cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generating trading agent strategies

My thesis work concerns the generation of trading agent strategies—automatically, semi-automatically, and manually. Automatic generation of an agent strategy means creating a system that can read the description of some mechanism (i.e., a game) and output a strategy for a participating agent—i.e., a mapping from percepts to actions in the environment defined by the mechanism. To make this more concrete, consider an extremely simple auction mechanism: a two-player first-price sealed-bid auction. This is a game in which two players each have one piece of private information—their valuations for the good being auctioned. Each agent also has a continuum of possible actions—its bid amount. The payoff to an agent is its valuation minus its bid, if its bid is highest, and zero otherwise. My current system can take such a game description and output the optimal strategy, i.e., the Nash equilibrium. (In this case, that strategy is to bid half of your valuation.) Existing game solvers (Gambit and Gala) can only solve games with an enumerated (finite) set of actions, and this limitation makes it impossible to even approximate (i.e., by discretizing) the solution to games with a continuum of actions because the size of the game tree quickly explodes. Of course, the optimal strategy for the first-price sealed-bid auction was computed before game solvers existed; however, my algorithm can automatically solve any of a class of games (with certain caveats) that current solvers can’t. In addition to this algorithm for exact solutions, I have an approximation algorithm using monte carlo simulation that can handle a more general class of games (e.g., arbitrary payoff functions and any number of players) albeit at high computational cost. Both of the above methods are only tractable for quite simple games. For example, almost any mechanism that involves iterated bidding and multiple auctions is likely not to be tractable for strictly game-theoretic analysis, regardless of whether exact or approximate solutions are sought. An example of such a mechanism that we are analyzing is a simultaneous ascending auction for scheduling resources among a group of agents. In this domain, every agent has certain preferences for acquiring time slots (say, for use of a resource in a factory) and simultaneous English auctions are held for every slot until bidding stops and the slots are allocated. Since this mechanism is too complicated for the fully
The intersection of online social networking with medical professionalism.

Aim To measure the frequency and content of online social networking among medical students and residents.
Nonperturbative method for treating square root operators in relativistic quantum theories

Numerical methods are developed for computing the discrete spectrum associated with a square root kinetic energy operator. These types of equations are encountered in relativistic quantum mechanical models. We reformulate the dynamical equation into an equivalent equation involving bounded operators. We strongly approximate these operators using matrix elements of operators that do not involve square roots. The method works in both momentum and configuration space. We test the method for a strong Coulomb interaction and for a quark-antiquark potential. We discuss relativistic corrections to the kinetic energy for systems of light quarks. copyright 1987 Academic Press, Inc.
Toxic effect of the combined antibiotics ciprofloxacin, lincomycin, and tylosin on two species of marine diatoms

The role that antibiotics and other "emerging contaminants" play in shaping environmental microbial communities is of growing interest. The use of the prokaryotic metabolic inhibitors tylosin (T), lincomycin (L), and ciprofloxacin (C) in livestock and humans is both global and extensive. Each of these antibiotic compounds exhibits an affinity for sediment particles, increasing the likelihood of their deposition in the benthos of aquatic systems and each are often present in environmental samples. The purpose of this study was to determine if T, L, and C and their mixtures exhibit significant toxicity to two species of marine diatoms, an algal class comprised of ubiquitous eukaryotic primary producers. Subpopulations from laboratory cultures of Cylindrotheca closterium and Navicula ramosissima were reared in 24-well microtiter plates in the presence of single or combined antibiotics in dilution series. Population growth rates were assessed via epifluorescent microscopic cell counts, from which the half-max inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) were calculated and used as part of a toxic unit (TU) method for assessing mixture interactions. The single-compound IC(50)'s were, for C. closterium: T = 0.27 mg L(-1), L = 14.16 mg L(-1), C = 55.43 mg L(-1), and for N. ramosissima: T = 0.99 mg L(-1), L = 11.08 mg L(-1), C = 72.12 mg L(-1). These values were generally higher than similar metrics for freshwater species. Mixture IC(50)'s were generally synergistic against C. closterium and additive for N. ramosissima. Both single and combined treatments reduced or eliminated diatom motility. Monochemical responses were similar between species and were not useful for predicting mixture interactions. Mixtures had compound-specific and species-specific effects, favoring N. ramosissima. These results suggest that anthropogenic antibiotics may play a significant role in the ecology of environmental benthic microbial communities. They also suggest single-compound/species studies do not yield useful predictions of the ecological impact of anthropogenic pharmaceuticals.
Reaction time assessments of gender differences in visual-spatial performance

This research examined gender differences in reaction time and accuracy on four visual tasks. Twenty-nine female and 29 male first-year college students responded via joysticks to video displayed stimuli. Computer-controlled sessions consisted of trial blocks during which subjects indicated (1) a choice depending on the form of a simple stimulus, (2) which two-dimensional representation of a “folded” box was equivalent to an “unfolded” box, (3) whether test stimuli of varying rotations were the same as or different from an upright standard displayed simul taneously, and (4) whether test forms of varying dissimilarity were the same as or different from a standard. Women were more accurate but slower on the choice task; they had higher reaction times on the mental rotation and the shape-comparison tasks. These latter gender differences interacted significantly with degree of rotation and dissimilarity of the test form, suggesting the presence of gender differences in visual-spatial strategies.
The Quals [Perspectives on Graduate Life]

We have arrived squarely in the middle of the second semester, and it has been a whirlwind of activity so far. Every aspect of my life that had rights to my time is demanding more attention than ever. I am taking more classes than the last semester, and unfortunately, the effect of increased class time has been compounded by a noticeable augmentation of their rigor. In the laboratory, I find myself deeply engrossed in the projects I have been helping out with and finally beginning to lay the groundwork for my own thesis project.
Asthma management across the life span: the child with asthma.

This article adapts general principles of asthma management to the developing child. Unique features of pediatric asthma are discussed including diagnostic difficulties in the infant and young child, medications, dosages, medication devices, and peak flow applications for children. This article also explores parenting issues, management of asthma at school, and special resources available to families.
Impact of online reviews of customer care experience on brand or company selection

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of customer care experiences voiced online on consumer choice of brand or company when purchasing products and services by including the level of usage of these sites, and consumer opinions about whether or not their comments would make a difference to the actions of companies.Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical framework of word of mouth is extended to an online environment, electronic word of mouth (e‐WOM), when using consumer opinions about customer care, and a model is suggested using structural equation modeling utilizing data from 320 consumers in the USA.Findings – Consumer opinions about customer care in socially‐based web sites impact consumer opinions and consumer engagement and consequently consumer choice of brand or company when making purchases. The web sites, including government/consumer advocacy information sites, company web sites, and information found through search engines, are not considered important in influencing...
The study of dislocations in muscovite mica by X-ray transmission topography

Abstract Making use of Lang's x-ray topographic technique, dislocations in the basal plane of muscovite mica have been observed with the direction of the Burgers vectors along [100], [110], [1 0], [010] and [3 0]. From energy considerations the last two dislocations are interpreted as being partials with Burgers vectors 1/3[010] and 1/3[3 0] respectively. From the fact that the observed dislocations are decorated with impurities, it is inferred that they were formed during the early history of the formation of the crystal specimen due to unequal stresses across the specimen.
Kernel-based instance annotation in multi-instance multi-label learning

Multi instance multi label learning is a framework in which objects are represented as bags of instances and labels are provided at the bag level. Instance annotation is the problem of assigning labels to the instances in a bag given only the bag label. Recently, OR-ed logistic regression (OR-LR) model and an EM based inference method have been proposed for instance annotation. Due to the linear nature of the logistic regression function, OR-LR performance on linearly inseparable data is limited. This paper addresses this problem by proposing a regularized kernel-based extension to the OR-LR framework. Experiments show that the kernel-based OR-LR algorithm achieves a significant improvement in classification accuracy over the linear OR-LR from 3% to 9% on audio bird song and image annotation datasets and two synthetic datasets.
Corporeality, Sadomasochism and Sexual Trauma

Work in body studies and theories of affect challenge the mind/body dualism where human action/behavior is shown to be an embodied, lived event. More specifically, bodily practices not only inform/...
Pleural Mesothelioma with Calcified Liver Metastases

This is the second published report of a patient with a malignant pleural mesothelioma who presented with roentgenographic findings of massive liver calcifications. Necropsy examination revealed the hepatic calcifications to be dystrophic calcification within necrotic foci of metastatic malignant mesothelioma.
The determinants of dismissals tests of the shirking model with individual data

Abstract This study tests the shirking model by estimating dismissal equations with data on individual workers. Fires were found to depend negatively on firm size and on the local and industry unemployment rates and to depend positively on the capital-labor ratio.
In vitro splicing of fibronectin pre-mRNAs

We have investigated the alternative splicing of the EIIIB exon of the rat fibronectin gene. Mini-gene constructs containing this exon and portions of adjacent introns and exons, when transfected into HeLa cells, are transcribed and spliced, but omit the EIIIB exon. In vitro, HeLa nuclear extracts similarly splice out (skip) the EIIIB exon from similarly structured transcripts. Therefore, the HeLa splicing apparatus recognizes as atypical the EIIIB exon and its flanking intron sequences, both in vivo and in vitro. We also report that alterations in the ionic conditions of the in vitro splicing reaction can promote the initiation of EIIIB exon inclusion, as reflected by the formation of intermediate and product RNAs related to the removal of the intron upstream of EIIIB. Processing of this intron correlates with the formation of complexes resembling intermediates in spliceosome assembly. The branch sites involved in this alternative processing pathway are rather distant from the EIIIB 3' splice site, and lie within a region which is well conserved in the fibronectin genes of other species. Thus, the intron upstream of EIIIB shows singular structure and behavior which probably have a bearing on the regulated alternative splicing of this exon.
The biophysical link between climate, water, and vegetation in bioenergy agro-ecosystems.

Land use change for bioenergy feedstocks is likely to intensify as energy demand rises simultaneously with increased pressure to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Initial assessments of the impact of adopting bioenergy crops as a significant energy source have largely focused on the potential for bioenergy agroecosystems to provide global-scale climate regulating ecosystem services via biogeochemical processes. Such as those processes associated with carbon uptake, conversion, and storage that have the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). However, the expansion of bioenergy crops can also lead to direct biophysical impacts on climate through water regulating services. Perturbations of processes influencing terrestrial energy fluxes can result in impacts on climate and water across a spectrum of spatial and temporal scales. Here, we review the current state of knowledge about biophysical feedbacks between vegetation, water, and climate that would be affected by bioenergy-related land use change. The physical mechanisms involved in biophysical feedbacks are detailed, and interactions at leaf, field, regional, and global spatial scales are described. Locally, impacts on climate of biophysical changes associated with land use change for bioenergy crops can meet or exceed the biogeochemical changes in climate associated with rising GHG's, but these impacts have received far less attention. Realization of the importance of ecosystems in providing services that extend beyond biogeochemical GHG regulation and harvestable yields has led to significant debate regarding the viability of various feedstocks in many locations. The lack of data, and in some cases gaps in knowledge associated with biophysical and biochemical influences on land–atmosphere interactions, can lead to premature policy decisions.
Developmental profiles and characteristics of hemolymph juvenile hormone esterase, general esterase and juvenile hormone binding in the cricket, Gryllus assimilis

Abstract Developmental profiles of serum juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) and general esterase (GE) during the last stadium of the cricket Gryllus assimilis were highly concordant and exhibited a mid-stadium peak; juvenile hormone binding activity (JHB) increased continuously throughout the stadium. JHE activities were the highest yet reported in the Orthoptera (peak = 130 nmol/min/ml serum), the enzyme was inhibited strongly by trifluoropropanones ( I 50 = 10 −8 −10 −9 ) but only weakly by DFP (10 −6 ) or eserine (10 −4 ) and K m(JH-III) was (16–3 nM). Inhibition studies indicated that the majority of GE activity was due to an enzyme different from JHE. These data provide the background for a study of the microevolution of the endocrine system in G. assimilis .
Semantic priming effects on picture and word processing

The effects of semantic priming on picture and word processing were assessed under conditions in which subjects were required simply to identify stimuli (label pictures or read words) as rapidly as possible. Stimuli were presented in pairs (a prime followed by a target), with half of the pairs containing members of the same semantic category and half containing unrelated concepts. Semantic relatedness was found to facilitate the identification of both pictures (Experiment 1) and words (Experiment 2), and obtained interactions of semantic relatedness and stimulus quality in both experiments suggested that semantic priming affects the initial encoding of both types of stimuli. In Experiment 3, subjects received pairs of pictures, pairs of words, and mixed pairs composed of a picture and a word or of a word and a picture. Significant priming effects were obtained on mixed as well as unmixed pairs, supporting the assumption that pictures and words access semantic information from a common semantic store. Of primary interest was the significantly greater priming obtained in picture-picture pairs than in word-word or mixed pairs. This suggests that, in addition to priming that is mediated by the semantic system, priming may occur in picture-picture pairs that results from the overlap in visual features common to the pictorial representations of objects from the same semantic category.
Differential specificity of lymphocytotoxins from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract Specificity of lymphocytotixic antibodies present in a panel of 26 sera from patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 32 sera from individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was studied by using unfractionated lymphocytes and T-cell-enriched preparations from normal subjects as well as from 10 patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI). Lymphocytes from the latter subjects were used as a source of target lymphocytes enriched for suppressor T-cell activity. Anti-lymphocyte antibodies from some SLE patients showed marked diminution in lymphocytotoxicity when tested against target lymphocytes or T cells from CVI patients with demonstrated suppressor T-cell activity in comparison to lymphocytotoxicity against other CVI patients' lymphocytes with no demonstrable suppressor activity. On the other hand, the majority of lymphocytotoxic sera from IBD patients showed a marked diminution in cytotoxicity for all 10 CVI subjects' lymphocytes when compared to results with target cells from normal donors. In IBD sera, no relative diminution in lymphocytotoxicity could be correlated with documented suppressor T-cell activity of individual CVI subjects studied.
Female Patients in Early Modern Britain: Gender, Diagnosis, and Treatment. By Wendy D. Churchill. (Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2012. Pp. xv, 298. $119.95.)

This study is the first to attempt a comprehensive study of female disorders and treatments from 1590 to 1740 in Britain. It is a most welcome addition to our knowledge of the treatment of patients...
Magnetoresistance studies of spin-slip transitions in single crystal holmium

Abstract Previous studies of single crystal holmium using a variety of techniques including thermal expansion, magnetization, and X-ray and neutron scattering have confirmed the presence of “spin-slips” below the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature T N = 132 K. Magnetization versus temperature studies taken below T N showed several anomalies which occur above the ferromagnetic ordering temperature T c = 13 K. These anomalies correspond to re-alignments of the moments within the magnetic unit cell as described in the spin-slip model developed by Bohr et al . Since magnetoresistance is sensitive to subtle changes in the magnetic structure, in this report we have studied the H-T phase diagram for applied fields along the b -axis of holmium up to 5.5 T and temperatures between 5 and 125 K using magnetoresistance (MR). Anomalies in the MR data correspond well with published transitions. Transitions are observed as either step increases or inflection points in magnetoresistance as the field is increased at a given temperature. Our data confirm previously published phase diagrams determined by magnetization and neutron diffraction.
Involvement of the anterior insular gustatory neocortex in taste-potentiated odor aversion learning ☆

When an odor conditioned stimulus (CS) precedes illness (unconditioned stimulus; UCS), rats acquire relatively weak odor aversions. Conversely, when a compound odor-taste (flavor) CS precedes illness, rats acquire robust aversions both to the odor and to the taste components of a compound flavor CS. Thus, tastes potentiate odor-illness aversions during toxiphobic conditioning. Such conditioning effects have been referred to as taste-potentiated odor aversion learning (POA). Previous neurobehavioral experiments have shown that the anterior insular gustatory neocortex contributes to conditioned taste aversion (CTA) learning. The present experiment examined the involvement of the anterior insular gustatory neocortex in CTA learning and POA learning. To that end, four distinct groups of rats received bilateral electrolytic lesion placements in the orbitofrontal neocortex, the "somatic" gustatory neocortex, the anterior insular gustatory neocortex or the posterior insular neocortex. Control animals received anesthesia only. Subgroups of animals thereafter received aversion conditioning using either an odor (almond) CS or a compound odor-taste (almond-saccharin) CS. Aversions to the almond odorant and/or saccharin tastant were evaluated during extinction. Results indicated that animals lacking orbitofrontal neocortex or posterior insular neocortex acquired normal CTAs and POAs. Animals lacking somatic gustatory neocortex exhibited impaired CTA learning, yet those animals showed normal POA learning. Lesions centered in the anterior insular neocortex impaired both CTA learning and POA learning. These results demonstrate that the insular gustatory neocortex is uniquely involved in the higher-order integration of odors, tastes and illness.
Influence of rearfoot postural alignment on rearfoot motion during walking

Abstract Objective : The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of rearfoot posture on dynamic frontal plane rearfoot motion during the stance phase of walking. Methods : The rearfoot angle (RFA) was measured in 164 feet and then two groups were created representing extreme values. The two groups were labeled as either EVERTED or INVERTED. Frontal plane rearfoot kinematics was then assessed using an electromagnetic motion analysis system as subjects walked barefoot. Results : The results of this study indicated that there is no significant ( P >0.05) difference between either of the experimental groups with regard to frontal plane rearfoot motion. These results indicate that static rearfoot angle does not influence dynamic rearfoot motion. Conclusion : It also raises serious questions concerning the clinical utility of measuring the rearfoot angle since it does not appear to be a good predictor of a person's rearfoot motion pattern during walking.
Effect of patent ductus arteriosus on water accumulation and protein permeability in the lungs of mechanically ventilated premature lambs.

ABSTRACT: To examine the effect of a patent ductus arteriosus on water accumulation and protein permeability in the premature, ventilated lung, we studied 16 Iambs at 121-127 d gestation (term=145 d). Water accumulation was assessed by the wet:dry wt ratio of the blood-free left lung. Protein permeability was assessed by the albumin content and by the recovery of 125I-albumin in the right lung lavage fluid 1 h after intravenous injection. Using a model that allows mechanical control of ductus patency, we compared nine lambs with patent ductus (left-to-right shunts 42 ± 18% of left ventricular output) with seven lambs with closed ductus. The animals were studied over 3 h. In the open ductus lambs, 0.85 ± 0.36 and 1.76 ± 1.87%/h of the injected 125I-albumin was recovered in the lavage fluid and lung tissue, respectively. In the closed ductus lambs, the corresponding amounts were 0.71 ± 0.21 and 0.71 ± 0.22%/h; these differences were not statistically significant. Similarly, blood-free wet:dry ratios did not differ significantly between the two groups (7.01 ± 1.28 open ductus versus 6.55 ± 0.82 closed ductus). We concluded that patency of the ductus arteriosus does not significantly affect water accumulation and net protein transudation into the airways of preterm lambs in the first hours of life. Therefore, some other feature of immaturity must be responsible for the large protein leaks previously observed by others.
INCOME DISTRIBUTION, SOVEREIGN DEBT, AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT

We develop a political economy model of sovereign debt that shows that income inequality leads to popular pressures on the government to use foreign debt to finance a redistribution of income at the expense of productive public investment. Recognizing this fact, international lenders impose credit ceilings with the consequence that developing country borrowers invest less and grow slower.
Toward a theory of social cognition: The development of self

The study of social cognition involves the relationship between knowledge of self, others, and the relationships of self to others.
Lead intoxication from a pellet entrapped in the appendix of a child: Treatment considerations

A 4-year-old boy with symptoms of lead intoxication and confirmatory serum lead levels was eventually found to have a pellet lodged in his appendix. Because laxatives and cathartics did not dislodge the pellet, appendectomy was performed. Arguments for and against this decision are explored.
Controller reduction in the two-block H∞-optimal design for distributed plants

Abstract In this paper we consider a two-block mixed H∞ sensitivity minimization problem, for a class of SISO, possibly unstable, infinite dimensional systems. The main issue addressed here is the problem of reducing the order of H∞ optimal controllers. It is well known that the optimal controllers for distributed plants are infinite dimensional. Here we obtain a finite dimensional controller from approximations of the optimal controller in the gap metric topology. We show that, under certain mild conditions, one can obtain a finite dimensional stabilizing controller achieving a performance arbitrarily close to the optimum. We also provide an explicit bound for the performance deviation. This bound depends on the approximations of the infinite dimensional parts of the optimum controller. An example, involving an unstable delay system, is given to illustrate the computational aspects of this approach.
Controlled-release reservoir systems for the delivery of insect steroid analogues against ticks (Acari: Ixodidae).

Controlled-release reservoir systems for the delivery of insect steroid analogues (ecdysteroids) have been developed and evaluated against ticks. Effects on the tick Hyalomma dromedarii of ecdysteroids released into the blood of host rabbits with implants were determined. The most important effects were (1) mortality of larvae, (2) reduced mean weight of surviving engorged nymphs, (3) accelerated molting of fed nymphs, and (4) increased pheromone production by females and initiation of pheromone production by males. The ability to deliver potent bioactive compounds of this type via host implants has important implications for future control strategies, especially for tick parasites of livestock.
Acetycholine and choline ion-selective microelectrodes

Abstract The construction and performance characteristics of ion-selective micro-electrodes for acetylcholine and choline based on their complexes with dipicrylamine are described. The micro-electrodes show near-Nernstian response over ranges about 5 × 10 t-1 –10 t-2 M. The selectivity of these micro-electrodes relative to a number of amino acids, inorganic ions, neurotransmitter, and drugs is reported. Naturally occuring components of neutral tissue did not interfere strongly, while many cholinergic drugs (arecholine, carbachol, atropine, scopolamine, and others) interfered. The effect of different nitroaromatic solvents on selectivity is described. Measurements in vivo are possible.
Fixed-time insemination in peripuberal, lightweight replacement beef heifers after estrus synchronization with PGF2alpha and GnRH

Estrus synchronization contributes to optimizing the use of time, labor, and financial resources by shortening the calving season, in addition to increasing the uniformity of the calf crop. We determined whether acceptable pregnancy rates could be achieved after synchronization of ovulation and fixed-time artificial insemination (AI) in peripuberal replacement beef heifers using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and PGF2alpha. Crossbred heifers from two herds (MH, n=239; SS, n=330) were wintered at a single location. After a prebreeding examination revealed that 55 heifers had a reproductive tract score (RTS) of 1 (infantile reproductive tracts), they were culled and the remaining heifers were assigned randomly to one of three treatment groups: administration of 25mg PGF2alpha i.m. on Days -12 and 0 followed by estrus detection and insemination between 10 and 14 h after an observed estrus (Control; n=173); administration of 100 microg GnRH i.m. on Day -6, followed by 25 mg PGF2alpha i.m. on Day 0, then fixed-time AI and administration of 100 microg GnRH i.m. on Day +2 (GPG; n=172); and, treatment as for group GPG in addition to administration of 100 microg GnRH i.m. on Day -12 (GGPG; n=169). Bulls were introduced 10 days after AI for 60 days to breed heifers which did not conceive after AI (clean-up bulls). On Days -12, -6, and 0 transrectal ultrasonography was used to monitor ovarian structures in a subset of heifers (30 per treatment). At 30-35 days after AI, ultrasound was used to determine the presence of a viable fetus. Presence of a fetus and stage of pregnancy were determined via palpation per rectum 61-63 days after the conclusion of the breeding season. Heifers in the MH herd (309+/-1.9 kg) were heavier (P<0.001) than those in the SS herd (283+/-1.7 kg) at initiation of the breeding season. Synchronized pregnancy rates were greater (P<0.05) in GGPG (25.4%) and GPG (22.1%) than Control (12.7%) heifers. Pregnancy rates were 9, 21, 32, or 31% for heifers with RTS of 2, 3, 4, or 5, respectively. The average diameter of 22 follicles induced to ovulate in heifers treated with GnRH (GPG and GGPG treatments) was 14.2+/-0.8 mm (range=10.0-23.6 mm). In conclusion, a fixed-time ovulation synchronization program using GnRH and PGF2alpha improved pregnancy rates in peripuberal, lightweight replacement beef heifers.
Expansion algorithm for the density matrix

A purification algorithm for expanding the single-particle density matrix in terms of the Hamiltonian operator is proposed. The scheme works with a predefined occupation and requires less than half the number of matrix-matrix multiplications compared to existing methods at low (10%) and high (g90%) occupancies. The expansion can be used with a fixed chemical potential, in which case it is an asymmetric generalization of and a substantial improvement over grand canonical McWeeny purification. It is shown that the computational complexity, measured as the number of matrix multiplications, essentially is independent of system size even for metallic materials with a vanishing band gap.
Studies of neutron dosimetry

Abstract A high-purity, intense, fast-neutron source has been developed at our laboratory. We describe two inexpensive, straightforward methods of determining the total number of neutrons produced and we review precautions to be taken in applying these methods.
Advances in vaccines against neglected tropical diseases: enhancing physical stability of a recombinant hookworm vaccine through biophysical and formulation studies.

A bivalent recombinant vaccine for human hookworm disease is under development. One of the lead candidate antigens in the vaccine is a glutathione S-transferase cloned from the hookworm Necator americanus (Na-GST-1) which is expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Based on preliminary studies demonstrating that the recombinant protein was not stable in an acetate buffer at pH 6, we undertook an extensive stability analysis of the molecule. To improve and optimize stability we complemented traditional methods employed for macromolecule and vaccine stabilization with biophysical techniques that were incorporated into a systematic process based on an eigenvector approach. Large data sets, obtained from a variety of experimental methods were used to establish a color map (“empirical phase diagram”) of the physical stability of the vaccine antigen over a wide range of temperature and pH. The resulting map defined “apparent phase boundaries” that were used to develop high throughput screening assays. These assa...
The first step: DNAR outside the hospital and the role of pediatric medical care providers.

The issue of DNAR orders for children in the community, whether in the home or school setting, is rapidly growing in importance as we improve our ability to prolong the life of children with life-l...
Alterations in T-cell signal transduction molecules associated with recurrent spontaneous pregnancy loss

Abstract Clinical evidence suggests that cell-mediated immunity is altered during pregnancy and that failure to suppress the maternal immune response can lead to placentation failure, resulting in partial or total rejection of the fetus. In contrast to women experiencing recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA), normal uncomplicated pregnancies are associated decreased T-cell proliferation and production of Th1 cytokines and increased T-cell apoptosis. This study addresses a circulating factor in normal pregnancy that may mediate these events. Sera were obtained from three groups: pregnant women who have uncomplicated term deliveries (Group 1, n = 8), pregnant women with a history of RSA, who subsequently abort (Group 2, n = 10), and age-matched non-pregnant female controls (Group 3, n = 8). Pregnancy sera were obtained between 10 and 12 weeks of gestation. Using chromatography, a CD3-zeta inhibitory factor (or analogous fraction) was isolated from each patient within each group and incubated with cultured T-cells, Jurkat and HUT-78 cells. Apoptosis was assayed by a cell-death ELISA and IL-2 production by cytokine-specific ELISA. Apoptosis regulatory proteins and signaling molecules were analyzed by western immunoblotting. Group 1 material induced a significant increase in apoptosis versus Groups 2 and 3. No significant apoptosis was observed between Groups 2 and 3. Material from Group 1 resulted in an increase in the bax expression compared to Groups 2 and 3 ( P Circulating materials from normal pregnancies are associated with increased lymphoid apoptosis, possibly through increased bax, and diminished production of the Th1 cytokine, IL-2. Our findings indicate that women experiencing RSA fail to suppress CD3-zeta and JAK3, suggesting a deficiency in this circulating factor that induces their suppression in normal pregnancy.
Surfer's Ear: External Auditory Exostoses are More Prevalent in Cold Water Surfers

OBJECTIVE: The study goal was to demonstrate the prevalence and severity of external auditory exostoses (EAEs) in a population of surfers and to examine the relationship between these lesions and t...
Predicting in vivo safety characteristics using physiochemical properties and in vitro assays

There is increasing pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to deliver safer and more effective medicines while constraining research and development costs. In order to meet these demands, the industry is looking for basic design principles in terms of physicochemical properties as well as the use of higher throughput in vitro assays to select and evaluate new molecular entities for further development. Recent advances in understanding the relationships between a chemical’s properties and its propensity for adverse events, as well as the development of new in vitro screening technologies, have enhanced our ability to potentially select molecules more likely to succeed in becoming drugs. However, these approaches are still limited by the availability of data and our lack of understanding of the mechanisms by which compounds can cause toxicity.
Cross amplification of 15 SSR markers in the genus Fraxinus

Ash (Fraxinus, Oleaceae) species occur on most continents, within a wide range of forest tree communities. Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), introduced into the U.S. from Asia in the late twentieth century, has caused widespread mortality, primarily in green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. (Section: Melioides) and now impacts other North American ash species. The development and successful reintroduction of resistant trees requires genetic tools to evaluate population dynamics and aid in species identification. Here, we report 15 novel EST-SSR markers developed in green ash, most of which amplify and are polymorphic across 18 species of Fraxinus, including six species native to North America. The high average polymorphism information content (0.741) and allelic richness (15.3) revealed in six disparate populations of green ash indicate that these markers also have utility for investigating population dynamics in this species.
Mapping of the oxidation products in the ternary Co-Cr-Al system

Ternary Co-Cr-Al alloy oxidation data, detailing kinetics, products, mechanisms, resistance behavior and rate
K X-ray production cross sections, Kβ/Kα ratios, and radiative Auger ratios for protons impacting low-Z elements

Abstract A Cockcroft–Walton accelerator was used to produce 50–300 keV protons to excite characteristic X-rays from thick targets of elements from Z =21 to 32, using an efficiency-calibrated Si(Li) detector equipped with an ultra-thin window. X-ray production cross sections were determined and compared with prevailing theories. Special attention was paid to accounting for the radiative Auger effects (RAE) in the analysis of the X-ray energy spectra. Ratios of RAE to K α and K β intensities, as well as K β /K α ratios, will be compared to theoretical values.
New technique to assess hypoxia-induced cell injury in individual isolated renal tubules

Freshly isolated renal proximal tubules are a valuable model to study mechanisms of cell injury induced by hypoxia [1], The extent of cell injury has previously been quantified by determining the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and by measuring cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and potassium (K) in suspensions of tubules [1, 21. However, the cellular pattern of hypoxic tubule injury is known to be heterogeneous and differences in cellular damage between tubules, as well as within individual tubules, have been described [1]. The present methods for quantification of cell injury as well as spectofluorometric measurements of intracellular ion concentrations with ion sensitive dyes (such as for Ca2, Na, H, Mg2) provide data which represent averages from all tubules in the suspension. Hence, using tubules in suspension prohibits correlation of cytoplasmic ion changes with cellular injury occurring in individual tubules or cells over time. This limitation of studies using tubular suspensions led us to develop a method for induction of hypoxic injury and assessment of cell injury in individual tubules and individual tubular cells.
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are localized on striatal cyclic GMP-containing neurons.

Abstract The localization of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors has been determined using in vitro binding of radiolabeled quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB), a specific reversible muscarinic receptor antagonist. All cyclic GMP-immunoreactive neurons in the rat striatum show clustering of [3H]QNB silver grains overlying their somata following autoradiographic analysis. The autoradiography of total binding of silver grains over the cyclic GMP-containing neurons was approximately 800 times as dense as the surrounding neuropil localization of radioligand binding sites. Incubation of striatal tissue slices in the presence of micromolar atropine, to determine non-specific binding of [3H]QNB, decreased the autoradiographic silver grain density of the neuropil about 2.5 times, and lessened the number of receptor sites detectable on cyclic GMP-positive neurons at least 5-fold. Biochemical examination of [3H]QNB binding on tissue sections demonstrated that the ligand binding is saturable and dependent on section thickness for the muscarinic receptor subtype of acetylcholine.
Poster: detection of transportation mode based on smartphones for reducing distracted driving

Nowadays, distracted driving is becoming a very dangerous epidemic on the roadways. A lot of activities may lead to distracted driving, such as texting, making phone calls, using GPS or road maps, eating, using in-car entertainment systems, etc. As the number of smartphones is rapidly growing year by year, using smartphone is by far the most dangerous and alarming driver distraction. In this paper, we design an app on iPhone for reducing the smartphone-related distracted driving, which can run in the background and can lock the smartphone screen with no passwords required when it detects that the user is driving. After the user finishes driving, the lock will be removed immediately. We also describe a DTM algorithm to detect the transportation mode and give the performance analysis of our system. The results show that our system can save more energy than other related applications.
Can Small Intensive Case Management Teams be as Effective as Large Teams

In 2007, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) implemented a program to deliver the full array of Assertive Community Treatment services in areas with low population density using teams with small staffs. VHA administrative data were used to compare treatment and outcomes of veterans who received services from teams with only two or three staff (N = 805) and veterans served by teams with ten or more staff (N = 861). After adjusting for baseline difference, smaller teams had statistically significantly less symptom improvement and smaller declines in suicidality indices but effect sizes were small and there were no differences on 11 other outcomes. These data demonstrate the clinical need, practical feasibility and potential effectiveness of providing intensive case management through small teams.
Thermal actuator improvements: tapering and folding

Electrothermal actuation is not a popular technology for today’s MEMS transducers due to its relatively slow response and large appetite for power. The large displacement with high force and low voltage gives reason to try to improve thermal actuator’s operating characteristics. This paper describes some improvements to thermal actuators, mainly in increased output energy per actuator chip area and area utilization. The devices presented here are a variation of the chevron thermal actuator - one with two sets of thermally expanding beams pushing at a slight angle on either side of a suspended shuttle, causing it to be displaced parallel to the substrate. One improvement is to taper the thermal expansion beams so they exhibit a higher strain energy, allowing a larger thermal input power and hence more output mechanical power per beam. Another improvement is to move (fold) both sets of thermal beams to the same side of the shuttle so all are exerting force on the same side. The thermal expansion beams cause compression against the shuttle and work against one or two orthogonal cold beams in tension to produce an output force and displacement. This resembles a pseudo-bimorph array with the exception of having far fewer non-force-producing beams to bend.
Tumor Geometry and SAR Distribution Generated From MicroCT Images for Tumor Temperature Elevation Simulation in Magnetic Nanoparticle Hyperthermia

Previous investigations in magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia for cancer treatments have demonstrated that particle size, particle coating, and magnetic field strength and frequency determine its heating generation capacity. However, once the nanoparticles are manufactured, the spatial distribution of the nanostructures dispersed in tissue dominates the spatial temperature elevation during heating.1–3 Therefore, understanding the distribution of magnetic nanoparticles in tumors is critical to develop theoretical models to predict temperature distribution in tumors during hyperthermia treatment. An accurate description of the nanoparticle distribution and the tumor geometry will greatly enhance the simulation accuracy of the heat transfer process in tumors, which is crucial for generating an optimal temperature distribution that can prevent the occurrence of heating under-dosage in the tumor and overheating in the healthy tissue. Recently studies by our group have demonstrated that the nanoparticle concentration distribution in tumors can be visualized via microCT image due to the density elevation of the presence of magnetic nanoparticles.4 The problem is the intensive memory requirements to directly import the microCT images to numerical simulation software packages such as COMSOL. Although commercial software packages exist to handle detailed entities inside tumors, they are very expensive to purchase. In addition, having very small entities at the micrometer level inside the tumor geometry may provide challenge to numerical simulation software to accept the generated geometry.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) exception for severe pruritus

Intractable pruritus is an extrahepatic manifestation of cholestatic liver disease. The exact cause of this condition is not entirely clear. Some patients experience modest pruritus that can be controlled with simple pharmacologic interventions. A small minority of patients develop significant intractable pruritus that is refractory to many pharmacologic agents, and these patients may benefit from liver transplantation. Currently, ursodeoxycholic acid is used for the treatment of pruritus by improving cholestasis. Other agents used to eliminate or inactivate peripheral pruritogen through anion exchange include cholestyramine and hepatic enzyme–inducing agents such as rifampin and phenobarbital. In addition, agents that modulate central neurotransmission include the opioid antagonist naloxone and serotonin receptor agonists, such as ondansetron or tropisetron. Extreme interventions for refractory pruritus include hemodialysis, plasmapheresis, and albumin dialysis performed by a molecular absorbent recirculation system. Although refractory pruritus greatly affects quality of life, the literature does not suggest that refractory pruritus leads to additional mortality. There have been anecdotal reports of suicidal ideation as a consequence of pruritus, but there are no reports of this actually occurring. On the basis of the limited availability of published data, there does not appear to be a mortality risk associated with pruritus. Liver transplantation for refractory pruritus is not supported and would be based solely on quality-of-life issues and not on mortality risks. SYNTHESIS OF AVAILABLE DATA
The Gibbs Centroid Sampler

The Gibbs Centroid Sampler is a software package designed for locating conserved elements in biopolymer sequences. The Gibbs Centroid Sampler reports a centroid alignment, i.e. an alignment that has the minimum total distance to the set of samples chosen from the a posteriori probability distribution of transcription factor binding-site alignments. In so doing, it garners information from the full ensemble of solutions, rather than only the single most probable point that is the target of many motif-finding algorithms, including its predecessor, the Gibbs Recursive Sampler. Centroid estimators have been shown to yield substantial improvements, in both sensitivity and positive predictive values, to the prediction of RNA secondary structure and motif finding. The Gibbs Centroid Sampler, along with interactive tutorials, an online user manual, and information on downloading the software, is available at: http://bayesweb.wadsworth.org/gibbs/gibbs.html.