cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structured Computational Polymers for a soft robot: Actuation and cognition

Structured Computational Polymers (SCP) is a concept of layered class of active material that can sense its environment and, due to its cognitive capabilities, react “intelligently” to those changes. In such a material, we envision semiconducting polymer based sensing, actuation, and information processing for on-board decision making to be combined into one active material. This paper describes incremental steps taken towards developing such a multifunctional active material, concentrating on distributed forms of actuation and cognition, with an intermediate goal of utilizing SCP as a “skin” of a soft robot - a robot, made of flexible materials, which is not bounded by its rigid structure and can adjust to its changing environment - with its sensing, cognition, and actuation embedded in the shape. We demonstrate, via experiment and rudimentary simulation, the feasibility of utilizing water hammer as a form of directed, distributed actuation. We also show that distributed form of cognition can be realized via a novel concept termed Synthetic Neural Network (SNN), which is a type of organic neuromorphic architecture modeled after Artificial Neural Network. SNN, based on a single-transistor-single-memristor-per-input for an individual neuron, can approximate the sigmoidal activation function with an accuracy of about 3%. A simulation of the SNN is shown to accurately predict the directionality of water hammer propulsion with an accuracy of 7.2 percent.
An acute care episode of a patient following bilateral total knee arthroplasty.

More patients with bilateral joint problems are choosing to go through one surgery to replace both joints simultaneously rather than having two separate surgeries. The goals of physical therapy following the surgery are to decrease pain, maximize range of motion (ROM) and strength, improve ambulation, and improve overall function. Few studies have focused on the importance of the acute phase of rehabilitation and most concentrate instead on long-term outcomes and outpatient care. The patient was a 62-year-old male diagnosed with osteoarthritis of both knees. The day before the initial physical therapy evaluation, the patient underwent a bilateral total knee arthroplasty. By the end of his stay, active knee ROM increased to −6° to 88° on the right and −6° to 83° on the left. Passive ROM also increased to −5° to 90° on the right and −5° to 86° on the left. The patient was able to perform supine to sit transfers with supervision and sit to stand transfers with contact guard assistance and his ambulation prog...
Ultrastructural Changes During Germination of Dictyostelium discoideum Spores

Spores of Dictyostelium discoideum undergo significant changes in fine structure during germination. The mitochondria progressively become less dense and lose their peripherally attached ribosomes, and the tubuli become more pronounced as germination proceeds. During this period, the three-layered spore wall breaks down in two stages: first, the outer and middle layers are ruptured as a unit, and, second, the inner wall is breached. Crystals and dark (lipid) bodies disappear shortly before or during emergence of the myxamoebae. Autophagic vacuoles are found in dormant spores and throughout the entire germination process. The addition of cycloheximide to germinating spores inhibited the loss of the crystals and dark (lipid) bodies. In addition, the drug inhibited the breakdown of the inner wall layer. Cycloheximide did not prevent the formation of the water expulsion vesicle or the apparent function of the autophagic vacuoles.
The Discovery and Interpretation of Nuclear Fission

If the story of the four-year progression from Enrico Fermi’s discovery of neutron-induced radioactivity to the discovery of fission were cast as a suspense novel, it would probably be considered too concocted to be credible. Apparently reasonable, mutually-supporting assumptions, experimental near-misses, and unprecedented interpretations of data all conspired to create a situation of immense confusion before the truth was revealed by chemical detective work. Historian of science Ruth Sime has described the discovery of fission as an example of the illogical progress of scientific discovery.
Liquid chromatography at the critical condition: Thermodynamic significance and influence of pore size

Liquid chromatography at the critical condition (LCCC) is a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique that lies between size exclusion chromatography and adsorption-based interaction chromatography, where the elution of polymers becomes independent of polymer molecular weight. At LCCC, the balance between the entropic exclusion and the enthalpic adsorption interactions between polymers and stationary phases results in the simultaneous HPLC elution of polymers regardless of molecular weight. Using C18-bonded silica chromatographic columns with 5 μm particle size and different average pore size (diameter = 300 A, 120 A, 100 A, and 50 A), we report (1) the thermodynamic significance of LCCC conditions and (2) the influence of column pore size on the determination of critical conditions for linear polymer chains. Specifically, we used mixtures of monodisperse polystyrene samples ranging in molecular weight from 162 to 371,100 g/mol and controlled the temperature of the HPLC columns at a fixed composition of a mobile phase consisting of 57(v/v)% methylene chloride and 43(v/v)% acetonitrile. It was found that, at the fixed mobile phase composition, the temperature of LCCC (TLCCC) is higher for C18-bonded chromatographic columns with larger average pore size. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2533–2540, 2009
Light, Fluorescent, and Electron Microscopic Analysis of Cultured Breast Tumor Cells (T-47D) Treated with 9,10-Anthracenedicarboxaldehyde Bis[(4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)hydrazone] Dihydrochloride

The influence of bisantrene on T-47D human breast tumor cells was assessed by colony-forming assay in soft agar and by light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy. Test solutions of bisantrene solubilized in distilled water or dimethyl sulfoxide were added to cultures at final concentrations between 0.01 and 60 micrograms/ml. Brightly fluorescent particles appeared in a concentration-dependent fashion after cultures were treated with water-soluble bisantrene at concentrations greater than 0.1 microgram/ml. Similar fluorescent crystals appeared in culture media when concentrations of the dimethyl sulfoxide-dissolved drug exceeded 10 micrograms/ml. Clonogenic survival as defined by soft agar assay indicated significant reproductive impairment in cells treated with concentrations greater than 1 micrograms/ml (p less than 0.01). Nuclear and cytoplasmic fluorescence was evident in treated cells. Cells that survived 24-hr drug treatment displayed round nuclei with watery nucleoplasm when examined under the light microscope. Under the electron microscope, nuclei of these cells revealed fragmentation of the nucleolar complex and a highly electron-lucent nucleoplasm. Cytoplasmic responses, which seem to be relatively innocuous, include incorporation of the fluorescent crystals into lysosomes and some mitochondrial abnormalities. Crystalline inclusions engulfed by lysosomes were found in cells obtained from cultures showing bisantrene precipitates.
The Sociotheological Turn

THE SITUATION IS not all bad. Yes, there is much to criticize in considering the way that some of the dominant trends in the social sciences do—and do not—deal with religion. In sociology and political science, there is a mad determination by those espousing some of the leading analytic paradigms to quantify everything and try to turn all hypotheses into statistically verifiable data. This economic model of the social sciences is bound to marginalize the religious dimensions of human communities. This is especially so in nonWestern societies, where often religious beliefs, customs, and practices are more integrated with the social whole. What is frustrating is not just the willful misunderstanding of the role that religion plays in the social imaginary of people across the planet, especially in non-Western societies, but also the frequent refusal to see it at all. Still, this is only part of the picture. There are also encouraging new developments, and these are the ones I want to underscore. I think there is a renewal of interest in religion, not only as a datum of social identity, but as something more. Increasingly, one finds studies that try to probe the religious dimensions of social worldviews. In my mind, this constitutes something new, a distinctive sociothological turn in the social sciences. I say this as someone who has certainly seen the dark side. I have studied religion from a social science perspective all of my academic career, and often felt marginalized as a result. While completing my PhD
A quantitative acoustic analysis of the vocal repertoire of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a highly vocal New World primate species, has emerged in recent years as a promising animal model for studying brain mechanisms underlying perception, vocal production, and cognition. The present study provides a quantitative acoustic analysis of a large number of vocalizations produced by marmosets in a social environment within a captive colony. Previous classifications of the marmoset vocal repertoire were mostly based on qualitative observations. In the present study a variety of vocalizations from individually identified marmosets were sampled and multiple acoustic features of each type of vocalization were measured. Results show that marmosets have a complex vocal repertoire in captivity that consists of multiple vocalization types, including both simple calls and compound calls composed of sequences of simple calls. A detailed quantification of the vocal repertoire of the marmoset can serve as a solid basis for studying the behavioral significance of their vocalizations and is essential for carrying out studies that investigate such properties as perceptual boundaries between call types and among individual callers as well as neural coding mechanisms for vocalizations. It can also serve as the basis for evaluating abnormal vocal behaviors resulting from diseases or genetic manipulations.
Experimental demonstration of holokinetic chromosomes, and of differential “radiosensitivity” during oogenesis, in the grass mite, Siteroptes graminum (Reuter)

Early cleavage stages, mature eggs and developing oocytes of the grass mite Siteroptes graminum (Reuter), formerly Pediculopsis graminum (Reuter), (2n = 6; males haploid), were irradiated to: (a) test the hypothesis that the chromosomes are not monokinetic, (b) determine whether the chromosomes respond differently to irradiation during oogenesis and cleavage, and (c) find out whether a special region on the chromosome is required for elaboration of its chromosomoid (Feulgen-negative body otherwise resembling the chromosome) which is left on the equator during both the meiotic and early cleavage mitoses. Fixation occurred 1–27 hours after irradiation. Chromosomal complements of more than 160 embryos (egg through 128 cell), and a few meiotic figures, were analyzed. Clusters of cells with decipherable chromosomal complements of 8–16 elements occurred frequently, and in especially favorable embryos karyotypes of all or nearly all the blastomeres could be analyzed. Many chromosomal fragments passed through at least three to five cleavage divisions in normal or nearly normal manner. Fragments which had come through one or both meiotic divisions behaved in blastomeres in a manner similar to those induced in cleavage stages. The chromosomes, therefore, are holo- or polykinetic in the classical sense. The tiniest fragments and very large translocations, however, tended to missegregate or to be eliminated. Some fragments were observed en route to or at the poles in both meiotic divisions. However, aberrancies in chromosomal behavior were more frequent during the maturation divisions, especially anaphase and telophase I, than during cleavage mitoses. Differential radiosensitivity was detected during the course of oogenesis, and between oogenesis and cleavage stages, the first known case in the class Arachnida. As earlier stages were irradiated, there was a trend in blastomeres toward fewer fragments, and far more normal and nearly normal karyotypes. Irradiation of cleavage stages yielded most fragments. Probable causes of this differential radiosensitivity are discussed. In the few cases with well-preserved, discrete chromosomoids the relative size of the chromosomoid and its associated chromosomal elements (including very small fragments) were correlated, and in several cases more than the diploid number of each was present. This suggests, but does not prove, that any part of the chromosome can elaborate chromosomoidal material. Possible causes, other than restriction of the kinetochore, for aberrancies in chromosomal behavior during both somatic and meiotic mitoses are discussed. The more recent literature on holokinetic chromosomes is analyzed, and new speculations about differences between mono- and holokinetic chromosomes are made. Factors of importance in design of experiments to determine the location of kinetochores are discussed.
1001 Proteomes

Motivation: The sequencing of over a thousand natural strains of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is producing unparalleled information at the genetic level for plant researchers. To enable the rapid exploitation of these data for functional proteomics studies, we have created a resource for the visualization of protein information and proteomic datasets for sequenced natural strains of A. thaliana. Results: The 1001 Proteomes portal can be used to visualize amino acid substitutions or non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in individual proteins of A. thaliana based on the reference genome Col-0. We have used the available processed sequence information to analyze the conservation of known residues subject to protein phosphorylation among these natural strains. The substitution of amino acids in A. thaliana natural strains is heavily constrained and is likely a result of the conservation of functional attributes within proteins. At a practical level, we demonstrate that this information can be used to clarify ambiguously defined phosphorylation sites from phosphoproteomic studies. Protein sets of available natural variants are available for download to enable proteomic studies on these accessions. Together this information can be used to uncover the possible roles of specific amino acids in determining the structure and function of proteins in the model plant A. thaliana. An online portal to enable the community to exploit these data can be accessed at http://1001proteomes.masc-proteomics.org/ Contact: jlheazlewood@lbl.gov Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Effects of Vitamin A Supplementation on Immune Responses and Correlation with Clinical Outcomes

Vitamin A supplementation to preschool children is known to decrease the risks of mortality and morbidity from some forms of diarrhea, measles, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and malaria. These effects are likely to be the result of the actions of vitamin A on immunity. Some of the immunomodulatory mechanisms of vitamin A have been described in clinical trials and can be correlated with clinical outcomes of supplementation. The effects on morbidity from measles are related to enhanced antibody production and lymphocyte proliferation. Benefits for severe diarrhea could be attributable to the functions of vitamin A in sustaining the integrity of mucosal epithelia in the gut, whereas positive effects among HIV-infected children could also be related to increased T-cell lymphopoiesis. There is no conclusive evidence for a direct effect of vitamin A supplementation on cytokine production or lymphocyte activation. Under certain circumstances, vitamin A supplementation to infants has the potential to improve the antibody response to some vaccines, including tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and measles. There is limited research on the effects of vitamin A supplementation to adults and the elderly on their immune function; currently available data provide no consistent evidence for beneficial effects. Additional studies with these age groups are needed.
The effects of isovolumic hemodilution on ocular blood flow.

Abstract Techniques by which retinal blood flow may be increased safely are potentially important in the treatment of retinal vascular disease. It was hypothesized that hemodilution, which increases cerebral blood flow, would also increase retinal blood flow. To investigate the physiological effects of hemodilution in the eye, ocular blood flow was measured in 14 cats using the radioactively labeled microsphere method. After the animals were anesthetized with halothane and oxygen, intraocular and systemic arterial pressure were recorded; blood flows were measured before and after isovolumic hemodilution to a hematocrit of 20–22% using 6% hydroxyethyl starch (a synthetic plasma expander with a molecular weight of 450 in 0·9% saline). In hemodiluted cats, retinal blood flow increased 71% from its baseline value (36·7 ± 6·4 ml 100 g −1 min −1 to 62·9 ± 6·4 ml 100 g −1 min −1 , mean ± s.e.m. , P 2 delivery remained approximately constant, as the increased blood flow countered a significant decrease in arterial O 2 content. Choroidal blood flow decreased (1297 ± 140 ml 100 g −1 min −1 to 1051 ± 144 ml 100 g −1 min −1 ) but the change was not statistically significant. Blood flows in the iris and sclera were not significantly altered. Hemodilution increased retinal blood flow without causing a redistribution in ocular blood flow.
Primary social behavior aware routing and scheduling for Cognitive Radio Networks

As an objective reality, the social behavior pattern of Primary Users (PUs) has significant impacts on the design and management of the secondary network. However, most of the existing works overlook this fact by simplifying the spectrum whitespace assumption. In this paper, we study the joint routing and time-domain scheduling problem for Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) by considering the social behaviors of PUs. Our main contributions consist of four aspects. First, we analyze the social pattern of PUs based on two practical data traces. According to the obtained social pattern, the available spectrum whitespace is derived for SUs. Subsequently, in terms of previous analysis, we propose a centralized joint routing and time-domain scheduling framework with global provable e-optimality (e ∊ [0,1]) by employing the branch-and-bound technique, where e indicates the expected closeness of our solution to the optimum solution. The solution of this centralized algorithm can serve as a theoretical benchmark for developing future routing and scheduling algorithms for CRNs. Third, we design a distributed primary behavior-aware routing and scheduling algorithm with local performance guarantee, where the routing and scheduling fairness, the available bandwidth, the potential interference, etc. are taken into account. Finally, simulation results confirm our assertion that primary behaviors have significant impacts on the spectrum whitespace, and demonstrate that primary-behavior-aware joint routing and scheduling design can utilize spectrum whitespace efficiently.
Cloning of Amplified cDNA Fragments

Once reamplified, cDNA fragments can be subcloned directly into a suitable vector and used to transform competent cells of an appropriate Escherichia coli strain. However, if smearing or multiple bands appear in PCR products, it is necessary to purify the reamplified cDNA prior to subcloning. Many commercial kits (l.e., QIAquick Gel extraction Kit, Qiagen) allow rapid purification in only a few steps and are relatively inexpensive.
Agronomic and horticultural aspects of iron and the law of the maximum

As new technologies make it increasingly possible to overcome limiting factors, crop yields are continuing to move upward. The Laws of the Minimum that were popular in past decades can now be replaced with a Law of the Maximum which states that limiting factors interact in a sequentially additive manner so that when they are corrected, progressively more response is obtained for use of each needed input. The fewer limiting factors that are present, the more valuable an input can be. Efforts have been made to evaluate Fe as a limiting factor when plants show no apparent visual deficiency symptoms, and there is increasing evidence to indicate that green plants (visually green) can respond to Fe. Certain existing horticultural and agronomic practices actually depend on that. An experiment is discussed where Fe can give 2.8 times as much response when other limiting factors are also corrected as when they are not. This illustrate how the Law of the Maximum operates. The Law of the Maximum cannot operate when any severe limiting factors are present because sequential additivity does not operate under such conditions. When considerable visible chlorophyll deficiency exist, Fe is usually such a “Liebig-type” limiting factor where certain inputs can actually antagonize the nutritional status. Nitrate-N and P fertilizers and bicarbonate commonly antagonize Fe deficiency. Iron nutrition varies for alkaline and acidic conditions and for dicots vs monocots and with interactions. Therefore, nitrate or ammonium nitrogen preferences could alternate in a crisscross pattern. Mycorrhizae are probably important for Fe nutrition under acid conditions and are essential to operation of the Law of the Maximum.
Psychiatric Medication and Meaning-Making in a Residential Program for Adults with Serious Mental Illness:

This community-based qualitative inquiry asks: what is the meaning and impact of taking psychiatric medications in the lives of people with severe mental illness living in a residential program. Participants were twenty-one adults with extensive histories of mental illness, numerous hospitalizations, currently taking multiple medications. In addition to a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, participants each created a color drawing related to their experience with medication, which they titled and ‘interpreted’ themselves (see http://blog.vcu.edu/kbentley/). The main finding is a distillation of themes into a seven dimension typology of the meaning. A staff-resident Advisory Panel guided the research, and final results take into account participant feedback and member checking. Included here are plans and hopes for using the findings to enhance specific programming at the residential program to better reflect the role and importance of medication issues in the everyday lives of residents.
Tetranychus Mite Repellent in Tomato

Ethanol extracts of the glandular hairs, leaves, or fruit of the tomato plant were found to contain materials repellent to the adult female and the immature forms of Tetranychus urticae Koch and T. cinnabarinus (Boisduval), but not to the adult males of these species, nor to the adult females of T. turkestani Ugarov and Nikolski. The repellent had a half-life of ca. 1.7 h.
Observations in support of Rg scattering as a source for explosion S waves: Regional and local recordings of the 1997 Kazakhstan depth of burial experiment

Abstract In August and September of 1997, three 25-ton chemical explosions were detonated at nominal depths of 550, 300, and 50 m in boreholes at the former Soviet test site at Balapan, Kazakhstan. One objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of differing source depth on the regional wave field. Analysis of regional seismic phases lead to the observation that regional P/S wave amplitude ratios in the 1- to 5-Hz band increase as a function of source depth. However, at frequencies greater than about 5 Hz, the relative amplitudes of P and S waves remain approximately constant for the differing depth shots. Similarly, regional coda spectra are amplified in the 1- to 5-Hz band for the shallow shots. At local distances, Rg is the dominant seismic phase, with peak amplitudes in the 0.7- to 5-Hz range, and Rg is strongest for the shallower shots. Within the short distance spanned by the local stations ( Rg is rapidly attenuated, and the attenuation is accompanied by a significant shift in peak amplitude toward lower frequency. At regional distances, Rg is below the noise level. The coincident frequency band in which local Rg rapidly loses energy and regional S phases are amplified points toward Rg scattering as the dominant mechanism causing the discrepancies between P/S amplitude ratios in this study. These observations are particularly relevant to the understanding of physical processes affecting regional P/S discriminants and may lead to improvements in discriminant methods.
Three-state trajectory surface hopping studies of the photodissociation dynamics of formaldehyde on ab initio potential energy surfaces.

Full-dimensional, three-state, surface hopping calculations of the photodissociation dynamics of formaldehyde are reported on ab initio potential energy surfaces (PESs) for electronic states S1, T1, and S0. This is the first such study initiated on S1 with ab initio-calculated spin–orbit couplings among the three states. We employ previous PESs for S0 and T1, and a new PES for S1, which we describe here, as well as new spin–orbit couplings. The time-dependent electronic state populations and the branching ratio of radical products produced from S0 and T1 states and that of total radical products and molecular products at three total energies are calculated. Details of the surface hopping dynamics are described, and a novel pathway for isomerization on T1 via S0 is reported. Final translational energy distributions of H + HCO products from S0 and T1 are also reported as well as the translational energy distribution and final rovibrational distributions of H2 products from the molecular channel. The present...
Involvement of the GABAA Receptor in Age-Dependent Differences in Binge-Like Ethanol Intake

Background Binge alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) drinking is common during adolescence, a time characterized by many behavioral and neurobiological changes. Among them, the GABAA receptor system undergoes substantial modifications, including changes in the density, distribution, and subunit composition of the receptor. Based on its demonstrated role in EtOH consumption, this study aimed to investigate the effects of 2 different GABAA receptor agonists on binge-like EtOH intake in adolescent and adult mice using the Drinking-in-the-Dark model. Methods Three hours into their dark cycle, adolescent (postnatal day 28 [P28]) and adult (P63) male C57BL/6J mice were given daily access to 20% EtOH for 2 hours during 8 consecutive days. Immediately before the access on day 8, mice (P35 and P70) were systemically injected with 1 of 2 different GABAergic drugs. The effects of muscimol, a full GABAA agonist, were assessed in a first experiment. The second experiment tested for the more specific involvement of δ-containing extrasynaptic GABAA receptors through the administration of THIP (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo(5,4-c)pyridin-3-ol). Results Adolescent mice consumed more EtOH than their adult counterparts. Following the administration of GABAA agonists, levels of EtOH intake were reduced at both ages. However, age-dependent differences were revealed following the administration of THIP, with adolescents exhibiting greater sensitivity to its suppressant effects, especially during the first 30 minutes of binge EtOH access. Conclusions This study adds to the existing literature demonstrating the crucial role of the GABAA receptor in alcohol consumption. In addition, it suggests that age differences in the GABAA receptor modulation of binge alcohol drinking might be more dependent on extrasynaptic GABAA receptors.
Mechanoreceptors in Human Intra-Articular Tissues

Movements of joints in response to forces, awareness of joint position, the mechanics of joint protection and the intricate interaction of a joint with its working muscle groups, i.e., biomechanics, has been ascribed to various sensory receptors classified as mechanoreceptors. The knee is easily subjected to traumatic injuries, especially sports related, and usually involves the anterior cruciate ligament, the great stabilizer of the knee joint. Treatment of the anterior cruciate-deficient knee is still a debatable subject. In view of this, there has been renewed orthopedic interest in the ligamentous neurology of the human anterior cruciate ligament and other joint tissues associated with the knee such as the meniscus.
Comprehensive evaluation method for sealing ability of mudstone caprock to gas in each phase

Based on the study on sealing mechanisms of mudstone caprock to gas in each phase,the percolation and diffusion velocity of gas in free phase,water-dissolving phase and diffusive phase through mudstone caprock under the action of imposed pressure and gas-bearing concentration are applied to establish the evaluation parameters(Vs,Vw and Vd) for sealing ability of mudstone caprock to gas in free phase,in water-dissolving phase and in diffusive phase respectively.And then,a comprehensive evaluation method for sealing ability of mudstone caprock to gas in each phase is established by weighted average value.This method is applied to evaluate the sealing ability of mudstone caprock to gas in each phase of Qingshankou Formation in Binbei area.The result shows that the mudstone caprock of Qingshankou Formation is of middle sealing ability,and poor sealing ability in Nehe and eastern Suileng.Poor sealing ability is one of the main factors which caused the poor gas shows in this area.
Food allergies: immunological reactions to food.

Allergic reactions to food are mediated by the immune system, can be consistently reproduced, and cause a change in the target organ. An estimated 0.3% to 20% of infants are affected. The incidence decreases with age to about 1% to 3% in adults. Development of food allergies depends on heredity, intestinal permeability, immune responsiveness, and exposure to food. Common symptoms include gastrointestinal, skin, or respiratory disturbances that occur from seconds to several hours after food ingestion. Although the skin-prick test is the most reliable diagnostic test, positive results must be followed by a trial elimination diet and food challenge to determine whether symptoms appear after food ingestion. Food allergies are treated by the elimination of the offending foods from the diet. Breastfeeding is usually recommended to reduce the incidence of allergic disease in infants. The dietitian's expertise is particularly valuable in assessing the nutritional status of the allergic person, assuring nutritional adequacy during treatment and maintenance, and participating in research to address the many unresolved issues surrounding food allergies.
Development of Design Rules for Reliable Antisense RNA Behavior in E. coli.

A key driver of synthetic biology is the development of designable genetic parts with predictable behaviors that can be quickly implemented in complex genetic systems. However, the intrinsic complexity of gene regulation can make the rational design of genetic parts challenging. This challenge is apparent in the design of antisense RNA (asRNA) regulators. Though asRNAs are well-known regulators, the literature governing their design is conflicting and leaves the synthetic biology community without clear asRNA design rules. The goal of this study is to perform a comprehensive experimental characterization and statistical analysis of 121 unique asRNA regulators in order to resolve the conflicts that currently exist in the literature. asRNAs usually consist of two regions, the Hfq binding site and the target binding region (TBR). First, the behaviors of several high-performing Hfq binding sites were compared, in terms of their ability to improve repression efficiencies and their orthogonality. Next, a large-...
GLOBAL LONGITUDINAL STRAIN IN PATIENTS WITH NEW LEFT VENTRICULAR SYSTOLIC DYSFUNCTION AFTER ANTICANCER TARGETED THERAPIES

Background: Reductions in global longitudinal strain (GLS) may be observed prior to the onset of systolic dysfunction in patients receiving trastuzumab and anthracycline agents and has been targeted as a method of early detection of cardiotoxicity. Data on cardiotoxicity in the setting of non-
Chromatographic separation of americium from europium using bis -2,6-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,9,9-trimethyl-5,8-methano-1,2,4-benzotriazin-3-yl) pyridine

The separation of americium(III) from europium(III) was achieved utilizing a bis-2,6-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,9,9-trimethyl-5,8-methano-1,2,4-benzotriazin-3-yl) pyridine (CA-BTP) chromatographic resin. The extraction chromatographic materials were prepared using various concentrations of CA-BTP. This new, hydrolytically stable extractant was impregnated on an inert polymeric support at 40% loading. The uptake of Am(III) and Eu(III) by this material from 0.1 to 4.0 M aqueous HNO3 solutions was measured. The resulting dry weight distribution ratios, D w , indicated a strong preference for Am(III) with little affinity for Eu(III). These results are similar to recently reported solvent extraction studies indicating a maximum uptake of Am(III) in the 0.5–1.0 M HNO3 range. The resin preparation, performance, and characterization of the Am/Eu separation are reported herein.
Ovarian Hormones and Transdermal Nicotine Administration Independently and Synergistically Suppress Tobacco Withdrawal Symptoms and Smoking Reinstatement in the Human Laboratory

Modeling intra-individual fluctuations in estradiol and progesterone may provide unique insight into the effects of ovarian hormones on the etiology and treatment of nicotine dependence. This randomized placebo-controlled laboratory study tested the independent and interactive effects of intra-individual ovarian hormone variation and nicotine on suppression of tobacco withdrawal symptoms and smoking behavior. Female smokers randomized to 21 mg nicotine (TNP; n=37) or placebo (PBO; n=43) transdermal patch following overnight abstinence completed three sessions occurring during hormonally distinct menstrual cycle phases. At each session, participants provided saliva for hormone assays and completed repeated self-report measures (ie, tobacco withdrawal symptoms, smoking urge, and negative affect (NA)) followed by an analog smoking reinstatement task for which participants could earn money to delay smoking and subsequently purchase cigarettes to smoke. Higher (vs lower) progesterone levels were associated with greater reductions in NA. Higher (vs lower) progesterone levels and progesterone to estradiol ratios were associated with reducing smoking urges over time to a greater extent with TNP compared to PBO. There was an interaction between Patch and estradiol on NA. With TNP, higher-than-usual estradiol was associated with greater decreases in NA. However with PBO, lower-than-usual estradiol was associated with greater decreases in NA. These results suggest that the effects of TNP on mood- and smoking-related outcomes may vary depending on the ovarian hormone levels.
Dystrophic Penile Calcification in Peyronie’s Disease

AbstractPlain film radiography was performed in 66 consecutive patients with Peyronie’s disease. Dystrophic calcification was noted in 22 patients (33 per cent). Patients with dystrophic calcification were younger (p less than 0.025) and had a more severe deformity (p less than 0.05) than those without calcification.
Induction Chemotherapy with or without Radiotherapy Followed by Surgery in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

There is great debate regarding the proper appliwcation of chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy (RT) as induction therapy prior to surgical resection in stage IIB (T3NO-1) and stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nearly as many reviews and position papers have been written on this subject as there are clinical trials (STRAUSS et al. 1992a; RUSCH and BENFIELD 1993; GREEN et al. 1994; JOHNSON and PIANTADOSI 1994; EDELMAN et al. 1996; ALBAIN 1997a; PERKY et al. 1997). As these reviewers point out, initially the paradigm was to view the “neoadjuvant” or induction modality(ies) as the means to render unresectable disease resectable. However, with the recognition that early eradication of systemic micrometastases was critical to the success of any local approach, the paradigm shifted: the goal in current studies is to provide initial control of both bulk disease and distant micrometastases with induction therapy, and then employ surgical resection for definitive local control.
Looking backward and moving forward: Reflections on a quarter century of community psychology

The turn of the century and the approach toward middle age mark a good time to take stock of accomplishments and achievements, to do a little soulsearching, and to make midcourse adjustments. Thirty-five years ago, “a pioneering band of [clinical] psychologists met at Swampscott, Massachusetts… named themselves for the first time as community psychologists, and… talked out the basic principles of the field” (Brody, 1986, p. 139). The times they were a-changin’, and the emergence of this new field was part and parcel of the sociopolitical context of the 1960’s, in particular the Community Mental Health Movement, the War on Poverty, and the Great Society (Bloom, 1978; Cowen, Gardner, & Zax, 1967; Merritt, Greene, Jopp, & Kelly, 1999; Yoshikawa & Shinn, Chapter 2, this volume).
Missing Data Techniques and the Statistical Conclusion Validity of Survey-Based Alcohol and Drug Use Research Studies: A Review and Comment on Reproducibility:

The goal of the present review was to examine whether or not the use of modern missing data techniques impacts the statistical conclusion validity of research on alcohol and drug use outcomes in su...
THz Ballistic Deflection Transistor Travelling Wave Amplifier Design with THz Ring Hybrid Coupler

In this paper a Terahertz (THz) Ballistic Deflection Transistor (BDT) Travelling-Wave-Amplifier (TWA) with a THz Ring Hybrid Coupler is developed. The BDT is a novel device based on InGaAs/InAlAs/InP, which is capable of operating at THz frequencies. With the newly developed THz Ring Hybrid Coupler based on the Parallel Plate Dielectric Waveguide with Signal Line (PPDWS) implemented, we are able to increase the ADS simulated gain of a 24-stage BDT TWA to 17dB at 1.02– 1.14THz. This result compensates the low trans conductance of the BDT and shows the BDT TWA as a leading candidate for future THz Amplifier Designs.
Transactional events1

Concurrent programs require high-level abstractions in order to manage complexity and enable compositional reasoning. In this paper, we introduce a novel concurrency abstraction, dubbed transactional events, which combines first-class synchronous message passing events with all-or-nothing transactions. This combination enables simple solutions to interesting problems in concurrent programming. For example, guarded synchronous receive can be implemented as an abstract transactional event, whereas in other languages it requires a non-abstract, non-modular protocol. As another example, three-way rendezvous can be implemented as an abstract transactional event, which is impossible using first-class events alone. Both solutions are easy to code and easy to reason about. The expressive power of transactional events arises from a sequencing combinator whose semantics enforces an all-or-nothing transactional property – either both of the constituent events synchronize in sequence or neither of them synchronizes. This sequencing combinator, along with a non-deterministic choice combinator, gives transactional events the compositional structure of a monad-with-plus. We provide a formal semantics for transactional events and give a detailed account of an implementation.
Tissue plasminogen activator via cross-collateralization for tandem internal carotid and middle cerebral artery occlusion

Tandem internal carotid and middle cerebral artery occlusion after carotid dissection predicts poor outcome after systemic thrombolysis. Current treatments include the use of endovascular carotid stenting, which carries with it a high risk of propagating further embolic events and worsening the dissection. New strategies for avoiding the aforementioned side-effects include recanalization using cross-collaterals for delivery of intra-lesional tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We present two cases that provide further support for this novel approach. Both patients presented with a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale of 20, received intra-arterial tPA via cross-collateralization, and made full recoveries without the need for stenting.
Providing Comprehensive Sexual Health Care in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: Implementation and Evaluation of a New Curriculum for Health Care Professionals

A grant from the Paralyzed Veterans of America funded the development, implementation, and evaluation of a three-day interdisciplinary continuing education and training program in comprehensive sexual health care. The program was targeted toward health care professionals working in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. The major goal of the program was to offer participants an opportunity to increase the knowledge, comfort, and skills necessary to understand and manage the sexual health care needs of people with SCI. The curriculum included clearly stated goals, behavioral objectives in operational terms, and multiple quantitative and qualitative program evaluations. In addition, the comprehensive curriculum incorporated extensive skills training including state-of-the-art standardized patient training techniques. Evaluation results indicated statistically significant and qualitatively important positive gains in knowledge, comfort, and skills. The five month follow-up study indicated that skills learned over the three-day workshop were successfully transferred to the work environment.
Analysing the pitch content of the rapping voice

To date, scholars have engaged the rhythm of the rapping voice far more often than its pitch. I detail the construction of a corpus of pitch features of “post-Golden Era” emcees. Using tools of mus...
A novel high affinity F-18 organophosphonate tracer for CNS acetylcholinesterase

323 Objectives Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a valuable CNS PET imaging target. Organophosphorus (OP) chemical agents are known irreversible inhibitors of AChE. Our overall objective has been to discover and develop a novel OP-based fluorine-18 (18F) AChE PET tracer with reduced toxicity that is suitable for detecting a priori poisonous OP CNS AChE exposures and that serves as an insightful radioprobe for elucidating the biochemical fates of OPs bound to AChE. Methods A panel of OP AChE covalent inhibitors, specifically designed with reduced toxicity, were prepared and evaluated with three in vitro anti-cholinesterase assays. The 2-fluoroethyl 4-nitrophenyl methylphosphonate 1 was selected for further study. F-18 labeled 1 ([18F]1) was produced via microwave assisted coupling of [18F]2-fluoroethyltosylate with 4-nitrophenyl hydrogen methylphosphonate. Intravenous administration of [18F]1 then PET imaging (120 min scans) of rats was conducted using an Inveon PET scanner in the absence and presence of OP AChE blocking agents. Results Ligand 1 showed in vitro AChE inhibition activity similar to the known OP agent paraoxon. [18F]1 was prepared in >99% radiochemical purity; mean specific activity 2.1 mCi/nmol (n=10). [18F]1 displayed high differential regional activity uptake consistent with known distribution of AChE densities in brain and the periphery. [18F]1 brain uptake was fast; peak time of 90% activity 2 h post injection. Loss of >85 % regional activity occurred after pretreatment with 1. Other cold OP challenges (paroxon or ecothiophate) resulted in expected blocked activity profiles. Conclusions In rats radioligand [18F]1 has promising in vivo properties as a first-in-class radiofluorinated OP AChE brain tracer. Nonradioactive OP exposed rats show significantly reduced differential regional activity. Research Support NIH R21-NS072079 & P30-NS055022
Confidence Calibration for Convolutional Neural Networks Using Structured Dropout.

In classification applications, we often want probabilistic predictions to reflect confidence or uncertainty. Dropout, a commonly used training technique, has recently been linked to Bayesian inference, yielding an efficient way to quantify uncertainty in neural network models. However, as previously demonstrated, confidence estimates computed with a naive implementation of dropout can be poorly calibrated, particularly when using convolutional networks. In this paper, through the lens of ensemble learning, we associate calibration error with the correlation between the models sampled with dropout. Motivated by this, we explore the use of structured dropout to promote model diversity and improve confidence calibration. We use the SVHN, CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 datasets to empirically compare model diversity and confidence errors obtained using various dropout techniques. We also show the merit of structured dropout in a Bayesian active learning application.
Induction and Patterning of Pre-Hemato-Vascular Mesoderm by the Mouse Mix Homeodomain Protein.

Abstract Members of the Xenopus and zebrafish Mix/Bix family of paired class homeodomain proteins play determining roles in both mesoderm and endoderm development and are induced by members of the TGFbeta/BMP family of signaling molecules. A single Mix gene has been identified in mouse, humans and chick. Prior to gastrulation, the mouse Mix (mMix) gene is expressed in the visceral endoderm and later in the primitive streak and nascent mesoderm, where it overlaps, in part, with T. Mix expression in ES-derived embryoid bodies is early and transient, overlapping partially with Flk1 activation around the time of formation of hemangioblasts. Both mMix mRNA and protein are found in a FACS-sorted population of T+Flk1+ cells from ES cell-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) which contains hemangioblasts. A complex embryonic lethal phenotype has been reported for Mix deficient embryos, including defects in allantoic (vascular) and cardiogenesis. Mesoderm forms in these embryos but is not patterned properly. Embryonic lethality occurs around E10.5–11, presumably as a result of the cardiovascular defects. We have generated inducible ES cell lines in which expression of Mix protein is responsive to doxycycline. Ectopic expression of Mix in EBs results in premature, enhanced expression of hemangioblast, angioblast and hematopoietic stem cell markers (mRNA and FACS analyses) and increased formation of stem/progenitor cells in clonogenic assays in methylcellulose. Together, the expression analyses, knockout phenotype, and gain-of-function studies in ES cells suggest that mMix functions early in induction and patterning of mesoderm, including formation of hematopoietic and endothelial lineages. Potential mMix target genes are being identified by microarray analyses of the inducible Mix ES lines. To examine mMix activities in vivo, we have generated null and conditional mMix knockout mice from several independently targeted ES cell lines. Analysis of these animals is in progress. Like Xenopus Mix.1, mouse Mix may represent an important connection between the TGFbeta/BMP pathway and hematopoietic/vascular development in the embryo.