cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foundations of morality in Iran

Abstract Most moral psychology research has been conducted in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies. As such, moral judgment, as a psychological phenomenon, might be known to researchers only by its WEIRD manifestations. Here, we start with evaluating Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) using the Moral Foundations Questionnaire, and follow up by building a bottom-up model of moral values, in Iran, a non-WEIRD, Muslim-majority, understudied cultural setting. In six studies (N = 1945) we examine the structural validity of the Persian translation of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire, compare moral foundations between Iran and the US, conduct qualitative interviews regarding moral values, expand the nomological network of “Qeirat” as a culture-specific set of moral values, and investigate the pragmatic validity of “Qeirat” in Iranian culture. Our findings suggest an additional moral foundation in Iran, above and beyond the five foundations identified by MFT. Specifically, qualitative studies highlighted the role of “Qeirat” values in Iranian culture, which are comprised of guarding and protectiveness of female kin, romantic partners, broader family, and country. Significant cultural differences in moral values are argued in this work to follow from the psychological systems that, when brought to interact with particular socio-ecological environments, produce different moral structures. This evolutionarily-informed, cross-cultural, mixed-methods research sheds light on moral concerns and their cultural, demographic, and individual-difference correlates in Iran.
Abstract S11-02: Factors associated with developing COVID-19 among cancer patients in New York City

Importance: Given concerns that cancer patients may be at increased risk of COVID-19 and may have more severe complications if infected, there have been profound changes to routine cancer care. We aimed to identify risk factors for developing COVID-19 among cancer patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of cancer patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 1, 2020 and June 6, 2020 at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH)/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) in New York City. During this time period, all hospitalized patients (starting April 4, 2020) and all symptomatic cancer patients seen in the outpatient clinics were tested for COVID-19. Our primary outcome of interest was COVID-19 test results, defined as positive (SARS-CoV-2 detected on at least one test) or negative (not detected on any COVID-19 tests). Clinical data extraction included: age, sex, race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian, other, unknown), body mass index (BMI), smoking status, time since cancer diagnosis, cancer type, current cancer status, most recent cancer treatment type within the past year, time since last cancer treatment prior to COVID-19 testing, and infusion center visit within the past year. Chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine the association between demographic, clinical, tumor and treatment-related factors and COVID-19 test results while controlling for covariates. Results: A total of 1,174 cancer patients were tested for COVID-19 with 317 (27%) patients testing positive. Demographic characteristics of the study population included a median age of 67 years (range, 1-103), 55.1% female, and 35.7% non-Hispanic white, 32.5% Hispanic, 15.2% non-Hispanic black, and 4.0% Asian. About 27.2% had a recent cancer diagnosis, 56.7% had active disease, and 56.7% were on active cancer treatment within the past year. In multivariable analysis, older age and higher BMI were associated with COVID-19. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, black and Hispanic cancer patients were more likely to test positive for COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR]=2.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.44-3.40 and OR=2.71, 95% CI=1.91-3.83, respectively). A recent cancer diagnosis, active disease, and active cancer treatment were not associated with COVID-19. Compared to cancer patients not on active treatment, those receiving chemotherapy were less likely to develop COVID-19 (OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.44-0.95). We observed excess deaths among cancer patients who tested positive vs. negative for COVID-19 (28.4% vs. 8.3%, p Citation Format: Monica F. Chen, Monica T. Coronel, Samuel Pan, Arreum Kim, Jessica Hawley, Gary Schwartz, Katherine Crew. Factors associated with developing COVID-19 among cancer patients in New York City [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2021 Feb 3-5. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(6_Suppl):Abstract nr S11-02.
Loss of basigin expression in uterine cells leads to subfertility in female mice

Basigin (BSG) is a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling. BSG has been shown to be essential for male and female reproduction although little is known about its role in normal uterine function. To study the potential function of BSG in the female reproductive tract, we generated mice with conditional knockout of Bsg in uterine cells using progesterone receptor-Cre and hypothesized that BSG is required for normal pregnancy in mice. Fertility study data showed that the conditional knockout mice had significantly reduced fertility compared to controls. Ovarian function of the conditional knockout mice appeared normal with no difference in the number of superovulated oocytes collected or in serum progesterone levels between the conditional knockout and the control mice. Uterine tissues collected at various times of gestation showed increased abnormalities in implantation, decidualization, placentation, and parturition in the conditional knockout mice. Uterine cross sections on Day 5 of pregnancy showed implantation failure and abnormal uterine epithelial differentiation in a large proportion of the conditional knockout mice. There was a compromised decidual response to artificial decidualization stimuli and decreased mRNA and protein levels for decidualization genes in the uteri of the conditional knockout mice. We also observed altered protein expression of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), as well as impaired angiogenesis in the conditional knockout uteri compared to the controls. These results support that BSG is required for successful pregnancy through its functions in implantation and decidualization. Summary sentence Loss of Bsg expression in the uterus leads to subfertility in mice due to impaired implantation and decidualization. Graphical Abstract
Unique Doppler pattern of “obstruction alternans” of a St Jude prosthetic mitral valve

Abstract We present a case of a patient who was pregnant and had symptomatic, intermittent obstruction of her St Jude mitral prosthesis showing a very unique Doppler flow pattern suggesting impaired disk movement with every other cardiac cycle. Mechanism of this "obstruction alternans" is discussed.
Race and the digital face: Facial (mis)recognition in Gemini Man:

Ang Lee’s 2019 film Gemini Man features the most realistic digital human to grace the cinematic screen, specifically a computer-generated version of young Will Smith who battles his more aged self ...
Who gets treated for influenza: A surveillance study from the US Food and Drug Administration's Sentinel System.

Objective We describe the baseline characteristics and complications of individuals with influenza in the US FDA's Sentinel System by antiviral treatment timing. Design Retrospective cohort design. Patients Individuals aged ≥6 months with outpatient diagnoses of influenza in June 2014-July 2017, 3 influenza seasons. Methods We identified the comorbidities, vaccination history, influenza testing, and outpatient antiviral dispensings of individuals with influenza using administrative claims data from 13 data partners including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, integrated delivery systems, and commercial health plans. We assessed complications within 30 days: hospitalization, oxygen use, mechanical ventilation, critical care, ECMO, and death. Results There were 1,090,333 influenza diagnoses in 2014-2015; 1,005,240 in 2016-2017; and 578,548 in 2017-2018. Between 49% and 55% of patients were dispensed outpatient treatment within 5 days. In all periods >80% of treated individuals received treatment on the day of diagnosis. Those treated on days 1-5 after diagnosis had higher prevalences of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and obesity compared to those treated on the day of diagnosis or not treated at all. They also had higher rates of hospitalization, oxygen use, and critical care. In 2014-2015, among those aged ≥65 years, the rates of hospitalization were 45 per 1,000 diagnoses among those treated on day 0; 74 per 1,000 among those treated on days 1-5; and 50 per 1,000 among those who were untreated. Conclusions In a large, national analysis, approximately half of people diagnosed with influenza in the outpatient setting were treated with antiviral medications. Delays in outpatient dispensed treatment were associated with higher prevalence of comorbidities and higher rates of complication.
Vitamin D Status and Severe COVID-19 Disease Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients.

Background:Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 disease.Objectives:To determine if 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 were associate...
SIMOX material technology from R&D to advanced products

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based devices and circuits increase chip speed, lower voltage operation and enhance resistance to cosmic ray induced “soft error” events. Advanced CMOS logic and memory applications require ultra-thin SOI, with Si layers of less than 1000 Å. The most direct and powerful method to form cost efficient SOI is by separation of implanted oxygen (SIMOX). This method utilises O+ implantation into a heated Si substrate (>200°C) at doses >2×1017 cm-2 followed by high temperature annealing (above 1300°C), to form a buried SiO2 layer. Recent advances in improving SIMOX quality by the modified low-dose process (MLD) will be described. It is shown that the quality of the modern MLD SIMOX is comparable to that of bonded SOI. Functional products including microprocessors, SRAM memories and high frequency RF circuits utilising IBM's 0.18 μm and 0.13 μm CMOS technologies show equivalent yield on both bonded SOI and MLD SIMOX.
Migrating enterprise storage to SSDs: analysis of tradeoffs

Recently, flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs) have becom e standard options for laptop and desktop storage, but their impact on enterprises has not been studied. Provisioning enterprise storage is challenging. It requires optimizing for the performance, capacity, power and reliability needs of the expected workload, all while minimizing financial costs. This paper, through analysis of a number of enterprise workloads, provides insights as to when, and how, SSDs should be incorporated into the enterprise storage hierarc hy. We describe an automated tool that, given device models and a block-level trace of a workload, determines the least-cost storage configuration. It analyzes the factors that drive th e configuration choice, and computes the price points at which different SSD-based solutions will become cost-effective. Our optimization framework is flexible and can be used to design a range of storage hierarchies. When applied to current workloads and prices we find the following in a nutshell: for many enterprise workloads capacity dominates provisioning costs and the current per-gigabyte price of SSDs is between a factor of 3 and 3000 times higher than needed to be cost-effective for full replacement. We find that SSDs can provide some benefit as an intermediate tier for caching and write-ahead logging in a hybrid disk-SSD configuration. Surprisingly, the power savings achieved by SSDs are comparable to power savings from using low-power SATA disks.
Internet Use and the Building of Social Capital for Development: A Network Perspective

Guided by the Capability Approach, this study highlights the importance of assessing development in terms of people’s engagement in activities they want to do. It moves beyond the emphasis on economic growth and access to new technologies. Situated in the context of Internet use, this study examines how civil society associations and existing bonding and bridging social ties are related to an individual’s capability to use the Internet for information seeking, economic transactions, political participation, learning, and entertainment. Drawing from the network perspective of social capital, this study proves the importance of social networks in affecting an individual’s capability of using the Internet for specific purposes. The article contributes to the growing literature on the links between ICTs and development. It also highlights the social factors of technology use, providing implications on how to promote Internet use in developing communities.
Average Infiltration Rates in Residences: Comparison of Electric and Combustion Heating Systems

Research and test results presenting measurements of air infiltration rates in residences are reviewed. In particular, comparison of electric and combustion heating shows (on the average) infiltration rates to be 0.1 to 0.25 higher for residences with combustion heating.
Emotional Intelligence, Individual Ethicality, and Perceptions that Unethical Behavior Facilitates Success

Los resultados de este estudio (N = 198) sugieren que la inteligencia emocional es un predictor significativo de la eticidad individual, la percepcion de la condicion etica de los demas y la percepcion de que el comportamiento no etico facilita el exito. Especialmente, la inteligencia emocional muestra varianza anadida en la percepcion de la condicion etica de los demas, sobre la explicada por la eticidad individual. La relacion entre la inteligencia emocional y la percepcion de que el comportamiento no etico facilita el exito esta totalmente mediada por la autoestima. Los resultados sugieren que los trabajadores emocionalmente inteligentes, frente a los bajos en inteligencia emocional, son mas expertos en la interpretacion de la eticidad de las acciones de los demas y potencialmente menos propensos a participar en las acciones poco eticas. Se discuten las implicaciones para la investigacion y la practica
Interaction between vestibulosympathetic and skeletal muscle reflexes on sympathetic activity in humans

Evidence from animals indicates that skeletal muscle afferents activate the vestibular nuclei and that both vestibular and skeletal muscle afferents have inputs to the ventrolateral medulla. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interaction between the vestibulosympathetic and skeletal muscle reflexes on muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and arterial pressure in humans. MSNA, arterial pressure, and heart rate were measured in 17 healthy subjects in the prone position during three experimental trials. The three trials were 2 min of 1) head-down rotation (HDR) to engage the vestibulosympathetic reflex, 2) isometric handgrip (IHG) at 30% maximal voluntary contraction to activate skeletal muscle afferents, and 3) HDR and IHG performed simultaneously. The order of the three trials was randomized. HDR and IHG performed alone increased total MSNA by 46 +/- 16 and 77 +/- 24 units, respectively (P < 0.01). During the HDR plus IHG trial, MSNA increased 142 +/- 38 units (P < 0.01). This increase was not significantly different from the sum of the individual trials (130 +/- 41 units). This finding was also observed with mean arterial pressure (sum = 21 +/- 2 mmHg and HDR + IHG = 22 +/- 2 mmHg). These findings suggest that there is an additive interaction for MSNA and arterial pressure when the vestibulosympathetic and skeletal muscle reflexes are engaged simultaneously in humans. Therefore, no central modulation exists between these two reflexes with regard to MSNA output in humans.
Appetite-Suppressing Effects of Urocortin, a CRF-Related Neuropeptide

The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is well known to act on the central nervous system in ways that mimic stress and result in decreases in exploration, increases in sympathetic activity, decreases in parasympathetic outflow, and decreases in appetitive behavior. Urocortin, a neuropeptide related to CRF, binds with high affinity to the CRF2 receptor, is more potent than CRF in suppressing appetite, but is less potent than CRF in producing anxiety-like effects and activation. Doses as low as 10 nanograms injected intracerebroventricularly were effective in decreasing food intake in food-deprived and free-feeding rats. These results suggest that urocortin may be an endogenous CRF-like factor in the brain responsible for the effects of stress on appetite.
COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF ANALYTICAL AND INTUITIVE DECISION MAKING

This paper examines a technique for evaluating the differences in value among rank-ordered alternatives using both analytical and intuitive decision making. This technique was applied to the ranking of alternative disinfection methods for both a water and wastewater plant. The paper further provides a framework for analyzing and reconciling the differences between analytical and intuitive decision models. Neither exists in a strictly mathematical closed form, so it is important to investigate both to understand where the differences in alternative recommendations reside. A framework such as the one presented here is key to unlocking the subjectivity inherent in and the difficulty surrounding value structure articulation.
Hydrocarbonߝair fuel cell systems

The fuel cell is basically an energy-conversion device in which chemical energy is isothermally converted into dc electricity. Several types of fuel cell systems have been developed, including the hydrogen-oxygen system used in certain space missions, but many of them employ fuels that are expensive and not readily available. Considerable research and development work is being done on hydrocarbon-air systems, which use air and "real-world" fuels. In the direct-oxidation cells, the hydrocarbon fuel is oxidized directly at the fuel electrode. Because of reaction problems at the electrode, these cells are still in their early stages of development. In the indirect-oxidation cells, now in the systems engineering development stage, the hydrocarbon fuel is converted into an impure hydrogen, which may then be purified to a certain degree and injected into the fuel cell modules. Initial applications will probably be in the military, because of the fuel flexibility and ease of maintenance inherent in these fuel cell systems.
SU-GG-I-13: CBCT Total Variation Based Image Reconstruction from Limited Projections

PURPOSE: Cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) is commonly used for image‐guided external beam radiation therapy. There is interest and motivation to use a limited number of acquired projections to reconstruct the CBCT in order to reduce patient imagingdose; however, under these conditions filtered back projection (FBP) techniques typically used in CBCTreconstruction produce low quality CBCTimages. We propose to examine the application of a novel iterative reconstruction technique using total variation minimization for this problem. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A previously proposed adaptive steepest descent — projection onto convex set algorithm was modified with an ordered subset convex algorithm replacing the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique in the POCS step (ASD‐POCS‐OSC). ASD‐POCS‐OSC was used to reconstruct 60 projections of an anthropomorphic phantom uniformly spaced over 360 degrees to an image space of 512 × 512 × 200. Projections were acquired with an Elekta XVICBCTimagingsystem using the medium field of view with an offset detector panel. Reconstruction results were compared to imagesreconstructed with FBP for several image metrics. RESULTS: After one iteration the ASD‐POCS‐OSC images show improved edge definition, higher contrast‐to‐noise ratios, and decreased artifacts compared to the FBP reconstructed images. ASD‐POCS‐OSC reconstruction requires an increased computational burden and reconstruction time compared to FBP. CONCLUSION: Iterative reconstruction algorithms, such as ASD‐POCS‐OSC, yield reconstructed images with improved image quality compared to FBP algorithms. Iterative algorithms optimized for speed and performance may allow for the use of limited projection CBCTs to be used for patient setup on current clinical imaging devices. Supported in part by NCI T‐32 CA113267.
Measurement of the elastic properties of polymer melts

A method and apparatus for measuring the elastic and other properties of polymers in the melt state is presented. The recoverable strain magnitude and the rate of strain recovery have been measured as a function of: applied shear rate, applied shear magnitude, temperature and molecular weight. The elastic properties indicate that there is an abrupt change or “transition” in the response of polystyrene melts at temperatures well above the glass transition. This abrupt change is found to be molecular weight dependent. The results are interpreted qualitatively in terms of molecular structure and practical processing operations. The possible relationship of this “transition” to Tu, is briefly discussed.
Optimal algorithms for a problem of optimal control

Abstract This paper deals with optimal algorithms for the approximate solution of a problem of optimal control. The control problem in question is the minimization of a quadratic energy functional, which is equivalent to the solution of a mildly nonlinear two-point second-order elliptic boundary-value problem. The only restriction on the algorithms considered is that they can use only a finite amount of information about the problem element f appearing in the definition of the energy functional. An algorithm having error ϵ is said to be optimal if its cost is minimal among all algorithms that solve the problem to within ϵ. We first suppose that the information available about f consists of a finite set of linear functionals of f, that is, we allow arbitrary linear information. We then show that there is a finite element method (whose degree depends on the smoothness of f) which is an optimal algorithm for the optimal control problem. Note that this finite element method requires the evaluation of the inner products of f with finite element basis functions. These inner products are not usually available in practice; often, only “standard information” is available (meaning that we can evaluate f at a finite set of points). So, we next consider the case where the only information that is available is standard information. We then find that there is a “finite element method with quadrature” which is an optimal algorithm among all algorithms using this standard information. Moreover, we find that standard information is weaker than inner-product information. The asymptotic penalty for using standard information instead of inner-product information is unbounded as ϵ tends to 0.
Neurologic characteristics of childhood lupus erythematosus

Records of 108 patients with lupus erythematosus beginning in childhood (1953-1990) were reviewed; 25 had recorded neurologic findings. This is the largest group of childhood lupus erythematosus patients with neurologic disease that has been reported. The average age of children at the time of diagnosis of lupus was 154 months. There were 22 girls and 3 boys in the group. All patients met at least four of the 1982 American Rheumatism Association criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Average age at onset of neurologic difficulties was 168 months. In 4 patients, the neurologic symptoms preceded the diagnosis: 1 month (spastic diplegia), 1 month (bilateral weakness and spasticity), 24 months (chorea), and 26 months (chorea), respectively. Four patients had neurologic symptoms coincident with the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus. In those patients whose symptoms followed the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus, the average elapsed time until symptoms appeared was 33 months; the single lowest and highest outliers were discounted. Most frequent findings were headache (16/25) and behavioral aberrations (10/25). All behavioral manifestations were depression except in 1 patient. Other prevalent findings included hemichorea or chorea (7/25), cerebrovascular accident with hemiplegia or diplegia (7/25), seizures (5/25), visual loss (3/25), and cranial neuropathy (2/25). Vertigo and myelopathy occurred in 1 patient each. All patients were treated primarily with corticosteroids and azathioprine; in the presence of active disease, the drug dosages were increased with significant improvement in neurologic symptoms. Resolution usually occurred from days to months; most improved in a few days to a few weeks; 3-4 months was the longest period until symptoms subsided.
Finding a “home” beyond culture: The emergence of intercultural personhood in the globalizing world

Abstract This theoretical essay presents intercultural identity development and the emerging intercultural personhood as an adaptive response to the increasing interface of differing cultural traditions. Based on the integrative theory of cross-cultural adaptation ( Kim, 1988 , Kim, 2001 , Kim, 2005 ), extensive and prolonged intercultural communication experiences are explained to render a gradual psychological evolution from a largely mono-cultural to an increasingly “intercultural” way of relating to oneself and others. Underpinning this internal transformation are two interrelated processes of individuation and universalization in identity orientation, by which conventional, ascription-based cultural identity plays a diminishing role in a person's daily existence. Samples of direct and indirect research evidence supporting the present theoretical claim are provided from studies of immigrants and sojourners, along with three individuals’ personal narratives offering a concrete insight into the reality explained by the theory. The essay ends with an examination of intercultural personhood as a constructive way of engaging oneself in the globalizing world and as ultimately a matter of choice for those intercultural communicators who are open to the possibility of being changed by the experiences of new cultural learning.
Synthesis of the gB and gC glycoproteins of herpes simplex virus type 1 in the absence of viral DNA synthesis

Abstract Using an inhibitor of DNA synthesis as well as a temperature-sensitive (ts), DNA negative mutant of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), we have examined the role of viral DNA synthesis on the expression of the virus-specific glycoproteins. Analysis by immunoblotting employing monospecific antisera revealed that only gC glycoprotein synthesis was completely inhibited in the absence of viral DNA synthesis. In contrast, the gB glycoprotein was detectable in significant, albeit somewhat reduced, amounts. These data suggest that gC is a ‘true-late’ protein of HSV-1 while gB is not. In addition, temperature shift-up experiments with the ts mutant (tsA1) suggest that some viral gene product(s) is needed continuously to achieve wild-type levels of gC synthesis.
An assessment of the exposure of Americans to perfluorooctane sulfonate: a comparison of estimated intake with values inferred from NHANES data.

To better understand human exposure to perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), a model that assesses exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and its precursors from both an intake and a body burden perspective and combines the two with a simple pharmacokinetic (PK) model is demonstrated. Exposure pathways were modeled under “typical” and “contaminated” scenarios, for young children and adults. A range of intakes was also estimated from serum concentrations of PFOS reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) using a first-order 1-compartment PK model. Total PFOS intakes (medians summed over all pathways) were estimated as: 160 and 2200 ng/day for adults and 50 and 640 ng/day for children under typical and contaminated scenarios, respectively. Food ingestion appears to be the primary route of exposure in the general population. For children, the contribution from dust ingestion is nearly as great as from food ingestion. Pathway-specific contributions span several orders of magnitude and exhibit considerable overlap. PK modeling suggests central tendency PFOS intakes for adults range between 1.6 and 24.2 ng/kg-bw/day, and the forward-based intake estimates are within this range. The favorable comparison reported between the forward-modeled and the back-calculated range of intake predictions lends validity to the proposed framework.
An Elusive Blind-Thrust Fault Beneath Metropolitan Los Angeles

Seismic reflection profiles, petroleum wells, and relocated earthquakes reveal the presence of an active blind-thrust fault beneath metropolitan Los Angeles. A segment of this fault likely caused the 1987 Whittier Narrows (magnitude 6.0) earthquake. Mapped sizes of other fault segments suggest that the system is capable of much larger (magnitude 6.5 to 7) and more destructive earthquakes.
Run-time compilation for parallel sparse matrix computations

Run-time compilation techniques have been shown effective for automating the parallelization of loops with unstructured indirect data accessing patterns. However, it is still an open problem to efficiently parallelize sparse matrix factorizations commonly used in iterative numerical problems. The difficulty is that a factorization process contains irregularly-interleaved communication and computation with varying granularities and it is hard to obtain scalable performance on distributed memory machines. In this paper, we present an inspector/executor approach for parallelizing such applications by embodying automatic graph scheduling techniques to optimize interleaved communication and computation. We describe a run-time system called RAPID that provides a set of library functions for specifying irregular data objects and tasks that access these objects. The system extracts a task dependence graph from data access patterns, and executes tasks efficiently on a distributed memory machine. We discuss a set of optimization strategies used in this system and demonstrate the application of this system in parallelizing sparse Cholesky and LU factorizations.
Active and inactive conformations of the epidermal growth factor receptor

The members of the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) family of RTKs (receptor tyrosine kinases), also known as the ErbB or HER family, have been implicated in many human cancers. Structural studies of the EGFR extracellular region (sEGFR) have led to the proposal of a novel mechanism for ligand-induced receptor dimerization. In this model EGF binding induces a dramatic conformational change in EGFR, exposing a dimerization site that is normally occluded in the inactivated conformation, and thus promoting the formation of an entirely receptor-mediated dimer. It is well established that antibodies against the extracellular region of EGFR that prevent ligand binding and/or receptor signalling can inhibit tumour growth in vivo . At least five such anti-EGFR antibodies are currently in clinical trials and one, C225/cetuximab (Erbitux™), was recently approved in the U.S. and Europe for use in advanced colorectal cancers. Recent structural studies of ErbB2 in complex with anti-ErbB2 antibodies (trastuzumab/Herceptin™ and pertuzumab/Omnitarg™) have provided significant insights into how these drugs function. There have been no such studies for similar EGFR-targeted drugs to date. The implications of this model for the possible mechanisms of antibody-mediated inhibition of EGFR are discussed.
Comparison of thermal properties predicted by interatomic potential models

We report melting points and other thermal properties of several semiconducting and metallic elements as they are modeled by different empirical interatomic potential models, including the Stillinger–Weber, the embedded-atom method, the Finnis–Sinclair and the modified-embedded-atom method. The state-of-the-art free energy methods are used to determine the melting points of these models within a very small error bar, so that they can be cross-compared with each other. The comparison reveals several systematic trends among elements with the same crystal structure. It identifies areas that require caution in the application of these models and suggests directions for their future improvement.
A Ceratocystis associated with an ambrosia beetle in Dendroctonus-killed pines.

Hirsch, H. M. 1954. Environmental factors influencing the differentiation of protoperithecia and their relation to tyrosinase and melanin formation in Neurospora crassa. Physiol. PI. (Copenhagen) 7: 72-97. Leonard, T. J. 1971. Phenoloxidase activity and fruiting body formation in Schisophyllum coZmmune. J. Bactcriol. 106: 162-167. . 1972. Phenoloxidase activity in mycelia carrying modifier mutations that affect sporocarp development in Schizophylluml coltmmune. J. Bacteriol. 111: 292-293. --, and L. E. Phillips. 1973. Study of phenoloxidase activity during the reproductive cycle in Schizophyllum commune. J. Bacteriol. 114: 7-10. Leslie, J. F. 1979. Genetic and physiologic aspects of monokaryotic fruiting in the basidiomycetous fungus Schisophylllm commune. Ph.D. thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. --, and T. J. Leonard. 1979. Three independent genetic systems that control initiation of a fungal fruiting body. Molec. Gen. Genet. 171: 257-260. Perkins, J. H., and J. R. Raper. 1970. Morphogenesis in Schizophyllum colmmune: III. A mutation that blocks initiation of fruiting. Molec. Ge. Genet. 106: 151-154. Phillips, L. E. 1974. Studies of phenoloxidase activity during development in Schizophyllum co01mmun7e. Ph.D. thesis, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. --, and T. J. Leonard. 1976a. Extracellular and intracellular phenoloxidase activity during growth and development in Schisophyllum. Mycologia 68: 268-276. --, and . 1976b. Benzidene as a substrate for measuring phenoloxidase activity in crude cell-free extracts of Schizophyllum commune. Mycologia 68: 277-285. Raper, J. R., and P. G. Miles. 1958. The genetics of Schizophyllum, . Genetics 43: 530-546.
A comparative study of the post-antifungal effect (PAFE) of amphotericin B, triazoles and echinocandins on Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans

Objectives: To study the post-antifungal effect (PAFE) of antifungal drugs on Aspergillus fumigatus by a radiometric assay and compare the results with those obtained for Candida albicans. Methods: A. fumigatus cultures pregrown for 48 h in 96-well microtitre plate were exposed to various con- centrations of the antifungal drug for 2 h. The drug-treated mycelia were washed, incubated in RPMI 1640 containing 14 C-labelled amino acids and the accumulation of radioactivity in the mycelia at different time intervals was determined. The PAFE was determined by plotting the amount of radioactivity associated with the mycelia against post-treatment incubation time. The PAFE of antifungal drug on C. albicans was exam- ined by determining the multiplication (cfu/mL) of drug-pretreated cells at different time intervals for 24 h in drug-free medium. Results: Amphotericin B produced a prolonged PAFE (7.5 ± 0.70 h) against A. fumigatus whereas itraconazole (0.5 ± 0.0 h), voriconazole (0.5 ± 0.0 h), posaconazole (0.75 ± 0.35 h), ravuconazole (0.38 ± 0.17 h) and the echinocandins caspofungin (≤0.5 h) and micafungin (≤0.5 h) produced short PAFE. Short exposure (1 h) of C. albicans to low concentrations (0.125-1 mg/L) of amphotericin B (5.3 ± 1.15 h), caspofungin (5.6 ± 0.57 h) and micafungin (5 ± 1.0 h) produced prolonged PAFE whereas the triazoles produced a short (≤0.5 h) PAFE. Conclusions: Determination of 14 C-labelled amino acid accumulation in antifungal drug-pretreated mycelia is a suitable method for studying PAFE in A. fumigatus. Antifungal drugs with fungicidal activity tend to possess longer PAFE compared to fungistatic drugs.
A Case of Post-Operative Intra-Abdominal Infection Caused by Corynebacterium Striatum

Corynebacterium striatum is an aerobic, Gram-positive bacillus that is part of the resident flora of skin and mucosal membranes. C. striatum is usually considered a non-pathogenic contaminant, although infective endocarditis and respiratory infection, and less frequently arthritis and meningitis, due to C. striatum have been reported. C. striatum has been particularly associated with catheter-related infections and infections following conditions that resulted in disruption of the skin barrier in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. We describe a case of post-operative intra-abdominal infection caused by the rare pathogen, C. striatum. (Korean J Med 2012;82:516-519)
Defect of the iodinating system in congenital goitrous cretinism: report of a case with biochemical studies.

ABSTRACT A study of a 15½-year-old male with goitrous cretinism is reported. The patient's thyroid gland concentrated I131 well but released the accumulated I131 following oral administration of thiocyanatc. Thyroid tissue obtained by thyroidectomy was homogenized and fractionated by differential ccntrifugation into 900×g and 40,000×g sediments. Each fraction was suspended in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer, pH 8.4, and incubated with I131 and iodide or I131, iodide and an H2O2-generating system. No monoiodotyrosine (MIT) was found on chromatograms of the enzymatically hydrolyzed incubation mixtures. Normal human thyroid tissue under the same conditions formed MIT, and the addition of an H2O2-generating system effected augmentation of MIT formation. Three possibilities are considered for the abnormal mechanism in the patient's thyroid gland: 1) an iodinase defect, 2) defective formation of “active” iodide, or 3) an abnormal receptor protein (thyroglobulin). The first possibility is favored in this case.
Transformation of Bromine Species During Decomposition of Bromate under UV Light from Low Pressure Mercury Vapor Lamps

Bromate decomposition with low pressure mercury vapor lamps (LPMVL) was studied in buffer-free and buffered Milli-Q water by following the fate of bromine species BrO3 −, Br−, and free bromine. BrO3 − was converted over time to Br− with total free bromine (TFBr) as secondary reaction product. BrO3 − decay followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and was independent of [BrO3 −]o (0.06–0.6 mM), pHo (6.9–9.5) and HCO3 − (0.05–1.0 mM), slightly dependent on acetate (0.06–0.27 mM), highly dependent on and adversely affected by humic acids (HA) and an increasing function of photon flux I as measured by potassium ferrioxalate actinometry. Reaction pH dropped by as much as 2.2 units at pHo ≤ 8.5 in the buffer-free experiments, while it remained within 0.5 unit at pHo > 9. TFBr decay due to exposure to LPMVL resulted in formation of Br− (major) and BrO3 − (minor). Decay of HA in the presence of BrO3 − was highly augmented by photon emission of LPMVL at 185 nm and was found to substantially contribute to BrO3 − decay i...
Normative analysis of pulmonary vein drainage patterns on multidetector CT with measurements of pulmonary vein ostial diameter and distance to first bifurcation.

Rationale and Objectives To document the frequency of normal and anomalous drainage patterns of the pulmonary veins, and to establish normal values for pulmonary vein ostial diameters, and distance to first bifurcation using multidetector computed tomography, as pertinent to ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation. Materials and Methods Two cardiothoracic radiologists retrospectively reviewed thin-section contrast material–enhanced multidetector computed tomography examinations of the thorax in 200 consecutive patients (38 females and 162 males), age 24–79 years (mean 52.8) referred for imaging before radiofrequency ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation. Pulmonary vein anatomy was based on both the number of venous ostia and the drainage patterns of pulmonary veins. Pulmonary vein ostial diameters and distance to first bifurcation of the four major pulmonary veins (right inferior and superior, left inferior and superior) and any additional pulmonary veins were measured at a workstation using both axial images and multiplanar reconstructions by two experienced cardiothoracic radiologists; the mean pulmonary vein diameter and the shortest distance to first bifurcation of the two measurements are reported. Results The majority of patients, 82% (164 patients) had four pulmonary veins, with a superior and inferior ostium on the right and a superior and inferior ostium on the left. Of the remainder, 9% (18 patients) had five veins, 4.5% (9 patients) had three veins, 3% (6 patients) had two anomalies each, and 0.5% (1 patient) had three anomalies. The middle lobe pulmonary vein drained into the right superior pulmonary vein in 83.5% of patients, directly into the left atrium in 11% of patients, and into the right inferior pulmonary vein in 5.5% of patients; 6.5% of patients had a single left pulmonary vein ostium. Mean pulmonary vein diameters with 95% confidence intervals at the ostia were as follows: right superior 17.6 (13.64–15.36) mm; left superior 16.6 (16.03–17.08) mm; right inferior 17.1 (16.58–17.55) mm; left inferior 14.8 (14.25–15.27) mm, and independent middle lobe 8.6 (8.27–8.86) mm. Mean distance to first bifurcation with 95% confidence intervals were: right superior 14.5 (17.02–18.23) mm; left superior 17.6 (16.63–18.53) mm; right inferior 7.0 (6.49–7.46) mm; left inferior 13.5 (12.83–14.16) mm, and independent middle lobe 8.4 (7.7–9.17) mm. Conclusion Thin-section thoracic computed tomography demonstrates a greater variability of pulmonary venous drainage than previously described. There is greater variability of the right lung venous drainage compared to the left lung. Eighty-two percent of people have four standard pulmonary veins. There is significant variability in pulmonary vein diameter and distance to first bifurcation.
EFFECT OF NONSOLVENT ADDITIVES ON THE PORE SIZE AND THE PORE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF AROMATIC POLYAMIDE RO MEMBRANES

Abstract In this paper discussions are made on the effect of nonsolvent swelling agents on the average pore size and pore size distributions at the surface of polyamide membranes which result from casting solutions involving above nonsolvent swelling agents. The size of the polymer aggregate in the film casting solution and the size of polymer network pores are correlated to physicochemical data of ions which constitute the electrolytes used as nonsolvent swelling agents. As such ionic properties the charge density and the free energy of transition of ions from polyamide phase to water phase were considered. The validity of the correlation is limited in a range of casting solution composition where the polymer concentration in the casting solution is close to the limiting concentration of polymer at the phase boundary and the molar ratio of the nonsolvent swelling agent to the amide group involved in the polyamide polymer is equal to or slightly more than 0.7.
Glutamate receptor subunits in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius and other regions of the medulla oblongata in the cat

The nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) is a primary termination zone for laryngeal, gustatory, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and other visceral afferents. Although considerable information is available on the neurochemical aspects of the NTS in general, very little is known about glutamate receptors that may underlie many of the different functions mediated by the NTS. In addition, most previous glutamate receptor distribution studies were performed in the rat, whereas the cat, the subject of many physiological experiments involving the NTS, has received little attention. In the present study, the immunohistochemical distribution of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA)-selective glutamate receptor subunits (GluR1, GluR2/3, GluR4) and the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit NR1 in the cat caudal brainstem was investigated by using subunit-specific antibodies. In the NTS, statistically significant differences were seen in the distribution of each antibody. Highest labeling was seen for GluR2/3 in most subnuclei, whereas GluR1-immunoreactive neurons were found more frequently than were NR1- or GluR4-immunoreactive neurons. GluR1 immunolabeling was particularly high in the interstitial subnucleus, whereas GluR2/3 immunolabeling was particularly high in the intermediate subnucleus. Qualitatively, labeling for GluR4 was most common in glia. The present results indicate that glutamate receptors show different subunit distributions in the subnuclei of the NTS and in other adjacent structures. This finding suggests that neurons in these structures are designed to respond differently to excitatory input.
Structure and assembly of the Escherichia coli transcription termination factor rho and its interactions with RNA. II. Physical chemical studies.

Abstract Transcription termination factor rho from Escherichia coli is comprised of a hexamer of identical protein monomers. Hydrodynamic and light-scattering studies have shown the fully assembled rho to be a doughnut-shaped structure. Semi-denaturing gels, protein crosslinking, and spectroscopic studies, as well as other functional and binding determinations have established that the rho hexamer displays D 3 symmetry (i.e. it exists as a trimer of dimers). In the accompanying paper we visualize rho directly in the absence of cofactor and show that binding of RNA it into the hexameric form. In this paper we examine the pathway and association constants involved in rho oligomer assembly. Sedimentation and fluorescence-detected size exclusion chromatography are used to demonstrate three steps in the assembly process. These steps can be differentiated by subunit association affinity and kinetic properties. The kinetics of the monomer-dimer equilibrium are fast and an apparent association constant of 1·3 × 10 6 m −1 is measured for this process. In contrast, the dimer-tetramer and tetramer-hexamer association processes appear to be slower (of the order of seconds) and to involve association constants that are smaller than that of the monomer-dimer reaction. This behavior is consistent with a hexamer of D 3 symmetry. Such a particle displays two kinds of subunit interactions; one associated with an intra-dimer A: A interface and the other with an inter-dimer B: B interface. The closure of the circular hexamer does not appear to contribute additional free energy to the assembly process. Fluorescence and sedimentation studies show the association steps to be sensitive to salt concentration. Consistent with earlier work, we find that assembly to the hexameric state is driven by RNA binding.
Shame and the idea of a central affect

(1999). Shame and the idea of a central affect. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Vol. 19, Is Shame the Central Affect of Disorders of the Self?, pp. 347-361.
CALIBRATION OF A LARGE NEUTRON COUNTER USING THE PION NUCLEON CHARGE EXCHANGE REACTION.

Abstract The efficiency of several large liquid scintillation counters for detection of 110 MeV neutrons has been measured in a tagged neutron beam utilizing the reaction π−+p→n+π0. These measured values have been combined with calculations based on known n-p and n-C scattering cross sections to obtain the neutron detection efficiency of these counters from 40 to 400 MeV.
Further examining the triangle tip: Improving support for students with emotional and behavioral needs

Students identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience the poorest educational outcomes among any disability group. Although models of intervention and corresponding evidence-based practices continue to advance, the promise of new approaches has failed to reach the general population of students with EBD. In this artice, we visit possible explanations for these continued poor outcomes. Breakdowns along several systems are discussed, including placement and related practices as well as the absence of individualized approaches. In addition, we offer suggestions for improvement. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.