cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel approach to modeling transcriptional heterogeneity identifies the oncogene candidate CBX2 in invasive breast carcinoma

Oncogenes promote the development of and serve as therapeutic targets against subsets of cancers. Here, a new statistical approach that captures transcriptional heterogeneity in tumor-normal mRNA expression profiles was developed to identify oncogene candidates that were overexpressed in a subset of breast tumors. Intronic DNA methylation was strongly associated with the overexpression of Chromobox 2 (CBX2), an oncogene candidate that was identified using our method but not through existing analytical approaches. CBX2 overexpression in breast tumors was associated with the upregulation of genes involved in cell cycle progression and is associated with poor 5-year survival. The predicted function of CBX2 was confirmed in vitro providing the first experimental evidence that CBX2 promotes breast cancer cell growth. Modeling mRNA expression heterogeneity in tumors is a novel powerful approach with the potential to uncover therapeutic targets that benefit subsets of cancer patients.
Ankle and Foot

Ultrasound can be used to identify a wide variety of pathologies common to the ankle joint, including ankle joint effusions, Achilles tendon rupture, and fractures.
Towards client-side HTML security policies

With the proliferation of content rich web applications, content injection has become an increasing problem. Cross site scripting is the most prominent examples of this. Many systems have been designed to mitigate content injection and cross site scripting. Notable examples are BEEP, BLUEPRINT, and Content Security Policy, which can be grouped as HTML security policies. We evaluate these systems, including the first empirical evaluation of Content Security Policy on real applications. We propose that HTML security policies should be the defense of choice in web applications going forward. We argue, however, that current systems are insufficient for the needs of web applications, and research needs to be done to determine the set of properties an HTML security policy system should have. We propose several ideas for research going forward in this area.
Underwater Image Restoration using Deep Networks to Estimate Background Light and Scene Depth

Images taken underwater often suffer color distortion and low contrast because of light scattering and absorption. An underwater image can be modeled as a blend of a clear image and a background light, with the relative amounts of each determined by the depth from the camera. In this paper, we propose two neural network structures to estimate background light and scene depth, to restore underwater images. Experimental results on synthetic and real underwater images demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Pivotal Response Treatment Package for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: An RCT

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate a pivotal response treatment package (PRT-P) consisting of parent training and clinician-delivered in-home intervention on the communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. METHODS: Forty-eight children with autism spectrum disorder and significant language delay between 2 and 5 years old were randomly assigned to PRT-P (n = 24) or the delayed treatment group (n = 24) for 24 weeks. The effect of treatment on child communication skills was assessed via behavioral coding of parent-child interactions, standardized parent-report measures, and blinded clinician ratings. RESULTS: Analysis of child utterances during the structured laboratory observation revealed that, compared with the delayed treatment group, children in PRT-P demonstrated greater improvement in frequency of functional utterances (F1,41 = 6.07; P = .026; d = 0.61). The majority of parents in the PRT-P group (91%) were able to implement pivotal response treatment (PRT) with fidelity within 24 weeks. Children receiving PRT-P also demonstrated greater improvement on the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change, on the Clinical Global Impressions Improvement subscale, and in number of words used on a parent-report questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first 24-week randomized controlled trial in which community treatment is compared with the combination of parent training and clinician-delivered PRT. PRT-P was effective for improving child social communication skills and for teaching parents to implement PRT. Additional research will be needed to understand the optimal combination of treatment settings, intensity, and duration, and to identify child and parent characteristics associated with treatment response.
Cloning and characterization of antiviral cytotoxic T lymphocytes in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.

Abstract To determine the role of piscine anti-viral cytotoxic cells, we analyzed the response of channel catfish to Ictalurid herpesvirus 1, commonly designated channel catfish virus (CCV). Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) from catfish immunized with MHC-matched, CCV-infected G14D cells (G14D-CCV) showed marked lysis of G14D-CCV but little to no lysis of uninfected allogenic (3B11) or syngeneic (G14D) cells. Expansion of effectors by in vitro culture in the presence of irradiated G14D-CCV cells generated cultures with enhanced cytotoxicity and often broader target range. Cytotoxic effectors expressed rearranged TCR genes, perforin, granzyme, and IFN-γ. Four clonal cytotoxic lines were developed and unique TCR gene rearrangements including γδ were detected. Furthermore, catfish CTL clones were either CD4+/CD8- or CD4-/CD8-. Two CTL lines showed markedly enhanced killing of G14D-CCV targets, while the other two lines displayed a broader target range. Collectively, catfish virus-specific CTL display unique features that illustrate the diversity of the ectothermic vertebrate immune response.
Effects of fasting, feeding and exercise on plasma acylcarnitines among subjects with CPT2D, VLCADD and LCHADD/TFPD.

Abstract Background The plasma acylcarnitine profile is frequently used as a biochemical assessment for follow-up in diagnosed patients with fatty acid oxidation disorders (FAODs). Disease specific acylcarnitine species are elevated during metabolic decompensation but there is clinical and biochemical heterogeneity among patients and limited data on the utility of an acylcarnitine profile for routine clinical monitoring. Methods We evaluated plasma acylcarnitine profiles from 30 diagnosed patients with long-chain FAODs (carnitine palmitoyltransferase-2 (CPT2), very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD), and long-chain 3-hydroxy acyl-CoA dehydrogenase or mitochondrial trifunctional protein (LCHAD/TFP) deficiencies) collected after an overnight fast, after feeding a controlled low-fat diet, and before and after moderate exercise. Our purpose was to describe the variability in this biomarker and how various physiologic states effect the acylcarnitine concentrations in circulation. Results Disease specific acylcarnitine species were higher after an overnight fast and decreased by approximately 60% two hours after a controlled breakfast meal. Moderate-intensity exercise increased the acylcarnitine species but it varied by diagnosis. When analyzed for a genotype/phenotype correlation, the presence of the common LCHADD mutation (c.1528G > C) was associated with higher levels of 3-hydroxyacylcarnitines than in patients with other mutations. Conclusions We found that feeding consistently suppressed and that moderate intensity exercise increased disease specific acylcarnitine species, but the response to exercise was highly variable across subjects and diagnoses. The clinical utility of routine plasma acylcarnitine analysis for outpatient treatment monitoring remains questionable; however, if acylcarnitine profiles are measured in the clinical setting, standardized procedures are required for sample collection to be of value.
Examples of Fetishes

This chapter gives several examples of fetishes in human thinking and their effects on society. The chapter discusses grades, money, and membership as fetishes.
Nilpotent Elements and Reductive Subgroups Over a Local Field

Let ${\mathcal {K}}$ be a local field – i.e. the field of fractions of a complete DVR ${\mathcal {A}}$ whose residue field k has characteristic p > 0 – and let G be a connected, absolutely simple algebraic ${\mathcal {K}}$ -group G which splits over an unramified extension of ${\mathcal {K}}$ . We study the rational nilpotent orbits of G– i.e. the orbits of $G({\mathcal {K}})$ in the nilpotent elements of $\text {Lie}(G)({\mathcal {K}})$ – under the assumption p > 2h − 2 where h is the Coxeter number of G. A reductive group M over ${\mathcal {K}}$ is unramified if there is a reductive model ${{\mathscr{M}}}$ over ${\mathcal {A}}$ for which $M = {{\mathscr{M}}}_{{\mathcal {K}}}$ . Our main result shows for any nilpotent element X1 ∈Lie(G) that there is an unramified, reductive ${\mathcal {K}}$ -subgroup M which contains a maximal torus of G and for which X1 ∈Lie(M) is geometrically distinguished. The proof uses a variation on a result of DeBacker relating the nilpotent orbits of G with the nilpotent orbits of the reductive quotient of the special fiber for the various parahoric group schemes associated with G.
Centrifuge-based deterministic lateral displacement separation

This work investigates the migration of spherical particles of different sizes in a centrifuge-driven deterministic lateral displacement device. Specifically, we use a scaled-up model to study the motion of suspended particles through a square array of cylindrical posts under the action of centrifugation. Experiments show that separation of particles by size is possible depending on the orientation of the driving acceleration with respect to the array of posts (forcing angle). We focus on the fractionation of binary suspensions and measure the separation resolution at the outlet of the device for different forcing angles. We found excellent resolution at intermediate forcing angles, when large particles are locked to move at small migration angles, but smaller particles follow the forcing angle more closely. Finally, we show that reducing the initial concentration (number) of particles, approaching the dilute limit of single particles, leads to increased resolution in the separation.
Managing toxicities of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Inhibition of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) has revolutionized the treatment landscape for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). By targeting this critical kinase in proximal B-cell receptor signaling, BTK inhibitors (BTKis) impair cell proliferation, migration, and activation of NF-κB. Clinically, because indefinite inhibition is a mainstay of therapy, there is an extended period of exposure in which adverse effects can develop. Given the impressive efficacy and activity of BTKis in the treatment of patients with CLL, appropriate management of treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) is of paramount importance. Here we review the BTKi landscape and present the available toxicity and safety data for each agent. The long-term toxicity profile of ibrutinib, a first-in-class inhibitor, is well characterized and includes a clinically significant incidence of cardiac arrhythmias, bleeding, infection, diarrhea, arthralgias, and hypertension. Acalabrutinib, the initial second-generation BTKi to earn approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, demonstrates improved kinase selectivity for BTK, with commonly observed adverse reactions including infection, headache, and diarrhea. Mediated by both on-target inhibition of BTK and variable off-target inhibition of other kinases including interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK), tyrosine-protein kinase (TEC), and endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), the toxicity profile of BTKis is closely linked to their pattern of kinase binding. Other emerging BTKis include second-generation agents with variable degrees of kinase selectivity and third-generation agents that exhibit reversible noncovalent binding to BTK. We also highlight critical considerations for the prevention and monitoring of AEs and offer practical management strategies for treatment-emergent toxicities.
Association between asthma and severe tooth loss in the adult population of the United States

This study aimed to investigate the association between asthma and severe tooth loss in the U.S. (United States) adult population. Data were analyzed from the national health and nutritional examin...
Reasons for discontinuing insulin and factors associated with insulin discontinuation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a real-world evidence study

Evidence suggests that insulin therapy of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is frequently discontinued. However, the reasons for discontinuing insulin and factors associated with insulin discontinuation in this patient population are not well understood. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with T2DM prescribed insulin between 2010 and 2017 at Partners HealthCare. Reasons for discontinuing insulin and factors associated with insulin discontinuation were studied using electronic medical records (EMR) data. Natural language processing (NLP) was applied to identify reasons from unstructured clinical notes. Factors associated with insulin discontinuation were extracted from structured EMR data and evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Among 7009 study patients, 2957 (42.2%) discontinued insulin within 12 months after study entry. Most patients who discontinued insulin (2121 / 71.7%) had reasons for discontinuation documented. The most common reasons were improving blood glucose control (33.2%), achieved weight loss (18.5%) and initiation of non-insulin diabetes medications (16.7%). In multivariable analysis adjusted for demographics and comorbidities, patients were more likely to discontinue either basal or bolus insulin if they were on a basal-bolus regimen (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.8; p < 0.001) or were being seen by an endocrinologist (OR 2.6; 95% CI 2.2 to 3.0; p < 0.001). In this large real-world evidence study conducted in an area with a high penetration of health insurance, insulin discontinuation countenanced by healthcare providers was common. In most cases it was linked to achievement of glycemic control, achieved weight loss and initiation of other diabetes medications. Factors associated with and stated reasons for insulin discontinuation were different from those previously described for non-adherence to insulin therapy, identifying it as a distinct clinical phenomenon.
In vitro evaluation of loaded chitosan membranes for pain relief and infection prevention.

Wounds resulting from surgeries, implantation of medical devices, and musculoskeletal trauma result in pain and can also result in infection of damaged tissue. Up to 80% of these infections are due to biofilm formation either on the surface of implanted devices or on surrounding wounded tissue. Bacteria within a biofilm have intrinsic growth and development characteristics that allow them to withstand up to 1,000 times the minimum inhibitory concentration of antibiotics, demonstrating the need for new therapeutics to prevent and treat these infections. Cis-2-decenoic acid (C2DA) is known to disperse preformed biofilms and can prevent biofilm formation entirely for some strains of bacteria. Additionally, local anesthetics like bupivacaine have been shown to have antimicrobial effects against multiple bacterial strains. This study sought to evaluate hexanoic acid-treated electrospun chitosan membranes (HA-ESCM) as wound dressings that release C2DA and bupivacaine to simultaneously prevent infection and alleviate pain associated with musculoskeletal trauma. Release profiles of both therapeutics were evaluated, and membranes were tested in vitro against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to determine efficacy in preventing biofilm infection and bacterial growth. Results indicate that membranes release both therapeutics for 72 hr, and release profile can be tailored by loading concentration. Membranes were effective in preventing biofilm growth but were toxic to fibroblasts when loaded with 2.5 or 5 mg of bupivacaine.
Smart Energy Harvesting for Internet of Things Networks

In this article, we address the problem of prolonging the battery life of Internet of Things (IoT) nodes by introducing a smart energy harvesting framework for IoT networks supported by femtocell access points (FAPs) based on the principles of Contract Theory and Reinforcement Learning. Initially, the IoT nodes’ social and physical characteristics are identified and captured through the concept of IoT node types. Then, Contract Theory is adopted to capture the interactions among the FAPs, who provide personalized rewards, i.e., charging power, to the IoT nodes to incentivize them to invest their effort, i.e., transmission power, to report their data to the FAPs. The IoT nodes’ and FAPs’ contract-theoretic utility functions are formulated, following the network economic concept of the involved entities’ personalized profit. A contract-theoretic optimization problem is introduced to determine the optimal personalized contracts among each IoT node connected to a FAP, i.e., a pair of transmission and charging power, aiming to jointly guarantee the optimal satisfaction of all the involved entities in the examined IoT system. An artificial intelligent framework based on reinforcement learning is introduced to support the IoT nodes’ autonomous association to the most beneficial FAP in terms of long-term gained rewards. Finally, a detailed simulation and comparative results are presented to show the pure operation performance of the proposed framework, as well as its drawbacks and benefits, compared to other approaches. Our findings show that the personalized contracts offered to the IoT nodes outperform by a factor of four compared to an agnostic type approach in terms of the achieved IoT system’s social welfare.
Beliefs, affordances, and adolescent development: Lessons from a decade of growth mindset interventions.

Abstract Beliefs play a central role in human development. For instance, a growth mindset—a belief about the malleability of intelligence—can shape how adolescents interpret and respond to academic difficulties and how they subsequently navigate the educational system. But do usually-adaptive beliefs have the same effects for adolescents regardless of the contexts they are in? Answering this question can reveal new insights into classic developmental questions about continuity and change. Here we present the Mindset × Context framework and we apply this model to the instructive case of growth mindset interventions. We show that teaching students a growth mindset is most effective in educational contexts that provide affordances for a growth mindset; that is, contexts that permit and encourage students to view ability as developable and to act on that belief. This evidence contradicts the “beliefs alone” hypothesis, which holds that teaching adolescents a growth mindset is enough and that students can profit from these beliefs in almost any context, even unsupportive ones. The Mindset × Context framework leads to the realization that in order to produce more widespread and lasting change, we must complement the belief-changing interventions that have been aimed at students with new interventions that guide teachers toward classroom policies and practices that allow students' growth mindset beliefs to take root and yield benefits.
The effect of violence in childhood on school success factors in US children.

Abstract Background A robust literature-base on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) provides strong evidence on the relationships between social adversity in childhood and the health and well-being of individuals across the lifespan. One form of social adversity, exposure to violence in childhood, is not only harmful to a child's health and well-being, but detrimental to their performance in school. Poor performance in school may affect educational attainment later in life and hinder a child's upward social mobility. We focus on the impact of violence-related ACEs on school success factors to add new evidence on how violence in childhood affects a child's educational progress. Objective To examine the impact of violence-related ACEs on school success factors, including grade repetition, school absence, and school-home contact. Participants and settings This study uses secondary data analysis of a nationally representative survey, the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), to study a sample of non-institutionalized children aged 6–17 in the US (n = 35,122). Methods We employed binary logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression using 95% confidence intervals to analyze the effect of violence in childhood on three school success factors, controlling for socio-demographic and health status characteristics. Results We found that violence in childhood increases the likelihood of grade repetition (OR = 1.47, 95% CI, 1.12–1.92), school-home contact (OR = 2.20, 95% CI, 1.86–2.60), and school absence greater than one week (OR=1.4, 95%CI,1.08-2.00; OR=1.86, 95%CI, 1.36–2.60), controlling for socio-demographic and health status characteristics. Conclusions Violence in childhood has a statistically significant negative impact on each of the school success factors included in this study.
Nicotine causes alternative polarization of macrophages via Src-mediated STAT3 activation: Potential pathobiological implications.

Nicotine is an addictive ingredient of tobacco products and other noncigarette substitutes, including those being used for smoking cessation to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Earlier research, however, has associated nicotine with the risk and poorer outcome of several diseases, including cancer. Macrophages are an important component of the innate immune system and can have both pro-and anti-inflammatory functions depending upon their polarization state. Here, we investigated the effect of nicotine on macrophage polarization, growth, and invasion to understand its role in human physiology. We observed that nicotine induced M2 polarization of RAW264.7 and THP-1-derived macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Cytokine profiling suggested a mixed M2a/d phenotype of nicotine-polarized macrophages associated with tissue repair and pro-angiogenic functions. Moreover, nicotine treatment also enhanced the growth, motility, and invasion of macrophages. Mechanistic studies revealed increased phosphorylation of STAT3 in nicotine-treated macrophages that was mediated through Src activation. Importantly, pretreatment of macrophages with either Src or STAT3 inhibitor abrogated nicotine-induced macrophage polarization, growth, and motility, suggesting a functional role of the Src-STAT3 signaling axis. Together, our findings reveal a novel role of nicotine in immunosuppression via causing M2 polarization of macrophages that could be implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases.
Somatic versus cognitive depressive symptoms as predictors of coronary artery disease among women with suspected ischemia: The women's ischemia syndrome evaluation

Background: Depression is an established predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD) progression and mortality. “Somatic” symptoms of depression such as fatigue and sleep impairment overlap with symptoms of CAD and independently predict CAD events. Differentiating between “somatic” and “cognitive” depressive symptoms in at-risk patients may improve our understanding of the relationship between depression and CAD. Methods: The study utilized data from the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation. Participants (N = 641; mean age = 58.0 [11.4] years) were enrolled to evaluate chest pain or suspected myocardial ischemia. They completed a battery of symptom and psychological questionnaires (including the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]) at baseline, along with quantitative coronary angiography and other CAD diagnostic procedures. The BDI provided scores for total depression and for cognitive and somatic depressive symptom subscales. Results: Two hundred and fourteen (33.4%) women met criteria for obstructive CAD. Logistic regression models were used to examine relationships between depression symptoms and obstructive CAD. Neither BDI total scores (odds ratio [OR] =1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99–1.05, P = 0.053) nor BDI cognitive scores (OR = 1.02, 95% CI, 1.00–1.04, P = 0.15) predicted CAD status. BDI somatic symptom scores, however, significantly predicted CAD status and remained statistically significant after controlling for age, race, and education (OR = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.01–1.12, P = 0.02). Conclusion: Among women with suspected myocardial ischemia, somatic but not cognitive depressive symptoms predicted an increased risk of obstructive CAD determined by coronary angiography. Consistent with prior reports, these results suggest a focus on somatic rather than cognitive depressive symptoms could offer additional diagnostic information.
Self-Seeded PE Crystals; Melting and Morphology

Using a novel DTA technique, it has been reported that polyethylene (PE) single crystals exhibit narrow multiple-peaked thermograms1. The half-width of the individual peaks is usually less than 1.5°C. These peaks widths are comChapauble to those obtained using pure non-polymeric organics. Previous work suggested that discrete transformation temperatures exist for the {100} and {110} fold sectors2. The work that led to this suggestion was performed on lamellae produced by isothermal crystallization from a dilute (.1%) solution of PE in xylene. The solution was heated to the boiling point of xylene prior to being quenched to a particular crystallization temperature. Several questions evolved from this latter paper. The first of these concerns the homogeneity of lamellae produced in this way. Since not all lamellae began to crystallize at the same time, a distribution of sizes appears. Crystals often possessed overgrowths and/or defects. One might also question both the heating rate effects reported and the justification for resolving multiple-peaked thermograms into discrete components. It is the object of this paper to attempt to answer these questions.
Management information systems professionals—The requirement to be true Renaissance people within the organization

Management Information Systems (MIS) is not simply data processing, nor computer sci­ ence, nor computer services, nor computer information systems, nor computer information ser­ vices, nor information systems. Management Information Systems is a comprehensive, aca­ demic and business discipline requiring a knowledge of business operations as a whole, the human decision making cognitive process, plus automated processing of data into information. This paper suggests that, as opposed to only being highly technical individuals as they are often viewed, MIS professionals must have a knowledge of various business functions and the nature of the related decision making timeframes plus draw on and blend knowledge and skills originating in a number of academic areas. The paper discusses the breadth and depth of these facets. INTRODUCTION When asked, "What is the objective of a business organization?" many School of Business Administration students (and some faculty members) confidently state, "... to make a profit." The dictionary definition of objective is "an end toward which efforts are directed." (Nu­ merous sources) It logically follows that if the objective is to make a profit, once this event has occurred, there is no reason for the firm to remain in operation. When the question is begged, the response may change to ". . . making a continuing stream of accounting period profits." On one of those fortunate days that brighten the lives of those teaching in postsecondary business administration environments, someone with a puzzled look on his or her face will state, "Then, isn't the objective to ensure that the firm continues?"
Multimedia Learning: Principles for Managing Essential Processing in Multimedia Learning

Consider the following situation. You are interested in how the human digestive system works, so you go to an online encyclopedia and click on a movie icon labeled “How Digestion Works.” You watch a series of eighteen slides, each appearing for about ten seconds and each containing a line drawing on the right and one or two sentences on the left. The lesson feels too fast-paced to you, because as soon as you finish your initial reading of one slide, the next one begins. As a result you don't have time to compare the sentences to the line drawing, or to draw causal connections from one slide to the next. On a subsequent retention test, you can remember parts of some of the sentences, and on a transfer test, you are not able to apply what was presented to solving new problems. What is essential processing overload? This situation is an example of essential processing overload – that is, a situation in which the cognitive processing of the basic material in the lesson is so demanding that there is little or no remaining cognitive capacity to engage in deeper processing of the material (which I call generative processing ). Essential processing overload is likely to happen when the essential material is complex, the learner is inexperienced, and the presentation is fast-paced.
High-Field Domains

In regimes of N-shaped negative differential conductivity, high-field domains are created which can be stationary or move through the device and cause a reduction of current or self-generated current oscillations. The latter, as in the Gunn effect, or in super lattices, may be used as a high-frequency ac generator.
Urinary excretion of deuterium-labeled folate and the metabolite p-aminobenzoylglutamate in humans.

Stable isotopic methods were employed to determine the proportion of ingested folate excreted as the metabolite p-aminobenzoylglutamate (pABG, free and N-acetyl) in urine. Adult male subjects (n = 7) were maintained on a 4.54 mumol/d (2 mg/d) folate saturation regimen. After 7 d, subjects were given a mixed oral dose containing 0.67 mumol (300 micrograms) each of bideuterofolic acid (d2) and tetradeutero-folic acid (d4). Urine was collected for the following 48 h and analyzed for folate and pABG. The extent of deuterium labeling of urinary folate and pABG was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Urinary total pABG excretion increased less than twofold as a result of the folate saturation, whereas urinary folate increased over 10-fold. Urinary d2 and d4 folates each contained 14-15% of the respective oral doses of labeled compounds, whereas urinary d2 and d4 pABG comprised only 0.98-1.15% of the labeled doses. Molar ratios (d2/d4) of excreted folate and pABG indicated that there was no in vivo isotopic discrimination between the labeled folates. Urinary pABG accounted for 5.1 +/- 0.6% of total ingested folate, whereas labeled pABG was about 6.7-7.6% of the excretion of labeled compounds (i.e., labeled folate + pABG). This study indicated that pABG is not a major excretory product during folate supplementation, but its relative importance may increase in conditions of reduced folate nutriture.
Screening and genotyping of ga1 gene, and genotype x environment interaction of cross incompatibility in maize

The steady increase of genetically-modified (GM) corn (Zea mays L.) in the U.S. makes production of transgene-free corn more difficult to achieve. A strategy to minimize cross-contamination of non-GM corn with GM corn is by using unilateral cross-incompatibility controlled by the Ga1 S allele. This allele is transferred to desired germplasm through backcrossing before cross-incompatible Ga1 /Ga1 S lines are obtained. The usefulness of this system in preventing cross-fertilization with foreign ga1 pollen might be affected by a combination of environmental effects and heritability of the trait. Methods used for selection of cross-incompatibility in maize are based on differential incompatibility of plants to ga1 pollen. Chapter 2 investigates the efficiency of SSR molecular markers in predicting zygosity at the ga1 locus compared with conventional phenotyping. Chapter 3 evaluates the effect of genotype, environment, and genotype x environment effects on cross-incompatibility, and estimate its heritability.
Differentiating Processes of Control and Understanding in the Early Development of Emotion and Cognition

In this study we examined the hypothesis that preschoolers' performance on emotion and cognitive tasks is organized into discrete processes of control and understanding within the domains of emotion and cognition. Additionally, we examined the relations among component processes using mother report, behavioral observation, and physiological measures of emotion control. Participants were 263 children (42% non-White) and their mothers. Results indicated that the three approaches of measuring emotion control were unrelated. Regardless of the measurement method, a four-factor solution differentiating emotion control and understanding and cognitive control and understanding fit the data better than did either of two 2-factor models, one based on domains of emotion and cognition across processes, and one based on processes of control and understanding across domains. Results of this research replicate those of Leerkes et al. (2008) in describing a differentiated underlying structure of emotion and cognition processes in early childhood while also extending these conclusions across samples and across measurement approaches for assessing emotion control.
Proposing the Multi-Motive Information Systems Continuance Model (MISC) to Better Explain End-User System Evaluations and Continuance Intentions

Information system designers must consider the influence of users’ intrinsic motivations, in addition to commonly studied extrinsic motivations, to ensure that users will want to continue using the system. In an attempt to acknowledge this need, several studies have extended models of extrinsic motivation to include intrinsic variables. However, these studies largely downplay the role of users’ intrinsic motivations in predicting system use and how this role differs from the role of extrinsic motivation. The role of met or unmet expectations, as a result of system use, is often left out of extant models, and their function as co-creators in user evaluations has not been sufficiently explained. This area remains understudied even though expectations are a firmly established consequence of motivations and an antecedent of interaction evaluations. This paper addresses these gaps by developing and testing a comprehensive model — the Multi-motive Information Systems Continuance Model (MISC) — that (a) explains more accurately and thoroughly the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, (b) explains how the fulfillment of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations affects system use outcome variables differently through met expectations, and (c) accounts for the effects of key design constructs.
Ranking Algorithms for Costly Similarity Measures

Case retrieval for e-commerce product recommendation is an application of CBR that demands particular attention to efficient implementation. Users expect quick response times from on-line catalogs, regardless of the underlying technology. In FindMe systems research, the cost of metric application has been a primary impediment to efficient retrieval. This paper describes several types of general and special-purpose ranking algorithms for case retrieval and evaluates their impact on retrieval efficiency with the Entree restaurant recommender.
Horizons of Knowledge in Cosmology

In cosmology one faces the problem that the observer is part of the system, the universe, and that the system cannot be altered to test physical theory. In the big bang cosmology the universe becomes opaque to radiation early on, the images of extended distant galaxies merge and in order to measure the distance of a remote galaxy one has to disperse its light to form a spectrum which would cause confusion with other background galaxies. For these and other reasons, one encounters horizons of knowledge in the universe. Since the early universe should be described in quantum terms, it follows that non-locality in the universe is not an a-priori requirement but the outcome of the observing process itself. As such, the flatness and horizon problems may not be preconditions on theoretical models.
Puzzled: Find the magic set

Welcome to three new puzzles. Each involves a collection of items, and your job is to find a subset of them that is characterized by a particular property. Since solving the puzzles is not easy, here are a couple of hints: For the first, think about averages; for the other two, try constructing your sets sequentially, bearing in mind that if two partial sums are equal, the terms between them must add up to zero.
Electron impact excitation of argon in the extreme vacuum ultraviolet

Polarization-free excitation cross sections in the extreme vacuum ultraviolet have been measured for electron impact on Ar. Observed spectral features were those lines of Ar I and Ar II which lie between 700 and 1100 A. Excitation functions were measured for the Ar I resonance line at 1048 A and the Ar II resonance line at 920 A. Peak cross sections for these two lines were found to be (39.4 plus or minus 7.9) x 10 to the -18th and (6.9 plus or minus 1.4) x 10 to the -18th, respectively. At low energies, excitation of the Ar II resonance line is dominated by an electron exchange transition.
Robotics, Ethics, and the Environment

As robots become more pervasive and take on an ever-growing number of tasks, exploring ethical issues relating to the technology takes on increasing importance. Specifically, the manufacturing and sale of personal service robots could be severely detrimental to the environment. Ideally, members of the robotics community would develop a comprehensive awareness of the complex ethical and environmental consequences emerging from their design pathways before historical patterns are repeated.
Solvent Anions in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Formation of Complexes with Polar Solutes†

It is shown that high-mobility multimer (CO2)n•- anions in supercritical (sc)-CO2 form stable complexes with water, aliphatic alcohols, alkyl halides, and alkyl nitriles. The complexation rate is 1...
Effects of Surface Voids on Burning Rate Measurements of Pulverized Coal at Diffusion-Limited Conditions

Abstract This research explores the effects of voids (pores on the particle surface that are deeper than their surface radius) on burning area at diffusion-limited combustion conditions. Scanning electron microscopy and digital processing of images of quenched particles were used to quantify surface void area, perimeter, and reacting void wall area for voids with diameters larger than 1 μm. After careful analysis, the most accurate determination of particle burning area at diffusion-limited conditions was achieved by measuring particle surface area using the technique of discrete revolution, subtracting surface void area, and adding reacting void wall area. In situ measurements of reacting coal particle temperatures and images were taken for three coals and spherocarb particles at conditions that limit the formation of CO 2 from reacting carbon under various oxygen concentrations and heating rates. The results of these experiments indicate that correcting the measured surface area for void area and reacting void wall area produces calculated burning rates closely matching diffusion-limited burning rates for all conditions and all coals investigated. These results suggest that void area effects should be included for accurate determination of burning area at diffusion-limited conditions.
Specialization for Sound Localization in Fields A1, DZ, and PAF of Cat Auditory Cortex

Cortical deactivation studies in cats have implicated the primary auditory cortex (A1), the dorsal zone (DZ), and the posterior auditory field (PAF) in sound localization behavior, and physiological studies in anesthetized conditions have demonstrated clear differences in spatial sensitivity among those areas. We trained cats to perform two listening tasks and then we recorded from cortical neurons in off-task and in both on-task conditions during single recording sessions. The results confirmed some of the results from anesthetized conditions and revealed unexpected differences. Neurons in each field showed a variety of firing patterns, including onset-only, complex onset and long latency, and suppression or offset. A substantial minority of units showed sharpening of spatial sensitivity, particularly that of onset responses, during task performance: 44 %, 35 %, and 31 % of units in areas A1, DZ, and PAF, respectively, showed significant spatial sharpening. Field DZ was distinguished by a larger percentage of neurons responding best to near-midline locations, whereas the spatial preferences of PAF neurons were distributed more uniformly throughout the contralateral hemifield. Those directional biases also were evident in measures of the accuracy with which neural spike patterns could signal sound locations. Field DZ provided the greatest accuracy for midline locations. The location dependence of accuracy in PAF was orthogonal to that of DZ, with the greatest accuracy for lateral locations. The results suggest a view of spatial representation in the auditory cortex in which DZ exhibits an overrepresentation of the frontal areas around the midline, whereas PAF provides a more uniform representation of contralateral space, including areas behind the head. Spatial preferences of area A1 neurons were intermediate between those of DZ and PAF, sharpening as needed for localization tasks.
Film model for coated cement concrete

The performance of a polymer concrete coated cement concrete under sulfuric acid environment was studied for 3 years. Both dry and wet concrete specimens were used in this study. The mass transfer coefficient ratio of cement concrete to polymer concrete was over 12. Coated cement concrete cylinders with pinholes were used to study the chemical resistance of the coated concrete under sulfuric acid environments to represent the worst sewer condition. Effects of pinhole sizes on the performance of coated concrete were studied, and changes in weight of the coated concrete specimens were measured regularly. The weight change in coated cement concrete was modeled using a film model and the effect of the pinhole sizes on the performance of the coated concrete was quantified.
The solar boron, stellar lithium and deuterium, interstellar deuterium, and extragalactic deuterium abundances

D, Li, Be, and B are not by formed by ordinary stellar nucleosynthesis. D is primarily formed in the big bang. Because each generation of stars replenished the ISM with material depleted in D, the D abundance decreases with time and is larger in low-metallicity regions. Because Li, Be and B are primarily formed via cosmic-ray spallation reactions, their abundances will increase with time. Some Li and B is produced in supernovae via ν-spallation reactions and some Li is produced via mass loss from Li-rich AGB stars. To determine if the B abundance has increased during past 4.5 Gyr, an accurate Solar B abundance will be determined from ongoing observations of the 1.6 μ lines of B. Initial negative results yield B/H < 3.5 × 10−10. The Balmer Dα line was not detected in the high-metallicity star HD 82943; the low-metallicity Pop II halo star HD 140283 (both with detected 6Li); or in the slowly rotating B stars τ Her and γ Peg with D/H < 1.0 × 10−5. Observations of Li in super-Li-rich AGB C and S stars with strong Li lines confirms that these stars have the largest Li abundance in the Galaxy (Li/H = 10−7 and that mass loss from these stars may contribute to the ISM Li abundance. Observations of the DCN/HCN ratio in the Galaxy yield D/H < 1.4 × 10−6 in the Galactic Center molecular clouds (10 pc from the center) and a positive D/H gradient in the Galaxy implying that there are no Galactic sources of D and D is cosmological. Extragalactic D (in DCN) in currently being searched for in two gravitational lenses against quasars at z = 0.7 and 0.9 and in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 1068.
Fractal clustering of reactants on a catalyst surface

The islands of adsorbed molecules in an $A+B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{AB}$ reaction model on a two-dimensional catalyst surface (with no surface diffusion) are found to be fractal with dimension $D=1.90\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$.
Intraoral North American blastomycosis.

Abstract A case of intraoral North American blastomycosis in a 10-year-old child has been presented. This case apparently represents a focus of dissemination in a systemic mycosis, the other apparent sites of involvement consisting of a small cutaneous ulcer on the hand and minimal pulmonary disease. For 3 months the lesion was treated as a simple oral infection of dental origin, but ultimately Blastomyces dermatitidis was identified in tissue sections and the presence of the organisms was verified by direct exudate smears and by microbiologic culture. Amphotericin B treatment was initiated and resulted in an apparently complete recovery.
Heterosis in Switchgrass: Biomass Yield in Swards

Improving the biomass yield of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) will improve its utility as a dedicated energy crop by increasing both its net and total energy yield per hectare. In a previous space-transplanted study, midparent heterosis for biomass yield was reported for population and specific F 1 hybrids of the lowland-tetraploid cultivar Kanlow and the upland-tetraploid cultivar Summer. These two cultivars were proposed to be two different heterotic groups. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of heterosis for biomass yield in reciprocal Kanlow (K) and Summer (S) F 1 population hybrids grown in simulated swards and to determine the effect of advance in generation on biomass yield. Parent populations and their F 1 , F 2 , and F 3 population hybrids were grown in transplanted sward plots located near Mead, NE, for a three-year period. Plant density in the simulated swards was equivalent to acceptable stands in seeded plots. Plots were not harvested the establishment year to enable them to become fully established. Biomass yields were determined for the following two years. There was significant high-parent heterosis of 30 to 38% (P < 0.01) for biomass yield for both the K x S F 1 and S x K F 1 hybrid populations. Heterosis for biomass yield declined with advance in generation. Heterosis for biomass yield in switchgrass may need the competitive conditions of swards to be fully expressed. Additional trials of specific hybrids established from seed are needed to further verify these conclusions. These results do provide ample justification for additional research to develop switchgrass population and specific hybrids.