cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Personalized Machine Learning Algorithm for Clinical Decision Support: Case Study With Shingles Vaccination.

Background: Although clinical decision support (CDS) alerts are effective reminders of best practices, their effectiveness is blunted by clinicians who fail to respond to an overabundance of inappropriate alerts. An electronic health record (EHR)–integrated machine learning (ML) algorithm is a potentially powerful tool to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of CDS alerts and positively impact the clinician’s interaction with these alerts in general. Objective: This study aimed to describe the development and implementation of an ML-based signal-to-noise optimization system (SmartCDS) to increase the signal of alerts by decreasing the volume of low-value herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination alerts. Methods: We built and deployed SmartCDS, which builds personalized user activity profiles to suppress shingles vaccination alerts unlikely to yield a clinician’s interaction. We extracted all records of shingles alerts from January 2017 to March 2019 from our EHR system, including 327,737 encounters, 780 providers, and 144,438 patients. Results: During the 6 weeks of pilot deployment, the SmartCDS system suppressed an average of 43.67% (15,425/35,315) potential shingles alerts (appointments) and maintained stable counts of weekly shingles vaccination orders (326.3 with system active vs 331.3 in the control group; P=.38) and weekly user-alert interactions (1118.3 with system active vs 1166.3 in the control group; P=.20). Conclusions: All key statistics remained stable while the system was turned on. Although the results are promising, the characteristics of the system can be subject to future data shifts, which require automated logging and monitoring. We demonstrated that an automated, ML-based method and data architecture to suppress alerts are feasible without detriment to overall order rates. This work is the first alert suppression ML-based model deployed in practice and serves as foundational work in encounter-level customization of alert display to maximize effectiveness.
Understanding the New School Meal Standards

If you have school-age children, you may have heard that the 2012 school year brought major changes to the meals children eat at school. All meals provided through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs now must be consistent with the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This 6-page fact sheet was written by Jenna Norris, Karla P. Shelnutt, and Gail P. A. Kauwell, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, October 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1396
Resolving Nanoscopic and Mesoscopic Heterogeneity of Fluorinated Species in Battery Solid-Electrolyte Interphases by Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

The stability of lithium batteries is tied to the physicochemical properties of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). Owing to the difficulty in characterizing this sensitive interphase, the nano...
Ultra-high dose rate effect on circulating immune cells: A potential mechanism for FLASH effect?

Abstract Purpose “FLASH” radiotherapy (RT) is a potential paradigm-changing RT technology with marked tumor killing and normal tissue sparing. However, the mechanism of the FLASH effect is not well understood. We hypothesize that the ultra-high dose rate FLASH-RT significantly reduces the killing of circulating immune cells which may partially contribute to the reported FLASH effect. Methods This computation study directly models the effect of radiation dose rate on the killing of circulating immune cells. The model considers an irradiated volume that takes up A% of cardiac output and contains B% of total blood. The irradiated blood volume and dose were calculated for various A%, B%, blood circulation time, and irradiation time (which depends on the dose rate). The linear-quadratic model was used to calculate the extent of killing of circulating immune cells at ultra-high vs. conventional dose rates. Results A strong sparing effect on circulating blood cells by FLASH-RT was noticed; i.e., killing of circulating immune cells reduced from 90% to 100% at conventional dose rates to 5–10% at ultra-high dose rates. The threshold FLASH dose rate was determined to be ~40 Gy/s for mice in an average situation (A% = 50%), consistent with the reported FLASH dose rate in animal studies, and it was approximately one order of magnitude lower for humans than for mice. The magnitude of this sparing effect increased with the dose/fraction, reached a plateau at 30–50 Gy/fraction, and almost completely vanished at 2 Gy/fraction. Conclusion We have calculated a strong sparing effect on circulating immune cells by FLASH-RT, which may contribute to the reported FLASH effects in animal studies.
The efficacy, safety, and predictors of outcomes of transarterial radioembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Objectives Yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is a safe, effective modality of locoregional therapy for intermediate and advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim to identify novel predictors of important outcomes of TARE therapy. Methods A single-center retrospective study of 166 patients treated with TARE for HCC at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 2005-2015 and followed until December 2017. Multivariate logistic and stepwise regression analysis models were used to identify variables associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results The median OS and the median PFS were12.9 (95% CI: 11.0-17.3), and 8 months (95% CI: 6-11), respectively. Macrovascular invasion (HR: 1.9 [1.3-2.8]), Child-Pugh score (CPS) B or C vs. A (HR: 1.8 [1.2-2.7]), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance status (ECOG-PS) 2 or 1 vs. 0 (HR: 1.6 [1.1-2.4]) and activity (A) of administered radiation dose (HR: 1.005[1.00-1.010), independently correlated with poorer OS. Infiltrative HCC (HR: 2.4 [1.3-4.5), macrovascular invasion (HR: 1.6 [1.1-2.7]), and high activity of administered radiation dose (HR: 1.005 [1.00-1.010) were associated with worse PFS. Conclusion In HCC patients treated with TARE; macrovascular invasion, the activity of radiation dose, CPS, ECOG-PS, and infiltrative HCC predict OS and PFS.
Urban commons to private property: Gendered environments in Mumbai’s fisher communities

The enclosure of urban ecological commons into private property has facilitated the growth of the neoliberal service sector in Mumbai, India. These changes are brought forth through a reworking of ...
Endothelial Reprogramming by Disturbed Flow Revealed by Single-Cell RNA and Chromatin Accessibility Study

Disturbed flow (d-flow) induces atherosclerosis by regulating gene expression in endothelial cells (ECs). For further mechanistic understanding, we carried out a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and scATAC-seq study using endothelial-enriched single cells from the left- and right carotid artery exposed to d-flow (LCA) and stable-flow (s-flow in RCA) using the mouse partial carotid ligation (PCL) model. We find eight EC clusters along with immune cells, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells. Analyses of marker genes, pathways, and pseudotime reveal that ECs are highly heterogeneous and plastic. D-flow induces a dramatic transition of ECs from atheroprotective phenotypes to pro-inflammatory cells, mesenchymal (EndMT) cells, hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial stem/progenitor cells, and an unexpected immune cell-like (EndICLT) phenotypes. While confirming KLF4/KLF2 as an s-flow-sensitive transcription factor binding site, we also find those sensitive to d-flow (RELA, AP1, STAT1, and TEAD1). D-flow reprograms ECs from atheroprotective to proatherogenic phenotypes, including EndMT and potentially EndICLT.
Bayesian Dynamic Pricing and Subscription Period Selection with Unknown Customer Utility

We consider a service provider offering a subscription service to customers over a multi-period planning horizon. The customers decide whether to subscribe according to a utility model that represents their preferences for the service. The provider has a prior belief about the customer utility model, and updates its belief based on the transaction data of new customers and the usage data of existing subscribers. The provider aims to minimize its regret, namely the expected profit loss relative to a clairvoyant who knows the customer utility model. To analyze regret, we first study the clairvoyant's full-information problem. The resulting dynamic program, however, suffers from the curse of dimensionality. We develop a customer-centric approach to resolve this issue and obtain the optimal policy for the full-information problem. This approach balances the provider's immediate and future profits from an individual customer. When the provider does not have full information, we find that the simple and commonly used certainty-equivalence policy, which learns only passively, exhibits poor performance. We illustrate that this can be due to incomplete or slow learning, but can also occur because of offering a suboptimal contract with a long subscription period at the beginning. We propose a two-phase learning policy that first focuses on information accumulation and then profit maximization. We show that our policy achieves asymptotically optimal performance with its regret growing logarithmically in the planning horizon. Our results indicate that the provider should be cautious about offering a long subscription period when it is uncertain about customer preferences.
Need for Nurse Practitioner Fellowships in Ophthalmology in the USA

Medical attention to vision impairment and associated eye care complications are a vital component of daily living and overall well-being. In the United States today, the physician to patient deficit places great strain on the availability of medical attention tenable to patients nationwide; in terms of specialty medicine, this deficit is even more widespread. The field of ophthalmology faced the same physician to patient deficit in 2020, a grim reality that has left many states void of ophthalmic care, rending millions of aging individuals without domestic eye care. The implementation of trained, ophthalmic nurse practitioners (NPs) can fill the needs of this deficit; however, efficient, accredited, and board-approved American ophthalmic fellowships and residencies that secure proper ophthalmic NP transitions from academia to clinical practice are non-existent. Though scant, evidence-based literature presents sound findings that support the efficacy and benefit for superior patient outcomes with care provided by ophthalmic-trained NPs, offering a viable, long-term solution to the need for ophthalmic medical providers across all states without mitigating patient care, emphasizing the great need for the implementation of ophthalmic NP residencies and fellowships to ensure the continuity of impeccable ophthalmic care for all populations.
Infrastructure and Wiki Pedagogy: A Multi-Case Study

Abstract Current theories of wiki pedagogy, which hold that wikis can be valuable tools for collaboration and socially constructing knowledge in the classroom, have not thoroughly considered how wikis are experienced by introductory writing teachers who are not already wiki scholars. With infrastructure as a theoretical lens, this study uses data collected from two immersion narratives to examine how introductory writing instructors use and talk about wikis in their courses. Overall, the study found that the level of a wiki's embeddedness in a course can have a significant effect on its perceived usefulness and that immersion into using new technologies can have significant outcomes for both teachers and students. These findings suggest that wikis influence and are influenced by the infrastructures they belong to, that there are both physical and ideological barriers to successfully incorporating a wiki into a course infrastructure, and that immersion narratives can be a useful method for studying wikis. Because of these implications, the essay concludes with a call for more classroom-based inquiry as a means of reflective practice.
Noise-Induced Sleep Deprivation: Toward Sleeping Soundly on Noisy Nights

This chapter will introduce the reader to the concept of noise-induced sleep disruption. Three questions will be tackled: (1) what noises disrupt sleep? (2) what conventional approaches exist to mitigate these noises? and (3) what can brain sciences teach us about potential alternatives to mitigating the effects of noise on sleep? The chapter will focus primarily on hospital settings, as they pose interesting practical and theoretical issues for our expanding healthcare system.
Adaptation to High-Intensity, Low-Wavelength Light among Surface Blooms of the Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa.

Natural populations of the nuisance bloom cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa obtained from the eutrophic Neuse River, N.C., revealed optimal chlorophyll a-normalized photosynthetic rates and resistance to photoinhibition at surface photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) intensities. At saturating PAR levels these populations exhibited higher photosynthetic rates in quartz than in Pyrex vessels. Eucaryotic algal populations obtained from the same river failed to counteract photoinhibition. At saturating PAR levels, such populations generally yielded lower photosynthetic rates in quartz containers than they did in Pyrex containers. Cultivation of natural Microcystis populations under laboratory conditions led to physiologically distinct populations which had photoinhibitory characteristics similar to those of other cultured cyanobacterial and eucaryotic algae. Our findings indicate that (i) photosynthetic production among natural surface populations is best characterized and quantified in quartz rather than Pyrex incubation vessels; (ii) extrapolation of natural photoinhibitory trends from laboratory populations is highly subjective to culture and PAR histories and may yield contradictory results; and (iii) buoyant surface-dwelling populations, rather than exhibiting senescence, are poised at optimizing PAR utilization, thereby maintaining numerical dominance in eutrophic waters when physico-chemical conditions favor bloom formation.
Significant Statistics: The Unwitting Policy Making of Mathematically Ignorant Judges

This article will explore several areas in which judges, hampered by their mathematical ignorance, have permitted numerical analysis to subvert the goals of our legal system. In Part II, I will examine the perversion of the presumption of innocence in paternity cases, where courts make the counter-factual assumption that regardless of the evidence, prior to DNA testing, a suspect has a 50/50 chance of being the father. In Part III, I will explore the unnecessary injection of race into trials involving the statistics of DNA matching, even when race is entirely irrelevant to the particular case. Next, in Part IV, I will discuss how courts use race- and gender-based statistics to reduce damages in tort cases for women and racial minorities, and silently assert that past racism and sexism will continue. In the final section, I will examine how judges have improperly allocated the risk of error in cases such as securities fraud, so as to reward those who have attempted to manipulate stock prices illegally.
Migration and education subsidies by governments: a game-theoretic analysis.

Abstract The brain drain alters both the endowments of educated labor and the cost of increasing the endowment of such labor in both countries of immigration and emigration. Assuming governments of the countries involved have the domestic endowment of skilled labor as an objective for either economic (with market imperfection) or noneconomic reasons, the brain drain alters government subsidies for education both directly and as a result of interactions between the involved governments. This has implications for the burden of education expenditures and net supplies of educated labor in a world with a brain drain. The analysis also shows the need for inclusion of a mechanism for transfers between the involved governments if a compensation scheme is to yield Pareto efficient migration.
High affinity binding of the estrogen receptor to a DNA response element does not require homodimer formation or estrogen

We have developed an antibody-based DNA binding assay to study the effects of the absence or presence of an estrogen receptor agonist and two antagonists on the thermodynamic binding parameters for estrogen receptor binding to a consensus estrogen response element in vitro. We first demonstrate that antibodies raised against a region of the estrogen receptor directly adjacent to the DNA-binding domain do not interfere with the receptor's ability to preferentially bind to the vitellogenin estrogen response element in plasmid DNA. Exploiting this property to develop a quantitative DNA binding assay, we demonstrate that estrogen is not required for high affinity binding of the receptor for an oligonucleotide containing this element, nor do antiestrogens alter this interaction. In addition, we find that 1 mol of estrogen receptor is complexed with high affinity to 1 mol of vitellogenin estrogen response element, instead of two estrogen receptors/response element as would be predicted if estrogen receptor homodimer formation was required for high affinity DNA binding. Our data best fit a model in which the active estrogen receptor form is a monomer or heterodimer, but not a homodimer, and the regulatory role of estrogen on the estrogen receptor is the induction of protein-protein, but not protein-DNA, interactions.
Vindicating the Principle of Distinction in the Fight Against Terrorism

Asa Kasher and Amos Yadlin have recently argued for a revised principle of distinction under which states should prioritize the protection of their own soldiers over that of noncombatants in certain combat scenarios. The situations that they envision are those in which a state’s army is forced to fight terrorists on terrain which is not under the state’s effective control. Kasher dramatizes the argument that the soldiers’ safety should be prioritized by setting up a hypothetical conversation between the state and a soldier who asks “Why should my state prefer an enemy citizen over me?” Kasher challenges his readers to offer the soldier a morally compelling answer. This article responds to Kasher’s challenge by presenting a dialogue in which a commander (representing the state) offers the soldier four arguments which together provide a convincing answer. The commander grounds his arguments in differences in the amount of choice exercised by soldiers and civilians, the divergent ways the operation can be expected to impact on them, the different obligations they each have to the state, and the likely consequences of emphasizing the safety of soldiers over civilians. The dialogue provides support for the “double intention” reading of the principle of distinction championed by Michael Walzer.
A VLSI chip set for burst and fast ATM switching

An architecture is presented for a family of small switches using three custom chip types. It is shown how the use of a few specialized very large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits in a shared-memory context can speed operations on shared data structures by a factor of 20 or more. One of these is a locking circuit based on a fast content-addressable memory. Two others are small-area synchronous first in, first out (FIFO) circuits and counters that work within a read-modify-write memory cycle. These circuits are integrated into a memory controller chip. It is also shown how the provision of a few extra features in the programming model of a VLSI microprocessor can allow paradigms common to the development of parallel algorithms to be used in the distributed domain. A design for a VLSI microprocessor called a switching processor provides enough power to handle proposed fast switching techniques such as burst switching in real time. In addition, it is shown how VLSI circuit techniques can be used to reduce the area and power needed to interface these switching processors to real-world telephones and data terminals; these circuits have been incorporated in a single-chip port concentrator with over 50 K transistors. >
Bursty flows in magnetosphere influence ionosphere

In Earth's plasma sheet—a region of dense ionized gas that lies around the equatorial plane and extends into the magnetotail—plasma flows in large-scale smooth flows as well as in small-scale bursts. Studies have investigated the individual bursty flows but not the large-scale effects of these bursts. To investigate how the bursty flows affect the magnetosphere and its coupling to the ionosphere, Yang et al. conducted two simulations, one with only large-scale flows and the other with random bubbles and blobs of plasma flowing both toward Earth and away from it. They found that the bursty flows significantly altered the magnetic properties of the plasma sheet and the distributions of current in the ionosphere and that the properties found in the bursty flow simulations matched observations much better than the simulations without bursty flows.
LABOR MARKET STRUCTURE AND UNION WAGE LEVELS

This paper uses disaggregated data taken from union collective bargaining agreements to test several hypotheses on the impact of labor market structure on the wage levels of union members in U. S. manufacturing. The structure of collective bargaining, specifically the bargaining unit, is shown to play an important role in the determination of wage levels although this role is in some cases different than has generally been believed.
The Use of Indocyanine Green for Measuring Fetal Hepatic Blood Flow. † 263

Fetal hepatic blood flow has been measured using radiolabeled microspheres injected into the umbilical vein, where mixing may be incomplete. We introduce a technique using a steady state infusion of Indocyanine Green (ICG), a substance taken up solely by the liver postnatally. Methods: In 10 pregnant ewes, sampling catheters were placed in the fetal umbilical vein, left hepatic vein, and hindlimb artery. After recovery, ICG was infused at a constant rate into a fetal brachial vein, and allowed to reach steady state(≅ 60 minutes). Blood samples were taken for ICG concentration and oxygen content. By application of the Fick principle, left hepatic blood flow was calculated using liver ICG uptake rate and the concentration difference across the left hepatic circulation. At autopsy, catheter placement was verified and the fetal liver transected into left and right hepatic lobes and weighed.Results: (see Table). Oxygen content was 2.96mM (COV=0.14) in the fetal artery, 4.50mM (COV=0.10) in the umbilical vein, and 3.95mM (COV=0.14) in the left hepatic vein. ICG concentration in the umbilical vein and fetal artery were not different by paired ttest (0.221± 0.060 vs 0.221 ± 0.60abs, NS) indicating no placental ICG uptake. Conclusion: Using microspheres, mean estimates for fetal hepatic oxygen uptake in three seperate earlier studies were 1.96, 1.79, & 1.10 umol/min/gm. COV for the latter two studies were 0.65 & 0.48, respectively. Our results indicate that normal fetal hepatic oxygen uptake is less variable than previously shown, and that ICG may be a more precise tool for exploring the regulation of fetal hepatic metabolism.
RELIABILITY OF THE TINPLATE CAN FOR PACKAGING OF RADAPPERTIZED BEEF UNDER PRODUCTION CONDITIONS

The tinplate can has performed successfully for over a century as a container for thermal processed foods. As a container for irradiation processed foods, its physical, chemical, and protective characteristics had to be evaluated anew. In providing gamma ray irradiated beef in the tinplate can for wholesomeness studies, the reliability of this container for radappertized beef was determined over a significant production period. The production data showed that it is feasible to reliably prepare the cans of beef in a commercial plant, transport the frozen cans of beef packed in fiberboard boxes on commercial equipment, irradiate the frozen cans of beef, transport the radappertized cans of beef at ambient temperature a distance of 3.5 × 106m (1200 miles), and store the non-refrigerated cans of beef over a 2-year period without any adverse effects on the beef.
Rotational diffusion and grain size dependent shear instability in nanostructured materials

Abstract Previous experimental observations on some nanostructured metals have indicated a transition from homogeneous to non-homogeneous plastic deformation with a reduction in grain size [Jia D, Ramesh KT, Ma E. Acta Mater 2003;51:349]. We present a model that predicts the development of shear bands in such materials under quasi-static loading rates. Motivated by microscopic observations, a grain rotation based geometric softening mechanism is implemented as an internal variable within a viscoplastic constitutive setting. The model predicts the occurrence of the shear bands at small grain sizes, whereas at larger grain sizes it predicts homogeneous plastic flow. The model also predicts the phenomenon of shear band broadening with strain, which is experimentally observed, and attributes this to the “rotational diffusion” mechanism along with the restoration of material hardening within the band following the saturation of grain reorientation. Finally, we provide a localization index that can be used to classify nanostructured metals in terms of the susceptibility to this shear band mechanism.
Phosphorylation of purified bovine bone sialoprotein and osteopontin by protein kinases.

The large number of covalently bound phosphates on the extracellular phosphoproteins osteopontin (OPN) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) have been implicated in biological functions such as mineral deposition and osteoclast binding. In the present study the state of phosphorylation of BSP and OPN was evaluated by in vitro 32P labeling using a series of protein kinases and quantification. Both the purified bovine BSP and OPN were radiolabeled by [32P]ATP and factor-independent protein kinase. Quantification of 32P radioactivity incorporated on dephosphorylated BSP and OPN provided 6.6 and 8.9 mol of phosphate incorporated/mol, respectively. Native OPN incorporated 1.07 and BSP 2.46 mol of phosphate/mol by factor-independent protein kinase. These data led to calculations that OPN and BSP, respectively, contain 7.83 and 4.14 mol of phosphate/mol in their natural state. Thrombin digests of 32P-labeled BSP showed radioactivity to be associated with fragment of ∼molecular mass values 30 kDa (N-terminal half), with no observable radioactivity associated with the 40-kDa fragment (C-terminal half). Similar experiments with 32P-labeled OPN provided two radiolabeled thrombin fragments, with molecular mass 30 kDa (N-terminal half) and 20 kDa (C-terminal half), both were radioactive. The major phosphorylation was associated with the N-terminal half containing 7.0 mol of phosphate, and 1.9 mol of phosphate were associated with the C-terminal half. Additional experiments of in vitro phosphorylation of OPN and BSP by several other known protein kinases were carried out. cAMP-dependent protein kinase showed no phosphorylation of OPN or BSP, while protein kinase C and cGMP-dependent protein kinase led to minor phosphorylation, each of the latter introduced about 1 mol of phosphate/mol of OPN and BSP molecule.
On the structure of take-over models, and insider-outsider conflicts in negotiated take-overs

Abstract We model a takeover game where the players can bid or bargain without the traditional exogenous constraints on the order, length, and number of alternating stages. In our (‘European’) setting, dominant shareholders can appoint and dismiss management, implying that we have an insider-outsider conflict rather than a management-shareholder agency problem and that the distribution of (sizeable) private benefits is a crucial issue. The bargaining solution determines the price even if no explicit negotiations are observed, while bargaining strength and scope for exclusion determine the type of takeover (pre-negotiated or not, discriminatory or not).
Many-Body Effects in fcc Metals: A Lennard-Jones Embedded-Atom Potential

A simple analytic model that extends the Lennard-Jones potential into the many-body regime is proposed. The two parameter model draws on the embedded-atom method formalism. The model is used to calculate properties of an fcc material, e.g., elastic constants, Bain transformation, and defect properties, as a function of many-body parameters. It is shown that the ground state structure of the model includes all of the common phases. The melting point of an fcc material is shown to decrease significantly as the many-body interactions are increased. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Orbits of diff S1 in the space of quadratic differentials

Abstract The space of quadratic differentials Q is identified with the smooth dual of the infinite dimensional algebra of vector fields on the circle, L (Diff S 1 ). We construct coadjoint orbits of the Virasoro algebra in Q ⊗ R , and we show that they are of the form Diff S 1 / H where H ∼- U (1) or SL(2, R ). The symplectic geometry of these orbits is studied using the transformation properties of the stress-energy tensor of 2-dimensional conformal field theories. Generalizations to higher spin fields are also discussed.
Document Similarity Measures to Distinguish Native vs. Non-Native Essay Writers

The ability to distinguish statistically different populations of speakers or writers can be an important asset in many NLP applications. In this paper, we describe a method of using document similarity measures to describe differences in behavior between native and non-native speakers of English in a writing task.
Entrepreneurial Expectancy, Task Effort, and Performance*

Research to date has not adequately explained the role that expectancy of entrepreneurial performance based on perceived ability plays in motivating persons to persevere on an entrepreneurial task....
Discovery, characterization, and optimization of an unnatural base pair for expansion of the genetic alphabet.

DNA is inherently limited by its four natural nucleotides. Efforts to expand the genetic alphabet, by addition of an unnatural base pair, promise to expand the biotechnological applications available for DNA as well as to be an essential first step toward expansion of the genetic code. We have conducted two independent screens of hydrophobic unnatural nucleotides to identify novel candidate base pairs that are well recognized by a natural DNA polymerase. From a pool of 3600 candidate base pairs, both screens identified the same base pair, dSICS:dMMO2, which we report here. Using a series of related analogues, we performed a detailed structure−activity relationship analysis, which allowed us to identify the essential functional groups on each nucleobase. From the results of these studies, we designed an optimized base pair, d5SICS:dMMO2, which is efficiently and selectively synthesized by Kf within the context of natural DNA.
Self-reflection, mood, and helpful behavior ☆

Abstract Two pilot studies and two experiments were conducted to test for relationships between mood states, self-reflection, and helpfulness. It was hypothesized that both negative and positive feelings would increase helpful reactions. In the case of negative moods, however, helpfulness would be inhibited if the induced affect engenders self-reflection by associating the bad mood with the person's self-image in a self-referencing process. To test these predictions, female undergraduates read mood-inducing statements that were either (a) negative in content and containing the personal pronoun “I”, (b) negative but not self-referencing, (c) emotionally positive in content, (d) emotionally neutral, or (e) no statements. Afterward, they were asked to complete a questionnaire and to volunteer to participate in a future study. Findings in the first experiment confirmed the hypothesis. Women who had read negative, self-referencing statements were the least likely to comply with a helpful request. The most helpful participants were those who had previously recited the negative, but not self-referencing, and the positive statements. Neutral and control subjects displayed intermediate amounts of compliance with the helping request. Questionnaire results showed that self-reflection was responsible for decreasing the helpfulness of women when negative mood was associated with some aspect of the self. A second experiment successfully replicated the major findings of the pilot studies and the first experiment.
Nanomaterials: Graphene rests easy

Samples of graphene supported on boron nitride demonstrate superior electrical properties, achieving levels of performance that are comparable to those observed with suspended samples.
Criterion for validity of many-body perturbation theory of the electron gas.

The purpose of this paper is to point out the steps in conventional many-body perturbation theory which requires separate, additional justification over and above convergence of the pertubation series. The questionable step is the cancellation of the renormalized energy shift by the chemical potential, neglecting any possible modification of the wave functions as well as state-dependent energy shifts.
The debate on World Dynamics: A response to Nordhaus

In a recent paper published in the Economic Journal, Professor William D. Nordhaus of Yale University reviewed World Dynamics by Jay W. Forrester. In his criticism, Nordhaus signals three “serious problems” and several additional “questionable assumptions” of sufficient importance to undermine the usefulness of Forrester's book. However, a careful examination of his analysis shows that each point made by Nordhaus rests on a misunderstanding of World Dynamics, a misuse of empirical data, or an inability to analyze properly the dynamic behavior of the model by static equilibrium methods. The three “serious problems” raised by Nordhaus concern the assumptions that connect industrialization to net birth rates in World Dynamics, the representation of technology and production within the world model, and the impact of prices on global resource use. The analysis presented here refutes the Nordhaus arguments and shows that World Dynamics is consistent with his references to real-world data on population, production, and capital accumulation.
Examining Perceptions About Mental Health Care and Help-Seeking Among Rural African American Families of Adolescents

Rural African American children living in poverty have a higher prevalence rate of mental health disorders than their urban counterparts. While access to mental health services is lacking in resource scarce rural communities, African American rural residents may also be the most likely to confront significant barriers to care and help-seeking. Studies of mental health help-seeking behavior among rural families are rare, even rarer are studies of African Americans living in these areas. To address this gap, the current study examined perceptions about help-seeking for adolescents with mental health problems among rural African American families. Data were obtained from African American mothers in rural Georgia to assess their perceptions of the mental health service system, help-seeking processes, and service experiences. A mixed-method approach was implemented, integrating a quantitative survey (n = 163) with qualitative interviews (subsample n = 21). Most of the mothers expressed confidence in mental health care providers’ to help. Preferred sources of support, however, were family, church, and schools. Community stigma towards children with mental health problems and their families was a frequently endorsed perceived barrier to help-seeking. Although cultural mistrust was one of the two most frequently endorsed barriers in the survey, it did not emerge as a universal barrier to help-seeking for the mothers in this sample. Implications for research, policy, and practice include addressing family concerns about stigma, preferences for informal support and non-specialty services in addressing adolescents’ mental health problems, and building community resources to enable all youth to participate in community life.
Adherence in a Behavioral Alcohol Treatment Program

This report examines the correlates of early treatment termination by patients being treated for alcohol abuse or dependence. All of the study subjects were participants in a controlled experimental investigation of the differences in clinical outcome and treatment cost of extended inpatient and partial hospital treatment. A large number of clinical variables demonstrated no difference between groups, except for the greater likelihood of a DSM III Axis I diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence in the treatment completers. In contrast, three of four system variables differentiated completers from noncompleters. Patients treated by hospital-employed psychiatrists, in contrast to private psychiatrists, were more likely to complete the program; 4 sequential months in the middle phase of the study were associated with noncompletion of treatment; and patients who were detoxified on the preferentially designated unit were more likely to receive some specialized alcohol treatment. The authors interpret these data to indicate that treatment adherence is influenced by factors affecting the cohesiveness of the treatment delivery system. The failure of patient characteristic variables to predict treatment adherence may well be a result of their comparative insignificance in relation to system variables.
Learning in Gaussian Markov random fields

This paper addresses the problem of state estimation in the case where the prior distribution of the states is not perfectly known but instead is parameterized by some unknown parameter. Thus in order to support the state estimator with prior information on the states and improve the quality of the state estimates, it is necessary to learn this unknown parameter first. Here we assume a parameterized Gaussian Markov random field to model the prior distribution of the states and propose an algorithm that is able to learn its parameters from given observations on these states. The effectiveness of this approach is proven experimentally by simulations.
Improving Sleep with Mindfulness and Acceptance: A Metacognitive Model of Insomnia

Novel treatments using mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches are a wave of rapidly emerging therapies. Many treatment studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated the benefits of these therapies on mental and physical health. A subset of these studies has examined the impact of mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies on sleep disturbance, collectively referred to here as metacognitive therapies for insomnia (MCTI). While there is accumulating evidence to suggest that MCTIs have benefits for improving sleep, a conceptual model to explain their potential common mechanisms is lacking. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the cognitive mechanisms of insomnia based upon mindfulness and acceptance approaches. First, we review the existing cognitive and behavioral models of insomnia and present a re-conceptualization of sleep-related arousal to include metacognitive processes in addition to the cognitive processes that have been previously described. Second, we examine the literature on mindfulness and acceptance which has identified metacognitive processes as a potential target for emotion regulation and reducing second order distress. Third, we present a treatment model to explain how MCTIs target secondary distress and lead to remission from an insomnia disorder. Studies that support psychopathological processes relevant to the components of the model are presented along with clinical implications for assessment and intervention. Finally, we discuss potential implications of this model and offer an agenda for future research. We hope that these concepts provide a framework that can stimulate empirical testing of the treatment mechanisms in MCTIs.
Sound Survey Designs can Facilitate Integrating Stream Monitoring Data Across Multiple Programs

: Multiple agencies in the Pacific Northwest monitor the condition of stream networks or their watersheds. Some agencies use a stream “network” perspective to report on the fraction or length of the network that either meets or violates particular criteria. Other agencies use a “watershed” perspective to report on the health or condition of watersheds. The agencies often use the same indicators and measurement protocols for data collection and often conduct monitoring in overlapping geographic regions. In these situations, agencies would like to combine data across different monitoring studies in a statistically sound manner to make regional estimates of condition. Three statistical survey design principles will facilitate combining such studies: (1) a clearly specified statistical target population of interest, including elements that comprise the population, (2) a consistent representation of that target population (such as a digital map of the stream network and watersheds), and (3) rules that incorporate randomization to guide the selection of the sample of sites on which measurements will be made. A case study illustrates the application of these design principles using two agency monitoring programs interested in combining stream channel data for different purposes: one for making network summaries and the other for evaluating watershed condition.
Diagnosis of tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency using filter paper blood spots: further development of the method and 5 years experience.

In every newborn with even mild hyperphenyla- laninemia (HPA) tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) deficiencies need to be excluded as soon as possible. Differential diagnosis is most commonly performed by analysis of urinary neopterin and biopterin. In 2005 a new method for the measurement of neopterin, biopterin and other pterins in dried blood spot (DBS) on filter paper was introduced. In order to evaluate the usefulness of this method as a standard tool for differential diagnosis of HPAs we analyzed neopterin, biopterin, pterin and dihydropteridine reduc- tase activity in DBS from 362 patients with HPA over the period of five years. Age-dependent reference values were established for the HPA population. Sixty-four patients with BH4 deficiency (27 patients with 6- pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin synthase deficiency, seven with GTP cyclohydrolase I deficiency, and 30 with dihydrop- teridine reductase) were identified. Reference values for neopterin and biopterin in DBS were calculated for each of the variants. 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin synthase and GTP cyclohydrolase I deficiency can be diagnosed by neopterin and biopterin analysis alone, while for diagnosis of dihydropteridine reductase deficiency additional deter- mination of enzyme activity from the same DBS is essential. Regarding test sensitivity, the interpretation of neopterin and biopterin concentration per hemoglobin is more valid than the interpretation of neopterin and biopterin per liter. Percentage of biopterin, of the sum of neopterin and biopterin should always be calculated. In addition, determination of hemoglobin concentration is essential as a measure for efficient extraction of neopterin and biopterin. Although the measurement of neopterin and biopterin in urine is more sensitive due to the higher concentrations present, our data prove the usefulness of their measurement from DBS for the routine diagnosis of BH4 deficiencies. Abbreviations
Separation of heavy metals from industrial waste streams by membrane separation technology

Industrial membrane technology is becoming increasingly attractive as a low-cost generic separation technique for volume reduction, recovery, and/or purification of the liquid phase and concentration and/or recovery of the contaminant or solute. It offers outstanding future potential in the reduction and/or recycling of hazardous pollutants from waste streams. Membrane separation technology may include: (1) commercial processes such as electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and ultrafiltration and (2) the development of hybrid processes such as liquid membranes, Donnan dialysis, and membrane bioreactor technology. Membrane separation technology as applied to waste treatment/reduction and environmental engineering problems has several advantages over conventional treatment processes. In contrast to distillation and solvent extraction membrane separation is achieved without a phase change and use of expensive solvents. The advantages of this technology are (1) low energy requirements; (2) small volumes of retentate that need to be handled; (3) selective removal of pollutants with the use of complexing agents and biocatalysts or by membrane surface modification; (4) the possibility for achieving zero discharge'' with reuse of product water, binding media and target, compounds; (5) continuous operation; (6) modular design without significant size limitations; (7) discrete membrane barrier to ensure physical separation of contaminants; and (8) minimal labor requirement.
Effect of chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of cholecystokinin on respiration and sleep

We investigated the effect of chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of the sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8S) on sleep pattern and respiratory rate. The results indicate a depression of respiratory rate during Non-REM and REM sleep as well as an increase in the number of REM periods occurring per hour of Non-REM sleep. It is suggested that central release of CCK-8S is capable of modulating the automatic regulation of respiration during sleep and altering the normal sleep-waking pattern.
Reciprocity‐Based Moral Sanctions and Messianic Salvation1

The twofold theoretical assumption is developed that accumulation of social debt or credit in reciprocal transaction generates moral sanctions; and that guilt and indignation, thus generated, comprise resources which can be mobilized under charismatic intervention to bring about a sense of salvation. Four types of manipulation of these sanctions are identified: reciprocation, reversal, neutralization, and moralization. Empirical illustration is drawn from a study of a messianic sect, of Japanese origin, in Hawaii.
Distinct Roles of Molecular Chaperones HSP90α and HSP90β in the Biogenesis of KCNQ4 Channels

Loss-of-function mutations in the KCNQ4 channel cause DFNA2, a subtype of autosomal dominant non-syndromic deafness that is characterized by progressive sensorineural hearing loss. Previous studies have demonstrated that the majority of the pathogenic KCNQ4 mutations lead to trafficking deficiency and loss of KCNQ4 currents. Over the last two decades, various strategies have been developed to rescue trafficking deficiency of pathogenic mutants; the most exciting advances have been made by manipulating activities of molecular chaperones involved in the biogenesis and quality control of the target protein. However, such strategies have not been established for KCNQ4 mutants and little is known about the molecular chaperones governing the KCNQ4 biogenesis. To identify KCNQ4-associated molecular chaperones, a proteomic approach was used in this study. As a result, two major molecular chaperones, HSP70 and HSP90, were identified and then confirmed by reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation assays, suggesting that the HSP90 chaperone pathway might be involved in the KCNQ4 biogenesis. Manipulating chaperone expression further revealed that two different isoforms of HSP90, the inducible HSP90α and the constitutive HSP90β, had opposite effects on the cellular level of the KCNQ4 channel; that HSP40, HSP70, and HOP, three key components of the HSP90 chaperone pathway, were crucial in facilitating KCNQ4 biogenesis. In contrast, CHIP, a major E3 ubiquitin ligase, had an opposite effect. Collectively, our data suggest that HSP90α and HSP90β play key roles in controlling KCNQ4 homeostasis via the HSP40-HSP70-HOP-HSP90 chaperone pathway and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Most importantly, we found that over-expression of HSP90β significantly improved cell surface expression of the trafficking-deficient, pathogenic KCNQ4 mutants L274H and W276S. KCNQ4 surface expression was restored by HSP90β in cells mimicking heterozygous conditions of the DFNA2 patients, even though it was not sufficient to rescue the function of KCNQ4 channels.