cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neural response to evaluating depression predicts perceivers' mental health treatment recommendations.

Nonstigmatized perceivers’ initial evaluations of stigmatized individuals have profound consequences for the well-being of those stigmatized individuals. However, the mechanism by which this occurs remains underexplored. Specifically, what beliefs about the stigmatized condition (stigma-related beliefs) shape how nonstigmatized perceivers evaluate and behave toward stigmatized individuals? We examined these questions with respect to depression-related stigmatization because depression is highly stigmatized and nondepressed individuals’ behavior (e.g., willingness to recommend treatment) directly relates to removing stigma and increasing well-being. In Study 1, we identified common stigma-related beliefs associated with depression (e.g., not a serious illness, controllable, threatening), and found that only perceptions that depression is a serious condition predicted nondepressed perceivers’ willingness to recommend mental health treatment. Moreover, perceivers’ beliefs that depression is a distressing condition mediated the relationship between perceived seriousness and treatment recommendations (Study 1). In Study 2, we used fMRI to disentangle the potential processes connecting distress to nondepressed perceivers’ self-reported treatment intentions. Heightened activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC)—a region widely implicated in evaluating others—and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC)—a region widely implicated in regulating negative emotions—emerged when nondepressed perceivers evaluated individuals who were ostensibly depressed. Beliefs that depression is a distressing condition mediated the relationship between dmPFC (but not vlPFC) activity and nondepressed individuals’ self-reported treatment recommendations.
Using convolutional neural networks to estimate time-of-flight from PET detector waveforms

Although there have been impressive strides in detector development for time-of-flight positron emission tomography, most detectors still make use of simple signal processing methods to extract the time-of-flight information from the detector signals. In most cases, the timing pick-off for each waveform is computed using leading edge discrimination or constant fraction discrimination, as these were historically easily implemented with analog pulse processing electronics. However, now with the availability of fast waveform digitizers, there is opportunity to make use of more of the timing information contained in the coincident detector waveforms with advanced signal processing techniques. Here we describe the application of deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a type of machine learning, to estimate time-of-flight directly from the pair of digitized detector waveforms for a coincident event. One of the key features of this approach is the simplicity in obtaining ground-truth-labeled data needed to train the CNN: the true time-of-flight is determined from the difference in path length between the positron emission and each of the coincident detectors, which can be easily controlled experimentally. The experimental setup used here made use of two photomultiplier tube-based scintillation detectors, and a point source, stepped in 5 mm increments over a 15 cm range between the two detectors. The detector waveforms were digitized at 10 GS s−1 using a bench-top oscilloscope. The results shown here demonstrate that CNN-based time-of-flight estimation improves timing resolution by 20% compared to leading edge discrimination (231 ps versus 185 ps), and 23% compared to constant fraction discrimination (242 ps versus 185 ps). By comparing several different CNN architectures, we also showed that CNN depth (number of convolutional and fully connected layers) had the largest impact on timing resolution, while the exact network parameters, such as convolutional filter size and number of feature maps, had only a minor influence.
Rapid insertion of bismuth radioactive isotopes into texaphyrin in aqueous media

Radioisotopes 213Bi and 207Bi were successfully inserted into a water-soluble and tumor-targeting texaphyrin ligand. The reaction with 207Bi(OAc)3 proceeds in about 15 min in aqueous media without the use of any organic base. The Bi(III) texaphyrin complex formed (3) is stable in aqueous media even in the presence of an excess of competitive chelators (EDTA or citric acid), as well as in human blood plasma. These results validate texaphyrins as potential candidates for coordinating bismuth radionuclides and set the stage for their use in targeted alpha therapy (TAT).
Peeling back the onion: addressing nuances of CT screening for lung cancer.

At first glance, screening for lung cancer is straightforward. You can find lung cancer at an early stage with a CT scan, so if you do a lot of CT scans you will save a lot of lives. However, the devil is in the details. One of the problems is that a chest CT detects nodules in many patients; deciding when a nodule is just background noise or warrants closer attention is an important component of the screening process. Nuances of how to do this are still being developed.
Optimality of a Polynomial Multiplier

The Cauchy radius of a polynomial is a classical upper bound from 1829 on the magnitude of the largest zero of a polynomial, which was improved in 2002 by Rahman and Schmeisser with the use of a po...
"Flipped classroom" for academic and career advising: an innovative technique for medical student advising.

Introduction Career advising for medical students can be challenging for both the student and the adviser. Our objective was to design, implement, and evaluate a "flipped classroom" style advising session. Methods We performed a single-center cross-sectional study at an academic medical center, where a novel flipped classroom style student advising model was implemented and evaluated. In this model, students were provided a document to review and fill out prior to their one-on-one advising session. Results Ninety-four percent (95% CI, 88%-100%) of the medical students surveyed felt that the advising session was more effective as a result of the outline provided and completed before the session and that the pre-advising document helped them gain a better understanding of the content to be discussed at the session. Conclusion Utilization of the flipped classroom style advising document was an engaging advising technique that was well received by students at our institution.
Study on the searching strategies of assessing the MRI RF-induced heating for an implantable plate and screw system

This paper presents a comparison study of searching strategies for the worst-case construct for an implantable internal fixation system under 1.5T MRI radio frequency (RF) birdcage coil. An example of the generic plate and screw system is used as the device of interest. Based on the combinations of the values of the six device parameters, 576 models are studied and the peak 1 g averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) near devices are extracted to build a dataset for searching. Three searching strategies, which are sequential one-dimension searching, searching based on various sequences and searching with multi-iterations, are investigated. It is found that the searching sequences and initial values of the device parameters have effects on the searched worst-case results. The possibility of getting the failed search results when searching with random sequence and initial parameter values can be high. Searching with multi-iterations can improve the accuracy of correctly identifying the worst-case heating construct.
Pulmonary Responses to Acutely Elevated Intracranial Pressure in Dogs

In humans, dyspneic ventilatory failure has been associated with mountain sickness (Anholm et al. 1979) by the mechanism of hypoxia (Sutton et al. 1976). Hypoxia elevates pulmonary arterial pressure (Reeves 1973), enlarging the volume of extravascular lung fluid, and in some cases progressing to acute pulmonary edema (Gray et al. 1975). Similar responses also occur following severe head injury (Schumacker et al. 1979; Huang et al. 1963; Froman 1968; Simmons et al. 1969).
Application of microRNA in cardiac and skeletal muscle disease gene therapy.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small ~22 nt noncoding RNAs. miRNAs regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional levels by destabilization and degradation of the target mRNA or by translational repression. Numerous studies have demonstrated that miRNAs are essential for normal mammalian development and organ function. Deleterious changes in miRNA expression play an important role in human diseases. We and others have previously reported several muscle-specific miRNAs, including miR-1/206, miR-133, and miR-208. These muscle-specific miRNAs are essential for normal myoblast differentiation and proliferation, and they have also been implicated in various cardiac and skeletal muscular diseases. miRNA-based gene therapies hold great potential for the treatment of cardiac and skeletal muscle disease(s). Herein, we introduce the methods commonly applied to study the biological role of miRNAs, as well as the techniques utilized to manipulate miRNA expression.
169 Use of stored zonae pellucidae from young and old mares to study sperm–oocyte binding

Natural and standard IVF requires sperm binding to the zona pellucida (ZP); however, difficulties in obtaining equine ZP limit research in this area. In a previous study, an in vitro assay was used to assess ZP sperm binding for oocytes collected from old and young mares’ dominant follicles, with similar numbers of sperm bound per ZP (means of 45.5 and 58.1 sperm per ZP; P = 0.12) (Lupole et al. 2010 Anim. Reprod. Sci. 121, 252-253). We hypothesised that ZP from uncleaved equine oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) could be used to study ZP sperm binding. For this study, oocytes from mares >20 years (old, n = 13 oocytes) and 4 to 12 years (young, n = 16 oocytes) were collected by transvaginal, ultrasound-guided aspirations and injected with a single sperm. Only oocytes that failed to cleave into at least 2 cells within 2 days after ICSI were used. The oocytes were stored in hyperosmotic salt solution at 4°C for 2 years. The sperm binding assay was performed similar to the previous study (Lupole et al. 2010). Oocytes were removed from salt solution and placed into TALP and incubated for 1 h at 38.5°C in 6% CO2 and air. Following incubation, oocytes were moved to a 45-µL drop of TALP. Frozen-thawed sperm (100,000 total sperm) from one stallion of good fertility were added and incubated for 2 h. Oocytes were then washed through 4 drops of TALP using a pipette tip with a 175-µm inner diameter to remove loosely bound sperm. Oocytes and tightly bound sperm were stained in 4’6-diamidino-2-phenyindole (DAPI; 10 µg mL−1) for 15 min. The oocytes were secured on a glass slide under a coverslip that was supported by a mix of paraffin and petroleum jelly and viewed at 400× magnification using an epifluorescence microscope (Nikon Eclipse E800, Nikon, Tokyo, Japan). The number of tightly bound sperm was recorded. Sperm counts for age groups were compared using Student’s t-test, with data presented as mean ± s.e.m. Sperm binding was not different between groups (59.2 ± 16.9 for old mares and 36.8 ± 10.6 for young mares; P = 0.25). As previously observed with oocytes that had not been injected with sperm and minimal time in salt storage, we found no significant effect of mare age on sperm binding to the ZP. In addition, numbers of sperm bound to the ZP were similar between projects. Our findings suggest that equine oocytes that fail to cleave after ICSI could provide a valuable source of ZP for research. Further work is ongoing to determine the effect of time that oocytes are stored in salt solution on sperm binding.
A Progress Bar for the JPF Search Using Program Executions

Software model checkers, such as JPF, are routinely used to explore executions of programs that have very large state spaces. Sometimes the exploration can take a significant amount of time before a bug is found or the checking is complete, in which case the user must patiently wait, possibly for quite some time, to learn the result of checking. A progress bar that accurately shows the status of the search provides the user useful feedback about the time expected for the search to complete. This paper introduces JPFBar, a novel technique to estimate the percentage of work done by the JPF search by computing weights for the execution paths it explores and summing up the weights. JPFBar is embodied into a listener that prints a progress bar during JPF execution. An experimental evaluation using a variety of Java subjects shows that JPFBar provides accurate information about the search's progress and fares well in comparison with a statebased progress estimator that is part of the standard JPF distribution.
One in five hepatocellular carcinoma patients in the United States are Hispanic while less than 40% were eligible for liver transplantation

One in five hepatocellular carcinoma patients in the United States are Hispanic while less than 40% were eligible for liver transplantation
Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

The concepts and techniques developed by mathematicians, physicists, and engineers to characterize and predict the behavior of nonlinear dynamical systems are now being applied to a wide variety of biomedical problems. This chapter serves as an introduction to the central elements of the analysis of nonlinear dynamics systems. The fundamental distinctions between linear and nonlinear systems are described and the basic vocabulary used in studies of nonlinear dynamics introduced. Key concepts are illustrated with classic examples ranging from simple bistability and hysteresis in a damped, driven oscillator to spatiotemporal modes and chaos in large systems, and to multiple attractors in complex Boolean networks. The goal is to give readers less familiar with nonlinear dynamics a conceptual framework for understanding other chapters in this volume.
Subsequent Cancer Prevention and Control Activities Among Low- and Middle-Income Country Participants in the US National Cancer Institute's Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention.

PURPOSEA dramatic shift in the burden of cancer from high-income countries to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is predicted to occur over the next few decades. An effective response require...
The autonomous vehicle social network: Analyzing tweets after a recent Tesla autopilot crash:

Automated vehicle technologies offer a potentially safer alternative than manually driven vehicles, but only if they are accepted and used appropriately. Social media platforms may offer an opportu...
Abstract P725: Cerebral Endothelial Cell Derived Exosomes Promote Neurogenesis and Improve Cognitive Function in Aged Diabetic Rats

Introduction: Middle age and elderly patients with type II diabetes mellitus (DM) are at high risk to develop cognitive decline and dementia. Reduction of hippocampal neurogenesis is highly associa...
Evaluating the maximum regret of statistical treatment rules with sample data on treatment response

In this article, we present the wald_tc command, which computes the maximum regret (MR) of a user-specified statistical treatment rule that uses sample data on realized treatment response (and opti...
Choroid plexus perfusion in sickle cell disease and moyamoya vasculopathy: Implications for glymphatic flow.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid exchange have been shown to increase following pharmacologically-manipulated increases in cerebral arterial pulsatility, consistent with arterial pu...
Sibling Deaths, Racial/Ethnic Disadvantage, and Dementia in Later Life.

Objectives Sibling loss is understudied in the bereavement and health literature. The present study considers whether experiencing the death of siblings in mid-to-late life is associated with subsequent dementia risk and how differential exposure to sibling losses by race/ethnicity may contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in dementia risk. Methods We use discrete-time hazard regression models, a formal mediation test, and a counterfactual simulation to reveal how sibling loss in mid-to-late life affects dementia incidence and whether unequal exposures by race/ethnicity mediate the racial/ethnic disparities in dementia. We analyze data from the Health and Retirement Study (2000-2016). The sample includes 13,589 respondents (10,607 non-Hispanic White, 1,761 non-Hispanic Black, and 1,158 Hispanic adults) aged 65 years and older in 2000 who show no evidence of dementia at baseline. Results Discrete-time hazard regression results show that sibling loss in mid-to-late life is associated with up to 54% higher risk for dementia. Sibling loss contributes to Black-White disparities in dementia risk. In addition, a simulation analysis shows that dementia rates would be 14% lower for Black adults if they experienced the lower rates of sibling loss experienced by White adults. This pattern was not observed among Hispanic adults. Discussion The death of a sibling in mid-to-late life is a stressor that is associated with increased dementia risk. Black adults are disadvantaged in that they are more likely than Whites to experience the death of siblings, and such losses contribute to the already substantial racial/ethnic disadvantage in dementia.
Impact of Dietary Carbohydrate Restriction versus Energy Restriction on Exogenous Carbohydrate Oxidation during Aerobic Exercise.

Individuals with high physical activity levels, such as athletes and military personnel, are likely to experience periods of low muscle glycogen content. Reductions in glycogen stores are associated with impaired physical performance. Lower glycogen stores in these populations are likely due to sustained aerobic exercise coupled with sub-optimal carbohydrate or energy intake. Consuming exogenous carbohydrate during aerobic exercise may be an effective intervention to sustain physical performance during periods of low glycogen. However, research is limited in the area of carbohydrate recommendations to fuel performance during periods of sub-optimal carbohydrate and energy intake. Additionally, the studies that have investigated the effects of low glycogen stores on exogenous carbohydrate oxidation have yielded conflicting results. Discrepancies between studies may be the result of glycogen stores being lowered by restricting carbohydrate or restricting energy intake. This narrative review discusses the influence of low glycogen status resulting from carbohydrate restriction versus energy restriction on exogenous carbohydrate oxidation and examines the potential mechanism resulting in divergent responses in exogenous carbohydrate oxidation. Results from this review indicate that rates of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation can be maintained when glycogen content is lower following carbohydrate restrictions, but may be reduced following energy restriction. Reductions in exogenous carbohydrate oxidation following energy restriction appear to result from lower insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake. Exogenous carbohydrate may thus be an effective intervention to sustain performance following short-term energy adequate carbohydrate restriction, but may not be an effective ergogenic aid when glycogen stores are low due to energy restriction.
Haitian Immigrants in the United States

The formulation and maintenance of the United States’ social and cultural idioms have their roots and essence in the epic of world migration. Unquestionably, the substance of Americaness has been achieved through the travails and experiences of immigrants who have arrived on the shores of the United States from all parts of the world during the last five centuries to revitalize and reinvent the culture. According to Ware, immigrants and their children have not only contributed to the American nation, they are the United States (1940). Similarly, in his seminal book, The Uprooted, Oscar Handlin echoed the same sentiment when he wrote, “Once I thought to write a history of immigrants in the United States. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American history” (Handlin, 1973: 3). Thus, in so far as nationalities from all over the world are represented in the North American nation’s population, the United States exemplifies the archetypical multiethnic and multiracial society. However, whether the immigrants had voluntary left or had been constrained to leave their native lands to start a new life in the United States, generally, they do not consider themselves as “transplanted” or “uprooted” people (Handlin, 1973). For them and even for some of their progenies who have never been in their parents’ homeland, the memories of the former society linger in their imagining and the circumstances through which they experience their U.S. realities attest to a narrative of historical continuity. Long after the immigrants have embraced the United States as their ’home,’ they and their progenies continue to nurture in their imagining the memories o f, at least, one foreign land (the hyphenated American) and still cling to the cultural legacies of, at least, one alien society (the ethnic American) (Sollors, 1986).
Chapter 31. Enantioselectivity in Drug Metabolism

Publisher Summary This chapter is primarily concerned with the recent reports on substrate dependent enantioselective metabolism of chiral CNS agents, autonomic, and cardiovascular agents, and miscellaneous drugs and xenobiotics. The three stereochemical metabolic events are defined in this chapter: (1) substrate stereoselectivity, in which the two enantiomers of a chiral molecule are differentially metabolized; (2) substrate-product stereoselectivity, in which a prochiral center of a chiral molecule is metabolized preferentially to one of the two possible diastereomers; and (3) product stereoselectivity, in which a prochiral center of a symmetric molecule is metabolized preferentially to one of the two possible enantiomers. Conflicting results concerning the enantioselectivity of the N-, O-, and N, O-deal kylation pathways of opiates have been discussed in the chapter. Recent studies investigating the reduction of the 6-keto function in various dihydromorphinones and dihydrocodeinones indicate marked species variations in the stereoselective formation of the two possible diastereomeric 6α- and 6β-hydroxy metabolites. For example, naloxone and naltrexone are metabolized in chicken to 6α-naloxol and 6α-naltrexol, respectively, whereas in rabbit, they are metabolized to the corresponding epimeric 6β-metabolites. In man, naltrexone is primarily reduced to 6β-naltrexol. Different soluble hepatic reductases appear to be responsible for the observed product stereoselectivity.
Effects of Dietary Minerals on Acid-Base Balance and Eggshell Quality in Chickens

Three experiments were conducted in hens to determine the effects of high levels of dietary phosphorus (P, 1-1.5%), chloride (Cl, 0.8%) or both on acid-base balance and eggshell quality and to consider whether any adverse effects on eggshell quality can be attributed to alteration of blood acid-base balance. Eggshell quality and values for a blood indicator of acid-base balance were reduced by high levels of dietary P or Cl in all of the experiments. Eggshell quality and values for the blood acid-base indicator were further reduced by high dietary levels of the combination of minerals. The adverse effects associated with high levels of the combination were greater than the sum of adverse effects associated with high levels of each mineral. The effects of P and Cl on plasma levels of these minerals were inconsistent and varied among experiments. The use of pair-fed controls revealed that the adverse effects of combined P and Cl on eggshell quality and acid-base balance were independent of their effects on feed and calcium intake. Calcium excretion was increased by consumption of the high P, high Cl diet. The information obtained from these experiments suggests that the adverse effects of high levels of dietary P and/or Cl on eggshell quality may be due, at least in part, to increased Ca excretion. This, in turn, may be mediated by acidemia resulting from the dietary manipulations, although the present data were insufficient to provide a direct link between acidemia and Ca excretion.
Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds

Part 1 Foundations: introduction the era of decentralization. Part 2 Constructions: constructionism LEGO/logo StarLogo objects and parallelism. Part 3 Explorations: simulations and stimulations slime mould artificial ants traffic jams termites turtles and frogs turtle ecology new turtle geometry forest fire recursive trees. Part 4 Reflections: the centralized mindset beyond the centralized mindset. Part 5 Projections: growing up. Appendices: student participants StarLogo overview.
Two forms of RPO41-dependent RNA polymerase: regulation of the RNA polymerase by glucose repression may control yeast mitochondrial gene expression

We have identified two chromatographically separable forms of mitochondrial RNA polymerase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae which utilize different DNA templates. One form is only active in a nonselective assay utilizing a poly[d(A-T)] template. The other form selectively initiates from a mitochondrial promoter consensus sequence. Both enzymes can be extracted from yeast mitochondria and all components are encoded by nuclear genes. The possibility that these two activities represent core and holoenzyme forms of the multicomponent mitochondrial RNA polymerase is supported by our observation that both enzymes are absent from a strain bearing a disrupted copy of the RPO41 gene (Greenleaf, A. L., Kelly, J. L., and Lehman, I. R. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 83, 3391-3399). The two enzyme activities are differentially regulated by carbon source; the nonselective enzyme is repressed during growth on glucose relative to the selective enzyme. The 5-fold increase in RNA polymerase activity on a nonrepressing carbon source correlates with the increased level of transcript production from mitochondrial DNA. These results suggest that the mitochondrial RNA polymerase and, in consequence, mitochondrial transcription are regulated by carbon catabolite control.
A Note on Confluent Thue Systems

If one is to use a rewriting system, then it is important to know whether the word problem is decidable. If a finite rewriting system is both confluent and has the property that there are no infinite reduction chains, then the word problem is decidable (see [Hu80] for a discussion). In this note string rewriting is considered and Thue systems are viewed as string rewriting systems, that is, a Thue system is considered to be a rewriting system where the domain consists of the set of all strings over some fixed finite alphabet. Here it is shown that for a finite Thue system T such that (i) T is confluent and (ii) there is a total recursive function R that bounds the lengths of reduction chains of T, there is an algorithm to solve the word problem for T and the algorithm has running time O(R(n)), where n is the length of the input. If a finite Thue system is viewed as a rewriting system and reduction of the length of strings is the basis for defining the notion of reduction for rewriting rules, then for any string w, no sequence of consecutive reductions applied to w can have length (i.e., the number of reductions performed) greater than [w[, where [w[ denotes the length of w. This fact leads to a linear-time algorithm for the word problem for confluent Thue systems [Bo82] where length is the basis for defining reduction. In this paper a more general situation is studied. Let R : N --* N be a function that is strictly increasing. Supppose that T is a Thue system with the property that no sequence of consecutive reductions that begins with an application of a reduction to a string w can have length that is greater than R([wD; such a system is called "R-noetherian." Suppose that T is a finite Thue system that is both
Respiratory Tolerance Is Inhibited by the Administration of Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids constitute the most effective current anti-inflammatory therapy for acute and chronic forms of allergic diseases and asthma. Corticosteroids are highly effective in inhibiting the effector function of Th2 cells, eosinophils, and epithelial cells. However, treatment with corticosteroids may also limit beneficial T cell responses, including respiratory tolerance and the development of regulatory T cells (T Reg ), which actively suppress inflammation in allergic diseases. To examine this possibility, we investigated the effects of corticosteroid administration on the development of respiratory tolerance. Respiratory exposure to Ag-induced T cell tolerance and prevented the subsequent development of allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity. However, treatment with dexamethasone during the delivery of respiratory Ag prevented tolerance, such that allergen sensitization and severe airway hyperreactivity subsequently occurred. Treatment with dexamethasone during respiratory exposure to allergen eliminated the development of IL-10-secreting dendritic cells, which was required for the induction of IL-10-producing allergen-specific T Reg cells. Therefore, because allergen-specific T Reg cells normally develop to prevent allergic disease and asthma, our results suggest that treatment with corticosteroids, which limit the development of T Reg cells and tolerance to allergens, could enhance subsequent Th2 responses and aggravate the long-term course of allergic diseases and asthma.
Eight novel H-2Kb and H-2Db restricted epitopes of ovalbumin (APP2P.109)

CD8+ T cells recognize epitopes, which are generally eight to ten amino acid long peptides presented by MHC class I molecules. Ovalbumin (OVA) has two well documented H-2 Kb restricted epitopes: SIINFEKL- the immunodominant epitope and KVVRFDKL- the sub-dominant epitope. Analyzing the sequence of OVA with NetMHC, a peptide-MHC binding affinity prediction tool, revealed 17 additional putative epitopes presentable by H-2Kb or H-2Db. Eight of these 17 elicit antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses in naive C57BL/6 mice. We are currently testing the direct presentation and the immunodominance hierarchy of these epitopes.
Electron correlation in high energy ion-atom collisions

Due to the strong electron-nucleus force in the target atom, many atomic collision processes are well-described within the independent particle model. Even in such cases Pauli-blocking correlations can be important for inclusive cross sections. This talk focuses on ion-atom collisions where dynamical correlations due to interaction between the electrons during the collision play an important role. Such correlations can be important for multielectron transitions in weak coupling cases (high collision energies), since to first order in the projectile interaction and without correlation the cross section is zero. One example to be discussed is the double ionization of helium, where one manifestation of the correlation is the large difference in double ionization produced by protons and antiprotons. For this system both differential and total cross sections will be discussed, as well as the related processes of double excitation and of excitation plus ionization. Another class of cross sections to be discussed are those involving charge transfer: double capture and transfer ionization.
Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Large Angular Scales / Cobe DMR Results

Observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Radiation have put the standard model of cosmology, the Big Bang, on firm footing and provide tests of various ideas of large scale structure formation. CMB observations now let us test the role of gravity and General Relativity in cosmology including the geometry, topology, and dynamics of the Universe. Foreground galactic emissions, dust thermal emission and emission from energetic electrons, provide a serious limit to observations. Nevertheless, observations may determine if the evolution of the Universe can be understood from fundamental physical principles. The COBE Differential Microwave Radiometers (DMR) has mapped the cosmic microwave background anisotropy and measured the primordial density distribution on super-horizon scales.
A Review of “The Kovacs Guide to Electronic Library Collection Development: Essential Core Subject Collections, Selection Criteria, and Guidelines”

Once understood as solely a physical entity, the library's definition is rapidly changing in the electronic age. Libraries exist in both the physical and virtual worlds, and a library's online pres...
Postmortem Vitreous Beta‐Hydroxybutyrate: Interpretation in a Forensic Setting*

Vitreous beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) was retrospectively analyzed in 1795 forensic cases using the Pointe Scientific method. Comparison of vitreous BHB with vitreous glucose in 1781 of the cases showed moderately good correlation r = 0.731. Comparison with blood alcohol levels in 1561 of the cases showed no correlation r = -0.053. Vitreous BHB was a marker of diabetic ketoacidosis when above 6.0 mM with a vitreous glucose over 200 mg/dL. It was an indicator (>50%) for alcoholic ketoacidosis when above 6.0 mM with a vitreous glucose below 200 mg/dL. Recommendations for interpretation of vitreous BHB: 6.0 mM usually (100% in this study) indicated life-threatening conditions. Vitreous BHB was helpful evaluating cases with ketogenic conditions, especially diabetes and alcoholism.
Decision making in the management of recurrent head and neck cancer

Despite substantial improvements in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treatment, the major obstacle to long-term survival remains disease recurrence. Salvage options are often limited due to prior therapy and the escalated morbidity of retreatment. The costs of treatment must be measured against the anticipated quality and quantity of life recovered, even with resectable disease. This review surveys the recurrent HNSCC literature to better guide decision making. Across multiple studies, negative prognostic factors include impaired performance status, advanced recurrent stage, brief disease-free interval, previous chemotherapy, and nonlaryngeal sites of recurrence. When possible, surgical salvage remains the principal option for durable disease control, quality of life preservation, and cure. Nonsurgical therapies have also demonstrated measurable improvements in locoregional control. Interpretation of salvage literature must be tempered by recognition of significant selection bias. The decision for salvage therapy must be individualized, with management that involves well-informed patients resulting in the best outcomes.
Ecological Studies and Mathematical Modeling of Cladophora in Lake Huron: 7. Model Verification and System Response

This manuscript describes the verification of a calibrated mathematical model designed to predict the spatial and temporal distribution of Cladophora about a point source of nutrients. The study site was located at Harbor Beach, Michigan, on Lake Huron. The model is intended to have a widespread utility for evaluating the impact of phosphorus removal on the nuisance growth of Cladophora. Therefore, verification was attempted by implementing phosphorus removal at the study site. Phosphorus removal efficiencies at the Harbor Beach, Michigan, wastewater treatment plant averaged 80–90% following the implementation of alum precipitation. The average loading of soluble reactive phosphorus was reduced from 1.35 kg P/day in 1979 to 0.20 kg P/dayin 1980. The standing crop, areal distribution, and duration of abundance of Cladophora biomass were considerably reduced in 1980. Lower ambient levels of soluble reactive phosphorus resulted in a reduction of internal phosphorus from about 0.34% P in 1979 to 0.14% P in 1980 for sites in the vicinity of the nutrient source. The growth rate of Cladophora is directly related to internal phosphorus levels in a phosphorus limited environment. Productivity calculations indicate an 80% reduction in standing crop and gross productivity and a 90% reduction in sloughed biomass. Beach accumulation of sloughed algae was sharply reduced in 1980. Model predictions of the response of Cladophora populations to reductions in phosphorus loading agreed well with field observations. It is concluded that the verified model is suitable for examination of the impact of various phosphorus management strategies on the growth of Cladophora.
Modeling void growth and movement with phase change in thermal energy storage canisters

A scheme was developed to model the thermal hydrodynamic behavior of thermal energy storage salts. The model included buoyancy, surface tension, viscosity, phases change with density difference, and void growth and movement. The energy, momentum, and continuity equations were solved using a finite volume formulation. The momentum equation was divided into two pieces. The void growth and void movement are modeled between the two pieces of the momentum equations. Results showed this scheme was able to predict the behavior of thermal energy storage salts.
The role of IL-21 in regulating B-cell function in health and disease.

SUMMARY Interleukin-21 (IL-21) belongs to a family of cytokines that includes IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15, all of which bind to private (or shared) receptors as well as the common cytokine receptor gamma-chain as a component. Most cytokines in this family are critically important for both the maintenance and function of T cells and B cells. The receptor for IL-21 is widely distributed on lymphohematopoietic cells, and IL-21 plays many biologic roles, including maintenance and function of CD8(+) memory T cells and natural killer cells, as well as promoting the generation of Th17 cells in the mouse. One principal non-redundant role of IL-21 is the promotion of B-cell activation, differentiation or death during humoral immune responses. Furthermore, increased IL-21 production is characteristic of certain autoimmune diseases and is likely to contribute to autoantibody production as well as pathologic features of autoimmune disease. In contrast, IL-21 may function as a co-adjuvant to enhance antibody responses and thereby facilitate host defense to malignances and infectious diseases. The critical role of IL-21 in promoting humoral immune responses makes it an important focus of potential therapeutic interventions in conditions characterized by either overproduction of pathogenic autoantibodies or under production of protective antibodies.
TRANSFERRING NBS TECHNOLOGY TO SMALL MANUFACTURERS THROUGH STATE AND LOCAL CENTERS

Transferring research results from federal laboratories to small, local industries poses major conceptual as well as practical difficulties. To address the problem, this paper provides a model of a technology-transfer system in which a federal laboratory—the National Bureau of Standards's Automated Manufacturing Research Facility—is linked to small manufacturers through state-and community-based technology centers, where the various instituions in the system are matched along dimensions of (a) level of government, (b) stage in cycle of innovation, (C) education of prototypical worker, and (d) nature of capital-revenue base.
Kinetic Characterization of the WalRKSpn (VicRK) Two-Component System of Streptococcus pneumoniae: Dependence of WalKSpn (VicK) Phosphatase Activity on Its PAS Domain

The WalRK two-component system plays important roles in maintaining cell wall homeostasis and responding to antibiotic stress in low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. In the major human pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae, phosphorylated WalR(Spn) (VicR) response regulator positively controls the transcription of genes encoding the essential PcsB division protein and surface virulence factors. WalR(Spn) is phosphorylated by the WalK(Spn) (VicK) histidine kinase. Little is known about the signals sensed by WalK histidine kinases. To gain information about WalK(Spn) signal transduction, we performed a kinetic characterization of the WalRK(Spn) autophosphorylation, phosphoryltransferase, and phosphatase reactions. We were unable to purify soluble full-length WalK(Spn). Consequently, these analyses were performed using two truncated versions of WalK(Spn) lacking its single transmembrane domain. The longer version (Delta35 amino acids) contained most of the HAMP domain and the PAS, DHp, and CA domains, whereas the shorter version (Delta195 amino acids) contained only the DHp and CA domains. The autophosphorylation kinetic parameters of Delta35 and Delta195 WalK(Spn) were similar [K(m)(ATP) approximately 37 microM; k(cat) approximately 0.10 min(-1)] and typical of those of other histidine kinases. The catalytic efficiency of the two versions of WalK(Spn) approximately P were also similar in the phosphoryltransfer reaction to full-length WalR(Spn). In contrast, absence of the HAMP-PAS domains significantly diminished the phosphatase activity of WalK(Spn) for WalR(Spn) approximately P. Deletion and point mutations confirmed that optimal WalK(Spn) phosphatase activity depended on the PAS domain as well as residues in the DHp domain. In addition, these WalK(Spn) DHp domain and DeltaPAS mutations led to attenuation of virulence in a murine pneumonia model.
Analysis of nuclear m-AMSA content by DNA fluorochrome competition

Abstract Spectrofluorometry and flow cytometry were used to measure cellular uptake of the anti-leukemic drug 4′-(9-acridinylamino) methane sulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA). Because of its very low intrinsic fluorescence, we used m-AMSA to quench DNA-fluorescence induced by the vital DNA fluorochrome Hoechst 33342. Maximum fluorescence was obtained with cells incubated in the fluorochrome alone. Subsequent incubation of cells in increasing concentrations of m-AMSA resulted in a gradual decrease in fluorescence. Upon incubation in drug-free medium, the quenching phenomenon was reversible, consistent with rapid exit of m-AMSA from the cells. The novel competitive fluorescence assay for cellular uptake for m-AMSA showed a better correlation to nuclear accumulation of the drug, than to its overall cellular accumulation, which may be important in assessment of cellular resistance to m-AMSA, with possible low nuclear accumulation of the drug. When this competitive fluorescence technique for measurement of cellular m-AMSA concentration was applied in flow-cytometric setting, subpopulations of normal human white blood cells were detected with distinctly different fluorescence patterns, indicating differences in cellular m-AMSA uptake. The potential use of this technique is to detect differences between cell subpopulations with different drug uptake abilities.
State Criminals and the Limits of Extra-Communitarian Criminal Justice

The article argues against the new trends toward international criminal jurisdiction in what I narrowly construe as "domestic" violations of human rights. The argument is largely based on a particular role of punishment which it links to the notion of community. The former consists in viewing the criminal sanction as a means of equalizing perpetrators and their victims to whom punishment restores dignity and self-respect. This process, the article claims, can only be fully achieved through minimally authoritative courts whose judges belong to the community where the crimes were committed.
Strong amplification of sidebands in a four-level atomic system interacting with a strong bichromatic field.

We have studied the fluorescent spectra arising from the interaction of a four-level atom with a strong bichromatic field and a weak signal field simultaneously. The atomic system consists of two upper excited states \ensuremath{\Vert}3〉 and \ensuremath{\Vert}4〉 and two lower states \ensuremath{\Vert}1〉 and \ensuremath{\Vert}2〉 and the two laser fields, whose frequency modes ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{a}$ and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{b}$ are initially populated, operate between the states \ensuremath{\Vert}2〉\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}\ensuremath{\Vert}4〉 and \ensuremath{\Vert}2〉\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}\ensuremath{\Vert}3〉, respectively. Using the Green-function formalism and a model Hamiltonian, where all the free and interacting fields are quantized, we have studied the transitions \ensuremath{\Vert}4〉\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}\ensuremath{\Vert}1〉 and \ensuremath{\Vert}3〉\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}\ensuremath{\Vert}1〉 of the signal field in the limit of high photon densities of both laser fields. The expression of the spectral function for the \ensuremath{\Vert}1〉\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Vert}4〉 transition describes stimulated one-photon and three-photon processes, respectively. The one-photon spectra near the frequency \ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\approxeq}${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{41}$ of the signal field consist of a central peak and two pairs of sidebands whose intensities take always positive and negative values indicating that attenuation and amplification (stimulated emission) of the signal field takes place at the frequencies in question, respectively. The spectral function for the three-photon process near the frequency \ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\approxeq}${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{41}$-2${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{a}$ describes two pairs of sidebands whose intensities are always negative implying that strong amplification of the signal field occurs. The computed one-photon and three-photon spectra are presented graphically for different values of Rabi frequencies and detunings of both laser fields, respectively. Then using a classical description of both laser fields, the spectral functions describing one-photon and three-photon processes are calculated and the derived results are compared with the corresponding ones when the fields are quantized. It is found that the results obtained when the fields are quantized and in the limit of high photon densities describe the classical as well as the quantum nature of the photons which is lost in the classical treatment.
Cloud Simulations in Response to Turbulence Parameterizations in the GISS Model E GCM

AbstractThe response of cloud simulations to turbulence parameterizations is studied systematically using the GISS general circulation model (GCM) E2 employed in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). Without the turbulence parameterization, the relative humidity (RH) and the low cloud cover peak unrealistically close to the surface; with the dry convection or with only the local turbulence parameterization, these two quantities improve their vertical structures, but the vertical transport of water vapor is still weak in the planetary boundary layers (PBLs); with both local and nonlocal turbulence parameterizations, the RH and low cloud cover have better vertical structures in all latitudes due to more significant vertical transport of water vapor in the PBL. The study also compares the cloud and radiation climatologies obtained from an experiment using a newer version of turbulence parameterization being developed at GISS with those obtained from the AR5 ver...
Patient-level analysis of outcomes using structured labor and delivery data

This paper presents methods for identifying and analyzing associations among nursing care processes, patient attributes, and patient outcomes using unit-level and patient-level representations of care derived from computerized nurse documentation. The retrospective, descriptive analysis included documented nursing events for 900 Labor and Delivery patients at three hospitals over the 2-month period of January and February 2006. Two models were used to produce quantified measurements of nursing care received by each patient. The first model considered only the hourly census of nurses and patients. The second model considered the size of nurses' patient loads as represented by computerized nurse-entered documentation. Significant relationships were identified between durations of labor and nursing care scores generated by the second model. In addition to the clinical associations identified, the study demonstrated an approach with global application for representing the amount of nursing care received at the individual patient level in analyses of patient outcomes.