cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cerebellar Pathology in Autism

Autism is a severe brain disorder with a rising prevalence rate. Both genetic and environmental etiologies contribute to the development of this disorder. While autistic pathology involves multiple brain sites, the focus in this chapter will be on summarizing cerebellar pathology in autism.
Antibacterial Nature of Molds Isolated from Aged Beef

The antibacterial and competitive nature of the molds Thamnidium elegans , Mucor mucedo and Chaetostylum fresenii , commonly isolated from beef aging at refrigeration temperature for extended periods, were examined to determine if their presence on meat would inhibit bacterial growth. An agar plate method revealed no growth inhibition of six strains of meat spoilage bacteria by the molds examined. Eye round (semitendinosus) roasts were inoculated with spore suspensions containing nine strains of the three fungal species and incubated for 48 h at 4 or 18°C. Initial aerobic bacterial counts (35°C) on the meat samples were 2.4 × 104 CFU/cm2. Mold treatment had no significant effect (P>0.05) on reduction of aerobic bacterial counts (35 and 7°C), coliforms or fecal streptococci when compared with uninoculated controls. No surface fungal growth was evident after 48 h at 4°C, the normal storage temperature for meat, whereas appreciable mycelial development was apparent after 48 h at 18°C. T. elegans , M. mucedo and C. fresenii were not capable of reducing or controlling bacterial growth on meat surfaces at refrigeration or elevated temperatures.
Professor Gender, Age, and "Hotness" in Influencing College Students' Generation and Interpretation of Professor Ratings.

Undergraduate psychology students rated expectations of a bogus professor (randomly designated a man or woman and hot versus not hot) based on an online rating and sample comments as found on RateMyProfessors.com (RMP). Five professor qualities were derived using principal components analysis (PCA): dedication, attractiveness, enhancement, fairness, and clarity. Participants rated current psychology professors on the same qualities. Current professors were divided based on gender (man or woman), age (under 35 or 35 and older), and attractiveness (at or below the median or above the median). Using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), students expected hot professors to be more attractive but lower in clarity. They rated current professors as lowest in clarity when a man and 35 or older. Current professors were rated significantly lower in dedication, enhancement, fairness, and clarity when rated at or below the median on attractiveness. Results, with previous research, suggest numerous factors, largely out of professors’ control, influencing how students interpret and create professor ratings. Caution is therefore warranted in using online ratings to select courses or make hiring and promotion decisions.
Predictability and Techniques for Schedulability Analysis

A typical real-time application involves the use and control of expensive equipment, possibly in situations where a missed deadline may well lead to substantial damage, including loss of human life. For many real-time systems it is thus of paramount importance that they adhere predictably to their critical timing constraints. A real-time system must be tested, analysed and checked to adhere to its critical timing constraints before the system is put in place.
Utilization of peers in services for youth with emotional and behavioral challenges: A scoping review

This scoping review synthesizes published and unpublished information on Youth Peer Support Services (YPSS), where young adults with current or prior mental health challenges provide support services to other youth and young adults currently struggling with similar difficulties. Existing published and unpublished "grey" literature were reviewed, yielding 30 programs included for data extraction and qualitative syntheses using a descriptive analytic framework. Findings identify variations in service delivery structures, program goals, host service systems, peer roles, core competencies, training and supervision needs, outcomes for youth and young adult consumers, as well as organizational readiness needs to integrate YPSS. Recommendations for future research, practice, and policy include more studies evaluating the unique impact of YPSS using rigorous methodological study designs, identifying developmentally appropriate training/supervision strategies and overall service costs and financing options, as well as distinguishing YPSS from other peer models with regard to certification and billing.
Tolerance of the Brachial Plexus to High-Dose Reirradiation.

Purpose To study the tolerance of the brachial plexus to high doses of radiation exceeding historically accepted limits by analyzing human subjects treated with reirradiation for recurrent tumors of the head and neck. Methods and Materials Data from 43 patients who were confirmed to have received overlapping dose to the brachial plexus after review of radiation treatment plans from the initial and reirradiation courses were used to model the tolerance of this normal tissue structure. A standardized instrument for symptoms of neuropathy believed to be related to brachial plexus injury was utilized to screen for toxicity. Cumulative dose was calculated by fusing the initial dose distributions onto the reirradiation plan, thereby creating a composite plan via deformable image registration. The median elapsed time from the initial course of radiation therapy to reirradiation was 24 months (range, 3-144 months). Results The dominant complaints among patients with symptoms were ipsilateral pain (54%), numbness/tingling (31%), and motor weakness and/or difficulty with manual dexterity (15%). The cumulative maximum dose (Dmax) received by the brachial plexus ranged from 60.5 Gy to 150.1 Gy (median, 95.0 Gy). The cumulative mean (Dmean) dose ranged from 20.2 Gy to 111.5 Gy (median, 63.8 Gy). The 1-year freedom from brachial plexus–related neuropathy was 67% and 86% for subjects with a cumulative Dmax greater than and less than 95.0 Gy, respectively (P=.05). The 1-year complication-free rate was 66% and 87%, for those reirradiated within and after 2 years from the initial course, respectively (P=.06). Conclusion The development of brachial plexus–related symptoms was less than expected owing to repair kinetics and to the relatively short survival of the subject population. Time-dose factors were demonstrated to be predictive of complications.
Many Th Cell Subsets Have Fas Ligand-Dependent Cytotoxic Potential.

CD4 + Th cells can have cytotoxic activity against cells displaying relevant peptide-MHC class II (p:MHCII) ligands. Cytotoxicity may be a property of Th1 cells and depends on perforin and the Eomes transcription factor. We assessed these assertions for polyclonal p:MHCII-specific CD4 + T cells activated in vivo in different contexts. Mice immunized with an immunogenic peptide in adjuvant or infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus or Listeria monocytogenes bacteria induced cytotoxic Th cells that killed B cells displaying relevant p:MHCII complexes. Cytotoxicity was dependent on Fas expression by target cells but was independent of Eomes or perforin expression by T cells. Although the priming regimens induced different proportions of Th1, Th17, regulatory T cells, and T follicular helper cells, the T cells expressed Fas ligand in all cases. Reciprocally, Fas was upregulated on target cells in a p:MHCII-specific manner. These results indicate that many Th subsets have cytotoxic potential that is enhanced by cognate induction of Fas on target cells.
Transcriptome Analysis of Orbital Adipose Tissue in Active Thyroid Eye Disease Using Next Generation RNA Sequencing Technology.

Objective This study utilized Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to identify differentially expressed transcripts in orbital adipose tissue from patients with active Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) versus healthy controls. Method This prospective, case-control study enrolled three patients with severe, active thyroid eye disease undergoing orbital decompression, and three healthy controls undergoing routine eyelid surgery with removal of orbital fat. RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed on freshly obtained orbital adipose tissue from study patients to analyze the transcriptome. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to determine pathways and processes enriched for the differential expression profile. Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to validate the differential expression of selected genes identified by RNA-Seq. Results RNA-Seq identified 328 differentially expressed genes associated with active thyroid eye disease, many of which were responsible for mediating inflammation, cytokine signaling, adipogenesis, IGF-1 signaling, and glycosaminoglycan binding. The IL-5 and chemokine signaling pathways were highly enriched, and very-low-density-lipoprotein receptor activity and statin medications were implicated as having a potential role in TED. Conclusion This study is the first to use RNA-Seq technology to elucidate differential gene expression associated with active, severe TED. This study suggests a transcriptional basis for the role of statins in modulating differentially expressed genes that mediate the pathogenesis of thyroid eye disease. Furthermore, the identification of genes with altered levels of expression in active, severe TED may inform the molecular pathways central to this clinical phenotype and guide the development of novel therapeutic agents.
The Etiology of Left Ventricular Assist Device Associated Ischemic Stroke (P6.242)

Objective: We aimed to identify different etiologies of left ventricular assist device associated ischemic stroke. Background: Stroke remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Design/Methods: We reviewed consecutive patients with ischemic stroke in a prospectively collected data of LVAD patients in a single, tertiary center from October 2004 to December 2016. Information on infarct location, infection, blood pressure, pump thrombosis, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and international normalized ratio (INR) values at the time of acute ischemic were collected. Results: Of 477 persons with LVAD, 61 (12.7%) developed ischemic stroke within a median of 143.5 days (Interquartile range [IQR] 10.5 – 410.2) from implantation to stroke event. The median age was 62 (IQR 53 – 67) with a median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale of 9 (IQR 2 – 18.5). Of these 61 persons, 7 (11%) had perioperative ischemic stroke within seven days of implantation. Nineteen (26%) persons were diagnosed with pump thrombosis at the time of ischemic stroke with higher LDL level at median 791 (IQR 386 – 1272), compared to median 457 (IQR 265 – 663) among those without pump thrombosis (p=0.021). Six of 19 pump thrombosis presented initially with ischemic stroke. Of the remaining 42 persons, bloodstream infection and infective endocarditis accounted for 12 (19%) ischemic strokes. Twenty-three persons (38%) had sub-therapeutic INR (median INR 1.8 [IQR 1.2 – 2.2]). Within this group, nine (39%) were without anticoagulation at the time of ischemic stroke due to high bleeding risk. Conclusions: The etiology of LVAD-associated ischemic stroke is multifactorial. An emphasis should be placed on limiting bloodstream infection, pump thrombosis, and sub-therapeutic anticoagulation to reduce the rate of ischemic strokes. Disclosure: Dr. Hassett has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cho has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rice has nothing to disclose. Dr. Uchino has nothing to disclose.
Phytoseiid dispersal at plant to regional levels: a review with emphasis on management of Neoseiulus fallacis in diverse agroecosystems

Dispersal behaviors of phytoseiid and tetranychid mites are key factors in understanding predator-prey dynamics and biological control of pest mites at different spatial levels in agricultural and natural ecosystems. In this review, ambulatory and aerial dispersal of both mite groups are discussed at spatial levels of leaf, plant, crop and region. Emphasis is on dispersal of phytoseiids, and specifically, the specialist-predator, Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman), and two-spotted spider mite prey, Tetranychus urticae (Koch). Dispersal aspects that are discussed are ambulation on a leaf; plant or in a prey patch; aerial dispersal between plants; behavior and aerodynamics of aerial take-off; modeling vs. monitoring of dispersal distance; fates of dispersing mites that land on soil substrates; plants as take-off platforms and landing targets for dispersers; and regional dispersal patterns and integrated mite management.
Transport of UDPG in Vitro and Reversal of Ethanol-Induced Effects

5-Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) is a necessary metabolic intermediate in the synthesis of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides as well as other important molecules. Perturbation of the intracellular level of PRPP has been found to be relevant to the origin of certain metabolic diseases [1, 2]. Too little PRPP leads to a condition that to a limited degree mimics Lesch-Nyhan disease. Too much leads to overproduction of purines and the catabolic end product uric acid, and hence gout.
Detection of Integrated Type-C Viral DNA Fragments in Two Primates (Human and Gibbon) by the Restriction Enzyme Blotting Technique

There have been reports of sporadic findings of type-C markers in human cells. Most commonly these markers were related to the two classes of primate type-C viruses: The simian sarcoma virus-simian sarcoma associated virus complex [SiSV (SiSAV)] and gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV) group and the baboon endogenous virus, BaEV (see Gallo elsewhere in this book). However, detection of proviral sequences related to either of these virus groups was rare, and a preliminary survey indicated that DNA from leukemic tissues, although hybridizing more viral probe (SiSAV and BaEV) than DNA from normal tissues, displayed a broad range of hybridization values which never approached the level of DNA from virus-infected tissue culture cells (Gallo, elsewhere in this book). One possible explanation for the low but possibly significant hybridization values found in fresh leukemic cells is that subgenomic fragments could have been integrated in the DNA of these tissues rather than complete provirus. However, unequivocal evidence for partial provirus integration of type-C RNA viruses is still lacking in the literature. In this report we show by restriction enzyme-blotting analysis, that (i) a few tissues from a gibbon ape exposed to GaLV contained an incomplete provirus; (ii) DNA from all human DNA contained sequences that hybridize specifically to SiSV-SiSAV genomes, suggesting a recombination event between these viruses and human DNA via infection; (iii) DNA from two leukemia DNA samples showed extra, presumably acquired, viral fragments related to BaEV.
Photon echoes from an atomic frequency comb affected by population relaxation

The atomic frequency comb (AFC) is a promising approach for quantum memory, yet creating an ideal AFC only in the ground-state population remains a challenge. We studied an imperfect AFC initially created in the population inversion between the excited and ground states and redistributed due to population relaxation in a three-level system where a long-lived metastable state plays a crucial role. A theoretical model has been developed to treat the storage of a weak input pulse and retrieval in the form of a photon echo. By comparing theory with experimental results we have studied the echo efficiency and overall attenuation of an input pulse in the AFC affected by both its initial spectral structure and the population relaxation.
Finite difference time domain investigation of interior sound fields generated by parametric acoustic arrays

Parametric acoustic arrays enable tight beams of audible sound through the nonlinear collimation and mixing of ultrasonic acoustic waves. Previous investigations have considered parametric array characterization when operated in free field environments and in the presence of rigid planar reflectors, so that the opportunity to leverage parametric arrays in more realistic environments with diffusive scatterers and absorptive surfaces remains unexplored. To fill the knowledge gap, this research establishes a finite difference time domain (FDTD) model of a parametric array in an interior environment with a combination of reflective, absorptive, and diffusive bounding surfaces. The modeling framework builds upon existing FDTD models of nonlinear ultrasound wave propagation used in the life sciences and medicine. Here, the studies seek to elucidate how the sonic sound field is manipulated when the reflective surfaces that receive the nonlinear ultrasonic waves are neither planar nor perfectly reflective. The relative ability to take advantage of such interaction between incident ultrasound and reflected energies, when compared to a perfectly rigid plane for reflection, is examined in detail. All together, this work establishes and harnesses an FDTD modeling framework to examine the use of parametric acoustic arrays in conventional interior environments having reflective, absorptive, and diffusive surfaces.
Verification and Validation for a Finite Element Model of a Hyperloop Pod Space Frame

This paper discusses the verification and validation of a finite element (FE) model of the space frame built by the Hyperloop University of Cincinnati (HUC) team for the first student design competition organized by SpaceX. For the purpose of studying the frame performance in various dynamic scenarios, development of a reliable FE model was crucial. A verification and validation (V&V) strategy utilizing physical modal tests and torsional stiffness tests was adopted to ensure that the FE model was capable of accurately capturing the dynamic characteristics of the constructed space frame. This work aims to present the details of the V&V activities as performed on the main frame.
Neuroglial stem cell-derived inflammatory pseudotumor (n-SCIPT): clinicopathologic characterization of a novel lesion of the lumbosacral spinal cord and nerve roots following intrathecal allogeneic stem cell intervention.

Author(s): Sloan, Emily A; Sampognaro, Paul J; Junn, Jacqueline C; Chin, Cynthia; Jacques, Line; Ramachandran, Prashanth S; DeRisi, Joseph L; Wilson, Michael R; Kriegstein, Arnold R; Bollen, Andrew W; Solomon, David A; Margeta, Marta; Engstrom, John W
Prospective Cohort study of Predictors of Follow-Up Diagnostic Colonoscopy from a Pragmatic Trial of FIT Screening

The goal of this study was to explore diagnostic colonoscopy completion in adults with abnormal screening fecal immunochemical test (FIT) results. This was a secondary analysis of the Strategies and Opportunities to Stop Colon Cancer in Priority Populations (Stop CRC) study, a cluster-randomized pragmatic trial to increase uptake of CRC screening in federally qualified community health clinics. Diagnostic colonoscopy completion and reasons for non-completion were ascertained through a manual review of electronic health records, and completion was compared across a wide range of individual patient health and sociodemographic characteristics. Among 2,018 adults with an abnormal FIT result, 1066 (52.8%) completed a follow-up colonoscopy within 12 months. Completion was generally similar across a wide range of participant subpopulations; however, completion was higher for participants who were younger, Hispanic, Spanish-speaking, and had zero or one of the Charlson medical comorbidities, compared to their counterparts. Neighborhood-level predictors were not associated with diagnostic colonoscopy completion. Thus, completion of a diagnostic colonoscopy was relatively low in a large sample of community health clinic adults who had an abnormal screening FIT result. While completion was generally similar across a wide range of characteristics, younger, healthier, Hispanic participants tended to have a higher likelihood of completion.
Stator Winding MMF Analysis for Variable Flux and Variable Magnetization Pattern PMSMs

This article analyzes the stator winding magnetomotive force (MMF) in machines to establish a general guideline for active magnetization change techniques used in variable flux permanent magnet synchronous machines and variable magnetization pattern permanent magnet synchronous machines. In this article, the spatial and time harmonics in the stator winding MMF are analyzed to build guidelines for machine topologies and the magnetizing current trajectories for the active magnetization change technique. The proposed guideline about slot pole combinations and magnetizing current pulses are verified through 11 examples from the existing literature, numerical simulation, and experiments.
Emotional Intelligence and Successful Completion of Nursing Courses in Associate Degree Nursing Students

Abstract Nurse educators need to find a way to decrease the attrition rate of nursing students. Emotional intelligence (EI) may be the key essential to nursing. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between EI level and successful completion of nursing courses on the first attempt among associate degree nursing students in a community college.
NLOS OAM-MIMO Transmission: Misaligned Channel Analysis and Pre-processing Scheme Design.

In this paper, we consider the multipath effect in orbital angular momentum (OAM) MIMO transmission systems and develop a pre-processing scheme to effectively detect the received signal with low computational complexity. The non-line-of-sight (NLOS) OAM-MIMO channel that contains a LOS path and a specular reflected path is mathematical modelled and predigested to characterize the transmission progress. A SVD based pre-transmitting and pre-receiving scheme is proposed to mitigate the interference between different OAM modes. By this mean, the severe intra-channel and inter-channel crosstalk can be relived greatly and a simple discrete Fourier transform (DFT) operation can work efficiently to estimate the transmitted signal. Moreover, the BER and capacity performance of NLOS OAM-MIMO is analyzed and some conclusions are drawn to guide the system design.
Spatially resolved optical monitoring of spinal cord blood flow with a minimally invasive, multi-level epidural probe

Abstract Spinal cord ischemia leads to iatrogenic injury in multiple surgical fields, and the ability to immediately identify onset and anatomic origin of ischemia is critical to its management. Current clinical monitoring, however, does not directly measure spinal cord blood flow, resulting in poor sensitivity/specificity, delayed alerts, and delayed intervention. We have developed an epidural device employing diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) to monitor spinal cord ischemia continuously at multiple positions. We investigate the ability of this device to localize spinal cord ischemia in a porcine model and validate DCS versus Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF). Specifically, we demonstrate continuous (>0.1Hz) spatially resolved (3 locations) monitoring of spinal cord blood flow in a purely ischemic model with an epidural DCS probe. Changes in blood flow measured by DCS and LDF were highly correlated (r=0.83). Spinal cord blood flow measured by DCS caudal to aortic occlusion decreased 62%, with a sensitivity of 0.87 and specificity of 0.91 for detection of a 25% decrease in flow. This technology may enable early identification and critically important localization of spinal cord ischemia.
ASSESSING THE CONUNDRUMS OF THE CUBAN ECONOMY UNDER THE REVOLUTION (1959-2019)

This article evaluates the resilient challenges faced by Cuba’s economy during the six decades of the Revolution (1959–2019), mainly its historical external economic dependency upon a foreign country (the USSR and Venezuela) and the adverse consequences that occur when such relationship ends or deteriorates. Several hypotheses address that issue as well as others such as the hindrance of the US embargo/blockade aggravated by Donald Trump’s punitive sanctions and Cuban continuity of a centrally planned economy and predominance of state enterprises over the market and the non-state sector. The core is an analysis of performance of key economic indicators: GDP growth, gross capital formation, financial stability, mining-industry agriculture output, tourism and exports of professional services. Hypotheses are tested with long-term statistical series elaborated and scrutinized by the author over half a century based on Cuban official sources, as well as legislation, articles by Cuban scholars and from news media. Among the results: external dependency has declined somewhat but demands deeper economic reforms, there are no countries currently capable and willing to fully replace Venezuela’s substantial aid, the ongoing crisis provoked by the deteriorating Venezuelan economy cum Trump’s sanctions should have lesser adverse effects than the 1990s crisis that resulted from the USSR disappearance. The article is a significant contribution to the study of Cuba’s external economic dependence and its consequences, and should be also worthy for other small economies and socialist countries.
Chermside’s Observations of Marine Mammals During a Svalbard Hunt

As a top student at Eton and the Woolwich Military Academy, Herbert Chermside climbed onboard Diana well-prepared for Leigh Smith’s expedition to Svalbard.
The Plantationocene: A Lusotropical Contribution to the Theory

In this article, I contribute to theorization of the modern era as the Plantationocene, a concept grounded in life on the land and centered around the role of the plantation in sustaining a raciali...
Interaction of Nitrogen and Water Deficits on Stomatal Behavior in Cotton

Stomata of normal and mildly N-deficient cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) reacted very differently to water stress. In N-deficient plants, stomata closed at water potentials up to 10 bars higher than in normal plants. Data presented here show: 1) stomata of both normal and N-deficient plants responded little to intercellular CO2 concentrations (Ci) before the imposition of drought; 2) during drought, stomata became sensitive to C-i, closing at elevated concentrations; 3) stomata of N-deficient plants began to respond to C-i at a higher water potential than those of normal plants; 4) sensitivity to Ci was also induced by application of abscisic acid (ABA). The results strongly imply that in N-deficient plants, ABA was synthesized at higher water potentials than in normal plants.
The intellectual relationship between Nietzsche and Freud.

(1973). The Intellectual Relationship between Nietzsche and Freud. Psychiatry: Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 458-467.
3ω beam timing diagnostic for the OMEGA laser facility

The Omega Laser Facility at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics is a 60-beam system used for inertial confinement fusion experiments. Uniform drive of the target surface requires precise beam timing to achieve accurate power balance. A new diagnostic has been implemented for measuring the relative beam-to-beam arrival time of each of the 60 beamlines. A 900-μm spherical diffuser placed at the target chamber center serves as a quasi-isotropic scattering source that allows a fixed optical detector to view light from any individual beamline. During a beam-timing run, the OMEGA laser is configured to generate frequency-tripled, 351-nm ultraviolet (UV) pulses with energies of ~50 pJ at a repetition rate of 5 Hz. Light from the scattering target is optically relayed to a fast photomultiplier tube and recorded on a digital oscilloscope. A portion of the original infrared (IR) seed pulse is fiber optically delivered to the beam-timing oscilloscope and recorded using a photodiode. By recording the scattered UV pulse and the IR seed on the same oscilloscope trace, a jitter-free measurement of the beam’s arrival time can be made. Discrepancies in beam timing are corrected by adjusting the total optical path length of the beamlines. Typical variation in the measured arrival times of all 60 OMEGA beams after adjustment is <5 ps root mean square
Fair Use and Its Politics – at Home and Abroad

The manuscript explores how U.S. fair use – a “standard” in a world of statutory copyright rules – has become an arena of ideological struggle over IP policy. At the international level, this debate frequently plays out in terms of how 17 U.S.C. 107 complies with or fails the “three-step test” of Berne and TRIPS. This manuscript reasons that asking whether section 107 complies with the three-step test is asking the wrong question: section 107 structure is not an exception – it is a mechanism to establish particular exceptions. When the fair use doctrine works properly, it produces discrete de facto exceptions, such as parody following Campbell or intermediate copying in the software context following Sega and Connectix. Section 107 is almost certainly ‘compliant’ with the three-step test; it is particular applications of the doctrine that might attacked in the future as failing the three step test.The manuscript also describes how fair use has proliferated – in different permutations – to other jurisdictions, including Singapore, South Korea Sri Lanka, and Israel, as well as to more recent international agreements.
Respondent Consistency in a Tournament-Style Contingent Choice Survey

We present the results of an internet-based contingent choice survey about management options at North Cascades National Park, focusing on respondent consistency. A tournament-style contingent ranking design followed by a contingent rating exercise allows for tests of different kinds of consistency in survey responses. Many respondents give inconsistent responses, but these inconsistencies do not create large differences in estimated tradeoffs between scenario attributes.
The Opacity of the Lyα Forest and Implications for Ωb and the Ionizing Background

We have measured the distribution function of the flux decrement D = 1 - e-τ caused by Lyα forest absorption from intervening gas in the lines of sight to high-redshift QSOs from a sample of seven high-resolution QSO spectra obtained with the Keck telescope. The observed flux decrement distribution function (FDDF) is compared with the FDDF from two simulations of the Lyα forest: a ΛCDM model (with Ω = 0.4, Λ = 0.6), computed with the Eulerian code of Cen & Ostriker, and a standard cold dark matter (SCDM) model (with Ω = 1), computed with the smoothed particle hydrodynamics code of Hernquist et al. Good agreement is obtained between the shapes of the simulated and observed FDDFs for both simulations after fitting only one free parameter, which controls the mean flux decrement. The difference between the predicted FDDFs from the two simulations is small, and we show that it arises mostly from a different temperature in the low-density gas (caused by different assumptions that were made about the reionization history in the two simulations), rather than differences between the two cosmological models or numerical effects in the two codes, which use very different computational methods. A measurement of the parameter μΩ -->2b h -->3/Γ (where Γ is the H I ionization rate due to the ionizing background) is obtained by requiring the mean flux decrement in the simulations to agree with the observed one. Estimating the lower limit Γ > 7 × 10-13 s-1 from the abundance of known QSOs, we derive a lower limit on the baryonic matter density, Ωbh2 > 0.021 (0.017) for the ΛCDM (SCDM) model. The difference between the lower limits inferred from the two models is again due to different temperatures in the low-density gas. We give general analytical arguments for why this lower limit is unlikely to be reduced for any other models of structure formation by gravitational collapse that can explain the observed Lyα forest. When combined with constraints from big bang nucleosynthesis, the large Ωb we infer is inconsistent with some recent D/H determinations (Rugers & Hogan), favoring a low deuterium abundance as reported by Tytler, Fan & Burles. Adopting a fixed Ωb, the measurement of μ(z) allows a determination of the evolution of the ionizing radiation field with redshift. Our models predict an intensity that is approximately constant with redshift, which is in agreement with the assumption that the ionizing background is produced by known quasars for z < 3, but requires additional sources of ionizing photons at higher redshift given the observed rapid decline of the quasar abundance.
Texture Analysis of Ultrasonic Images Using Backpropagation Neural Networks

Backpropagation neural networks are applied to the problem of characterization of ultrasonic image texture to detect abnormalities in tissue texture which are indicative of liver disease. Twenty-one texture features were extracted from regions of interest in digitized ultrasonic images. A feature subset, identified by a stepwise selection process, formed the sample input to the networks together with the physician-supplied diagnosis. The classification performance of the backpropagation network is evaluated using a jackknife testing procedure. The performance of the networks is compared with results obtained from linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression techniques.
Models for computer science K-12 outreach activities

It is widely known that our computer science students do not reflect the diversity of the population at large [1]. One method for encouraging broader participation in computer science is to design and deploy outreach activities targeted for K-12 students [2,3,4]. Goals for outreach activities are numerous: to provide a more accurate view of the computer science discipline, to increase students' confidence in their CS abilities, to provide opportunities for students to meet working professionals, and to counter negative stereotypes about the computing culture. Outreach activities can vary widely in terms of target audience, duration, and overall objective; therefore, it might seem daunting to design and deploy outreach activities. The goal for this panel is to provide models of outreach activities for audience members to import for use in their own communities and institutions.
On adversarial joint source channel coding

In a joint source-channel coding scheme, a single mapping is used to perform both the tasks of data compression and channel coding in a combined way, rather than performing them separately. Usually for simple iid sources and channels, separation of the tasks is information theoretically optimal. In an adversarial joint source-channel coding scenario, instead of a stochastic channel, an adversary introduces a set of bounded number of errors/erasures. It has been shown recently that, even in the simplest cases of such adversarial models, separation is suboptimal and characterizing the fundamental limits is difficult. In this paper, we study several properties of such adversarial joint source-channel schemes. We show optimality of separation in some situations, provide simple joint schemes that beat separation in others, and give new bounds on the rate of such coding.
Cold-Sensitive Pseudomonas RNA Polymerase II. Cold-Promoted Restriction of Bacteriophage CB3 and the Lack of Host-Dependent Bacteriophage-Specific RNA Transcription

Cold-sensitive restriction of Pseudomonas phage CB3 by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAT2 involves some aspect of CB3 specific RNA synthesis at 20 C. Experiments using chloramphenicol treatment and RNA-DNA hybridization establish that the amount of CB3 RNA present at 20 C is consistent with the known percentage of phage yielder cells at 20 C. Thus, it appears that nonyielder cells of PAT2 synthesize little or no phage-specific mRNA. Burgess technique extracted PAT2 RNA polymerase (RNAP) is cold sensitive when assayed in vitro with CB3 DNA at 20 C. However, it is not cold sensitive when either calf thymus or PAT2 DNA are the templates for transcription. Low ionic strength assay conditions eliminate the cold sensitivity of PAT2 RNAP. The effect of low ionic environments on transcription initiation along with the in vivo and in vitro suppression of cold sensitivity by host rifampin resistance suggests that the inability of CB3 to reproduce in PAT2 at 20 C is a cold-sensitive step in host RNAP initiation. Our modified RNAP extraction procedure for PAT2 and PAO1C also results in the recovery of cold-sensitive PAT2 RNAP with respect to CB3 DNA templates and points to basic enzymological differences between the two hosts. A model is presented for the unusual influence of temperature on the initiation process of both PAT2 and PAO1C on RNAP transcription.
A method for testing the assumption of phylogenetic independence in comparative data

When making a comparison between two or more traits across taxa, the assumption of phylogenetic independence must be tested. Empirically determining the validity of this assumption before and after applying a phylogenetically based comparative method (PCM) can provide researchers with a rigorous methodological approach for analysing comparative data. This approach can help resolve current debates regarding whether it is always appropriate to apply a PCM, and whether PCMs are in fact successful in accounting for all of the historical non-independence in comparative data. To use this methodological approach, however, a generally applicable statistical diagnostic that can test the assumption of phylogenetic independence in comparative data is required. In this context, I present the application of a statistical diagnostic called the ‘test for serial independence’. This diagnostic can be applied to almost all currently employed PCMs, including Felsenstein’s (1985) independent contrasts. Furthermore, I demonstrate the application of the test for serial independence by analysing three data sets from the literature. The results of these analyses show that this diagnostic can successfully detect different degrees of phylogenetic autocorrelation in small and large phylogenies as well as in different types of phenotypic characters. The challenges and difficulties associated with applying the proposed methodological approach and the test for serial independence are discussed.
A Responsive Evaluation of a Graduate Seminar.

Abstract It was in the late sixties when the formal evaluation of teachers and their courses by students in their classes first became routinized at the University of Illinois at Urbana. Students and teachers alike were told that the purpose of the evaluations was to improve college teaching. The instruments were advocated on the basis of being vehicles for student expression in the higher education process and as part of the whole move towards accountability. In practice, however, the evaluations were used by department heads or chairpersons as part of the basis for decisions about salary, retention, promotion, and tenure. Thus, the need for a new approach to course evaluation, concentrating on improving instruction was recognized. This paper is an account of a course evaluation using the responsive approach.
alpha4 integrin in islet allograft rejection.

Background Adhesion molecules are involved in multiple steps of the continuum of allograft rejection. We studied the effects of blockade of the interactions between alpha4 integrin and its ligands, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and fibronectin, on allograft survival. Methods Streptozotocin-induced diabetic CBA (H-2k) mice received islet transplants from BALB/c (H-2d) donors. Recipient mice were treated with antibodies against alpha4 integrin (PS/2), VCAM-1 (MK 2.7), and a peptide corresponding to the binding site of alpha4 integrin on fibronectin (connecting segment 1 peptide, CS1-peptide). Graft function was measured by daily tail vein blood glucose levels, with rejection defined as the return of hyperglycemia. Graft-bearing kidneys were removed for immunohistochemical analysis. Results Treatment with anti-alpha4 integrin antibody, anti-VCAM-1 antibody, or with CS1-peptide led to long-term survival of islet allografts. Recipients with long-surviving islet grafts did not show tolerance, in that they rejected a second donor-type islet allograft. Although both anti-alpha4 integrin antibody and CS1-peptide completely abolished cellular infiltration of the islet graft 7 days after transplantation, anti-VCAM-1-treated recipients showed a dense peri-islet infiltrate of activated, alpha4 integrin+, cytotoxic T cells. Conclusions These data show that alpha4 integrin is critically important to allograft rejection. Anti-VCAM-1 antibody appears to prevent rejection without qualitatively affecting either T cell activation or migration to the graft. Conversely, anti-alpha4 integrin antibody and CS1-peptide may prevent islet allograft rejection by altering either T cell activation or lymphocyte trafficking. Blocking interactions between alpha4 integrin and its ligands may provide novel forms of immunosuppression.
Induction of Aggressive Breast Cancer in p53 Wild Type Cells by BRCA1-IRIS Overexpression.

Background: Agents that introduce genotoxic stresses in mammalian cells, such as paclitaxel (Taxol) or ionizing radiation activate a complex array of cellular responses, including p53 activation. As a component of the response to acute stress, p53 has a well-established role in protecting against cancer development. It is not surprising that half of all human tumors have mutated p53. We asked how then tumors are initiated in the cells that carry wild-type p53 allele?Material and Methods: Here we report the identification of a potential novel mechanism that induces tumor formation in p53 wild-type cells. Overexpression of the proto-oncogene, BRCA1-IRIS in human mammary epithelial (HME) cells not only upregulates the expression of the serine/threonine phosphatase; Wild-type p53-Induced Phosphatase (WIP1) through induction of p53 expression but also increases the WIP1 gene copy number in these cells. WIP1 is a negative regulator of p53 as well as p38MAPK. Both proteins are involved in arresting and/or killing cells with extensive genotoxic stresses. Failure to arrest or die in response to massive genotoxic stress leads to the propagation of damaged cells and the development of cancer. BRCA1-IRIS overexpressing cells failed to arrest or die when exposed to UV radiation or Taxol. In fact, treatment of normal HME cells with UV or Taxol upregulated the expression of BRCA1-IRIS and thus WIP-1, prevented p53 and p38MAPK activation and their death.Results: This data suggest that BRCA1-IRIS is perhaps involved in the acquisition of cellular resistance to these agents upon prolonged exposure. On the other hand, depletion of BRCA1-IRIS from tumor cell lines induced apoptosis even in cells with functional p53 and p38MAPK.Discussion: We propose that in p53 wild type cells, whether endogenous or UV- or chemotherapy-induced BRCA1-IRIS overexpression leads to the survival and proliferation of what most likely are severely damaged cells, leading to the transformation of mammary cells in vitro and the induction of breast tumors in vivo. We also propose that BRCA1-IRIS and WIP1 overexpression abrogates the homeostatic balance maintained by p38-p53-WIP1 pathway. Together with the ability of BRCA1-IRIS to upregulate Cyclin D1 expression increases the likelihood that BRCA1-IRIS is an oncogene that induces breast cancer progression when overexpressed, hence making it an attractive target for novel breast cancer therapy. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 3154.
Selective predation and caloric consumption by the siphonophore Rosacea cymbiformis in nature

Individuals of the siphonophore Rosacea cymbiformis (Chiaje, 1822) were collected in surface waters of the Gulf of California during July/August 1978, off Southern California during May 1980, and in the Sargasso Sea during July 1979. Specimens were preserved within 30 min after capture, and the ingested prey in the gastrozooids were examined microscopically and identified to the closest practical taxon. Most gastrozooids (50 to 84%) contained recognizable prey organisms. The prey were primarily copepods, but crab zoeae, pelagic molluscs, juvenile shrimps and mysids were also commonly eaten. There were significant differences between the sizes and types of prey organisms that had been ingested and that were available in the environment of the siphonophores. Electivity indices for the prey demonstrated that the large and/or active prey were selected. The feeding selectivity exhibited by the siphonophores probably depends upon speed and diameter of the prey, which affect the frequency of contact with the siphonopore tentacles. Behavioral observations suggest that R. cymbiformis feeds primarily in the light. Digestion experiments indicate that most prey remain in the gastrozooids for 8 h or more before egestion. The caloric values of common prey types were derived from their length to dry weight regressions. The caloric consumption of R. cymbiformis during the 4 to 6 h feeding period following sunrise was estimated to be from 0.109 to 0.365 cal per gastrozooid; the daily caloric consumption was projected to be at least 2.4 to 8.2 times that required to balance metabolism.
Value Function Structure For Multiple Sensor Integration

A value function structure is proposed to solve the problem of multiple sensor integration. The value of a sensor or a group of sensors will be a function of the number of possible object contenders under consideration and the number that can be rejected by using the information available. It will also depend on the current state of the environment and can be redefined to indicate changes in sampling frequency and/or resolution for the sensors. A theorem prover will be applied to the sensor information available to reject any contenders. The rules used by the theorem prover can be different for each sensor while the integration is provided by the common decision space. This overcomes any incompatibility between different sensors with respect to feature extraction and pattern recognition algorithms. A database will be used to store the values for different sensor groups and the best search paths, and can be adaptively updated, thus providing a training methodology for the implementation of this approach.
Rolling planning: Optimality and decentralization

Abstract Rolling planning is a procedure of continual revision of dynamic programs, such that the horizon N lying ahead at the time of each revision remains constant. Since, in a rolling plan, the decisions about current resource allocation are implemented without being verified by future agents, this procedure is viewed as a realization of an evolutionary mechanism of intertemporal decentralization. The possibility of designing an evolutionary mechanism leading to optimal intertemporal allocations is generally an open question. The paper establishes such a possibility for a multi-sector Ramsey model: it proves that rolling plans with the horizon N = 2 maximize the average utility over the infinite time interval.