cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Chinese Experience in Total Diet Studies

The first TDS in China was started in 1990 and covered four geographical regions comprised of 12 of the most populous provinces. By 2013, seven TDSs had been conducted. The methodology of the Chinese TDS is a combination of the composite food group sample approach (48 regional composites) and the individual food sample approach (approximately 620 foods), but the Chinese TDS is gradually moving towards the individual food sample approach. The analytes originally included basic contaminants on the GEMS/Food Core List) and selected nutrients, but new and emerging chemical hazards have been added. The results of Chinese TDSs have provided valuable data for food contamination trend analysis, identified sources of high-level contamination, and assisted in food safety risk assessment and risk management, including regulatory decision-making. Examples of organophosphorus and organochlorine pesticides, as well as lead and cadmium are provided.
Invariants of Particles

This chapter provides a description of quantum numbers and other numerical invariants associated with elementary particles. Further invariants are discussed in Chapter 8.
Racial Differences in the Effects of Campus Climate on Sense of Belonging at Public Research Universities

In this chapter, the authors examine the effect of campus climate on sense of belonging and how the effect differs by race/ethnicity among college students at public research universities. Findings show that sense of belonging and perceptions of campus climate vary by students’ racial/ethnic backgrounds and that the effect of perceived campus climate on sense of belonging is also conditioned by students’ race/ethnicity. The chapter highlights unique challenges experienced by African American men in college who are less likely to feel a sense of belonging on campus and tend to perceive a less positive campus climate compared to their peers. The authors offer recommendations for higher education institutions attempting to cultivate a more positive campus climate and heightened sense of belonging among diverse students.
OPHTHALMIC VASCULAR EVENTS AFTER INTRA-ARTERIAL CHEMOTHERAPY FOR RETINOBLASTOMA: Real-World Comparison Between Primary and Secondary Treatments.

Purpose To determine whether treatment order affects ophthalmic vascular event rates after intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) for retinoblastoma. Methods Patients who received IAC as primary or secondary treatment for retinoblastoma from January 2009 to January 2018 were included. All eyes were imaged with fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. Patient characteristics and vascular event rates were compared using t-test and Fisher's exact test. Results There were 196 patients treated with 682 infusions of IAC, divided into primary (no previous therapy, 98 eyes of 98 patients, 328 infusions) and secondary (after other therapy, 105 eyes of 98 patients, 354 infusions) treatment. Overall, ophthalmic vascular events were found after 5% of infusions (17% eyes). A comparison of ophthalmic vascular events (primary vs. secondary IAC), with mean three infusions per eye (median 3, range 1-7), revealed no difference in overall percentage of eyes affected (18% vs. 15%, P = 0.57). Adverse vascular events per eye included retinal vasculature attenuation (1% vs. 0%, P = 0.99), peripheral retinal pruning (1% vs. 0%, P = 0.99), branch retinal artery occlusion (0% vs. 1%, P = 0.99), central retinal artery occlusion (0% vs. 1%, P = 0.99), macular ischemia (0% vs. 2%, P = 0.51), vitreous hemorrhage (2% vs. 3%, P = 0.92), subretinal hemorrhage (1% vs. 0%, P = 0.99), retinal pigment epithelium atrophy (6% vs. 3% P = 0.43), choroidal atrophy (4% vs. 2%, P = 0.92), optic disk pallor (1% vs. 0%, P = 0.99), and ophthalmic artery occlusion (9% vs. 6%, P = 0.35). Conclusion Ophthalmic vascular events after IAC for retinoblastoma affect only 5% of eyes per infusion (17% of treated eyes). Vascular event risk per eye is similar when using IAC as primary or secondary treatment.
Brain structure mediates the association between socioeconomic status and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with greater risk for symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One mechanism through which SES may confer risk for ADHD is by influencing brain structure. Alterations to cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volume have been associated with low SES and with the presence of ADHD across multiple studies. The current study examined whether cortical thickness, surface area or subcortical volume mediate the associations between SES and ADHD in youth 3-21 years old (N = 874) from the Pediatric Imaging, Neurocognition and Genetics Study. Freesurfer was used to estimate cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volume from structural magnetic resonance imaging. Parents reported on demographics, family SES, ADHD diagnoses and the presence of child attention problems. Statistical mediation was assessed using a bootstrap resampling procedure. Controlling for parental ADHD, child age, gender, birth weight and scanner, children in low SES families were more likely to be in the ADHD group. Consistent with previous reports in this sample, low SES was associated with reduced surface area across the frontal lobe and reduced subcortical volume in the amygdala, cerebellum, hippocampus and basal ganglia. Of these regions, a significant indirect effect of SES on ADHD status through subcortical volume was observed for the left cerebellum (95% confidence interval: 0.004, 0.022), the right cerebellum (95% confidence interval: 0.006, 0.025), and the right caudate (95% confidence interval: 0.002, 0.022). Environmentally mediated changes in the cerebellum and the caudate may be neurodevelopmental mechanisms explaining elevated risk of ADHD in children in low SES families.
New development: The application of incomplete contract theory to documenting Social Impact Bonds

Nobel laureate Oliver Hart’s work in developing a theory of incomplete contracting is relevant to explaining the evolution of the pay for success contracts that undergird Social Impact Bonds (SIBs)...
On the practical stability with respect to h-manifolds of hybrid Kolmogorov systems with variable impulsive perturbations

Abstract The present paper is devoted to the problems of practical stability with respect to h -manifolds for impulsive Kolmogorov systems. Variable impulsive perturbations are considered. We will investigate these problems in the light of the vector Lyapunov’s method of piecewise continuous functions. As an example, the case of Lotka–Volterra systems is elaborated. The effect of uncertain parameters on the stability behavior of the model is also examined. The obtained results extend and complement the existing stability results for Kolmogorov and related systems.
Scenario development strategies and process for simulation-based education in anesthesiology

Scenario creation is fundamental to simulation. An effective design is necessary to optimize training. This paper describes the process of creating and applying mannequin-based high-fidelity simulation case scenarios for a graduate program in anesthesiology. The objective of scenario building is to provide an opportunity for trainees to learn the management of both common and rare case scenarios to better prepare them for the written and applied board examinations and real-life situations. Scenario development for high-fidelity simulation requires assembling all the elements to recreate a realistic environment while considering the trainees' different learning styles. The goal is to create scenarios that help the learner build knowledge, skills, and confidence. The following core competencies area addressed in this article: Patient care, Interpersonal and communication skills, Systems-based practice.
Seeing the forest for the trees: A systems approach for rural water and sanitation service management and operation

This paper presents the preliminary stages of a research program centered on the development of a systems approach to water and sanitation service management and operation. Given high failure rates of rural water and sanitation infrastructure in developing countries, the sector now points to “systems approaches” as ways for practitioners and service stakeholders to understand the economic, institutional, political, environmental, and technical externalities that drive sustained service provision. Unfortunately, systems approaches and techniques often rely on expensive or inaccessible forms of quantitative data and are inaccessible to local stakeholders. Moreover, limited evidence exists for the true benefits of a systems approach in supporting sustained service provision. This research aims to fill these gaps by developing and refining an accessible participatory systems mapping approach to modeling factor interaction as a means to improve identification and characterization of leverage points for improved policy and practice for water and sanitation services. Coupled with this, application of computer models of the water and sanitation systems will help to identify areas of technical vulnerability that, alongside stakeholder interviews, will help prioritize which technical interventions, if any, would be most effective.
Optimized Hemodynamic Assessment to Predict Stroke Risk in Vertebrobasilar Disease: Analysis From the VERiTAS Study

Background Atherosclerotic vertebrobasilar disease is a significant etiology of posterior circulation stroke. The prospective observational VERiTAS (Vertebrobasilar Flow Evaluation and Risk of Transient Ischemic Attack and Stroke) study demonstrated that distal hemodynamic status is a robust predictor of subsequent vertebrobasilar stroke risk. We sought to compare predictive models using thresholds for posterior circulation vessel flows standardized to age and vascular anatomy to optimize risk prediction. Methods and Results VERiTAS enrolled patients with recent vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attack or stroke and ≥50% atherosclerotic stenosis/occlusion in vertebral and/or basilar arteries. Quantitative magnetic resonance angiography measured large-vessel vertebrobasilar territory flow, and patients were designated as low or normal flow based on a prespecified empiric algorithm considering distal territory regional flow and collateral capacity. For the present study, post hoc analysis was performed to generate additional predictive models using age-specific normalized flow measurements. Sensitivity, specificity, and time-to-event analyses were compared between the algorithms. The original prespecified algorithm had 50% sensitivity and 79% specificity for future stroke risk prediction; using a predictive model based on age-normalized flows in the basilar and posterior cerebral arteries, standardized to vascular anatomy, optimized flow status thresholds were identified. The optimized algorithm maintained sensitivity and increased specificity to 84%, while demonstrating a larger and more significant hazard ratio for stroke on time-to-event analysis. Conclusions These results indicate that flow remains a strong predictor of stroke across different predictive models, and suggest that prediction of future stroke risk can be optimized by use of vascular anatomy and age-specific normalized flows.
‘He’s so bad but he does it so well’: interviews with One Direction fans about writing romantic and erotic fiction online

This study focuses on interviews with fifteen writers of real person fiction – a type of fanfiction – about British boy band One Direction. Most interviewees began writing these romantic, often sex...
The tragedy of honor in early modern political thought: Hobbes, Mandeville, Montesquieu, and Rousseau

The academic defense of honor for its positive political and moral effects has surged recently among moral philosophers and political theorists. Challenging the narrative that the feudal legacy of ...
DISTEVAL: a web server for evaluating predicted protein distances

Protein inter-residue contact and distance prediction are two key intermediate steps essential to accurate protein structure prediction. Distance prediction comes in two forms: real-valued distances and ‘binned’ distograms, which are a more finely grained variant of the binary contact prediction problem. The latter has been introduced as a new challenge in the 14th Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP14) 2020 experiment. Despite the recent proliferation of methods for predicting distances, few methods exist for evaluating these predictions. Currently only numerical metrics, which evaluate the entire prediction at once, are used. These give no insight into the structural details of a prediction. For this reason, new methods and tools are needed. We have developed a web server for evaluating predicted inter-residue distances. Our server, DISTEVAL, accepts predicted contacts, distances, and a true structure as optional inputs to generate informative heatmaps, chord diagrams, and 3D models. All of these outputs facilitate visual and qualitative assessment. The server also evaluates predictions using other metrics such as mean absolute error, root mean squared error, and contact precision. The visualizations generated by DISTEVAL complement each other and collectively serve as a powerful tool for both quantitative and qualitative assessments of predicted contacts and distances, even in the absence of a true 3D structure.
The effects of relevant instructor self-disclosure on student affect and cognitive learning: A live lecture experiment

The purpose of this teaching experiment was to examine the causal effect of relevant (compared to irrelevant) instructor self-disclosure on student affect and cognitive learning. Undergraduate stud...
Activation of small molecules by the unsaturated complex Pt(IBut)(PBut3): First structural characterization of a peroxycarbonate complex of platinum

Abstract The reaction of Pt(COD)2 with one equivalents of IBut and PBut3 at room temperature yields the unsaturated platinum mixed N-heterocyclic carbene and phosphine complex Pt(IBut)(PBut3), 1. Complex 1 reacts rapidly with O2 and CO to form the dioxygen adduct Pt(IBut)(PBut3)(η2-O2), 2 and Pt3 trimer cluster complex [Pt(IBut)(CO)]3, 3, respectively. Complex 2 further reacts with CO2 at room temperature to give the peroxycarbonate complex Pt(IBut)(PBut3)[η2-OOC(O)O], 4, and the first example characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The reaction of complex 2 with acetone also resulted in the formation of the peroxoacetonate complex Pt(IBut)(PBut3)[η2-OOC(CH3)2O], 5. All the structures for the complexes 1–5 were characterized by X-ray crystallographic studies.
Enhancing efficacy of a dissonance-based obesity and eating disorder prevention program: Experimental therapeutics.

OBJECTIVE Test the hypothesis that the efficacy of a dissonance-based obesity/eating disorder prevention program, Project Health, could be enhanced by implementing it in single-sex groups and adding food response inhibition and attention training. METHOD Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, young adults (N = 261; Mage = 19.3, 79% female; 64% White) were randomized to (a) single-sex or (b) mixed-sex groups that completed food response inhibition and attention training or (c) single-sex or (d) mixed-sex groups that completed generic response inhibition and attention training with nonfood images. Preregistered primary outcomes (body fat, Body Mass Index [BMI]), eating disorder symptoms and other outcomes were assessed at pretest and posttest. RESULTS For one preregistered primary outcome, body fat loss, there was a significant interaction between the two manipulated factors (d = -.28), as well as significant main effects for sex composition of groups (d = -.18) and food response inhibition and attention training (d = -0.17), with the largest body fat loss occurring for single-sex groups implemented with food response inhibition and attention training. Although the two manipulated factors did not significantly affect the other outcomes (including BMI, the other preregistered primary outcome), there was a significant reduction in eating disorder symptoms across the conditions (within participant d = -.78), converging with prior evidence that Project Health produced larger reductions in symptoms than educational control participants. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that implementing Project Health in single-sex groups with food response inhibition and attention training produced the largest body fat loss effects, as well as significant reductions in eating disorder symptoms, suggesting that efforts to disseminate this prevention program are warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
A pilot project to improve access to telepsychotherapy at rural clinics.

Background: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has pioneered telemental health (TMH) with over 500,000 TMH encounters over the past decade. VA community-based outpatient clinics were established to improve accessibility of mental healthcare for rural Veterans. Despite these clinics clinics and increased availability of TMH, many rural Veterans have difficulty receiving mental healthcare, particularly psychotherapy. Materials and Methods: Twelve therapists participated in a pilot project using TMH technologies to improve mental healthcare service delivery to rural Veterans treated at six community clinics. Therapists completed online training, and study staff communicated with them monthly and clinical leaders every other month. Therapists completed two questionnaires: before training and 10 months later. This article describes barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the project, as well as therapists' knowledge, confidence, and motivation regarding TMH. Results: Two clinicians were offering telepsychotherapy after 10 months. At all six sites, unanticipated organizational constraints and administrative barriers delayed implementation; establishing organizational practices and therapists' motivation helped facilitate the process. Adopters of the project reported more positive views of the modality and did not worry about staffing, a concern of nonadopters. Conclusions: Despite barriers to implementation, lessons learned from this pilot project have led to improvements and changes in TMH processes. Results from the pilot showed that therapists providing telepsychotherapy had increased confidence, knowledge, and motivation. As TMH continues to expand, formalized decision-making with clinical leaders regarding project goals, better matching of therapists with this modality, and assessment of medical center and clinic readiness are recommended.
Factors in morbidity. Inter-practice variation of episodes of illness reported in the 1970--1971 national morbidity survey.

Abstract The National Morbidity Survey of 1970–1971 has been analyzed, primarily for factors associated with inter-practice variation in reported morbidity. Artefacts such as practice size and the turn- over rate or mobility of the practice were found to influence the level and pattern of episodes. After these effects had been removed, regional differences became insignificant. This suggests that the well- known differences in consulting rates among regions are due more to regional variation in the number of consultations per illness than to regional differences in the number of illnesses reported to general practitioners per person at risk.
Comparative Effectiveness of Executional Elements in TV Food Advertising on Recall and Persuasion: 15- versus 30-Second Commercials

Abstract Worldwide food advertising has certain common elements such as the role that executional elements play in affecting the success of commercials. This study will examine the impact of a variety of executional elements on both recall and persuasion for 15-second and 30-second television advertising. The data was collected by well known advertising agencies.
Laser scan quality 3-D face modeling using a low-cost depth camera

We propose a method to produce laser scan quality 3-D face models from a freely moving user with a low-cost, low resolution depth camera. Our approach does not rely on any prior face model and can produce faithful geometric models of star-shaped objects. We represent the object in cylindrical coordinates, which enables us to perform filtering operations very efficiently. We initialize the model with the first depth image, and then register each subsequent cloud of 3-D points to the reference using a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) implementation of the ICP (Iterative Closest Point) algorithm. This registration is robust in that it rejects poor alignment due to facial expressions, occlusions, or a poor estimation of the transformation. We perform both temporal and spatial smoothing of the successively incremented model. To validate our approach, we quantitatively compare our model to one produced by laser scanning, and show comparable accuracy.
Typhoid Fever in Children

An epidemic of typhoid fever occurred in a migrant labor camp some 15 miles south of Miami, Florida in February 1973. It was the largest reported outbreak of typhoid fever in the United States in the last 30 years. Epidemiological data revealed that an 11-year-old retarded girl was the index case, and that her disease was contracted from a carrier living next door. Spread occurred via a faulty well, chlorinator, and sewerage system in the camp. During a period of approximately three weeks, over 300 patients were hospitalized with suspected typhoid. Of this number, 147 were children under 13 years of age.
Audiopad: a tag-based interface for musical performance

We present Audiopad, an interface for musical performance that aims to combine the modularity of knob based controllers with the expressive character of multidimensional tracking interfaces. The performer's manipulations of physical pucks on a tabletop control a real-time synthesis process. The pucks are embedded with LC tags that the system tracks in two dimensions with a series of specially shaped antennae. The system projects graphical information on and around the pucks to give the performer sophisticated control over the synthesis process.
A numerical approach: broadband technologies for efficient magnetic resonance imaging

This dissertation investigates the use of matrix compression techniques to increase the efficiency of data acquisition in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners, such as those routinely used in hospitals. MRI is based on the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) principle which states that nuclei with a non-zero spin may only attain specific quantum spin states when under the influence of a magnetic field. By absorbing a photon of energy equal to the difference between two spin states, nuclei are “excited”, flipping spins to a higher energy state. Their classical sum, the magnetization vector, once tipped from the lowest energy state, precesses like a spinning top about the direction of the magnetic field. The frequency of its precession depends entirely upon the field's strength. Therefore, just as a camera detects reflected light, including associated color, MRI detects spin density and its associated surrounding chemical conditions via local effects on field strength. MRI, i.e., obtaining an image via localization of the NMR signal, is typically accomplished by manipulating the precession frequency based on location, casting MRI into a Fourier transform problem. In order to increase MRI acquisition efficiency, we follow the proposition of extending the applicability of the physics that MRI is based on. That is, the MR signal content may be prospectively encoded at the excitation step by spatially manipulating both the amplitude and phase of the resonant excitation. In so doing, we create a novel application of algebraic matrix factorization technologies, casting them into broadband MRI signal compression technologies. We examine recent literature to conclude that most fast MRI methods that employ e.g., additional encoding such as multiple independent receiver coils in parallel or time-axis compression, can be cast as complementary to broadband MRI encoding. This affords broadband non-Fourier MRI with time efficiencies over current fast MRI methods. Finally, we describe the first software and hardware implementation combining these mathematical and physical principles in a proof-of-concept practical broadband MRI system, shown to achieve one order of magnitude increase in efficiency for both 2D and 3D MR imaging. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Planning for multi-agent teams with leader switching

Follow-the-leader based approaches have been popular for the control of multi-robot teams for their ability to drive many with few. Typically, in these methods you select a single leader, generate a plan for it, while all other agents follow this leader using their individual controllers. However, there are many scenarios where this approach can lead to highly suboptimal behavior or even failure in the presence of clutter. In this work, we present a planning approach that automatically figures out when to switch leaders on the way to the goal while minimizing a given cost function that penalizes leader switching and deviations from the desired formation. To deal with the increased dimensionality of the problem we show how a recently developed algorithm, MHA* (multi-heuristic A*) can be extended to support planning for a team of robots. We also provide explicit cost minimization and guarantee that paths found are within a user- chosen factor of optimality with respect to the graph modeling the planning problem. Experimentally, we found that allowing for dynamic leader-switching leads to a significant increase in finding feasible plans for multi-robot teams ranging up to 21 robots.
Biomechanical properties of shoes and risk of falls in older adults

Author(s): Tencer, Allan F; Koepsell, Thomas D; Wolf, Marsha E; Frankenfeld, Cara L; Buchner, David M; Kukull, Walter A; LaCroix, Andrea Z; Larson, Eric B; Tautvydas, Milda | Abstract: ObjectivesTo determine the relationships between the biomechanical properties of shoes worn in a cohort of healthy older adults and the risk of falling.DesignNested case-control study, comparing biomechanical measurements of shoes worn by those who reported a fall with measurements of shoes worn by age- and sex-matched nonfallers engaged in broadly similar activities.SettingOn-site measurements where falls occurred.ParticipantsA cohort of 1,371 older adults, of whom 327 reported a fall and 327 served as age- and sex-matched controls.MeasurementsShoe measurements related to lateral stability (heel height and width, critical tipping angle), foot position sense (heel-collar height, sole thickness, and sole flexibility), and the shoe/surface interface (foresole material, shoe-to-ground coefficient of friction, sole contact area).ResultsGreater heel height was associated with increased risk of a fall (P for trend=.03), whereas greater sole contact area was associated with reduced risk (P for trend=.005). Shoe characteristics related to foot position sense bore little apparent relation to fall risk. Coefficients of friction of 0.5 or greater were observed in 93% of shoes measured, indicating that very few were excessively slippery.ConclusionCertain measurable properties of shoes were found to be significantly related to risk of falls in older adults. Wearing shoes with low heels and large contact area may help older adults reduce the risk of a fall in everyday settings and activities.
The Visual Causality Analyst: An Interactive Interface for Causal Reasoning

Uncovering the causal relations that exist among variables in multivariate datasets is one of the ultimate goals in data analytics. Causation is related to correlation but correlation does not imply causation. While a number of casual discovery algorithms have been devised that eliminate spurious correlations from a network, there are no guarantees that all of the inferred causations are indeed true. Hence, bringing a domain expert into the casual reasoning loop can be of great benefit in identifying erroneous casual relationships suggested by the discovery algorithm. To address this need we present the Visual Causal Analyst -a novel visual causal reasoning framework that allows users to apply their expertise, verify and edit causal links, and collaborate with the causal discovery algorithm to identify a valid causal network. Its interface consists of both an interactive 2D graph view and a numerical presentation of salient statistical parameters, such as regression coefficients, p-values, and others. Both help users in gaining a good understanding of the landscape of causal structures particularly when the number of variables is large. Our framework is also novel in that it can handle both numerical and categorical variables within one unified model and return plausible results. We demonstrate its use via a set of case studies using multiple practical datasets.
SU‐E‐T‐842: Robust Optimization of Dose Painting Treatment Plans Using Dosimetric Margins

Purpose: Uncertainties in dose delivery due to setup or motion can be accounted for by robust IMRT optimization. In dose painting, the transformation of functional imaging data to non‐uniform dose prescriptions introduces large additional uncertainty, resulting in prescribed dose uncertainty at every voxel. We have developed and tested an optimization method for dose painting treatment plans that is robust to dose prescription uncertainty. Methods: An optimization method was developed that constrains dose at a voxel to within a range, as opposed to conventional single‐dose constraints. Ranges were based on uncertainties in the image‐to‐dose transformation as determined by a previously presented uncertainty model. Treatment plans for head‐and‐neck cancer patients were generated using both robust and conventional methods. Mean, deviation, and range in plan quality were compared when different prescribed‐dose distributions were sampled. The metric for plan quality was the percent PTV receiving planned dose within ±5% of its prescribed dose (Q(0.95–1.05)). Results: The pooled standard deviation in Q(0.95–1.05) was significantly lower (p 0.05). Conventional plans performed better when no prescription uncertainties were introduced (nominal case), and robust plans performed better under large prescription uncertainties. Conclusions: Robust optimization using dosimetric margins produced significantly less spread in plan quality than did conventional optimization. While the methods yielded similar mean Q(0.95–1.05) values, plan quality under worst‐case‐scenario dose prescriptions was improved using the robust method. This advantage was more significant for dose‐painting plans with high dose‐escalation. Eventual incorporation of probability density functions for dose prescriptions into objective functions may enable more precise implementation of dose painting in prospective clinical trials.
A Molecular Clone of Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (ΔvpuSHIVKU-1bMC33) with a Truncated, Non-Membrane-Bound Vpu Results in Rapid CD4+ T Cell Loss and Neuro-AIDS in Pig-Tailed Macaques

Abstract We report on the role of vpu in the pathogenesis of a molecularly cloned simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV KU-1bMC33 ), in which the tat , rev , vpu , env , and nef genes derived from the uncloned SHIV KU-1b virus were inserted into the genetic background of parental nonpathogenic SHIV-4. A mutant was constructed (Δ vpu SHIV KU-1bMC33 ) in which 42 of 82 amino acids of Vpu were deleted. Phase partitioning studies revealed that the truncated Vpu was not an integral membrane protein, and pulse-chase culture studies revealed that cells inoculated with Δ vpu SHIV KU-1bMC33 released viral p27 into the culture medium with slightly reduced kinetics compared with cultures inoculated with SHIV KU-1bMC33 . Inoculation of Δ vpu SHIV KU-1bMC33 into two pig-tailed macaques resulted in a severe decline of CD4 + T cells and neurological disease in one macaque and a more moderate decline of CD4 + T cells in the other macaque. These results indicate that a membrane-bound Vpu is not required for the CD4 + T cell loss and neurological disease in SHIV-inoculated pig-tailed macaques. Furthermore, because the amino acid substitutions in the Tat and Rev were identical to those previously reported for the nonpathogenic SHIV PPc , our results indicate that amino acid substitutions in the Env and/or Nef were responsible for the observed CD4 + T cell loss and neurological disease after inoculation with this molecular clone.
Accelerating Adaptive Background Modeling on Low-Power Integrated GPUs

Background modeling is a key initial step in many video surveillance applications. As more and more smart cameras are deployed for surveillance tasks across the globe, an efficient background modeling technique is required that balances accuracy, speed, and power. Due to its high parallel computational characteristics, robust adaptive background modeling has been implemented on GPUs with significant performance improvements over CPUs. However, these implementations are infeasible in embedded applications due to the high power ratings of the targeted general-purpose GPU platforms. We propose implementing a fast, adaptive background modeling algorithm on a low-power integrated GPU, the NVIDIA ION, with thermal design power (TDP) of only 12 watts. This paper focuses on how data and thread-level parallelism is exploited and memory access patterns are optimized to target this algorithm to a low-power GPU. We achieve a frame rate of 100fps on a full resolution VGA (640x480) frame. This is a 6X speed-up compared to a CPU platform of comparable TDP.
Comparative teratological studies on TCDD, endrin and lindane in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice

The teratogenic effects of endrin and lindane have been determined and compared to those induced by TCDD in the fetuses of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice after the administration of single oral doses to pregnant mice on day 12 of gestation. TCDD produced dose-dependent decreases in fetal weight, fetal thymic weight and placental weight, and dose-dependent increases in fetolethality, cleft palate formation and hydronephrosis at doses of 10-30 and 30-60 micrograms/kg body weight in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, respectively. No maternal death was observed at the given doses in both strains of mice. Endrin (4.5 and 6 mg/kg body weight) and lindane (30 and 45 mg/kg body weight) produced significant decreases in fetal weight and placental weight in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, and dose-dependent decreases in fetal thymic weight in C57BL/6J mice but not DBA/2J mice. Endrin and lindane caused 0-25 and 14-25% maternal deaths, respectively, at the above mentioned doses. Neither cleft plate nor hydronephrosis were induced by endrin or lindane in the two strains of mice. The results support the hypothesis that TCDD-induced cleft plate and hydronephrosis involve mechanisms that are Ah (aryl hydrocarbon) receptor mediated. However, other fetotoxic effects induced by TCDD, and the fetotoxic effects induced by endrin and lindane may involve additional unknown mechanisms that are not related to the Ah-receptor.
Differences between Two Tight ADP Binding Sites of the Chloroplast Coupling Factor 1 and Their Effects on ATPase Activity

Purified chloroplast ATP synthase (CF1) contains 1.2-2 mol of tightly bound ADP/mol of enzyme that resists removal by gel filtration or dialysis. CF1 was depleted of its endogenous nucleotide by treatment with alkaline phosphatase. Tightly bound nucleotide was demonstrated not to have an essential structural role. CF1 depleted of endogenous nucleotide retains its ability to catalyze Ca2+- and Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity and is not more sensitive to cold inactivation than untreated CF1. 2′(3′)-O-Trinitrophenyladenosine 5′-diphosphate (TNP-ADP) binds tightly to two sites on nucleotide-depleted CF1, binding to either site at a faster rate than that of exchange of bound nucleotide for medium nucleotide. The nucleotide-depleted enzyme binds about one additional mol of TNP-ADP/mol of CF1, indicating that there is a tight TNP-ADP binding site that does not exchange readily with medium nucleotide. It is MgADP in this nonexchanging site, not the easily exchanging ADP binding site, that is responsible for the MgADP-induced inhibition of the ATPase activity. The rate of exchange of tightly bound ADP from CF1 matches the rate at which the Mg2+ATPase activity of CF1 is activated but is not itself responsible for the activation.
Purification and quantitative determination of Cecropia juvenile hormone.

Abstract Analytical determinations have been made of the levels of insect juvenile hormone (JH) from male and female Hyalophora cecropia. A deuterium-labeled form of JH was added as carrier and internal standard to crude lipid extracts. After partial purification, the ratio of protium form to d3 form was found by combined gas chromatographymass spectrometry with continuous recording of the intensities of two rearrangement ions from the parent molecules. The observed level of JH in male cecropia was 1.8 ± 0.2 μg and in the female was 0.6 ± 0.1 μg.
Modeling of the Cape Fear River Estuary plume

The Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code, an estuarine and coastal ocean circulation model, is used to simulate the distribution of the salinity plume in the vicinity of the mouth of the Cape Fear River Estuary, North Carolina. The individual and coupled effects of the astronomical tides, river discharge, and atmospheric winds on the spatial and temporal distributions of coastal water levels and the salinity plume were investigated. These modeled effects were compared with water level observations made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and salinity surveys conducted by the Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program. Model results and observations of salinity distributions and coastal water level showed good agreement. The simulations indicate that strong winds tend to reduce the surface plume size and distort the bulge shape near the estuary mouth due to enhanced wind-induced surface mixing. Under normal discharge conditions, tides, and light winds, the southward outwelling plume veers west. Relatively moderate winds can mechanically reverse the flow direction of the plume. Under conditions of weak to moderate winds the water column does not mix vertically to the bottom, while in strong wind cases the plume becomes vertically well mixed. Under conditions of high river discharge the plume increases in size and reaches the bottom. Vertical mixing induced by strong spring tides can also enable the plume to reach the bottom.
Parameter Optimization of a Vibration-Based Energy Harvester With an RL Electric Circuit

An alternative circuit to improve the performance of a vibration-based energy harvester is proposed. The harvesting device considered consists of a piezoceramic element operating in the {33} direction. In normal operating conditions, piezoceramics experience small deflection and hence the small signal linear constitutive law of piezoelectricity is adopted for the scope of this work. Typically, vibration-based energy harvesters are designed to operate at the resonance or antiresonance frequencies. This condition might be tolerable in many cases, but is often difficult to realize in real-life applications. In this work, the authors propose adding an inductor to the harvesting circuit. It is shown that the addition of this simple electric element modifies the performance remarkably in a qualitative and quantitative manner. The maximum power values obtained at the resonance and antiresonance frequencies can be achieved at any frequency ratio if optimal electric elements are used. This allows for harvesting a constant optimal power everywhere in the frequency domain. Further investigation reveals the existence of a singularity at low damping ratios (below a bifurcation damping ratio). In that case, the optimization scheme yields a negative value for the optimal inductance between the resonance and antiresonance frequencies. However, this singularity is not experienced at a high damping ratio (beyond a bifurcation damping ratio). Moreover, for high damping ratios, it is shown that the proposed circuit is superior to a circuit that does not deploy an inductor.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Analysis of solidification interface shape during continuous casting of a slab

An analysis was made of the two-dimensional interface shape of a slab ingot being cast continuously by withdrawing it from a mold. The sides of the ingot are being cooled and the upper boundary of the ingot is in contact with a pool of molten metal. The solidification interface shape was determined from the analysis of the heat flow, utilizing the condition that the solidification interface is at constant temperature and must be normal to the lines of heat flow carrying away latent heat of fusion from the interface. The analysis includes the effect of interface curvature which, for a constant rate of withdrawing the cast ingot from the mold, causes the solidification to be nonuniform along the interface. The analysis was carried out by a conformal mapping procedure.
The Effect of Vehicle Structure on Propulsion System Dynamics and Stability

In this paper, the relationship between the propulsion system and the vehicle structure is investigated. It appears that the structural behavior cannot be neglected when the propulsion sys tem is designed. This is so because the dynamic behavior and stability of l iquid propellant systems can be shown to be dependent on the structural characteristics of the vehicle i t is m o u n t e d in . A general analysis of the interaction between the propulsion sys tem and the vehicle structure is presented and also applied to a monopropel lant rocket-propelled vehicle. The rocket propulsion system and the vehicle structure are analyzed by servomechanism techniques . The complete vehicle sys tem is represented by a block diagram and appropriate transfer funct ions are est imated for the various portions of the sys tem. The complete sys tem is equivalent to a mult i loop servomechanism. The Satche diagram which is analogous to a Nyquist diagram is then used to evaluate the over-all stability. The results of the stability analysis are presented in terms of the natural frequency of the vehicle structure, the combust ion lag, and the distribut ion of mass between various portions of the vehicle.
The image repair strategies of Terrell Owens

Abstract Terrell Owens presents perhaps one of the most interesting challenges in sports public relations. Widely considered one of the National Football League's most talented athletes, he is also widely criticized as one of its most self-centered. When the Philadelphia Eagles refused to renegotiate his contract after one season, he became sullen with the press, belligerent with the coaching staff, and publicly critical of his team and quarterback. As a result, the Eagles deactivated Owens. Owens and his agent then attempted to repair the damage in a press conference, which is the subject of this study. On the whole, the press conference was a tremendous failure. Although Owens displayed a contrite demeanor, emphasizing mortification and bolstering strategies, he hurt his case by sidestepping the blame for the conflict. Rosenhaus sealed his client's fate by launching numerous indignant attacks against Owens’ accusers, and appearing aggressive and arrogant when employing bolstering and mortification strategies. Both men painted Owens as the victim, and neither discussed any corrective action Owens planned to take in order to prevent future conflicts. Ultimately, their rhetoric demonstrated a complete failure to understand the culture of team sport, which demands unity, commitment, and sacrifice, and failed to earn Owens’ reinstatement.
An endoribonuclease activity associated with Lettre Ehrlich ascites tumor cell mitochondria

Abstract The splicing of 3.36kb mouse mitochondrial mRNA precursor (L-strand) to 69bp RNA component is shown to be mediated by an endoribonuclease activity associated with Lettre Ehrlich ascites tumor cell mitochondria. The enzymatic activity was partially purified by column chromatography and the in vitro reconstituted RNA processing assay was performed to document this finding.
A dual 4-bit 2-Gs/s full Nyquist analog-to-digital converter using a 70-ps silicon bipolar technology with borosenic-poly process and coupling-base implant

A dual 4-b analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with Nyquist operation to 2 gigasamples/second (Gs/s) and -29-dBc distortion at 1 GHz is presented. A novel evaluation method using an integral digital-to-analog converter is introduced. A trench-isolated, self-aligned, double-polysilicon bipolar process is used for the chip fabrication. This ADC has a resolution of 3.73 effective bits at 1-GHz analog input signal, without the use of a preceding sample-and-hold. Low-frequency untrimmed distortion is -48 dBc (not including quantizing error), and is independent of the sample rate of 2 Gs/s. >
Initial performance results of the OMEGA laser system

Abstract OMEGA is a 60-terawatt, 60-beam, frequency-tripled Nd:glass laser system designed to perform precision direct-drive inertial-confinement-fusion (ICF) experiments. The upgrade to the system, completed in April 1995, met or surpassed all technical requirements. The acceptance tests demonstrated exceptional performance throughout the system: high driver stability (
Group intentions as equilibria

In this paper, we offer an analysis of ‘group intentions.’ On our proposal, group intentions should be understood as a state of equilibrium among the beliefs of the members of a group. Although the discussion in this paper is non-technical, the equilibrium concept is drawn from the formal theory of interactive epistemology due to Robert Aumann. The goal of this paper is to provide an analysis of group intentions that is informed by important work in economics and formal epistemology.
Evolution in thinking and processes

Pharmaceutical R&D transforms scientific ideas into drugs on the market. Owing to the complexity and low overall success rate, Drug Discovery needs to be as much about science as about operational excellence. In vitro screening groups, underwriting early discovery from exploratory to candidate selection, are trying to combine the search for new scientific concepts with a production-like focus on logistics, reproducibility and delivery on time. Moving beyond high-throughput technologies, we begin to ask how to improve processes and work more seamlessly across functional lines. In this context lean methods have become a front runner in discussions at drug discovery meetings. What are these methods and are they delivering what is promised, or are we looking at yet another management initiative?
Cracking the cytokine code in psoriasis.

Psoriasis results from cross-talk between immune cells and keratinocytes in the skin. The nature of these signals now comes to light, revealing potential roles for IL-23 and a TH17 response.