cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Malnutrition, the Thymolymphatic System and Immunocompetence

Abundant evidence has accumulated in recent years demonstrating that adequate nutrition is essential to normal immunological function of the host. The close relationship of malnutrition, morbidity and mortality with experimental evidence of depressed immune responsiveness was initially elucidated in a number of extensive studies of children with protein-calorie malnutrition, including both Kwashiorkor and marasmus (4,7,12). Histological evidence of depleted thymus-dependent areas in lymphoid tissue correlated well with studies of cell-mediated immunity, such as skin testing, T cell rosette assay and mitogen stimulation. These parameters appeared to reflect impairment secondary to nutritional deficiency because delayed hypersensitivity returned, to normal in a significant number of patients after dietary protein supplements. These cases however, represented far-advanced and severe nutritional deficiencies not permitting the assessment of the possible contribution of concomitant nutrient deficiencies such as vitamin A, iron and folic acid.
Reconstruction and Identification of Prompt Photons

Reconstructed photons in ATLAS are seeded by clusters of energy in the EM calorimeter. They are distinguished from electrons, which are seeded by the same clusters, by the absence of a track whose trajectory is consistent with the candidate cluster. An example of such a cluster, without an associated track, is shown in Fig. 4.1a. A special case occurs when the photon pair-converts into an electron–positron system before reaching the EM calorimeter. In such cases, a separate reconstruction chain attempts to recover those photons from reconstructed electrons. An example of such a photon candidate is shown in Fig. 4.1b. After reconstruction, a series of selection criteria are used to separate single photons from backgrounds (primarily from light mesons decaying to multiple photons). This chapter will review the reconstruction of both converted and unconverted photons, and the identification criteria applied at the analysis level.
1 Moving beyond flexner: evolving medical education to stop promoting overdiagnosis

The current paradigm for making medical care decisions often leads to overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and profound wasting of resources. It was introduced with the overhaul of medical training in the United States and Canada following the report to The Carnegie Foundation by Abraham Flexner in 1910. This report ushered in a rational approach to medical care, with decisions made based on careful understanding of pathophysiology rather than on empirical observation. An evidence-based medicine approach to decision making challenges this tradition, requiring decision making to be based on empirical research results of demonstrated clinical benefit rather than on pathophysiologic reasoning. As a result, evidence-based medicine requires a paradigm shift: Instead of relying on ‘what ought to work,’ it requires identifying ‘what has been shown to work.’ This reorientation requires clinicians to appreciate the role of probability in medicine. It is only with understanding and appreciating roles of uncertainty and probability that the various interventions that lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment can be dropped from one’s practice. However, for many clinicians inculcated into bio-mechanical reasoning to make medical decisions, embracing outcomes-based, probabilistic thinking requires a transformation in their worldview. In this seminar, we will discuss the concept that probabilistic thinking is required to embrace evidence-based medicine, with the goal of moving beyond Flexner to evolve education to stop overdiagnosis and overtreatment decisions at their root. After this brief introduction to the concepts, we will divide attendees into small groups to address five issues where embracing probabilistic thinking can address issues of overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and overuse, including: 1) ‘Action Gone Awry’ (harming people with the best of intentions); 2) ‘Innocent Bystanders’ (people affected by false positive results); 3) ‘Creating the Worried Well’ (the effect of labeling); 4) ‘The Butterfly Effect’ (the unanticipated and unintended consequences of our actions); and, 5) ‘Out of Oz’ (the lure of wishful thinking).
A Neural Network Based Resilient Control Design for Distributed Power Systems Under Faults and Attacks

A novel active resilient control system is developed for distributed power systems (DPSs) under false data injection (FDI) attacks, and faults. The proposed system works based on a new anomaly detection (AD) design which consists of a Luenberger observer and an artificial neural network (ANN). The ANN structure is developed by Extended Kalman filter (EKF) to improve the ANN ability for the online AD in the power system. Based on the feedback data received from the AD system, the resilient controller will be designed, which eliminates the need for control reconfiguration. The resiliency of the proposed design against FDI attacks and faults in the sensors is tested on a Load Frequency Control (LFC) system through numerical simulations. Based on simulation results, the proposed active resilient control system can successfully detect anomalies in the actuators and compensate for their effects on DPSs.
US Nursing and Midwifery Research Capacity Building Opportunities to Achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

To meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the United States, research by nurses and midwives has a real opportunity to make a significant impact. This paper identifies opportunities to strengthen research capacity in the United States amongst nurses and midwives in ways that will help meet the SDGs and ensure its sustainability. Research capacity means that in a country, there are individuals and teams capable of defining problems, setting priorities, establishing objectives for the goals of the research study, and following rigorous scientific procedures. By strengthening U.S. research capacity by addressing critical weaknesses in content expertise, nursing and midwifery's voices in policy dialogues, and global research initiatives will be have greater assurance of being included.
Linear Assisted DC/DC Converter for Pulsed Mode Power Applications

This paper presents a linear assisted DC/DC converter to increase the response speed and power density of pulsed mode applications, including radar systems. The proposed architecture includes two power paths: (1) a full bridge converter as high power path for voltage control to efficiently process the main power and (2) a linear amplifier as low power path to achieve fast response speed by compensating current difference between high power path and pulsed mode load. Hence, though the high power path responds slowly, output voltage variations during pulsed transients can be reduced. GS66516B, 650V Gallium Nitride enhancement mode high electron mobility transistors (GaN E-HEMT) are used as switching devices to enable higher operating frequency with less loss. Finally, a 400V to 2SV, 900W converter is designed for a 4 A (average) / 32A (peak) pulsed load scenario. Simulation results and design analysis are described, proving the concept.
Congenital and postnatal microcephalies

Abstract Microcephaly refers to a “small head” or “small brain.” Patients who present with this condition often have accompanying intellectual disability and other neurological conditions. The microcephalies can be conveniently divided into those that are congenital (also referred to as primary), presenting before birth, and postnatal (or secondary), when the head size is normal at birth but gradually falls off normal growth curves. Multiple etiologies exist for microcephaly, including genetic mutations, infections (e.g., Zika virus, CMV, and toxoplasmosis), and environmental/toxin (e.g., drugs or alcohol) exposure during pregnancy. Recent studies have identified a wide range of genetic defects in various cellular processes (e.g., centrosome/centriole function related to spindle formation, DNA replication and repair, chromosome assembly and separation, cytokinesis, cell cycle regulation, vesicle trafficking, transcription, and signaling), implicating a diverse group of pathogenic mechanisms underlying the etiology of microcephaly. Studying microcephaly has also provided new insights into the developmental regulation of brain size.
Dynamic Crane Workspace Update for Collision Avoidance During Blind Lift Operations

Cranes are associated with high levels of accidents and struck-by fatalities in many industrial settings. This is due to the congested nature of crane operation sites and the high cognitive load for the crane operator to track the load position throughout the lifting operation, especially during blind lifts. Current research on crane safety assistance systems focuses on preventing collisions with static entities such as existing building structures but do not adequately handle dynamic entities such as workers and movable containers. This research proposes a dynamic crane workspace updating method for collision avoidance during blind lift operations. The position and orientation of the crane load, as well as the position and orientation of surrounding obstacles, are automatically tracked and updated in a 3D crane workspace model during lifting operations. The load base position is first estimated using forward kinematics obtained from an encoder system. Then the load swing and load rotation are corrected for using a vision-based load detection algorithm. A static map of surrounding obstacles is initially obtained using 3D laser scanning. The map is then updated over the course of a lifting operation through semi-automated obstacle placement. In addition, a vision-based worker detection algorithm is used to track the position of workers in proximity to the load. Finally, the crane workspace is updated in real-time for the crane operator through a 3D user interface and warnings are issued whenever a potential collision scenario is detected. The proposed method was evaluated at a crane yard where multiple blind lift scenarios were carried out. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can potentially improve the situational awareness of the crane operator for blind lift operations.
The assembly and importance of a novel ecosystem: The ant community of coffee farms in Puerto Rico.

Agricultural ecosystems are by their very nature novel and by definition the more general biodiversity associated with them must likewise constitute a novel community. Here, we examine the community of arboreally foraging ants in the coffee agroecosystem of Puerto Rico. We surveyed 20 coffee plants in 25 farms three times in a period of one year. We also conducted a more spatially explicit sampling in two of the farms and conducted a species interaction study between the two most abundant species, Wasmannia auropunctata and Solenopsis invicta, in the laboratory. We find that the majority of the most common species are well-known invasive ants and that there is a highly variable pattern of dominance that varies considerably over the main coffee producing region of Puerto Rico, suggesting an unusual modality of community structure. The distribution pattern of the two most common species, W. auropunctata and S. invicta, suggests strong competitive exclusion. However, they also have opposite relationships with the percent of shade cover, with W. auropunctata showing a positive relationship with shade, while S. invicta has a negative relationship. The spatial distribution of these two dominant species in the two more intensively studied farms suggests that young colonies of S. invicta can displace W. auropunctata. Laboratory experiments confirm this. In addition to the elaboration of the nature and extent of this novel ant community, we speculate on the possibilities of its active inclusion as part of a biological control system dealing with several coffee pests, including one of the ants itself, W. auropunctata.
SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: recommendations from an international consensus meeting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of nearly 2 million people worldwide.1 Following rapid sequencing of SARS-CoV-2, pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions rapidly generated vaccine candidates on the back of a variety of both established and novel vaccine platforms.2–4 Vaccines accelerated at unprecedented pace to phase 3 development, and in December 2020, two mRNA vaccines and one inactivated vaccine were authorised for use in a number of countries. Additional vaccine platforms and candidates are in late stages of phase 3 testing.5 Prioritisation of vaccine access is generally determined by regional health authorities on the basis of risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and risk of developing complications from COVID-19 in order to equitably protect and promote global public well-being.6–8 IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are characterised by chronic intestinal inflammation due to immune dysregulation. IBD is often treated with immune-modifying therapies including corticosteroids, immunomodulators, biologic agents including monoclonal antibody inhibitors of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, interleukin 12/23, integrins and small molecules such as Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. Prior studies have evaluated the safety and effectiveness of various vaccines in patients with IBD, with specific focus on the impact of immune-modifying therapies on serologic responses. In general, non-live vaccines are considered safe in patients with IBD regardless of IBD therapy, although those on specific types of immune-modifying treatments at the time of vaccination may have reduced vaccine immune responses.9–12 In spite of decreased efficacy associated with immune-modifying medication, most vaccines are broadly recommended for those with IBD.13–15 Patients with immune conditions (including IBD) were excluded from the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine clinical development programmes,16 and novel vaccine platforms not previously studied in IBD populations are now authorised in many countries. Therefore, many questions regarding the safety and effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with …
Self-Organizing, Symmetry Breaking, Isogenic Human Lung Buds on Microchips Identify Alveolar Stem Cells as Novel Targets of SARS-CoV-2

Although lung disease is the primary clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients, how SARS-CoV-2 induces lung pathology remains elusive. Here we describe a high-throughput platform to generate self-organizing, nearly identical, and genetically-matched human lung buds derived from hESCs cultured on micropatterned substrates. Synthetic lung buds resemble human fetal lungs and display proximo-distal patterning of alveolar and airway tissue directed by KGF. They are susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2 and endemic coronaviruses and can be used to track cell type-specific cytopathic effects in hundreds of lung buds in parallel. We detected an increased susceptibility to infection in alveolar cells and identified cycling alveolar stem cells as new targets of SARS-CoV-2. We used this platform to test neutralizing antibodies that efficiently blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission. Synthetic lung buds offer unlimited, rapid and scalable access to disease-relevant tissue that recapitulates human lung morphogenesis to identify key vulnerabilities for COVID-19 and respiratory viruses. Funding: This work was supported by the Pershing Square Foundation, NIH grants P01AI138398-S1, 2U19AI111825, and R01AI091707-10S1, a George Mason University Fast Grant, the BAWD Foundation, the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Charitable Foundation, and private funding from the Rockefeller University. Conflict of Interest: A.H.B. is a co-founder of 2 startup companies: Rumi Scientific Inc. and OvaNova Laboratories, LLC and serves on their scientific advisory boards. C.M.R. is a founder of Apath LLC, a Scientific Advisory Board member of Imvaq Therapeutics, Vir Biotechnology, and Arbutus Biopharma, and an advisor for Regulus Therapeutics and Pfizer. All other authors declare no competing interests.
Learning Continuous Object Representations from Point Cloud Data

Continuous representations of objects have always been used in robotics in the form of geometric primitives and surface models. Recently, learning techniques have emerged which allow more complex continuous representations to be learned from data, but these learning techniques require training data in the form of watertight meshes which restricts their application as meshes of this form are difficult to obtain from real data. This paper proposes a modification to existing methods that allows real world point cloud data to be used for training these surface representations allowing the techniques to be used in broader applications. The modification is evaluated on ModelNet10 to quantify the difference between the existing and the proposed methods as well as on a novel precision agriculture dataset that has been released publicly to show the modification's applicability to new areas. The proposed method enables obtaining training data from real world sensors that produce point clouds rather than requiring an expensive meshing step which may not be possible for some applications. This opens the possibility of using techniques like this for complex shapes in areas like grasping and agricultural data collection.
Exosome-eluting stents for vascular healing after ischaemic injury

Drug-eluting stents implanted after ischaemic injury reduce the proliferation of endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells and thus neointimal hyperplasia. However, the eluted drug also slows down the re-endothelialization process, delays arterial healing and can increase the risk of late restenosis. Here we show that stents releasing exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells in the presence of reactive oxygen species enhance vascular healing in rats with renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury, promoting endothelial cell tube formation and proliferation, and impairing the migration of smooth muscle cells. Compared with drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents, the exosome-coated stents accelerated re-endothelialization and decreased in-stent restenosis 28 days after implantation. We also show that exosome-eluting stents implanted in the abdominal aorta of rats with unilateral hindlimb ischaemia regulated macrophage polarization, reduced local vascular and systemic inflammation, and promoted muscle tissue repair. Exosome-eluting stents implanted in rats after ischaemic injury accelerate vascular healing and promote tissue regeneration.
Improving Estimates of Neighborhood Change with Constant Tract Boundaries

Social scientists routinely rely on methods of interpolation to adjust available data to their research needs. Spatial data from different sources often are based on different geographies that need to be reconciled, and some boundaries (e.g., administrative or political boundaries) change frequently. This study calls attention to the potential for substantial error in efforts to harmonize data to constant boundaries using standard approaches to areal and population interpolation. The case in point is census tract boundaries in the United States, which are redefined before every decennial census. Research on neighborhood effects and neighborhood change rely heavily on estimates of local area characteristics for a consistent area of time, for which they now routinely use estimates based on interpolation offered by sources such as the Neighborhood Change Data Base (NCDB) and Longitudinal Tract Data Base (LTDB). We identify a fundamental problem with how these estimates are created, and we reveal an alarming level of error in estimates of population characteristics in 2000 within 2010 boundaries. We do this by comparing estimates from one of these sources (the LTDB) to true values calculated by re-aggregating original 2000 census microdata to 2010 tract areas. We then demonstrate an alternative approach that allows the re-aggregated values to be publicly disclosed, using "differential privacy" (DP) methods to inject random noise that meets Census Bureau standards for protecting confidentiality of the raw data. We show that the DP estimates are considerably more accurate than the LTDB estimates based on interpolation, and we examine conditions under which interpolation is more susceptible to error. This study reveals cause for greater caution in the use of interpolated estimates from any source. Until and unless DP estimates can be publicly disclosed for a wide range of variables and years, research on neighborhood change should routinely examine data for signs of estimation error that may be substantial in a large share of tracts that experienced complex boundary changes.
Regional cytoarchitecture of the adult and developing mouse enteric nervous system

Abstract The enteric nervous system (ENS) populates the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and controls GI function. In contrast to the central nervous system, macrostructure of the ENS has been largely overlooked. Here, we visually and computationally demonstrate that the ENS is organized in circumferential stripes that regionally differ in development and neuronal composition. This characterization provides a blueprint for future understanding of region-specific GI function and identifying ENS structural correlates of GI disorders.
Oily Nanocoatings

Tribological performance of molecular thermoplastic elastomeric films grafted onto a silicon surface was enhanced by adding a minute amount of paraffinic oil, which was adsorbed by the rubber matrix. The nanocomposite films show bimodal distribution of the surface elastic modulus, caused by the nanodomain structure. Minute amounts of oil, trapped within the rubber phase after evaporation, modified the nanotribological properties of these layers. We observed a significant decrease of the friction coefficient by 40%, along with a lower elastic modulus of the rubber phase. We suggest that under high shear stresses and sliding velocity, oil molecules can be compressed out of the bulk to the surface, facilitating instant local lubrication of the contact area.
A 6-CpG Validated Methylation Risk Score Model for Metabolic Syndrome: The HyperGEN and GOLDN Studies

Abstract There has been great interest in genetic risk prediction using risk scores in recent years, however, the utility of scores developed in European populations and later applied to non-European populations has not been successful. In this study, we used cross-sectional data from the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN, N=614 African Americans (AA)) and the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN, N=995 European Americans (EA)), to create a methylation risk score (MRS) for metabolic syndrome (MetS), demonstrating the utility of MRS across race groups. To demonstrate this, we first selected cytosine-guanine dinucleotides (CpG) sites measured on Illumina Methyl450 arrays previously reported to be significantly associated with MetS and/or component conditions (CPT1A cg00574958, PHOSPHO1 cg02650017, ABCG1 cg06500161, SREBF1 cg11024682, SOCS3 cg18181703, TXNIP cg19693031). Second, we calculated the parameter estimates for the 6 CpGs in the HyperGEN data and used the beta estimates as weights to construct a MRS in HyperGEN, which was validated in GOLDN. We performed association analyses using a logistic mixed model to test the association between the MRS and MetS adjusting for covariates. Results showed the MRS was significantly associated with MetS in both populations. In summary, a MRS for MetS was a strong predictor for the condition across two ethnic groups suggesting MRS may be useful to examine metabolic disease risk or related complications across ethnic groups.
Water quality as a predictor of gastrointestinal illness following incidental contact water recreation

Abstract Microbial measures of water quality are predictors of gastrointestinal illness among swimmers in some settings but not in others. Little is known whether water quality measures predict illness among people who engage in popular water recreation activities such as paddling, rowing, fishing, or boating (“incidental contact water recreation”). We sought to evaluate indicator microbes, protozoan pathogens, and turbidity as predictors of gastrointestinal illness following incidental contact water recreation. A cohort study of incidental contact water recreation was conducted in the Chicago, USA area. Recreation took place on inland lakes, rivers, Lake Michigan, and an urban waterway heavily impacted by wastewater effluent. Water samples were analyzed for Escherichia coli , enterococci, somatic coliphages, F+ coliphages, Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. (oo)cysts, and for turbidity. Median enterococci concentrations were 71.0 and 199.8 colony forming units/100 mL at general use and effluent-dominated waters, respectively. Among 4694 study participants with complete covariate data, 193 (4.1%) developed gastrointestinal illness within three days of water recreation. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, water quality metrics did not predict gastrointestinal illness among water recreators. Several variables other than water quality were associated acute gastrointestinal illness. The odds of such illness was increased by approximately two-fold by the presence of a chronic gastrointestinal condition, water exposure to the face, and by approximately 50% among those who fished (as opposed to other incidental contact activities). The odds of illness were reduced by approximately 50% among individuals who frequently used a water body for recreation. Unlike studies of swimmers at wastewater-impacted beaches that observed associations between water quality and illness incidence, this study did not. Public health protections for incidental contact recreation might focus on reducing exposure, particularly among fishers, those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions, and new recreators.
Modeling Flu Trends with Real-Time Geo-tagged Twitter Data Streams

The rich data generated and read by millions of users on social media tells what is happening in the real world in a rapid and accurate fashion. In recent years many researchers have explored real-time streaming data from Twitter for a broad range of applications, including predicting stock markets and public health trend. In this paper we design, implement, and evaluate a prototype system to collect and analyze influenza statuses over different geographical locations with real-time tweet streams. To evaluate the accuracy of the influenza estimation based on tweet streams, we correlate the results with official statistics from Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our preliminary results have demonstrated that real-time tweet streams capture the dynamics of influenza at national level, and could potentially serve as an early warning system of influenza epidemics or flu trends.
Investigation of management strategies for the production of sweet sorghum as a bioenergy crop and preservation of crop residue by the ensiling process

In recent years, biofuels have become a national priority as demonstrated by the formation of the Renewable Fuels Standard. In response, significant research has been directed toward identifying high-yielding bioenergy crops, breeding for improved biomass yield and quality, and developing management practices specific to bioenergy crop production in order to meet the mandated production of advanced biofuels. The objective of this project was to investigate management practices for sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) as a bioenergy crop in Iowa. The effects of planting date, seeding rate, row width, and nitrogen fertility on growth, biomass yield, and chemical composition of ‘Top 766’ sweet sorghum were evaluated. Plots were seeded on three dates; late May, early June, and late June, at rates of 4.5, 11.2, and 17.9 kg/ha with row widths of 20, 38, and 76 cm in the years 2005 and 2006. All treatments were in factorial combination and replicated four times in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Nitrogen fertilizer treatments of 84 and 168 kg N/ha were applied as strip-plot treatments. Harvested plots were weighed for biomass yield and a subsample was collected for chemical analysis. Our results show that dry matter yields were maximized for the second planting date in 20-cm row widths. Seeding rate and nitrogen fertility had no significant effects on biomass yield. Under these management conditions, dry matter yields of 20.9 Mg/ha and 37.1 Mg/ha were obtained in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Average dry matter yield, for this two-year period, was 29.0 Mg/ha. Given these results, sweet sorghum, when managed as a bioenergy crop in Iowa, has the potential of substantial biomass yields.
Experimental Analysis of Scheduling Algorithms for Aggregated Links

We consider networks with aggregated links, that is networks in which physical link segments between two interconnected devices are grouped into a single logical link. Network devices supporting such aggregated links must implement a distribution algorithm responsible for choosing the transmission link for any given packet. Traditionally, in order to maintain packet ordering within conversations, all distribution algorithms transmitted packets from a given conversation on a single link. This approach is attractive for its simplicity, but in some conditions it tends to under-utilize the capacity of the link. On the other hand, due to variations in packet lengths, sending packets from the same conversation simultaneously along different physical links requires careful scheduling to ensure that the packets arrive in the correct order. Recently, Jawor et al . [6] formulated this packet scheduling problem as an online optimization problem and proposed an algorithm called Block . The focus of the work in [6] was purely theoretical --- to achieve an optimal competitive ratio. In this paper we study this problem in an experimental setting. To this end, we develop a refined version of Algorithm Block , and we show, through experimental analysis, that it indeed significantly reduces the maximum amount of time packets spent in buffers before transmission, compared to the standard methods based on hashing.
The Revolution Will Be Sub Silento: The Roberts Court and the Democratic Costs of Judicial Minimalism

"Minimalist" judicial opinions have increasingly characterized the output of the Supreme Court, and a body of scholarship has developed defending judicial minimalism as a salutary means of constraining courts and improving their relationship with the political branches. Focusing on the initial years of the Roberts Court, I question the democratic value of judicial minimalism. In practice, judicial minimalism frequently does not represent greater deference to the political branches, and in some cases undermines the transparency democratic values demand.
Facial expression analysis using nonlinear decomposable generative models

We present a new framework to represent and analyze dynamic facial motions using a decomposable generative model. In this paper, we consider facial expressions which lie on a one dimensional closed manifold, i.e., start from some configuration and coming back to the same configuration, while there are other sources of variability such as different classes of expression, and different people, etc., all of which are needed to be parameterized. The learned model supports tasks such as facial expression recognition, person identification, and synthesis. We aim to learn a generative model that can generate different dynamic facial appearances for different people and for different expressions. Given a single image or a sequence of images, we can use the model to solve for the temporal embedding, expression type and person identification parameters. As a result we can directly infer intensity of facial expression, expression type, and person identity from the visual input. The model can successfully be used to recognize expressions performed by different people never seen during training. We show experiment results for applying the framework for simultaneous face and facial expression recognition. Sub-categories: 1.1 Novel algorithms, 1.6 Others: modeling facial expression.
Immunological Properties of Micrococcus lysodeikticus Membranes

Membranes of Micrococcus lysodeikticus possess antigens which are distinct from other cellular components such as cytoplasm, ribosomes, and cell walls. Only a few (two to three) components are found when dissociated membranes are examined by immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis techniques. Membranes treated with 0.3% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 0.3% Triton X-100, trypsin, phospholipase A or C, or by sonic oscillation at pH 9.0, all showed the same pattern (three major bands) when examined against membrane antisera by immunoelectrophoresis. Immunological analysis of fractions isolated by sucrose gradient centrifugation or by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggests that individual components cross-react. Antibodies to adenosine triphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.3) and fast-moving component are not removed by absorption with protoplasts. Removal of antibody to one of the membrane antigens by protoplast absorption indicated a surface location. Glutaraldehyde fixation of protoplasts resulted in the loss of membrane antigens detectable by immunodiffusion.
The analytical determination of strontium-90 in foods

The interest in analytical methods for the determination of strontium-90 in foods can be attributed to the recognition of its presence in the food chain as a possible dietary hazard to man. Five criteria are generally cited to evaluate a radioactive contaminant as a possible dietary hazard.
Abu Ghraib and the Normalization of Torture and Hate

The soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison showed little mercy when torturing Iraqi prisoners. Testimonies and interviews by soldiers and victims reveal that what the world saw at Abu Ghraib was preceded by actions that normalized torture in American culture and constructed a demonized Arab "other." Why did the military personnel and contractors do what they did? Explanations based on Milgram's shock experiments, the Stanford prison experiment, and the culpability of senior personnel are considered. While the soldiers were accountable for their actions, it is concluded that they may have been overwhelmed by a sense that torture was acceptable and their victims were superfluous demons.
Breakdown of the linear approximation to the Boltzmann transport equation in quasi-one-dimensional semiconductors.

We investigate the validity of the linear approximation to the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) in a one-dimensional quantum-wire structure. We model a single-subband wire at 300 K with polar optic-phonon scattering. The results of the linearized BTE calculation are analyzed for consistency and compared to the results of a Monte Carlo simulation. The linear approximation is found to be inconsisent for fields as low as 50 V/cm for two different confinement conditions. The Monte Carlo results predict a large deviation from a Maxwellian distribution for even lower fields. We attribute this breakdown to the low scattering rate below the phonon emission threshold and the lack of angular randomization in one-dimensional systems.
Effects of consecutive, contrasting, winters on the bird population of an Anglesey pine plantation

(1966). Effects of consecutive, contrasting, winters on the bird population of an Anglesey pine plantation. Bird Study: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 77-83.
Excitation of Limulus photoreceptors by hydrolysis-resistant analogs of cGMP and cAMP.

Abstract cGMP was proposed to be the agent which directly opens the light-sensitive channel in Limulus ventral photoreceptors. However, the light-sensitive rhabdomeral-lobe (R-lobe) is not uniformly responsive to cGMP injection; that is, there are ‘hot spots’ of sensitivity. A potent phosphodiesterase which rapidly hydrolyses cGMP was suggested to explain the existence of these ‘hot spots’. To test this idea we injected ventral photoreceptors with hydrolysis-resistant cyclic nucleotide analogues. Whereas there can be a lack of a response to cGMP injection into the R-lobe, we find a reproducible depolarization upon R-lobe injection of hydrolysis-resistant cGMP analogues. Furthermore, the depolarization resulting from the injection of cGMP analogues does not require a rise in intracellular Ca 2+ , as it is not blocked by the Ca 2+ buffer, BAPTA. Surprisingly, R-lobe injection of a hydrolysis-resistant cAMP analogue also depolarized ventral photoreceptors. Further work will be needed to resolve the role of cGMP in Limulus visual transduction.
Ocean‐basin scale inversion of reverberation data.

A technique for imaging large areas of the ocean floor by globally inverting reverberation data is under development. We simultaneously invert beamformed data measured at a variety of towed-array locations and orientations. By optimal use of the data we produce a high resolution scattering strength image of the ocean bottom. Inherent to this global inversion is the removal of the “right-left ambiguity” of the beamformed data. The method has been successfully tested with synthetic data for a simple scattering model. It is being developed further to analyze bottom reverberation data acquired during the Office of Naval Research/Special Research Project Acoustic Reconnaissance Cruise.
Ultrasound-guided miduterine cavity embryo transfer is associated with a decreased incidence of retained embryos in the transfer catheter

After initiating a policy of ultrasound-guided miduterine cavity embryo transfer (ET) on August 1, 2001, the incidence of retained embryos in the transfer catheter declined significantly from 4.2% (46 of 1,101 ETs) during the time interval January 1, 2000 to July 31, 2001, to 0.7% (6 of 908 ETs) during the time interval August 1, 2001 to December 31, 2002. Blood on the transfer catheter (38% vs. 19%) occurred with significantly greater frequency at ET in which embryos were retained; ETs of ≥4 embryos were more likely to be associated with retained embryos than ETs of
RECOGNITION OF RANDOM TACTUAL SHAPES FOLLOWING PREDIFFERENTIATION TRAINING

The present experiment was designed to study tactual shape recognition following various types of stimulus predifferentiation training. Previous investigations using paired-associate learning as the predifferentiation task (Arnoult, 1953; Campbell & Freeman, 1955; Robinson, 1955) have failed to demonstrate any facilitative effects of this kind of training on subsequent recognition or discrimination of stimuli over and above the effects of predifferentiation involving observation training. These results appear contrary to those expected by Miller and Dollard (1941) and Goss (1955) concerning the mechanism of acquired distinctiveness of cues, positions which contend that addition of response-produced cues to stimuli leads to increased distinctiveness of these stimuli. The present study was similar to that of Robinson (1955) and was designed as a test of the hypothesis of acquired distincciveness and acquired equivalence of cues using tactual rather than the usual visual stimuli.
A skin cancer education initiative at a professional baseball game and results of a skin cancer survey

Background It is important to develop an understanding of what the public knows about skin cancer and what sun safety precautions they are taking. Research on the evaluation of skin cancer education targeting adults is minimal. Aim To assess the knowledge and behavior related to skin cancer and sun exposure, and to determine if an informal interaction between dermatologists and the public could promote skin cancer awareness and precautions. Methods In May 2000, a dermatologist-staffed educational booth was set up at an Indianapolis Indians baseball game. Attendees were educated through discussions and handouts. Attendees completed a self-administered questionnaire prior to this interaction and a mailed follow-up questionnaire in August 2000. Results One hundred and thirty-six attendees participated in May, and 60 completed the second questionnaire in August. The May results revealed that 92% believed that sun exposure caused skin cancer; 37% used sunscreens “sometimes” and 29%“never.” There was a significant decrease in the number of hours spent outdoors per week during the summer of 2000 compared to 1999. Conclusions Frequent and unprotected sun exposure occurs despite awareness of the adverse effects. Although the number of subjects in our study was small, informal education at public events has the potential to influence behavior.
Do negative or positive emotions differentially impact mortality after adult stem cell transplant

Multiple diverse biomedical variables have been shown to affect outcome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Whether psychosocial variables should be added to the list is controversial. Some empirical reports have fueled skepticism about the relationship between behavioral variables and HSCT survival. Most of these reports have methodological shortcomings. Their samples were small in size and included heterogeneous patient populations with different malignant disease and disease stages. Most data analyses did not control adequately for biomedical factors using multivariate analyses. The pre-transplant evaluations differed from study to study, making cross-study generalizations difficult. Nevertheless, a few recently published studies challenge this skepticism, and provide evidence for deleterious effects of depressive symptomatology on HSCT outcome. This mini review integrates the new data with previously reviewed data, focusing on the differential impact of negative and positive emotional profiles on survival. Pre-transplant negative emotional profiles are associated with worse survival in the long term, whereas pre-transplant optimism about transplant appears to affect survival in the short term. These data have practical implications for transplant teams. Pre-transplant psychological evaluation should assess for specific adverse behavioral risk factors, particularly higher levels of depression and lower levels of optimistic expectations about transplant. Transplant centers should develop collaborative studies to further test the effects of these adverse behavioral risk factors, and run multicenter hypothesis-driven clinical trials of psychological intervention protocols. Such studies should aim to better define pragmatics of assessment and intervention (timing, assessment tools, personnel), and evaluate their contribution to improving outcome after transplant.
Letters to a tenured historian: imagining history as creative nonfiction – or maybe even poetry

After the most recent round of earthquakes, mudslides, and fires, when Southern California was finally abandoned, many of the collections of the Huntington Library were brought to the ever-expanding Capital Archive here in Winnipeg. A friend in the Manuscripts Division called our attention to a particular file labeled ‘Historiography: Correspondence’ – donated anonymously but compiled, we think, by a professional historian of an earlier time (textual evidence dates the materials to 2008 or 2009, just before the end of the paper era). The strange thing about one set of ‘letters’ in the file is that they are printed continuously, on plain paper (rather than letterhead), as if meant to be taken together and read like an essay. We here at the Journal, as we flipped through these moldering leaves, felt somewhat frustrated at not being able to see the other half of the dialogue – if the letters are anything, they are one-sided, as it were, though whoever printed them used double-sided printing – but then we rea...
How does war shock the economy

Abstract Wartime periods have frequently been treated as natural macroeconomic experiments, but the international pooled time series evidence presented here shows that the literature has over-emphasized the experience of the United States and the United Kingdom. Wars fought exclusively on foreign soil do have marginally higher real output growth than peacetime periods, but real growth during all other wars is sharply below peacetime levels. Evidence for foreign and domestic wars is consistent with monetarist, fiscalist, and mixed theories of wartime booms.
NONHYPEROXIC RETROLENTAL FIBROPLASIA

Retrolental fibroplasia has traditionally required the combination of prematurity and exposure to high ambient oxygen concentrations. However, cases of RLF in stillborn infants as well as an infant near term never given supplimental oxygen have been reported. Two recent papers have emphasized an increased incidence of RLF in populations of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome who received exchange transfusions. This report describes two infants near term who received exchange transfusions for hyperbilirubinemia and subsequently developed severe RLF in the absence of environmental hyperoxia and clinical respiratory distress. The case histories, clinical courses and retinal photographs will be presented. The possible etiologic role of the shift of oxygen-hemoglobin affinity caused by transfusions with adult erythrocytes with increased oxygen availability to the retinal vessels and tissues will be discussed. The medical and legal implications of our cases and the recent reports are many. For one, the levels of oxygen considered safe for neonates receiving exchange transfusion nay have to be re-evaluated. Secondly, serial thorough ophthalmologic evaluations in any neonate receiving adult erythrocytes by exchange transfusion or multiple transfusion replacement is crucial. Finally, the traditional relationship of hyperoxia and RLF must be expanded and re-evaluated to include other parameters like the hematologic status of the neonate and should include appreciation that this may be a phenomenon independent of environmental hyperoxia.
The frequency of palatal anomalies in Saethre-Chotzen syndrome.

Abstract Objective: Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome (SCS) is an autosomal dominant disorder with widespread phenotypic variability. Cardinal features include coronal synostosis, blepharoptosis, and limb abnormalities. Cleft palate can also occur, but there are few reports on its frequency. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of palatal anomalies in this population. Design: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 51 patients with SCS seen at Children's Hospital Boston over the past 30 years. Palatal findings in our patients were compared with those in the literature. To illustrate the phenotypic variability in SCS, we describe an unusual infant who presented for evaluation of cleft palate and blepharoptosis. Her father had only blepharoptosis; this was the clue to the diagnosis, which was confirmed by finding a deletion in the TWIST gene. Results: In our patients, high-arched palate was noted in 43%, bifid uvula in 10%, and cleft palate in 6%. These figures differed slightly from the combined...
No Pain, No Gain: Bordering the Hungry New World Order:

The late-modern discourses of female slenderness and free-market reform share striking rhetorical similarities. Furthermore, their corporeal effects are quite similar. The historical coincidence of their deployment is no accident; rather, they represent two gestures of a (re)figured late-modern hegemonic practice that feeds, ultimately, on hunger. By juxtaposing and critically interrogating these two discursive practices, it is apparent that a familiar binary opposition—thin/fat—was substituted for an unfamiliar pair—adjusted/unadjusted. This discursive swap drew upon a long history of filtering between bodies and economies, and acted to naturalize a new disciplinary phase in late modernity. This phase is unsurprisingly profoundly gendered. It is also spatialized via connection with another binary chain: First World/Third World, North/South, West/East, developed/underdeveloped, here/there. However, the relationship of these two binary chains is contradictory, and this has given rise to a contestation of p...