cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acquisition of appropriate bias for inductive concept learning

Current approaches to inductive concept learning suffer from a fundamental difficulty; if a fixed language is chosen in which to represent concepts, then in cases where that language is inappropriate, the new concept may be impossible to describe (and therefore to learn). We suggest a framework for automatically extending the language in which concepts are to be expressed. This framework includes multiple sources of knowledge for recommending plausible language extensions.
Open Access Rules and Equilibrium Broadband Deployment

Investment in advanced communications infrastructure promises such tantalizing payoffs as accelerated economic growth and enhanced national competitiveness. Relatively little disagreement arises in policy debates that such benefits are possible—usually only their size and distribution across the population are at issue. Bitter disputes, however, have occurred over which path will lead the communications sector to deploy these technologies most expeditiously and equitably.
The Healthy Neighborhood, Healthy Families Initiative.

Extreme poverty and the associated effects, such as blight, housing insecurity, and crime, have debilitating consequences on child development. Health care institutions are largely ineffective in changing those outcomes 1 child at a time. We present a case study of a hospital treating the adjacent neighborhood as a “patient” to address social determinants. The community represents a largely impoverished and housing-unstable neighborhood that underwent an assessment by community partners and treatment with a multifaceted housing intervention. Marked improvement in vacancy rates occurred, although outcome assessments for children are still being gathered. Several case learnings are presented, but the involvement and investment of pediatric health care clinicians and institutions increased the speed and size of neighborhood development after 80 years of redlining and institutional racism.
Maximizing Induced Cardinality Under a Determinantal Point Process

Determinantal point processes (DPPs) are well-suited to recommender systems where the goal is to generate collections of diverse, high-quality items. In the existing literature this is usually formulated as finding the mode of the DPP (the so-called MAP set). However, the MAP objective inherently assumes that the DPP models "optimal" recommendation sets, and yet obtaining such a DPP is nontrivial when there is no ready source of example optimal sets. In this paper we advocate an alternative framework for applying DPPs to recommender systems. Our approach assumes that the DPP simply models user engagements with recommended items, which is more consistent with how DPPs for recommender systems are typically trained. With this assumption, we are able to formulate a metric that measures the expected number of items that a user will engage with. We formalize this optimization of this metric as the Maximum Induced Cardinality (MIC) problem. Although the MIC objective is not submodular, we show that it can be approximated by a submodular function, and that empirically it is well-optimized by a greedy algorithm.
The U.S. Medicine Chest: Implications of Increased Reliance on China.

Public concern about the safety of medicines has been heightened with the recent recall of more than half of all valsartan products on the market in the United States after the Food and Drug Admini...
Enemies, Allies, and the Struggle for Self-definition in “Muslim Punk” Rock:

Research shows that both entertainment and news media coverage of Islam and Muslims generate anti-Muslim attitudes in the wider U.S. public. In this article, I explore how this media trend shaped T...
Transition to adulthood: Dynamics of disability, food security, and SNAP participation.

Abstract Introduction This study examines how the transition to adulthood may affect food security for individuals with disabilities and estimates the effects of SNAP participation on their food security during the transition. Methods The study uses a repeated cross-sectional design with five years of data (2011–2015) from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in the US. The difference-in-difference approach is applied to compare individuals with and without disabilities regarding their food security status in adolescence and young adulthood. Instrumental Variable analyses are conducted using state SNAP policy rules as exogenous instruments to estimate the effects of SNAP participation on food security status for youth and young adults with disabilities. Results Results indicate that transition into adulthood results in greater food security for individuals without disabilities but an increased risk of low food security for individuals with disabilities. The increased risk for young adults with disabilities may well put them at very low food security, the most severe category on the food security scale. SNAP participation appears to have greater impacts for youth than for young adults. Conclusions Since food security likely has a profound impact on the long-term development, economic independence, and self-sufficiency, we discuss a few policy strategies that may help individuals with disabilities in their transition to adulthood.
Modeling Small Noncanonical RNA Motifs with the Rosetta FARFAR Server

Noncanonical RNA motifs help define the vast complexity of RNA structure and function, and in many cases, these loops and junctions are on the order of only ten nucleotides in size. Unfortunately, despite their small size, there is no reliable method to determine the ensemble of lowest energy structures of junctions and loops at atomic accuracy. This chapter outlines straightforward protocols using a webserver for Rosetta Fragment Assembly of RNA with Full Atom Refinement (FARFAR) ( http://rosie.rosettacommons.org/rna_denovo/submit ) to model the 3D structure of small noncanonical RNA motifs for use in visualizing motifs and for further refinement or filtering with experimental data such as NMR chemical shifts.
Kinetics of 5-exo Cyclizations of N-Alkyl-4-pentenaminyl Radicals and β-Fragmentations of β-(Dialkylamino)alkyl Radicals

The kinetic conclusions of a recent report by Maxwell and Tsanaktsidis (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 4276) were investigated. The kinetics of ring opening of the (N-butyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl radical (2) to the N-butyl-4-pentenaminyl radical (1) and the reverse reaction, 5-exo cyclization of 1 to 2, were determined at 50 and 80 °C by competitive Bu3SnH trapping. Rate constants for 5-exo cyclization of a dialkylaminyl radical and for β-fragmentation of a β-(dialkylamino)ethyl radical were measured by direct laser flash photolysis (LFP) methods. In contrast to the conclusions of Maxwell and Tsanaktsidis, all of these radical reactions were facile with rate constants of at least 1 × 104 s-1. The claim by Maxwell and Tsanaktsidis that bis(tributyltin oxide) catalyzes dialkylaminyl radical reactions was investigated by LFP kinetic studies of the 5-exo cyclization of the N-methyl-5,5-diphenyl-4-pentenaminyl radical (20) in the presence of the additive which demonstrated that (Bu3Sn)2O does not have a catalytic...
Selection into Identification in Fixed Effects Models, with Application to Head Start

Many papers use fixed effects (FE) to identify causal impacts of an intervention. In this paper we show that when the treatment status only varies within some groups, this design can induce non-random selection of groups into the identifying sample, which we term selection into identification (SI). We begin by illustrating SI in the context of several family fixed effects (FFE) applications with a binary treatment variable. We document that the FFE identifying sample differs from the overall sample along many dimensions, including having larger families. Further, when treatment effects are heterogeneous, the FFE estimate is biased relative to the average treatment effect (ATE). For the general FE model, we then develop a reweighting-on-observables estimator to recover the unbiased ATE from the FE estimate for policy-relevant populations. We apply these insights to examine the long-term effects of Head Start in the PSID and the CNLSY. Using our reweighting methods, we estimate that Head Start leads to a 2.6 percentage point (p.p.) increase (s.e. = 6.2 p.p.) in the likelihood of attending some college for white Head Start participants in the PSID. This ATE is 78% smaller than the traditional FFE estimate (12 p.p). Reweighting the CNLSY FE estimates to obtain the ATE produces similar attenuation in the estimated impacts of Head Start.
Measuring the Reliability of Diagnostic Mastery Classifications at Multiple Levels of Reporting

As the use of diagnostic assessment systems transitions from research applications to large-scale assessments for accountability purposes, reliability methods that provide evidence at each level of...
Do inclusive education laws improve primary schooling among children with disabilities

Abstract Of the approximately 93 million children with moderate or severe disabilities around the world, large numbers do not have access to quality education. Inclusive education systems have been advocated as a solution to this problem. In this paper, we examine whether legislation to advance inclusive education can increase the likelihood of children with disabilities attending school in a low-income country. Using a difference-in-difference methodology, we find that children with visual, hearing, and physical disabilities, who began school at a time when inclusive education was guaranteed in Uganda, had a significantly higher likelihood of going to school than children with disabilities in comparator countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as children with disabilities in Uganda who became of school age prior to the passage of legislation. However, this was no longer true when considering only the sample of children reported to have no ability to see, hear, or engage in physical activities. While our findings are promising, comparable data on more countries are needed to comprehensively examine the impact of similar legislation across multiple settings.
An optimization framework of a parametric Octabuoy semi-submersible design

Abstract An optimization framework using genetic algorithms has been developed towards an automated parametric optimization of the Octabuoy semi-submersible design. Compared with deep draft production units, the design of the shallow draught Octabuoy semi-submersible provides a floating system with improved motion characteristics, being less susceptible to vortex induced motions in loop currents. The relatively large water plane area results in a decreased natural heave period, which locates the floater in the wave period range with more wave energy. Considering this, the hull design of Octabuoy semi-submersible has been optimized to improve the floater’s motion performance. The optimization has been conducted with optimized parameters of the pontoon’s rectangular cross section area, the cone shaped section’s height and diameter. Through numerical evaluations of both the 1st-order and 2nd-order hydrodynamics, the optimization through genetic algorithms has been proven to provide improved hydrodynamic performance, in terms of heave and pitch motions. This work presents a meaningful framework as a reference in the process of floating system’s design.
Introducing the 24-2C Visual Field Test in Neuro-Ophthalmology.

PURPOSE The Humphrey 24-2C visual field test is a modified 24-2 visual field test that incorporates 10 additional test points in the central 10° of vision. This study compares the new 24-2C test to the standard Humphrey 10-2 visual field test in patients presenting for neuro-ophthalmology evaluation to evaluate its ability to detect central visual field defects. METHODS Twenty-five neuro-ophthalmology patients (42 eyes) underwent both 24-2C and 10-2 visual field testing using the Humphrey perimeter. The number of flagged total deviation (TD) and pattern deviation (PD) points of the 10 added test points of the 24-2C were compared with the corresponding 10-2 fields at the P < 5%, P < 2%, and P < 1% significance levels. The total number of flagged TD points were further analyzed by diagnosis. An experienced neuro-ophthalmologist evaluated all visual fields, commenting on the added value for clinical practice. RESULTS There was no significant difference between the number of flagged TD and PD points of the 10 extra 24-2C points and corresponding 10-2 points at all significance levels. When analyzed by diagnosis, there was no significant difference in the number of flagged TD points in patients with optic neuritis, ischemic optic neuropathy, optic atrophy, and no neuro-ophthalmic disease. The added 24-2C points aided in identifying visual field defects and areas of spared central vision and had similar diagnostic value as the 10-2. CONCLUSIONS The 24-2C is able to detect visual field loss in the central 10° that corroborates with loss detected in the 10-2 pattern. The 24-2C exhibits potential to be used as a hybrid between the 24-2 and 10-2 to better evaluate visual field defects.
MEASUREMENTS OF B- → D(*)0K(*)- DECAYS RELATED TO γ

We present measurements of branching fractions and CP asymmetries of several B- → D(*)0K(*)- decays, with the D(*)0 decaying to CP-even, CP-odd, and flavor eigenstates, that can constrain the CP angle γ as well as the amplitude ratio rb = A(B → u)/A(B → c), using methods proposed by Gronau, London and Wyler or Atwood, Dunietz and Sony1. We use data collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric energy e+e- collider at SLAC.
Ribosome Profiling Reveals a Dichotomy Between Ribosome Occupancy of Nuclear-Encoded and Mitochondrial-Encoded OXPHOS mRNA Transcripts in a Striatal Cell Model of Huntington Disease

Huntington disease (HD) is caused by an expanded polyglutamine mutation in huntingtin (mHTT), which promotes a prominent atrophy in the striatum and subsequent psychiatric, cognitive, and choreiform movements. Multiple lines of evidence point to an association between HD and aberrant striatal mitochondrial functions. However, present knowledge about whether (or how) mitochondrial mRNA translation is differentially regulated in HD remains unclear. We have recently applied ribosome profiling (Ribo-Seq), a technique based on the high-throughput sequencing of ribosome-protected mRNA fragments, to analyze detailed snapshots of ribosome occupancy of the mitochondrial mRNA transcripts in control and HD striatal cells. Ribo-seq data revealed almost unaltered ribosome occupancy on the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial transcripts involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and only a mild reduction in ribosome occupancy on a few selected transcripts (SHDA, Ndufv1, Timm23, Tomm5, and Mrps22) in HD cells. By contrast, ribosome occupancy of mitochondrially encoded OXPHOS mRNAs (mtNd-1, mtNd-2, mtNd-4, mtNd-4l, mtNd-5, mtNd-6, mt-Co1, mtCyt b, and mt-ATP8) was dramatically increased, implying widespread dichotomous effects on ribosome occupancy and OXPHOS mRNA translation in HD. Thus, mHTT may command signals that specifically regulate translation of the mitochondrial OXPHOS transcripts and influence HD pathogenesis.
Hypnosis for acute and procedural pain management: Favorite methods of master clinicians: edited by M. P. Jensen, Kirkland, WA, Denny Creek Press, 2019, 226 pp., $25.00 Paperback edition, ISBN: 978-1-946832-10-8

Mark Jensen has created the Voices of Experience series, to gather the voices of hypnosis practitioners from around the globe on a series of timely topics. Volume One in the series addressed The Ar...
Who Wears the MAGA Hat? Racial Beliefs and Faith in Trump:

On the basis of a 2019 YouGov survey of white respondents (n = 734), the impact of racial beliefs on support for Donald Trump was explored. The analysis revealed that in addition to racial resentme...
Carpal Tunnel Release

The surgical anatomy of the palm is complex. Patients with chronic carpal tunnel syndrome may benefit from a number of different nonsurgical and surgical treatments. Surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis and can be done using local anesthetic. During surgery, the carpal tunnel contents should be checked for anatomical abnormality, degenerative elements, and/or inflammatory conditions.
Mediating the Binaries: Biafra and Pedagogic Challenges in Post-Civil War Nigeria

This paper examines the significance of writing and teaching the Nigeria-Biafra War in a post-civil war context, and how these still remain contested in the Nigerian state. In a subtle and detailed analysis, the paper draws on the domain of education as a veritable vector for exploring official and hegemonic narratives forged by government which are geared towards shaping the history, memories and narratives of the war to suit its own vision, interests and politics; and the views of marginalized ethnic groups that contest these official narratives and reject them as the sole legitimate framework for remembering and interpreting the war. The analysis interrogates the extant education-reconciliation nexus in Nigeria, and examines the kind of education that will best serve the needs and processes of conflict resolution, reconciliation and nation building. I argue that these 'claims', 'counter-claims' and multiple understandings of the war, inevitably adds further complexity and challenge to a contested political terrain and processes of national reconciliation. The official or government-approved textbooks that exist to serve the political goals of the state have become organically linked to the recurring national question in Nigeria, and related reflections of it within the broader issues of questions of citizenship, diversity, inclusion and exclusion, which the Nigerian state has persistently failed to resolve. This paper is less interested in correcting the historical record or indeed replacing the "official" history with a "sectional" or subaltern one. Rather, it is interested in analyzing the processes by which these debates and contestations about a national war history as currently depicted embody processes of non-representation, erasure and silence. The possibilities of rethinking the writing and teaching of the Nigeria-Biafra War, in order to harnesses its diverse aspects for history education, curricula reform, dialogue and reconciliation by policymakers and practitioners is at the core of this paper.
Centering Justice in a Sustainable Food Systems Master's Program

The new Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems (MSFS) program at Prescott College was re-envisioned as part of the preferred teach out partnership with Green Mountain College that closed in 2019. In collaboration with faculty from both colleges, the new MSFS program was developed to intentionally center social justice and offer students a Food Justice concentration. Food justice is a growing movement that seeks to shift global, industrial food systems towards more equitable, just, and sustainable foodways. Using this definition, students in the Food Justice core course uncovered how forms of institutional oppression prevent certain communities from accessing healthy and culturally appropriate food. This course was designed and taught from an anti-racist, anti-colonial, and culturally sustaining pedagogical framework. The Food Justice course frames students’ investigation of the current food system and how issues of privilege, access, and identity relate to food justice throughout the MSFS program. Through experiential learning, students were asked to develop and implement a project that aligns with social justice values. In this perspective paper, we describe our experiences as sustainable food systems educators in making structural changes to the master’s program. We share the values and assumptions that led to the development of the Food Justice concentration and course; detail our pedagogical frameworks; and highlight students’ projects as a manifestation of the student experience.
Does it Matter Where You Grow up? Childhood Exposure Effects in Latin America and the Caribbean

I study whether the observed differences in intergenerational educational mobility across regions in Latin America and the Caribbean are due to the sorting of families or the effect of growing up in these different places. I exploit differences in the age of children at the time their families move across locations to isolate regional childhood exposure effects from sorting. I find a convergence rate of 3.5% per year of exposure between age 1 to 11, implying that children who move at the age of 1 would pick up 35% of the observed differences in mobility between origin and destination. These results are robust to using a specification that identifies the effect of place within households, the use of only anomalously high migration outflows, instrumenting the choice of destination with historical migration, and a combination of both approaches.
Cross-Linked Cellulose and Cellulose Derivatives

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses cross-linked cellulose and cellulose derivatives. The chapter describes the pertinent physical and chemical characteristics of cellulose and various cellulose derivatives that led to the development of superabsorbence technology. There are a variety of products that utilize absorbent cellulose, which includes diapers, catamenial napkins, tampons, nursing pads, wound dressings and other incontinence products. Practically all forms of cellulose can function in absorbent products, including wood pulps, rayon, and cotton. The high bulk of fluffed pulp absorbent products and the skyrocketing costs of packaging and shipping, which are very dependent on product bulk, have spurred developments of compact materials with extraordinary absorbent characteristics, called the superabsorbents. Superabsorbent napkins are typically 67% lower in bulk volume than napkins constructed from fluffed pulp and can absorb up to 70 times their weight of liquid. In addition to the high fluid absorption capacity and low bulk, superabsorbent polymers have the ability to hold fluids under pressure; another important advantage over fluffed cellulose pulp.
The New York Plan: A Free Choice Modification

The New York plan is, in my opinion, the best first party system that has yet been proposed. It has, to be sure, some weaknesses. For instance, a complete system of automobile accident law must provide for the imposition of noninsurable tort fines, preferably income-related, to supplement the enterprise or market deterrence that can be achieved through an intelligent allocation of accident costs.1 The New York plan does not provide for such a system of tort fines.2 It is not my purpose, however, to devote this article to a consideration of possible omissions of this kind. Nor do I propose to discuss those characteristics of the plan that I think are especially desirable, for example, that it, unlike the Keeton-O'Connell plan, is not subject to early obsolescence because of inflation.3 Rather, I intend to discuss the two principal criticisms that have been made of the New York plan, and to suggest a free choice modification which, if worked out in detail, might meet these objections. It is assumed, of course, that the objections that have been made to the plan are motivated by good faith and not by an interest in retaining the status quo. The first asserted objection to the New York proposal is that the public does not want a nonfault insurance plan that does not provide for compulsory compensation for pain and suffering; in short, despite all its deficiencies, people prefer the present tort liability system. The second asserted objection is that the administrative cost savings envisaged under the New York plan are, as a practical matter, illusory; they would be more than overcome by increases in the number of serious accidents which opponents of the plan assert would follow its adoption. This latter objection implies that the advocates of a nonfault plan are selling a pig in a poke which, once bought, cannot be returned. Both of these objections would be overcome if it were possible for individuals to choose either to remain under the existing tort liability system or to opt for the nonfault coverage proposed by the New York plan. In either
A microprocessor-based development system for digital systems design education

A multiuser development system is presented that was developed specifically for use in the instruction of digital systems design. This system affords students a unique opportunity to examine the actual implementation of advanced architectural features in an environment that is far more accessible than comparable designs using state-of-the-art microprocessors. The DSL System 990 has been used in the classroom for two years, and good results have been obtained. The students show the ability to effectively interact with the system as both users and designers. >
A Critical Analysis of Transverse Vorticity Measurements in a Large Plane Shear Layer

A four-wire array of (hot-wire) probes, configured to measure the transverse vorticity (ωz) in a turbulent shear flow (ū = ū(x,y)) has been described in a series of publications: FOSS [1,2,3]; FOSS, et.al. [4] provides the most recent description of the probe, the computing algorithms, and representative results. Considering the conceptual and the computational importance of vorticity, the relative paucity of methods for its direct measurement is considered to represent the difficulty of the task and not the inherent interest in the results of such measurements. Companion papers in the present volume include a presentation of vorticity measurements in MHD flows: Tsinober, et.al., and some quite interesting results of vorticity/velocity measurements in a turbulent boundary layer by Balint, et.al. The latter continues the efforts by Wallace and co-workers to utilize a 9 wire probe of exceptionally small dimensions. A general review of vorticity measurements is provided by WALLACE [5].
Diagnostic Imaging in Pain Management

When diagnoses in pain management are uncertain and information scant, radiologic imaging can be used to make the unseen seen. Differentials may be narrowed, decisions made more certain, and therapy commenced with greater effect. As powerful as it may be, imaging is no substitute for clinical examination and diagnoses; therapeutics should not be based solely on a radiologic result but in conjunction with the clinical findings. Much can be found if one looks, but if it does not hurt, is it of significance, and does it need to be treated?
The use of genotyping in antimalarial clinical trials: a systematic review of published studies from 1995–2005

The use of genotyping to distinguish recrudescent from new infections is currently recommended for all clinical antimalarial efficacy trials by the World Health Organization. However, genotyping-adjusted drug efficacy estimates may vary between trials due to the use of different genotyping methods and to the different settings in which these methods are applied. A systematic review of all clinical antimalarial efficacy trials published from 1995–2005 was performed to characterize the use of genotyping, including the methods used and the effect of these methods on estimates of drug efficacy. In a multivariate analysis, the method of interpretation of genotyping results, the studied therapy, the location of the trial, and the duration of study follow-up all had statistically significant effects on the percent of genotyped outcomes classified as new infections. Criteria for defining appropriate, standardized genotyping methods for use in different settings are needed to enable more accurate estimates of antimalarial drug efficacy and better comparison between trials. The advantages and disadvantages of different genotyping methods and their potential impact in various settings are discussed.
Regulation of mouse serum amyloid A gene expression in transfected hepatoma cells.

Abstract Expression of mouse serum amyloid A (SAA1, -2, and -3) mRNAs can be induced up to 1,000-fold in the liver in response to acute inflammation. This large increase is primarily the result of a 200-fold increase in the rates of SAA gene transcription. To analyze the cis-acting regulatory element(s) responsible for regulating transcription, we fused 306 base pairs of the mouse SAA3 promoter to a reporter gene, the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene, and transfected this chimeric DNA into cultured cells. In transient expression assays, this 5' sequence was sufficient to confer cell-specific expression: CAT activity was readily detectable when the construct was transfected into liver-derived cells but was not detectable in nonliver cells. Furthermore, when liver cells transfected with this construct were treated with conditioned media prepared from activated mixed lymphocyte cultures or with recombinant interleukin-1, a 10- to 15-fold increase in CAT activity was detected. Deletion analyses showed two regions of interest: a proximal region that enhanced CAT expression in a cell-specific manner and a distal region that conferred responsiveness to both conditioned media and recombinant interleukin-1. This distal responsive element had properties of an inducible transcriptional enhancer, and deletion of the proximal cell-specific region rendered the distal element responsive to stimulation by conditioned media in nonliver cells.
Primacy of place: the reorientation of software engineering demanded by software architecture

Software architecture is a powerful technology that has proven itself in numerous domains. It has been used, for example, to shape the contemporary World Wide Web and has provided the basis for the economic exploitation of the notion of product families. In far too many development organizations, however, consideration of software architecture is relegated to a specific time-period, or phase, of software development. This talk considers how software architecture relates to the classical conceptions of software development. What emerges is a substantial reorientation of software engineering, for the power of architecture demands a primacy of place. With architecture as a central focus the very character of key software engineering activities, such as requirements analysis and programming, are altered and the technical approaches taken during development activities are necessarily changed.
Contribution of intermediate filaments to cell stiffness, stiffening, and growth

It has been shown previously that intermediate filament (IF) gels in vitro exhibit stiffening at high-applied stress, and it was suggested that this stiffening property of IFs might be important fo...
Robust fault tolerant training of feedforward neural networks

A very robust fault tolerant algorithm based on the off-line backpropagation algorithm for training feedforward artificial neural networks is proposed. The effect of all possible single faulty hidden neurons is incorporated during each weight updating phase. This is in contrast with random selection of faulty hidden neurons introduced previously. Simulation results indicate that the new algorithm results in a very robust internal representation, An enhanced version of the algorithm which outperforms all existing algorithms in its ability to tolerate faults of different types is introduced, The enhanced version could result in such a robust internal representation that it can tolerate other fault types for which the network is not trained. A modified version of the algorithm which can tolerate the failure of any pair of hidden neurons is also introduced and analyzed.
Transmission spectra of light to the mammalian retina.

Abstract A simple method has been developed to determine the optical properties of the anterior segment of the intact eye. This consists of a probe that is inserted into the posterior sclera and detects light passing through the anterior segment. The probe is connected to a charge-coupled device spectrophotometer via a fiber optic bundle. It was determined that the young rat anterior segment transmits light down to 300 nm, whereas calf and rabbit eyes transmit no UVB and only part of the UVA to the posterior segment. The absorbing species in these animals is most likely NAD(P)H, which has an absorption maximum at ∼345 nm and is associated with ζ-crystallin. A young primate anterior segment transmits almost no UV with a steep increase in transmission at CA 400 nm. Because some experiments employed a light tube that is used to illuminate the retina during vitrectomies, this method can be used to determine the transmission spectra of the anterior segment of humans in vivo.
Simulator Sickness Symptoms during Team Training in Immersive Virtual Environments

Fifty-five women and 38 men recruited from local colleges practiced building-search missions in Virtual Environments using the Fully Immersive Team Training research system. The Simulator Sickness ...
Ecotypic differentiation in light-related traits of the kelp Laminaria saccharina

Light-related traits were compared for Laminaria saccharina Lamour. collected from three habitats in Maine and New York, USA, with different ambient light regimes. Light-level, expressed as a proportion of surface irradiance (I0), ranged from 0.04 to 0.32 I0 in the shallow habitat, but rarely exceeded 0.04 I0 in the deep and turbid habitats. Juvenile sporophytes collected from each habitat in April, 1985, were grown at four acclimation light-levels (0.065, 0.12, 0.26, and 0.54 I0) in a common-garden, laboratory experiment. Photosynthesis vs irradiance (PI) parameters, light-harvesting characteristics, and rates of carbon-assimilation and growth were determined for each group of plants. The results indicated that ecotypic differentiation had occurred among the three kelp populations. Photosynthetic capacity (Pmax) and photosynthetic efficiency (α) were generally highest for plants from the turbid habitat, lowest for deep plants, and intermediate for shallow plants. These differences were largely attributable to variations in light-harvesting characteristics. The nature and magnitude of photoacclimation responses also differed among populations. Population differences in photosynthetic parameters resulted in different rates of C-assimilation and growth by plants from shallow, deep, and turbid habitats. Predictions of in situ growth rates indicated that the severity of light-limitation and, therefore, the adaptive significance of efficient light-utilization vary among the three populations. It is concluded that ecotypic differentiation in light-related traits is important to the broad environmetal range of L. saccharina.
Positive Modulators of Glycine Receptors with Analgesic Potential Identified by Virtual Screening

Human glycine receptors (hGlyRs) are important targets for neuroactive drugs, including for analgesic therapies. A previous study has identified the crucial role of residue S296 in hGlyR-α1 potentiation by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and in cannabinoid-induced analgesia. The recently determined NMR structure of the hGlyR-α1 transmembrane domain (TMD) provides a basis for structure-based virtual screening to discover new analgesic drugs. Using a large ensemble of hGlyR-α1 structures generated from molecular dynamics simulations based on the NMR structure, we screened 1549 FDA approved compounds from the DrugBank database targeted to a cannabinoid binding site near residue S296. Drugs were ranked based on their predicted binding affinities across the ensemble of hGlyR-α1 TMD structures. Four leading compounds were selected for experimental validation in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing hGlyR-α1. At a low concentration (1 μM), all four leading compounds potentiate hGlyR-α1 currents more than two times, which was greater than that of THC. The hit rate is remarkable. The study provides strong evidence that these leading compounds will be at least as effective as THC for analgesia by acting on hGlyR-α1, but without psychoactive effects. The protocol developed here can easily be applied to the discovery of novel analgesic compounds of even higher efficacy on hGlyRs. Research supported by grants from the NIH and XSEDE.
Ontogeny of adenosine binding sites in rat forebrain and cerebellum.

: The metabolically stable adenosine analogue N6-cyclohexyl [3H]adenosine ([3H]CHA) was used to label adenosine receptors in rat fore-brain and cerebellum during development. [3H]CHA binding develops rather slowly, with adult binding levels obtained at 24 days in cerebellum and later in the forebrain. Ontogenetic profiles in both areas are consistent with the onset of neuronal differentiation. High and low affinity sites appear to develop in parallel, since Scatchard analysis in forebrain tissue obtained from 5-day-old animals revealed both binding sites.
Information Sources, Dogmatism, and Judgmental Modifications.

Teachers of adults, supervisors, personnel directors, and others are often concerned with the relative influence of the status of information sources upon the behavior of individuals. Therefore, this study was designed to provide an experimental situation wherein this question could be explored through the manipula tion of differing variables. Accordingly 36 Ss were divided among three treatments with each treatment group further sub-divided into two groups.The findings reported in the study have been interpreted as sug gesting that peer group information may be assimilated and con formed with more readily than similar information from a superior in the employment situation; and dogmatism may not be a de pendable variable in conforming judgmental decisions. The experi ment data were analyzed by an analysis of variance technique extended to include a 2X3 factional analysis using the q statistic.
Task-specific snapshot Mueller matrix channeled spectropolarimeter optimization

We have developed a tool to simulate reconstruction behavior of a snapshot Mueller matrix channeled spectropolarimeter in presence of noise. A shortcoming of channeled spectropolarimeters is that with a large number of channels, each channel has to be narrow, which limits the reconstruction accuracy and provides a bandlimit constraint on the object. The concept of making partial Mueller matrix measurements can be extended to a channeled system by considering polarimeter designs that make irrelevant Mueller matrix elements unreconstructable, while decreasing the number of channels and subsequently increasing the bandwidth available to each channel. This tool optimizes the distribution of the available bandwidth towards the polarization elements that we care about most. A generic linear systems model of a spectropolarimeter with four variable retarders allows us to construct a matrix that maps Mueller matrix elements into corresponding channels. A pseudo-inverse of that matrix enables the reconstruction of Mueller matrix elements from channels. By specifying a mask vector, we can control the subjective importance of each of the reconstructed elements and weigh their error contribution accordingly. Finally, searching the design space allows us to find a design that maximizes the Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) for a specific partial Mueller matrix measurement task.
Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(methylsiloxane)S Containing 4-[S(-)-2-Methyl-1 -Butoxy1-4′ -[p-(ω-alkan-l-yloxy)benzoyloxy]-α-methylstilbene Side Groups

Abstract The syntheses of poly(methylsiloxane)s containing 4-[S(-)-L-methyl-1 -butoxy] -4′-[p-(ω -alkan -1 -yloxy)benzoyloxy] -a-methylstilbene side groups containing 11-undecanyl (18), 8-octyl (19), 6-hexyl (20), and 3-propyl (21), of a poly[(50-55%)-methyl-co-(45-50%)-dimethylsiloxane] containing 4-[S(-)-2-methyl-1-butoxy]-4′-[p-(8-octan-1-yloxy)benzoyloxy]-α-methylstilbene side groups (22) and of a poly(methylsiloxane) containing a 1:1 molar ratio of 4-[S(-)-2-methyl-1 -butoxyl]-4′ -[p-(8-octan-1 -yloxy)benzoyloxy] -α-methylstilbene and 4-[S(-)-2-methyl-l -butoxyl-4′ -[p-(6-hexan-1-yloxy)-benzoyloxyl-α-methylstilbene side groups (23) are described. All polymers and copolymers were characterized by a combination of differential scanning calorimetry and thermal optical polarized microscopy techniques. 18 exhibits an enantiotropic S A, while 19, 20, 21, and 23 display both enantiotropic s A and S*c mesophases. 22 exhibits only an enantiotropic s: mesophase. In addition, all polymers and copolymers exhibit...
Transformation structures and strengthening mechanisms of laser processed Fe-Cr alloys

The microstructures and microhardness of laser processed Fe-Cr surface alloys were investigated as functions of composition (5 to 50 wt % Cr) and melt penetration depth (100 to 1500 Μm). The transformation structures were characterized by optical metallography and thin foil transmission electron microscopy. The microstructures were ferritic irrespective of compositions and melt depths. The alloys containing chromium up to 12 % (within the γ-phase field) exhibited a massive ferritic morphology while the alloys containing chromium more than 12% (beyond the γ-phase field) showed an equiaxed ferritic morphology. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the substructure of ferrite consisted of dislocations, the dislocation density increased with increased chromium content. Melt depth, unlike composition, did not have a significant effect on the morphology and substructure of ferrite grains. Small amounts of e-carbide and M3C carbide phases were observed in these alloys. Both the carbides were found to decrease with an increase in the chromium of the fusion zone. Microhardness measurements indicated that there was an increase in hardness with an increase in the chromium content of the alloy.
Transphyseal Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Skeletally Immature Pubescent Adolescents

Background: Management of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in skeletally immature patients is controversial. Conventional surgical reconstruction techniques for adults can cause iatrogenic growth disturbance due to physeal damage in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of a transphyseal reconstruction technique in pubescent but skeletally immature adolescents. Methods: Between 1996 and 2004, sixty-one knees in fifty-nine skeletally immature pubescent adolescents (Tanner stage 3) with a mean chronological age of 14.7 years (range, 11.6 to 16.9 years) underwent transphyseal reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament with use of an autogenous quadrupled hamstrings-tendon graft and metaphyseal fixation. Thirty-one knees had additional meniscal surgery. The functional outcome, graft survival, radiographic outcome, and any growth disturbance were evaluated at a mean of 3.6 years (range, 2.0 to 10.2 years) after the surgery. Results: Two patients (3%) underwent revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction because of graft failure at fourteen and twenty-one months postoperatively. For the remaining fifty-nine knees, the mean International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee score (and standard deviation) was 89.5 ± 10.2 points and the mean Lysholm knee score was 91.2 ± 10.7 points. The result of the Lachman examination was normal in fifty-one knees and nearly normal in eight; it was not abnormal or severely abnormal in any knee. The result of the pivot-shift examination was normal in fifty-six knees and nearly normal in three knees; it also was not abnormal or severely abnormal in any knee. The mean increase in total height was 8.2 cm (range, 1.2 to 25.4 cm) from the time of surgery to the time of final follow-up. No angular deformities of the lower extremity were measured radiographically, and no lower-extremity length discrepancies were measured clinically. Complications included three cases of arthrofibrosis requiring manipulation with the patient under anesthesia. Conclusions: Transphyseal reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament with use of an autogenous quadrupled hamstrings-tendon graft with metaphyseal fixation in skeletally immature pubescent adolescents provides an excellent functional outcome with a low revision rate and a minimal risk of growth disturbance. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Regulation of Lysyl Oxidase mRNA in Dermal Fibroblasts from Normal Donors and Patients with Inherited Connective Tissue Disorders

Abstract Lysyl oxidase (LO) is an extracellular copper-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the initial reaction in the formation of lysine or hydroxylysine-derived crosslinks during collagen biosynthesis. We have isolated a cDNA for human LO from skin fibroblast poly(A + )RNA by PCR using primers based on the recently published sequence of human LO. This cDNA probe detects a major mRNA of 4.2 kh on Northern blots of RNA from normal fibroblasts. The level of LO mRNA was not significantly affected by cell density or by ascorbate treatment. Treatment of skin fibroblasts with hydralazine (50μM), which increases the mRNAs for both the α and the β subunits of prolyl hydroxylase (PH) and the mRNAs for lysyl hydroxylase, also increased LO mRNA by fourfold over a 72-h time course. In contrast, hydralazine dramatically decreased the mRNAs for α1(I) collagen. Administration of minoxidil (500 μM), which specifically decreases LH activity without affecting PH activity or collagen biosynthesis in skin fibroblasts, stimulated the level of LO mRNA. Neither the administration of penicillamine (100 μM), which interferes with collagen cross-linking, nor the administration of β-aminopropionitrile, which is a strong irreversible inhibitor of LO, to fibroblasts significantly changed the levels of LO mRNA over a 72-h time course. However, bleomycin (0.6 μg/ml) significantly decreased the 4.2-kb LO mRNA in contrast to the levels of the α1(I) collagen mRNAs, which were unchanged. No significant change was observed in the steady-state levels of LO mRNAs in fibroblasts isolated from patients with certain connective tissue disorders, including Marfan syndrome, Menkes disease, cutis laxa, and pseudoxanthoma elasticum.