cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A poset Φn whose maximal chains are in bijection with the n × n alternating sign matrices

Abstract For an integer n ≥ 1 , we display a poset Φ n whose maximal chains are in bijection with the n × n alternating sign matrices. The Hasse diagram Φ ˆ n is obtained from the n-cube by adding some edges. We show that the dihedral group D 2 n acts on Φ ˆ n as a group of automorphisms.
On Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Nematic Liquid Crystal Solvents

Between the solid crystal and the normal liquid there exists a number of intermediate states which are usually called liquid crys­tals. Such states can be observed, for instance, with a number of organic compounds or they may form in soap-water solutions or in concentrated solutions of a few polymers in an organic solvent.
IEEE 802.11 Throughput and Delay Analysis for mixed real time and normal data traffic

IEEE 802.11 based network analysis has been largely focused on throughput performance. There has been a growing concern to provide quality of service (QoS) to this protocol suite, the result of which has been the considerable work towards the formulation of the IEEE 802.11e and IEEE 802.11n versions. One important aspect to consider is performance for real time applications like voice over IP (VoIP). In this paper we focus on performance issues of delay and throughput as a function of packet size, initial contention window size settings and the number of active terminals competing for access to the network, when some terminals provide VoIP services, while others transfer data. The simulation model developed using Network Simulator 2 (ns-2) is first validated comparing published results for throughput and delay, to then proceed to perform analysis on Ad hoc networks that will carry mixed VoIP and data traffic. We determine that tuning the initial and final contention window settings on the real time terminals does have a great impact on delay, throughput and packet loss in individual and on the network performance when in congestion.
Amodal Information and Transmodal Perception

In common with other forms of knowing, the act of perceiving involves processing of information. In this paper I have two objectives: First, I will offer a number of observations concerning the nature of information for perception with the emphasis on amodal information. In this portion of my presentation the influence of J. J. Gibson’s (7,8,9) ideas will be obvious. Second, I will raise a number of questions suggested by these observations concerning the potential of vibrotactile stimulation to substitute for visual stimulation.
Evaluation of waist-worn actigraphy monitors for the assessment of sleep in older adults with and without Alzheimer’s disease:

ObjectivesEvaluate differences in sleep characteristics between older adults with and without mild Alzheimer’s disease using waist-worn actigraphy monitors.MethodsActigraph GT3X+ monitors and self-...
Cardiac Manifestations of Seronegative Spondyloarthropathy in a Human Leukocyte Antigen B27-Positive African American Woman: A Case Report With Literature Review.

The seronegative spondyloarthropathies (SSAs) are a group of chronic rheumatologic diseases primarily involving the axial skeleton that are strongly associated with the human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) gene and are relatively uncommon in the African American population. Inflammatory back and peripheral joint pain are typical of these diseases, with extraskeletal sites of involvement including the eyes, skin, and genitourinary tract. The cardiovascular sequelae are encountered less frequently but are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. We present the case of an HLA-B27-positive African American female with the cardiac manifestations of SSA including conduction system, aortic, and mitral valve involvement.
Defects in Amorphous Semiconductors

Defects in amorphous semiconductors manifest themselves as band tailing. Classes of amorphous semiconductors, examples are given. Defect types in amorphous semiconductors are enumerated. Strain-related defects are discussed. Under and over coordinated defects are defined. Dangling and floating bonds are explained. Deviation from optimal bonding is shown. Doping in semiconducting glasses is explained. Microcrystalline boundaries and void are discussed. Recrystallization of amorphous Si is shown. Defect spectrum in amorphous semiconductors are given. Anderson model and localization, and Anderson-Mott localization are differentiated. Band tails and localization are summarized.
Promoting Data Collection in Pollinator Citizen Science Projects

Pollinators provide ecosystem services that are threatened by the loss of wild and managed bees. Citizen scientists can monitor bees to yield useful data that may guide conservation of threatened bee populations. However, the factors that promote data collection in pollinator citizen science projects are largely unknown, inhibiting development of citizen science that promotes pollinator conservation. We used data from two citizen science projects to assess factors that mediated data collection by volunteers who monitored bees in Washington State, USA, from 2015 to 2017. One project monitored bee-plant interactions with photography; the other gave volunteers nest boxes to monitor cavity-nesting bees. Both projects involved educational trainings, although the project methods differed. Volunteers were given post-training questionnaires to assess their motivations for participation and to evaluate if the volunteer’s level of educational attainment influenced data collection. Citizen scientists who monitored cavity-nesting bees were more likely than those who monitored plant-bee interactions to submit data. Data collection was independent of educational attainment, and participants in both projects were more likely to volunteer for their own educational reasons rather than to collect data. Our findings suggest that pollinator citizen science projects which use nest boxes to monitor cavity-nesting bees will receive more data submissions, indicating that these projects may be particularly useful for monitoring pollinators. More broadly, our results suggest that researchers must carefully evaluate project methods, and volunteer motivations, prior to offering trainings to increase rates of data collection.
Enhanced First and Zeroth Order Variance Reduced Algorithms for Min-Max Optimization

Min-max optimization captures many important machine learning problems such as robust adversarial learning and inverse reinforcement learning, and nonconvex-strongly-concave min-max optimization has been an active line of research. Specifically, a novel variance reduction algorithm SREDA was proposed recently by (Luo et al. 2020) to solve such a problem, and was shown to achieve the optimal complexity dependence on the required accuracy level ϵ. Despite the superior theoretical performance, the convergence guarantee of SREDA requires stringent initialization accuracy and an ϵ-dependent stepsize for controlling the per-iteration progress, so that SREDA can run very slowly in practice. This paper develops a novel analytical framework that guarantees the SREDA's optimal complexity performance for a much enhanced algorithm SREDA-Boost, which has less restrictive initialization requirement and an accuracy-independent (and much bigger) stepsize. Hence, SREDA-Boost runs substantially faster in experiments than SREDA. We further apply SREDA-Boost to propose a zeroth-order variance reduction algorithm named ZO-SREDA-Boost for the scenario that has access only to the information about function values not gradients, and show that ZO-SREDA-Boost outperforms the best known complexity dependence on ϵ. This is the first study that applies the variance reduction technique to zeroth-order algorithm for min-max optimization problems.
Preferential recognition and antagonism of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein binding to 3- O -sulfated heparan sulfate

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is in immediate need of an effective antidote. Although the Spike glycoprotein (SgP) of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to bind to heparins, the structural features of this interaction, the role of a plausible heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) receptor, and the antagonism of this pathway through small molecules remain unaddressed. Using an in vitro cellular assay, we demonstrate HSPGs modified by the 3- O -sulfotransferase isoform-3, but not isoform-5, preferentially increased SgP-mediated cell-to-cell fusion in comparison to control, unmodified, wild-type HSPGs. Computational studies support preferential recognition of the receptor-binding domain of SgP by 3- O -sulfated HS sequences. Competition with either fondaparinux, a 3- O -sulfated HS-binding oligopeptide, or a synthetic, non-sugar small molecule, blocked SgP-mediated cell-to-cell fusion. Finally, the synthetic, sulfated molecule inhibited fusion of GFP-tagged pseudo SARS-CoV-2 with human 293T cells with sub-micromolar potency. Overall, overexpression of 3- O -sulfated HSPGs contribute to fusion of SARS-CoV-2, which could be effectively antagonized by a synthetic, small molecule.
Is Support for Outlawing Pornography Linked with Ignorance or Denial of Science

Despite the lack of scientific consensus on pornography’s relationship to addiction, sexual functioning, or violence, research has nevertheless documented the increasing deployment of scientific studies to argue that pornography constitutes a “public health crisis” and renew calls for sweeping anti-pornography legislation. This paradoxical situation suggests there may be a disconnect between the public’s actual scientific literacy or their willingness to acknowledge disconfirming scientific findings and their support for outlawing pornography. Data are drawn from the 2006–2014 General Social Surveys (N = 1225) which enable the use of a composite measure of Americans’ scores on a scientific knowledge test. Analyses show a modest, negative association between Americans’ scientific knowledge score and their desire to outlaw pornography. However, when questions are divided into religiously contested science questions and science questions that are not religiously contested, Americans’ scores on religiously contested scientific knowledge are the strongest (negative) predictor of support for outlawing pornography, while scores on uncontested scientific knowledge become non-significant. These findings are robust to controls for sociodemographic, political, and religious characteristics as well as different modeling strategies. Findings of this study suggest that Americans who support outlawing pornography are not necessarily ignorant of science compared with others but are far more likely to deny science that contradicts conservative cultural narratives about humans.
High Prevalence of Indications for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among People Who Inject Drugs in Boston, Massachusetts.

Introduction In Massachusetts, recent outbreaks of HIV have been fueled by injection and sexual exposures among people who inject drugs. Understanding pre-exposure prophylaxis need, knowledge, and use among people who inject drugs will help inform and evaluate interventions. Methods In 2019, investigators analyzed 2018 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance data from people who inject drugs in Boston, MA, who met eligibility criteria. Proportions of people who inject drugs with U.S. Preventive Services Task Force–based pre-exposure prophylaxis indication were estimated by types of HIV acquisition risk in the past year: injection exposure only, sexual exposure only, and overlapping injection and sexual exposures. Investigators then evaluated pre-exposure prophylaxis awareness, conversations with healthcare providers about pre-exposure prophylaxis, and self-reported pre-exposure prophylaxis use among those with and without pre-exposure prophylaxis indications. Results The prevalence of pre-exposure prophylaxis indication was 92% overall (389/423), with 290 (69%) participants indicated for injection exposures only, 3 ( Conclusions Indication for pre-exposure prophylaxis was high, but awareness was low, conversations about pre-exposure prophylaxis with healthcare providers were uncommon, and pre-exposure prophylaxis use was extremely low. These findings highlight important areas for clinical and community-based interventions to improve pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake among and delivery to people who inject drugs.
Content Analysis of U.S. Newspaper Coverage of Causes and Solutions to Vaping-Associated Lung Injury

In 2019, an outbreak of vaping-associated lung injury (also known as "EVALI") spread throughout the U.S., linked to use of illicit THC cartridges. This paper examines U.S. newspaper coverage on the...
Clinical Implications of Illness Awareness in Dementia

Introduction Illness awareness in dementia has a substantial impact on psychopathology, daily functioning, and treatment adherence. Although there is an extensive literature on illness awareness in dementia, there are still many inconsistencies and knowledge gaps that have implications for clinical practice. Methods One such inconsistency is that illness awareness is characterized in different terms: as anosognosia (the lack of awareness of having a disorder or disability), metacognition (a patient's knowledge about their perceptions, memories, decisions, and actions), or insight (a multidimensional construct). Illness awareness is also complicated by cultural and psychological factors: for instance, denial may serve as both an impediment to care (reducing treatment adherence) and a protective factor (mitigating depression/anxiety about having a chronic illness). The task of defining illness awareness and its role in dementia is complex, as is the prospect of developing interventions that might improve illness awareness and subsequent clinical outcomes. Results This poster will review the current literature with four primary aims: (1) To examine the various definitions of illness awareness and to explore the potential for developing a brief, valid instrument to assess illness awareness during routine clinic visits. (2) To identify specific neurocognitive and demographic variables that serve as predictors of illness awareness in dementia. (3) To address how impairments of illness awareness affect patient-caregiver interactions, patient well-being, symptom severity, the trajectory of illness, treatment adherence, morale, and the willingness to accept help. (4) To explore whether illness awareness and/or its predictor variables have been found to be modifiable by intervention, which interventions are most effective, and what clinical benefits they could provide. Conclusions For each of the above aims, we will summarize the principal findings in the literature and identify steps for future research. Funding New York State Department of Health, Center of Excellence Grant.
Testing concordance and conflict in spatial replication of landscape genetics inferences

The field of landscape genetics relates habitat features and genetic information to infer dispersal and genetic connectivity between populations or individuals distributed across a landscape. Such studies usually focus on a small portion of a species range, and the degree to which these geographically restricted results can be extrapolated to different areas of a species range remains poorly understood. Studies that have focused on spatial replication in landscape genetics processes either evaluate a small number of sites, are informed by a small set of genetic markers, analyze only a small subset of environmental variables, or implement models that do not fully explore parameter space. Here, we used a broadly distributed ectothermic lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis, Western Fence lizard) as a model species to evaluate the full role of topography, climate, vegetation, and roads on dispersal and genetic differentiation. We conducted landscape genetics analyses in five areas within the Sierra Nevada mountain range, using thousands of ddRAD genetic markers distributed across the genome, implemented in the landscape genetics program ResistanceGA. Across study areas, we found a great deal of consistency in the variables impacting genetic connectivity, but also noted site-specific differences in the factors in each study area. High-elevation colder areas were consistently found to be barriers to gene flow, as were areas of high ruggedness and slope. High temperature seasonality and high precipitation during the winter wet season also presented a substantial barrier to gene flow in a majority of study areas. The effect of other landscape variables on genetic differentiation was more idiosyncratic and depended on specific attributes at each site. Vegetation type was found to substantially affect gene flow only in the southernmost Sequoia site, likely due to a higher proportion of desert habitat here, thereby fragmenting habitats that have lower costs to dispersal. The effect of roads also varied between sites and may be related to differences in road usage and amount of traffic in each area. Across study areas, canyons were always substantially implicated as facilitators to dispersal and key features linking populations and maintaining genetic connectivity across landscapes. We emphasize that spatial data layers are complex and multidimensional, and a careful consideration of associations between variables is vital to form sound conclusions about the critical factors affecting dispersal and genetic connectivity across space.
Isolation and long-term expansion of murine epidermal stem-like cells

Epidermis is the most outer layer of the skin and a physical barrier protecting the internal tissues from mechanical and environmental insults. The basal keratinocytes, which, through proliferation and differentiation, supply diverse cell types for epidermal homeostasis and injury repair. Sustainable culture of murine keratinocyte, however, is a major obstacle. Here we developed murine keratinocyte lines using low-Ca2+ (0.06 mM) keratinocyte serum-free medium (KSFM-Ca2+) without feeder cells. Cells derived in this condition could be subcultured for >70 passages. They displayed basal epithelial cell morphology and expressed keratin (Krt) 14, but lacked the epithelial-characteristic intercellular junctions. Moreover, these cells could be adapted to grow in the Defined-KSFM (DKSFM) media containing 0.15 mM Ca2+, and the adapted cells established tight- and adherens-junctions and exhibited increased Krt1/10 expression while retained subculture capacity. Global gene expression studies showed cells derived in KSFM-Ca2+ media had enriched stem/proliferation markers and cells adapted in DKSFM media had epithelial progenitor signatures. Correspondingly, KSFM-Ca2+-derived cells exhibited a remarkable capacity of clonal expansion, whereas DKSFM-adapted cells could differentiate to suprabasal epithelial cell types in 3-dimentional (3D) organoids. The generation of stem-like murine keratinocyte lines and the conversion of these cells to epithelial progenitors capable of terminal differentiation provide the critically needed resources for skin research.
Racial and Gender Discrimination in Hand Surgery Letters of Recommendation.

Purpose We sought to evaluate hand surgery applicants' letters of recommendations to understand whether applicant and letter writer demographics contribute to racial and gender bias. Methods All applications submitted through the American Society for Surgery of the Hand match to a single institution fellowship program for the 2017 to 2019 application cycles were analyzed using validated text analysis software. Race/ethnicity information was derived from an analysis of applicant photos using the Face Secret Pro software. Primary outcome measures were differences in communal and agentic language used in letters of recommendation, stratified by both race/ethnicity and gender. Results A total of 912 letters of recommendation were analyzed for 233 applicants (51 female and 172 male). Of these, 88 were written by female letter writers and 824 were written by male letter writers. There were 8 Black, 12 Hispanic, 36 Asian, and 167 White applicants. Letter writers used more agentic language with Asian applicants and non-White applicants overall. Female letter writers used more communal terms and were not associated with applicant race or gender. Conclusions Letters of recommendation in hand surgery demonstrate disparities in language based on race and gender. Clinical relevance Alerting letter writers to the role of implicit bias will hopefully spur a discussion on tools to mitigate the use of biased language and provide a foundation for an equitable selection process. Efforts to improve policies and procedures pertaining to diversity and inclusion are paramount to ensuring that fellows more completely represent the population hand surgeons wish to serve.
Respiratory failure in diabetic ketoacidosis

Respiratory failure complicating the course of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a source of increased morbidity and mortality. Detection of respiratory failure in DKA requires focused clinical monitoring, careful interpretation of arterial blood gases, and investigation for conditions that can affect adversely the respiration. Conditions that compromise respiratory function caused by DKA can be detected at presentation but are usually more prevalent during treatment. These conditions include deficits of potassium, magnesium and phosphate and hydrostatic or non-hydrostatic pulmonary edema. Conditions not caused by DKA that can worsen respiratory function under the added stress of DKA include infections of the respiratory system, pre-existing respiratory or neuromuscular disease and miscellaneous other conditions. Prompt recognition and management of the conditions that can lead to respiratory failure in DKA may prevent respiratory failure and improve mortality from DKA.
Task environment centered simulation

The design of organizations or other coordination mechanisms for groups of agents depends in many ways on the agent’s task environment. Two of these dependencies are on the structure of the tasks and on the uncertainty in the task structures. The task structure includes the scope of the problems facing the agents, the complexity of the choices facing the agents, and the the particular kinds and patterns of interrelationships that occur between tasks. A few examples of environmental uncertainty include uncertainty in the a priori structure of any particular problem-solving episode, in the actions of other agents, and in the outcomes of an agent’s own actions. These dependencies hold regardless of whether the system comprises just people, just computational agents, or a mixture of the two. For example, the presence of both uncertainty and high variance in a task structure can lead a system of agents to perform better by using coordination algorithms that adapt dynamically to each problem-solving episode [8, 9]. Designing coordination mechanisms also depends on non-task characteristics of the environment such as communication costs, and properties of the agents themselves. Representing and reasoning about the task environment must be part of any computational theory of coordination. TAEMS (Task Analysis, Environment Modeling, and Simulation) was developed as a framework with which to model and simulate complex, computationally intensive task environments at multiple levels of abstraction and from multiple viewpoints. It is a tool for building and testing computational theories of coordination. TAEMS is compatible with both formal computational agent-centered approaches and experimental approaches. The framework allows us to both mathematically analyze (when possible) and quantitatively simulate the behavior of multi-agent systems with respect to interesting characteristics of the computational task environments of which they are part. We believe that it provides the correct level of abstraction for meaningfully evaluating centralized, parallel, and distributed control algorithms, negotiation strategies, and organizational designs. This chapter will briefly describe the TAEMS modeling framework for representing abstract task environments, concentrating particularly on its support for simulation. I will describe how to model each of several different multi-agent problem-solving environments, such as This work was supported by DARPA contract N00014-92-J-1698, Office of Naval Research contract N00014-92-J-1450, and NSF contract IRI-9321324. The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.
Monolithic receivers in deep submicron SOI and bulk CMOS

A review of recent monolithic waveguide receivers — comprised of infrared waveguide detectors, analog and digital circuits — in both foundry silicon-on-insulator processes as well as custom bulk CMOS processes is presented.
Rapid Assessment of Exposure to Chlorine Released from a Train Derailment and Resulting Health Impact

OBJECTIVES: After a train derailment released approximately 60 tons of chlorine from a ruptured tanker car, a multiagency team performed a rapid assessment of the health impact to determine morbidity caused by the chlorine and evaluate the effect of this mass-casualty event on health-care facilities. METHODS: A case was defined as death or illness related to chlorine exposure. Investigators gathered information on exposure, treatment received, and outcome through patient questionnaires and medical record review. An exposure severity rating was assigned to each patient based on description of exposure, distance from derailment, and duration of exposure. A case involving death or hospitalization > or = 3 nights was classified as a severe medical outcome. Logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with severe medical outcomes. RESULTS: Nine people died, 72 were hospitalized in nine hospitals, and 525 were examined as outpatients. Fifty-one people (8%) had a severe medical outcome. Of 263 emergency department visits within 24 hours of the incident, 146 (56%) were in Augusta, Georgia; at least 95 patients arrived at facilities in privately owned vehicles. Patients with moderate-to-extreme exposure were more likely to experience a severe medical outcome (relative risk: 15.2; 95% confidence interval 4.8, 47.8) than those with a lower rating. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid investigation revealed significant morbidity and mortality associated with an accidental release of chlorine gas. Key findings that should be addressed during facility, community, state, and regional mass-casualty planning include self-transport of symptomatic people for medical care and impact on health-care facilities over a wide geographic area. Language: en
Reduction of the stretch modulus of human cervical tissue by prostaglandin E2

Samples of cervical tissue were obtained from women immediately following term delivery from spontaneous labor or oral PGE2-induced labor and from a small nunber of nonpregnant women in the reproductive years undergoing hysterectomy for benign gynecologic disease. The measured strips were placed in a well-oxygenated bath at 37 degrees C. containing Ringer's solution and stretched at a constant rate while continuously recording length and tension. The data were converted to stress-strain diagrams. Each curve contained a long linear portion which allowed one to compute a stretch modulus for each sample. A total of 71 strips from 23 patients was used. The average stretch modulus from the oral PGE2-induced patients was significantly lower than the spontaneous labor group (p less than 0.005), which, in turn, was significantly lower than the stretch modulus of the nonpregnant cervical tissue. It was also noted that the yield point was lower in the PGE2 series when compared to the spontaneous labor series (p less than 0.05). The effect of the PGE2 at a bath concentration of 10(-5) to 10(-6)Gm. per cubic centimeter was to materially reduce the stretch modulus within 5 to 15 minutes of the drug addition in both the PGE2-induced and spontaneous labor series. The results of these experiments indicate that PGE2 has the effect of reducing cervial stiffness.
Stabilization of Growing Retinal Axons by the Combined Signaling of Nitric Oxide and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

The pattern of axonal projections early in the development of the nervous system lacks the precision present in the adult. During a developmental process of refinement, mistargeted projections are eliminated while correct projections are retained. Previous studies suggest that during development nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the elimination of mistargeted retinal axons, whereas brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may stabilize retinal axon arbors. It is unclear whether these neuromodulators interact. This study showed that NO induced growth cone collapse and retraction of developing retinal axons. This effect was not attributable to NO-induced neurotoxicity. BDNF protected growth cones and axons from the effects of NO. This effect was specific to BDNF, because neither nerve growth factor (NGF) nor neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) prevented NO-induced growth cone collapse and axon retraction. Exposure to both BDNF and NO, but not either factor alone, stabilized growth cones and axons. Stabilized axons exhibited minimal retraction or extension. This response appears to be a new axon "state" and not simply a partial amelioration of the effect of NO, because lower doses of BDNF or NO allowed axon extension. Furthermore, BDNF/NO-induced growth cone stabilization correlated with the appearance of a cytochalasin D-resistant population of actin filaments. BDNF protection from NO likely was mediated locally at the level of the growth cone, because growth cones or individual filopodia in contact with BDNF-coated beads were protected from NO-induced collapse. These findings suggest a cellular mechanism by which some axonal connections are stabilized and some are eliminated during development.
The 19th Annual National Neurotrauma Society Symposium, A Satellite to 31st Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, San Diego, CA November 9–10, 2001

The 19th Annual National Neurotrauma Symposium was held as a satellite meeting to the 31st Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, CA on November 9 and 10, 2001. The symposium consisted of 18 lectures, each of 25 min duration, 10 short open communications, and 255 posters. Over 400 scientists and students participated. The symposium was sponsored by the Medical College of Virginia. It was supported financially by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute for Child Health & Human Development, Acorda Therapeutics, DuPont Pharmaceutical Co., Guilford Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Kent Waldrep National Paralysis Foundation and The Ameritec Foundation. The abstracts from this symposium were published in the J. of Neurotrauma, Vol. 18, No. 10, 2001. This report covers oral and poster presentations, which dealt with the new therapeutic approaches to head and spinal cord trauma, with potential targets for new drugs and with new methods for evaluation of potential drugs for the treatment of neurotrauma.
Satisfying Predicates: Kleene's Proof of the Hilbert–Bernays Theorem

The Hilbert–Bernays Theorem establishes that for any satisfiable first-order quantificational schema S, one can write out linguistic expressions that are guaranteed to yield a true sentence of elementary arithmetic when they are substituted for the predicate letters in S. The theorem implies that if L is a consistent, fully interpreted language rich enough to express elementary arithmetic, then a schema S is valid if and only if every sentence of L that can be obtained by substituting predicates of L for predicate letters in S is true. The theorem therefore licenses us to define validity substitutionally in languages rich enough to express arithmetic. The heart of the theorem is an arithmetization of Godel's completeness proof for first-order predicate logic. Hilbert and Bernays were the first to prove that there is such an arithmetization. Kleene established a strengthened version of it, and Kreisel, Mostowski, and Putnam refined Kleene's result. Despite the later refinements, Kleene's presentation of th...
Assessing Rotary Stability of the Knee In Vitro Using Principal Component Analysis

Clinicians typically assess the functional status of the knee subjectively through manipulations to the knee’s passive connective tissue restraint under minimal load. The resulting translation or rotation at a given flexion angle is defined as the laxity of the knee which is used to suggest (in)stability. However, recent studies have shown that instability is not necessarily determined by knee laxity1. Dynamic stability at the knee is achieved through a complex interaction between soft tissue structures, neuromuscular control and articular geometry. It is during dynamic functional movements, such as walking, that patients suffer from buckling or giving way sometimes resulting in falls 2.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Functional Concept-Based Detection for Transformative Product Design

Cross-disciplinary technologies are noticeable phenomena in modern products, as found in renewable energy and electric vehicle industries. However, current conceptual design tools have been limited to respond these cross-disciplinary technology products. One of remarkable characteristics in this technology change is transforming an existing product with multiple cross-disciplinary technologies. This paper presents a new product design paradigm, called Transformative Product Design (TPD), to respond this phenomenon. In TPD, transformation is a design process to produce a new product (i.e., transformative product) from a base product by adding and/or converting functions/features with reference products or technologies. To accomplish the transformation process, this paper develops a new Functional Concept-based Detection method. Also, the proposed functional concept-based detection method is described with a case study in the context of transformative product design process.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Weaving Technology and Policy Together to Maintain Confidentiality

Author demonstrates that removing all explicit identifiers from medical data does not guarantee medical record confidentiality. She examines three new software systems that do help maintain anonymity, but warns that systems' limitations demand complementary policies.
Future prospects for proton pump inhibitors

Future prospects for proton pump inhibitors depend on their efficacy and safety relative to H2-receptor antagonists, the therapeutic standard for acid peptic disorders. As safety concerns diminish, efficacy considerations become more important as these may pertain to cost effectiveness. Comparative, controlled trials show that omeprazole and lansoprazole are somewhat more effective than H2-blockers in healing duodenal and gastric ulcers, providing faster relief of symptoms. Relapse after cessation of therapy is similar between the two classes. The proton pump inhibitors are substantially more effective in healing lesions and relieving symptoms in patients with reflux oesophagitis, and are particularly effective in cases that have failed to heal after 12 weeks of treatment with H2-blockers. Relapse rates of oesophagitis are significantly less with prolonged treatment with omeprazole than ranitidine. A proton pump inhibitor combined with amoxicillin is less effective than triple therapy with antibiotics and bismuth in eradicating Helicobacter pylori infections, but is more convenient and associated with fewer side-effects. Efficacy might be improved by more optimal dosing regimens. Prospects for reversible proton pump inhibitors depend on the balance between their theoretical advantages and their acid inhibition profile which, at present, closely resembles that of H2-blockers.
Populations of tightly coupled neurons: The rgc/lgn system

A mathematical model, of general character for the dynamic description of coupled neural oscillators is presented. The population approach that is employed applies equally to coupled cells as to populations of such coupled cells. The formulation includes stochasticity and preserves details of precisely firing neurons. Based on the generally accepted view of cortical wiring, this formulation is applied to the retinal ganglion cell (RGC)/lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) relay cell system, of the early mammalian visual system. The smallness of quantal voltage jumps at the retinal level permits a Fokker-Planck approximation for the RGC contribution; however, the LGN description requires the use of finite jumps, which for fast synaptic dynamics appears as finite jumps in the membrane potential. Analyses of equilibrium spiking behavior for both the deterministic and stochastic cases are presented. Green's function methods form the basis for the asymptotic and exact results that are presented. This determines the spiking ratio (i.e., the number of RGC arrivals per LGN spike), which is the reciprocal of the transfer ratio, under wide circumstances. Criteria for spiking regimes, in terms of the relatively few parameters of the model, are presented. Under reasonable hypotheses, it is shown that the transfer ratio is ≤1/2, in the absence of input from other areas. Thus, the model suggests that the LGN/RGC system may be a relatively unsophisticated spike editor. In the absence of other input, the system is designed to fire an LGN spike only when two or more RGC spikes appear in a relatively short time. Transfer ratios that briefly exceed 1/2 (but are less than 1) have been recorded in the laboratory. Inclusion of brain stem input has been shown to provide a signal that elevates the transfer ratio (Ozaki & Kaplan, 2006). A model that includes this contribution is also presented.
The effect of two-layer (University of Wisconsin solution/perfluorochemical) preservation method on clinical grade pancreata prior to islet isolation and transplantation.

Background. Research-grade pancreata preserved by the two-layer method (TLM) compared to organs stored with University of Wisconsin (UW) solution prior to islet isolation result in significantly better islet yields. However, it is unknown whether the TLM improves islet yields from pancreata that meet the criteria for the selection of clinical-grade organs. Methods. Six clinical-grade pancreata were preserved for 4.8 ± 0.5 hour in UW and three clinical-grade pancreata were preserved by the TLM for 11.7 ± 2.0 hour. The local team procured all pancreata. All donors were hemodynamically stable without norepinephrine usage and length of hospitalization was less than 96 hour. Causes of death were either head trauma or cerebrovascular accident. Islets were isolated and evaluated according to the Edmonton protocol. Results. The TLM as compared to UW resulted in a significant increase in islet yields (3415 ± 227 vs 2006 ± 337 IE/g pancreas, P <.03). The quality of islets as assessed by visual score was significantly better in the TLM group (8.7 ± 0.2 vs 7.3 ± 0.3, P <.02) but other parameters (viability, survival rate after culture, insulin content, stimulation index) were similar between the two groups. We transplanted all three islet preparations in the TLM group but only two of six preparations from the UW group. Conclusion. Compared to UW, exposure of pancreata to the TLM resulted in greater islet yields and extended preservation times with clinical grade pancreas. Pancreata should be preserved by the TLM prior to islet isolation even for donors that meet clinical grade organ selection criteria. The Human Islet Transplantation in Seattle (HITS) Consortium is supported in part by a grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. The HITS consortium is an islet transplant program involving the University of Washington, Pacific Northwest Research Institute, the Puget Sound Blood Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Swedish Hospital, and the Virginia Mason Research Center.
A Preventive Intervention with Children of Alcoholics

Summary Children of alcoholics have been identified as a population at high risk for the development of a large number of psycho-social and behavioral problems (e.g., alcoholism and difficulty in establishing relationships). The literature on etiology, mediating and moderating variables, and resiliency with respect to these developmental processes has implications for the development of prevention strategies. A group preventive intervention was designed to facilitate the development of a variety of coping strategies and social skills, as well as to provide information and support to self-referred children of alcoholics. Eighteen sessions were held at middle schools. Comparison of pre and post data (using a waiting control group design) indicated positive effects in terms of several psychosocial variables.
Effects of dietary protein degradability and casein or amino acid infusions on production and plasma amino acids in dairy cows.

Abstract Responses to daily abomasal infusions of 400g sodium caseinate, 400g hydrolyzed casein, or 11.3g L-methionine plus 30.1g L-lysine were compared in eight Holstein cows fed diets with estimated ruminal protein degradabilities of 70 and 60.5%. Basal diets contained corn silage and corn with either soybean meal or 66.7:33.3 soybean meal:corn gluten meal added. Infusion with Methionine plus lysine increased milk protein content when cows were fed either diet but increased milk fat content and yield only when the soybean meal diet was fed. Sodium caseinate increased milk and milk protein production and decreased milk fat percentage. Concentration of total essential amino acids, branched chain amino acids, and urea cycle amino acids were increased by the infusion of both casein sources. Methionine-lysine infusion increased plasma lysine and taurine, a metabolite of methionine, suggesting that absorbed methionine was extensively metabolized. Results demonstrate an impact of both ruminal degradability of dietary protein and form of infused protein on amino acid nutrition of lactaring dairy cows.
Intrinsic resistance to the lethal effects of x-irradiation in insect and arachnid cells.

Abstract Twelve cell lines representing 10 genera of three orders (Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera) of the class Insecta and one cell line (Acarina) from the class Arachnida were examined to discern their sensitivity to the lethal effects of x-irradiation. Radiosensitivity was measured by a combination of colony formation and population growth curve techniques. Each of these arthropod cell lines is significantly more radioresistant than mammalian cells, though the degree of resistance varies greatly with order. Dipteran cells are 3 to 9 times and lepidopteran cells 52 to 104 times more radioresistant than mammalian cells. Orthopteran and acarine cells are intermediate in radiosensitivity between dipteran and lepidopteran cells. These cells, especially the lepidopteran, should be valuable in determining the molecular nature of repair mechanisms that result in resistance to ionizing radiation.
On CR-submanifolds of Hermitian manifolds

In this paper we consider a CR-submanifold of a Hermitian manifold and prove various integrability theorems on the submanifold. When the ambient space is Kaehlerian a number of differential geometric results are also obtained.
Alpaca Lies? Speculative Bubbles in Agriculture: Why They Happen and How to Recognize Them

The speculative bubble phenomenon has been studied extensively by economists and psychologists in recent years. The recent literature is surveyed and extended to enhance the understanding of speculative bubbles in agricultural industries. The analysis is applied to the U.S. alpaca industry, where prices for breeding stock are many times higher than in Peru, home of the world's largest alpaca herd. We present a framework to assess whether current prices for U.S. alpaca stock are supported by market fundamentals or are likely to represent a speculative bubble. Finally, we identify “warning signs” common to agricultural bubbles.
Mechanism of the Facilitation of PC2 Maturation by 7B2: Involvement in ProPC2 Transport and Activation but Not Folding

Among the members of the prohormone convertase (PC) family, PC2 has a unique maturation pattern: it is retained in the ER for a comparatively long time and its propeptide is cleaved in the TGN/ secretory granules rather than in the ER. It is also unique by its association with the neuroendocrine protein 7B2. This interaction results in the facilitation of proPC2 maturation and in the production of activatable proPC2 from CHO cells. In the present study, we have investigated the mechanism of this interaction. ProPC2 binds 7B2 in the ER, but exits this compartment much more slowly than 7B2. We found that proPC2 was also slow to acquire the capacity to bind 7B2, whereas 7B2 could bind proPC2 rapidly after synthesis. This indicated that proPC2 folding was the limiting step in the formation of the complex. Indeed, sensitivity of native proPC2 to N-glycanase F digestion and inhibition of proPC2 folding supported the notion that 7B2 is not involved in the early steps of proPC2 folding, and that proPC2 must fold before binding 7B2. Under experimental conditions that prevent propeptide cleavage, 7B2 expression increased proPC2 transport to the Golgi. This increase exhibited the same kinetics as the facilitation of the removal of the propeptide. Finally, proPC2 activation could be reconstituted in Golgi- enriched subcellular fractions. In vitro, 7B2 was required for proPC2 activation at an acidic pH. Taken together, our results demonstrate that rather than promoting proPC2 folding, 7B2 acts as a helper protein involved in proPC2 transport and is required in the proPC2 activation process. We propose, therefore, that 7B2 stabilizes proPC2 in a conformation already competent for these two events.
Linewidth and Coupling of Interfacial GaAs Quantum Dots Measured with Optical Two-Dimensional Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

Optical two-dimensional Fourier-transform spectroscopy is used to study interfacial GaAs quantum dots (QDs). We extract the temperature dependence of the QD homogeneous linewidth and energy relaxation from quantum well excitons to the lower energy QDs.
Interactions of gamma‐irradiated sewage, nitrogen and phosphorus for Sorghum on a calcareous soil

Abstract The interaction of gamma‐irradiated sewage sludge, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on dry matter production, phosphorus concentration and phosphorus uptake of sorghum was examined. Three crops of sorghum were grown in the greenhouse in 19 1 plastic buckets. The phosphorus and sludge treatments were applied at the initiation of the experiment only. Nitrogen was applied to the corresponding nitrogen treatment pots before each of the three croppings. There was a significant nitrogen x sewage interaction for dry matter production, phosphorus concentration and phosphorus uptake in each harvest. There was a significant phosphorus sewage sludge interaction in the first harvest for phosphorus uptake. All other possible interactions were not statistically significant. The 67 metric ton/ha sludge rate produced nearly the same yield as the nitrogen treatment. In the first harvest, sludge significantly increased plant phosphorus uptake from the fertilizer phosphorus. The phosphorus uptake in sorghum from...
An intercomparison of neutron measurements for a 25 MV x-ray radiotherapy accelerator

High‐energy x‐ray radiotherapy machines produce neutrons by photonuclear reactions which present a potential radiation hazard to the personnel and patient. A series of measurements of the neutron flux from a 25 MV x‐ray linear accelerator, inside and outside the treatment room, have been performed using a multisphere spectrometer, Nemo dosimeter, and activation detectors. These results are compared with other mixed photon–neutron field measurements for the same machine performed using an argon/propane ionization chamber, silicondiode, track‐etching detectors, and Monte Carlo calculations. It is found that these measurements agree with each other within a factor of two except for silicondiode measurements in the photon beam. Measured neutron spectra at various locations in the treatment room are also compared with the results of Monte Carlo transport calculations.