cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postanoxic oxidative injury in rat hepatocytes: Lactate-dependent protection against tert-butylhydroperoxide

Abstract Previous studies in this laboratory showed that hypoxia and anoxia enhance the susceptibility of hepatocytes to tert -butylhydroperoxide (TBH)-induced oxidative injury. To determine whether preceding exposure to anoxia affects postanoxic sensitivity to oxidative injury, viability was studied in hepatocytes incubated under anoxic conditions followed by reoxygenation without or with tert -butylhydroperoxide addition. Results showed that a preceding exposure to 60 min of anoxia substantially increased the vulnerability of cells to injury by the oxidant. Because substantial tissue lacta can accumulate during anoxia, the effect of increased lactate on postanoxic injury due to TBH was determined. Results showed that added lactate protected in a concentration-dependent manner. The TBH elimination rate was stimulated by lactate, and the pyruvate production rate approached the rate of TBH elimination. Thus, lactate protects against postanoxic oxidative injury by supplying reducing equivalents for peroxide reduction. This suggests that lactate accumulation during ischemia may be beneficial and that supplementation with lactate could be considered as a means to protect against postischemic injury.
Differential Transcriptional Regulation of meis1 by Gfi1b and Its Co-Factors LSD1 and CoREST

Gfi1b (growth factor independence 1b) is a zinc finger transcription factor essential for development of the erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages. To elucidate the mechanism underlying Gfi1b function, potential downstream transcriptional targets were identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation and expression profiling approaches. The combination of these approaches revealed the oncogene meis1, which encodes a homeobox protein, as a direct and prominent target of Gfi1b. Examination of the meis1 promoter sequence revealed multiple Gfi1/1b consensus binding motifs. Distinct regions of the promoter were occupied by Gfi1b and its cofactors LSD1 and CoREST/Rcor1, in erythroid cells but not in the closely related megakaryocyte lineage. Accordingly, Meis1 was significantly upregulated in LSD1 inhibited erythroid cells, but not in megakaryocytes. This lineage specific upregulation in Meis1 expression was accompanied by a parallel increase in di-methyl histone3 lysine4 levels in the Meis1 promoter in LSD1 inhibited, erythroid cells. Meis1 was also substantially upregulated in gfi1b-/- fetal liver cells along with its transcriptional partners Pbx1 and several Hox messages. Elevated Meis1 message levels persisted in gfi1b mutant fetal liver cells differentiated along the erythroid lineage, relative to wild type. However, cells differentiated along the megakaryocytic lineage, exhibited no difference in Meis1 levels between controls and mutants. Transfection experiments further demonstrated specific repression of meis1 promoter driven reporters by wild type Gfi1b but neither by a SNAG domain mutant nor by a DNA binding deficient one, thus confirming direct functional regulation of this promoter by the Gfi1b transcriptional complex. Overall, our results demonstrate direct yet differential regulation of meis1 transcription by Gfi1b in distinct hematopoietic lineages thus revealing it to be a common, albeit lineage specific, target of both Gfi1b and its paralog Gfi1.
Effects of L-canavanine on concentrations of cyclic amp and cyclic GMP in the midgut of Manduca sexta (sphingidae: lepidoptera)

Abstract 1. Cyclic AMP concentrations of midgut epithelial tissue taken from tobacco hornworm larvae fed a 2.5 mM L -canavanine plus 25 mM L -arginine-supplemented diet (CAAM) were higher than in larvae fed either a 2.5 mM canavanine-supplemented diet (CAV) or control diet. 2. Cyclic AMP accumulation in CAAM-treated larvae over a 6-day period (10.43 pmol/mg protein) was followed by an abrupt decline within 1 day as the larvae entered the wandering stage (4.92 pmol/mg protein). 3. Cyclic GMP concentrations were low (1.10 or less pmol/mg protein) for all treatments during the active feeding period but doubled (2.19 pmol/mg protein) at the beginning of the wandering larval stage. 4. Cyclic GMP concenrations were unaffected by any of the experimental diets.
Resistivity from magnetic impurity pairs in metallic alloys.

The spin-flip contributions to the electron scattering by a pair of magnetic impurities is found to exhibit a T/sup -1/ behavior in the temperature variation of the cross section. Our calculations provide an explanation for the sharp decrease in the low-temperature resistivities of several alloys in the intermediate concentration regime where the Kondo effect is inoperative and the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) coupling between impurities is substantial. Accordingly, the size and magnitude of the impurity pair contribution to the resistivity is a senstive function of the impurity concentration and the electronic structure of the host metal. Our computations agree with the data of CuMn/sub x/, AgMn/sub x/, AuMn/sub x/, and AuCr/sub x/, and they predict the observed variation of the resistivity maximum with impurity concentration using a standard RKKY coupling between impurities.
Assuring Access: One Library's Journey from Print to Electronic Only Subscriptions

The migration of library collections from print to electronic formats has been a priority for many institutions during the last ten years and has played a key role in the transformation of the modern academic library. Not surprisingly, this process has been labor-intensive, costly, and occasionally frustrating to those involved in the transformation. This article recounts the challenges that the Central Michigan University Libraries faced and the measures it established to overcome these challenges as it undertook the process of successfully moving from a print-based to a predominantly electronic only subscription collection.
Novel, non-antigen-specific therapeutic approaches to autoimmune/inflammatory diseases

Anti-TNF therapy has made a major impact on the treatment of inflammatory arthritides and Crohn's disease. It leads to prompt and prolonged clinical response, even in patients refractory to conventional therapy. Moreover, the progression of joint damage noted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate was prevented by an anti-TNF-alpha antibody, suggesting a genuine disease-modifying potential of TNF-alpha blockade.
An aperture-matched compact range feed horn design

The moment method and the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction are used to obtain two separate solutions for the E -plane far field pattern of an aperture-matched horn antenna. This particular horn antenna consists of a standard pyramidal horn with the following modifications: a rolled edge section attached to the aperture edges and a curved throat section. The resulting geometry provides significantly better performance in terms of the pattern, impedance, and frequency characteristics than normally obtainable. The moment method is used to calculate the E -plane pattern and voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR) of the antenna. However, at higher frequencies, the moment method requires large amounts of computation time. On the other hand, the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction provides a quick and efficient high frequency solution for the E -plane field pattern. In fact, the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction may be used to initially design the antenna; then the moment method may be applied to "fine tune" it. In both methods, a two-dimensional E -plane model of the antenna is used, but these two-dimensional solutions yield excellent agreement with measured data of the actual three-dimensional antenna. This procedure has been successfully applied to design a compact range feed horn.
Bone marrow fat has brown adipose tissue characteristics, which are attenuated with aging and diabetes

article i nfo Fat occupies a significant portion of bone cavity however its function is largely unknown. Marrow fat expands during aging and in conditions which affect energy metabolism, indicating that fat in bone is under similar regulatory mechanisms as other fat depots. On the other hand, its location may determine specific functions in the maintenance of the environment for bone remodeling and hematopoiesis. We have demonstrated that marrow fat has a distinctive phenotype, which resembles both, white and brown adipose tissue (WAT and BAT, respectively). Marrow adipocytes express gene markers of brown adipocytes at levels characteristic for the BAT, including transcription factor Prdm16, and regulators of thermogenesis such as deiodinase 2 (Dio2) and PGC1α. The levels of expression of BAT-specific gene markers are decreased in bone of 24 mo old C57BL/6 and in diabetic yellow agouti A vy /a mice implicating functional changes of marrow fat occurring with aging and diabetes. Administration of antidiabetic TZD rosiglitazone, which sensitizes cells to insulin and increases adipocyte metabolic functions, significantly increased both, BAT (UCP1, PGC1α, Dio2, β3AR, Prdm16, and FoxC2) and WAT (adiponectin and leptin) gene expression in marrow of normoglycemic C57BL/6 mice, but failed to increase the expression of BAT, but not WAT, gene markers in diabetic mice. In conclusion, the metabolic phenotype of marrow fat combines both BAT and WAT characteristics. Decrease in BAT-like characteristics with aging and diabetes may contribute to the negative changes in the marrow environment supporting bone remodeling and hematopoiesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Bone and Fat.
Understanding barriers to health care: a review of disparities in health care services among indigenous populations

OBJECTIVES: To review the current status of health care access and utilization among Indigenous people in the North America, Australia and New Zealand. STUDY DESIGN: Literature review. METHODS: A systematic search and critical review of relevant studies using online searches of electronic databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, MEDLINE) that examined issues relating to health care utilization and access. RESULTS: Most studies found that health care access and utilization rates were found to be significantly lower among Indigenous populations. Factors such as rural location, communication and socio-economic status were found to be barriers to health care services that disproportionately affected Indigenous communities compared with the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Inequalities in health care access and utilization among Indigenous populations may play an important role in understanding why disparities in the health status of Indigenous populations continue to exist despite public health interventions. Further research is needed to understand the factors that contribute to these inequalities and to develop specific interventions to increase access and utilization among Indigenous populations. Keywords: disparities; health care; Indigenous populations (Int J Circumpolar Health 2007; 66(3):188-198)
First-principles phase stability, magnetic properties and solubility in aluminum–rare-earth (Al–RE) alloys and compounds

Abstract First-principles density-functional calculations are used to study the phase stability, magnetic properties and solubilities in aluminum–rare-earth (Al–RE) alloys and compounds. The results are compared with those from potentials with f-electrons treated as valence/core electrons to calculate the phase stability of different Al–RE compounds. Using a small set of test structures, it is found that calculations with potentials with f-electrons in the valence band predict correctly all the known stable phases of Al–RE compounds. It is found that the contribution of magnetism in the compounds is crucial for predicting the correct ground-state Al3RE structures. The calculated magnetic moments are in excellent agreement with experimental values. The RE solubilities in Al are calculated, including both static total energy contributions as well as the free energies associated with atomic vibrations. The vibrational entropy serves to increase significantly the solubilities of RE elements in Al. The calculated solvus curves are in good agreement with the available experimentally measured values.
The Impact of Education and School-Based Counseling on Children's and Adolescents' Views of Substance Abuse

The purpose of this study was to investigate if a school-based education and counseling program (Life Skills Training Program) would have an impact on school-aged children/adolescents' views of substance abuse. The study also investigated the degree and direction of change. Participants were 338 elementary or middle-school students in the metro Houston, Texas, area. Results indicated that preexisting views significantly differed from post-intervention views, and that the Life Skills Training Program provided participants with a more accurate view of substance abuse. Findings support formulated hypotheses and effectiveness of the Life Skills Training Program with the sampled population.
Cobalt(II) complexes of di-2-pyridyl ketone

Abstract Reactions of cobalt(II) chloride, bromide, iodide, perchlorate, thiocyanate, nitrate, acetate, and sulfate with di-2-pyridyl ketone (dpk) in alcoholic solutions afford the complexes CoX2. 2dpk (X = Cl−, Br−, I−, ClO4−, SCN−, NO3−), Co(acetate)2 . (dpk-H2O), and 3CoSO4 . 2dph(H2O)8–10. Vibrational spectra indicate that all of the new complexes are formed through N,N-coordination except in the complex Co(acetate)2 . dpk-H2O, where it has apparently undergone hydration. The optical spectra indicate temperature dependent structures for CoBr2 . 2dpk and Co(SCN)2 . 2dpk in DMSO solution ( O h Δ T d The compound CoCl2 . 2dpk exhibits a conductance approximately half of that expected for a 1:1 electrolyte in DMSO, while 3CoSO4 . 2dpk(H2O)8–10 is non-ionic. The acetate complex is insoluble in DMSO. The remaining compounds are 1:2 electrolytes. Magnetic susceptibility measurements, when evaluated with the additional data collected, indicate pseudooctahedral symmetry for the complexes, with the exception of CoI2 . 2dpk and possibly Co(ClO4)2 . 2dpk. The iodide compound appears to be a uare-planar while Co(ClO4)2 . 2dpk is most probably a severely distorted six-cordinate complex.
Structure and Synthesis of 2-(4′-Substituted Phenyl)-Δ1-pyrrolines from 4-Phthalimidobutyryl Chloride via Friedel-Crafts Acylation

2-(4′-Substituted phenyl)-Δ1-pyrrolines can be prepared conveniently from the hydrochlorides of 4′-substituted-4-aminobutyrophenones or their cyclization products, the corresponding Δ1-pyrrolines hydrochlorides, by alkalinization. The hydrochlorides were prepared by the hydrolyses of 4′-substituted-4-phthalimidobutyrophenones, which were obtained from the Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction between the substituted benzenes and γ-phthalimidobutyryl chloride. Spectral evidence indicates that all the products obtained are Δ1-pyrrolines rather than the Δ2-isomers. This method should provide easy access to those 2-(4′-substituted phenyl)-Δ1-pyrrolines unavailable by other routes due to the unavailability of the corresponding β-cyano and γ-nitro ketone intermediates or the corresponding Grignard reagents.
MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY OF THE YILMIA ENSTATITE CHONDRITE

Yilmia, a new enstatite chondrite contains moderately well defined radiating and granular chondrules. The plagioclase to enstatite ratio is appreciably higher within than outside of the two granular chondrules in our microprobe sections. Osbornite was observed within the granular chondrules, but not in the rayed chondrules or surrounding matrix Major phases include enstatite, plagioclase (Ab80 An16 Or4), silica, silicon-rich kamacite and titanian troilite. Minor phases are many and varied: sinoite, silicon-rich taenite, schreibersite, graphite, osbornite, oldhamite, “normal” and zincian daubreelite, ferroan alabandite and a new FeZnMn monosulfide The new mineral (Fe.538 Zn.246 Mn.159 Mg.004 S) closely resembles albandite and could easily have been overlooked in other meteorites unless a microprobe was used. A new form of oldhamite was also found. Indarch oldhamite, analyzed for comparative purposes, consists of two similar but distinct species: Ca.96 Mn.005 Mg.04 Fe.01 S and Ca1.000 Mn.004 Mg.02 Fe.005 S. These have not been reported from other meteorites Based on its mineralogy and texture this is a type II (E6) enstatite chondrite that is transitional toward the intermediate type (E5). It is unique in its mineralogical complexity, abundance of taenite, diversity of zincian minerals and monosulfides, and restriction of osbornite to certain chondrules
I kid you not.

> It is up to each of us to help all the Sarah Palins of this world, and all the Joe the Taxpayers behind them, understand and appreciate the value of all kinds of research, both within and beyond our borders As the Editor of a journal focused on the use of model organisms to advance human health
Evaluating the Quality of Evidence from Correlational Research for Evidence-Based Practice

Only true experiments offer definitive evidence for causal inferences, but not all educational interventions are readily amenable to experiments. Correlational evidence can at least tentatively inform evidence-based practice when sophisticated causal modeling or exclusion methods are employed. Correlational evidence is most informative when exemplary practices are followed as regards (a) measurement, (b) quantifying effects, (c) avoiding common analysis errors, and (d) using confidence intervals to portray the range of possible effects and the precisions of the effect estimates.
Speaker Recognition Using Neural Tree Networks

A new classifier is presented for text-independent speaker recognition. The new classifier is called the modified neural tree network (MNTN). The NTN is a hierarchical classifier that combines the properties of decision trees and feed-forward neural networks. The MNTN differs from the standard NTN in that a new learning rule based on discriminant learning is used, which minimizes the classification error as opposed to a norm of the approximation error. The MNTN also uses leaf probability measures in addition to the class labels. The MNTN is evaluated for several speaker identification experiments and is compared to multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), decision trees, and vector quantization (VQ) classifiers. The VQ classifier and MNTN demonstrate comparable performance and perform significantly better than the other classifiers for this task. Additionally, the MNTN provides a logarithmic saving in retrieval time over that of the VQ classifier. The MNTN and VQ classifiers are also compared for several speaker verification experiments where the MNTN is found to outperform the VQ classifier.
Different Missions and Commitment Power in R&D Organizations: Theory and Evidence on Industry-University Alliances

This paper proposes a theory for why firms conduct some research activities in-house but outsource other projects to independent partners and for why firms retain different degrees of control over collaborative research projects. The focus is on the determinants of a company's choice to outsource research projects to academic organizations. Because of the different institutional missions of academic organizations, outsourcing a project to a university allows a firm to commit not to terminate or alter a scientifically valuable project before it is complete. This commitment is potentially valuable for the firm in an environment where scientific value and economic value may not coincide, and scientific workers are responsive to the incentives defined by their community of peers. An economic model that formalizes these arguments is developed. Empirical hypotheses are then formulated about the kind of research activities firms will outsource to universities and activities on which they will exert stronger control. Evidence from a sample of industry-university research agreements, as well as from other large-sample and case studies, shows patterns consistent with the predictions of the model.
A v-SNARE Implicated in Intra-Golgi Transport

We report the identification of a putative v-SNARE (GOS-28), localized primarily to transport vesicles at the terminal rims of Golgi stacks. In vitro, GOS-28, A Golgi SNARE of 28 kD, is efficiently packaged into Golgi-derived vesicles, which are most likely COPI coated. Antibodies directed against GOS-28 block its ability to bind alpha-SNAP, partially inhibit transport from the cis to the medial cisternae, and do not inhibit budding of COP-coated vesicles, but do accumulate docked uncoated vesicles.
Studies on the inhibition of proteolytic enzymes by serum. I. The mechanism of the inhibition of trypsin, plasmin, and chymotrypsin by serum using fibrin tagged with I131 as a substrate.

The mechanism of the inhibition of trypsin, plasmin, and chymotrypsin by serum was studied using fibrin tagged with radioactive iodine as a substrate. Enzyme-inhibitor relationships were studied by: ( a ) varying the concentration of serum; ( b ) varying the concentration of enzyme; and ( c ) by diluting the enzyme-serum mixture. The results indicate that the inhibition of trypsin, plasmin, and chymotrypsin is a stoichiometric and irreversible reaction. By using the Lineweaver-Burk graphical method of analysis it was demonstrated that the inhibition of trypsin and chymotrypsin is a non-competitive reaction. This finding supports the conclusion that inhibition by serum is an irreversible type of reaction. The substrate was found to exert a retarding effect on the activity of plasmin. The possibility of a plasmin inhibitor in fibrinogen was suggested. The suitability of the various procedures used in evaluating serum proteolytic inhibition was discussed.
Volumetric cine CMR to quantify atrial structure and function in patients with atrial dysrhythmias.

Purpose. To implement a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-based protocol to define atrial structure and function in individuals with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), heritable cardiac conduction and myocardial disease with atrial dysrhtyhmias (HCCMD), and healthy controls. Methods. Fifteen controls, 20 PAF, and 12 HCCMD subjects underwent CMR examination including: multislice short-axis cine, multislice horizontal long-axis cine, and gadolinium-enhanced coronal plane magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for pulmonary vein analysis. We also assessed for ventricular myopathy with delayed myocardial enhancement (DME) acquisitions. Results. Right and left ventricular measurements did not differ among the three groups. Seven heritable atrial dysrhythmia subjects and no control or PAF subjects demonstrated midmyocardial fibrosis of the basal interventricular septum by DME. Left atrial (LA) volume at the onset of atrial systole and minimal LA volume were significantly higher in PAF subjects compared to contr...
Optimal configuration of a command and control network: balancing performance and reconfiguration constraints

The optimization of the configuration of communications and control networks is important for assuring the reliability and performance of the networks. This paper presents techniques for determining the optimal configuration for such a network in the presence of communication and connectivity constraints.
From Virtue to Freedom through Emotion

Spinoza conceived human freedom as a matter solely of rationality, but an understanding of the role emotion plays in moral virtue can lead one toward viewing emotionality as also essential to human freedom. A large part of human freedom consists in our tendency to give intrinsic importance to people or things outside ourselves and take them into our lives; this sense of importance, in rich and various ways, brings emotion into the center of our lives and our freedom as individuals.
EP1 and EP4receptors mediate prostaglandin E2actions in the microcirculation of rat kidney

Vasodilator prostaglandin PGE2 protects the kidney from excessive vasoconstriction during contraction of extracellular fluid volume and pathophysiological states. However, it is not yet clear which...
Metastatic adrenal cortical carcinoma to T12 vertebrae

We report spinal metastasis of adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) to the T12 vertebrae with epidural extension. ACC is a rare malignancy with poor prognosis and high rates of metastasis. However, spinal lesions of ACC are rare, and few have been reported in the literature. We discuss our management of this lesion and review the current understanding and treatment of ACC and spinal metastasis.
Innovations in Stroke The Use of PROMIS and NeuroQoL Scales in Clinical Stroke Trials

There are significant limitations with the use of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score as the primary outcome in clinical stroke trials. We propose the exploration of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Information System (PROMIS) and Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (NeuroQoL) tools as outcome measures in clinical trials and provide preliminary data on the distribution of these measures in a cohort of patients with ischemic stroke. The mRS, a clinician-reported measure of global disability,1 is a commonly used primary outcome in clinical stroke trials. It is a 1-item measure ranging from grades 0 to 5 with 0 representing no symptoms and 5 representing severe disability. A score of 6 is often used to represent death. Although its beneficial attributes include simplicity and various modes of administration and demonstrated construct and convergent validity,2 there are also limitations when using mRS. There can be substantial interobserver variability in scoring, especially between scores 1 and 4,3 which is of key importance for stroke trials that dichotomize outcomes. In addition, the mRS is heavily weighted towards mobility4 and does not specifically delineate several other important domains of health that are frequently affected by stroke, such as cognition, fatigue, or ability to participate in social roles. The traditional approach to analyzing mRS in clinical trials is to dichotomize the score, which reduces the sensitivity to detect change. Shift analysis has the potential to increase power to detect differences compared with dichotomization. However, to allow adjustment for covariates and estimate an effect size, shift analyses must be done using ordinal regression, which requires that the data meet proportionality assumption.5 Importantly, because the mRS has only 6 levels, the ability to detect meaningful change and differences in outcomes among treatment groups is limited, even with the use of shift analysis. The use …
Control of Transcriptionin Bacillus brevis by Small Molecules

Bacterial sporulation consists of a progression of biochemical changes whose orderly sequence seems to be effected primarily by the regulation of specific gene transcription (1). In order to understand the control mechanisms involved in this process, we have concentrated our attention on the ways by which RNA synthesis in Bacillus brevis may be modulated by low molecular weight substances.
Nature of exciton transitions in hexagonal boron nitride

In contrast to other III-nitride semiconductors GaN and AlN, the intrinsic (or free) exciton transition in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) consists of rather complex fine spectral features (resolved into six sharp emission peaks) and the origin of which is still unclear. Here, the free exciton transition (FX) in h-BN bulk crystals synthesized by a solution method at atmospheric pressure has been probed by deep UV time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Based on the separations between the energy peak positions of the FX emission lines, the identical PL decay kinetics among different FX emission lines, and the known phonon modes in h-BN, we suggest that there is only one principal emission line corresponding to the direct intrinsic FX transition in h-BN, whereas all other fine features are a result of phonon-assisted transitions. The identified phonon modes are all associated with the center of the Brillouin zone. Our results offer a simple picture for the understanding of the fundamental exciton...
Methoprene for Control of Horn Flies: Application to Drinking Water of Cattle Via a Tablet Formulation

A tablet formulation of methoprene, an insect growth regulator, was effective for control of Haematobia irritans (L.) in the manure when used in the drinking water of cattle. In large field troughs, a simple dispenser provided the turbulence necessary for erosion of the tablets. A minimum of 0.02–0.03 ppm of methoprene in the water was required for consistent control.
Insight into Mechanistic Features of Ruthenium(II)–Pybox-Catalyzed C–H Amination

The mechanisms and controlling factors of intra- and intermolecular C–H bond amination catalyzed by cationic bis-imido complex [(Pybox)Ru(NSO3CH2CH2CH2R)2Cl]+ (1_R, where R = H, Ph) were elaborated...
Guanxi: Connections As Substitutes for Formal Institutional Support

Interview data from China are used to test an argument that executives develop personal connections in societies with underdeveloped legal support for private businesses. In China, such connections...
Clustering social cues to determine social signals: developing learning algorithms using the "n-most likely states" approach

Human-robot teaming largely relies on the ability of machines to respond and relate to human social signals. Prior work in Social Signal Processing has drawn a distinction between social cues (discrete, observable features) and social signals (underlying meaning). For machines to attribute meaning to behavior, they must first understand some probabilistic relationship between the cues presented and the signal conveyed. Using data derived from a study in which participants identified a set of salient social signals in a simulated scenario and indicated the cues related to the perceived signals, we detail a learning algorithm, which clusters social cue observations and defines an "N-Most Likely States" set for each cluster. Since multiple signals may be co-present in a given simulation and a set of social cues often maps to multiple social signals, the "N-Most Likely States" approach provides a dramatic improvement over typical linear classifiers. We find that the target social signal appears in a "3 most-likely signals" set with up to 85% probability. This results in increased speed and accuracy on large amounts of data, which is critical for modeling social cognition mechanisms in robots to facilitate more natural human-robot interaction. These results also demonstrate the utility of such an approach in deployed scenarios where robots need to communicate with human teammates quickly and efficiently. In this paper, we detail our algorithm, comparative results, and offer potential applications for robot social signal detection and machine-aided human social signal detection.
A Randomized Prospective Comparison of Oral Versus Intravesical and Percutaneous Bacillus Calmette-guerin for Superficial Bladder Cancer

AbstractReports of a dramatic decrease in tumor recurrence and regression of muscle invasive disease with oral bacillus Calmette-Guerin prompted us to conduct a randomized prospective comparison of oral bacillus Calmette Guerin with the standard intravesical plus percutaneous therapy. Oral therapy consisted of 200mg. Tice bacillus Calmette-Guerin 3 times each week. Intravesical and percutaneous Tice bacillus Calmette-Guerin at a dose of 50mg. was given weekly for 6 weeks, at 8, 10 and 12 weeks, then at 6 months and every 6 months thereafter. Minimal side effects confirmed the safety of oral bacillus Calmette-Guerin. Tumor recurrence was documented in 21 of 33 oral bacillus Calmette-Guerin patients (64%) and 18 of 55 (33%) who received intravesical plus percutaneous therapy (p <0.002, chi-square test). We were unable to demonstrate any antitumor activity of oral bacillus Calmette-Guerin in this study.
Prostaglandin secretion by guinea pig tracheal epithelial cells caused by eosinophil major basic protein.

We examined the effect of eosinophil major basic protein (MBP) on prostaglandin (PG) secretion from guinea pig tracheal epithelial (GPTE) cells. Primary cultures of GPTE cells were incubated with 1...
Philosophies, Skepticism, and Morals: a Background in Enlightenment

In developing his stance on knowledge, Byron engages with one of the ongoing philosophical investigations of his age. In many ways this is unsurprising. Byron was both highly intelligent and highly curious, and the disputes about how and if knowledge could be acquired, with their dependence on evaluation of plausibility, and their appeals to different beliefs about what was obvious and ‘natural,’ would have appealed to his questing mind.1 In addition, the liveliness of most eighteenth-century epistemological investigations — their provocative assertions, their iconoclastic conclusions, the quick wit of many of the philosophers — would have jibed with his own approach and thus appealed to him. Finally, as the quotations in my introduction show, even a cursory investigation of his private writings and letters shows a man interested in questions of knowing throughout his life. Intellectually and temperamentally, then, Byron makes a plausible epistemologist.
Signaling cascades of apoptosis

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is the process which deletes cells from a population in a deliberate manner without eliciting an immune response. This type of cell death maintains homeostasis and is central to the development, selection, and activity of lymphocytes. Through apoptosis, host-reactive immune cells are eliminated during their development and activated cells in the periphery are eliminated to avoid a sustained inflammatory response. Thus, apoptosis is a central mediator of the immune and inflammatory responses.
A comparison of patient-centered economic and clinical outcomes of post-mastectomy breast reconstruction between obese and non-obese patients

Abstract Background The objectives of this study were to compare, by patient obesity status, the contemporary utilization patterns of different reconstruction surgery types, understand postoperative complication profiles in the community setting, and analyze the financial impact on health care payers and patients. Methods Using data from the MarketScan Health Risk Assessment Database and Commercial Claims and Encounters Database, we identified breast cancer patients who received breast reconstruction surgery following mastectomy between 2009 and 2012. The Cochran-Armitage test was used to evaluate the utilization pattern of breast reconstruction surgery. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to estimate the association between obesity status and infectious, wound, and perfusion complications within one year of surgery. A generalized linear model was used to compare total, complication-related, and out-of-pocket costs. Results The rate of TE/implant-based reconstruction increased significantly for non-obese patients but not for obese patients during the years analyzed, whereas autologous reconstruction decreased for both patient groups. Obesity was associated with higher odds of infectious, wound, and perfusion complications after TE/implant-based reconstruction, and higher odds of perfusion complications after autologous reconstruction. The adjusted total healthcare costs and out-of-pocket costs were similar for obese and non-obese patients for either type of breast reconstruction surgery. Conclusions A greater likelihood of one-year complications arose from TE/implant-based vs autologous reconstruction surgery in obese patients. Given that out-of-pocket costs were independent of the type of reconstruction, greater emphasis should be placed on conveying the surgery-related complications to obese patients to aid in patient-based decision making with their plastic surgeons and oncologists.
Simulations of the cosmic-ray-induced neutron background

A method for simulating the cosmic-ray-induced neutron background at ground level has been developed. This method was used to obtain the expected pulse height distributions, net neutron rates, and angular distribution using EJ-309 liquid scintillators, and has been validated using outdoor measurements. The simulations were carried out using the Monte Carlo transport code MCNPX-PoliMi combined with the source subroutine CRY. The absolute count rates for neutrons were then obtained from the simulations using an empirical scaling formula from literature. Preliminary measurements of the angular distribution of background neutrons were done using a collimated EJ-309 liquid scintillator, showing fair agreement with simulations.
Multilevel Vertical Interconnection Technology

Multilevel vertical interconnections are playing an increasingly important role in radar and communication circuits. In advanced systems, front ends with high circuit density and thus small footprint area are obtained using multilevel circuits. This approach potentially lends itself to a high degree of component integration and reduced cost. Additionally, the small overall depth of the front end allows minimal cost of installation and attractive esthetics. These factors could enable a multitude of new applications particularly in the commercial market. An example of this technology is a flat panel phased array which is manufactured by stacking thin panels for the distribution circuit, the T/R modules, and the patch antenna elements on top of each other.
Normal Postnatal Ocular Development

An understanding of normal structural and functional development of the eye and adnexa assists in the identification of abnormal departures reflecting disease processes. Normal data for visual acuity, refractive error, and globe size are presented along with specifications for the anatomic development of the cornea, anterior chamber, iris, lens, ciliary body, vitreous, retina, sclera, optic nerve and sheath, vasculature, extraocular muscles, eyelids, orbit and sinuses. Normal values for intraocular pressure and visual fields are also discussed.
Characterization of High Performance Composite Matrices

The increasing use of high performance, fibrous composites in critical structural applications has led to a need to predict the lifetimes of these materials in service environments. The durability of the epoxy matrices (primarily amine-cured epoxies) used in these high performance composites has been a cause for concern. A number of studies have indicated that the combined effects stress, sorbed moisture and thermal exposure can cause significant changes in the mechanical response of the composite.1,2 The structural and mechanical integrity of both the epoxy matrix and the fiber-matrix interfacial region can be modified by these environmental factors.
Spreading Ebola Panic: Newspaper and Social Media Coverage of the 2014 Ebola Health Crisis

During times of hot crises, traditional news organizations have historically contributed to public fear and panic by emphasizing risks and uncertainties. The degree to which digital and social media platforms contribute to this panic is essential to consider in the new media landscape. This research examines news coverage of the 2014 Ebola crisis, exploring differences in presentation between newspaper coverage and news shared on the social news platform Reddit. Results suggest that news shared on Reddit amplified panic and uncertainty surrounding Ebola, while traditional newspaper coverage was significantly less likely to produce panic-inducing coverage.
Domain-Adapted Convolutional Networks for Satellite Image Classification: A Large-Scale Interactive Learning Workflow

Satellite imagery often exhibits large spatial extent areas that encompass object classes with considerable variability. This often limits large-scale model generalization with machine learning algorithms. Notably, acquisition conditions, including dates, sensor position, lighting condition, and sensor types, often translate into class distribution shifts introducing complex nonlinear factors and hamper the potential impact of machine learning classifiers. This paper investigates the challenge of exploiting satellite images using convolutional neural networks (CNN) for settlement classification where the class distribution shifts are significant. We present a large-scale human settlement mapping workflow based-off multiple modules to adapt a pretrained CNN to address the negative impact of distribution shift on classification performance. To extend a locally trained classifier onto large spatial extents areas we introduce several submodules: First, a human-in-the-loop element for relabeling of misclassified target domain samples to generate representative examples for model adaptation; second, an efficient hashing module to minimize redundancy and noisy samples from the mass-selected examples; and third, a novel relevance ranking module to minimize the dominance of source example on the target domain. The workflow presents a novel and practical approach to achieve large-scale domain adaptation with binary classifiers that are based-off CNN features. Experimental evaluations are conducted on areas of interest that encompass various image characteristics, including multisensors, multitemporal, and multiangular conditions. Domain adaptation is assessed on source–target pairs through the transfer loss and transfer ratio metrics to illustrate the utility of the workflow.
Poststall Hysteresis and Flowfield Unsteadiness on a NACA 0012 Airfoil

The current study was conducted to understand flowfield unsteadiness associated with static stall hysteresis on a NACA 0012 airfoil at Rec=1.0×106. Unsteady pressure measurements were acquired to e...
Electrophoretic Deposition of 10B Nano/Micro Particles in Deep Silicon Trenches for the Fabrication of Solid State Thermal Neutron Detectors

We present a cost effective and scalable approach to fabricate solid state thermal neutron detectors. Electrophoretic deposition technique is used to fill deep silicon trenches with 10B nanoparticl...
DETECTION OF PITCHED/UNPITCHED SOUND USING PITCH STRENGTH CLUSTERING

A method for detecting pitched/unpitched sound is presented. The method tracks the pitch strength trace of the signal, determining clusters of pitch and unpitched sound. The criterion used to determine the clusters is the local maximization of the distance between the centroids. The method makes no assumption about the data except that the pitched and unpitched clusters have different centroids. This allows the method to dispense with free parameters. The method is shown to be more reliable than using fixed thresholds when the SNR is unknown.
AutoGrow4: an open-source genetic algorithm for de novo drug design and lead optimization

We here present AutoGrow4, an open-source program for semi-automated computer-aided drug discovery. AutoGrow4 uses a genetic algorithm to evolve predicted ligands on demand and so is not limited to a virtual library of pre-enumerated compounds. It is a useful tool for generating entirely novel drug-like molecules and for optimizing preexisting ligands. By leveraging recent computational and cheminformatics advancements, AutoGrow4 is faster, more stable, and more modular than previous versions. It implements new docking-program compatibility, chemical filters, multithreading options, and selection methods to support a wide range of user needs. To illustrate both de novo design and lead optimization, we here apply AutoGrow4 to the catalytic domain of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1), a well characterized DNA-damage-recognition protein. AutoGrow4 produces drug-like compounds with better predicted binding affinities than FDA-approved PARP-1 inhibitors (positive controls). The predicted binding modes of the AutoGrow4 compounds mimic those of the known inhibitors, even when AutoGrow4 is seeded with random small molecules. AutoGrow4 is available under the terms of the Apache License, Version 2.0. A copy can be downloaded free of charge from http://durrantlab.com/autogrow4.
Promoting Wellbeing with Sunny, a Chatbot that Facilitates Positive Messages within Social Groups

A Facebook Messenger chatbot, Sunny, was designed and deployed to promote positive social connections and enhance psychological wellbeing. A 10-day study was conducted with three pre-existing social groups of four members each in control (n=12) and experimental groups (n=12). Both groups completed initial assessments and daily reports, and the experimental groups interacted with Sunny. Exit interviews indicated three key themes: 1) Sunny prompted self-reflection, boosting participants' senses of self-worth and the depth of their relationships, 2) using Sunny encouraged participants to send heartfelt messages they would not have shared otherwise, 3) participants enjoyed accessing positive messages "on-demand". Experimental groups showed an average increase in psychological wellbeing of 1.73 (std = 6.08), compared to 0.5 (std = 5.94) in control. Our results suggest that an AI-based chatbot like Sunny could provide preventative care, promoting strong social connections and psychological wellbeing.
Validation of an electronic coding algorithm to identify the primary indication of orthopedic surgeries from administrative data.

Determining the primary indication of a surgical procedure can be useful in identifying patients undergoing elective surgery where shared decision-making is recommended. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an algorithm to identify patients receiving the following combinations of surgical procedure and primary indication as part of a study to promote shared decision-making: (1) knee arthroplasty to treat knee osteoarthritis (KOA); (2) hip arthroplasty to treat hip osteoarthritis (HOA); (3) spinal surgery to treat lumbar spinal stenosis (SpS); and (4) spinal surgery to treat lumbar herniated disc (HD). Consecutive surgical procedures performed by participating spine, hip, and knee surgeons at four sites within an integrated care network were included. Study staff reviewed electronic medical records to ascertain a “gold standard” determination of the procedure and primary indication status. Electronic algorithms consisting of ICD-10 and CPT codes for each combination of procedure and indication were then applied to records for each case. The primary measures of validity for the algorithms were the sensitivity and specificity relative to the gold standard review. Participating surgeons performed 790 procedures included in this study. The sensitivity of the algorithms in determining whether a surgical case represented one of the combinations of procedure and primary indication ranged from 0.70 (HD) to 0.92 (KOA). The specificity ranged from 0.94 (SpS) to 0.99 (HOA, KOA). The electronic algorithm was able to identify all four procedure/primary indication combinations of interest with high specificity. Additionally, the sensitivity for the KOA cases was reasonably high. For HOA and the spine conditions, additional work is needed to improve the sensitivity of the algorithm to identify the primary indication for each case.
The Contribution of N+ ions to Earth's Polar Wind

The escape of heavy ions from the Earth atmosphere is consequences of energization and transport mechanisms, including photoionization, electron precipitation, ion-electron-neutral chemistry and co...
Age Differences in the Use of Health Information Technology Among Adults in the United States: An Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey:

Background: Despite significant advancements in the use of health information technologies (HITs) in health care, older adults' adoption of new technologies has consistently lagged behind that of younger adults. Objective: To compare ownership rates and preferences for utilizing technology for health information exchange among older and younger adults. Methods: Utilizing data from the 2017 and 2018 iterations of the Health Information National Trends Survey (n = 6789), we performed multivariable logistic regression while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Older adults were less likely than younger adults to own technological devices such as smartphones, less likely to report finding these tools beneficial in monitoring their health, and less likely to use these tools in communicating with their health providers. However, these differences were substantially attenuated after adjustment for technology ownership. Discussion: Future research should aim to identify factors associated with access, usability, and adoption of HIT for managing care among older adults.