cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
29 Radiation promotes transdifferentiation of glioblastoma stem cells into vascular cell types

Introduction Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal, highly vascularized tumour that displays radio- and chemotherapeutic resistance. A subset of tumour cells with robust self-renewing potential, and developmental plasticity, glioblastoma stem cells (GSC) are implicated in tumour recurrence and resistance. Prior studies indicate that the transdifferentiation capacity of GSCs into endothelial cells (EC) and pericytes (PC), the key cellular components of the vasculature is a major determinant of tumour recurrence. This capacity for transdifferentiation into vascular cells is also exhibited by normal astrocytes and neural stem cells (NSCs). Recent work has demonstrated that GSC-derived ECs are predominantly found in recurrent tumours relative to matched primary tumours implying that therapy may promote GSC plasticity. This notion is supported by earlier studies that showed ionising radiation promotes dedifferentiation of non-GSCs into GSCs. Based on these findings, we hypothesised that radiotherapy induces GSC transdifferentiation into ECs and PCs to promote tumour growth and recurrence. Material and methods We used NSCs and patient-derived GBM primary and recurrent tumour lines from different molecular subtypes to test the effects of clinically relevant doses of radiation on GSC conversion to vascular cell types. Quantitative RT-PCR, immunostaining and flow cytometry was used to verify for EC and PC marker expression in radiated and non-radiated cells. Matrigel tube formation and low-density lipoprotein uptake assay were performed to determine if radiated GSCs produce functional vascular cells. Patient tumour lines were transplanted into NOD-SCID mice to generate GBM tumours in vivo . Non-radiated and radiated tumours were immunostained for GSC and vascular markers. Results and discussions Radiation increased both EC and PC marker expression in GSCs irrespective of their molecular subtype and mutation spectrum. Radiated GSCs exhibited tubular network formation on matrigel and uptake of labelled low-density lipoprotein akin to normal ECs indicating that GSCs produce functional endothelial-like cells. Radiation also enhanced GSC conversion to vascular cells in in vivo mouse GBM tumour xenografts. Conclusion Based on these findings, we conclude that radiation-therapy promotes GSC plasticity and transdifferentiation into vascular cells. Ongoing experiments are aimed at determining the functional relevance of radiaiton-induced GSC-derived vascular cells in blood vessel formation and tumour recurrence in vivo .
Approaches to the Selective Catalytic Conversion of Lignin: A Grand Challenge for Biorefinery Development

Lignin comprises 15–25% of terrestrial biomass and is the second most abundant source of renewable carbon after cellulose. However, its structural heterogeneity frustrates efforts for its selective conversion into biobased chemicals. Catalyst design for lignin transformation offers an opportunity to improve selectivity, and, hence, improve lignin’s utility as a raw material in chemical production. Catalytic deconstruction and conversion of lignin has been examined using a variety of thermochemical treatments, analogous to those used in the petrochemical industry. However, the complex nature of these products limits their utility. More recently, greater focus has been given to an understanding of lignin’s molecular level structure, and designing catalysts that can be targeted to key individual structural units within the biopolymer. This review gives a sense of the field by providing a representative description of recent developments in some of the primary technologies employed for lignin conversion and approaches that promise to improve selectivity.
Education and youth agency: qualitative case studies in global contexts

‘The World has a problem: Too many young people’ reads the title of an article in the New York Times Sunday review (Somini, 2016). From the New York Times to the World Bank, the world’s rising yout...
Valuation of improved air quality in Utah County, USA

A contingent valuation approach was used to estimate maximum willingness-to-pay for improved air quality in Utah County. Respondents demonstrated a high rate of concern over poor air quality and averaged a willingness-to-pay of $37 per month per household. Noniterative openended questions were used successfully. No information bias was observed but benchmark values did influence bids. Willingness-to-pay for improved air quality was large for both sexes and across all income groups, ages, and occupations.
Equalizing rural health professionals' information access: Lessons from a follow-up outreach project

Abstract A follow-up outreach project was undertaken to extend and reinforce the work of a National Library of Medicine-funded outreach project conducted in west central Illinois in 1991. The participants included five of the eight original sites as well as additional populations. An evolving partnership with the state's Center for Rural Health expanded the project's geographic area statewide. Evaluation showed benefits of varied training formats, reexposure to end-user searching, and the importance of "readiness." Follow-up training and longer trials for practice searching resulted in greater volume of search and document delivery activity. Varied training formats proved successful in reaching specific groups. Loansome Doc activity throughout the eighteen-month project suggested sustained use of Grateful Med beyond the two-month trial periods. The introduction of Grateful Med/Loansome Doc to unaffiliated health professionals is an important component in equalizing information access. Future information service initiatives are suggested to meet the challenge of building a rural information infrastructure and support system for health professionals.
Anharmonic effects on the resonance line shape of 238U in UO2—II: On the evaluation of the cubic, quartic and thermal phonon shifts and the cubic phonon widths

Abstract This is the second of three papers dealing with the anharmonic resonance line of U in the UO2 crystal lattice structure. The total phonon shifts and widths are obtained anharmonically by retaining the cubic and quartic terms in the expansion of the crystal's potential energy in powers of the displacements of the atoms from their equilibrium positions. Both the cubic phonon shifts and widths are expressed in tems of the Legendre functions of the first and second kind, respectively.
New light on the mycological work of Lewis David von Schweinitz

In 1993, the Farlow Reference Library of Cryptogamic Botany at Harvard University received a gift of a slim volume, entitled Icones fungorum Niskiensium. Vibrant water colour illustrations of fungi covered the pages bound within it. It was attributed to Lewis David von Schweinitz, the American born “father” of North American mycology. Schweinitz coauthored his first mycological publication with Johannes Baptista von Albertini in Germany, 1805: Conspectus fungorum in Lusatiae superioris agro Nieskiensi crescentium (An overview of fungi growing in the area of Niesky in Upper Lusatia), now considered a classic mycological text. Schweinitz, a prolific and skillful mycological illustrator, prepared the plates of illustrations appended to the Conspectus and produced many unpublished water colours of the fungi treated therein. The results of our research into the provenance of the Icones fungorum Niskiensium are presented here. Building upon recent scholarship, we provide analysis of its role in the early development of the Conspectus. An index to the figures, cross-referenced to Schweinitz’s other unpublished volumes of water colours and to the Conspectus, is also provided. To make the Icones fungorum Niskiensium publically available, the volume has been digitized and may be accessed through the Biodiversity Hertitage Library (BHL) portal.
Bugs and Poppies: Heteroptera Associated with Developing and Mature Capsules (Fruits) of Papaver somniferum L. (Papaveraceae)

Opium or breadseed poppy (Papaver somniferum L.; Papaveraceae) is planted as an ornamental and widely cultivated for diverse uses, but especially as a source of alkaloids such as codeine and morphine. Despite a mature knowledge of the plant's biochemistry, its insect fauna is not well known, except for species of economic importance. In a South Carolina botanical garden, the Heteroptera associated with capsules (fruits) of P. somniferum were observed periodically from 2017 to 2019. Adults of the polyphagous coreid Leptoglossus phyllopus (L.) colonized poppies in mid- to late May and mated on immature (and later on ripened) capsules. As capsules mature, their encircling apical pores open to allow seeds to disperse, which also permitted early instars of the coreid to enter. Larger holes in the parchment-like capsule walls (pericarp), which might be made by downy woodpeckers, facilitated entry by later instars. Nymphs, typically late instars, and adults on the surface of immature capsules were observed with their stylets inserted in the pericarp, suggesting that they feed on developing seeds. It is not known if nymphs with stylets inserted in the pericarp of mature capsules, or those inside capsules, are able to feed on mature seeds. Nymphs of the rhyparochromid seed bug Neopamera bilobata (Say) fed only within dry capsules where they apparently developed on ripened seeds. Capsules serve as a food source for poppy-associated bugs, but those that enter via pores or larger openings on the pericarp might minimize desiccation and be more protected from rain, wind, and natural enemies than if they remained exposed on the surface. Nymphs and adults of the pentatomid Euschistus servus (Say) and adults of the rhyparochromid Atrazonotus umbrosus (Distant) also were observed on or in capsules, but their relationship to P. somniferum was not determined.
Chloride migration characteristics and reliability of reinforced concrete highway structures in Pennsylvania

Abstract An experimental study was conducted to assess the chloride migration resistance of concrete used for bridge superstructure and substructure projects in the state of Pennsylvania. A total of 68 concrete mixes were sampled and tested to determine the chloride migration coefficient using NT Build 492. A subset of these samples was also examined using the rapid chloride migration and surface resistivity tests. The tested samples exhibit a wide variation in aggregate rock type, cementitious materials and mix proportions. The results show that the concrete migration coefficient varied from 0.54 × 10−12 m2/s for a concrete with 59.4% cement type I, 35% slag and 5.5% silica fume to 30.62 × 10−12 m2/s for a concrete with 100% cement type I, the average migration for all samples was 9.51 × 10−12 m2/s. A statistical analysis shows correlation between migration coefficient, compressive strength, and water/cement ratio but no correlation with aggregate absorption, air entrainment, or aggregate type. The results were utilized to evaluate the life-cycle performance of bridge decks constructed for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Reliability analyses were carried out, where the limit state consisted in the chloride content in concrete at the depth of the reinforcement reaching the critical chloride content for the reinforcing steel corrosion initiation. The chloride diffusion over time was modeled with a probabilistic implementation of Fick’s 2nd law and the evolution of reliability was assessed. The impact of the chloride migration on the expected service life of superstructure components shows that 75% of tested concrete when used with uncoated reinforcement has a 10% likelihood of corrosion initiation within 15 years. This service life is extended to 30 years when epoxy coated reinforcement is used.
Spatial Use and Survival of Sympatric Populations of New England and Eastern Cottontails in Connecticut

Abstract The New England cottontail (NEC) Sylvilagus transitionalis is strongly associated with shrubland and early successional habitat and is the only cottontail native to the U.S. Northeast. The...
Immune checkpoint inhibitor nephrotoxicity: Update 2020

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) have transformed the landscape of oncology, but are associated with a variety of autoimmune adverse events, including acute kidney injury (AKI). ICPI-associated AKI (ICPI-AKI) is emerging as an increasingly frequent cause of AKI in cancer patients, and poses unique diagnostic and management challenges to clinicians who care for these patients. In this review, we describe the incidence and risk factors for ICPI-AKI, including proton pump inhibitor use, CKD, and combination immunotherapy. We discuss the limitations of the various definitions used for ICPI-AKI in prior studies, and propose a novel classification system (definite, probable, and possible ICPI-AKI) that recognizes the diagnostic uncertainty inherent in many cases. We discuss the key clinicopathologic features and treatment strategies for ICPI-AKI, including the role of kidney biopsy versus empiric treatment with steroids. We also explore the under-studied area of ICPI use in the setting of solid organ transplantation, where nephrologists and oncologists must balance the risk of rejection versus treating the underlying malignancy. Finally, we summarize existing data on the role of ICPI re-challenge following an episode of ICPI-AKI.
Private Equity Acquisitions of Physician Medical Groups Across Specialties, 2013-2016

This study characterizes practice characteristics and specialties of physicians and medical groups acquired by private equity firms between 2013 and 2016.
10 – Adventitious Toxins

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights dietary constituents selected by fish husbandrymen, and the effects of toxicants within these constituents on the fish. The formulation and preparation of pelleted fish diets are dynamic, everchanging processes, influenced strongly by the availability, price, and quality of constituents. These plant materials are usually more reasonable in price than animal products, but they can present problems through the presence of naturally occurring antimetabolites. Two toxins, tetrodotoxin and dinogunellin, found naturally in the liver, ovaries, and roe of certain fish could potentially enter fish diets if these fish species were inadvertently included with fish being prepared for fish meal or wet fish. Contamination of food ingredients by organic chemicals occurs in two primary ways: long-term, low-level contamination of the environment from gradual diffusion of persistent chemicals and their subsequent uptake and bioaccumulation in the food chain and shorter-term, higher-level contamination stemming from industrial accidents and waste disposal. Both of these sources of contamination contribute prominently to the body burden of contaminants in feral fishes.
Differentially Private Nonlinear Canonical Correlation Analysis

Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) is a well-documented subspace learning approach widely used to seek for hidden sources common to two or multiple datasets. CCA has been applied in various learning tasks, such as dimensionality reduction, blind source separation, classification, and data fusion. Specifically, CCA aims at finding the subspaces for multi-view datasets, such that the projections of the multiple views onto the sought subspace is maximally correlated. However, simple linear projections may not be able to exploit general nonlinear projections, which motivates the development of nonlinear CCA. However, both conventional CCA and its non-linear variants do not take into consideration the data privacy, which is crucial especially when coping with personal data. To address this limitation, the present paper studies differentially private (DP) scheme for nonlinear CCA with privacy guarantee. Numerical tests on real datasets are carried out to showcase the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
“Does it have to be a real story?” A social semiotic assessment of an emergent writer

Standardized writing assessments based in linear progressions position teachers for deficit views of young children’s emergent writing development. Consequently, the researcher video recorded a wri...
CAESAR Model-Based Approach to Harness Design

In this paper we describe a system called the Computer Aided Engineering for Spacecraft System Architectures Tool Suite, or CAESAR for short, a platform for enabling model-based system engineering (MBSE). CAESAR recognizes that engineers are already likely to use models, but they typically keep the models private, only interpreting model information into documents or presentations that become project baseline. MBSE needs to enable more automated sharing of information directly between models to ensure model consistency, improve the rigor of engineering process, and ultimately, reduce the effort needed to get a clear answer to engineering questions. We explain the features of CAESAR, and describe how these features were leveraged in a case study where CAESAR was used to develop a model-based process for spacecraft electrical interface design and harness specification for the Europa Clipper flight project.
Techno-economic and environmental assessments for nutrient-rich biochar production from cattle manure: A case study in Idaho, USA

Abstract Bioproducts from biomass feedstocks and organic wastes have shown great potential to address challenges across food-energy-water systems. However, bioproducts production is at an early, nascent stage that requires new inventions and cost-reducing approaches to meet market needs. Biochar, a byproduct of the pyrolysis process, derived from nutrient-rich biomass feedstocks (e.g., cattle manure and poultry litter) is one of these bioproducts that has numerous applications, such as improving soil fertility and crop productivity. This study investigates the market opportunity and sustainability benefits of converting manure to biochar on-site, using a portable refinery unit. Techno-economic and environmental impact assessments are conducted on a real case study in Twin Falls, Idaho, USA. The techno-economic analysis includes a stochastic optimization model to calculate the total cost of biochar production and distribution. The environmental study employs a life cycle assessment method to evaluate the global warming potential of manure-to-biochar production and distribution network. The total cost of biochar production from cattle manure near the feedlots is approximately $237 per metric ton, and total emission is 951 kg CO2 eq. per metric ton. The on-site operation and manure moisture content are two key parameters that can reduce biochar unit price and carbon footprint of manure management. It is concluded that converting cattle manure, using the presented strategy and process near the collection sites can address upstream and midstream sustainability challenges and stimulate the biochar industry.
Development of malignancies and their outcomes in patients supported on continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices-a systematic review.

Background: With increased use of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVAD), development of malignant tumors in this population is not uncommon. We sought to evaluate malignancies in CF-LVAD patients and evaluate the outcomes of treatment strategies. Methods: Overall, 18 articles consisting of 28 patients were identified who developed malignancies after CF-LVAD placement. Patient-level data were extracted for systematic review. Results: Median patient age was 60 years [59–67] and 85.7% (24/28) were male. CF-LVAD was placed as bridge-to-transplant (BTT) in 60.9% (14/23) of patients. The three most common malignancy types were GI in 35.7% (10/28) of patients, lung in 21.4% (6/28) and skin in 10.7% (3/28). Median time from CF-LVAD implant to malignancy diagnosis was 6.9 [2.5–12.8] months. Metastatic disease occurred in 17.9% (5/28) over a median time of 5.0 [1.0–82.0] months from the diagnosis. Surgical resection of the malignancy was performed in 57.1% (16/28) of patients. Our results showed that while there was a significantly higher probability of survival among patients who underwent surgery versus those who did not, when only stage I and II patients were included in the analysis, this difference was no longer statistically significant. Three patients were relisted for heart transplant after surgical treatment, and two received the transplant. Conclusions: Surgical management of malignancies in patients on CF-LVADs may improve survival and transplant eligibility status, therefore, a CF-LVAD should not always preclude surgical treatment.
Pointwise lower scalar curvature bounds for $$C^0$$C0 metrics via regularizing Ricci flow

In this paper we propose a class of local definitions of weak lower scalar curvature bounds that is well defined for $$C^0$$ metrics. We show the following: that our definitions are stable under greater-than-second-order perturbation of the metric, that there exists a reasonable notion of a Ricci flow starting from $$C^0$$ initial data which is smooth for positive times, and that the weak lower scalar curvature bounds are preserved under evolution by the Ricci flow from $$C^0$$ initial data.
Research and Policy Perspectives on Data-Based Decision Making in Education:

The suite of papers in this special Teachers College Recordissue on data-driven decision making in education reflects a burgeoning subdiscipline of scholarship on the topic that has been stimulated...
Local extreme learning machines and domain decomposition for solving linear and nonlinear partial differential equations

Abstract We present a neural network-based method for solving linear and nonlinear partial differential equations , by combining the ideas of extreme learning machines (ELM), domain decomposition and local neural networks. The field solution on each sub-domain is represented by a local feed-forward neural network , and C k continuity conditions are imposed on the sub-domain boundaries. Each local neural network consists of a small number of hidden layers, while its last hidden layer can be wide. The weight/bias coefficients in all the hidden layers of the local neural networks are pre-set to random values and fixed throughout the computation, and only the weight coefficients in the output layers of the local neural networks are training parameters. The overall neural network is trained by a linear or nonlinear least squares computation, not by the back-propagation type algorithms. We introduce a block time-marching scheme together with the presented method for long-time simulations of time-dependent linear/nonlinear partial differential equations. The current method exhibits a clear sense of convergence with respect to the degrees of freedom in the neural network. Its numerical errors typically decrease exponentially or nearly exponentially as the number of training parameters, or the number of training data points , or the number of sub-domains increases. Extensive numerical experiments have been performed to demonstrate the computational performance of the presented method. We also demonstrate its capability for long-time dynamic simulations with some test problems. We compare the presented method with the deep Galerkin method (DGM) and the physics-informed neural network (PINN) method in terms of the accuracy and computational cost. The current method exhibits a clear superiority, with its numerical errors and network training time considerably smaller (typically by orders of magnitude) than those of DGM and PINN. We also compare the current method with the classical finite element method (FEM). The computational performance of the current method is on par with, and often exceeds, the FEM performance in terms of the accuracy and computational cost.
114 The Patient's Perspective: Burn Reconstructive Surgery During the Pandemic

Introduction The novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created profound challenges in healthcare delivery Hospital systems have delayed or shut down elective surgeries and outpatient care These measures resulted in profound disruptions to burn treatment regarding reconstructive care from surgery to therapy This study aims to characterize burn patients' perspectives on elective reconstructive surgery during COVID-19 Methods As part of a quality improvement initiative, a 12-component questionnaire to burn patients awaiting reconstructive surgery at a single ABA verified Burn Center during COVID-19 was conducted Responses regarding willingness to undergo reconstruction during COVID-19, perceived medical and personal impacts of COVID-19, and perspectives on telehealth were gathered Surveys were administered over the phone in English and Spanish to burn patients or to primary caregivers in the case of pediatric patients Results We surveyed 23 participants who met our inclusion criteria Average age was 23 and 43% were male We found 22 (96%) patients were willing to undergo reconstruction during the COVID-19 pandemic Table 1 outlines the responses to questions regarding telehealth and being a burn patient during COVID-19 Examples of stressors experienced by patients and their families due to COVID-19 included: inability to communicate with healthcare providers in person, increased anxiety in public places, delayed surgical care, and interruption of physical or occupational therapy Family members in 5 out of the 8 Spanish speaking households lost their job due to COVID-19, resulting in financial stress for the burn patient Conclusions The majority of patients expressed strong desires to return to surgical and therapy care delayed by COVID-19 Patients reported feeling especially vulnerable as burn patients and cited receiving healthcare and financial stressors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as the main causes
US Primary Care vs Specialty Care Trainee Positions and Physician Incomes: Trends From 2001 to 2019.

Background Much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and subsequent US health care policies were designed to address deficiencies in health care access and enhance primary care services. How residency positions and physician incomes have changed in the post-ACA era is not well characterized. Objective We evaluated the growth of US trainee positions and physician income, in the pre- vs post-ACA environment by specialty and among primary care vs specialty care. Methods Total resident complement by specialty and year was extracted from the National Graduate Medical Education (GME) Census and stratified into primary care vs specialty care. Median incomes were extracted from Medical Group Management Association surveys. Piecewise linear regression with interaction terms (pre-ACA, 2001-2010, vs post-ACA, 2011-2019) assessed growth rate by specialty and growth rate differences between primary care and specialty care. Sensitivity analyses were performed by focusing on family medicine and excluding additional GME positions contributed by the introduction of the 2015 single GME accreditation system. Results Resident complements increased for primary care (+0.16%/year pre-ACA to +2.06%/year post-ACA, P < .001) and specialty care (+1.49%/year to +2.07%/year, P = .005). Specialty care growth outpaced primary care pre-ACA (P < .001) but not post-ACA (P = .10). Family medicine had the largest increase in the pre- vs post-ACA era (-0.77%/year vs +2.09%/year, P < .001). Excluding positions contributed by the single GME accreditation system transition did not result in any statistically significant changes to the findings. Income growth increased for primary care (+0.84%/year to +1.37%/year, P = .044), but decreased for specialty care (+1.44%/year to +0.49%/year, P = .011). Specialty care income growth outpaced primary care pre-ACA (P < .001), but not post-ACA (P = .22). Conclusions We found significant growth differences in resident complement and income among primary care versus specialty care in the pre-/post-ACA eras.
Picosecond Interferometry of Laser Fusion Targets

Laser induced fusion is the forerunner of a class of inertial confinement schemes in which hydrogen isotopes are heated to thermonuclear conditions in a very short period. The process is characterized by such short time scales that fuel confinement is achieved through its’ own finite mass and expansion velocity, approaching 1 μm/psec for ignition temperatures of order 10 keV (108 °K). With current laser powers limited to several terrawatts one readily estimates, on the basis of energy conservation, target mass, and expansion velocity, that target size and laser pulse duration are on the order of 100 μm and 100 psec, respectively. Within these constraints, targets have been heated and confined to the point where thermonuclear conditions have been achieved [1]. An important aspect affecting implosion dynamics is the process through which light is absorbed and apportioned between thermal and non-thermal particle distributions. In this paper we briefly review candidate absorption mechanisms, pointing out that the dominance of one or the other is strongly dependent on electron density gradient lengths in the surrounding plasma atmosphere. Since the gradient lengths are roughly proportional to sound speed times laser pulse heating time, we expect different mechanisms to dominate in short ∿ 100 psec) and long (≳ 1 nsec) irradiation experiments.
Cortical GluN2B deletion attenuates punished suppression of food reward-seeking

Compulsive behavior, which is a hallmark of psychiatric disorders such as addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder, engages corticostriatal circuits. Previous studies indicate a role for corticostriatal N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in mediating compulsive-like responding for drugs of abuse, but the specific receptor subunits controlling reward-seeking in the face of punishment remain unclear. The current study assessed the involvement of corticostriatal GluN2B-containing NMDARs in measures of persistent and punished food reward-seeking. Mice with genetic deletion of GluN2B in one of three distinct neuronal populations, cortical principal neurons, forebrain interneurons, or striatal medium spiny neurons, were tested for (1) sustained food reward-seeking when reward was absent, (2) reward-seeking under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement, and (3) persistent reward-seeking after a footshock punishment. Mutant mice with genetic deletion of GluN2B in cortical principal neurons demonstrated attenuated suppression of reward-seeking during punishment. These mice performed normally on other behavioral measures, including an assay for pain sensitivity. Mutants with interneuronal or striatal GluN2B deletions were normal on all behavioral assays. Current findings offer novel evidence that loss of GluN2B-containing NMDARs expressed on principal neurons in the cortex results in reduced punished food reward-seeking. These data support the involvement of GluN2B subunit in cortical circuits regulating cognitive flexibility in a variety of settings, with implications for understanding the basis of inflexible behavior in neuropsychiatric disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) and addictions.
Higgs boson at the Fermilab Tevatron in extended supersymmetric models

Supersymmetric models with an additional singlet field offer the Higgs boson the possibility to decay to two pseudoscalars, a. If the mass of these pseudoscalars is above the bb threshold, a{yields}bb is generically the dominant decay mode. The decay h{yields}aa{yields}bbbb may be seen above backgrounds at the Tevatron if the Higgs production cross section is enhanced relative to that of the standard model.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) was the first form of cognitive behavioral therapy founded by the American psychologist Albert Ellis. According to the ABC model of REBT, the impact of various activating events (e.g., the death of a close relative; A) on various psychological consequences (C) is mediated by cognitive processes (cognitions/beliefs; B). REBT focuses on specific cognitions, namely rational and irrational beliefs. Rational beliefs are logically, empirically, and/or pragmatically supported, and generate functional consequences (e.g., functional feelings, adaptive behaviors). Irrational beliefs are illogical, nonempirical, and/or nonpragmatic, and generate dysfunctional consequences (e.g., dysfunctional feelings, maladaptive behaviors). REBT has been tested in hundreds of studies and summarized in various meta-analyses/reviews, which support the main ideas of the original theory and the general efficacy/effectiveness of practice, but also invalidate some proposals of the original model. REBT supports a progressive research program and innovative practice in the clinical field. Keywords: Ellis, Albert; mental health; psychotherapies; clinical psychology; cognitive behavior therapy; rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)
Verbal polysemy resolution through contextualized clustering of arguments

Natural language is characterized by a high degree of polysemy, and the majority of content words accept multiple interpretations. However, this does not significantly complicate natural language understanding. Native speakers rely on context to assign the correct sense to each word in an utterance. NLP applications, such as automated word sense disambiguation, require the ability to identify correctly context elements that activate each sense. Our goal in this work is to address the problem of contrasting semantics of the arguments as the source of meaning differentiation for the predicate. We investigate different factors that influence the way sense differentiation for predicates is accomplished in composition and develop a method for identifying semantically diverse arguments that activate the same sense of a polysemous predicate. The method targets specifically polysemous verbs, with an easy extension to other polysemous words. The proposed unsupervised learning method is completely automatic and relies exclusively on distributional information, intentionally eschewing the use of human-constructed knowledge sources and annotated data. We develop the notion of selectional equivalence for polysemous predicates and propose a method for contextualizing the representation of a lexical item with respect to the particular context provided by the predicate. We also present the first attempt at developing a sense-annotated data set that targets sense distinctions dependent predominantly on semantics of a single argument as the source of disambiguation for the predicate. We analyze the difficulties involved in doing semantic annotation for such task. We examine different types of relations within sense inventories and give a qualitative analysis of the effects they have on decisions made by the annotators, as well as annotator error. The developed data set is used to evaluate the quality of the proposed clustering method. The output is adapted for evaluation within a standard sense induction paradigm. We use several evaluation measures to assess different aspects of the algorithm’s performance. Relative to the baselines, we outperform the best systems in the recent SEMEVAL sense induction task (Agirre et al., 2007) on two out of three measures. We also discuss further extensions and possible uses for the proposed automatic algorithm, including the identification of selectional behavior of complex nominals (Pustejovsky, 1995) and the disambiguation of noun phrases with semantically weak head nouns.
Chapter 16 Looking to the future as keepers of the dam

Publisher Summary Despite the extreme delicacy of the alveolar capillary membrane, the pulmonary microvascular endothelium normally functions faithfully as an effective and selective barrier, thereby protecting the lung parenchyma and the alveoli from excesses of the blood fluid, bioactive molecules, and cellular components, while allowing optimal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide critical to life. Advances in cellular, molecular, and biomechanical sciences have enabled the appreciation and understanding of the construction and function of the endothelial barrier, as well as the many important regulatory functions of the endothelium. Thus, as keepers of the dam, an intimate acquaintance with its composition, maintenance, and regulation is needed. There is a growing recognition that even moderate endothelial dysfunction in any anatomic site contributes to the pathological processes leading to diverse acute and chronic, vascular, and organ dysfunction. This chapter highlights integrated presentation of the advancements in endothelial biology and the development of a view toward the expansion of the comprehension of endothelial functional integrity.
Linear piezoelectric step motors

The design of a linear step motor using piezoelectric material is presented. The principle of operation is based on the characteristics of piezoelectric ceramics, which have a relationship between pressure and voltage. This motor can achieve a very-high-precision positioning. The resolution can be as high as 0.1 mu m to 10 AA, depending on the operating voltages and the dimension of the piezoelectric ceramic for a specific application. Due to the slow response of the mechanical clutches, the system cannot be driven very fast. It takes 10/sup 4/ s to generate a 2.74 cm displacement. >
937 HUMAN NEONATAL POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE (PMNL) ANTIBODY-DEPENDENT CELLULAR-CYTOTOXICITY (ADCC) TO HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS (HSV) INFECTED CELLS

ADCC is an important antiviral immune mechanism. Human neonatal cells have lymphocyte ADCC and functional PMNL defects. We therefore analyzed the ability of dextran sedimented, ficoll hypaque centrifuged purified cord blood PMNL from full term healthy infants to kill HSV infected target cells in an 18 hr 51 Cr release assay. At an effector to target cell ratio (E:T) of 100:1, ADCC activity of PMNL from 10 cord blood samples (45.1±6.2) was no different than that of PMNL from healthy adults (46.8±9.6). E:T analysis from 100:1 to 30:1 revealed identical values for all 8 sets of neonatal and adult PMNL tested. Antibody concentration requirements were similar for all 3 sets of neonatal and adult cells tested with activity at immune sera concentrations of 1/20 but none at 1/1000. There was no difference in ADCC activity of PMNL from neonates born by vaginal (44.1 ± 11.3) or Caesarian section (45.8 ±7.8) deliveries. These data demonstrate the normal function of cord blood PMNL in ADCC and highlight the importance of antibody against HSV in neonatal HSV infection. Supported by NIH grants 1 PO1 HD 13021, and AI 14450
Measuring the impact of inaccurate inventory information on a retail outlet

Purpose – This research aims to consider the impact of common inventory system inaccuracies that occur in retail outlets on the inventory levels, fill rate, and service level of those outlets by simulating daily customer demand and random error in the inventory system.Design/methodology/approach – The simulation experiments vary the amount of inventory system error, the frequency of inventory record error correction, the size of the daily demand, the number of days in the replenishment system's review interval, and the replenishment system's customer service level.Findings – Inventory system error and the frequency with which the error is corrected are statistically significant for fill rate and service level. Thus, inaccuracies in inventory levels affect a retail outlet's ability to service its customers, though at the single SKU level, the results do not indicate a practical impact due to countervailing effects.Practical implications – Retail outlets must be aware that error exists and can influence the...
Food deprivation alters behavioral and plasma corticosterone responses to phencyclidine in rats.

Abstract Phencyclidine (PCP) sensitivity of rats, whose body weights were maintained at 70% of free-feeding controls, was compared to drug sensitivity on the controls in terms of unconditioned (exploratory) behavior and plasma corticosterone levels. Low doses of PCP HCl [0 (saline vehicle), 0.3 or 0.9 mg/kg, SC] were given to food-deprived rats and to free-feeding controls 15 minutes before measuring unconditioned behavior for 90 minutes; then PCP in brain and corticosterone in plasma were assayed. An additional group (0.43 mg/kg) was established from the reduced-weight rats in order to compare with free-feeding rats given 0.3 mg/kg, the same absolute dose—a circumstance reflecting “street” usage in which doses are not adjusted for body weight differences among users. These low doses of PCP altered exploratory behaviors, but there did not appear to be an interaction between food-deprivational status and drug, with the possible exception of an altered effect of PCP upon habituation in the lighter animals. PCP elevated plasma corticosterone levels over saline controls only in the reduced-weight rats. The drug, possibly reflecting a tranquilizing action of the lowest dose, reduced corticosterone levels in free-feeding controls. Brain levels of drug were directly related to dose, and were elevated in the food-deprived animals 26–30% over those at the same per-weight dose levels in the free-feeding rats, in spite of being given lower absolute amounts of drug. In the 0.43 mg/kg reduced-weight dose group, given the same absolute dose as the 0.3 mg/kg free-feeding group, brain levels were doubled over the latter group, and exploratory behavior was correspondingly different from the free-feeding group. Behavioral and endocrinological consequences of lipophilic drugs (like PCP) are magnified in states of weight loss with fixed-amount dose regimens, and this might have a dispositional basis.
Flow against dispersion in nonadsorbing porous media

Abstract A mathematical analysis is presented of simultaneous dispersion and adsorption of a solute within finite porous media with flow and dispersion in opposite directions. The dispersion systems are adsorbing the solute at rates proportional to their concentration. The flow is assumed to be one-dimensional in a horizontal direction. Concentrations varying as exponential functions of time are enforced at the source of the dispersion while a condition in which the change in concentration is proportional to the flow is applied at the other boundary. Different forms for the solutions are given to facilitate the computation of particular values. The solutions are useful for quantitatively predicting the possible control of spreading of poor-quality water by freshwater flow.
Cryoglobulinemia: analysis of isotype, idiotype and antibody activity by composite gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting.

Abstract Improved methods for high resolution composite gel electrophoresis under dissociating conditions and electrophoretic transfer of immunoglobulins (Mr 150,000-1,800,000) to nitrocellulose have been developed. Using these techniques and highly specific antisera to detect either light or heavy chains on nitrocellulose transfers, the immunoglobulin and clonal composition of washed cryoglobulins (3 micrograms each) could be determined within two days. The results were confirmed by isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting of selected samples. In addition, the method was used for detection of an idiotypic determinant and rheumatoid factor activity within components of the cryoglobulins.
Towards a History of Electronic Literature

In her article "Towards a History of Electronic Literature" Urszula Pawlicka investigates the development of theoretical frameworks of and for the study of electronic literature. Pawlicka's objective is show how electronic literature developed and posits that the field underwent to date three transitional phases including several sub-phases where certain aspects and perspectives overlapped. She argues that by distinguishing developments in different phases we can see that electronic literature moved from text to technotext, from text as decoding meaning to text as a process of information and information system, from an interpretation to experience, from visual perception to performativity, from close reading to hyper reading, and several others. The most relevant aspect of the development of electronic literature to date is the attention paid to both theoretical and applied aspects of the background technical base of digitality, namely coding and its importance just the same as the content of electronic literature. Pawlicka suggests that future forms of electronic (digital) literature include aspects of collaborative programming, new media and digital literacy, the development of literary laboratories, the continuation of transdisciplinary projects, and macro and systemic studies of and in
Endothelium-dependent vasodilation in different rat hindlimb skeletal muscles

Few studies have examined potential for endothelium-dependent vasodilation in skeletal muscles of different fiber-type composition. We hypothesized that muscles composed of slow oxidative (SO)- and...
On the diffusion mechanisms of helium in nickel

Abstract Helium atoms in nickel at elevated temperatures exist primarily in substitutional sites, from which they may diffuse by a vacancy, dissociative, or exchange mechanism. The diffusion rates for these processes are calculated using the Embedded Atom Method. The dissociative mechanism is found to be dominant for all temperatures, provided that the vacancy concentration is not far above equilibrium. The activation energies involved in the different mechanisms are found to agree with activation energies derived from previous helium release experiments.
New sulfonated polybenzimidazole (SPBI) copolymer-based proton-exchange membranes for fuel cells

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of sulfonated polybenzimidazole (SPBI) copolymers as proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) for fuel cells are described in this paper. A one-step high temperature polymerization method was used to synthesize the SPBI copolymers from 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DABD), 4,4′-oxybis(benzoic acid) (OBBA), and two sulfonated dicarboxylic acids, i.e., 5-sulfoisophthalic acid (SIPA) and 4,8-disulfonyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (DSNDA), using polyphosphoric acid (PPA) as the solvent. The pure SPBI copolymer membrane was prepared by the traditional solution-casting technique (technique 1), and the SPBI/H3PO4 blend membrane was prepared through a new direct hot-casting and in situ phase inversion technique (technique 2). The membranes prepared from both techniques possessed desirable mechanical, chemical, thermal, and hydrolytic stability. However, the pure SPBI copolymer membranes from technique 1 exhibited very poor proton conductivities since most of the sulfonated groups in SPBIs were neutralized by the basic imidazole groups and became deprotonated sulfonated groups. On the other hand, the SPBI/H3PO4 blend membrane from technique 2 showed extremely high conductivities (>0.1 S/cm) at high temperatures (>120 °C) and low relative humidities (RHs) (even at anhydrous conditions), which has great potential to be used as high temperature and low humidity PEMs for fuel cells.
Understanding the seasonal pattern of childhood asthma: results from the National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study (NCICAS).

Abstract Objective: To contrast the seasonal patterns of asthma symptoms and utilization and determine the impact of allergen sensitivity, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure, and air pollution on the seasonal patterns of asthma. Study design: Participants in the National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study (NCICAS) were tracked for approximately 4 years after allergen skin testing and determination of exposure to ETS. Air pollution data were obtained from EPA monitoring sites in NCICAS cities. Results: Asthma symptoms (wheeze) and health care utilization (unscheduled visits and hospitalization) had similar seasonal patterns, with low points during the summer months of June through August and a distinct autumn peak beginning in September. Seasonal patterns were similar among children with no allergen skin test reactivity, those reactive only to indoor allergens, and those reactive to outdoor allergens. ETS exposure, whether defined by self-report or urinary cotinine/creatinine ratio, was not related to the observed seasonal patterns. Among the pollutants evaluated, only the seasonal pattern of SO 2 coincided with that of asthma morbidity. Conclusions: Atopy, ETS, and most air pollutants do not appear to contribute to the distinct asthma seasonal pattern. On a population level, changes in symptoms are mirrored by changes in utilization. (J Pediatr 2002;141:631-6)