cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Small, Low Cost Event-Driven Architecture for Spiking Neural Networks on FPGAs

Currently, there is a lack of availability of low cost, low power neuromorphic hardware. In this work, we introduce the μCaspian architecture along with an associated development PCB design which provides a low cost and SWaP (size, weight, and power) optimized neuromorphic hardware platform. Further, our proposed system only uses commercial off the shelf components and an open source FPGA workflow to maximize the accessibility of μCaspian to all researchers.
Differential encoding of action selection by orbitofrontal and striatal population dynamics

Survival relies on the ability to flexibly choose between different actions according to varying environmental circumstances. Many lines of evidence indicate that action selection involves signaling in corticostriatal circuits, including the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsomedial striatum (DMS). While choice-specific responses have been found in individual neurons from both areas, it is unclear whether populations of OFC or DMS neurons are better at encoding an animal's choice. To address this, we trained head-fixed mice to perform an auditory guided two-alternative choice task, which required moving a joystick forward or backward. We then used silicon microprobes to simultaneously measure the spiking activity of OFC and DMS ensembles, allowing us to directly compare population dynamics between these areas within the same animals. Consistent with previous literature, both areas contained neurons that were selective for specific stimulus-action associations. However, analysis of concurrently recorded ensemble activity revealed that the animal's trial-by-trial behavior could be decoded more accurately from DMS dynamics. These results reveal substantial regional differences in encoding action selection, suggesting that DMS neural dynamics are more specialized than OFC at representing an animal's choice of action.NEW & NOTEWORTHY While previous literature shows that both orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsomedial striatum (DMS) represent information relevant to selecting specific actions, few studies have directly compared neural signals between these areas. Here we compared OFC and DMS dynamics in mice performing a two-alternative choice task. We found that the animal's choice could be decoded more accurately from DMS population activity. This work provides among the first evidence that OFC and DMS differentially represent information about an animal's selected action.
Are Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents Equipped to Care for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Patients? A National Survey Study.

Purpose: Our study aims to assess three self-reported outcomes: (1) comfort of, (2) competency in, and (3) curricular satisfaction of OB-GYN residents in caring for transgender and gender nonconfor...
Spatial data systems support for the internet of things: challenges and opportunities

The Internet of Things (IoT) has recently received significant attention. An IoT device may possess an array of sensors that for example monitors the air temperature, carbon monoxide level, wifi signals, and sound intensity. IoT data is initially created on the device, then sent over to a central database system (e.g., the cloud) that organizes and prepares such data for the ongoing use by myriad applications, which include but are not limited to smart home, smart city, the industrial internet, connected cars, and connected health. Data generated by IoT devices is inherently spatial and temporal. For instance, an audio signal represents the variation of the sound intensity (retrieved by a sound sensor) over the time dimension. Furthermore, IoT devices are either installed in a static location (e.g., a building, a traffic intersection) or can be attached to moving objects such as a connected vehicle or a wearable device. In this article, we argue that existing IoT data systems do not properly consider the SpatioTemporal aspect of such data. Hence, the article represents a call for action to the SIGSPATIAL community in order to conduct research on building systems and applications that treat both the spatial and temporal dimensions of IoT data as first class citizens.
LP Formulations of sufficient statistic based strategies in Finite Horizon Two-Player Zero-Sum Stochastic Bayesian games

This paper studies two-player zero-sum stochastic Bayesian games where each player has its own dynamic state that is unknown to the other player. Using typical techniques, we provide the recursive formulas and sufficient statistics in both the primal game and its dual games. It's also shown that with a specific initial parameter, the optimal strategy of one player in a dual game is also the optimal strategy of the player in the primal game. To deal with the long finite Bayesian game we have provided an algorithm to compute the sub-optimal strategies of the players step by step to avoid the LP complexity. For this, we computed LPs to find the special initial parameters in the dual games and update the sufficient statistics of the dual games. The performance analysis has provided an upper bound on the performance difference between the optimal and suboptimal strategies. The main results are demonstrated in a security problem of underwater sensor networks.
Novel One-Dimensional Nanostructures

Of all the nanoscale materials, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have received the most attention worldwide. These are configurationally equivalent to a two-dimensional graphene sheet rolled into a tubular structure.
Artificial intelligence in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging: a narrative review

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely applied to medical imaging. The use of AI for emission computed tomography, particularly single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) emerged nearly 30 years ago but has been accelerated in recent years due to the development of AI technology. In this review, we will describe and discuss the progress of AI technology in SPECT imaging. The applications of AI are dispersed in disease prediction and diagnosis, post-reconstruction image denoising, attenuation map generation, and image reconstruction. These applications are relevant to many disease categories such as the neurological disorders, kidney failure, cancer, heart disease, etc. This review summarizes these applications so that SPECT researchers can have a reference overview of the role of AI in current SPECT studies. For each application, we followed the timeline to present the evolution of AI's usage and offered insights on how AI was combined with the knowledge of underlying physics as well as traditional non-learning techniques. Ultimately, AI applications are critical to the progress of modern SPECT technology because they provide compensations for many deficiencies in conventional SPECT imaging methods and demonstrate unparalleled success. Nonetheless, AI also has its own challenges and limitations in the medical field, including SPECT imaging. These fundamental questions are discussed, and possible future directions and countermeasures are suggested.
Rural Veterans' Experiences With Outpatient Care in the Veterans Health Administration Versus Community Care.

Background The 2014 Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act was intended to improve Veterans' access to timely health care by expanding their options to receive community care (CC) paid for by the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Although CC could particularly benefit rural Veterans, we know little about rural Veterans' experiences with CC. Objective The objective of this study was to compare rural Veterans' experiences with CC and VA outpatient health care services to those of urban Veterans and examine changes over time. Research design Retrospective, cross-sectional study using data from the Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients (SHEP) and VA Corporate Data Warehouse. Subjects: All Veterans who responded to the SHEP survey in Fiscal Year (FY) 16 or FY19. Measures Outcomes were 4 measures of care experience (Access, Communication, Coordination, and Provider Rating). Independent variables included care setting (CC/VA), rural/urban status, and demographic and clinical characteristics. Results Compared with urban Veterans, rural Veterans rated CC the same (for specialty care) or better (for primary care). Rural Veterans reported worse experiences in CC versus VA, except for specialty care Access. Rural Veterans' care experiences improved between FY16 and FY19 in both CC and VA, with greater improvements in CC. Conclusions Rural Veterans' reported comparable or better experiences in CC compared with urban Veterans, but rural Veterans' CC experiences still lagged behind their experiences in VA for primary care. As growing numbers of Veterans use CC, VA should ensure that rural and urban Veterans' experiences with CC are at least comparable to their experiences with VA care.
Convolution finite element method: an alternative approach for time integration and time-marching algorithms

A finite element procedure is proposed for wave propagation in elastic media. The method is based on an alternative formulation for the equations of motion that can systematically be constructed for linear evolutionary partial differential equations. A weak formulation—corresponding to convolutional variational principles—is then defined, which paves the way for introducing a particular type of time-wise shape functions. Next, some mathematical characteristics of the method are investigated, and upon those properties, a new solution procedure for elastodynamics problems is proposed. Subsequently, several numerical examples are considered, including a single degree of freedom mass-spring-damper system as the prototype of structural dynamics along with 1d and 2d elastodynamics problems for the case of the wave motion in elastic solids. The present method can be considered as an alternative approach for time integration and time-marching algorithms, e.g., Newmark’s algorithm, to solve time-domain problems in elastic media.
Stress-induced visceral pain in female rats is associated with epigenetic remodeling in the central nucleus of the amygdala.

Stress and anxiety contribute to the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a female-predominant disorder of the gut-brain axis, characterized by abdominal pain due to heightened visceral sensitivity. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate in female rats whether epigenetic remodeling in the limbic brain, specifically in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), is a contributing factor in stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity. Our results showed that 1 h exposure to water avoidance stress (WAS) for 7 consecutive days decreased histone acetylation at the GR promoter and increased histone acetylation at the CRH promoter in the CeA. Changes in histone acetylation were mediated by the histone deacetylase (HDAC) SIRT-6 and the histone acetyltransferase CBP, respectively. Administration of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) into the CeA prevented stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity through blockade of SIRT-6 mediated histone acetylation at the GR promoter. In addition, HDAC inhibition within the CeA prevented stress-induced histone acetylation of the CRH promoter. Our results suggest that, in females, epigenetic modifications in the limbic brain regulating GR and CRH expression contribute to stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity and offer a potential explanation of how stress can trigger symptoms in IBS patients.
Evolution–Revolution–Transformation: A Business Strategy Analysis of the Automated Driving Industry

With automated vehicles having similarly much technology promise, business opportunity, customer expectation, and implementation challenge, this contribution aims to consider all those different aspects pertaining to what can be called the next stage of personal mobility. A widely used business analysis methodology, Porter’s Five Forces Framework, is applied to discuss the automated vehicle industry and its different players and forces. It becomes evident that there are several different directions toward automated driving, i.e. an evolutionary, a revolutionary, and a transformative path, which are pursued by different players, who do not necessarily compete with one another as it is often suggested. In order to accomplish safe and convenient future mobility, broad collaboration is recommended.
Inconsistencia dinámica de los programas proteccionistas

Durante mucho tiempo se han defendido las politicas comerciales protec­ cionistas como instrumentos de segundo mejor para alcanzar algunos obje­ tivos nacionales en situaciones en que prevalece una imperfeccion de mer­ cado. Recientemente ha surgido un nuevo argumento que justifica la intervencion cuando el comercio internacional se guia por economias de escala, mas que por ventajas comparativas, y cuando en los mercados hay competencia imperfecta. Este argumento, conocido como "politica comer­ cial estrategica", 1 sostiene que las politicas comerciales conceden ventaja
The visual function of the vitamins A.

Publisher Summary The retinas of most vertebrate eyes possess two kinds of light receptor: rods, for vision in dim light, and cones, for vision in bright light and for color vision. Each of these organs contains a photosensitive pigment, which bleaches on exposure to light. Some aspect of this process leads to a nervous excitation, which, transmitted from one neuron to another along the optic pathways to the brain, ends in exciting visual sensations. Four such pigments are widely distributed among vertebrate eyes: rhodopsin and porphyropsin in rods, and iodopsin and cyanopsin in cones. Each is composed of a polyene chromophore united with a specific type of protein, called an opsin. Two chromophores are known, retinenes 1 and 2, the aldehydes of vitamins A1 and A2; and two main types of opsin, one found in rod outer segments, the other in cones. The two retinenes combine with the two kinds of opsin to yield the four main classes of visual pigment.
Joint source channel coding of images over frequency selective fading channels with feedback using DCT and multicarrier block pulse amplitude modulation

A novel approach to joint source channel coding over frequency selective fading channels with feedback using source decomposition and multicarrier block pulse amplitude modulation is proposed. A set of representative frequency responses for a slowly varying frequency selective channel, corresponding to channel states, is mean square error sense. The amount of source information transmitted per channel symbol frame depends on the channel conditions: during favorable conditions, twice as much information is transmitted; during deep fades, no information is transmitted. We design linear encoders and decoders for each of the states, using multicarrier block pulse amplitude modulation. Our approach results in graceful degradation of the decoded signal and good performance in the low SNR region. Simulation results are presented for the "Lena" image and compared to the OPTA bound.
An Analysis of Pre-Flight Warm-Up in the Sphinx Moth, Manduca Sexta

The physiology of pre-flight warm-up in Manduca sexta was analysed with regard to rate of heat production, regional partitioning of heat between thorax and abdomen, and the control of blood circulation. 1. When moths which have come to equilibrium with ambient temperature undergo pre-flight warm-up, the thoracic temperature increases linearly until flight temperature (37-39 °C) is approached. 2. The rate of increase in thoracic temperature during warm-up increases directly with ambient temperature from about 2 °C/min at 15 °C to about 7.6 °C/min at 30 °C. 3. The temperature of the abdomen remains near ambient throughout the period of warm-up, but during the initial part of post-flight cooling while thoracic temperature declines sharply abdominal temperatures rise appreciably. 4. During warm-up the rate of wing vibration increases linearly with thoracic temperature. At a thoracic temperature of 15 °C the rate is about 8/sec and at 35 °C it is about 25/sec. 5. When resting animals are held by the legs they at once begin to beat their wings through a wide angle. These wing beats at any given thoracic temperature are slower than the wing vibrations characteristic of normal warm-up, but they cause thoracic temperature to increase at almost the normal rate. 6. The removal of thoracic scales causes a decrease in rate of warm-up, but in still air this does not prevent the moths from reaching flight temperature. 7. During cooling the rate of decrease in thoracic temperature is greater in live animals than in freshly killed ones. At any given difference between thoracic and ambient temperatures cooling rates are directly related to thoracic temperature. 8. In resting moths heart pulsations are usually variable with regard to rate, amplitude, rhythm, and sometimes direction, but the records of cardiac activity simultaneously obtained from thorax and abdomen show close correspondence. 9. During warm-up the records of changes in impedance from electrodes in the abdomen indicate that pulsations of the abdominal heart are either absent, greatly reduced, or at a frequency different from that simultaneously recorded from the thorax. 10. The calculated rate of heat production during warm-up is linearly related to thoracic temperature. 11. Our data are consistent with the assumption that heat produced in the thorax during warm-up is sequestered there by reduction in blood circulation between thorax and abdomen. 12. Rates of warm-up in insects are close to the values predicted on the basis of body weight from data on heterothermic birds and animals.
Acid‐Orcein Giemsa: A Multifunctional Stain

The hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain is the most common method used worldwide for routine pathologic evaluation of tissue specimens. Evaluation of cutaneous specimens frequently requires differentiation of elastic fibers, melanin, hemosiderin, fungal elements, mast cells and depositions. For this reason, we used acid-orcein and Giemsa (AOG) stain to evaluate various skin disorders to determine the extent of utility of this infrequently reported stain. As expected, AOG stain functioned well as an elastic fiber stain, highlighting loss of elastic fibers in areas of scar and in disorders such as anetoderma. In pigmentary disorders, AOG stains melanin a dark green to greenish-black pigment while hemosiderin remained yellow-brown to light green color. Fungal hyphae in superficial dermatophytosis and leishmania organisms stained a deep blue. Amyloid stained a “sky” blue color in macular, lichenoid and nodular amyloid cases. The granules of mast cells stain purple in cases of urticaria pigmentosa and mastocytomas. Dermal mucin stained metachromatic lavender. Due to the multifunctional nature of the AOG stain, this simple technique can improve dermatopathologic diagnosis while decreasing the number of special stains necessary to have available in the laboratory setting.
Data Processing Of Dual-Energy Scans

A method for analyzing dual-energy computed tomograms is presented. The method requires three calibration values at each energy: air, water, and a KI solution. The first two values are used to convert the CT numbers to the ideal Hounsfield scale. The KI value is used to calculate quality factor Q that describes the effective x-ray spectrum. By using the Q-values, the Compton and photoelectric coefficients of any tissue or material may be easily obtained. One can further calculate the electron density and effective atomic number, if desired, and perform chemical identification.
Personality and Negotiation Revisited

Previous studies on the relationship of individual personality differences to the negotiation process have yielded mixed findings. This inconsistency has made researchers skeptical of such relationships. In this study, personality variables conceptually related to negotiation and bargaining were investigated in an actual business setting using a questionnaire which 53 of 335 exporters returned. The relationship of four individual personality variables with the problem-solving approach in negotiation was evaluated using regression analysis. Results provide inconclusive support for the relationship between the personality variables of conciliatory predisposition, trusting nature, risk propensity, and equity sensitivity with problem-solving approach.
The importance of publishing laboratory observations—reply to Camus and Krimer

Dear Editor, In the February 2009 issue of this journal, Camus and Krimer (2009) commented on a manuscript we authored that described the appearance of inclusion bodies in a set of wild painted turtles in northeast Georgia, USA (Davis and Holcomb 2008). In our paper, we obtained detailed measurements of these structures and of the cells that contain them, as well as the level of occurrence within the set of captured turtles. We did not know the origin of these structures, though we presented what we thought was the most relevant literature review on the subject of intraerythrocytic inclusion bodies, which was biased toward infectious causes. Camus and Krimer (2009) took objection to this focus on infectious diseases and pointed out that these structures could also be degenerative organelles and provided a selected number of references to support this claim. We appreciate the authors' interest in this project and can even accept their claim, but we feel compelled to point out that our rationale for including the infectious literature in our paper was driven largely by the limited number of published records on the subject, and of those that are published, nearly all focus on infectious causes. In our literature search for this project, we found little else but disease-related publications in printed or online sources. In fact, a search of the words “intraerythrocytic” and/or “inclusion bodies” in Pubmed, Web of Science, and even Google Scholar yields only references with a diseasebased focus. None of the papers listed by Camus and Krimer (2009) appear in such a search. We also point out that other investigators have found similar-appearing inclusions in reptiles and they too included infectious disease literature in their report (Eiras et al. 2000), reflecting the lack of literature to the contrary. We can accept the possibility that these structures are degenerative organelles, though we might suggest that if indeed these inclusion bodies are routinely found in reptiles in their pathology lab, and since Drs. Camus and Krimer appear exceptionally knowledgeable about the subject, then these investigators would be ideally-suited to set the record straight by synthesizing the relevant literature, describing the prevalence of the structures in reptile species, cataloging their observations, and above all, publish their findings in peer-reviewed, accessible journals, so that the next investigator who observes these structures and performs a literature search would be steered in the right direction.
Histochemical examination of periodontal junctional epithelium in p21/p27 double knockout mice.

The periodontal junctional epithelium (JE) is maintained in a steady state through a dynamic process that balances proliferation and exfoliation of epithelial cells. However, mechanisms that regulate JE are not well understood. To better understand how proliferation of the JE is controlled in healthy gingiva, we have studied functional roles of the CDK (cyclin dependent kinase) inhibitors p21 and p27 in JE using knockout mouse model systems. Image analysis of the dentogingival junction in p21 or p27 single knockout mice as well as p21/p27 double knockout mice (dKO) was performed. The analysis revealed enlarged JE in p21/p27 dKO mice due to an increase in the area of the epithelium and associated connective tissue ‘islands’. Immunohistochemistry was performed for p21, p27, cyclin D1, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The highest levels of PCNA-positive cells were detected in the p21/p27 dKO mice, reflecting increased cell turnover. Lower levels of cyclin D1 were detected in the JE of p21/p27 knockout mice, suggesting that p21 and p27 regulate stability of cyclin D1 in oral epithelium. These data suggest that p21 and p27 have a critical role in controlling epithelial cell proliferation in the JE and thus function to maintain the JE at a normal size.
Information resources on quality available on the internet.

(2000). INFORMATION RESOURCES ON QUALITY AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET. Quality Assurance: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 91-122.
Metal use and the world economy

Abstract One goal of this paper is to develop a model that explains metal consumption over time by the trends in world economic activity. Two alternative models of this relationship are examined over the 1950 through 1994 period for world consumption of aluminium, copper, lead and zinc. Another goal is to determine if there has been an unusual recent surge in the demand for these metals. Total world metal consumption is well explained by the first model which relates metal use to world activity in a few general macroeconomic sectors. However, in many situations even greater aggregation and simplification is required by the lack of recent economic data, resulting in the second model which is the intensity of use method. Both of these models are used to make metal consumption predictions. Comparing actual metal use against the predictions from the models demonstrates that in 1993 and 1994 there was some degree of unexpected and unusually high levels of demand for copper, lead and zinc, but only slightly so for aluminium. A detailed analysis of the demand for copper in 32 nations shows that there does not appear to be any simple explanation as to why some nations have had unusually high rates of copper use, whereas other nations have had unusually low consumption.
Augmentation of HIFU-Induced Heating With Fibers Embedded in a Phantom

Abstract The effect of fibers on the rate of heat deposition in the focal region of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) beams was investigated. Nylon, stainless steel and copper fibers of diameters 0.23–0.25, 0.33 and 0.51–0.53 mm embedded in a phantom were exposed to HIFU. The total energy deposited was quantified by measuring the volumes of the lesions formed. The average volumes of the lesions normalized to the average volume of control lesions were 1.19 ± 0.19, 1.43 ± 0.19 and 2.67 ± 0.21 for increasing nylon fiber diameter, indicating an augmented rate of heating. The maximum normalized volume of lesions at the metal fibers was 0.655. These results are consistent with the material properties, which suggest that the mechanism is increased acoustic absorption along with reduction of heat loss by the nylon fiber. The study supports the possibility of improving the efficacy of HIFU-induced hemostasis in vivo by use of a specially designed, nylon fiber-based medical appliance. (E-mail: cpembert@olemiss.edu )
Enucleation of vagal nerve schwannoma using intraoperative nerve monitoring

Vagal nerve schwannomas are rare, benign, neural sheath tumors. The treatment of enlarging or symptomatic vagal nerve schwannomas is surgical resection. Transecting the vagus nerve results in significant morbidity, and attempts at nerve preservation should be made whenever possible. We introduce a nerve-sparing technique using meticulous microsurgical dissection and intraoperative nerve monitoring for vagal schwannomas. A 61-year old patient presented with an enlarging 2-cm right vagal nerve schwannoma. She underwent resection via a transcervical approach. The patient was intubated with an electromyographic (EMG) endotracheal tube that allowed for monitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve intraoperatively. A microsurgical subcapsular dissection was performed after branches of the vagus nerve were identified using a nerve probe and preserved. At the conclusion of the resection the nerve was intact and stimulated along its entire course. Postoperatively, the patient had normal vagal nerve function. We introduced the role of intraoperative nerve monitoring using an EMG endotracheal tube for successful enucleation of vagal schwannomas. In conjunction with meticulous microsurgical dissection, nerve monitoring allows for successful preservation of the vagus nerve and decreased postoperative morbidity.
Modeling steady-state and transient behaviors of user mobility: formulation, analysis, and application

Recent studies on mobility modeling have focused on characterizing user mobility from real traces of wireless LANs (WLANs)and creating mobility models based on such characterization. However, most of the work does not study how user mobility is correlated in time at different time scales. For example, the future APs with which a user will be associated are predicted without the knowledge of when the association will take place and for how long. In this paper, we build a mathematical model for characterizing both steady state and transient behaviors of user mobility in WLANs. Specifically, we mode user mobility by a semi-Markov process, and obtain the transition probability matrix and the sojourn time distribution from the association history of WLAN users available at Dartmouth college [21]. With the steady-state characterization of user mobility in WLANs, we can estimate the long-term wireless network usage among different access points. By comparing the steady-state distributions of semi-Markov models built based on trace data collected at different time scales, we are able to characterize the degree of correlation in time and location.We also perform a transient behavior analysis of the semi-Markov process (that characterizes user mobility), and devise a timed location prediction algorithm that accurately predicts the future locations of users both the future access points they will associate themselves with and the association duration. We demonstrate the utility of timed location prediction, by showing how it can be utilized to predict the distribution of future user ocations with the time information figured in, and redistributing loads among neighboring APs. An improvement of 80% (in terms of load balance) is observed in a wide spectrum of traffic loads in the simulation.
Spatial Variability of Major Frontal Systems in the North Atlantic-Norwegian Sea Area: 1980–81

Abstract Locations of strong frontal systems in the upper 350 m of the North Atlantic-Norwegian Sea area are identified using data from nearly 2300 AXBTs deployed over a period spanning both winter and summer seasons. Approximate bounds on frontal widths and frontal meandering are given, and the variations in frontal locations with depth are also described. Seasonal variations in the horizontal and vertical structure of the fronts are examined. Sea surface expression of fronts is shown to decrease in summer months and a general dependence of frontal locations on bathymetry is seen.
Further Analysis of the T-Cell Subsets and Pathways of Murine Cardiac Allograft Rejection

The present study examined the role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in cardiac allograft rejection when either the direct or indirect pathway was eliminated for the CD4+ portion of the response. To study the pathways in vivo, we used genetically altered mouse strains that lack class II antigens as either the donors or recipients for cardiac transplantation. In contrast to earlier published studies, which used different strain combinations, we found that either CD4- or CD8-depletion prolonged cardiac allograft survival moderately, but not indefinitely, in an MHC-mismatched, minor-matched combination. When the CD4+ indirect pathway was eliminated, rapid graft rejection occurred when both T-cell subsets were present and when either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells were depleted. When the CD4+ direct pathway was eliminated, rapid graft rejection occurred when both T-cell subsets were present, there was slow rejection when CD4+ T cells were eliminated, and no rejection was seen for more than 100 days when CD8+ T cells were eliminated. However, the long-surviving allografts on the recipients with only CD4+ cells and an indirect pathway did show evidence of chronic vasculopathy. Thus, either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells can mediate acute cardiac allograft rejection in these experiments when both pathways are available. In addition, CD4+ T cells can provide help for acute rejection through either the direct or indirect pathway. Finally, recipients who have only CD4+ cells and an indirect pathway do not demonstrate acute rejection, but do show evidence of chronic rejection.
Irradiation effects on malignant cells in smears from oral cancers; a preliminary report.

The cytological expression of radiation effect on malignant cells reflects accentuation of the unaltered morphology of the individual neoplasms, degeneration or complete destruction, maturation, and in about 50% of the cases, a temporary decrease in cohesiveness of the malignant tissue. Malignant cells were present in oral smears at the completion of irradiation in the majority of oral carcinomas, but sometimes disappeared after treatment. No cytological conversions were noted after the eighth week from the time of institution of irradiation. Destruction of malignant cells by irradiation appears to be much more important than does radiation-induced tumor differentiation. Increased exfoliation of malignant cells was noted in one-half of the cases, between the ninth and eighteenth days of treatment, probably due to decreased cohesiveness of the neoplastic tissue rather than to stimulation by irradiation. Abundant exfoliation of carcinoma cells may indicate an increased likelihood of metastases. (auth)
EEG band powers for characterizing user engagement in P300-BCI

An asynchronous P300-based brain computer interface (BCI) allows users to operate the BCI at their own pace by being able to detect a user's engagement. In our previous work, band powers has been shown to be able to provide additional information for characterizing user engagement and yielded better performance compared to the use of only the amplitudes of event-related potentials. In this follow up study, 19 subjects participated in an experiment which was designed to further evaluate additional predictors of user engagement using band powers. In addition to the regular P300 attended condition, two not-engaged conditions were considered: one with the P300 stimulus matrix still shown (control 1) and the other with stimulus covered by a blank screen (control 2). Alpha and beta band activities decreased in the order of control 2, control 1 and attended. Furthermore, the attended condition had lower delta activity compared to the control conditions. Classification results indicated that band powers were better at differentiating attended and control 2 conditions. Using band powers as additional features resulted in a moderate to moderately large (dz= 0.52 to 0.74) improvement over the classification of the two conditions.
A recessive mutant of Drosophila Clock reveals a role in circadian rhythm amplitude

The transcription factor Clock (Clk) plays a critical role in animal circadian rhythms. Genetic studies defining its function have relied on two dominant negative alleles, one in Drosophila and one in mice. Here we describe a novel recessive allele of Drosophila Clock, Clkar. Homozygous Clkar flies are viable and behaviorally arrhythmic. The Clkar phenotype is caused by a splice site mutation that severely disrupts splicing and reduces Clk activity. Despite the behavioral arrhythmicity, molecular oscillations are still detectable in Clkar flies. Transcription analysis indicates potent effects of Clkar on levels and amplitude of transcriptional oscillations. Taken together with other data, we propose that Clk makes a major contribution to the strength and amplitude of circadian rhythms.
Layers of symbiosis--visualizing the termite hindgut microbial community.

Jared Leadbetter takes us for a nature walk through the diversity of life resident in the termite hindgut - a microenvironment containing 250 different species found nowhere else on Earth. Jared reveals that the symbiosis exhibited by this system is multi-layered and involves not only a relationship between the termite and its gut inhabitants, but also involves a complex web of symbiosis among the gut microbes themselves.
Relationship between sea surface salinity from L-band radiometer and optical features in the East China Sea

The East China Sea (ECS) is often obscured from space in the visible and near-visible bands by cloud cover, which prevents remote sensing retrieval of optical properties. However, clouds are transparent to microwaves, and satellites with L-band radiometers have recently been put into orbit to monitor sea surface salinity (SSS). Previous studies have used the mixing of fluvial colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) near coasts, where the mixing is approximately conservative over short time scales, to estimate SSS. In this study, the usual relationship between CDOM and salinity in the ECS has been used in reverse to estimate CDOM from remotely sensed SSS in the ECS and compare that CDOM with MODIS data. The SSS data used are 7 day composites from NASA’s Aquarius/SAC-D satellite which has an L-band radiometer. The challenges in using this approach are that 1) Aquarius SSS has coarse spatial resolution (150 km), and 2) the ECS has numerous anthropogenic sources of radiofrequency interference which adds noise to the L-band signal for the SSS retrievals. Despite the limits in the method, CDOM distribution in the ECS can be estimated under cloudy conditions. In addition to all-weather retrievals, an additional advantage of the approach is that the algorithm provides an estimate of CDOM absorption that is unaffected by the spectrally similar detritus absorption that can confound optical remote sensing estimates of CDOM.
A new synthesis of the california red scale pheromone from s-(+)-carvone

Abstract A Retroaldol-Wittig olefination of the s-(+)-carvone derivative 3 is used as a key step in the synthesis of pheromone 1.
A means for distinguishing if an adatom is above or below a substrate surface

Abstract S-like core vacancies in atoms adsorbed above or in the first layer of a solid may decay via the “forbidden transition” of an electron from an upper s-orbital, because of the dipolar character of the electric field present at a surface. Atoms below the surface feel this dipolar field considerably less strongly, and thus emit much less forbidden fluorescence radiation. It is suggested that this distinction may be useful for an unambiguous experimental determination of the number of atoms adsorbed on or above a solid surface. The main obstacle to the success of such an experiment is the overall weakness of fluorescence lines involving the most polarizable s-orbitals. For the 5s → 3s transition of Cs adsorbed on W, for example, we estimate the emission of one forbidden photon per 5 E −2 × 10 −9 sec.
Soy hull carbon as adsorbents of crude soy oil components: Effect of carbonization time

Studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of soy hull carbon adsorbents as affected by carbonization time. Carbonization was done by heating soy hulls to 400°C for up to 30 min. Increased carbonization time resulted in elevated surface pH and titratable alkalinity. The effectiveness of adsorbents in binding minor soy oil components was studied. Free fatty acids content was decreased 70% with adsorbents carbonized for 30 min. Peroxides were adsorbed, but increasing carbonization time did not alter absorption by carbons. A similar trend was observed with the adsorption of total phospholipids. The residual lutein content of crude soy oil was not affected by the adsorbents. X-ray diffraction studies showed that carbonization at 400°C converted the polysaccharide-based structure of soy hull to an amorphous, highly disorganized, random structure. Increase in carbonization time resulted in broadening of the diffraction pattern between 5 and 25° 2ϑ. Infrared spectra of soy carbon samples revealed presence of asymmetric C-H stretch, symmetric C-H bends, and C=O groups. The intensities of these spectra decreased with time of carbonization.
Mode I and mode II stress intensities for plates with cracks of finite opening

For the finite opening crack, there are two eigenvectors which give stress singularities at the crack tip. The Reciprocal Work Contour Integral Method is extended so as to yield the coefficients associated with these two eigenvectors. Several examples are given. In one, results using the algorithm are compared to a known solution.
Satirical Elements in Fanny Fern's HAVE WE ANY MEN AMONG US? and TOM PAX’S CONJUGAL SOLILOQUY

In his introduction to American Satire: An Anthology of Writings from Colonial Times to the Present, Stephen Koch contends that “the most grievous ironies of nineteenth-century American life cried ...
Über fluorhaltige Verbindungen der Elemente der V. Hauptgruppe. XX. Über Additionsverbindungen von Pentafluoriden des Phoshors, Arsens und Antimons

Es werden die Addukte PF5 · CH3CN, AsF5 · CH3CN, SbF5 · CH3CN, PF5 · N(CH3)3, AsF5 · N(CH3)3, SbF5 · Dioxan, SbF5 · Pyridin und AsF5 · SO2 beschrieben. Im System BiF5/SbF5 wurde die Verbindung BiF5 · 2 SbF5 gefunden. Die Acetonitril- und Trimethylamin-Addukte zeigen auser AsF5 · N(CH3)3 in Acetonitril elektrolytische Leitfahigkeit und bilden Gleichgewichte der Art aus. Diese Schlusfolgerung wird aus Leitfahigkeitsmessungen und Hydrolyseergebnissen gezogen. Several adducts of PF5, AsF5 and SbF5 with LEWIS bases are described (formulas see above). In the system BiF5/SbF5 the new compound BiF5 · 2 SbF5 has been found. Except the compound AsF5 · N(CH3)3, the solutions in CH3CN of the acetonitrile and trimethylamine adducts exhibit electrolytic conductivity being due to equilibria according to 2 AF5 · L ⇌ [AF4L2]+ + [AF6]−, which are also indicated by hydrolysis experiments.
Hypotonia in infants.

Neonatal hypotonia can have many different etiologies. Floppiness in an infant can be caused at various levels of the nervous system from disorders of the brain to spinal cord lesions, neuropathies, neuromuscular junction disorders, and myopathies. A variety of diagnostic tools are available for defining the source of the hypotonia, but before any serum values, muscle biopsies, electromyelograms (EMGs), or nerve conduction studies are ordered, a thorough neurologic examination is essential for determining the diagnosis. The first goal in diagnosing the source of neonatal hypotonia is to ascertain if it is central on peripheral. Infants who have central hypotonia from a brain source usually have other central deficits.
Membrane instability in late-stage erythropoiesis

During maturation of the red blood cell (RBC) from the nucleated normoblast stage to the mature biconcave discocyte, both the structure and mechanical properties of the cell undergo radical changes. The development of the mechanical stability of the membrane reflects underlying changes in the organization of membrane-associated cytoskeletal proteins, and so provides an assessment of the time course of the development of membrane structural organization. Membrane stability in maturing erythrocytes was assessed by measuring forces required to form thin, tubular, lipid strands (tethers) from the surfaces of mononuclear cells obtained from fresh human marrow samples, marrow reticulocytes, circulating reticulocytes, and mature erythrocytes. Cells were biotinylated and manipulated with a micropipette to form an adhesive contact with a glass microcantilever, which gave a measure of the tethering force. The cell was withdrawn at controlled velocity and aspiration pressure to form a tether from the cell surface. The mean force required to form tethers from marrow reticulocytes and normoblasts was 27 +/- 9 pN, compared to 54 +/- 14 pN for mature cells. The energy of dissociation of the bilayer from the underlying skeleton increases 4-fold between the marrow reticulocyte stage and the mature cell, demonstrating that the mechanical stability of the membrane is not completely established until the very last stages of RBC maturation.
A Direct Study of Halo Effect

ABSTRACT Five individuals were evaluated on a 7-point scale from strongly dislike (1) to strongly like (7). A week later the same people were rated on 16 relatively distinct traits, such as carefulness, sense of humor, fairness, and sociability. For three of the rated individuals, there were no extreme ratings on the general impression (liking) scale by raters, and the correlations between those scores and mean trait ratings were .26, .32, and .36. For the other two, there were sharp and extreme ratings on the general liking scale, and correlations between those scores and mean trait ratings were .60 and .76. This method provides a more appropriate and more meaningful index of halo effect than other methods because it is based more directly on Thorndike's (1920) original concept.
Associations between injection risk and community disadvantage among suburban injection drug users in southwestern Connecticut, USA.

Increases in drug abuse, injection, and opioid overdoses in suburban communities led us to study injectors residing in suburban communities in southwestern Connecticut, US. We sought to understand the influence of residence on risk and injection-associated diseases. Injectors were recruited by respondent-driven sampling and interviewed about sociodemographics, somatic and mental health, injection risk, and interactions with healthcare, harm reduction, substance abuse treatment, and criminal justice systems. HIV, hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) serological testing was also conducted. Our sample was consistent in geographic distribution and age to the general population and to the patterns of heroin-associated overdose deaths in the suburban towns. High rates of interaction with drug abuse treatment and criminal justice systems contrasted with scant use of harm reduction services. The only factors associated with both dependent variables—residence in less disadvantaged census tracts and more injection risk—were younger age and injecting in one’s own residence. This contrasts with the common association among urban injectors of injection-associated risk behaviors and residence in disadvantaged communities. Poor social support and moderate/severe depression were associated with risky injection practices (but not residence in specific classes of census tracts), suggesting that a region-wide dual diagnosis approach to the expansion of harm reduction services could be effective at reducing the negative consequences of injection drug use.
Accelerated Partial-Breast Irradiation Versus Whole-Breast Irradiation for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Breast Conservation, 2003–2010: A Report from the National Cancer Data Base

Previous studies have demonstrated an increase in the utilization of accelerated partial-breast irradiation via brachytherapy (APBI-b), but larger, more contemporary studies examining overall APBI use are lacking. A total of 575,438 nonneoadjuvant American Joint Committee on Cancer stage 0 to II breast conservation patients were selected from the National Cancer Data Base from 2003 to 2010 who underwent either whole-breast irradiation or APBI. Overall, 59,396 patients (10.3 %) underwent APBI. The use of APBI for the entire cohort increased from 3.4 % in 2003 to 12.8 % (p < 0.001) in 2008 and then decreased to 12.4 % in 2010. Three-dimensional conformal radiation increased from 0.8 to 2.2 %, intensity-modulated radiotherapy increased from 0.7 to 1.3 %, and brachytherapy (APBI-b) increased from 2.0 to 8.9 %. The most significant factors associated with APBI use were patient age and facility location. Patients 80–89 years old were 3.8 times more likely to undergo APBI compared to patients 30–39 years old (odds ratio [OR] 3.77, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 3.45–4.10, p < 0.001). Patients living in the West census region were 2.0 times more likely to undergo APBI compared to patients living in the Northeast (OR 2.0, 95 % CI 1.93–2.15, p < 0.001). Using the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) guidelines, among patients with noninvasive cancer who received APBI, 95.6 % were categorized as “cautionary” and 4.4 % as “unsuitable.” Of the invasive patients, 43.8 % were categorized as “suitable,” 47.0 % as “cautionary,” and 9.2 % as “unsuitable.” The utilization of APBI has stabilized at approximately 12 % starting in 2008. The majority of APBI is delivered using APBI-b, with patient age being the most significant factor associated with APBI use.