alteration in living conditions relating especially to the shift in lifeway from foraging to farming. In addition to the initiation of and i...
Speech Recognition Using Sparse Discrete Wavelet Decomposition Feature Extraction

In this paper, a new feature extraction algorithm for speech recognition using sparse discrete wavelet decomposition (SDWD) is proposed. The recognition system contains the following stages: speech data acquisition and preprocessing, speech signal decomposition using the SDWD, feature extraction, and artificial neural network (ANN) classifier. The task of the developed SDWD is to decompose speech signal into band signals based on on the Mel filter bank frequency specifications. Similar to the Mel frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) method, the logarithmic values of the filter bank energies are computed and then a discrete cosine transform (DCT) is applied to these logarithmic values to extract the feature. Our experimental results using the ANN classifier demonstrate that our proposed SDWD feature extraction algorithm outperforms over the MFCC and discrete wavelet packet transform (DWPT) algorithms.
The landscape of precision medicine cancer clinical trials in the United States.

1547 Background: Advances in tumor biology and high throughput genomic analysis have ushered in the era of precision cancer medicine. Little is currently known, however, about the landscape of prospective “precision medicine” cancer clinical trials in the U.S. Methods: We identified all adult interventional cancer trials registered on clinicaltrials.gov between September 2005 and May 2013. Trials were classified as “precision medicine” if testing for a specific genomic or protein alteration in tumor tissue was required for enrollment. Characteristics such as type of genomic/proteomic alteration tested, masking, phase, sponsor, accrual and cancer subtype were ascertained for each trial. Results: Of the initial 18,797 trials identified, 9,094 (48%) were eligible for inclusion. 905 (10%) were classified as precision medicine trials and 8,189 (90%) were non-precision medicine trials. Compared with non-precision medicine trials, precision medicine trials were more likely to be phase II (OR 1.44 (1.25-1.65), p<...
Deltoid ligament repair reduces and stabilizes the talus in unstable ankle fractures.

Abstract Introduction Treatment of supination external rotation type IV (SER-IV) ankle injuries has focused on reduction and fixation of the fibula and syndesmosis (ORIF), not repair of the deltoid ligament. Methods Twenty-one ankles were analyzed with a motion capture system. Uninjured ankles were stressed and compared to ankles with SER-IV injuries, then with ORIF, and finally ORIF and deltoid repair. Results After deltoid ligament repair, talar coronal and axial rotation normalized to the uninjured state and were significantly reduced compared to ORIF alone. Discussion Deltoid ligament repair after an SER-IV ankle injury can help directly reduce and stabilize the tibiotalar joint.
Heritability of teeth angulation and inclination in patients with overt malocclusion

Summary Purpose To use 3-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images obtained on patients before treatment with dental malocclusion to calculate the heritability estimates of full-tooth angulation and inclination. A heritability estimate is a number between zero and one indicating the percentage of genetic factors involved in determining the phenotypic variation observed. Method CBCT images of 111 patients (51 sibships) were analysed measuring both tooth angulation and inclination using the Anatomage Invivo5 software for central incisor to second molar. The long axis of each tooth was defined and traced as the cusp tip of the most mesiobuccal cusp to 6 mm coronal to the apex of the mesiobuccal root. SPSS statistical software was used to analyse the data and calculate the heritability estimates for each tooth type in the maxilla and in the mandible regardless of the side. Results Teeth inclination showed higher heritability estimates than tooth angulation. Furthermore, maxillary teeth showed higher heritability estimates than mandibular teeth and anterior teeth showed higher heritability than posterior teeth. Conclusion Genetic effect was more evident on tooth inclination than tooth angulation, on anterior teeth more than posterior teeth, and on maxillary teeth more than mandibular teeth.
Surface Modification Effects on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Multimodal Optical Applications

Optical nanoscale technologies often implement covalent or noncovalent strategies for the modification of nanoparticles, whereby both functionalizations can affect the intrinsic fluorescence of nanoparticles. Specifically, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can enable real-time imaging and cellular delivery, however, the introduction of SWCNT sidewall functionalizations attenuates SWCNT fluorescence. Herein, we leverage recent advances in SWCNT covalent functionalization chemistries that preserve the SWCNT9s pristine surface lattice and intrinsic fluorescence, and demonstrate that such covalently-functionalized SWCNT can enable fluorescence-based molecular recognition of neurotransmitter and protein analytes. We show that the covalently-modified SWCNT nanosensor fluorescence signal towards its analyte can be preserved only for certain nanosensors, presumably dependent on the steric hindrance of the SWCNT noncovalent coating. We further demonstrate these SWCNT nanosensors can be functionalized via their covalent handles to self-assemble on passivated microscopy slides and discuss future use of these dual-functionalized SWCNT materials for multiplexed applications.
An Empirical Test of Several Popular notions about Hallucinations in Schizophrenic Patients

This paper reports a portion of the findings of a larger study concerned with the measurement and prediction of change in mental hospital patients [1,2]. As part of this study, a great deal of psychological and social history information had been obtained on a group of patients. The patients were divided into hallucinated (H) and non-hallucinated (NH) sub-groups on the basis of the reported presence or absence of hallucinations in the patient’s hospital chart. The aim was to identify distinguishing characteristics of patients with a history of hallucinations. The general hypothesis was that groups of patients differentiated on the basis of exhibiting hallucinations would also differ in other predictable ways.
Ocean acidification promotes broad transcriptomic responses in marine metazoans: a literature survey

For nearly a decade, the metazoan-focused research community has explored the impacts of ocean acidification (OA) on marine animals, noting that changes in ocean chemistry can impact calcification, metabolism, acid-base regulation, stress response and behavior in organisms that hold high ecological and economic value. Because OA interacts with several key physiological processes in marine organisms, transcriptomics has become a widely-used method to characterize whole organism responses on a molecular level as well as inform mechanisms that explain changes in phenotypes observed in response to OA. In the past decade, there has been a notable rise in studies that examine transcriptomic responses to OA in marine metazoans, and here we attempt to summarize key findings across these studies. We find that organisms vary dramatically in their transcriptomic responses to pH although common patterns are often observed, including shifts in acid-base ion regulation, metabolic processes, calcification and stress response mechanisms. We also see a rise in transcriptomic studies examining organismal response to OA in a multi-stressor context, often reporting synergistic effects of OA and temperature. In addition, there is an increase in studies that use transcriptomics to examine the evolutionary potential of organisms to adapt to OA conditions in the future through population and transgenerational experiments. Overall, the literature reveals complex organismal responses to OA, in which some organisms will face more dramatic consequences than others. This will have wide-reaching impacts on ocean communities and ecosystems as a whole.
O1 Hydroxychloroquine blood levels and risk of thrombotic events in systemic lupus erythematous

Background Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has a primary role in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). Beyond its pleiotropic immunomodulatory effects on TLR and type I interferon signaling, HCQ use has been found to be protective for thrombosis in SLE. Optimal dosing of HCQ in SLE is unknown. The longitudinal measurement of HCQ blood levels may provide an opportunity to individualize weight-based dosing strategies and reduce risk of toxicity. We examined the association of HCQ blood levels with thrombotic events in a longitudinal SLE cohort. Methods 812 SLE patients with HCQ level measured prior to the thrombosis were included: 93% female, 43% African-American, 46% Caucasian. HCQ blood levels were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Mean HCQ blood levels (± SD) over all cohort visits prior to occurrence of thrombosis were calculated for each patient. Thromboses were defined as venous (DVT/PE or other venous) or arterial thrombosis (stroke, myocardial infarction, digital gangrene or other arterial). Results Thrombosis had occurred during prospective follow up in 44 patients (5.4%), venous in 3.0% and arterial in 2.5%. Lupus anticoagulant was strongly associated with a history of any thrombosis (OR 3.25, P Conclusions HCQ blood levels are inversely associated with risk of any thrombosis and of venous thrombosis in patients with SLE in a prospective analysis. Reduction of HCQ dosing, as suggested by the American Academy of Ophthalmologists, could reduce or eliminate the benefit of hydroxychloroquine to prevent thrombosis. Acknowledgements The Hopkins Lupus Cohort is supported by NIH Grant RO1 AR 69572.
Inverse design of compression-induced solid – solid transitions in colloids

Ongoing developments in colloidal particle synthesis show promise for using colloids as building blocks for reconfigurable, functional materials, but their rational design remains a challenge. Rece...
Controlling magnetism in 2D CrI 3 by electrostatic doping

The atomic thickness of two-dimensional materials provides a unique opportunity to control their electrical1 and optical2 properties as well as to drive the electronic phase transitions3 by electrostatic doping. The discovery of two-dimensional magnetic materials4–10 has opened up the prospect of the electrical control of magnetism and the realization of new functional devices11. A recent experiment based on the linear magneto-electric effect has demonstrated control of the magnetic order in bilayer CrI3 by electric fields12. However, this approach is limited to non-centrosymmetric materials11,13–16 magnetically biased near the antiferromagnet–ferromagnet transition. Here, we demonstrate control of the magnetic properties of both monolayer and bilayer CrI3 by electrostatic doping using CrI3–graphene vertical heterostructures. In monolayer CrI3, doping significantly modifies the saturation magnetization, coercive force and Curie temperature, showing strengthened/weakened magnetic order with hole/electron doping. Remarkably, in bilayer CrI3, the electron doping above ~2.5 × 1013 cm−2 induces a transition from an antiferromagnetic to a ferromagnetic ground state in the absence of a magnetic field. The result reveals a strongly doping-dependent interlayer exchange coupling, which enables robust switching of magnetization in bilayer CrI3 by small gate voltages. Electrostatic doping in vertical van der Waals CrI3–graphene heterostructures provides means to control the magnetic properties of monolayer and bilayer CrI3.
Assessing HIV Care Outcomes Among African-Born People Living with HIV in Seattle: An Analysis of the University of Washington Electronic Medical Record.

To examine the relationship between African birth and HIV outcomes and comorbidities among individuals accessing care at the University of Washington. Patients who received a diagnosis of HIV at the University of Washington from 1995 to 2018 were identified. African-born patients were defined as those with recorded birthplace or primary language belonging to an African country. This cohort was compared to all non-African-born patients for initial CD4 count < 200 cells/mL, time from diagnosis to viral suppression, and prevalence of comorbid conditions. We identified 357 African-born and 3710 non-African-born patients. Over the time period, African-born patients were more likely to present with initial CD4 counts < 200 cells/mL (31% vs 19%, p < 0.01), but had shorter time to viral suppression (HR 1.31, [95% CI: 1.14–1.56]). African-born patients had higher rates of hepatitis B and tuberculosis (12% vs. 7% p < 0.01 and 13% vs. 3% p < 0.01). African-born patients living in the Seattle area have better HIV outcomes, but low initial CD4 counts suggest that they are presenting to care late. Increased efforts to engage this population in HIV, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis screening are warranted.
Photocrosslinked Bioreducible Polymeric Nanoparticles for Enhanced Systemic siRNA Delivery as Cancer Therapy

Clinical translation of polymer-based nanocarriers for systemic delivery of RNA has been limited due to poor colloidal stability in the blood stream and intracellular delivery of the RNA to the cytosol. To address these limitations, this study reports a new strategy incorporating photocrosslinking of bioreducible nanoparticles for improved stability extracellularly and rapid release of RNA intracellularly. In this design, the polymeric nanocarriers contain ester bonds for hydrolytic degradation and disulfide bonds for environmentally triggered small interfering RNA (siRNA) release in the cytosol. These photocrosslinked bioreducible nanoparticles (XbNPs) have a shielded surface charge, reduced adsorption of serum proteins, and enable superior siRNA-mediated knockdown in both glioma and melanoma cells in high-serum conditions compared to non-crosslinked formulations. Mechanistically, XbNPs promote cellular uptake and the presence of secondary and tertiary amines enables efficient endosomal escape. Following systemic administration, XbNPs facilitate targeting of cancer cells and tissue-mediated siRNA delivery beyond the liver, unlike conventional nanoparticle-based delivery. These attributes of XbNPs facilitate robust siRNA-mediated knockdown in vivo in melanoma tumors colonized in the lungs following systemic administration. Thus, biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles, via photocrosslinking, demonstrate extended colloidal stability and efficient delivery of RNA therapeutics under physiological conditions, and thereby potentially advance systemic delivery technologies for nucleic acid-based therapeutics.
The Problems with Measuring and Using Happiness for Policy Purposes

Many governments around the world are considering measures of happiness or subjective well-being as alternatives to gross domestic product (GDP) for the purpose of guiding economic policymaking. Compared to GDP, happiness measures promise to better capture the quality of life of a nation's citizens and lead to policies that are more effective and equitable. However, there are a number of problems with the concept of happiness that policymakers should be aware of before adopting it as a policy tool. In this paper, I focus on three interrelated aspects of happiness?definition, measurement, and policy implementation?and explain why each renders happiness a poor guide for policy. In general, happiness is a vague, multifaceted, and subjective phenomenon that is difficult to define precisely enough for measurement, hard to measure in a way that allows meaningful comparison between individuals and groups, and fraught with ethical complexities that complicate policy implementation.
Use of a Novel Liquid Bead-Array Assay to Determine Correlation between SARS-CoV-2 Binding Antibody Level and COVID-19 Disease Severity

A detailed understanding of the adaptive host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans is urgently needed, as questions abound regarding serologic responses and the development of antibody-mediated immunity against COVID-19. We developed a highly sensitive, high-throughput, and efficient assay using liquid bead array technology. We observed advantages over traditional indirect ELISA for the detection and quantification of binding IgG against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. Using this sensitive and highly reproducible assay, we sought to determine whether the severity of COVID-19 symptoms is correlated with SARS-CoV-2 binding IgG level. We measured SARS-CoV-2 RBD IgG levels from 67 subjects who had recovered from PCR-confirmed, symptomatic COVID-19. Samples were obtained approximately 6 weeks post-symptom onset. We found that COVID-19 symptom severity, assessed on an 8-point severity scale, strongly correlated with RBD IgG level (p<0.001), with and without adjustment for covariates of age, sex, and time from symptom onset. These findings have substantial implications for public policy surrounding assessments of antibody responses and possible immunity, as not all cases of COVID-19 can be assumed to generate a protective antibody response, and mild disease in particular is capable of generating very low-level anti-RBD IgG levels. These findings also have important implications for the selection of donors for convalescent plasma to be used as a therapeutic, and other scenarios where antibody level, rather than mere presence or absence, is relevant.
Where Did the 100 Most Influential People in Accounting Receive Their Education? A Ranking of Universities

Every year, Accounting Today compiles a list of the 100 most influential people in accounting. This article ranks the universities where they obtained their education based on the number of degrees issued to the top 100.
Gait recognition based on isoluminance line and 3D template matching

Vision-based human identification is a reliable biometric system for determining the authenticity of a person's specific physiological or behavioral characteristic. Gait of a person is a non-invasive biometric characteristic that can be observed at a distance. In this paper, a novel method for improving the recognition accuracy is proposed by combining the isoluminance stereovision technique with the 3D template matching method. A 3D model consisting of depth information is constructed from stereo images using isoluminance lines for stereo vision. A canonical form of this 3D image is constructed and depth information is determined. These values are compared with a database of predetermined depth information for recognition purposes. The recognition accuracy is compared with HMM analysis performed on the same set of images. The results are similar and noted a slight improved accuracy for this proposed method. The images computed are samples stored in the Carnegie Melon University database.
Bacterial flora in infants encountered at time of delivery; a study of 100 cultures from the eyelids.

Abstract One hundred cultures were taken from the external surface of the eyelids of newborn infants immediately after birth and before the cord was cut. Ninety-six per cent of the cultures were positive, and from one to four organisms were isolated in each positive culture. A total of 167 organisms were identified of which Staphylococci, E. coli , and Streptococci were predominant.
The shrinking generator

We present a new construction of a pseudorandom generator based on a simple combination of two LFSRs. The construction has attractive properties as simplicity (conceptual and implementation-wise), scalability (hardware and security), proven minimal security conditions (exponential period, exponential linear complexity, good statistical properties), and resistance to known attacks. The construction is suitable for practical implementation of efficient stream cipher cryptosystems.
Not a Failed Experiment: Wilson-Saucier Sequencing and the Articulation of Constitutional Rights

This Article considers the two-part sequencing doctrine used in evaluating the qualified immunity defense to claims that government officials have violated federal constitutional rights. This doctrine-often called Wilson-Saucier sequencing directs courts to first consider whether a plaintiff has properly alleged a constitutional violation before considering whether the defendant is entitled to qualified immunity. The Supreme Court established this rule to ensure that constitutional and statutory rights are fully articulated and refined. This Article provides a unique, empirical evaluation of the rationale underlying Wilson-Saucier sequencing. By comparing judicial decisions before and after Wilson-Saucier sequencing, it offers evidence that mandatory sequencing is necessary for the robust articulation of constitutional rights by the lower courts. Without such sequencing, courts are likely to return to constitutional stagnation. The Article concludes by arguing that constitutional articulation should be favored because it enhances predictability in the legal system, benefiting both plaintiffs and defendants.
Interactive session: whose technology is it anyway?

Today it is common for students to have a handheld or notebook computer in the classroom. As with any form of educational technology, there are challenges for the instructor to make good use of the technology and motivate the students to do the same. At education innovation conferences like FIE, there is a strong need to model good teaching methods where people discuss the latest techniques as applied to teaching and learning of engineering and computer science. Engineering and computer science faculty often develop cutting edge technology. However, we sometimes lag behind in the use of technology for teaching and learning. Keeping up with the fast pace of technology change can make it difficult to develop new applications of technology to teaching and learning. This session seeks not only to disseminate ideas but to also generate new ideas.
Neural circuits regulating pulsatile luteinizing hormone release in the female guinea-pig: opioid, adrenergic and serotonergic interactions.

We studied three neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) release: opioid peptides, serotonin and norepinephrine, using the ovariectomized guinea-pig. This is an attractive animal model due to the regularity of its LH pulses, enabling any disruptions to be clearly ascertained. In all experiments, a specific agonist or antagonist was administered, either alone or serially to enable detection of interactions, and effects on mean LH concentrations, pulse amplitude and interpulse interval were determined by PULSAR analysis. In the ovariectomized guinea-pig, catecholamines are stimulatory (acting through the α1 and α2 but not β receptors, unlike other species), opioids inhibitory and serotonin permissively stimulatory to pulsatile LH release. Stimulatory effects of the opiate antagonist were not blocked by pretreatment with an α1- or α2-adrenergic antagonist. Similarly, pretreatment with the opiate antagonist did not prevent the suppression of LH release by α1 and α2 antagonists. This suggests that, in the guinea-pig, effects of opiates and catecholamines on LH release are exerted by independent pathways to luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) neurones. For the opiate–serotonin interactions, pretreatment with the serotonergic antagonist did not block the stimulatory effect of the opiate antagonist on LH release. However, pretreatment with the opiate agonist could not be overcome by the serotonergic agonist. This suggests that the effects of the serotonin system on LHRH release may be indirectly mediated by opioid neurones. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the three neurotransmitter systems studied are critically involved in normal pulsatile LH release in the female guinea-pig, and demonstrate novel functional relationships between the opioid and the adrenergic and serotonergic systems.
Dynamical and structural properties of strongly coupled dusty plasmas

Publisher Summary Dusty plasmas offer a unique method for testing dynamical wave theories in the strong Coulomb coupling regime. Recently, there have been many theoretical models, based on either a generalized, hydrodynamic, or on kinetic descriptions, developed to describe dust acoustic waves under conditions of strong coupling. These theories attempt to extend the usual acoustic wave dispersion relation to the strong coupling regime and, in some cases, to finite frequencies and wavevectors beyond the hydrodynamic limit. This chapter uses a kinetic approach to obtain dispersion relations in terms of an approximate dynamic local field correction, and compares this with the viscoelastic Navier-Stokes description.
TECA: Petascale Pattern Recognition for Climate Science

Climate Change is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. Climate simulations provide us with a unique opportunity to examine effects of anthropogenic emissions. High-resolution climate simulations produce "Big Data": contemporary climate archives are $$\approx 5PB$$ in size and we expect future archives to measure on the order of Exa-Bytes. In this work, we present the successful application of TECA Toolkit for Extreme Climate Analysis framework, for extracting extreme weather patterns such as Tropical Cyclones, Atmospheric Rivers and Extra-Tropical Cyclones from TB-sized simulation datasets. TECA has been run at full-scale on Cray XE6 and IBM BG/Q systems, and has reduced the runtime for pattern detection tasks from years to hours. TECA has been utilized to evaluate the performance of various computational models in reproducing the statistics of extreme weather events, and for characterizing the change in frequency of storm systems in the future.
Pneumonia in the elderly hospitalized in the Department of Veteran Affairs health care system

ABSTRACTPneumonia is a major cause of hospital admissions and deaths worldwide. Our aim was to examine the trends in admissions for pneumonia in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We examined data for the fiscal years 2002 through 2007 on patients aged 65 years and older hospitalized with pneumonia by using VA administrative databases. The numbers of hospital admissions for pneumonia were relatively stable during this period. However, length of hospital stay and 30- and 90-day mortality decreased during this period. The proportion of patients admitted to the intensive care unit remained relatively constant, but fewer received mechanical ventilation; there was substantial increase in noninvasive ventilation. In the VA, pneumonia-related admissions are being managed more effectively even as the overall number of admissions remains stable.
Wavelength dependence of birefringence in highly birefringent fibers.

A simple technique is used to measure the wavelength dependence of the birefringence in highly bireringent fibers. In stress-induced fibers, the stress and shape birefringences reinforce each other, whereas in elliptical-core fibers the stress and shape birefringences can either reinforce each other or partially cancel, depending on the wavelength.
Photo-induced dimerization of 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate

Abstract 1-Anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS) was observed to undergo a number of photochemical processes, including ionization, dimerization and loss of sulfonate. A mechanism that involves monophotonic ionization is proposed for the photo-induced dimerization of ANS. Photoionization of ANS was demonstrated by the reduction of silver ions in solution, which in turn was verified by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
POT1/TPP1 and Telomeric G-Quadruplexes Synergistically Block RPA's Access to Telomeres

Human telomeres terminate with a G-overhang, which can be misrecognized as a DNA damage site by RPA. In cells, POT1/TPP1 protects telomeres against RPA binding. The G-overhang folds into different G-quadruplex (GQ) conformations. The role of GQ formation in protection of telomeric overhangs remains unclear. Using single-molecule FRET, we show that the ability of POT1/TPP1 to compete against RPA binding to telomeres is significantly enhanced by GQ formation. In the absence of POT1, RPA efficiently unfolds single-stranded telomeric GQs and binds to the unfolded DNA. POT1 and POT1/TPP1 stably load on to a 3'-TTAG sequence adjacent to a folded GQ. As a result of this loading two possible pathways emerge: 1) A fraction of GQs are unfolded at a level that depends on their folding conformation. The unfolded GQs are bound by POT1 or POT1/TPP1 which provides protection against RPA binding. 2) The GQs that remain folded after POT1 or POT1/TPP1 loading are greatly stabilized against RPA mediated unfolding, which is the dominant pathway of telomere protection against RPA binding. TPP1 enhances POT1's ability to compete against RPA in both pathways. Thus, the synergistic effect of GQ formation and POT1/TPP1 binding protects telomeric overhangs against DNA damage signals.
Thermal lensing in oxide-confined, single-mode VCSELs

High spatial and thermal resolution measurements of the surface temperature of an operating single-mode oxide-confined VCSEL are reported. We show that the beam waist scales with the focal length of the thermal lens.
Multigrid techniques for quark propagator

Abstract This brief progress report describes the motivation underlying our particular approach to multigrid, and the work done so far on Landau gauge fixing.
Five years experience of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a children's hospital

Abstract The emergency call for resuscitation in a children's hospital is reported. Forty seven resuscitation attempts via the emergency call were made in 43 patients over the past 5 years; 24 out of 43 patients had heart diseases. Cardiac patients were more likely to die within a few days after their resuscitation. The patients, who had previously been in cardiac arrest, lost their lives more often. These results implied that it was very crucial to prevent cardiac arrest especially for cardiac patients in order to save lives. Among the causes of emergency calls, complications with the endotracheal tubes were most common (13) and the airway obstructions followed (11). Summation of two causes, the airway problems, accounted for more than half of the series. Sixteen out of all emergency calls occurred on weekends, and all endotracheal tube troubles broke out during a night shift or on a holiday, that is, the lives of those patients were threatened especially when fewer staff were on duty. Those accidents were embarrassing for us because we believe that all patients must have been under our surveillance all day. Some hospitals have a successful resuscitation rate, organizing a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) team. However, we obtained better results (about 30%) without a team. It should be borne in mind that it is more desirable to prevent cardiac or respiratory arrests initially rather than save the patients in emergencies.
On friction and metal transfer of sliding surfaces undergoing subsurface plastic deformation

Abstract Results of sliding experiments under high normal pressure using a sapphire ball on a modified Brinell hardness testing machine and different work materials are reported. A rational approach to the mechanism of metal build-up on Al2O3 abrasive developed recently has been extended in the present sliding tests to verify the hypothesis, and good agreement was found. The results of this study show a wide range of behaviour relative to the equilibrium level of friction and the time required to reach equilibrium when different materials are rubbed against the sapphire ball.
The Benefits and Challenges of Predictive Interval Forecasts and Verification Graphics for End Users

AbstractTwo behavioral experiments tested the use of predictive interval forecasts and verification graphics by nonexpert end users. Most participants were able to use a simple key to understand a predictive interval graphic, showing a bracket to indicate the upper and lower boundary values of the 80% predictive interval for temperature. In the context of a freeze warning task, the predictive interval forecast narrowed user expectations and alerted participants to the possibility of colder temperatures. As a result, participants using predictive intervals took precautionary action more often than did a control group using deterministic forecasts. Moreover, participants easily understood both deterministic and predictive interval verification graphics, based on simple keys, employing them to correctly identify better performing forecast periods. Importantly, participants with the predictive interval were more likely than those with the deterministic forecast to say they would use that forecast type in the ...
Evaluation and Regional Optimization of Bio-optical Algorithms for Central Lake Superior

Bio-optical properties of the ocean have been broadly investigated using Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor imagery (SeaWiFS), from which numerous globally and regionally optimized bio-optical algorithms have emerged. As a first step in evaluating bio-optical algorithms for the Laurentian Great Lakes, we tested ten published marine bio-optical algorithms (9 empirical and 1 semi-analytical), in central Lake Superior using optical data and discrete water samples collected in 1998–2000. Although the semi-analytical algorithm provided a better result than the empirical algorithms, all of the algorithms overestimate chlorophyll a concentration. We derived optimized empirical parameters using two of the best algorithms (Ocean Color-Version 4 (OC4) and semi-analytical algorithms), but the models do not simulate chlorophyll a concentrations well. Compared to other coastal waters, the chlorophyll a concentration in Lake Superior is low (0.2–1.5 μg L−1) and the fraction of total absorbance attributable to chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is high. The ratio of absorbance due to chlorophyll a to that of CDOM ranges from 0.001 to 0.262 between 443 and 555 nm in Lake Superior, which is 2–3 times lower than in case 1 waters, and indicates that semi-analytical, as opposed to strictly empirical, bio-optical algorithms may provide better estimates of chlorophyll a concentration in Lake Superior.
Sensitivity improvement of transverse relaxation-optimized spectroscopy.

Abstract Procedures are described for significantly improving the sensitivity of the recently proposed TROSY (transverse relaxation-optimized spectroscopy) experiment (K. Pervushinet al.,1997,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA94, 12366–12371). The TROSY experiment takes advantage of destructive interference between dipolar and chemical shift anisotropy relaxation mechanisms to achieve substantial reductions in resonance linewidths in heteronuclear correlation spectra; the effect is significant particularly for studies of large molecular weight systems at very high static magnetic field strengths. A 2 improvement in the sensitivity of the TROSY experiment is achieved by implementation of the PEP (preservation of equivalent pathways) scheme (J. Cavanagh and M. Rance, 1990,J. Magn. Reson.88, 72–85). An additional significant improvement in sensitivity for15N-labeled samples in H2O solution is realized through a simple modification of the1H–15N TROSY pulse sequence to return the water magnetization to its equilibrium position (+zaxis) at the beginning of the acquisition period. Relaxation-induced imbalance between the coherence transfer pathways utilized in the TROSY refocusing period is shown theoretically and experimentally to give rise to additional unanticipated signals in TROSY spectra.
TOGA‐COARE Program Announcement

The President's 1991 National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Budgets to Congress request funds to augment the Tropical Ocean/Global Atmosphere (TOGA) Research Program. This includes about $5 million in Fiscal Year 1991, with similar amounts planned in 1992 and 1993. Should Congress appropriate these funds, the augmentation will focus on the Western Pacific, a region identified as critically important to understanding interannual climate variability, particularly El Nino-Southern Oscillation.