cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PSA‐alpha‐2‐macroglobulin complex is enzymatically active in the serum of patients with advanced prostate cancer and can degrade circulating peptide hormones

Background Prostate cancer cells produce high levels of the serine protease Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA). PSA is enzymatically active in the tumor microenvironment but is presumed to be enzymatically inactive in the blood due to complex formation with serum protease inhibitors α-1-antichymotrypsin and α-2-macroglobulin (A2M). PSA-A2M complexes cannot be measured by standard ELISA assays and are also rapidly cleared from the circulation. Thus the exact magnitude of PSA production by prostate cancer cells is not easily measured. The PSA complexed to A2M is unable to cleave proteins but maintains the ability to cleave small peptide substrates. Thus, in advanced prostate cancer, sufficient PSA-A2M may be in circulation to effect total A2M levels, levels of cytokines bound to A2M and hydrolyze small circulating peptide hormones. Methods Total A2M levels in men with advanced prostate cancer and PSA levels above 1000 ng/mL were measured by ELISA and compared to controls. Additional ELISA assays were used to measure levels of IL-6 and TGF-beta which can bind to A2M. The ability of PSA-A2M complexes to hydrolyze protein and peptide substrates was analyzed ± PSA inhibitor. Enzymatic activity of PSA-A2M in serum of men with high PSA levels was also assayed. Results Serum A2M levels are inversely correlated with PSA levels in men with advanced prostate cancer. Il-6 Levels are significantly elevated in men with PSA >1000 ng/mL compared to controls with PSA 1000 ng/mL can hydrolyze small fluorescently labeled peptide substrates but not large proteins that are PSA substrates. PSA can hydrolyze small peptide hormones like PTHrP and osteocalcin. PSA complexed to A2M retains the ability to degrade PTHrP. Conclusions In advanced prostate cancer with PSA levels >1000 ng/mL, sufficient PSA-A2M is present in circulation to produce enzymatic activity against circulating small peptide hormones. Sufficient PSA is produced in advanced prostate cancer to alter total A2M levels, which can potentially alter levels of a variety of growth factors such as IL-6, TGF-beta, basic FGF, and PDGF. Alterations in levels of these cytokines and proteolytic degradation of small peptide hormones may have profound effect on host-cancer interaction.
Robots for the people, by the people: Personalizing human-machine interaction

Multimodal, interactive, and multitask machine learning can be applied to personalize human-robot and human-machine interactions for the broad diversity of individuals and their unique needs.
Interleukin-6/STAT3 Signaling is Prominent and Associated with Reduced Overall Survival in p16 Negative Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

This study addresses the hypothesis that IL-6/STAT3 signaling is of clinical relevance in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). We evaluated relationships between key components of this pathway in tumors from a unique cohort of n = 59 fully annotated, treatment-naive patients with OPSCC. The multiplex Opal platform was utilized for immunofluorescence (IF) analysis of tissues to detect IL-6 and phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3), taking into consideration its nuclear versus cytoplasmic localization. Abundant staining for both IL-6 and pSTAT3 was evident in tumor-rich regions of each specimen. IL-6 correlated with cytoplasmic pSTAT3 but not nuclear or total pSTAT3 in this cohort of OPSCC tumors, regardless of p16 status (r = 0.682, p < 0.0001). There was a significant association between increased total pSTAT3, nuclear pSTAT3, cytoplasmic pSTAT3 and IL-6 in p16 negative tumors. Our data indicate STAT3 phosphorylation was a key feature in p16-negative OPSCC tumors. When IL-6 data was stratified by median expression in tumors, there was no association with overall survival. In contrast, both total and nuclear pSTAT3 were significant predictors of poor overall and disease free survival. This strong inverse relationship with overall survival was present in p16 negative tumors for both total and nuclear pSTAT3, but not in p16 positive OPSCC tumors. Together these data indicate that activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway is a marker of p16 negative tumors and relevant to OPSCC prognosis and a potential target for treatment of this more aggressive OPSCC sub-population.
Exploring the Emergence of RNA Nucleosides and Nucleotides on the Early Earth

Understanding how life began is one of the most fascinating problems to solve. By approaching this enigma from a chemistry perspective, the goal is to define what series of chemical reactions could lead to the synthesis of nucleotides, amino acids, lipids, and other cellular components from simple feedstocks under prebiotically plausible conditions. It is well established that evolution of life involved RNA which plays central roles in both inheritance and catalysis. In this review, we present historically important and recently published articles aimed at understanding the emergence of RNA nucleosides and nucleotides on the early Earth.
Prediction of mortality following pediatric heart transplant using machine learning algorithms.

BACKGROUND Optimizing transplant candidates' priority for donor organs depends on the accurate assessment of post-transplant outcomes. Due to the complexity of transplantation and the wide range of possible serious complications, recipient outcomes are difficult to predict accurately using conventional multivariable regression. Therefore, we evaluated the utility of 3 ML algorithms for predicting mortality after pediatric HTx. METHODS We identified patients <18 years of age receiving HTx in 2006-2015 in the UNOS Registry database. Mortality within 1, 3, or 5 years was predicted using classification and regression trees, RFs, and ANN. Each model was trained using cross-validation, then validated in a separate testing set. Model performance was primarily evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve. RESULTS The training set included 2802 patients, whereas 700 were included in the testing set. RF achieved the best fit to the training data with AUCs of 0.74, 0.68, and 0.64 for 1-, 3-, and 5-year mortality, respectively, and performed best in the testing data, with AUCs of 0.72, 0.61, and 0.60, respectively. Nevertheless, sensitivity was poor across models (training: 0.22-0.58; testing: 0.07-0.49). DISCUSSION ML algorithms demonstrated fair predictive utility in both training and testing data, but the sensitivity of these algorithms was generally poor. With the registry missing data on many determinants of long-term survival, the ability of ML methods to predict mortality after pediatric HTx may be fundamentally limited.
Spatial variations of rock damage production by earthquakes in southern California

Abstract We perform a comparative spatial analysis of inter-seismic earthquake production of rupture area and volume in southern California using observed seismicity and basic scaling relations from earthquake phenomenology and fracture mechanics. The analysis employs background events from a declustered catalog in the magnitude range 2 ≤ M 4 to get temporally stable results representing activity during a typical inter-seismic period on all faults. Regions of high relative inter-seismic damage production include the San Jacinto fault, South Central Transverse Ranges especially near major fault junctions (Cajon Pass and San Gorgonio Pass), Eastern CA Shear Zone (ECSZ) and the Imperial Valley – Brawley seismic zone area. These regions are correlated with low velocity zones in detailed tomography studies. A quasi-linear zone with ongoing damage production extends between the Imperial fault and ECSZ and may indicate a possible future location of the main plate boundary in the area. The regions around the 1992 M6.1 Joshua Tree, M7.3 Landers and M6.3 Big Bear earthquakes have background seismic activity before 1990. This may represent a regional weakening process by damage production in future rupture zones. The depth of background seismicity and damage production decreases steadily from SW of the coastline to NE of the San Andreas fault, and also to the SE near the US–Mexico border. The seismicity and rock damage become more pronounced and continuous along-strike of main faults with increasing depth.
Scribble and Discs-large direct adherens junction positioning and supermolecular assembly to establish apical-basal polarity

Abstract Apical-basal polarity is a fundamental property of animal tissues. The Drosophila embryo provides an outstanding model for defining mechanisms that initiate and maintain polarity. Polarity is initiated during cellularization, when cell-cell adherens junctions are positioned at the future boundary of apical and basolateral domains. Polarity maintenance then involves complementary and antagonistic interplay between apical and basal polarity complexes. The Scribble/Dlg module is well-known for promoting basolateral identity during polarity maintenance. Here we report a surprising role for the Scribble/Dlg module in polarity initiation, placing it at the top of the network that positions adherens junctions. Scribble and Dlg are enriched in nascent adherens junctions and are essential for adherens junction positioning and supermolecular assembly. They also play a role in basal junction assembly. We test hypotheses for the underlying mechanisms. Our data suggest that the Scribble/Dlg module plays multiple roles in polarity initiation, via Par-1-dependent and independent mechanisms. Different domains of Scribble contribute to these distinct roles. Together these data reveal novel roles for Scribble/Dlg as master scaffolds regulating the assembly of distinct junctional complexes at different times and places.
Crystallization behavior of Li1+xAlxGe2-x(PO4)3 glass-ceramics: Effect of composition and thermal treatment

Abstract Lithium aluminum germanium phosphate (LAGP) glass-ceramics are promising solid electrolytes for all solid-state lithium ion batteries and other electrochemical applications. LAGP glass-ceramics (Li1+xAlxGe2-x(PO4)3, x = 0.5–0.8) were synthesized using a two-step heat treatment based on characteristic temperatures from Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the crystal phases and their morphologies. Our results show that high purity ion conductive phase can be obtained for the compositions with P/Ge = 2.3 and 2.4 by a two-step heat treatment, instead of the commonly adopted single step heat treatment for composition with P/Ge = 2.0. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements show that Tg + 60%∆T (∆T = Tc-Tg) is the optimal nucleation temperature to obtain high ionic conductivity. Crystallization energies were calculated from the modified Kissinger equation based on DSC measurements and it was concluded that the crystal phase form mainly through internal nucleation. We have found in this paper that, by using a two-step heat treatment, high phase purity LAGP glass-ceramics with lower GeO2 concentration can be obtained to achieve high ionic conductivity.
Sunburn Recall Reaction and Mucositis Secondary to Methotrexate Toxicity

A 59-year-old Native American female presented with a 4-day history of malaise, abdominal pain, nausea, jaundice, and a "sunburn-like rash" on the upper chest and back despite lack of recent sun exposure (Figure 1). Medical history was significant for a twenty-year history of universal vitiligo and a five-year history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with methotrexate (MTX), adalimumab, prednisone, and naproxen sodium. Cutaneous examination revealed hemorrhagic crusting of upper and lower lips (Figure 2), scleral icterus, diffuse jaundice of the skin, and well-demarcated erythematous patches on mid-upper back and anterior neck. The patient had a few scattered erythematous papules with whitish center on bilateral extensor surfaces of the upper extremities and scattered petechiae on both the trunk and upper extremities.
Chapter 20 – Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is recognized as the most common identifiable genetic cause of intellectual disability and autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), with many overlapping phenotypic features. Fragile X syndrome is caused by absence or reduction of expression of the fragile X mental retardation protein and is associated with a variety of behavioral, physical, and medical problems, which are managed through supportive treatment, often incorporating psychopharmacology to ameliorate limiting behaviors. Specific patterns of cognitive, language, and adaptive strengths and weaknesses are typically present and can be used to tailor educational and therapeutic programming to the needs of the individual with FXS. Recent major advances in the understanding of the underlying neurobiology in FXS have led to the discovery of agents that rescue phenotypes in the FXS mouse model and to early clinical trials of targeted treatments in humans with FXS. Thus, translational strategies in FXS may serve as models for ASD and other cognitive disorders.
Optimal reorganization of photosynthesis after the evolution of C4

Abstract The evolution of C4 photosynthesis evolved numerous times independently in the grasses over tens of millions of years, and each event required the development of distinct biochemistry and anatomy. Recent theoretical, anatomical and phylogenetic studies made great progress in reconstructing the evolutionary processes leading to the formation of the C4 carbon concentration mechanism (CCM) in grasses. After the formation of the full CCM, C4 physiology continued to diverge between C3 and C4 grasses, presumably as selection optimized photosynthetic function. In this study, we combine optimality modeling, physiological measurements and phylogenetic analysis to examine how various aspects of C4 photosynthetic machinery were reorganized within a lineage and as compared to closely-related C3 grasses. Both model and empirical results support a strong, and comparatively rapid, reorganization in resource allocation between the Calvin-Benson cycle and light reactions in C4, as determined by a higher maximal electron transport to maximal Rubisco carboxylation rate (Jmax/Vcmax). Our model, chlorophyll a/b ratios, and fluorescence-based electron transport measurements all suggest that linear electron transport represents a lower proportion (approximately 67%) of total electron transport in C4, and that the impetus for increased cyclic-electron transport is to balance ATP:NADPH stoichiometry, as opposed to decreasing O2 in the bundle sheath cells. Finally, the tight coordination between RuBP carboxylation and PEP carboxylation occurred coincidently with the evolution of the C4 CCM, with a relatively constant maximal PEP carboxylation rate and Vcmax (Vpmax/Vcmax).
Max-linear regression models with regularization

Abstract Motivated by the newly developed max-linear competing copula factor models and max-stable nonlinear time series models, we propose a new class of max-linear regression models to take advantages of easy interpretable features embedded in linear regression models. It can be seen that linear relation is a special case of max-linear relation. We develop an EM algorithm based maximum likelihood estimation procedure. The consistency and asymptotics of the estimators for parameters are proved. To advance max-linear models to deal with high dimensional predictors, we adopt the common strategy of regularization in the high dimensional regression literature. We demonstrate the broad applicability of max-linear models using simulation examples and real applications in econometric and business modeling. The results, in terms of predictability, show a significant improvement compared with solely using regular regression models and other existing machine learning methods. The results enhance our understanding of the relationship between the response variable and the predictors, and among the predictors as well.
Engineering Education as the Development of Critical Sociotechnical Literacy

Recent policy documents position engineering as a way to broaden participation for students in STEM fields. However, a recent review of the literature on engineering education found that fewer than 1% of reviewed articles focused on issues of equity and broadening participation. For this reason, there are few frameworks to build on when designing for equitable engineering instruction in K-12 settings. Diversifying participation in engineering means that we need to not just bring learners into existing engineering practices, structures, and ways of knowing, but that we take a critical look at the field of engineering education and challenge researchers and educators to create learning opportunities that build on diverse ways of knowing about engineering and being engineers in the world, with a focus on relating course materials to learners' everyday lives. In this paper, we leverage the diverse histories, epistemologies, and ways of knowing in engineering to outline the possibilities for learners to critically engage with engineering in K-12 settings and we ask the question, "How can we design learning environments to help students critically understand the intrinsic and systemic sociotechnical relationships between people, communities, and the built environment?" To answer this question, we propose an instructional framework for developing learners' critical sociotechnical literacy, which is a place-based approach for critically engaging learners in understanding the impacts of engineering and technology on their own communities and everyday lives in order to restory these spaces for a more equitable and just future.
The effect of milk type and fortification on the growth of low-birthweight infants: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Approximately 15% of infants worldwide are born with low birthweight (<2500 g). These children are at risk for growth failure. The aim of this umbrella review is to assess the relationship between infant milk type, fortification and growth in low-birthweight infants, with particular focus on low- and lower middle-income countries. We conducted a systematic review in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and Web of Science comparing infant milk options and growth, grading the strength of evidence based on standard umbrella review criteria. Twenty-six systematic reviews qualified for inclusion. They predominantly focused on infants with very low birthweight (<1500 g) in high-income countries. We found the strongest evidence for (1) the addition of energy and protein fortification to human milk (donor or mother's milk) leading to increased weight gain (mean difference [MD] 1.81 g/kg/day; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23, 2.40), linear growth (MD 0.18 cm/week; 95% CI 0.10, 0.26) and head growth (MD 0.08 cm/week; 95% CI 0.04, 0.12) and (2) formula compared with donor human milk leading to increased weight gain (MD 2.51 g/kg/day; 95% CI 1.93, 3.08), linear growth (MD 1.21 mm/week; 95% CI 0.77, 1.65) and head growth (MD 0.85 mm/week; 95% CI 0.47, 1.23). We also found evidence of improved growth when protein is added to both human milk and formula. Fat supplementation did not seem to affect growth. More research is needed for infants with birthweight 1500-2500 g in low- and lower middle-income countries.
Weakly conjugated bacteriochlorin-bacteriochlorin dyad: Synthesis and photophysical properties

Dyads containing two near-infrared absorbing and emitting bacteriochlorins with distinct spectral properties have been prepared and characterized by absorption, emission, and transient-absorption s...
Kinetic and Kinematic Analysis of Various Drop Jump Performances in Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets.

Merrigan, JJ, O'Toole, KB, Wutzke, CJ, and Jones, MT. Kinetic and kinematic analysis of various drop jump performances in army reserve officer training corps cadets. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2021-The purpose was to examine effects of sex, drop height, and external loads on drop jump mechanics in Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets and whether findings were associated with strength. Males (n = 14) and females (n = 12) completed maximal isokinetic concentric (slow-C and fast-C) and eccentric (slow-E and fast-E) knee extensions and flexions at 60°·s-1 and 180°·s-1. After 72 hours, 3 drop jumps were performed under 3 conditions, (i.e., 30 cm unloaded [30UL], 30 cm loaded 15 kg [30L], and 60 cm unloaded [60UL]). No sex × condition interactions existed for any metric (p > 0.05). The 30L condition resulted in slower eccentric and concentric center of mass (COM) and angular velocities, reduced concentric vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF), and lower jump performances. Although 60UL resulted in greater eccentric COM and angular velocities, peak vGRF, impulse, and rate of force development (p < 0.008), no differences existed in jump performances. Males had faster COM and angular concentric velocities and smaller knee valgus angles, but no different vGRF compared with females. The change in the peak hip angle, because of 60UL, was associated with knee extension eccentric and concentric strength, whereas changes in knee angles were associated with eccentric strength. Likewise, eccentric strength influenced the effects of 30L on landing vGRF more so than concentric strength. Initial strength training is recommended, specifically emphasizing eccentric actions, before performing loaded (15 kg) drop jumps to reduce the increase of landing forces. However, caution may be required when performing drops from 60 cm because of increased forces, although no decline in jump performances were noted.
From Tables to Knowledge: Recent Advances in Table Understanding

A wealth of human knowledge is expressed in structured tables, across web pages, scientific articles, spreadsheets, and databases. This wealth of knowledge is mirrored by diversity in the vast number of layout structures, content types, formats, and surface forms used to express tables. Recent advances in representation learning and knowledge representation have made progress in exploiting structural regularities in tabular data to unlock this knowledge. In this tutorial, we provide a survey of these advances for a host of table understanding tasks, including table segmentation, semantic typing of cells, transforming tables to knowledge graphs, entity linking, and table retrieval tasks for question answering. The structure of the tutorial will include three major modules. The first will provide attendees an introduction to the seminal work in organization of data in tables, and cover the major goals and approaches of computational systems that undertake table understanding. The second module will cover specific models used for table understanding tasks, such as table discovery, table segmentation and layout detection, cell classification and semantic typing, mapping tables to knowledge graphs and linking to known entities, and table retrieval in search and question answering. The final tutorial module will provide a primer for researchers who want to get involved with the table understanding community, providing them a guide to the most commonly used benchmark datasets and models, downstream applications and evaluations, and a sketch of the open problems in table understanding. Our tutorial is designed to be approachable to many different audiences, and will serve as a timely resource in a field that is quickly progressing. To engage audiences, we will incorporate opportunities to ask questions and discuss, as well as small group activities and exercises with other participants. When possible, we will incorporate practical demos that help illustrate the operation of the tools and models we discuss, as well as pointing out places where the existing state-of-the-art system can be improved. Additionally, we will introduce participants to many of the open-source tools and datasets that the tutors have built and curated, helping new researchers begin working on these problems quickly and effectively.
Description of Bagarius vegrandis, a new species of sisorid catfish from Indochina (Actinopterygii: Siluriformes), with notes on the identity of Bagarius bagarius.

Bagarius vegrandis, new species, is described from the Chao Phraya and Mekong river drainages. It differs from congeners in having a small maximum body size (to 220 mm SL vs. 520–1400 mm SL) and the adipose-fin origin markedly posterior to (vs. at vertical through or very slightly posterior to) the anal-fin origin. It further differs from congeners in having the following unique combination of characters: ovoid unculiferous plaques on dorsal surface of head, lateral margin of frontal not significantly deflected dorsally, eye diameter 11–15% HL, interorbital distance 23–28% HL, head width 18.3–22.3% SL, head depth 11.1–14.1% SL, filamentous extensions to first pectoral-fin element reaching to anus, dorsal spine width 10.6–13.9 times in its length, body depth at anus 8.7–12.0% SL, neural spines of the 4–6 vertebrae immediately anterior to adipose fin distally flattened but not forming series of prominent bumps along dorsal midline, length of adipose-fin base 10.8–13.0% SL, caudal-peduncle length 19.0–22.4% SL, caudal-peduncle depth 3.2–4.2% SL, 19–20 preanal vertebrae, and 39–40 total vertebrae. Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton, 1822) is demonstrated to be a species restricted to the Indian subcontinent (with Bagrus yarrelli Sykes, 1839, Pimelodus platespogon Valenciennes, in Jacquemont, 1839 and Pimelodus carnaticus Jerdon, 1849 as junior subjective synonyms) and Bagarius lica Volz, 1903 resurrected from synonymy with B. yarrelli as a valid species from Southeast Asia.
Retention of context blocking in taste-aversion learning.

Abstract Batsell, W. R., Jr. Retention of context blocking in taste-aversion learning. Physiol Behav 61(3) 437–446, 1997.—A series of experiments examined recovery from context blocking across a retention interval. In two flavor-aversion studies, rats received 0, 2, or 4 context+US pairings in Phase 1, a flavor+US pairing in Phase 2, and flavor testing after a 3-day or a 14-day retention interval. The procedures in Experiment 1 were performed in a novel context, whereas Experiment 2 was conducted in a moderately familiar context. In Experiment 1, the effects of 2 context+US pairings dissipated over the retention interval (i.e., the taste aversion increased in strength), but the effects of 4 context+US pairings did not change. In Experiment 2, no context blocking was observed after 2 context+US pairings, but the effects of 4 context+US pairings decreased across the retention interval. These studies are the first to show recovery from context blocking across a retention interval following single-element conditioning. Furthermore, Experiment 3 demonstrated that extinction of the context prior to taste conditioning eliminated context blocking, and Experiment 4 showed that weak taste aversions do not increase in strength across a retention interval. It is proposed that forgetting of the context-US association across an extended retention interval is the mechanism underlying recovery from context blocking.
In Good Keeping: Viginia's Folklife Apprenticeships

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Jon Lohman and Morgan Miller Year: 2008 Pages: 224 Publisher: University of Virginia Press ISBN: 978-0-9786604-1-3 (hard cover). Prices: $49.95 USD(hard cover).
Regulation of lymphokine response during reinfection by influenza virus. Production of a factor that inhibits lymphokine activity.

Mononuclear cells, obtained from the spleens and lungs of influenza virus-seropositive C57BL/6 mice at 2 to 4 days after re-infection with homologous virus (strain A/Bangkok/1/79), produced a low m.w. factor in vitro that prevents the biologic expression, but not production, of the lymphokine, leukocyte migration inhibition factor (LIF). The low m.w. factor inhibited LIF activity without destroying the LIF molecule inasmuch as simple dialysis restored lymphokine activity to culture supernatants. Production of the low m.w. factor was observed from 2 to 4 days after re-infection, at which time the delayed-type hypersensitivity response to viral Ag was suppressed. In contrast, LIF was produced by splenocytes and lung mononuclear cells obtained at all times tested after re-infection (from 2 to 30 days). Production of the low m.w. factor required re-infection of influenza A virus-seropositive mice with type A virus; re-infection with influenza B virus failed to induce production. Ag specificity was also required in vitro for splenocytes to produce the factor; cells from type A virus-re-infected mice required type A Ag stimulation. Cell depletion studies with mAb plus C revealed that macrophages and T cells along with Ag stimulation were required for factor production by spleen cells. However, mononuclear cells obtained within 4 days from the lungs of re-infected mice did not require in vitro Ag stimulation for production of the low m.w. factor, and factor production was dependent upon the presence of CD4+ (L3T4) cells in the culture. Fractionation of culture supernatants over a Sephadex G-50 column indicated that the factor had a molecular mass of 2 to 3 kDa, and by FPLC chromatofocusing over a Mono P column, the factor eluted at a pH of approximately 8.2. Thus, re-exposure of influenza virus-seropositive mice to homologous virus resulted in the production of a low m.w. factor that prevented the biologic expression of LIF, but not its production. Lymphokines are an important component of the delayed-type hypersensitivity response; the presence of mononuclear cells secreting a low m.w. factor and LIF concomitantly at the site of virus replication (lungs) and the capacity of the factor to block the biologic expression of LIF in vitro suggest that the factor may have a role in the regulation of a delayed-type hypersensitivity response in vivo during re-infection.
Gibbs Free Energies of Formation for Intermetallic Compounds Involving Transition Elements, Lanthanides, and Actinides

Values or limits are provided for the Gibbs free energies of formation of “A n B m ” intermetallic compounds for 84 binary systems. “A” elements are: Li, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al, Si, Sc, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Y, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th, U, and Pu. “B” elements are Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au. The significance and applications of this information are discussed.
Exploratory Identification of Cardiac Noise in fMRI Images

A fast exploratory framework for extracting cardiac noise signals contained in rest-case fMRI images is presented. Highly autocorrelated, independent components of the input time series are extracted by applying Canonical Correlation Analysis in the time domain. A close correspondence between some of these components and cardiac noise contributions is established. Our analysis is carried out without using any external monitoring of the subject or any modification applied to the standard image acquisition protocol. Using the results as a priori information about the presence of corrupting cardiac noise, several approaches are suggested that could improve the performance of activation detection algorithms on non-rest-case datasets.
Law for the expert witness

Before Trial Filing Suit, or Legal Paperwork Complaint Answer Counterclaims, Cross-Claims, Third-Party Claims, and Class Actions Discovery in General Policy Considerations Depositions Other Discovery Techniques Failure to Cooperate in Discovery Pretrial Conferences The Rules of Evidence Fundamental Concepts "Burden of Proof" Origins of the Law of Evidence Weight and Admissibility The Fundamental Rule of Evidence Who Is an Expert and When Can One Testify The Form of Questions to an Expert Tests, Experiments, and the Chain of Custody Tests and Experiments Chain of Custody Common Knowledge and Routine Practice Real Evidence Exhibits and Demonstrations The Rule Against Hearsay Hearsay Exceptions I: Introduction Hearsay Exceptions II: Writings and Records Past Recollection Recorded, Present Recollection Revived Government Records Hearsay Exceptions III: Printed Matter Hearsay Exceptions IV: Miscellaneous Best Evidence Rule A "Real" Case Suggestions and Hints for Expert Witnesses Presenting Direct Testimony Organizing Narrative Testimony Be a Teacher Presenting the Testimony Withstanding Cross-Examination Appendices and Case Listing Appendix A: Extracts from the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (in Numerical Order) Appendix B: Extracts from the Federal Rules of Evidence (in Numerical Order) Appendix C: Table of Illustrative Cases Index
Assessing young children's intention-reading in authentic communicative contexts: preliminary evidence and clinical utility.

Background Identifying what a communication partner is looking at (referential intention) and why (social intention) is essential to successful social communication, and may be challenging for children with social communication deficits. This study explores a clinical task that assesses these intention-reading abilities within an authentic context. Aims To gather evidence of the task's reliability and validity, and to discuss its clinical utility. Methods & Procedures The intention-reading task was administered to twenty 4–7-year-olds with typical development (TD) and ten with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Task items were embedded in an authentic activity, and they targeted the child's ability to identify the examiner's referential and social intentions, which were communicated through joint attention behaviours. Reliability and construct validity evidence were addressed using established psychometric methods. Outcomes & Results Reliability and validity evidence supported the use of task scores for identifying children whose intention-reading warranted concern. Evidence supported the reliability of task administration and coding, and item-level codes were highly consistent with overall task performance. Supporting task validity, group differences aligned with predictions, with children with ASD exhibiting poorer and more variable task scores than children with TD. Also, as predicted, task scores correlated significantly with verbal mental age and ratings of parental concerns regarding social communication abilities. Conclusions & Implications The evidence provides preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the clinical task's scores in assessing young children's real-time intention-reading abilities, which are essential for successful interactions in school and beyond.
Circadian temperature and melatonin rhythms, sleep, and neurobehavioral function in humans living on a 20-h day

The interaction of homeostatic and circadian processes in the regulation of waking neurobehavioral functions and sleep was studied in six healthy young subjects. Subjects were scheduled to 15-24 repetitions of a 20-h rest/activity cycle, resulting in desynchrony between the sleep-wake cycle and the circadian rhythms of body temperature and melatonin. The circadian components of cognitive throughput, short-term memory, alertness, psychomotor vigilance, and sleep disruption were at peak levels near the temperature maximum, shortly before melatonin secretion onset. These measures exhibited their circadian nadir at or shortly after the temperature minimum, which in turn was shortly after the melatonin maximum. Neurobehavioral measures showed impairment toward the end of the 13-h 20-min scheduled wake episodes. This wake-dependent deterioration of neurobehavioral functions can be offset by the circadian drive for wakefulness, which peaks in the latter half of the habitual waking day during entrainment. The data demonstrate the exquisite sensitivity of many neurobehavioral functions to circadian phase and the accumulation of homeostatic drive for sleep.
Direct Bronsted analysis of the restoration of activity to a mutant enzyme by exogenous amines

A true Bronsted analysis of proton transfer in an enzyme mechanism is made possible by the chemical rescue of an inactive mutant of aspartate aminotransferase, where the endogenous general base, Lys258, is replaced with Ala by site-directed mutagenesis. Catalytic activity is restored to this inactive mutant by exogenous amines. The eleven amines studied generate a Bronsted correlation with beta of 0.4 for the transamination of cysteine sulfinate, when steric effects are included in the regression analysis. Localized mutagenesis thus allows the classical Bronsted analysis of transition-state structure to be applied to enzyme-catalyzed reactions.
A bite manipulandum for the development of operant behavior in predacious fishes

An inexpensive bite manipulandum is described for use in operant conditioning studies with predacious fishes such as the largemouth bass. Compression of a rubber nipple by a fish bite is transduced by a mounted phonograph speaker. The use of the fish’s natural foods as rein-forcers in conjunction with this device makes it possible to obtain schedule-of-reinforcement data not previously obtainable with this species. Sample interval and ratio data are provided.
Will electronic journals eliminate the need for ILL

Muses on some of the unexpected findings – including the fact that ILL borrowing for local users and ILL lending to other libraries continues to grow – of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) study assessing ILL/DD services, of which the author was principal investigator. The study is due to be published in mid‐2004.
Learning from large dataset: segmentation of capsule endoscopy videos

Reviewing video of capsule endoscopy is a tedious work that takes hours. Hence, efficient and scalable approaches are needed to automate the process of large dataset and be able to refine the model given new examples. This paper presents an incremental SVM to learn from large dataset with dynamic patterns. Our method extends the reduced convex hull concept and defines the approximate skin segments of convex hulls. Experiments were conducted using synthetic data set, real–world data sets, and CE videos. Our results demonstrated highly competitive performance that requires much less resource, which cast new light on learning with limited resource.
Quasiparticle phenomenology for thermodynamics of strong-coupling superconductors

We show that reduced critical fields, entropies, and specific heats of superconductors, regardless of “coupling-strength,” can be fitted essentially within experimental errors by curves appropriate to a system of independent fermion quasiparticles. The analysis proceeds from the formula for the entropy of a system of independent fermionsS=−k B Σ [f lnf+(1−f) ln (1−f)], where we take the quasiparticle spectrum to be the same as in the BCS (weak-coupling) theoryE 2 =(e 2 +Δ2). The temperature dependence of the energy gap is also taken to be the same as in the BCS theory, the only adjustable parameter being the gap ratio Δ(0)/k B T c . The necessary values of this ratio are found to be in reasonable agreement with the experimental values deduced from electron tunneling and infrared absorption. Some speculations are offered for the paradoxical success of this simple model, based on analogies with the effects of strong coupling in the normal state.
Artificial rearing of the Black Sea turbot larvae (Scophthalmus maeoticus)

Abstract Eggs were taken both from spawners which matured under natural conditions and were brought on board by a trawl and from those kept in special tanks ashore. The incubation period at 16°C was about 4 days. The initial food consisted of wild microzooplankton and rotifers ( Brachionus plicatilis ) at a density of 1 organism per ml, with dinoflagellates added to some diets. The rate of yolk sac absorption depended on temperature and was found to be highest at 19°C. Variations in food concentration (from 0.1 to 10 organisms per ml) did not result in any significant change of the percentage of feeding larvae or of their daily diet. The duration of digestion of one food batch (of the rotifer B. plicatilis ) ranged from 3 to 5 h. The highest survival was observed when the larvae began to be fed some 120–140 h after hatching. Food selectivity indices calculated according to Ivlev's method showed that the Black Sea turbot larvae preferred larval bivalve mollusks among wild zooplankton, and that if these were not available they fed on gastropod larvae and copepod nauplii. For some unknown reason all the larvae died 8–10 days after hatching on reaching a length of 3.9–4.0 mm.
A radial cell model for a tubular polymerization reactor

A cell model for the prediction of temperature and concentration gradients in a nonisothermal tubular polymerization reactor at steady state is presented. Both radial and longitudinal gradients are considered. The complete molecular weight distribution is calculated as well as the leading moments of the distribution. The model is easily reduced to predict the performance of a plug-flow tubular reactor, batch reactor, and continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The specific polymerization mechanism application consists of free-radical initiation, propagation, and combination termination.
A simple estimator for partial linear regression with endogenous nonparametric variables

We propose a simple kernel estimator for semiparametric partial linear models with endogeneity in the nonparametric function. Compared to the existing backfitting estimator, our estimator is notationally simpler and relatively easier to implement. We also discuss data-driven bandwidth selection to implement this estimator in practice. Monte Carlo exercises show that the finite sample performance of these two estimators is similar.
Testing the predation stress hypothesis: behavioural and hormonal responses to predator cues in Allegheny Mountain dusky salamanders

The predation stress hypothesis posits that exposure to predators and/or predator cues causes release of glucocorticoid hormones which coordinate behavioural responses that facilitate predator avoidance. We measured responses to short-term and repeated exposure to predator-derived kairomones in Allegheny Mountain dusky salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus). Salamanders expressed predator avoidance behaviours (reduced locomotion, reduced mating behaviour) in the presence of predator kairomones. However, plasma glucocorticoids after short-term exposure to predator kairomones were similar to levels after exposure to controls. After repeated exposure to predator-derived kairomones, locomotory activity and plasma glucocorticoids were similar compared to controls. There was no evidence of habituation to predator kairomones. Overall, results did not support the predation stress hypothesis in Allegheny Mountain dusky salamanders in either an acute or chronic context. Use of glucocorticoids to mediate antipredator responses may occur when predation pressure is unpredictable, and when energetic and opportunity costs of linking glucocorticoids to anti-predator responses are low.
Analytical characterization of a Bruderhedral calibration target model

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has constructed a variation of the bruderhedral calibration and radar cross section (RCS) target model and measured its radar characteristics in the field. A computer version of the same model was generated, and later characterized in both elevation and azimuth for validation. Our goal is to develop a millimeter-wave (MMW) signature generation tool for guidance integrated fuzing (GIF) systems and applications. Before realizing this goal, one must develop a test-bed of tools and approaches upon which to build. ARL has identified approaches to developing generic analytical target-signature models based on some existing electromagnetic scattering codes. A high-frequency RCS and signature prediction software model was selected to perform the radar analysis and provide a mechanism, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) model, for recognizing prominent scatterers off high-fidelity target models. This method will assist us in creating suitable far- to near-field 3-D transitional models at MMW frequencies. Two target model descriptions were used in the signature prediction model: a flat facet format and a curved surface format. This paper introduces these software models, and some optics and SAR considerations relating to the test wavelength and the size of the target. Also, the simulated azimuthal and elevation response patterns, along with some results from the SAR model, are presented.
Re: Ways We Contribute: Students, Instructors, and Pedagogies in the Computer-Mediated Writing Classroom

Abstract This article uses situated evaluation to study synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) in a required graduate seminar in composition studies. The findings show that CMC in itself does not change classroom practices; instead, CMC must be viewed in connection with the goals of the institution, instructors, and students. Analysis also indicates that CMC does not necessarily encourage equal participation. On the contrary, it can increase conflict and lead to tensions on- and offline. The article goes on to recommend a pedagogy that not only allows for conflict resolution but uses dissent to critique conformity and homogeneity in the classroom.
Effects of pH and ionic strength on sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin transport in saturated porous media.

Abstract Many antibiotics regarded as emerging contaminants have been frequently detected in soils and groundwater; however, their transport behaviors in soils remain largely unknown. This study examined the transport of two antibiotics, sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), in saturated porous media. Laboratory columns packed with quartz sand was used to test the effects of solution pH and ionic strength (IS) on their retention and transport. The results showed that these two antibiotics behaved differently in the saturated sand columns. In general, SMZ manifested a much higher mobility than CIP for all experimental conditions tested. Almost all SMZ transported through the columns within one pore volume in deionized water (i.e., pH = 5.6, IS = 0), but no CIP was detected in the effluents under the same condition after extended column flushing. Perturbations in solution pH (5.6 and 9.5) and IS (0 and 0.1 M) showed no effect on SMZ transport in the saturated columns. When pH increased to 9.5, however, ~ 93% of CIP was eluted from the sand columns. Increase of IS from 0 to 0.1 M also slightly changed the distribution of adsorbed CIP within the sand column at pH 5.6, but still no CIP was detected in the effluents. A mathematical model based on advection–dispersion equation coupled with equilibrium and kinetic reactions successfully simulated the transport of the antibiotics in water-saturated porous media with R 2 = 0.99.
Managing boundary-spanning marketing activities for supply-chain efficiency

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to advance and empirically investigate how perceived organisational support influences marketing managers' boundary-spanning marketing activities (cross-functional communication and customer connections), and how these activities subsequently impact supply-chain efficiency. By analysing survey responses from 348 marketing managers, we demonstrate that a supportive organisational climate provides managerial incentives not only to develop strong allegiance to the welfare of multi-foci groups within the organisation but also to engage in active cross-functional market intelligence exchange and customer servicing, which in turn leads to superior supply-chain efficiencies. The paper offers strategic guides to both academicians and practitioners on how to promote marketing managers' role in strengthening dependencies among various functional departments for cohesive product, service, and financial offerings.